SUNRISE, AND THE SON ALSO RISES

We left before sunrise this morning on a 1000-mile drive that will head north, south, west, and east in that order in the next week. Check it out in the next posting....

Not many photos this week because there was more waiting than doing at 36 Wineva. Window blinds, garage doors, and brick repointing are all on their way but out of our hands. We saw a couple of movies: a tour-de-force by Kate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, and a long (and overrated?) Prisoners. But by Thursday we were back at Kemble expecting some fall colour show. The sun is rising later but no less glaring. The frogs are enjoying their last chances to bask on warm rocks. The pumpkins are bashfully small while the ever-bearing strawberry plants are living up to their name. Topdown rides through the leaves --- but they're still mostly green or drab here! Better results by going over to Sauble Beach for al fresco fish 'n chips and a drive-in sunset.

On a very personal note, this week I proudly revealed to family and friends that I have legally changed my name back to Wyszynski, which it was until I changed it to you-know-what 41 years ago.  My dad must be happy, but I'm still getting used to signing (practice with me now -----) W-Y-S-Z-Y-N-S-K-I!

UP ON THE ROOF

On this first day of autumn the sun came up peek-a-boo, like a winking promise to halt all the rains we've had lately. But the past week the weather cooperated for two major events. The annual Terry Fox Run for cancer research was held in the Beach. We always participate/donate in  honour and memory of our sisters. Go Terry, you're on everybody's Walk of Fame!

The big job at Wineva was the demolition of the original (i.e., rotting and leaking) double garage roof, then rebuilding a solid new one with a better slope for rain runoff. It all started Sunday with the very noisy sawing, crowbarring, and dumping of the old sections. I was seriously worried that the neighbours or a wandering Building Inspector might shut the job down mid-stream but all went well. In 5 hours my recently-immigrated German helper Marco and I stripped off the roof, leaving our hands slivered and the garage bays topless!

Then the more satisfying part --- placing new 20' rafters and overlaying the 4 x 8 sheets of chipboard to make a strong stable sloping platform. By Wednesday we were applying roof sealer and roll-roofing in 3' wide sections. (Not the usual shingles because the slope is still too shallow for those and water might find it's way through.) Trim pieces, drip edge, soffitt, and flashing came next --- the fine work that's not my favourite. After we had left the city there was a major rainfall: I'll be looking for any signs of leakage. Still to come is some roof patch goop and the overhead doors. Stay tuned.

Back at The View, fall is here officially as well as obviously in the changing colours and shorter days. And another sign ---- there's the Original busy-as-a-bee!

BLURRED LINES (#2 OF 2 BLOGS TODAY)

Had to take a break from all the home-work, but which event to go to this weekend?? In the city there was the Ukranian Festival, a Garlic Festival, and more Film Fest, etc. Nah, we were missing the countryside and the road-rainbow was a good omen. First stop was the Canadian version of Daytona Bike Week --- Port Dover Friday 13th! Thousands of bikers descend on this pretty Lake Erie town to show 'n shine. Only a one-day event so all the action and attention-getting are intense. Our impression was that "PD-13" was a lot gentler than Daytona, but then we didn't stay for the nighttime frolic!

 Instead, up to The View for the first time in 2 weeks. Good to see the gardens in ripe mode; Pat picked baskets of tomatoes, green peppers, etc. But early next chilly morning she had the annual Master Gardener Plant Sale.  It's the biggest fundraiser of the year so the mall parking lot was taken over by 8 a.m.

Passed by too early in the morning to take in the RibFest where 40,000 people show up to smear BBQ sauce on their grins. Big regrets, but also took a pass on the first ever automotive Concours d'Elegance in Canada. Just down the road at the Cobble Beach dozens of high-end automobiles displayed on the 18th fairway. $4,000,000 Bugatti, 1978 Villeneuve F1 racer, and cars never before seen in Canada. $50 just to get in the gate! Many of the cars, though, were seen on the roads parading proudly. Big sighs as I watched, blurring the lines between old and new!!

SCHOOL'S IN AND THERE'S MORE HOME-WORK (#1 OF 2 BLOGS TODAY)

The weather this week has ranged from a muggy humidex of 42C to chilly nights with a frosty 3C. Hardy sailors and well-covered beachgoers are still out there. Two of the big stories in Canada this week have been Frosh Week outrages and the ongoing controversy over minority rights --- these Ryerson students seem to be on the right side of rights?

Work continues on the Toronto apartment.  The shared vestibule had three layers of old flooring to be ripped out before new vinyl covering could go in. Pat repainted the interior stairway. Literally "steps away", the worn-out porch also had layers of old paint --- can you spot the green, peach, and white? The neighbour and I opted to put in new boards instead of painting over the old colour bumps.

Around the back, it's time to rebuild the two-bay garage. I think it dates from the early 1950's and the original roof has been rotten and leaking for years. Fortunately, there are still 20-foot rafters available to span the width in one strong length. But I'm nervous about today's job ---- cutting up the roof into chunks for the disposal bin. It's Sunday morning and that saw will be really noisy. The neighbours are all around me --- I hope their windows are closed. Check back next week to find out. (And look for today's second blog post, much more fun....)

BUZZ!

The fun and excitement of being back in Toronto just keeps happening. The summer buzz of our Beach neighbourhood is fading out while the next buzz fades in bigtime. Off the boardwalk, the Paddleboard Yoga is a delicate balancing act ---- that lake is cold! And no lifeguards to rescue you --- they put away the rowboats and go back to school after Labour Day.

We went over to Toronto Islands to watch the buzzing of the Air Show; the skyline dramatic as ever. Back at the apartment, the latest jobs were replacing the bathroom vanity, and finishing up the kitchen cupboards with the buzz of the drill ("Where do you want the knob, Pat??")

But the BIG buzz is the Toronto International Film Festival. The most public one in the world, I think, with huge crowds of savvy  film-goers and celebrity watchers rubbing shoulders with A-list movie stars. A real rush to feel the excitement all around as 300 films from 70 countries, including 140 world premieres, unspool this week. Even when we didn't know who was being mobbed and cajoled, the mood was festive and friendly. For my special occasion, Pat treated me to an obscure film titled "Little Feet", not something that will ever be in theatres but fascinating because of child acting and the film-makers Q & A. A $9000 production made on borrowed and expired16mm filmstock! Plus a harrowing 11-minute first film by a promising female Puerto Rican film student: "Luna Vieja".

Back at the red carpet, wewerethisclosetothebuzzofColinFirthandNicoleKidman. Colin didn't turn in our direction, but Nicole was gracious and lovely from the back or front. Now, on to that party at Brad's hotel!!!