Peanut Polo Cup this Sunday!

I've you've never seen live polo action, now's your chance! This Sunday in North Augusta (about 15 minutes) come on out to the 'Peanut Polo Cup'! A fabulous day of polo, live music, food and more, all to benefit these deserving charities:

» Alaskan Malamute Help League
» Augusta Dalmatian Rescue
» Basset Hound Rescue
» Blue Moon Catahoula/Big Dog Rescue
» Boston Terrier Canada
» CDN Chihuahua Rescue
» Merlin's Hope Chow / Shar-Pei Rescue
» Rat Terrier Rescue Canada
» Shiba Rescue GTA

for information, go to www.peanutpolo.wordpress.com

Rain Date- Motorcycle Ride for Cats this Sunday!

MOTORCYCLE CHARITY RIDE
Sunday August 29th , 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 29 th , Enjoy a 200 km. ride through a scenic rural setting. 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.
check out the Country Cat Rescue website, www.countrycatrescue.com

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

Wild Churchill Manitoba!

Churchill Manitoba in the summer! What an unbelievable trip- its w-a-a-y up north but we had gorgeous weather (18, 19 degrees, but much of the summer in Churchill has been in the upper 20's!) Michelle Valberg and I were surrounded by wildlife- friendly belugas, curious polar bears (we kept our distance!), wide open tundra, and the residents of Churchill welcome you like no other. If you want the experience of a lifetime, check out www.frontiersnorth.com, they set us up with kayaks, zodiac rides with the whales and oh yes.....the famous tundra buggy to the land of the polar bear! Another thing that was unique about this trip: good old fashioned service on an airline!! First Air complimentary wine, 'special coffees' and warm chocolate chip cookies: it just added to our amazing northern experience! p.s. Watch for Michelle's exhibit on Canada's north next March at the Canadian Museum of Nature. If you get a chance, I highly recommend a trip to Churchill, you'll never forget it!!


polar bear jail! (not as bad as it sounds! they get released pretty quick!)

orange lichen on rocks

our tundra truck!

stark and beautiful

more stark and beautiful

belugas everywhere!

spot the polar bear

Tundra Road

safest way to get around the tundra

at home in the water

sandpiper

wicked sunsets

Michelle captures belugas

yep, they were that close!

Churchill cat

sled dogs

they were all super friendly

can't wait to get going!

Belugas Baby!!

Today I am off to Churchill Manitoba with my good friend, local photographer and philanthropist Michelle Valberg! Michelle has journeyed to Canada's north several times over the past few months to research and photograph the people, the scenery and the wildlife (with breath-taking results, I may add)! Her photo awards and credits are too many to mention here- but her photographic expertise is matched only by her willingness to help those in need. Michelle and writer Joan Weinman created 'Project North', an organization that collects (and delivers!) sports equipment to children in Nunuvut and Nunavik. I blogged about Project North last year, link here:
http://939bobfm.blogspot.com/2009/08/project-north-please-donate-gently-used.html

My journey with Michelle is all about beluga whales, birds, blooms, gorgeous scenery, hopefully some northern lights, and....fingers crossed, polar bears!! If this is something you would like to do one day, check out our trip guides, www.frontiersnorth.com
Tomorrow at this time, we will be swimming with beluga whales!!! Can't wait!!

Kayaking the Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal Festival is on this weekend, details at www.rideaucanalfestival.ca!
We are so lucky to have this amazing jewel for our very own playground. Last weekend, ten of us got together for a paddle down the Rideau system- starting at Manotick's Long Island Locks and ending our day at the National Arts Centre. It was a spectacular way to experience the canal! I saw sections of the waterway that I would never have seen other-wise, and the scenery is spectacular. I highly recommend this experience- even if you have never kayaked before, there is a place in Merrickville that makes everything as easy as possible for you. Check it out here: www.canaltripping.com. They will drop off a rental kayak at the destination of your choice, then pick it up at the end of the day- wherever you are! And its just 40 dollars, a great deal. We paddled the 17 miles effortlessly, with a few breaks for snacks at the locks. What a trip!

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!