Sweet Canadian Summer

I once heard a Quebec author describe the Montréal summer as 'un été qui a connu l'hiver' (a summer that has known winter). How true... Yes, winters are very long here and by February or March, most canadians are more than ready for any sing of spring - although it might not show its timid nature until we're well into March, sometimes April. After enduring the hardships of many months of cold, ice and snow, there is nothing like a beautiful spring day. It validates the hope we had for better days, and it's like a big wave of energy and joy. Nature bursts into it's glorious parade of blooms and crops... crocus, and magnolias, and cherry trees. Asparagus, and fresh strawberries. And as June rolls around, the fields begin their ever changing dance of blue and yellow wild flowers. We ease into the sweet canadian summer, like a great deep long sigh. How soothing.

Now in late July, right in the middle of it, I can anticipate how fast the next 5 weeks will flow. We arrived in Quebec city on July 16, the boys had a one week skateboard camp and had a wonderful time, while Tim and I spent some of our time working, and some time simply lounging around my mom's air conditioned condo. I even had afternoon naps! We had nice evenings too, a couple of dinner parties, and we gave a tour of old Québec to some friends who stopped over for one night, while on their way to Cape Breton Island. Fun.

We made our way to the Quebec cottage on Saturday afternoon, in the beautiful lower St-Laurence region (near the Bic National Park). Within the lower St-Laurence, we call this area 'Les Basques'. The landscapes around here are beautiful and deeply satisfying to me. Inland, many fields of wheat in the mountain valleys, lots of mountains. The Apalachians. And the river of course, with it's salty water all the way from the North Atlantic. I've been coming to this area all my life, it's family turf and I love to immerse into it with my little family. The cottage stands on a point by lake Saint-Mathieu, and up the hill is the small village by the same name. My great grand-parents grew-up and got married here.

I wish the lake area had not developed so much over the years... there used to be a nice wheat field behind the cottage, it ended at the bottom of the mountain. And there was a creek flowing down the mountain, and lots of trout coming up from the lake to lay their eggs. Then one summer, when I was about 8 or 9, they blasted the side of the mountain and made a ski hill. Then they built a bigger road right through the field. Then the field was gone and they built a hotel, and a camping ground. Later they burried the lower part of the creek in an underground pipe, building houses... and slowly creeping up in the mountain. It is a killer view from up there of course, at the cost of the view from down here. I wish I could stop it all, it's too much already. Nostalgia...

I am letting the summer flow, and I am slowly organising my return to full time work in late August. I had quite a year of freedom, and it's now time to really focus on my dispositions to be up for the change of pace. Preparing mentally, and physically. Yes... I have slotted some YMCA time into my schedule! It's mostly to regain a good level of energy, and I will probably lose a few pounds in the process...

I have hired a new teacher - experienced, musician and fully bilingual, and a very good personality. She is a great fit for the team, and I am confident that she will be successful... although I admit that my instinct have been wrong before... so I guess we will see. Training begins on August 31 for my team of 3 teachers, and I will work on that in the next couple of weeks. I am also introducing a new and exciting element to the early childhood program : Live music! One small concert/workshop per trimester. I have been wanting to do this for quite awhile, and finally found the right approach so that the budget is decent for musicians. I will also work on that in the next few weeks, preparing for my meeting with my new teacher - she will be developing these sessions with me, and perform. Looking forward to it.

But while I still have some time to smell the flowers, I intend to do just that. We have a foggy day in the mountains today, so we're going to town with my mom. Tim left for Toronto yesterday with my brother Louis, Nathalie, my nephew Émile and his cousin Charles-Marie. So it's just me and my mom, with Dylan and Leo. Quiet and peaceful, in the fog.