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After finishing my contract (early this year), it has been a whirlwind of activity of sorting out potential upcoming work and getting away for a short vacation.
A week away with no calls, and no internet availability. Just relaxation. Night-time darkness so absolute, that you cannot see your hand in front of your face once the lights are out.
I noticed that the first time you go to a place you take lots of pictures and the second, fewer and after that hardly any. Since this is our fourth time on Manitoulin Island, I realized near the end of the week I hadn't taken any photos, so when we made a day trip to Misery Bay, I remembered to bring the camera along.
Misery Bay- not miserable at all- the name is misleading! A short hike through the forest on a hot day, on a lovely trail of pine needles and rock brings you to this sight. I think we saw only two other people in the distance that day. Yes, before you say it, that is a big dog, and she was happy to stand there and cool off after the hike.
Sandbars and shallow water, and a partial view of the wetlands (actually a fen), and forest beyond.
Looking south from the beach towards the open lake. 
A beautiful place to visit. I was impressed by the visitor centre which is completely off grid, with solar panels for electricity and staffed by committed volunteers.
Back home now and getting organized for the next round of work, hoping this heatwave breaks with some rain soon.
It looks like ballet work is on my plate in the next little while, so I have to get organizing!
i follow your blog and live in Manitoulin. I hope your vacation was fabulous. It is an amazing place to live!
ReplyDeleteIt truly is an amazing place! We always enjoy our time there. Great for de-stressing! I just wish the travel time to get there could be shortened, but then it would be over-run wouldn't it. It's great to hear from you again.
ReplyDelete>sigh< How nice to 'get away" to such a beautiful and interesting place! Now I know what an "alvar" is! Most intriguing! But yeah, a LONG DRIVE!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever checked out the area around Haliburton? An ex and I used to go up to his cabin in that area, just outside Algonquin Park...it was so BEAUTIFUL I almost get tears in my eyes thinking about it. Mixed forest, with magical little springs scattered all over the place; I remember one tiny exquisite moss-draped, bathtub sized spring hidden under an overhanging boulder. The lake itself was also tiny, spring fed, and so shallow that you could see the bottom all over except where the spring was, so it was so warm and delightful to swim in, there among the white water lilies! But, as you said, a long drive (3 1/2 hours) so it was hard to go up there for a mere weekend!
Yes, and there are so many stunning places to get away to. I could list them but that would be another blog!
ReplyDeleteOh, BTW, Terri, thanks for the encouragement: I have already made the better part of the gorget pattern, using lo-tack masking tape and over it, duct tape! (Red Green would be proud!) It happened like this: I have been working on upgrading a Levi's denim jacket, and I discovered if I raised the collar up and pinned the two points together overlapping, forming a cylinder around the neck portion of my dress form, I could lay the tape over the shoulder yoke and the collar part, (which came up plenty high enough) draw the shape of the gorget on the tape, mark the seamlines and reinforce it with the duct tape. After that I will cut it off section by section and make a paper pattern. The lo-tack tape makes the removal of the sections much easier that just having used duct tape directly on the denim, which clings tightly(endangering the integrity of the pattern piece shape from too much pulling)and leaves sticky behind besides! But I'll bet you already knew that!
ReplyDeleteCostume making is so much more INTERESTING than dressmaking; while lots of these blogs are nice enough, after you've seen the 500th dress or skirt or blouse somebody has made it gets a bit TEDIOUS. But capes and gorgets and gambesons? I'm IN! :-)
Can't wait to see what goes on with the ballet work! I have an fascinating article in a Victoria mag from the nineties that gives an up-close look at costumes of the Nutcracker and a few other ballets made by a famous Russian ballet costumer (whose name escapes me, but one that you probably know). They are covered with fruits and bonbons all handmade out of silk- amazing!