Turn! Turn! Turn!

Having completed one full year cycle, I am now creating new traditions by repeating some of my favourite things.

How do I spell SPRINGTIME  in Montréal?  Tulips and Porchfest  - that's how I do it.

Porchfest involves dusting off my bike, putting air in the tires, and riding all around the 'hood to hear random bands playing on their porches or in their driveways. We hear all kinds of music and get to enjoy the scenery and bump into friends that we haven't seen in a while.

Last year we went to Ottawa to see the massive tulip displays; however, this year we are enjoying small patches of them in the local gardens of our neighbours. 

It really is true that spring seems so much more vibrant and spectacular when it bursts into place after that peaceful white blanket of snow has disappeared. The restos (restaurants) have all put out their terraces, and the streets are filling up again with people who just want to be outside.

Also across Quebec, Springtime = Cabane à Sucre (aka - the Sugar Shack).
While retrieving Gibby from his winter storage hideaway last month, we ventured to one of the Sugar Shacks in a neighbouring town. 
The petting zoo was such a delight - seeing all kinds of animals, from pigs to ponies, to rabbits.

My favourite was this llama getting a treat!




A big part of the event is a huge meal, where maple syrup is the primary ingredient
on everything.  We weren't really hungry enough to take advantage of the meal,

so we opted to do a little sampling in the store instead. Free beignets and maple syrup on a stick were the day's offerings. I couldn't resist buying several bars of a homemade maple syrup "fudge-like" candy.  It literally melted in my mouth and was like nothing I've tasted before.

The real highlight for me, though, was getting to see actual buckets strapped to the trees with taps extracting the maple sap that is boiled down to eventually make our wonderful maple syrup!

Getting outdoors included a walk along the Lachine canal with our friends Harry and Sophia.  Dave and I biked this path on a previous
visit, but this time we were able to stroll along leisurely and admire the various art sculptures.

One of my favourite outdoor activities from last year was the collective garden.  I'm signed up again this year as well.  A new "first" was the scarecrow making workshop I attended.  We were asked to bring some brightly-coloured clothing to donate to the scarecrows.  I am quite happy to announce that one of my old (and VERY worn-out) Chuy's Hot to Trot 5K t-shirts is now proudly displayed on this scarecrow!  A little piece of Austin graces a garden in Montréal! Who knew?


Last month we saw an amazing exhibit at Montréal's Musée des Beaux-Arts.

It was a display of truly exotic outfits by Thierry Mugler.
Ok, I admit the name did not ring any bells for me, but it turns out that he has created stage costumes for Shakespeare's Macbeth, and dressed celebrities including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Liza Minnelli and Celine Dion,
to name a few.

This world premiere exhibit included more than 150 garments made between 1977 and 2014.  It is an honour that it is being shown for the first time here in Montréal. (This is a plug for anyone considering a visit!)

We also attended the 22nd annual Roots of Rock & Roll concert last weekend.I wasn't sure what to expect but ended up being totally blown away by some fantastic musicians and vocalists.  There were excellent renditions of Janis Joplin that conjured a pleasant stroll down memory lane, along with learning a few new tidbits of information.  Craig Morrison is a well-known musician/educator here, and he does a great job of weaving in history along with selecting a perfect mix of songs to represent the era. I may even take one of his classes on the history of music someday.

Well - I'm off to the YMCA for a fitness class!  Hope y'all are doing well!

Thanks for dropping by my blog to see what I've been doing.