"It'll all work out" has been an adage that I have faithfully and
successfully lived by. Any scenario’s outcome can be drastically altered
depending on a person's attitude. It's a common enough theory and one that has
had much validation in both positive and negative conclusions. The trip down
from Albany to North Bay has continued to support this simply understood but
somewhat difficult practice of how to best appreciate how the world works.
Blind River was as gorgeous a gem as it has always been. However, this trip
we were able to appreciate it from the point of view of two snuffling, tail
wagging puppies who have never left the island that is Albany.
Our first walk with them was somewhat of a failure, with Oji finding
something interesting to chew on within the first two minutes of the walk. He
promptly lay down beside the sidewalk and began very intensive work on the
offensive pine cone. Belinda on the other hand seems to have enthusiastically
embraced the speed and action of the South by barking ferociously at passing
motorcyclists and attempting to chase down fully loaded transports.
From Blind River and a quick but pleasant stop at Chiblow Lake
we continued our adventures South. In Toronto
for a couple of days, we visited family, saw a winning Blue Jays game, and
tested both the dogs, and our own patience with the city crowds and consequent
noise. From Toronto, we worked our way back up through Oshawa, Bowmanville, Cobourg,
and Deep River in order to visit parents, siblings, aunts, cousins, and
grandparents. Because my sister was visiting from Australia, the planning and implementation
of these visits was very efficiently achieved with the weather and traffic of a
long weekend combining so successfully that they were made a non-issue.
For summer accommodations suitable to pets, the pickings were slim, and we
felt fortunate at the beginning of June to hit upon a place described by the
owner to be all inclusive, pet friendly, but ‘a little rustic’.
Upon arrival we found out what that translated into; No internet. Possible
phone. Non-potable water. No electricity. The owner planned on running a
generator for a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the
evening. This would have to be sufficient to keep the fridge cold, heat the
water for a shower, and charge our computers. With few options available and
only three busy, out-of-town days to find an alternative, we brainstormed ways
of trying to make this two month summer vacation into a livable camping/studying
experience.
While attempting to fit this stubbornly square peg into a round hole so to
speak, we continued to look for something else. That something else turns out
to be a fully equipped summer cottage on the edge of a quiet lake not far from
North Bay. For pictures, I include some of those sent by the owners.
School began the next day for me with a course I had registered for a few months
ago. I had been struggling with trying to navigate this different University’s
site in an attempt to figure out the actual location of my classroom. Failing
this, I arrived early on campus to find someone who could provide an answer.
After being shuffled around to a couple of offices, I was informed that the course
had been cancelled – hadn’t I been contacted? Haha. Luckily there was another
Additional Qualifications (AQ) course being offered at the same times, dates,
and price. So I’m doing the exact same things I would have been doing but
learning material entirely different from what I had expected. Who knows, maybe it’s
for the best. At least I know
it’ll all
work out.
School’s back on track. I was out for a week with my first,
and last, case of laryngitis. If you’ve never had the pleasure, it leaves you
literally speechless. Although my class’ behaviour has improved beyond measure
compared to a year ago, they can hardly be expected to enjoy engaging learning
experiences through weak sign language and over-exaggerated facial expressions.
Thanksgiving was wonderful again
this year. The teachers down the road who usually host the potlucks organized
another doozy of a feast, leaving everyone to waddle home in a less than
graceful fashion. I managed to make my first pumpkin pie which turned out
better than expected, though nowhere near comparable to Mom’s; experience or
genius? 
