Fish Fest and Febrile!

Our village's annual Fish Fest rolled around again, with three full days jam-packed with fun and festivities. This is the only show where we get to be vendors, but also get to participate in our own local festival.

Things started off well with a Friday night concert, complete with a proper stage and sound system set up in the vacant lot where half of Wheatley used to be.....before the explosion. We went down "for an hour" and ended up staying for five hours, as we enjoyed the live music from the newly-expanded Renny's patio.....and kept running into people we knew.....all of whom based on the theme of the evening I kept telling that "I took my Hoedown to Wheatley".

On Saturday, we set up early for a day of vending art, though given the proximity I was also able to sneak off during quiet times to check out the car show, grab some food to bring back, etc. The weather was perfect, warm but not too hot, and the main village intersection was packed with people. Great turnout and more live music to help the day go by faster. After packup, we met friends on the Renny's patio again for a cool-down drink.

In the evening, we attended the community fish fry (and broasted chicken dinner) at the arena with friends of ours. The food was good, as was the company, again with live music in the background. Jody Raffoul would also play later in the evening. I felt a little "off" at dinner but chalked it up to a little too much sun while packing up the van.

Well. I awoke in the night, simultaneously boiling hot and then freezing cold with whole body shivers. After telling Jane that I would be unable to attend the Sunday vendor show down at the harbour, I tried to get a little more rest in the hopes it would help. Around 6:30am, she took my temperature - 40.8 C - and we were off to the hospital.

I spent the next four days in the hospital battling sepsis, with fever and chills and an infection of unknown origin. Much blood was taken. IV fluids were administered constantly, along with IV antibiotics. My IV eventually went "interstitial" and starting filling my arms with fluids.....so I also had "sausage arm" for about a day. I told Jane to enjoy the new bulging bicep while it lasted.

I got out on Canada Day, fittingly, and also spent the next day recuperating and closely monitoring temperatures in between antibiotics and hydration. Fun times, and a Fish Fest to remember!

Dinner and a live concert from the Renny's patio

All set up for Day Two!

Classic Car Show and vendors line the streets on Saturday afternoon

More live music - Saturday blues jam

Some nice machines!

Sweet rides uptown!

Fish and Chicken dinner at the Arena

Sunday morning coming down

Hospital Food

Happy Canada Day from Erie Shores Health Care!

The Aftermath

Gingers love needles and IV's!

 

In Hot Water

So another unexpected expense happened along - we replaced our hot water tank. The old one hadn't become a problem - yet - but it was 13 years old and silting up and apparently improperly installed according to our Handy Bros rep. We opted to not run the risk....but also decided (or could finally afford) to also relocate the tank from the very-poorly placed home in our upstairs bedroom closet, to a much less concerning downstairs location.

Mike from HB was awesome, he removed the old tank - though had to wait a day for some help to get it down the stairs, as it could not be drained first (see "improperly installed" above). He installed a new tank in the laundry room closet, and ran all the plumbing and electrical. No longer would we worry about many gallons of water crashing through the kitchen ceiling!

The FIFA World Cup was in full swing, with Canada as co-host, and we watched a number of matches on Crave or on US networks, including all the Canadian games. Having never even drawn a match let alone won a game, hopes were high. We pulled off a draw in our very first match, played in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.....followed by a glorious 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver. A loss to the Swiss still saw us finished second in our group, for yet another historic moment as we advanced to the next round.

The Wheatley Legion re-opened in its new location, after nearly five years following the explosion. A huge crowd turned out on opening night, and we enjoyed a few beers and the new venue, along with a beautiful bench created and donated by friends of ours.

After an early heat wave in late May, the nicer weather returned and June had been rather pleasant.

No more tank of water looming in the bedroom closet!

Pipes drained and sealed in the closet floor

New hot water heater in the laundry room closet!

Watching Canada in World Cup play on the back deck

Branch 324 re-opens!

Sharing a Father's Day Platter on the Renny's patio

East Coast 2026 - Quebec City

Leaving Halifax in early morning, we made the long trek all the way back as far as Quebec City, continuing to listen to Fourth Wing as we drove. We were again blessed with good travelling weather as we stopped at Truro for gas and coffee before we sped through the Cobequid Pass and into New Brunswick at Sackville, stopping for lunch at Oromocto.

An accident on Autoroute 20 saw us detour down through Levis and along the meandering shoreline, for a different view of things. We regained the highway and crossed the Pierre Laporte Bridge and up the west bank of the St. Lawrence into Old Quebec. Google Maps led us on a rather circuitous and entertaining tour of the city, up and over the hill before bringing us back down to the water.

We rented a two-bedroom apartment in the Old Port for two nights, right down at the river, and a great location for exploring this historic town. We climbed the hill several times to enjoy the sights and sounds of Vieux Quebec amidst Montreal Canadiens playoff fever. I even practiced my French a little. We also explored the Parks Canada ruins of Chateau Saint-Louis beneath the boardwalk and current Chateau Frontenac....and for once, the funicular was actually running!

Departing early once again on Friday morning, we regained the Autoroute and headed southwest. Other than a bit of traffic around Montreal, it was another smooth run, and before long we were in Lancaster, Ontario and a stop for food and fuel. Sailing back along the 401 and 407, we started up the 400 on a Friday night and got off at Aurora Road, just before a large backup due to an accident. Driving cross-country, we got back to The Harrows' and spent a quiet evening reminiscing over the past two weeks.

Both wide awake at 545am, we headed out early for home, and stopped to scoop Vincent from boarding before arriving home to unpack and unwind, with a day to spare before returning to work. All told, the Bronco Sport earned full marks on its inaugural road trip of 5994 km.  

 

Les Lofts St. Paul - 139 rue St. Paul

Great location in the Old Port!

Two days to explore Vieux Quebec

Chateau Frontenac looms above

Exploring the ruins of Chateau Saint-Louis under the Dufferin Terrace

Gateway to the Old Town

Riding the funicular up....it's working this time!

Samuel De Champlain

There's even a Cows here too!

The Ass Pate was delicious!

A fitting welcome back to Ontario