PHOTOS (A new window will open when you click)
DAY 1 (Dunrobin To Fitzroy)
DAY 2 (Fitzroy To Arnprior)
DAY 3 (Arnrpior To Portage Du Fort)
DAY 4 (Portage Du Fort To Dunrobin)
Around The House
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For our honeymoon in 2001 we went to Maine, which was the site of our first kayaking adventure together. For our first anniversary in 2002, we had a wonderful time kayaking on the north coast of PEI. For 2003 we ended up at a cottage kayaking on the Baptiste Lake system near Bancroft, Ontario. In 2004 we stayed at a B&B in the Point Pelee region of southwestern Ontario and kayaked on Lake Erie. So, yes, for 2005 we went kayaking. But this time we left from our back door and did a 130 km round trip in just four days!
Last year we didn't start our trip until 3:00 pm, and history sort of repeated itself, since we left at 2:00. But we weren't actually late. It was sort of a spontaneous event based on weather forecasts and we'd only made the final decision the night before. So we had a ton of organizing to do.
It was an amazing feeling to be setting off on a big adventure but to be only 20 feet from our back door. It's a real pleasure not having to transport our big kayaks on top of the car and then have to load them up at a remote location. We just dragged all our stuff out onto the back lawn and packed them from there.
We had made a reservation at Fitzroy Provincial Park and it was a very obtainable goal despite pushing off at 2:00. But as we paddled out into Constance Bay there were some grey clouds in the sky, and it became obvious that it was quite windy out on the open waters. Just travelling the 3 km out of the bay to the main river was quite a lot of work. And because of Keenan's serious foot problems we hadn't been out paddling much this summer so the muscles were not exactly happy about what we were doing to them! We found our noses pointing towards Mohr Island and beyond, and it really felt lilke our adventure was underway.
There is surprisingly little information available for paddlers interested in exploring the historic Ottawa River by canoe or kayak. In planning for the trip we contacted countless helpful people, from Ottawa River Keeper Meredith Brown to paddling enthusiast Max Finkelstein at Parks Canada. Especially helpful was whitewater rafter Gord Bunston, who communicated back and forth with Keenan via email to pinpoint the location of the portage for the big hydroelectric dam at the Chats Falls Generating Station using Google maps. More on the portage later!
After considering all the information the plan was spend the night camping at Fitzroy Provincial Park as mentioned. The second day we would paddle across Pontiac Bay, portage the dam, and make our way across Lac des Chats (a long and wide section of the river) and up the Madawaska River to spend the night in Arnprior. Day three would require a long northwesterly paddle up the remainder of Lac des Chats and the narrow area of the river through the channels around Chenaux Island and north to Portage du Fort below the Chenaux Generating Station dam. After a night in Portage du Fort, they were to return to Arnprior and spend the night, and then attempt to return home on day five. That was the plan, anyway!
It was ten kilometres of rough going into mostly a stiff headwind to reach Mohr's Island. It was a great relief to paddle into the small estuary that splits the island in two. It1s a very peaceful and secluded spot. It also carries the historical significance of being a campsite for Samuel de Champlain during his search for a Northwest Passage. Boy, he sure was lost!
After a quick snack of bacon and tomatoes (prepared by Julie that morning) it was back on the water and into the wind. Like a lot of paddlers we each tend to pick objects in the distance and make it a goal to reach it, the reward being a rest or drink of water. In this case there were some huge powerlines in the distance and without talking about it we'd both decided to focus on those. When we got there it was actually an intersting part of the river, and a blue heron was there fishing along the shoreline.
We were now in the Woolsey narrows, and the going was a bit easier because there was not much wind. And soon we could see the twin Quyon ferries in the distance. We waited for the ferry on the Ontario side to leave and paddled across while the ferry on the Quebec side was just getting underway.
It wasn't long before the Chats Falls dam became visible in the distance. This was very exciting because the park is adjacent the dam. Even though there's no reason to think otherwise, it's always nice to see with your eyes that your final goal is attainable.
Keenan had been studying the maps for weeks and was doing the navigating to get us into the park, which is well hidden from view as you move north up the river. The campsite we reserved was on the banks of the Carp River, and the idea was that we would paddle right up to it. Well, Keenan did locate the Carp River and we did paddle it, but it quickly grew shallow and we were short of our goal. So, back out into the Ottawa!
The water was very shallow everywhere and the bottom was rocky. Our kayaks took a little bit of a beating because there was a lot of wind and it was hard to see to pick our way through. After 4 hours of hard paddling, we landed on the small beach in the campground at Fitzroy Provincial Park. Some tourists from Germany came along and asked a number of questions about the kayaks and the river.
It was hard to get out without falling over! It had only been 20 km but it was pretty hard paddling and we were rusty. We crawled out, dragged the boats up onto the beach, and went to figure out what to do next.
Our reserved campsite was quite a distance from where we landed, but we went to look at it anyway. It had a nice view of the trickle that is the Carp, but it was right next to this camper that seemed to have about 20 people in it. Plus it was just way to far to be carrying our loaded kayaks if we didn't have to.
We examined the available sites near the beach, which are all electrical and mostly dominated by RVs and big campers. But the sites just off the water were not busy at all, so we picked one of those, and dumped all our stuff. Being a bit rules-conscious, Keenan wanted to make the long walk up to the registration office and change the reservation. Julie figured it really wasn't necessary, and she was right. But it was actually a pretty nice walk.
When we got to the office the sole staff member was obviously not used to dealing with people who "paddle in" because he asked for our license plate number twice.
There was a nice reward for making the walk to the office, which was a stop at the camp store that is fully stocked with just about anything you could ever want - including hard ice cream.
Julie set up the tent by herself. Keenan pumped up the air mattress (we'll leave it behind next time and also bring a smaller tent, more on that later) and then got going with dinner as Julie set up a rope to try out or gear.
Dinner was cooked over a single-burner butane stove. Deluxe Kraft Dinner! Which is basically Kraft Dinner but instead of powdered cheese it's this gooey stuff that comes out of a bag. We had two delicious pre-packaged salads and then ate the entire box of KD. We had peaches, plums, and Jersey Milk chocolate for dessert. Keenan cleaned the dishes and Julie re-packed all the bags.
The stars were out and the Chats Falls Dam is lit up at night, so we went out on the beach to take a look. It was then time for a restful night's sleep in the tent. The moon and stars were shining brightly through the mesh screens and it was a lovely end to a terrific first day. Julie was still getting over the poison ivy she acquired the week earlier and didn't sleep as well as she usually does, whereas Keenan slept better than usual - no TV or computer to keep him up!
Next morning after quickly packing up the tent, deflating the mattress, and downing a breakfast of bananas, chicken noodle soup, and whole grain bread it was time to paddle across the face of the dam (from a safe distance of course) and try to locate the portage. We were full of apprehension. What if we could not find the portage location? What if the trail was not passable? The whole trip would be ruined. Keenan had tried desperately to learn more about this portage for months but except for Gord Bunston's account, had little else to go on.
Following the map brought us to the extreme west of Pontiac Bay, and the start of the portage as described by Gord was now in evidence. It is at the site of the Chenal du Fer (aka the "rock cut") which is an unfinished canal that was started back in the 1850s. We were just about to make our way through the swampy rock cut when a pleasant voice rang out from a nearby cottage. Mrs. Baser who was staying with her family in their cottage on the site were soon offering some important help - "You don1t want to go that way, it is very swampy and full of poison ivy. Come and use our beach and come through the yard and down the trail behind the house."
It was a very kind offer and no doubt made for an easier portage. But it was still a difficult 600 metres with two heavy kayaks and a lot of gear. The terrain was rocky and at times very steep. At the end of the trail was a concrete dam (no running water, just a cement wall) and beyond that a series of beautiful islands in the flooded lands above the dam. Initially we tried carrying the loaded kayak up the trail, but after about 200 metres realized it was just to heavy. Those who have portaged with canoes might not understand this, but carrying a kayak is very different. There's not as much to grab onto, and the handles on the deck are small and meant more for dragging than carrying.
We dropped Dragonfly (Julie's purple kayak) and then went back for Big Boy (Keenan's burgundy kayak) and barely managed to get it to the same location. Then we took everything out and laid it on the ground, and started carrying the empty kayaks to the end of the trail. When that was done without serious incident, it was time to go back for all the gear. The sun was pelting down now and it was quite a workout. Back at the top of the portage we were desperately hungry and cracked into some cans of chili and ate right out of the can. After a couple of bottles of water it was time to get going.
It wasn't a very good launch site, with a shorline that dropped off quickly. Julie's feet were getting irritated by her sandals so she had to put some socks on. And that meant she wanted to get into her kayak without getting her feet wet. Julie is very talented at entering her kayak from strange positions, but she found herself in the classic "the boat is moving deeper and one of my feet is still on shore" position. Keenan was standing in the water and sloshed his way over and held the kayak and a dunking was avoided.
The area above the dam was both beautiful and isolated. There was not a boat of any kind in sight. There are all sorts of islands and bays, and it could be confusing. This is the one area where it was nice to have spent some time looking at the maps to have some confidence about where to go.
We picked our way through the islands until the railroad bridge from Morris Island to Pontiac came into sight. We took a rest behind Blackhead Island (we don't know where the name came from) and then tried to figure out what line to take next. In the distance we could see a bit of a beach, which we figured correctly to be the Arnprior public beach. We could also see a big church steeple nearby and used that as a guide.
The river is very wide here, and in bad weather this area of Lac des Chats would be very dangerous indeed. We experienced some pretty good winds ourselves, and it was a relief to draw near the Arnprior shoreline. There's a big mine in the distance on the Quebec side and it looks really weird when the sun shines on it. Despite the wind Keenan kept dropping his paddle to take pictures of it.
There was a nice family doing some fishing near the entrance (well, really the exit) of the Madawaska and they said hello as we paddled up this important tributary. There were lots of boats moored in the area, but only one in the water, and it was about to leave via the public ramp.
We passed by the church that had been our guide across the river, and made our way close to the weir to the small dock that belongs to Arnprior Quality Inn, which was to be our home for the night. Again, it was very difficult to get out, but it had not been a long paddle. The work of the portage had definitely been a much bigger strain than any of the paddling.
We dragged our boats partway up the hill below the hotel and decided to get a little more presentable before going in. This basically means taking off sweat-soaked shirts and replacing with a clean one.
The front desk had the same problen as the park staff in coming to grips with "paddle in" visitors. she also asked for a license plate number, and asked if we needed tips on places to drive around town, but caught herself and laughed at her error. They definitely charge a bit much for what is a very ordinary room, but we didn't have a lot of choices. There is no camping in Arnprior, and it was pretty nice to be able to pull our kayaks up the hill and leave them just below the window of our room!
Keenan wandered out to find a newspaper, and to replenish our supply of bottled water. The gas station was out of newspapers, so he stopped in at a coffee shop across the street and the guy behind the counter was nice enough to give him a copy of the Citizen free of charge. It was a gesture that earned them a visit for breakast the next day.
After lounging a bit and reading the paper, we decided to skip the hotel restaurant and walk over the bridge and into town to see what we could find on a Tuesday night in Arnprior. We noticed most of the restaurants had people's names so we picked a restaurant with two people's names: Steve and Denni's. Or Steve and Dennis. It depends whether you look at the sign, the menu, the placemats, or the takeout menu. No matter, the menu offered what we needed...a truly special special...how'd you like soup, salad, ribs, quarter chicken, mashes potatoes, and pie? Well, we were hungry. And it was only $9.95!
We rolled out of there and walked back to the hotel as the sun was starting to set. There were gulls lined up along the top of the weir, and just below it a blue heron was doing some fishing for a late night snack. We both had a good night's sleep.
We got up around 7:00 knowing we had a pretty long journey ahead, and not knowing much of what to expect, especially in the area past Chenaux Island. We went over to the S&K Coffee Shop for eggs and bacon. There's a Tim Horton's up the street, but there couldn't have been many locals there, because they all seemed to be at S&K. There was constant laughter and swearing. The waitress/cook/cashier was a jovial lady who asked what we were doing for the day, and we told her that we were paddling kayaks to "portaaj dew for" and she said "Hey Henry, these two are paddling all the way to "portidge do fort." Henry replied simply "CHRIST!" and our S&K experience was over!
We dragged our kayaks down the hill to the water. Keenan actually hit more than 12 km per hour running with his, according to our GPS unit. For those interested in such things, we didn't use the GPS for navigation, only for recording distances and speeds. The experience of navigating by compass and maps is simply more enjoyable.
We pushed off into the Madawaska and headed for the Ottawa. At first in the shelter of the harbour we thought it might be a calm day. But soon we came to face reality - the wind was blowing strong, and it was not a helpful wind, slamming us mostly from the side, which in many ways is worse than a headwind because steering is more complicated.
We paddled along the Ontario shoreline past the old Gillies Mill. The winds were driving pretty hard. As Keenan stopped to take a picture of the mill, Julie asked "What's that white stuff up there in the distance?" The only plausible explanation was whitecaps caused by the wind, and that was exactly what it was.
At Red Pine Bay near Braeside we passed over the shipwreck of a lumber tug that went down in the late 1800s. It was a bit eerie to think about that, and with the high winds blowing, we gripped our paddles a bit tighter and quickened the pace out of the area.
It was past time for a rest. Keenan was intent on pausing at Lighthouse Island (which no longer has a lighthouse on it) but Julie wanted to push on. The mouth of the Bonnechere River provided the perfect spot for a rest. We've actually paddled this river on several occasions in other areas (it's a long windy river that goes all the way from the Ottawa River through Golden Lake and Round Lake to its headwaters way up inside Algonquin Park). In fact, Keenan was canoeing on the river during the SMILE camping trip just two weeks earlir.
There was a small natural beach nestled into the brush, with blue herons and cormorants at play in the weedy shallows nearby. We were hungry. It was time for some peanut butter, bread, bananas, plums, nuts, and chocolate. Ahh. And of course lots of water. A blue heron had settled into some reeds across from us and seemed to be keeping an eye on what we were doing.
We could see the narrowing of the Ottawa River in the distance, and there was some anxiety about what might be next. The navigation charts show a number of different channels in the area around Chenaux Island, and the word "rapids" is mentioned. What would this mean to our efforts to continue north to Portage du Fort?
As we paddled further a train passed near the river on a track near Castleford. At this point it almost looked like the mighty river came to a dead end. Then a motorized pontoon boot came chugging past us (amazingly it was one of the few boats of any kind they saw all day) and headed up the left side of the island in the distance. We figured if a boat like that could make it up the left channel then so could we!
There was a pretty strong current with many little eddies and whirpools that turned the kayaks in different directions, but it was not difficult to stay on course, and the scenery was just beautiful. The river is very different in this 8 km section because it is narrow and the water is moving. There are interesting rock faces and picturesque tiny islands, as well as some larger islands with sandy beaches. There are very few cottages and this was one of our favourite places on the entire trip.
We paddled into a quiet area with the sun pelting down and stopped for a break on a sandy natural beach. Keenan went to stand up and his legs did not cooperate. He started to topple over in the shallow water and was desperately trying to hold his camera bag up out of the water. After watching in amusement Julie realized there was some seriousness to the situation and rushed over and grabbed the camera bag.
We got back on the water and it was late afternoon when we sighted powerlines and the top of the Chenaux dam in the distance. We stuck to the eastern shoreline and continued north. There was an enormous blue heron perched on a branch right at the intersection of one of the dam floodstreams and the river.
Soon we could see the steeple of the local Church, and then the red facade of the River Club building (our home for the night) near the boat launch. There was also a beachcomber unloading his haul for the day.
There were many local children fishing and hanging around the dock, and through Keenan's banter with them we were surprised to learn that Portage du Fort is a mainly English-speaking community. Before checking in at the River Club we walked across the town and across the highway to the north side of the Chenaux Generating Station and touched our toes in the water. It was a celebration of reaching the half-way point of our journey. We thought maybe we were standing right in the very spot where the first people to explore the area had portaged their canoes.
We had dragged the kayaks up near the parking lot, so we left them there and went inside to find the registration desk. Keenan had been emailing with the promotional manager or the River Club but wasn't sure if we'd be expected or not.
We came in the side door and entered a large bar with VLT machines, pool tables, and a small stage. There was a woman behind the bar and a fellow who looked like a chef sitting on a stool. But there didn't seem to be any sign of a desk with keys for the rooms and such. So we headed for the front door, to see if there was another entrance. There wasn't. We came back in and the chef guy was sort of laughing at us. He asked if we were looking for the bathroom. Conversation ensued and the lady (Sonia) figured out who were were. We answered a few questions about our journey, and then Luke (the chef) was kind enough to give us a place to store our kayaks for the night (in a locked shed) and left us the keys so we could get out early in the morning.
We were a little surprised by the room. It was a bit fancier than expected. There was a brass nameplate on the door (it was called the Fort Coulonge room) and inside it was tastefully decorated, had sattelite TV, a fridge, and air conditioning, and the bathroom was big and it looked brand new. We each had a nice long hot shower and then sought out dinner.
There weren't any options for where to eat, and that was fine with us. Sonia said Luke was an excellent chef, and she was right. Chef Luke prepared a tremendous chicken caesar salad followed by a huge and cheesy meat lasagna. After dinner Julie figured out we'd be able to watch CFL football on TV. We talked about what we wanted to do tomorrow. Did we really need to stay another night in Arnprior? Perhaps we could paddle all the way to Fitzroy and camp instead. Or if we didn't make it, maybe we could camp somewhere near the portage?
Keenan went to the payphone at the corner store and cancelled the reservation at the hotel, and also picked up some more bottled water which could be chilled in the fridge.
Julie went to sleep around half time and Keenan was half asleep after watching the game to the bitter end - Calgary choked and let the Argos win. Bad news for the Renegades in the battle for first, but there's lots of season to go!
Julie was very keen on the skipping Arnprior plan, and she started carrying it out by getting up bright and early. It was still quite dark, in fact.
It was now August 25, and we celebrated the first minutes of our 4th wedding anniversary by hauling the heavy loaded kayaks out of the shed and down to the water. We got a send-off from one of the locals - of the four-legged barking variety,
There was a mist across the river and not a cloud in the sky. It was an incredibly beautiful paddle downstream, although even in the early morning the sun was already quite intense and it was a hot paddle. It was hard to tell with the sun in our eyes, but it became clear at one point that something big was watching from the shoreline. It turned out to be a big beige cow! And he had friends. They were all wandering around the shallows having a morning drink.
With the current behind us, we blasted downriver at speeds in excess of 8 km per hour. It was barely 9 am and we had already cleared Chenaux Island and were heading southeast on the Lac des Chats part of the river.
Today there was only a slight breeze, and it was a tailwind. The only challenge was the heat of the sun. Keenan was starting to lilt, and fought back by repeatedly dunking his hat in the water.
We continued to make great time, and paddled all the way to Kennedy Island before stopping for the usual lunch of bananas, bread, peanut butter, plums, and chocolate. Julie relaxed in the shade and Keenan waded in the water. It was a lovely little spot.
And at this point there was an interesting discussion: perhaps it would be possible to paddle all the way back to Dunrobin on the same day!
Bypassing Arnprior meant it made the most sense to paddle the Quebec side on this leg of the trip, and that1s part of the fun of doing a return journey - you can see both sides of the river. It was actually about three kilometers shorter to get back to the Chats dam this way. The biggest difference was that the water was very shallow and full of deadheads and shoals. We both had a few close encounters and bumps into rocks and logs. It was a very interesting paddle, and again, very peaceful with no other boats around.
It took a bit of poking around the islands to find the portage without venturing too close to the main part of the generating station. The sun was blazing hot but it was only 3:00 and with only about 20 km left to return to Dunrobin, the impossible was sounding possible. But first there was the portage to contend with.
We managed the difficult exit onto land, and then scattered our gear all along the top of the dam. We had four cans of food left, and at them all. One for Julie, three for Keenan.
We made a plan to carry the kayaks and gear in just three trips. First was Keenan1s larger and heavier kayak. We got to the end of the trail and the Baser family was busy working in their yard, preparing to fell a big tree. They welcomed us warmly and asked some questions about our trip. Then it was back up the trail to load up on gear. Whatever could not be carried on this trip would go in Julie1s kayak and be carried on the final trip.
The plan worked well, but it was definitely exhausting with the sun pelting down. As we prepared to push off, the Baser's completed a perfect takedown of their tree. We applauded and shoved off into the water.
Getting back on the water was a pleasure. Crossing Pontiac Bay the children from the Tim Horton1s camp were busy enjoying themselves with an afternoon swim. Approaching Quyon, we spotted a huge mast in the distance, and it belonged to the Black Jack, a well-known local sailing vessel that Keenan remembers well from his days of working at the Britannia Yacht Club.
The Quyon ferries were hard at work with full loads (a full load for them is about 4 or 5 cars).
Soon the familiar sight of Mohr's Island was in the distance. The sun was setting quickly, but at this point the odds of making it home before dark were very strong, although both physically and psychologically the journey was feeling long.
Keenan tried to save distance by sticking close to Ontario side but it was so shallow he ran aground and almost had to get out. Julie observed with some amusement from deeper waters.
As we neared home, a float plane was practicing landings and takeoffs along the Quebec shoreline, and on Sand Point some dogs were frolicking in the shallows.
At long last we were back in Constance Bay, with just three kilometres to go to the back yard. The sun was now just above the horizon and the air was cool, a welcome change for the struggle of the final few minutes. We hit the shore just as the sun disappeared from the sky. Our neighbours were just heading off in their canoe for a little evening paddle, and their dog Joker was very interested in our kayaks. He had a look of apprehension on his face, as though the kayaks had become part of our bodies. In a way they had! We took one final photo with the setting sun in the background and the trip was over.
Here are some statistics from this journey:
Day 1
Paddling time: 4.5 hours
Paddling distance: 21 km
Day 2
Paddling time: 2.5 hours
Portage time: 2 hours
Paddling distance: 13 km
Day 3
Paddling time: 6.5 hours
Paddling distance: 33 km
Day 4
Paddling time: 9.5 hours
Portage time: 1.5 hours
Paddling distance: 60 km
Totals
Paddling time: 23 hours
Portage time: 3.5 hours
Paddling distance: 127 km
When we decided to paddle all the way back to Dunrobin in one day on our wedding anniversary, the joke was that the total number of kilometres would equal the number of years we would stay married. It means we should be together until Keenan is 97 and Julie is 92!
We didn't have much time to recuperate before the Rolling Stones concert was upon us on the 28th. We spent the afternoon with Sean and Chantal on their back patio and then made our way downtown to the show. It was amazing to see 43,000 people in Frank Clair Stadium. The stage was incredible and the music was really good, except for the part in the middle where Keith tried to sing a few songs. But apparently Mick needs a break, which is fair enough, he's over 60 and weighs about 20 pounds and jumps all over the stage for more than 2 hours. After the show it was a bit crazy and we got separated from Chantal and Sean and never did find them!
Unfortunately it was impossible to completely avoid work concerns the following week. Maureen had some visitors lined up to come and see the former LiveWorkPlay workshop space in the first week of September, so it needed to be cleaned up and ready for viewing. We got a truck from 1-800-Got-Junk (it comes with two people who take your stuff and fill it up). It wasn't quite big enough to take everything that was left, but it was a big help. It was an amazing bit of teamwork that allowed us to finish this job in about 5 hours. We're still coughing up dust from this little task, but it was definitely good to have it done, because it would have been next impossible to find time to do it once all the participants come back to SMILE on Tuesday.
We did quite a lot of work around the house, which we enjoyed very much. Keenan had a good time splitting some wood, and then we stacked it in the shed for the winter. We're going to have lots of fires in the wood stove. On Monday night we had one of the best sunsets yet, and that's saying a lot. There was a heron stocking prey to the left of the house, some shorebirds flying to the right, and some ducks in the middle. A very glorious scene.
We haven't done a lot of driving, but twice on a nearby road we had to stop so a large family of wild turkeys could cross. You just have to picture one of those things running across the road and you can't resist the urge to chuckle.
There's not a whole lot of work going on in the yard, but we did go out and buy a number of shrubs and plant them along the property line with our neighbours to the north who cottage there for the summer. They have three kids and there's an awful lot of action. They are really nice people but we'd like to sit out on our downstairs patio with a little more privacy, so we've put in some lilacs and other shrubs to fill in some of the busier sightlines.
We went to see a movie called the Constant Gardener, and we both gave it two thumbs up. If you have any investments in the pharmaceutical industry you might be feeling badly by the time this one is over!
Friday we visited both sets of parental units and showed them a slide show of our kayaking trip. At the Wellar household we enjoyed the best tomato sandwiches ever, grown from the best tomato garden ever. Barry is having a few computer issues, and we all had quite a few laughs as Keenan tried to help solve them with Marjorie and Julie making comments from the peanut gallery. After some trials and tribulations the effort was quite successful.
Out in Cumberland we posed for the traditional photo with the wedding tree, Trisha prepared a delicious dinner, we checked out the slide show and then settled in to watch the football game, which unfortunately resulted in a big loss for Ottawa at the hands of Montreal. David is still in recovery from assisting the contractor that upgraded their kitchen area (the biggest job was the beautiful new ceramic floor) but says it was well worth it. He is also thrilled that it will never need to be done again.
Saturday we were out doing some shopping and picked up several copies of our local newspaper. Why? There was a full page article about our kayaking trip on page four! My goodness. We knew there might be an article because a reporter had been emailing with Keenan before we left and when we got back, but holy cow, it was a rather big story. You can see a smaller but legible version by clicking here. There's a nice picture (we took it with the timer when we were on Mohr's Island) and everything. Oh, but in case you are wondering, Julie has not changed her last name to Wellar.
And of course we are enjoying watching the US Open. We look forward to it every Labour Day weekend. And there's CFL football too!
That's it for "anniversary journal" 2005. We'll try to keep up with our daily journal for the coming year so do drop by and see us!
Julie & Keenan
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