Long Weekends

Welcome to the fledgling long weekend, the Canadian holiday without a name. Or, more accurately, the holiday with too many names. In Ontario it used to be (still is?) known as Simcoe Day, but most people simply say "the civic holiday". The need for an August day off is universally recognized, and I believe it's a Canadian trait not to get too worked up about the finer points of colonial name politics. Finding a lake and sitting in it trumps all.

We're about to head to a relative's cottage, but just an overnighter due to one daughter's work schedule and the desire to get something done around here, for once. We will soon cram ourselves, the dog and supplies into the van. I'm encouraging everyone to charge their devices, preparation being the key to survival. Pod up, siblings.

Speaking of siblings and survival, two birds sat for their portrait yesterday. The third disappeared from the nest almost immediately after hatching, and the fourth egg didn't hatch. A 50% survival rate doesn't seem so great, but I admit that the whole wild kingdom is a mystery to me.

 And today, an empty nest.