I'm So Cute I Know You Can't Resist Helping Us!!!

MOTORCYCLE CHARITY RIDE
AUGUST 15 TH , 2010

(SUPPORT RESCUE CATS)
Come and join us on our first Charity Ride for Rescue Cats. The ride is open to all riders, clubs and all makes of motorcycles. In 2010 we are going to ride to help support this badly needed Sanctuary. Ride will be held on Sunday, August 15 th , (rain date Sunday, August 22 nd ). Enjoy a 200 km. ride through a scenic rural setting. Pre-Registration will be Saturday, August 14 th at Levi Home Hardware, Almonte, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Register from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on ride day at Levi Home Hardware in Almonte. Start time is 10 a.m. Coffee and muffins will be served to kick start your morning. Money from this ride will be donated to Country Cat Sanctuary a registered charitable organization which is home to abused, abandoned, rescued cats and kittens. Without rescue organizations like this, where would the unwanted felines go? Registration is $20/rider and $10/passenger. Cash/Check (payable to Country Cat Sanctuary). We hope to see all of you pet lovers there to support this worthy cause. We plan to make this a yearly event and each year hope to see the number of riders grow.

Great door prizes. Pass this info along to your friends. See you there!!
Every rider/passenger will receive a thank you cat toy with registration
Further info: Frances fluffyb@xplornet.com

Bluesfest is Over! Now What?!

(above) goodbye, Bluesfest seagull that tried to eat my sweet potato fries!



(pictured above) Jimmy Cliff and reggae on a steamy summer night- a magical closing night at Bluesfest

350,000 people, over 260 shows, 12 days of sheer music loving bliss. Kudos to Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan, Paul Symes, AJ Sauve, Joe Reilly, the rest of the staff and the 5000 volunteers for an absolutely spectacular (and sweat-filled) music festival. From humble beginnings 17 years ago, today Ottawa Bluesfest is a festival worthy of the world stage! I met so many people who soaked in as many shows as possible, whether it be main stage acts like Joan Jett, Iron Maiden or Arcade Fire, or side stage shows like Derek Trucks, The Hold Steady, or Monkeyjunk. Happy to be in the '100 percent attendance club', with 12 days of live music behind me now....I am somewhat confused about what to do with my life. p.s. sincere thanks to my home away from home for 12 days, The Albert at Bay Suite Hotel, a short walk back from Bluesfest to a bed that was bigger than my house.
Well done, and thank you for the fun! Can't wait til next year.....
..


(above) The Sauce Boss cooks on the Subway Stage

Have you seen Balu?

A message from Vanessa, who's dog Balu has been missing since June 23rd:
'
Our young dog escaped from a window yesterday (june 23) , likely spooked by the quake. When we got home from work, we discovered he had ripped through the screen and have been searching all over for him since. We are desperately worried about him, and want to get him home as soon as possible. He’s only 9months! I have attached a copy of the poster we’ve been putting up all over the Sandyhill area.
He is a white golden retriever and is very friendly. His name is Balu. Please email Vanessa or call call 613-789-5599

Bluesfest - The Best Time of the Year!

(above) my incredible dining room at the Albert at Bay Hotel, official hotel for my amazing Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest Marathon. You just can't get any closer to Bluesfest! Thank you so much to the Albert at Bay staff for the spacious suite, the Presidents Choice peanut butter and chocolate ice cream bars, and of course the pogos. In this photo, I am dining on a pogo fresh from the oven. mmmmmmmm

Bluesfest has been one highlight after the other! The tally for the first six days: 22 or 23 shows- each one unique and exciting, seeing bands that I've always loved, discovering new talent (well, new to me) like the incredible Grupo Fantasmo, Kings Go Forth and Basia Bulat, just to name a few. The Moody Blues were a trip back in time. And how to describe the very psychedelic and wonderful assault that was the Flaming Lips! Courtenay Love and Hole surprised everyone- the B-52's tore up the crowd and Joan Jett was just what the blues-natics needed on a hot Friday night. Metric was mesmerizing. Difficult decisions were plentiful too- should we see John Hiatt and Levon Helm, or Rush- in the end, seeing a bit of everything was possible. Aahhh.....six more days of pure music bliss!! Time to charge the batteries in my camera......


(above) Alex Lifeson, Rush

(above) Geddy Lee, Rush

(above) The Moody Blues

(above) John Hiatt

(above) volunteers 'flash mob' dance sequence to AC DC

(above) Roger Hodgson

(Metric)

(more Metric)

(Metric)

(above) Basia Bulat

(Kings Go Forth)

(above) B-52's

Wonderful Story

(above) Jackie and Ted Boyer

It was a wonderful celebration and a tribute to the kindness of strangers last night at the Firehall in Manotick. On June 11, Ted Boyer dropped onto the sidewalk outside of the Independent Grocer in Manotick. A massive heart attack had left him lifeless. With his wife Jackie by his side, Ted needed a miracle. And he got one. Fast. Because a group of people were not only in the right place at the right time, they also knew what to do. CPR was administered with help from James Olive and CHEO nurse Ginny Meisner- paramedics and firefighters joined the race to save Ted's life and when all was said and done, the big burly man with the warmest of smiles was brought back to this earth to enjoy his beautiful life by the river in Kars...just in time to celebrate his 45th wedding anniversary. Congratulations to the heroes: Ginny Meisner, James Olive, Paul Hutt, Maxime Renaud, Graham Forrester, Chris Robinson. And if there was ever a reason to learn CPR training: last night's re-telling of the Ted Boyer story makes it obvious. We may one day be faced with the opportunity to save someone's life with CPR. It doesn't take long to learn the skills. I pledge to do it. Please join me!


(above: Ted surrounded by the heroes who saved his life: (from left: Graham Forrester, Ginny Meisner, Ted, James Olive, Paul Hutt, Maxime Renaud, and Chris Robinson

(above) the celebratory cake!

Day 1 - Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest

(pictured above: random shots of Iron Maiden and Faber Drive

Day 1 of Bluesfest: amazing! Checked into my huge room at the Albert at Bay Suite Hotel, only to find the refrigerator stocked with beverages (in stubby bottles!) and pogos in the freezer! Does it get much better than that? I am in a hotel suite that is bigger than my house. Quick five minute walk to Bluesfest, and its game on! Checked out the new Black Sheep Music and Comedy Tent...very cool, much like an amphitheatre vibe with gorgeous lighting, video screens, and bleachers. So even standers can sit, sitters can sit, everyone gets along! p.s with the humidex hovering around 44 degrees Celcius- the 'Tent' was air conditioned, nice bonus! I like to go from stage to stage and see a bit of everything, and last night was quite varied, with the bands 'Lights', 'Faber Drive' and Iron Maiden. Over 30,000 people drank a million bottles of water and danced the night away....a great start to the festival! I briefly met a fellow in the elevator of the hotel at the end of the night- he had travelled all the way from Norway to experience Bluesfest. How cool is that!

'Twas the Night Before Bluesfest!

Right now I am exactly like a kid on Christmas Eve. Or a kid on the night before school's out for summer. Tomorrow is the kick off to my all-time favourite time of year- Day 1 of 12 days at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest. My most excellent Bluesfest marathon begins in earnest tomorrow evening, with Iron Maiden- good way to kick-start the festival, don't you think? Very much looking forward to the new addition this year, the Blacksheep Music and Comedy Tent, with none other than Wayne Brady tomorrow night. Over the next 12 days I hope to catch Metric, Rush, Jimmy Cliff, Joan Jett, John Hiatt, Roseanne Cash, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Great Big Sea, Derek Trucks, Foghat, Gipsy Kings, Gord Downie, Crowded House, Steve Winwood, Levon Helm, Taj Mahal, The Hold Steady, Roger Hodgson, just to name a few. And of course amazing local acts like Monkeyjunk, Silver Creek, Big Jeezus Truck, Good2Go, The Bushpilots, Brothers Chaffey and so many more. This year I am more prepared for my Bluesfest marathon than ever before- with a suite at the Albert at Bay Hotel- just a quick walk to the festival. This is the greatest thing ever, I really recommend it if you are a Blues-natic like I am! So, here's to another great Bluesfest, hope to see you all there! Its Christmas for fans of live music!

Canada Day in Kanata!

(pictured above: did YOUR Canada Day include a tour of the inside of a garbage truck?

939 BOB FM was proud to be part of the wonderful Canada Day in Kanata celebrations at Walter Baker Park! Thousands of people enjoyed some great entertainment, food on a stick and exciting midway rides. At one point I walked through the crowd, just taking it all in...when I came upon something that I had never seen before. There was quite a long line-up, so naturally I needed to see what all the fuss was about. People were lined up to get inside the cab of a garbage truck! Yes, there was a full sized garbage truck that had opened its doors just for Canada Day, and it was drawing quite a crowd. Had to get a picture of that. Hope everyone had a great Canada Day!!