This month is proving to be a little more stressful than I’d planned. Yet, at the same time, some really wonderful things have happened.

Our short vacation in Montreal was a little disappointing–more for my husband than for me. I got to see the very moving Holocaust Museum, take some pics at the Biosphere, and do some more Olympics geekery at the Biodome (once the velodrome) with bonus penguins and capybaras.

But the lovely pizza place at the ferris wheel wasn’t open yet, the air museum wasn’t open on the day we wanted to visit, and the museum we found to fill in that spot turned out to be a complete bust (most of their displays turned out to be virtual). The OSM was terrific, as usual, although the novelty of hearing a Shostakovich symphony I had not heard had been preempted by having heard it at the end of March. (Still, the amazing brass section was certainly worth hearing!) I did manage to spend almost no money there, however.

Much better was the weekend’s SCA event–although that came with the stress, driving in, of being hit by the powerful derecho that tore through the province on Saturday just before arriving on site. We had to drive around two partially-downed trees. Once on site, we sat in our car until it had passed, and luckily, no major injuries were sustained among the campers, except to a couple of pop-up tents that went to the Great Campground in the Sky.

We had originally planned to attend only on Sunday, but I found out a friend was to be put on vigil for the Order of the Laurel on Saturday, so we switched days (I would attend on my own on Sunday for a meeting). Once the storm had passed, the day turned sunny. There was archery, thrown weapons, and some relaxing with friends before Court, where the other friend was completely surprised. Sunday was more of the archery and thrown weapons, plus a meeting, but the temperatures had dropped significantly.

The storm turned out to have been hugely destructive. A tornado hit Uxbridge, including the charming historic railway that we visited last year, damaging roofs and windows. Power was out all over the province, but particularly in Ottawa. A number of friends did not get their power back until today, even in places like Ajax. Lots of trees uprooted, power poles snapped, and lines down. We got home on Saturday to find we were lucky–we had not lost power at all.

This following week was mostly stay-at-home. I started the new Guy Gavriel Kay book (finished just minutes ago) and purchased another on Russian pianist Maria Yudina; finished a scroll; made a Rus’ tunic out of some ecclesiastical fabric I’d had in stash for years; and attended several online meetings, including a possible lead on the job I need to do to finish up my 4th Toastmasters DTM.

Saturday was Crown Tourney. I wore the new tunic (and as it turned out, the weather was just cool enough for a purely synthetic garment to be comfortable). The tourney made history, as Duchess Kaylah defeated her husband, Duke Trumbrand, in the finals to become the first woman to ever win a Crown Tourney twice. It was a perfect outdoors day, sitting with friends, relaxing, talking, being social. There was even a trip to Doohers on the way in for passion pastries. I got to see my scroll awarded (and the same lady put on vigil for the Laurel). I listened to nearly the complete Shostakovich quartet cycle on the round trip. Sunday, at the Museum, I received the copies of the 50th anniversary book my husband and I had been involved in–me, for a little over three years; him, for much longer. It looks gorgeous.

Tomorrow, we’re finally getting our fence completed–we were approached by the tenant next door, and found out that the landlord was eager to put the fence up and was encouraging the tenants’ efforts at landscaping and cleanup. So, instead of some half-assed fence-like thing funded only by us, we pay more but get the real thing.

There’s also the possibility of getting an SCA archery practice going soon on a new range.

And Thursday: Hamlet at Stratford. And Saturday….I’m still not jinxing it. Let’s just say…I have tickets for awesome.