August Long Thoughts...

That time of year has rolled around again, marking the half way point of summer, our Civic Holiday.  I like the name of the holiday here in Manitoba, even if the National Post has chosen to mock us for our lack of creativity.  To me it speaks of why we get the day off, the magic of the end of July and the beginning of August.  I believe that you need to have lived through the excessive cold of prairie winters to truly understand the anticipation of our all too brief summers.  We spend six months under a blanket of snow enduring -30C regularly with whipping winds in order to enjoy seemingly a scant few moments of sun and heat in the summer.  I can only imagine the cruelty that winters brought those in sod houses, and am thankful that I do not have to endure the back breaking labour under the scorching sun that our ancestors did.

Why pretend that this day is anything other than an extra moment that we get to forget about the frostbitten insanity that we live through and sully it by naming after John Graves Simcoe or Colonel John By or some other historically important figure?  We will ignore them on this day.  We will celebrate the moment, carpe diem and lend nary a single thought to these figures for whom the holiday was purportedly named.  I suppose the same can be said for Louis Riel Day.  Why?  We should recognize it for what it is, an extra moment for ourselves, hopefully breaking the monotony of endless winter days and beckoning what is to come.

I love summers, and as a teacher am glad that I get to share it with my children.  I wish I could spend every day from May Long to Thanksgiving at the family cottage at Grand Beach, but I know that it is impossible so I spend every moment I can there during the summer.  Grand Beach is an interesting locale because as my friend Jeff recently said (and I paraphrase) "You experience many different socio-economic strata" at Grand.  In fact, people watching is a rewarding past-time at Grand Beach as you can see everything there, from the most attractive females wearing next to nothing to fat men in Speedos...

In people watching, one of my favourite things to do is to see what can be best describe as ethnic picnics.  I love to see the multi-culturalism that is on display at Grand Beach as we caucasians cannot do a picnic like those we see at Grand Beach.  Every long weekend there is a half dozen or more picnics with extended families numbering into the low hundreds...  You will see rice cookers, slow cookers, giant metal trays filled with the most delectable goods along with tents, hammocks, canopies, etc.  Every time I see one I wish I could a way to join in, as they speak to me of the noblest ideals of family.  Good food and fellowship while enjoying the short time we get together.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not one who asks for further government intervention in my life, and Grand Beach in many ways is a microcosm of our society and the incrementalism that is government intervention.  Every year, the conservation officers find some new rules to bring forth and new signs to put up.  One year they banned canoes from being paddled to the point to fish as they had for much longer than I have been alive.  Another year they banned walking on the rocks around the point which I have done all my life.  This year I have heard Beach Safety Officers telling kids not to jump from the Boardwalk to the sand, so I encourage Teresa and Frances to do so...  Nevertheless I believe that the government really should be getting into the business of regulating swimwear, and I propose the Tight Swimsuit Commission (TSC - pronounced "Tsk") to do the following:
1 - Ban speedos from all men who are not doing laps in a pool.
1a - Ban these new hipster tight boxer brief swimwear
2 - Only allow females that meet a set of minimum beauty standards (including age) from wearing bikinis.
I will offer that TSC will hear appeals to point #2, and I offer my services pro bono in that regard.

As an aside, I wonder though as I look at people how much money has been spent on bad tattoos that are no more 'individual' than the individualism their owners pretend they purport.  It seems to me that some people have invested more into their supposed 'individualism' than into their houses and cars...  Alas.  Furthermore, I note that we are an all too polite society, as Grand Beach has a number of 'squatters' who come out to the beach early, set up a dozen chairs and a host of umbrellas and then leave them there.  Empty.  For hours.  And yet no one moves them, or takes them down...  It amazes me how polite we are as a society.  I suppose this can be viewed both positively and negatively.

As for pictures...  Yes, we have had a great vacation and I have posted a pile of picture on Facebook.  For a change I have made the album public so you can access it too.  It has been a wonderful vacation (my folks, Aunt Carolyn, cousin James  have been out) yet incredibly trying too (Cara has had a lung infection, is a month from having Hat-Trick, and is having hip troubles).  Enjoy the last month of summer all, it is what we wait for...

Another thing I have learned this summer: When at the lake, children never show being tired nor do they ever appear hungry...

Here Frances has fallen asleep on me on the way home.  I had her fall asleep on my shoulders too.  She has fallen asleep on me an Mike at the beach too.  Teresa and Owen never slowed down while at the beach.  Naps were skipped, and they stayed at the beach incredibly late, sometimes past 7:00.  This was never a problem when we were there.  The sand and water is a magical combination fro children that keeps them happy and moving. 

I guess it would be responsible of me to point out that we had more than one dinner that was rough due to excessive tiredness.  Also, bedtimes were stressful as they were overtired.  The beach though?  I can't remember a melt down (although I tend not to remember anything 'bad' )