CanoeSpace - Travel / Tickets / Newest

HUGE THANKS TO ALL

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:56:32 -0500

Regarding the "NEW" Our Canada, and "the current community site ... going offline" I may not get the opportunity to say thanks to all 42 members of my group, Canada's West for their great photos, blogs and videos. I'll miss it big time; it's been FUN for sure. Babbo

Canada's West group

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:52:19 -0500

We have some wonderful new albums by jpmajko including his splendid The Northern Lights on our group. Hope you see them. Babbo

Canada's West group

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:33:23 -0500

We have a great new video, "Summer Shorts" by bbgun as Editor's Pick this week. Makes me long for that season to return. Take a look. Babbo

Why I Prize My Downtime

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:17:35 -0500

Submitting my proposed vacation dates for this year to myboss got me thinking about time off in general and how much I look forward toit. Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely enjoy my job, but sitting down with acalendar and a freshly sharpened pencil every January to plan my “downtime” forthe coming year gives me quite a thrill.

I take a lot of ribbing here at work about my vacation time,one reason being that I’ve been with the company for over two decades so I mustadmit my allotted number of vacation days is generous.

There doesn’t have to be a big trip planned for me to getexcited either: A few nights camping in Ontario or a long weekend across theborder are enough to make me giddy. I love the feeling of freedom. No alarmclock, no running for the train, no having to be in bed by a certain time and Ican spend each day exactly as I wish.

I’m also not the type of person who likes to fill everyminute with plans and visits. My friends and family laugh because they know Idon’t like to be “over-booked,” a family dinner here or an evening with friendsthere is great, but when I hear people describing weekends or vacations thatare packed from morning till night with social engagements, I shudder. I needto know that if I want to, I can spend an entire afternoon just reading a book.

The best part about having time off is spending it with myhusband. Some of our best times together have been on vacation. One year, wedecided to drive to South Carolina with a stop at the Outer Banks along theway. We didn’t plan anything out ahead of time we just packed up our campinggear and hit the road. For 16 days we travelled through the southern U.S.,camping in some places, staying in hotels in others. We spent our daysexploring little towns, sightseeing and beach-combing, it was heaven. Wecompletely lost track of time and by the time we got home it felt like we’dbeen away for a month. One of these days we'd like to own a motor home and just go where the wind takes us. That’s the magic of downtime, the absence of routine.

What’s your ideal type of vacation? Do you need every minuteto be filled with plans? Or do you prefer a more relaxed pace? Hey, only fivemonths to go till summer vacation!

Skate, shoot, smudge!

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:06:07 -0500

So, another work week is almost done and the weekend lies ahead. After a bite to eat, my wife and I’ll be off to watch our daughter play hockey this evening (Concordia University vs one of our cross-town rivals, Université de Montreal). Tonight’s dust-up will be followed by another game Saturday afternoon; this time we’ll be playing host to University of Ottawa. Two games in one weekend? No problem; in fact, we can' get enough!
We’ve been watching both our daughter and our son play hockey since they were five years old and they're both in their 20s now. Our son hung up his skates (for organized hockey anyways) a couple of years ago, after finishing up his Midget years--and we really miss following his games. But what can you do--school, work, friends and girls all moved above hockey on his priority list (although not necessarily in that order). And it’s understandable really: after all, there are only so many hours in any given day. Still, it was fun watching him play and I’m happy he played as long as he did.
After finishing up her Midget years with pretty much the same group of guys she played with throughout her minor hockey days, our daughter switched to women’s hockey, playing with the Dawson Blues in the provincial CEGEP league. From there, after graduating, it was on to the Concordia Stingers and the CIS university league. Now in her graduating year, this may very well be her last year playing competitive hockey...although she is eligible to play one more year if she decides to pursue more studies. Either way, every additional game we get to watch her play is precious to us. When she does hang up her skates beside her brother’s, it’ll be the end of an era within our family.
And suddenly my wife and I will have free time on the weekends. Hmmm, maybe we should shop around for new downhill skis...
In the meantime, Go Stingers!

Canada's West group

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 10:22:33 -0500

We have some great photos from two of our members, Dale2000 and walksoftly. Thanks for giving us your work. Babbo

Feeling Feverish

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:16:13 -0500

I come down with it every year without fail, usually sometime in February, and there’s no vaccine. I don’t know why for sure, although it might be related to global warming, but I’m experiencing an early onslaught this year. I mean, c’mon, it’s still January for pete’s sake and my throttle hand is already beginning to twitch, the fingers of my clutch hand are going into involuntary “grasp and release” spasms, and the toes of my shift-lever foot are squirming up and down in my boot, just itching to race through the gears.
But it’s the uncontrollable rumbling -- “vroom, vrooom, Vroooom!”-- that occasionlly escapes my lips, spittle and all, as I walk through the house wearing my helmet that’s most embarrassing.
I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve tried movies, magazines and websites--and even rereading The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance--but I’m telling you, there ain’t no way to cure these wintertime blues...
Other than riding. That means I won’t get any relief from motorcycle fever until March 16,the first day of the year it’s legal to operate a motorcycle here in Quebec.
Where did I leave that copy of Easy Rider (sigh)...

Do you ride? Tell me about your favourite road trips. Send pics. I'm tired of sitting here, waiting for the snow to melt.

For the Love of Books

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:42:53 -0500

I love books—I love everything about them. Ever since I wasa kid, reading has been one of the great joys in my life. Whether it was thelatest Nancy Drew mystery—read by flashlight under the covers after lights out—ordog-eared copies of stories by British children’s author Enid Blyton that mymom would buy me from church bazaars or book fairs, I always had my nose in abook. On Sundays after Mass we’d go down to the library in the churchbasement—to this day the smell of library books makes me weak in the knees—tochoose a new book for the week. Well, it was supposed to last a week. I’d spendall of Sunday afternoon sprawled on my bed reading Black Beauty or Charlotte’sWeb and by the time the weekly roast beef dinner was on the table, I’d bealmost finished. Staying home sick from school meant snuggling under the coversto spend the day re-reading a well-loved old favourite, such as Anne of GreenGables.

As an adult, I still find it comforting to curl up with awell-thumbed novel when I’m under the weather.

A big part of planning any vacation includes a trip to mylocal bookstore to stock up on reading material. I enjoy the whole experienceof buying new books: Trolling the aisles and browsing through rows and rows ofcolourfully jacketed volumes; the weight of a hardcover novel in your hand andthe feeling of anticipation as you crack the spine for the first time. I haveno desire to load tons of material onto a digital reading device of any kind.For me, there is a visceral aspect to reading that I would miss too much if Icouldn’t hold the actual book in my hands. Every book has its own personalitythat needs to be respected and appreciated.

Over the years I’ve discovered many (now favourite) authorson my own, read books that were recommended to me by others and even started abook club where I was exposed to authors and novels that I never would haveread otherwise. But there remain classics that I have returned to time andagain. After much hemming and hawing I have come up with a list of ten booksthat I wish everyone would read at least once—it’s purely subjective, but heythat’s what an appreciation for literature is, right? Do you have a “must-read”list of your own?

1. The Great Gatsby – F.Scott Fitzgerald

2. The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis

3. The Hobbit – J.R. Tolkein

4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain

5. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott

6. Anne of Green Gables – Lucy Maud Montgomery

7. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

8. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

9. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemmingway

10.To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Want to share?

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:40:02 -0500

Minou, formerly PsychoCat.

Canada's West newest member!

support@espacecanoe.com (EspaceCanoe) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:53:14 -0500

Wow, we are really rolling now. We have another new member. Dale 2000; he has photos he's going to put on our group. Check us out. We are still number 1 on page 2 of groups from the Our Canada home page. Click on the words Canada's West, not the photo of the tree and ferns. Babbo