FROM DOCK TO CLOCK TO ROCK TO BOARDWALK

The heat wave finally broke and the week started with a top-down back-road drive up to Tobermory for ice cream (Moose Tracks) and greeting the ferry (ChiCheemaun). Then over to Southampton where brother-in-law Walter received the town's Heritage Award for reviving the town clock and keeping it running for the last 40 years! Then the commute to Toronto, continuing the rehab of the apartment by stripping old stair runner and being grossed out by apparently liquified underpad below.

But the week is ending with the excitement on Queen Street of the 25th annual Beaches Jazz Festival. 62 bands along a mile of closed-off main drag! Great weather, happy crowds, funky food trucks, and the best music ever. Not much true "jazz" but take your pick from big band, reggae, salsa, Latin fusion, swing, funk, and just plain road house rock. Our faves?? --- Lightning flamenco guitars of the Spanish "Puente del Diablo" (note littlest guitarist!), the dynamite energy of "God Made Me Funky", and the raunchy rockers "Zed Head". Now we remember why we missed the city! Oh, and how about the crazy entrance of the Shuffle Demons, complete with King Tut headdress?

All's quiet this morning but along the boardwalk a 5/10/20k training run is taking place beside the Latin Square music stage. Will the runners finish before the rumba rumbles??