SkyWatch Friday #55 ~ Hot!

It is hot, record breaking hot, 30*C hot!

We are surrounded by water and it always reflections the sky.

It turns everything blue.... an intense blue.
So here is a little ice for those of us in the west to cool of with from March 28 on Lake Ontario!!
(all photos can be clicked on for better detail)

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Watery Wednesday ~ Why fly?

Why fly ...

When you can ride?

Pigeon Guillemots hitching a ride on the Kwuna ferry

(Click on photos for more detail )

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My World Tuesday ~ Heat Wave

Sorry I am late posting this but it is hot with not a cloud in the sky ....

Not a drop of rain on the ground .....

Only thing to do is take it easy and relax...
With a cold one!!

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Pet Pride ~ Memories of Shenzi

Shenzi in front of her home.

This winter while I was house/pet sitting in Picton, Ontario I made friends with a little dog called Shenzi, which in Swahili means "mongrol".

Fresh from a swim in Lake Ontario

She was a funny little dog with a mind of her own but oh how she made me laugh when she wanted me to do what she wanted. Walking with our friends Chloe and Ziggy at Sandbanks Provincal Park.

Her "mom" had said because she was mature in age (13 years) she would only be able to walk for about 30 minutes at a time. "Do we really have to go that way?"

I love to walk. The second or third day after her mom had gone Shenzi and I went for a walk in the Conservation Area not far from her home....it was not an easy walk, early March, thin ice, melting snow, mud but we walked an unbelieveable 12 kms on our first day! Mid March in Sandbanks Provincal Park.

We were both exhausted, hungry and a little sore(at least I was!) when we got home. When it came time for bed I went to let Shenzi out for her pee. When she went to get up she dragged her backend. I thought "that's it...I've killed her!" But she pulled herself up and managed to get down and back up the deck stairs and then upstairs to bed. I worried all night about her but the next morning, like me she was raring to go!

On the beach with our friends.

From that day on, every day for seven weeks we walked from 8 to 15 kms/day and Shenzi was always the first one out the door and always leading the way.

She was always the first one in the water(Lake Ontario).

She was simply amazing. If I chose to do a bike ride instead of walk she would be downright annoyed, dumping her water dish which I walked through in my stocking feet every time or she would ignore me until she got her walk which she inveritably did! She wormed her way into my heart with her determination and her antics. She was deaf (I think it was selective hearing), her ears smelled, she would bite if you picked her up the wrong way but she was loyal and oh so funny and she made me laugh everyday! As I was packing up after seven weeks she was determined she was going too!

On Thursday, July 23, 2009 Shenzi was hit and killed by a car in front of her home in Picton, Ontario going out for her bedtime pee. As my heart aches for the loss of this little gem of a companion it also aches for her "mom" who she shared 13 years with.

Rest in peace little one!

For other pet companions why not visit Pet Pride

SkyWatch Friday ~ Come aboard for a peek...

Photo credit Ricky Funk

This week we had the only ship of its kind and the largest ship ever in our waters anchored in Queen Charlotte. It is a floating condominium. My previous two posts are about this ship however I recieved unexpected on-board photos, so for those of you who asked, here you are....enjoy! Photo credit Ricky Funk

Some peoples kids get all the luck! When The World arrived two of our young Visitor Counselors from the Queen Charlotte Visitor Centre were invite aboard to answer any questions about the islands and get a tour of the ship. Ricky Funk gets all the credit for these photos! Photo credit Ricky Funk
Here are Ricky's photos without titles.
Photo credit Ricky Funk
I did speak with some of the guests from The World as a hospitable "local" and dispelled some of what was on the internet.
Photo credit Ricky Funk
You can live on The World year round, I think they said twelve units are occupied year round by their owners.

Photo credit Ricky Funk
As some of you mentioned, these are city folks who are not into gardening etc. but they said they got their walks in Mother Nature when the boat anchors.

Photo credit Ricky Funk
Owners have their own bikes and the ship also has bikes that are brought ashore for guests.

Photo credit Ricky Funk
If you don't wish to come ashore there are lots of activities on board....while we were talking on the deck of the Visitor Centre someone was waterskiing from The World!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
Outside of the ever changing outstanding views it looks pretty much like an upscale land based condominium building.....

Photo credit Ricky Funk
Or a cruise ship!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
I love being beside big water, fresh or salt but I don't know that I would like to live on it year round but then I am not a city kid either!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
It is beautiful!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
This, I love....great SkyWatch photo!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
Making a statement!

Photo credit Ricky Funk
Where Ricky and his counterpart spent most of their time.

Photo credit Ricky Funk
It was fun while it lasted.

Thanks for the fabulous photos Ricky!

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MyWorld Tuesday ~ Update

(I've had a little trouble with click to enlarge but it seems to be working now...there is some great detail)

As promised, an update on The World. If you are just arriving on this blog the previous post will give you a little more info and understanding of this post. The World is the first ship of it's kind. It is a floating condominium and it is spending two days in Queen Charlotte. The largest boat in our waters until this morning is the little boat in this photo...The BC Ferries MV Northern Adventure! (In the previous post I mentioned the Northern Expedition, she plies our waters but only for a couple of months during the winter, Northern Adventure does our regular service). She is 117 m( 380 ft) long, 20 m (65 ft) wide with a gross tonnage of 9,925 whereas The World is 196 m (644 feet) long, 30 m (98 feet) wide with a gross tonnage of 43,525! Just a little bit bigger!

Lots of people went up the coast to catch their first glimpse. The World coming over the bar at Balance Rock, a glacial anomaly.

As she came into Bearskin Bay things started to move and unfold. The bigger of the two boats being prepared for launch is their tender/lifeboat, I think the little one was out to check if there were any rocks in the way! Unfortunately she is not open to us common folk for touring as she is a private residence. So this is probably the closest we will get.

This is our welcoming committee!

The view of The World from our harbour...she had to anchor quite far out because we are on extreme tides....more about that in my next post.

Why not join us a MYWORLD TUESDAY to other great parts of our world.