Summer and BBQ's

Well the temperature is rising and in Canada, we wait the whole winter through for this glorious season called summer. And nothing is more Canadian than a BBQ to celebrate the start of hot season. So be it in my own backyard for the annual office staff BBQ or for Canada Day celebration or at the backyard of my friend's Mr. Urogyn in Ottawa, the pleasure of juicy beef/salmon/lamb/turkey or soy burgers, cesar/seaweed/tabule/garden/spinach salad with beer/grape sode/mineral water/wine/cooler was enjoyed by all.

Sesquicentennial Celebration

What is Milton famous for? Well first and foremost, it is home to the best screw in Canada....and best screwdriver too. Peter Lymburner Robertson, inventor of the Robertson screwdriver, crafted the first of the slightly tapered, squared-shaped tip tool back in 1908. The first factory for the screws and screwdrivers went into production in Milton around this time as well. Robertson screws and screwdrivers are used primarily in Canada and to a lesser extent, in the USA.



Milton also has its very own astronaut, Colonel Chris Hadfield. He was born in Sarnia and raised in Milton where he resides today with his wife and three children. He has flown on the Shuttle Atlantis in 1995 and was the first Canadian mission specialist, the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm in orbit, and the only Canadian to ever board Mir. His second shuttle mission was on the shuttle Endeavour in 2001. During the 11-day flight, Hadfield performed two spacewalks, which made him the first Canadian to ever leave a spacecraft and float freely in space. Not bad for a Miltonian.

In the most recent Canadian census, Milton was reported to the fastest growing town in all of Canada. Faster than some towns in Alberta! Milton has grown by 70% in the last five years. The town's population ballooned from 30, 000 to nearly 55,000 in the same time frame and expected to reach 90, 000 in another five years.
And least we forget, the Steam Era. Held each year around Labour Day and drawing from tractor steam engines from across North America is this festival dedicated to both the farm machines and the folks from these rural communities. Can't wait for the threshing and tractor pull competitions.
Happy 150th birthday Milton!

Oh what a beautiful day!

After last year's fiasco, where I inadvertently put myself on call on the day that I was suppose to take Mr. Hippo and my parents to Stratford, I was doubly cautious about booking this year's performance. Thankfully, the theatre folks at Stratford provided me a refund for our Twelfth Night tickets which I put toward the musical Oklahoma.

It was truly a beautiful morning and yes, a beautiful day. The gardens at Stratford were in full bloom. Although thundershowers threatened in the late afternoon, the sun prevailed. The performance was lively and energetic. Many in the audience were singing along. The voice of "Curly", the male lead was simply gorgeous. Rich, melodious and so soothing. He could probably charm snakes with it.

Mr. Hippo had not seen a musical in nearly 20 years. The last one being Jesus Christ Superstar. Although not quite his taste, he found the experience entertaining. I suspect the scenes of dancing cowboys (including a ballet performance) echoed too closely to Brokeback Mountain imagery. After the performance, it was dinner at Carter's on Downie followed by a lovely river walk back to the car before heading home.