Sunday with the Clark's

Joey playing ball...

...and Zoe and Ross on the front porch.

Out for a Sunday stroll!

Ron and Pat's front yard.

Joe and I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon with Ron and Pat at their home on The Lawrence River. What a real treat that was! The afternoon generated one wow after another. First off, their beautiful home sits in as unbelieveable point on the river just a short boat ride to the Rideau Canal...one of several World Heritage Sites in Canada.



Ron docked the boat at the Hotel Kenney. It is located at the foot of the Jones Falls locks on the Rideau Canal. The hotel was built in 1888 as a fishing lodge.

Jones Falls locks...construction began in 1827 and was completed in 1832. Four locks were constructed at the site, each with a lift of 15 feet. The locks operate today much as they did 160 years ago. Most of the stone blocks are the ones that were emplaced at the time of construction.

The large wooden lock doors are opened and closed using hand cranks. The cranks are used to let water in and out of the locks.

This is the blacksmith's shop located just below the upper lock. It was built in 1834 to house a forge devoted to repairing the iron canal works. Without a blacksmith's shop on site, repairs to gates and other canal structures would have taken weeks.

What a surprise! As we were walking to the Lockmaster's house, a mama snapping turtle was laying her eggs. Pat and I watched about 12 - 20 eggs drop. When the eggs dropped, she would use her leg/foot to push them into the hole. On our way back down, she had finished and was busy covering them up.

The Lockmaster's House was built in 1841 by the British as a defensible residence for the lockmaster. Peter Sweeney ( the first lockmaster), lockmaster from 1839 - 1871, documented the early history of the canal operation in his personal diary. As a result, it has become the focus of the interpretive program at the lockstation.

The house includes most of the original stone masonry walls, the roofing frame, and the floor.

The Stone Arch Dam at Jones Falls  was completed in 1832. At that time it was the largest dam in North America.

These rocks.....the Canadian Shield....are more than 570 million years old. The shield provides a unique and interesting shore line.

What a wonderful afternoon. Thank you both for lunch, the tour and history lesson, and sharing your time with us!

Saturday in Kingston

 Joe and I spent  Saturday with Ron and Pat in Kingston. They picked us up about 11:00 am. The weather was iffy, but the rains held off and we had such a fun time. Kingston,the oldest city in Ontario, is located where the southernmost end of the Rideau Canal meets Lake Ontario at the source of the St. Lawrence River and the western gateway to the Thousand Islands. Kingston stands on a solid limestone foundation which is why it is often called "The Limestone City".

In the background is the Kingston Penitentiary. It was constructed in 1833-1834 and opened in 1835. It is one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. However last April the Government of Canada announced plans to close it.

The Kingston Public Market is the oldest market in Ontario and has been providing food and a sense of community to residents of Kingston since 1801. It is located in historic downtown right behind the City Hall. We bought fresh strawberries, tomatoes and asparagus. Booth preference is given to vendors who live within a 100 km radius of the City and to  produce vendors who are growers.

Many of the streets in Kingston are lined with buildings made from limestone.

Joe and I were treated to lunch in the park. Yummy sausage on a bun with the works.

We had a view of the park...

...the Marina...

...and Wolfe Island. Wolfe Island is the largest of the Thousand Islands and can only be reached by ferry. A large wind farm consisting of 86 wind turbines became operational in 2009 on the western portion of Wolfe Island.   

Kingston City Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1961. It's construction was completed in 1844 and today it serves as the seat of local government. It occupies a full city block facing Lake Ontario in downtown.