RESTFUL DAY

Today was a catching up day.  Slept in, spent a couple of hours doing some work, assisted by Dakota, who was sure I could work better if his head was on my leg.   Caught my laundry all up and, finishing up in mid-afternoon, I dawdled around until Brenda arrived from work.  She took me on a tour of North Bay – up to the college and university campuses, over to Duschene Falls and then to the waterfront.   North Bay is a good-sized, but small city, providing everything one needs without overwhelming. 

Guy and Brenda say a great deal of what goes on in North Bay are businesses that support the mining industry by providing specialized services and products.  There are also a growing number of head offices for large companies here.  The rental market is tight with the university and college campuses here, but the housing market to buy into, at least by Toronto and Vancouver standards, is still within reach for most families.   
 
Duschene Falls is a short hike up a little trail, and though the water levels are lower this time of year, it is still a very pretty little falls.  The trail continues up the hillside if one is ambitious in the heat and humidity.  We were not ambitious….
 
Heading down to the waterfront, we took a stroll along the walkway.  I got a deal on a boat big enough to transport me and Night Fury back to Coquitlam and it looks pretty comfortable.  All I need now is a captain and crew to take me, so I will begin that search tomorrow.  😊
 
I took many pictures of the beautiful flowers along the waterfront walk.  Couldn’t help myself.  Among the flowers, there was a great deal of milkweed.  Brenda said that this is the plant that the monarch butterflies feed off and they come to North Bay in the summer, then begin their migration to Mexico in the winter.  I was interested to learn in doing a bit of reading on Wikipedia (the answer to everything, of course), that individual butterflies do not complete the round-trip migration.  Four generations are involved in the annual migration as the females lay eggs on the northward migration.
 
Brenda pointed out the unique sundial and the two rows of bricks that mark the time.  One row is used in the winter and one in the summer. 
 
Heading back home, we had time for a beverage and a visit before the boys were done work.  Guy and Brenda and I met their son Adam, and Kira and baby Easton for dinner at Moose’s Cookhouse.  Easton is a happy little guy and cute as a button, so he was busy being charming.  Dinner was great and so was the company.  Adam generously treated me to dinner, so I am once again a spoiled brat. 
 
Feeling the need for another rest day, I’m going to hang around tomorrow again, do some more work and get all my gear prepared for departure on Wednesday.  Toodles for now.  😊