One Giant Step…Is All It Takes

Victoria may be the ‘City of Gardens’, but I think that Brockville’s tagline should be the ‘City of Lawns’.

Seriously, the lawns here are amazing! I can’t imagine the time that people must put into them, but I surely can imagine the pride that they take because every single lawn is beautifully cut and manicured with an equally beautiful garden to accompany it.

I haven’t seen any un-mown, weedy, gone-to-seed yards…I think they even mow the vacant lots! It certainly makes for a beautiful little town.

Here I am trying to do my part to keep up the standards. Although I have   to admit that the very last thing Don did before we left for the hospital was mow the lawn himself. He kindly explained that it was so that I wouldn’t have to do it again before the weekend but, really, I think he was trying to fix up the job I did. I’ll show him though as I am the designated-lawn-cutter while he is away….I’m definitely getting better.

We  have been traveling a lot between Ottawa and Brockville. It’s a scenic drive even from the 4 lane highway – even more so when we take the back route. I love the country-side with the fields and barns and farm houses. The crops are just starting to push up and show themselves in neat little rows of that fresh green that only spring can bring.

The drive also shows the marshland that is prevalent in the area. Grasses and reeds dominate as the greenery, providing roosts and feeding area for birds, many of which I have never seen before. The birds here are certainly more colorful and melodic than the ones I’m used to back home. My favorite place in the house is the sunroom downstairs where I can look out to the backyard feeders and see all the birds.

We also managed to get some boating activity in while here. There was one last sail on the boat in blustery, but manageable, conditions – and J and I caught a bit of the hydroplane races this past weekend.

Soon, our time here will be finished. Although we hadn’t planned to come here, it has all turned out okay – we’ve had a chance to see family and friends we wouldn’t have and we feel good setting out knowing that J’s dad is on the mend.

We have a flight booked for Monday to Lima. Time to get that Spanish book out and start getting excited again!