Hayes Family Picnic 2010

This is my Aunt Doris and Uncle Acton. My cousin, Arthur, is standing behind his dad, Uncle Acton. Aunt Doris and Uncle Acton are brother and sister to my Grandmother. There were 10 children in James and Florence Hayes' family and the Hayes Family Picnic was started over 50 years ago. I think. My cousin Janet keeps track of all the happenings and geneology so she will know the facts better than me.

My cousin Arthur Hayes holds the Hayes Family Picnic the last number of years at his home on Hay Bay. I'm not sure it's Hay Bay or Long Reach. Arthur you'll have to email me and correct me about what body of water your place is on. I have sailed it 3 or 4 times and think it's called Long Reach.

It's a potluck. Everybody brings something to eat and we put it on a long table and then go up and help ourselves. I have gone to the Family Picnic for many years and since I was very young. I remember them having races for the kids and games where you could win prizes. The Shoe Kicking Contest to see how far you could kick your shoe. The Nail Hammering Contest to see how many times it took you to hammer a nail into a stump. The least number of times would win.

This is my cousin, Janet, she is Uncle Vic and Aunt Thelma's daughter. Sadly Uncle Vic, my grandmother's brother, and Aunt Thelma have passed. I miss all the older people who have passed and have always been at the Picnic for as long as I can remember.

We sit on lawn chairs and visit with cousins, aunts and uncles that we often only see at the Family Picnic. It's a great time to catch up and see how much the kids have grown.

People come from Toronto, Ottawa, Peterborough, Brockville and the area around Napanee.

This is me and my cousin Arthur's wife, Bea. Thanks Bea for hosting the Family Picnic.

My sister, Joyce, she's in charge of the games and prizes.

More cousins. There are around 50 people at the picnic. I can remember when we used to have around 100. We have had the picnic at Uncle Laverne's, at the park in Napanee, at the park in Bellville, ummmm I think at Bon Echo, at Aunt Laura's, at Uncle Bud's, and other places that I can't remember.

More cousins.

Aunt Doris and Uncle Acton are now the Matriarch and Patriarch of the Hayes Family Picnic. They are the only children of James and Florence Hayes left to celebrate the family with us at the Picnic. I am sooooo greatful they are still here with us.

Aunt Doris and Uncle Acton.

My Aunt Laura, my Mom's sister, and me.

My cousin, Maxine.

Mom and brother, Robert.

My nephew, Tom, and his girlfriend, Kerry.

My great nephew, Mavrick, or is it grandnephew.

Thank you so much Arthur and Bea for having the family picnic. See you next summer, the second Sunday in July.

From snow to sand.....welcome back to the Bahamas

Toronto in January under a blanket of snow.

The sun above the clouds. I love being in the window seat on the plane. It's just beautiful and mystifying.

Grand Bahama here I come. This is a ocean liner in the harbour at Grand Bahama Island.

Grand Bahama is one big sand bar. It wasn't inhabited much until the 1960's when it was set up as a Free Port.

Hank coming to pick Bohdan and I up to go Lobster spearing/fishing. We were waiting on the floating dock where Les has his fishing boat.

Here we are heading down the canal out to the ocean. We're heading for the Blue Hole. Hank says there are usually lots of lobster there.

Hank, our lobster fisherman.

The sun coming up over the edge of the canal. It was a bit rough but not too rough to go out in the dinghy.

Hank speared 8 lobster and we had a wonderful lobster supper that night.

I went in thinking I might try my spear but I ended up just snorkeling and watching Hank look for lobster. We went down to the bottom and held onto coral heads at the bottom and hung upside down and peeked under the heads to see if there were lobster there. Hank found them but I didn't feel confident enough to take the spear down with me. I just practiced hanging upside down and looking for the lobsters. I have my shortie on and it was still a bit cool in the water. It was OK once I got used to it...that's a Canadian phrase. That's what we say about the water in Lake Ontario...meaning...it's cold water.

What happened in June back home?

Went to visit sister Joan and Dan on Amherst Island and looked at this cute little restaurant that was for sale. It was owned by Susan Tuomey and hadn't been open for 5 years. Gary Filson and Sue built it and ran it from 1990 to 1999 then Susan bought it and ran it from 2000 to 2005 then it was closed for 5 years.

The ferry, Frontenac II that runs from Millhaven to Amherst Island.

Our car on the boat.

Kensington Market in Toronto.

A picture at Kensington Market. I love walking through Kensington.

This was our car. When we got back to Toronto we decided to put our 626 Mazda on the road. I called and insured it, went to the License Registration and updated my registration and then went to pick it up at Kate's place, drove it down Lakeshore Boulevard and before I even got it to Doris' I was in an accident at an intersection and it was totalled. Oh Man! No one was hurt but I had just insured it 8 hours before...it turned out to be an OK story. No one was hurt in the other car either. The tow truck driver was a huge amount of help. Since it was the other lady's fault my rental car was covered and in a week we bought another Mazda from our mechanic Rob, a Protege, two years newer than our old car. It is standard gear shift too but doesn't have any of the fancy stuff the old one had like the locking system or air conditioning, etc. but runs great and we are most thankful to Rob for helping us out with another car.

There were three signets at LSYC this June. Aren't they cute. They are Mute Swans.

Here's the Mummy taking them for a swim, so cute.

This is a park in Mississauga.

This is the point where our boat used to be in Toronto in Colonel Samuel Smith Park. Isn't it beautiful?

Downtown Toronto. We lived there for 20 years and I loved it.

Ruth at Fat Albert's Folk Night on Cecil Street at the Steel Workers Building. We have been going to Fat Albert's for 5 or 6 years and have really enjoyed it. We haven't gone since we moved to Amherst Island but we did go to an Open Mic in Wellington on Wednesday nights in the summer and enjoyed that.

Every year I have wanted to help Sharon Nielson with Sailing for People who are Visually Impaired or Blind at Bronte Yacht Club but because of teaching I could never make it because it was held in June. Finally last June I got to participate and I loved it. This woman is Visually Imparied and was sailing on the boat I was on. I always wanted my students to participate but it didn't happen. I sure enjoyed it. Thanks Sharon for the opportunity.

Two Mute Swans at the beach near where my daughter, Sarah, lives in Toronto. There are hundreds of Mute Swans in Toronto and a lot of them stay all winter now. When I first moved to Toronto there weren't any swans there.

Fun at Robert and Noella's in June

Ivy and Kelly in the pool at Robert and Noella's.

My great nephew, Mavrick.

My sisters, Joan and Joyce.

My niece, Chelsea.

My nephew, Tom.

Daughter, Sarah.

Daughter Kate.

Me.

My Mom.