Wedding preparation Sunday, July 13, 2008

Sue and Stuart discuss potential locations for wedding photographs July 10 at Carruthers Point in Kingston, Ont. High water levels in Lake Ontario have dramatically reduced the size of the beaches, leaving many areas inaccessible.

Wedding activities kicked into high gear Thursday when Stuart and Sue arrived from Ottawa with her parents, who had flown in from Moncton, N.B., that morning.

The main task for me that day was to go out to Carruthers Point, where they were to have their wedding photographs taken, to clear out some of the underbrush so that the area would be accessible to people in dresses and tuxedos. Stuart, Sue, my Dad and I all went out there to scout out the place. (We had a limited number of tools available, though, so Stuart, Sue and my Dad cut the brush back while I took photographs.)

[right] Peter Ginn trims a path through the grass on Carruthers Point. [below] Stuart stands on "picture rock." When we were kids, just about every year my dad would pose us on that rock for a portrait. Usually the water level is lower so you can walk out to the rock without getting wet.











[right] CCGS Samuel Risley operates in Lake Ontario off Kingston July 10. Based in Parry Sound, Ont., the ice breaker helps to keep the St. Lawrence Seaway open in the winter. In the summer, its primary duty is tending to navigation aids in the Great Lakes. Read more about her here.

[left] While we were off cutting the grass, we left mum at home washing the dishes.

Back in Kingston Thursday, July 10, 2008

Kingston City Hall was built in 1844 at a cost of 25,000 pounds, when the city was the capital of Canada.

I'm trying to get caught up on some of the photos I have taken but not posted this week. I'm back in Kingston now, where my parents live. As my brother's wedding approaches, things are starting to get pretty crazy around here.

The wedding itself will take place on the campus of Queen's University where he, I, and about three-quarters of the rest of my family went to school between five and 70 years ago. At least one of my other relatives worked there.

Almost every one of my living relatives will be here this weekend for the celebration, and my parents' house will be the center for most of the pre-wedding action. Tonight, my mother's family will be here for dinner with us and Sue (the bride) and her parents—18 in all. They aren't having a rehearsal, but Friday night we are having a rehearsal dinner—22 plus the photographer. Many more, of course, on Saturday night.

Stuart and Sue are both engineers, so of course the whole thing is well organized. The Four-Day Master Plan kicked into action today, and as the Best Man, I have a bunch of things to do, so this will probably be the last post for a while.

Oh, my grandparents just arrived ... gotta go.

Houses on Queen Street in Kingston, Ont.