Sunday 2 July 2017

Canada Day and Old Friends

Yesterday, I managed to get a few tasks done outside in between the raindrops. We were invited to have supper with old and dear friends at their cottage and dined on barbecued chicken skewers and smoked sausage, new potatoes, asparagus, and deviled eggs. I brought a strawberry rhubarb crisp (of course). The rain stopped, but the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. We put on some extra layers and went to a lakeside town close by to watch an incredible fireworks display.

Here, in Canada, we tend to have fireworks on two separate occasions: Victoria Day (the May two-four holiday nicknamed that because it falls on or around May the 24th and generally a case of 24 beer is involved) and Canada Day (July 1). Our fireworks are regulated and people generally purchase packs of fireworks from stores or pop up fireworks sales locations. There is also a "sketchy" guy in a nearby town who trucks into the states and sells fireworks from his front lawn that we normally can't buy here.

For Canada's 150th birthday, town councils purchase fireworks for big displays and donations are collected to help offset the cost. The display we went to was held on a beautiful beach along Lake Huron with hundreds of people in attendance. We put our lawn chairs on the beach and sat under blankets (yes, blankets on July 1st - gotta love Canada) with the water as our backdrop. It was magical. Kids were running around beforehand with glowsticks and light up toy laser swords. People were spread out on blankets and chairs, and babies slept in strollers. When the fireworks started, everyone watched them exploding over the water. The night ended up clear, but a little chilly.

The evening began with a lovely sunset over the water. Some people brought their boats out to watch.

This giant Canada flag flies here all the time. You can see a small light house at the end of the point.

The finale was spectacular!

I love this country of mine with its vast and varied geography, much of which I have yet to see. I'm proud to be Canadian and wouldn't want to call anywhere else home.

16 comments:

  1. What a fine menu!
    We were pretty quiet.
    Did you know that Italy, at least one of their towns, have used quiet fireworks! No dogs hiding under beds!

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    1. That would be very odd, I think. Half the fun is the bang!

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  2. You should be proud to be Canadian. Happy 150th.

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  3. You have an adorable prime minister too! Happy birthday x

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  4. It was warmer here in Toronto and while we had some showers in the afternoon it cleared in time for the fireworks - they were very, very loud! :-)

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  5. Your country is lovely and irreplaceable.

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  6. Nothing better than a good fireworks display. Canada is a beautiful country, hope to visit it some day. We tend to take near neighbors for granted. You were under blankets and it was 94º here.

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  7. How fun! I love fireworks. It sounds like a wonderful way to spend the evening. Thanks for sharing. I'm impressed with how well your fireworks photos turned out.

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  8. Sounds like such a great time! This is a great country. There's nowhere else I imagine being. Okay, maybe on a tropical island in January and February. I could do that :)

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  9. I have to say that I love Canada too. I visited 30 years ago and was so comfortable.

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  10. Great photos of the fireworks - it was a magical weekend of celebration & I agree we live in an amazing, vast & varied country & I would not want to live anywhere else. I thought your comment about Justin was quite polite (col). Cheers to Canada.

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  11. Congrats to Canada! I love fireworks!

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  12. They don't allow fireworks in the city limits of my town, I'm glad I don't live in the city limits anymore

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  13. Huzzah!!! Thanks to your photos, I saw fireworks on Canada Day now! Lol...they don't do that here, and you know something? Living in Quebec, I never realized that Victoria Day was celebrated with fireworks too, that's another "no no" holiday here...too regal I guess! ;) I'm glad you had fun, even under blankets, the photo of the sunset is gorgeous! I'm with you, I'd live NOWHERE else, though I might switch provinces!

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  14. I much prefer the professional fireworks to the loud, out-of-control sort that my neighbors feel are necessary to shoot off for the three days leading up to our Fourth, then the Fourth, then as long as is necessary to use up the surplus. I chose not to celebrate this year. And probably won't for the next three.

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