365 Days of Gratitude - Day 199

Memories. I am grateful for memories.

Even though my heart breaks and my tears flow, I try to focus on the good times we had.

Feeling grateful for all the silly photos I always take,

Louise

Mickael's first kayak trip in Canada (McCrae Lake) - with Paul, Linda and I.

Mickael's first hike in Canada - The Bruce Trail - with Paul and I.

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 198

This is a hard post to write.

Yesterday I learned of the untimely passing of my 'French son' Mickael. 

Mickael was a young man full of optimism and adventure. He was the hardest worker with the best attitude that I ever toiled beside. 

He came from France to work at our Barrie Treetop Trekking park, and Paul and I opened our doors and let him move in. It was 6 months of great company, great conversations, and a ton of adventures.

The bond was forged and when he moved to western Canada we continued our connection and managed to see each other once a year, and talk and text on a regular basis.

In October he realized his lifelong dream and became a helicopter pilot. My goodness how proud and excited we were for him.

In January I spent 2 weeks in the west seeing my kids, and Mickael and I even managed to climb a mountain together. We talked, as we always did, about life, the challenges, the heart aches, and his plans for overcoming obstacles. He was a young man with a vision for his future, and I loved watching him strategize and make plans.

We were looking forward to seeing him in September when Paul and I head west to see the kids. Mickael was excited to join us on a mountain adventure of some kind.

Sadly that adventure won't be shared with him now. Although I will never know what motivated him to make the decision he made, Mickael took his own life.

In a spiritual context I can easily make sense of his departure. His soul learned it's lessons, passed it's tests and he graduated to the Other Side. It is us in our human-ness, still with lessons to learn, that are left behind, bewildered, sad, and full of questions we may never have answers to.

My heart is broken, yet I am still grateful.

For knowing him.

For loving him.

For incredible family and friends that have wrapped loving arms around me in my sorrow.

For the wisdom that comes from my deep rooted spirituality - for it does help my human-ness understand the why's.

To Mickael - I miss you my 'French son,' I miss you.

Louise

Proud of this achievement

Hiking up Lady MacDonald in January

Mountain biking in the days he lived with us. Mickael and I are on the top.

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 197

I am grateful for many things today, I really am.

But I am sitting with a heavy heart after hearing some very sad news. Writing a blog just isn't in me tonight.

Maybe tomorrow I will explain. 

Maybe not.

Till next time, know even now I am grateful,

Louise

Photo taken by my 'French son' Mickael of the Three Sisters in the Canadian Rockies

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 196

It's the little things that seem to make me smile.

Take today. Hotter than hot (okay, maybe not to a Texan, but 40-something with humidity is damn hot to me), and 12 hours of non-stop work.

And some organic fruit company (sadly I forget which one) sets up a 'sampler table' right under my zipline. Yes, I stopped in a few times. Mmmmmm, fruit on a hot day is EXACTLY what I crave.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 195

One of the best parts of living in the city is spending time with my son and his long-time girlfriend. Tonight we spent the evening at an outdoor concert (Elliott Brood. Amaaaazing Ontario band) down at the waterfront.

Music speaks to my soul.

So does spending time with my son.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Eric and Daniela

Elliott Brood down at the Ontario Celebration Zone at the Toronto waterfront 

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 194

It's closing ceremonies for the Pan Am Games tonight and Janis was chosen to be one of the 1000 volunteers to be with the athletes during the ceremonies.

Sure she volunteered for 3 days of mountain biking prep and races, and sure she has volunteered for 14 years straight at the Rebecca Run for SMA, but that's not all she's done.

Janis is one of those rare people who dedicate a good chunk of their personal time to volunteering. If she's not participating in an adventure race or ultra trail race you can bet she'll be 'working it' so that others can enjoy.

So darn proud of this girl! Have fun at the closing ceremonies!!

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 193

There are 7 chalets on our little country round-a-bout and every summer we gather in the centre for a big family BBQ. We share a year's worth of stories, most of which involve huge amounts of laughter.

What a wonderful little piece of heaven we found six years ago - we've loved every single second of living here.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Today's Round-a-bout BBQ

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 192

Date night with this handsome guy.

Great to be home for a couple nights.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 191

I am so incredibly grateful for my new shoes.

These days I work 12 hour shifts - on cement - plus walk/stand for a 1.5 hr commute. By day's end my legs and feet are killing me.

My girlfriend Janis popped over to the house earlier this week when I was on a furlow and she highly recommended I pick up a pair of hokas. 

Those that know me know it takes a lot for me to head to a store - just not a shopper. But desperate feet call for desperate measures (lol). Off to see Glenis in Newmarket and she suited me up with these.

Pure heaven. No foot pain, no calf pain after a 14 hr day. Yippee.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude -Day 190

Saw this today. For real. 

It's the coolest crochet sweater for a bike that I have ever seen.

Let's be honest. It's the only crochet sweater for a bike that I have ever seen.

Totally unusable bike. But crazy awesome creativity.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 189

How fast a year goes.

Today I am remembering saying goodbye to pop. 

I am remembering all the family being together and sharing tears but also laughter.

I am remembering the stress and struggle of that period and how eventually we all made it through.

I am feeling incredibly grateful for the love and support from so many at that time.

Mostly I am remembering Pop. He was funny (not always intentionally), smart, a gifted speaker, a man with high expectations and a soft heart. He was the best hugger in the universe and immensely loved his kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. He adored mom and showed that love daily in so many little and big ways. He set an example for us and if in the end we turn out to be okay humans it's largely because of him.

I'm grateful to feel his loving and guiding energy with me every single day.

To Pop: you never left, you merely changed the way you stayed.

I miss your physical presence,

Love always,

Weesa, Poof, Poofertje, Okpik, Poes, and all the other names you used to call me :)

My three kids with their Opa on his 90th birthday

Mom, Pop, and Paul

Mom and Pop on their honeymoon

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 188

It's raspberry season. Which means we stop along the way and fill our bellies. 

I'm delighted to be on my home turf for a break-ish from work and biking through the raspberries with my besties. This also means we look like we got in a fight with a cat as the raspberries leave scratches all over our arms and legs. Totally worth it though :)

Mmmmm, feeling grateful,

Louise

Look at all those berries - pure heaven!

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 187

This is Michelle. She is one of our accessible zipline guests. I'm pretty excited to be involved with this large-scale project that brought Ontario's first accessible zipline to fruition.

Watching the smiles, listening to their excitement, and feeling their heartfelt gratitude for being given a chance to do something that is normally reserved for the non-wheelchair crowd is at times overwhelming. 

Feeling incredibly grateful!

Louise

Michelle, excited for her first ever zipline

On the landing, getting ready to be lowered back to the ground. She was one happy camper!

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 186

City-Living Musing #2 

The herd.

The speed at which it moves depends on the day of the week and the time of the day. Holy those Bay St. Boys are fast! The weekend beach goers are slooooow. Tourists are gawkers - which you'll run smack into if you're not paying attention.

Get caught in the middle of the herd and you. are. stuck. Stick to the sides, dart in and out, and you'll control your sidewalk destiny.

Don't get caught up in the bits of conversations you'll overhear. Break ups. Affairs. Diagnosis'. Gossip. Work-stuff. It's like reading a single page out of 100 different books.

Most of all I've learned to suppress my silly grin. This short-term city living is hilarious.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 185

Is it a full moon?

Did I miss a memo?

Oh my goodness it was a whacakadoodle day. I shook my head a few times. Did the rain bring out the crazy? Lol.

As I was sitting in the subway heading back to my sons I couldn't help but think of Fred Flinstone and his yabadabbado when it was quittin' time. Gosh I loved that show as a kid.

Feeling grateful for all kinds of things, especially that I reached 'quittin' time in one piece. Oh my goodness I could write a very entertaining book about today's experiences. Maybe I will...

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 184

I'm back in the city after a wonderful 20 hour furlow at home (filled with seeing my sweetie, sleeping in my own bed, biking my favourite trails, and lazying about).

Living in a city for the first time in my life has been eye-opening. And by city I mean a BIG city.

Anyway - here's one of my City-Living Musings ...

There are a lot of dogs down here. A LOT! Way more than I would have guessed. Much to my surprise they all walk properly on a leash. No pulling, no darting in and out. They walk beside and at the same speed as their owners. I've become obsessed with trying to spot a badly behaved walker, but no luck so far and I see at least 40 dogs a day in my walking commute.

Also - no halties down here. Mostly just body harness types of things.

Also - no dog poop on the sidewalks. I'm not sure where they do their business, but I have yet to see it in action (which isn't a bad thing).

Dog life in the city - FASCINATING!

Feeling grateful,

Louise

(Photo credit: talenthounds.ca)

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 183

I'm not going to lie, this forest girl is loving living in the city. No I don't want to live here forever, or even for a full year, but this short term gig is pretty sweet.

My son lives on a quiet street in midtown (Mount Pleasant and Eglinton area) and quite frankly I sleep with the patio door wide open. Surprisingly it's so quiet - absolutely zero traffic sounds - that it feels like home.

I enjoy the people-watching while I commute to the waterfront. 30 minutes of walking and 15 minutes of subway make for some interesting observations! 

When I arrive to work, this is what I see. 

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Beautiful morning walk along the lakefront

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 182

My gosh the weather was whacky again today. This morning there was a severe weather warning for large amounts of rain and thunder in the Toronto area. Working outdoors you always have to plan for all conditions.

Really grateful it never turned out to be much more than a short burst of rain early in the day. That ole hot sun came out almost immediately after I snapped this photo.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

One of the project managers on the Adrenalin Jump

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 181

Finished the work day off with the lead singer from Hollerado  zipping across the zipline (he was quite scared) and then hanging with a few of the treetop team under the cloud bubble (tent) to watch Them play.

On the other side of the zipline Cowbow Junkies were playing (all FREE), but after one song I headed back to Hollerado. Sweet, sweet band. Look them up if you heard of them.

Pretty sweet day.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Hollerado under the zipline

Cowboy Junkies also performing free

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 180

I managed to sneak out of the city for a few hours today and look what met me at the bus station. Paul always has a way of making me laugh.

Apparently I have been away to long and he 'forgot' what I looked like.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 179

Funny how things work out.

My girlfriend Janis is volunteering for the mountain biking event for the Pan Am games. They are happening 10 minutes from my home so I invited her to stay a few nights at my house. I was so proud and happy for her that she volunteered her time. 

And I looked forward to spending time with her.

Then I took on a work-related role of co-managing a zipline/rock wall park down in Toronto, also for the Pan Am games. 

And as luck would have it we both had Pan Am duties this same weekend. So my sweet hubby Paul hosted her and prepared an awesome BBQ dinner with her. Then they sent me this photo.

Too funny. Missing them but feeling grateful,

Louise

Janis and Paul having dinner together our place

Me hanging out with Pachi on the ziplines 

Pachi on the rock wall

Janis and Sharon, another friend of ours volunteering at the mountain biking event

365 days of Gratitude - Day 178

Cirque du soleil performed beside our zipline today. They are incredible! They actually slid down those poles!!

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 177

This guy. 

No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, feeling or thinking, I can always feel the loving energy of this guy.

Tonight I'm thinking of him. Wishing I was in his arms, but thankful he's my guy.

I love you Paul, always and forever. Xoxo.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 176

If you've read my book Death and the Lessons I Learned, you will recall the story of my brother-in-law dying from cancer.

His son Blake decided to participate in the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer as a way of paying tribute to his father. He ended up riding in the 200km, 2-day event five years in a row.

This is him. Blake. Featured in a mural painted on the Sporting Life building on Yonge St in Toronto. How cool is that.

It's a short walk from my son's place. I walked over after work to take this photo.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Blake

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 175

From fish out of water to a home cooked meal on the terrace. Life is fun, funny, and good. Great day down on the waterfront - getting ready for the opening day on July 10th.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Me on my post-work trek to the subway station - looking like a fish out of water in the finance district (on Bay St)

Home cooked meal at my son and his gf's place in midtown. Mmmmmm. (Yes, those are my pj's. Lol)

Trees in the city - the view from their terrace. Lovel, lovely location!

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 174

My office for the next 6 weeks.

Feeling pretty grateful for the opportunity to co-manage this amazing zipline park in downtown Toronto in celebration of the Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games.

Feeling equally grateful to be working with this amazing young lady. She's fun, smart, hardworking, and  hilariously FUN!

Feeling even more grateful because the ziplines are on the waterfront. Cool breezes and beautiful nature.

Yup, feeling grateful,

Louise

This is a few meters from the zip launch tower

Kelsea and me being silly in our construction attire

Standing on the landing tower looking out to the launch. Looking forward to seeing the zipline get added tomorrow

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 173

I walked through the trails to our Horseshoe site today and look what I found there!

A McFlurry truck. 

Giving out FREE McFlurries.

Even a horse wandered up for one. Seriously! I took a picture for proof!

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Happy 10th anniversary Treetop Trekking!

Proof.

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 172

Today we hosted the 14th Rebecca Run for SMA.

When my niece was diagnosed 15 years ago there was no hope, no treatment, and no cure. 

The Rebecca Run was created as a selfish way of coming out from under the black cloud of despair, but it turned out to be something entirely different.

Yes, we did come out from under that cloud. But greater than that we created a place for families dealing with the disease to connect with other people that, through a cruel twist of genetic fate, were their new family. We also raised money. Lots of money for research. $2.5 million to be exact. And we had fun.

And now we wait. We're in the final state of a clinical study that shows incredible promise as the answer to our dreams. Hope. Treatment. Cure. 

Feeling grateful,

Louise

14 years of event honourees

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 171

During and intense, tight-schedule rescue training day 5 of these little beauties flittered past us. What a wonderful reminder that hard work and long hours pays off. If you are not sure what I am talking about, google the monarch butterfly and be amazed by their incredible journey each year.

Monarchs are endangered species, so I am double excited that we were able to watch 5 flitter about us as we hung out in the trees. What a gift! 

Feeling grateful,

Louise

The incredible monarch

Our sign at our Monarch Zipline

Our newest OCZ rescue guide hanging in the trees

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 170

Full moon today.

Enjoying the fabulous full moon energy ... and steering really clear from those who aren't. Lol.

Feeling grateful for a fun work day with a couple fun gals. 

Louise

This only looks like chaos. It was actually rather organized :)

365 Days of Gratitude - Day 169

It's Canada Day and we're still alive. Hallelujah! 

We've been camping in a Provincial Park for the last few days that is located next to the Bruce Nuclear Power Generating Plant. 

Sometimes, depending on how the wind was blowing, we could hear the slight hum of the plant. We read with interest in the Park Brochure about the plant's procedures should they run a test, and the evacuation process should there ever be a need.

Well. Last night we were no sooner asleep and the plant revved up to a deafening roar. When I say deafening, imagine parking your bed under the engines of a couple dozen 747 jets. Right under. The trailer shook. 

I laid there, eyes WIDE OPEN, thinking, 'what the heck did that camping brochure say again?' If there were sirens we couldn't hear them. I thought about where the trucks keys were, and our wallets. And I started planning the escape. Paul was silently doing the same thing. Over in Marti and Linda's trailer they were searching the internet for operating information. And escape plans. Or so we found out in the morning.

Eventually it dropped back to a slight hum.

Suffice to say it wasn't a nuclear holocaust, and I am sure it was normal procedures, and equally sure the locals are used to it, but holy smokes! When we got up this morning we kissed the ground. And then laughed and laughed as we recounted our stories.

Feeling grateful,

Louise

Believe it or not we really can't see all this from where we are. But we know it's there!