Winter Barn Owl

Winter Barn Owl
Life's a Hoot !

Monday, August 3, 2015

100 kilometer journey

Given that it is a long weekend here, I took the opportunity of an extra day off to travel within a 100 kilometer radius of home.
First up, a trip for lunch to Perth, Ontario.
There are many wonderful restaurants to choose from, but decided on
What caught my attention was the lure of this burger:
A Nutty (Veg) Burger A blend of pecans, peanuts and almonds ground in our kitchen, mixed with fresh herbs and vegetables, crisp Bibb lettuce and tomatoes, then crowned with our house peach jam. Served with fresh greens, fresh fruit, balsamic vinaigrette and sweet potato fries topped with a local maple syrup drizzle.
All washed down with local brew....


Next up, a trip to the village of Westport for a car show at the local church.


There was something for everyone:


For fans of the movie GREASE, a replica of 'Greased Lightning'
Then, back to Kingston for a fabulous dinner at Le Chien Noir

Final outing; off to Prince Edward County for a stroll in Bloomfield
and lunch at Agrarian Market and Speakeasy
A first for me; Eggs Benedict poutine!
Yummy poached eggs with hollandaise, bacon and parmesan sitting atop crispy fries!

The crowning glory of the weekend;
ice cream from Slickers Ice Cream
Happy long weekend!




Sunday, July 19, 2015

Concours D'elegance, Clayton NY Boat Museum - Part 1

We were recently invited to participate in the 'Concours D'elegance', being hosted at
in Clayton New York.  

Given that we were bringing a 1957 MGA, 
we decided to come the day before.

Our favourite restaurant  Bella's, has a charming balcony overlooking breathtaking views of The St. Lawrence river, 
so it was a must for dinner.
It's menu is well thought out, with perfectly executed dishes that show off the chef's creatvity.


It was a perfect evening to enjoy the warm sunset and watch the boats glide over the shimmering water.
This year's car show was highlighting British cars, however many different kinds were in attendance.

This one caught everyone's eye!

But, my personal favourites were the Mercedes gullwings!
A bonus to the event was being able to visit the museum and take a trip back in time with the antique boats

I even was invited to take a ride in one! 

The event had many dignitaries, some who even stopped for a pose!
Stay tuned for part 2 - a vist to La Duchesse, the houseboat owed by George C. Boldt.
 

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Lunch in Prince Edward County

After varying temperatures in May, the first weekend in June turned out to be a lovely 20 degrees with sunny, clear skies
 and a warm gentle breeze.
The prior week, a welcome rain brought relief to the parched ground and filled giant mushrooms with tiny drinking fountains.
It was time for another road trip to the 'county'!
My favourite part of the trip is taking the ferry across Adolphus Reach
First stop: Bloomfield, with its quaint shops and charming locally owned restaurants
The last time we were at Agrarian for lunch, there were so many choices we wanted to try, that we knew we had to go back to sample something different
I started with a chilly glass of '8 Man English Pale Ale' from one of our local breweries: 
...which helped wash down a crispy local perch sandwich
Delicious!

Our next stop was a visit to Domaine Darius to pick up a few bottles of the delicious Port that I had tasted on my last visit.
The gardens had been planted and were starting to burst with colour
I love their use of different mediums to show off their green thumbs!
We ended this glorious weekend with a trip
 up to Chaffey's Locks to visit
The Opinicon Resort, currently being restored to its former glory......


....to enjoy some home make ice cream

While strolling the lock, I noticed a most fascinating tree.....rings of its history were exposed and weathered making it a lovely tableau!
Ah, Welcome June......




Monday, May 18, 2015

Victoria Day Weekend

Prior to enjoying the long Victoria Day Weekend, I spent a few days in Toronto attending a business conference.  It was an opportunity to meet up with colleagues and friends.
The Sheraton Centre downtown is an old hotel but is different in that it offers a bit of serenity amidst all the concrete.
 Prior to starting the conference, I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet the newest member of the family!
Before getting down to business, a sushi dinner out with friends kicked off the event.
After 2 full days of improving my skills, I made it back to town in time to have a cold beer and burger with the 'kids', who came into town for the long weekend.

As it was our son's birthday, his choice of outing for the day
 was a trip to 'the county'.
We started at Vickis Veggies to get our heirloom tomato seedlings.
There were many vendors with lots of local fare.


Once the seedlings were secured in the trunk, we headed off to our favourite lunch spot: the patio at


We enjoyed tomato basil soup, grilled cheese and pesto mussels!

The birthday boy all smiles with his charming wife!
The day ended with a wonderful vintage Medoc!  Delicious!
A great way to end the holiday weekend!