I am not sure how this happened, but it has been 2 months since the last Weekly Zekely! Maybe it was too much adventure or an inconsistent schedule? Whatever it was, now is a good time to pick out some highlights now that we are fully in September.

This month, I have a few adventures to catch up on so lets go see what summer was made of!

GOLF!

Summer is definitely a time to get out in the nature and bash some balls. This summer was no different. @town-crier does not yet have a physical office so we like to use the fairway as our board room for meetings. The summer did start out in lockdown and our province was probably the only region in the world that outlawed golf. Eventually, the provincial government came to their senses and realized that incredibly distanced, outdoor activity may actually be good for the public. Having a couple golf courses as clients, we were able to get a tee-off time for the very first day of opening.

The golf story doesn't end there. Because of the early season practice, and covid-reduced numbers for our annual family tournament, I was able to reclaim the championship at The Joe. I golfed conservatively, left the beer to the back 9, and hit some very lucky shots for a season low 88 and bragging rights with the family which last until midsummer next year.

Out Doors

It was an interesting season of weather out there this summer. Regular rain in the first month but relatively moderate temperatures and the odd heat wave made getting outdoors amazing this summer.

Whether the weather is hot and clear or overcast and cool, it is always a good day for the beach. We are blessed in this region with plenty of provincial parks, all of which seem to boast a unique and beautiful beach. You can read the story on this one at Port Burwell in yesterday's adventure post @zekepickleman/walk-with-zeke-port-burwell-camping-adventure The fresh water around here is not to be denied and spending days at the beach with the kids is definitely a large part of summer.

BEER!

You just know The Blockchain Beerologist is gonna spend the top 4 seasons with beer in regular rotation. Sitting next to a camp fire in the back yard, middle of the wilderness or trailer park with a cold brew straight from the cooler is pure summer. Especially when the local brewery https://blackswanbrewing.ca offers up a New England IPA with the word Summer right in the title.

Travel was not as hindered or restricted as last summer but is nowhere near where it used to be. So, getting a chance to drive a few hours and visit one of your favourite breweries is definitely special. I still owe you a MAGfest adventure story but you will have to settle for the Redline Brewhouse http://www.redlinebrewhouse.com/ stop I made on the way. There was enough beer to double feature for #beersaturday this past weekend @zekepickleman/beer-saturday-220-return-to-redline-part-1 with the much-anticipated part 2 set to fall this Saturday.

Patios/New Clients!

Being an entrepreneur, it is tough to have any stretch of time not include business. We managed to consistently add new clients and pick up more work as businesses tried to navigate the openy closey business landscape in a tourist town. Working with this one is special because we are huge fans of https://rajastratford.ca and shooting photos for social media is easy when you have a patio like this.

The lunches during meetings made it all worth it and the payment and partnership with them was just a bonus. While doing one of my occasional drive-bys to shoot stock images for their folder, I ran into a couple friends and shared lunch with them. Summer can be measured by the amount of time you get to enjoy food and drinks on patios...so this summer was damn fine.

Gardening!

We have had a fantastic adventure expanding and tending the Pickleman Family Garden again this year. Tomatoes, greens of all sorts, and, my personal favourite, hot peppers were plentiful! These are habaneros from maybe a month ago. You should see them now!

As the season lengthens, these peppers are turning glorious shades of red and orange which is ideal for the hot sauce we will be brewing this year. I have a range of heat from mild banana peppers all the way up to Carolina Reapers to combine into the mash for hot sauce fermentation. We will definitely have to share a how-to on lacto fermentation because it makes for the tastiest of food! Stay tuned in the next few weeks!

Music!

With concerts all but cancelled amid slow opening from lockdowns, it was not really the summer of music. Still, there were moments and live shows. Here, we have my buddy Mista D holding it down at the Revival Vinyl Society show in August. He plays in bands like The Salads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salads, Mob Barley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salads and, most recently, The Power of Huey https://www.facebook.com/powerofhuey/ but can spin records when he live shows are not happening.

Summer is definitely about music no matter what kinda summer it is.

Multiculturalism

Getting involved in more charity work in recent years, I have had the opportunity to work with the Multicultural Association Perth Huron https://maph.ca This summer was partially spent telling tales of community, inclusiveness and multiculturalism. Cautious but vibrant gatherings and festivals were dotted around our region and it was so great to spend part of the summer celebrating with people of all colours and origins.

New Family Member

There was a pet boom during covid. We added a new puppy not because of the pandemic, but because our old dog is past her expiration date and I was not prepared for a mourning period without a new emotion sponge. Juno is a spunky and cuddly little nibbler that sure has inspired plenty of emotions around the home. I really love Brittany Spaniels as a breed and would highly recommend one if you are good with walks.

Summer is about puppies and napping too.