First Ride to the Frozen Lake

We did get out on our first ride yesterday, 14k/9mi to Lake Mississippi and back. I was somewhat surprised to see the lake still covered with ice because I don't see any by the riverbanks anymore. I wonder how we'll do this year. We didn't get out as much last year as we did in 04 and 05.

Blackbirds and Bicycles

In light of the choir fiasco last night (see previous entry), Cuppa determined that she should take me out for an appeasement breakfast this morning, just a breakfast sandwich and coffee from Tims taken to the riverside. It's nice and sunny out there, but the temperatures are on the low side, about 34°F now and only going up to about 43°F. While that's not exactly tropical, it's not windy, and we may get the bicycles out. We're thinking it over at least.

Usually, we get out a few times in March, but the weather hasn't been conducive this year. On the few occasions that the temperatures have begun to even approach accommodation, the winds have been too strong. While today's temperatures aren't terribly appealing, the sun is out and the winds are down, so we might possibly manage a short ride if we're well-bundled. We shall see.

Whatever we decide, spring has sprung. In a recent post I mentioned the sighting of Red-winged Blackbirds. As synchronicity would have it, I discovered the above photo on Doris' (neither Doris's not Doris'es looks right to me) photos site yesterday. She honoured me with posting privileges, so that's what I have done as I have done before.

Meanwhile: to bike or not to bike?

A Time to Keep Silent

That made me laugh. It (A Time to Keep Silent) was the title of tonight's chapter in my nightly reading to Cuppa, for, at that very moment, I was despairing deeply over the sounds that I had been trying to make, sounds that hadn't come out well. You see, I had wanted to sing certain sounds tonight. I had practised them diligently, but I had totally flubbed my part during rehearsal. So, it was good to chuckle for a moment.

Is that just a tad cryptic? Well, here's the story.

I went to choir practice tonight for the third week in a row although the choir had been rehearing for a month prior to my arrival on the scene. They are starting a new community choir in this area, and a neighbour who overheard me vocalizing around the house (I do that a lot — hum, whistle or sing — almost without realizing it) asked me to join. When I hesitated and explained that I really have difficulty harmonizing, she asked me to try anyway and extracted my promise to try going to two practices before making up my mind.

So in the due course, I showed up for the first practice and was rather mortified to discover that I was the only guy there. Not being a reader of music, not for singing purposes anyway, I made myself sit and observe and maybe hum the occasional bar. But they sounded good, and I decided that I'd really like to be a part of the group.

So, I got hold of the music and tapes of the bass part. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to practise my part before the next (my second) rehearsal (last week). Nevertheless, I was aided by the fact that I wasn't the only guy. Indeed, I was able to sit beside a fellow who more or less knew the ropes. I followed him, sometimes behind the beat and sometimes badly, but there was reason for hope. So, this past week, I practised some more and thought that I was ready for tonight's rehearsal (my third). I was quickly disabused, however, because I was not, in point of fact, ready at all.

Unfortunately, I was the only guy again, but because I had practised on my own, I thought I'd be able to muddle through to some degree. However, I'm afraid I really, really floundered when it came down to it. You see, although I can pretty well sing the bass part when I'm by myself, it happens that as soon as the full music starts and everybody starts singing their parts, I get totally lost and seem unable to fathom what notes I am supposed to be singing. When surrounded by those other voices, I can't seem to hear my part in my head. Tonight, it was so bad that I really would rather have been almost anywhere else, but a grown man can't really run out, so I stuck it out ... and despaired of my plight during every agonizing moment.

I disappoint myself. I know that I don't have a solo quality voice, but I can sing. I mean to say that I can carry a tune. It's just that I can't seem to sing harmony when all of those other voices get going, especially if there's no one to help me along. I'd like to sing with this group, but I really need strong bass voices around me to lead the way. Do I go back one more time and hope that those other guys will show up, or do I just toss in the towel?

I hate to be a quitter, but maybe this is beyond me. I don't know why I find it so hard when it seems so easy to others, but I do, and it frustrates and disappoints me. I feel stupid. So, maybe, for me, it really is "A Time to Keep Silent." But it no longer makes me laugh.

For the Birds

I don't see a robin. Do you see a robin? Oh, we saw one last Thursday and again on Friday, and on that Friday I scurried to get my camera. Of course, just as I was getting focussed, the *&%$ bird flew away. But I left my camera right there by the bedroom window to make sure to capture him the next time he showed up. Today, I gave up. *&%$ bird.

But the relevant point is that they have returned. So have the Canadian Geese (Canada Gooses?), but I don't have a picture of them either. I took a few, but they were either boring or blurry or both. Cuppa noticed a redwinged blackbird today, and Thesha has crocuses coming up, so Spring is definitely here, and life is good.

Yes, it's good, especially tonight, because I have my computer back. You may not have noticed that it was gone because I was faking it pretty well, but I took it in last Thursday, and they called today (Wednesday) saying it was ready. That's not a terrible turn-around time when you consider that they had to send it to Montreal for servicing. That's where Staples does its extended warranty work, at least for this region.

I was skeptical when they told me that all they did was clean it, but it seems to have resolved my problem. I performed the one function that would previously be sure to crash the machine, and it didn't, so we'll pronounce it fixed. In the interim, I was getting around to at least some of your blogs on a hit and miss basis, but I left even fewer comments than usual. Sorry about that, eh?

Hah! I just found this photo from one of my Flickr buddies, kiwêhowin (Heather), who lives further north than I, but I'm not exactly sure where. Spring is springing up there too! Nicely done, Heather.

Temple's Sugar Camp Restaurant

A new Maple Sugar camp/restaurant, Temple's Sugar Camp Restaurant, recently opened in tiny Ferguson's Falls, not too far from here. Despite the fact that Lanark County proclaims itself the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, there are only two other establishments that I know of within an hour's drive of us. So, we headed out thataway last Friday. It was a delightful day in these parts as you can tell by Cuppa's rather light attire (for March in Canada).





It's a brand new building that is rather wonderful inside. We were told that the family built it themselves over a five year period. There are two balconies, and the place will supposedly seat 700 people when it is able to sustain maximum capacity. If they ever do fit 700 seats in there, that would probably be about fifteen times the normal population of Ferguson's Falls. It may come to that too because although it's not totally finished inside, lots and lots of people (like us) have been showing up regardless. The parking lot was still pretty full when we arrived shortly after one o'clock although the restaurant was fast emptying.



Apparently, it's been fourteen years since the McEwen Pancake House closed. Despite it's rusticity and small size, it is said to have once served a thousand patrons in a single weekend. The old structure still stands. You can see it next to the new edifice, two photos above and in the photos below.





I'm glad they left the old place standing, but I'm even gladder that I got to enjoy the new place.

Birthday Pics

As you know, it was Cuppa's birthday weekend. As per usual, the grand lady somehow managed to stretch a one day event into five. But who's counting? One of the events was an actual birthday day dinner and cake (of course) chez les kids, which is French for at the kids' house — in my version of French anyway. Before dinner, we had the ceremonial laying on of hands upon the Smudge, or as near as we could get to her. She was being a very active little thing at that point; we could often see the evidence of her rummaging and rumbling about. No doubt, she's getting a might crowded. I get claustrophobic just thinking about it.



Later, Theboy decided to exercise his masculine muscularity by picking up an older woman. Hey! When I was his age, I could do that too! Hmmmpppph. He does have an advantage, however, as he once trained to be a fireman.



It's a poor quality shot, but I can't resist giving you this glimpse of our party. Yes, we are a wild bunch. (Which was another birthday outing of another day — seeing the film, Wild Hogs, I mean.)



It is my understanding that more photos will appear on Brown Betty Brew, eventually.

Happy Birthday

Congratulations to Cuppa who reached the big SIX-OH today. Although beginning her seventh decade on this planet and about to be a granny, guess what youthful plaything she wanted for her birthday?



That's right: a bicycle carrier. Presumably, the bikes will come off and get pedalled when appropriate, bike-friendly destinations are reached. That's the theory anyway. There are bicycle paths in Ottawa that beckon, and the season is fast approaching. In fact, I've seen a few early birds pedalling around town just this weekend, even though we had snow again yesterday.