Scenes from the Chowder Bowl -- like Ascot, or the Queen's Plate, only with Clams... 2016

Nora, Vivian, Jamie and Scarlett -- the best hats!

The Muskoka Music Men bring beautiful harmony, and old favourites, like "My Wild Racing Clam'

Brian has the honour of carrying down the Chowder Bowl

The Camerons of Lochiel Pipe band were out in full force, and there is nothing better than hearing pipers across
the lake in the evening. wow.

little and big, riveted by the music...

the clams get registered, get a nailpolish number and go into the muffin tin to be
taken to the start line. Terribly official. There were 51 entries.

David's hat. Read it...

Carol makes sure nobody ever leaves without some refreshments

Pemberley was brave about the pipers... Thistle and Indigo watched from a safer spot

Big and small, everyone has a good time

Indigo decided that there was safety in numbers and went to join the guests

Brian has to wear his fabulous Disney hat. He has to... 

David and Brian placing clams along the start line

and lighting the torches that mark out the course

every year the ducks come to be the official stewards of the course

Pipers, in kilts and sandals and with a backdrop of canoes. Magical. Thanks so very much for coming

listening to the pipes

Leslie comes up with the most creative hats

The official Torch of the Chowder Bowl

David and Sarah with the trophy - 29 years of clam racing.

Piper Brian (in what we really hope is a wig) gets a little listen from Taffy, who'd like to be the band's mascot.

Hanging About

A beach, a hammock, and a friend. Can't beat that.

Going, Going,. Gone

The lake hit 80 degrees F this week.  No place better to be...  Sarah wheels on in!

Jump for Joy

Jump for Joy! Shelley leads the way

Mermaids and Drifters

 Mermaids and Drifters in our bay -- gone home now for another year, and we will miss having you floating by!

Most Welcome Sight

 Look who came and joined Carol in the garden today!

Wish we were seeing more of these beautiful butterflies.

Such Dears

Oh, hello...

 Well, wow.   Sarah got the photo of the week. Maybe of the summer.  She was walking with her camera, and near Blackberry cottage she met this pair.  She spent about 20 minutes with them before they decided to go look for Mom...

I'll tell you a little secret...

great big deer kisses

We see deer on our property almost daily. This is the time of year that the does are bringing the fawns along with them -- when they are really little the does hide the babies, which is much safer for them.



We aren't sure that there is anything that is more beautiful than a fawn...


And we're pretty sure that there's not much that is cuter than this pair!


We couldn't decide which picture was our favourite, so we are sharing them all.  Maybe you can tell us which is YOUR pick?

we're better together

Fabulous photos Sarah -- worth every bug bite and bramble scratch you endured to get them!




Thanks for letting us share.

Deer Kisses

check out our spots... in our favourite Bondi spot...

big ears!

Trivia Night and Not so Trivial Artwork

Kathy adding some brush strokes

We had two Bondi Teams at the Library Trivia Night Wednesday. It's the 17th Annual time this event has run. We have never won, but true to form, everybody on the teams knew something... and nobody knew nothing.  We just couldn't remember a few details in the 18 second windows allowed, and we got into a few arguments and missed the moment... But we had a blast, and one of our Bondi Teams, The "Eh" Team, came in a very creditable sixth place out of some 20 tables.  

the 'real' painting.

Also happening was the brush stroke event for the new Group of Seven Mural that will go onto the Library building next year, in honour of Canada's 150th Anniversary (and also in honour of Tom Thompson, who died in 1917...)

This is Winter Sunrise, by Lawren Harris, and it's a lovely painting (and very appropriate for Kathy to add a few splashes of colour!)  .  We are more used to seeing Kathy here at Bondi in the Winter, so this seemed appropriate (she comes every winter to ski our cross country trails)

Pony Day

every day is Pony Day. Kids are always coming to visit the horses
and say Hello to Squeegee. But Wednesdays are Pony Ride Day.
He is so patient with the little ones -- and he had a lot of riders this week!

A Bondi Thursday in July

Mavis is Captain of the Seven Seas

There is something for everyone at our place.




Thursday morning is our traditional Marathon Swim -- this morning we had three swimmers tackle the swim to the Point and Back (1 km)



And four intrepid ones took on the Island, 1.6 km.  Fred zipped back to the dock in only 21 minutes, but others spent more time enjoying the silence out there in the middle of the lake!




Meanwhile, shoreside, it was a happy happy place!  Here's some photos...

Edith was happy to just "hang around."

Dylan and his Mom Carrie checked out the SUP

while Grandpa Tony checked out the hammock...

Lee got in the swim -- to the Point and Back!

so many people came out with canoes and kayaks to escort the swimmers

Our four Islanders... Chris, Fred, Anne and Shelley. They made it look easy

perfection

Chief Swim Spotter, Taffy sets a good example by wearing
her PFD (poodle flotation device). And a charm that blames all
wrong-doing on the cat...  (back at the dock, one of the little
girls insisted on having a life jacket that was the same colour as
Taffy's, so we know she is a good influence. :)

Tony came out to check up on the Swim progress

all aboard the Paddleboat!

and lots of folks were dockside to welcome them back.

Eli's turn in the paddleboat!

And Dave? The whole thing exhausted that boy...  He demonstrates the correct technique for a Canoe Nap.