Jim and Kim's Travels: Reunions in Ontario

We're heading to Ontario for some long awaited reunions! First up, Jim's school friends from Noranda, Quebec. The last time we all got together was in 2018, so we were looking forward to seeing everyone again.

There were ominous skies as we drove, which turned into a downpour not long after.

Into Quebec, where we were spending the night in Lévis.

Seriously? 9 degrees? It's June!

Ontario! Gananoque was the chosen spot for the reunion this year.

At the historic Gananoque Inn...

Established in 1896...

I got a chuckle out of the monkeys in the lobby...a pose my brothers and father enacted a few times when we were young!

The room we were assigned to was in another building well away from the rest of the group. We decided to upgrade and hoped Trudeau was not planning a visit while we were there.

We had room for everyone to gather, which we loved.

Our first get together...lots of stories. They are still funny even after many years of re-telling.

Jim on a balcony...his favourite place anywhere we go.

A view of the Thousand Islands cruise ship in the background...

We went for a walk the next morning. There are so many beautiful houses in Gananoque.

We stopped by this church...

And saw this sign on the bench. It was like a little message. Moose was John Ballachey's nickname and, since his passing in 2017, he has been missed by the group. He was obviously with us in spirit.

Loved the design on the roof...

This reminded me of the campaniles we saw in Italy...

This photo cracked me up...Bill was worse than a teenager with his phone!

That's better!

We approached two ladies going by to take our photo so Tracie could be in it as well. Ummm...Bill?!

Lovely mural...so interesting how all the different tiles form a beautiful mosaic.

Another lovely old church...

It was cold and windy, and there weren't too many takers for the Thousand Islands cruise on that day.

Les, Marilyn and Jim battling their way to the pub next door for dinner. It was pretty miserable weather.

All together, minus Bill's wife, Christie, who passed away last year 💔

After dinner, it was off to the Thousand Islands Playhouse. The theatre actually has a waterfront entrance down the hill. For those who wish some assistance, there was a golf cart ferrying patrons up and down the hill. It was very well organized.

Everyone was masked for the show, which was nice.

It couldn't have been a better performance for this group. How often do you see a play where you know just about every song? It was such a fun evening.

Some fun trivia...

Back at the Inn...they have a lovely patio overlooking the water. If only the weather would cooperate!

Thanks, Tracie, for the photo!

Les, Bill, Andy, Jim, Rick and Ray... (On a very sad note, we learned that Les passed away on June 19. We are shocked and saddened, but so grateful that we got to spend time with him and Marilyn.)

The whole gang...

Ooh, a heron...he was very patiently watching for fish.

The next day, Jim's cousin, Judy, and her husband, Bob, came from Kingston to have lunch with us. It was really great to have another reunion. It was still super windy, but at least the rain had stopped.

Another dinner with the gang!

Hmmm...this was strange and warranted me getting out my "real" camera with a longer lens. Wondered what was up here?

Turns out it was just a drill. That was good news.

The lilacs were still in bloom...

And I spotted a robin...fun to have the old camera out.

I thought this was a neat photo with the green algae...

Then I realized there was a heron in there...

And this guy with his little tufts of hair...

It was a wonderful reunion with lots of old stories and laughs. Great memories.

Now it was on to Paris, Ontario, where I would be meeting up with a group of on-line friends. We stayed at the Arlington Hotel, which was built in the early 1850s.

Very old hotel...sort of reminded me of The Shining!

Eclectic decor...

Including this photo of Mark Twain with a barcode to scan. You know, when you see a barcode, you just have to scan it!

OK...interesting fun facts! I still wasn't sure of the connection.

I walked to Capeesh to meet up with the girls...

And here we are! Lighting wasn't great due to the window. We post on-line just about every day. I started with the group in 2004, so that's a lot of posts! I had never met any of these girls in person, but it was no problem as you feel like you've known them for years.

A little giggly! So much fun to meet these gals in real life. Thanks for coming out to have dinner with me. 🧡

The next morning, we did a quick tour of Paris. It is a really sweet little town with Grand River Street full of quaint shops and restaurants.

The chocolate shop was selling Kawartha Dairy ice cream! That's a must-visit for me, although one of the girls said that's where the tourists go. Sign me up!