Victoria Day Weekend

This weekend is a long weekend for us. It is known as the May 24th weekend, or officially known as Victoria Day weekend, in celebration of Queen Victoria of long ago. Those of you who are familiar with Canadian history know that we were once a colony of Britain and so celebrated the special occasions of Queens and Kings. But in 1982, the Britts gave up all remaining constitutional and legislative ties to Canada when they accepted as law the Constitution Act, a goal achieved by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

Since then, we don’t get so excited over the British royalty or their holidays BUT we most certainly refused to give up our long weekend. So we celebrate it for different reasons… Pre summer, it’s the long weekend that some will go and unlock the cottage that has been sitting in winter’s musty odour since it’s lock up last fall. It is when the boats are taken from dry dock and gently placed in Lake Ontario or Lake Superior or Lake Winnipeg. When campers and trailers and tents are aired out and readied for a trip to one of the many beautiful Provincial Parks such as Good Spirit Lake in Saskatchewan or Northumberland Provincial Park in Prince Edward Island. Some will take a stroll through Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, to view all the beautiful blooming flowers of spring. It is a weekend of planting and gardening for those in Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge, and the seeding of wheat and canola for the farmers of Alberta in hopes that the last sign of frost has gone until September. Above all it is a celebration of the end to winter and the beginning of spring and summer. Spirits are high and light and ready to embrace the energy of these vibrant seasons.

This year I have decided to celebrate Victoria Day in honour of a very sweet and beautiful young lady in TEXAS. Yes, Texas. Her name is Victoria and since Queen Victoria has long since passed away, I thought that perhaps it would be fun to celebrate someone who is very much alive and vivacious and simply as sweet as honey! So VICTORIA L. here’s a whole weekend dedicated to you. (Look for a CANADIAN surprise in the mail to come shortly.)

It has been exceptionally hot this week. Record breaking temperatures for this time of the year in fact. Last night I went in-line skating about 8+ kms. (about 5 miles) and it felt so very good. I love the feeling of just rolling along, focusing on the movement of my body. How I move my hips, the way my arms swing and the flow of my legs as they criss-cross each other in perpetual motion. I am ever noting the direction of the wind for it is much easier to be skating with the wind at your back than not. And of course listening to old tunes and singing along. For me this activity is about being in the moment. Since today is just as warm I think I shall do it all over again!

Hope you all have a wonderful evening. It is 33 celsius out there right now... care to figure out what that is in Fahrenheit?