Hard labour days

Inspired by David Hockney's amazing "Hand Eye Heart" watercolours of the East Yorkshire Landscape, I left the safety and comfort of my apartment for the first time in days to sketch the Assiniboine River. It's not actually as lush as it looks -- but the water is certainly that green.

Much to the disappointment of the ghosts of Canada's trade unionists, I've been spending most of the Labour Day weekend working at the computer instead of enjoying Winnipeg's still gorgeous summer weather. I did hear the Labour Day parade from my window, bag pipes and tablas and all. And I was heartened to read that, according to History Television's website that back in 1894 "the first official Labour Day was christened with a five-kilometre-long parade in Winnipeg."

Hope y'all had fun closing up your cottages and drinking the last 2-4 of the season. I'm gonna go shoot bottle rockets from my balcony at the windows of the Fort Garry Hotel across the way.