Out of the Smoke

It’s difficult to get away from BC’s wildfire smoke these days. If it’s not blowing in from the east, it’s coming down from the north or up from the States. My annual trip to Ontario promised a reprieve, but from 30,000 feet, the smoke swirled around the Rockies and was thick on the ground in the valleys. Sad to think this might be our new summer norm.

Into the Steam

Landing in Toronto didn’t provide as much relief as I anticipated—it felt like arriving in the tropics—stinking hot with humidity that sent my hair into alpaca territory.

Thankfully, a torrential downpour soon took care of the heat, and the cooler temperatures prompted my sister and me to venture out to the Canadian National Exhibition, fondly known as the CNE. Neither of us had been to the annual fall fair since our public school days when a CNE pass was tucked in with our year-end report cards.

Though much has changed at the CNE, so much remains the same. The Sky Ride chairlift still crosses high above the midway, carnival hawkers still draw in players with promised winnings, shouts still ring out from ride-goers, and the scent of corndogs and candy floss still rises above the masses. We even spotted a flag with the Conklin clown logo.

On to Haliburton

The following day, we drove to our cousin’s beautiful home on Paradise Lake in Haliburton. We enjoyed wine and appies on the dock, went for a swim in the lake, and talked for hours sharing memories of our grandparents, summer swims and marshmallow roasts in years gone by.

The next day we travelled north to McKellar to visit our parents and brother. Here the reminiscing continued, bringing back more memories that often sent us into fits of tear-inducing laughter.

I’m writing this post on a warm afternoon sitting on my sister’s deck and watching the river flow by. The heat and humidity comes and goes, as does the rain, and though I never know which friends and family I’ll end up seeing when I visit, I’m so glad this trip has turned into an annual event.

I’ll soon be on my way back to BC, but while I’m here, I continue to work with JD&J Design on the new and rebranded book covers. It’s taking longer than I anticipated, but we’re making steady progress.

Meantime, I’ll enjoy the peaches and cream corn which is in season and as sweet as it comes. I’ll swim when it’s hot and enjoy my family’s company. I hope you are able to carve out some quality summer time as well.

Have you done something exciting this carnival season?

If you’d like to spend some quality time on an adventure set on the west coast, pick up Secret Sky from your favourite retailer right here! Or click on the image for more purchase options.

Alpaca photo by Greg Lippert on Unsplash

Conklin clown logo used with permission.