Happy Belated Canada Day

Happy 141st birthday Canada!

Anyone who's been to the USA will know they are a patriotic nation (hold on...why am I talking about the States in a Canada Day blog...just hang in there). I just got back from our southern neighbours last week. I'm always astounded by the amount of stars and stripes I see. Not only on businesses, but on every second house I pass (I'm sure there were more than usual, due to the 4th being around the corner). And they're not the dish-rag-flags we have here either, all tattered and torn. I'm disgusted as the state of some Canadian flags I see around here. Like the massive one in Surrey. It spent YEARS looking more like a maypole than a flag. I kept meaning to write a letter but never did.

Anyway, as I was riding around town yesterday, I noticed the lack of flags. Well, there were flags around, but nothing compared to the States. 

But I'm guilty too. Where's my flag? I don't even know where to buy one. Would I put it up? Would it look tacky? It made me wonder if we are just not as patriotic as the Americans. 

Are we any less proud to be Canadian because we don't have a flag? I say no. Everyone who visits here knows they're in Canada so we don't really need flags to remind them. We show them it's Canada by doing other things... like giving universal healthcare and not being so populated. Plus, there are no outlet malls so they'll know it's Canada. 

Last night there was the annual fireworks display. We wanted to go, but didn't want to get Nathan out of bed. When we heard the first boom, we looked out all the windows to see if we could see them. No luck. 

So we went on the roof of our house and could see them! It was such a great moment. Just the two of us, standing on our roof in the warm airwatching a celebration for our country.

I'm proud to be Canadian.

I'll leave you with a song about Canada. It's by the Arrogant Worms. 

CANADA'S REALLY BIG

When i look around me, i can't believe what i see

it seems as if this country has lost its will to live

the economy is lousy, we barely have an army

but we can still stand proudly because canada's really big

we're the second largest country on this planet earth

and if Russia keeps on shrinking, then soon we'll be first!

(as long as we keep quebec)

The USA has tanks, and switzerland has banks

they can keep them thanks, they just don't amount

cause when you get down to it, you find out what the truth is,

it isn't what you do with it, it's the size that counts

most people will tell you that france is pretty large

but you can put fourteen frances into this land of ours!

(it'd take a lot of work, it'd take a whole lot of work

we're larger than malaysia, almost as big as asia

we're bigger than australia and it's a continent

so big we seldom bother to go see one another

but we often go to other countries for vacations

our mountains are very pointy, our prairies are not

the rest is kinda bumpy, but man do we have a lot!

(we've got a lot of land, we've got a whole lot of land)

so stand up and be proud and sing it very loud

we stand out from the crowd, cause Canada's really big