Back a few years ... okay, so it was over 35 years - don't remind me ...  I used to hang out with a bunch of people, most of whom were associated in one way or another with the Nostalgia Dance Band.  Typical of one's high school friends, I haven't kept track of a lot of them but some friendships are more enduring than others.  Mike and I are still good friends even though his career in helicopters has moved him all over Canada.  He married Karen who he met at the Maple Airport when he was doing flight instruction.  The other Mike married his long-time girlfriend Pam, who I'd know since we were both four, and we became brothers-in-law through my first marriage.

At any rate, Wendy and I have been trying for a while to arrange a weekend for Mike & Pam to come and visit at the same time that Mike & Karen are up at their cottage, which is just down the road from us.  And this was it !

There was lots of great food, thanks to Wendy's culinary skills, and perhaps one ounce too much alcohol ...  a nice long walk on Saturday despite the deer flies ...  and an opportunity for the Tone Deaf Daredevils to expand the group's instrumentation.

For those who aren't familiar with it, the Tone Deaf Daredevils is the name of the group of musicians who have ever played at our house.  At any one time there might be some subset of piano, trombone, tuba, guitar, banjo, fiddle, harp, flute, recorders, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, mandolin, and djembe (which is an African drum).  The picture shows Mike getting a short lesson on alto sax from Mike.