Happy 4th

To my neighbors in the United States, a Happy Independence Day!!!  The many Americans visiting or vacationing here this year also had an enjoyable time.  Along the fence that surrounds our Centennial Park were American Flags and Canadian Flags all flying in unison.  As you walk throughout our Village you will find both Canadian and American Flags fly side by side both on homes as well as the business'.  We so enjoy our neighbors.

Canada's Birthday on July 1st was a very crowded and happy day here in the Bay!  We celebrated Canada's 145th Birthday 

in style just as we always do and the weather was perfect!  From early morning until late evening the day was chalk full of events and activities.  Our Parade grew in size this year with floats added, we even had the Limo which took Queen Elizabeth around Ottawa many years ago, and, we had our own float with the depiction of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.   

CANADA ONE the canoe which took part in the Flotilla on the Thames also took part in our days' activities, with a paddling race on the Bay and here is one of our local shop keepers imitating this glorious entry on the Thames in London which celebrated with the Queen on her Jubilee year!  We were so very proud of the team, they really paddled that day keeping up with the entire cast of floating entrants...

Meet Dale, the Canada One impostor!

Not too bad of a replication though Dale!

These annual events are nice but ohhhhhh so very tiring for those that volunteer their time to make certain each entrant into the park will enjoy themselves with loads to eat and drink (non-alcoholic), lots of activities for those who are the youngest to those who are the eldest with music, karaoke, raffles. A tribute to our troops and a video made especially all about our Highway of Heroes.   This is a day in both countries which brings out the patriotism and we fly our flags with that much more exuberance. 

The Fireworks being the last event of the night were just as great as the year before and everyone was as spellbound as the children were.  

Our Lions Club was well represented with members manning the Information Kiosk, selling a variety of tickets and soliciting for donations to be put towards next years' annual Fireworks displays.  Our town committees for a variety of causes were also all represented.  
CANADA DAY as I said was busy here in The Bay, and so I will share but a few of the pictures that I managed to take when not occupied with selling tickets on the Childrens' Crooked playhouse, (pictured here with two of our talented young musicians who played for us during the day), 

or drumming up donations for the Pennies For Pups program that our Perth Lions Club members had going,  and our local club presented our visiting Lions Club with a cheque to boost their coffers.  Pennies for Pups is a program to solicit sufficient funds to the tune of $20,000.00 to pay for the cost of training one pup to become a Service Dog for some child or person with certain types of physical disabilities, (i.e. sight impaired, hearing impaired, physical impairment, autism, and more).  A very worthy cause and you know that this charitable foundation is a Lions International Foundation called Guide Dogs, Canada, with 100% of the donations going directly to the works of this charity which is the training of dogs to service their human friends.   

All in all it was a busy day and people here in the village as well as all of our visitors were more than generous and well entertained. 
As you know I completed the signature quilt for our retiring Librarian Lynn, and now have a few pictures of her to share.

 I believe Lynn was thrilled with her special gift, (as Lynn reads my blog, she knew of the quilt but had no inclination that it would be for her) so glad I didn't manage to blab about who it would be for!  Here in this picture you can see she is also showing off the beautiful wrist corsage she was presented with.  Speeches were given and a nice send off for Lynn into her much deserved retirement.  Lynn has many plans for her retirement time, but, as she said, she'll be around town alot.
Happy Retirement Lynn, you certainly deserve it!  I cannot wait to read the book your writing!
At the moment I am binding two twin sized Noah's Ark quilts for a lady who approached me at the retirement residence.  Once these are completed I promise to share photo's of them with you, they are so well pieced and each block was machine embroidered so pictorially they tell the story of Noah so well. 
All right, I believe I have more or less told you about the last few days and remember if your out there travelling or celebrating the 4th of July, please, please do so safely and ENJOY YOURSELVES!  Hugs to all.
A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange.  ~Author Unknown

Canada Day! Come and Gone

Boy oh Boy am I tired!  From 7 a.m. on the morning of July 1st until 11:15 p.m. that evening after the fire works were over and the day was brought to a close, I confess, I believe I overdid the physical this year.  My left knee is totally swollen and causing a great deal of discomfort, truth be told, it was all worth it.  I will survive to do this all again next year, it has been so very much fun. 
Once again Canada's Birthday has come around and is now over for another year!  What a wonderful day and how well it was attended!  The weather was perfect, huge puffy clouds in the sky, sun shone the whole day and except for the humidity seemingly everyone you spoke with were enjoying the planned events.
TO OUR TROOPS RETURNING home Happy Canada Day and Thank you, and to those TROOPS REMAINING AND SERVING throughout the world on our behalf may I say THANK YOU and Happy Canada Day to you too, your service on our behalf is so appreciated, YOU are all much beloved and come home to us safe and sound.
The committee planned well and worked hard to make certain that everyone from 1 to 99 had something to enjoy.  The music was so good and people were generous to all of the vendors in the park. The day was crammed full of events, face painting, air castles, the childrens' fishing derby and the pony rides were a huge success this year, there was even a  petting zoo which was beloved by those littleuns and draws for a myriad of prizes. Karoke for everyone was alot of fun as well as the William & Kate Look Alike Contest.  Our Town Crier cried them in and they were made most welcome, even it they were not the "REAL ROYALS" we enjoyed out Look Alikes!   All in all it was a wonderful event planned well and executed perfectly. 

Our Canada Day parade orchestrated every year by our most loved Mr. Roantree was even bigger and better again than last year.  

Here come the children

They came on bikes, they walked and brought their pets with them

The Red Hatters were well received too!

The children on the Float had so much fun throwing candy

Our Beloved Old Fire Engine

I left my post at the park and ran home to take pictures of the many entrants and these are but a few of the 30+ pictures I took of the parade going past my house.   

For a small town of 650+ full time residents this Canada Day event was a SUCCESS.  The parade was filled with dozens more children than even last year, they so enjoy taking part in a parade, even the Red Hatters took part.
The Canada Day Quiz (replacing the Scavenger Hunt) was also a success, each child who entered won a prize and the first and second prizes to the adults who participated were these bags I made filled with smaller prizes. 

So, while my post isn't all quilting related I must tell you, the bags were fun to make and give away.  
So, as I said it has ended for another year and I am happy it is now once again behind me.  Every year I say I will begin to plot and plan sooner than the previous year, but, somehow I never do.  Why is it that do you think?  Are quilters procrastinators?  I never imagined myself a procrastinator, but evidence proves me wrong, I am.
I sincerely hope you haven't been bored by my rendition of our Canada Day events, I know my descriptions don't really do the entire day justice, and I am certain I have left out more bits and pieces than I included, but, thats how it is when your tired and worn out..
Thank you for visiting with me today, I wish you and yours no matter where it is your living a wonderful weekend, and to my neighbors to the south in The United States of America, I wish each and every one a wonderful and HAPPY JULY 4th tomorrow, and I cannot wait to sit in front of my television tomorrow evening to once again enjoy THE BOSTON POPS celebrating their Independence day once again, their the best, don't you think?