Another Deb Island

Just odds and ends being done at the cottage right now.

2012-02-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Iain and I both went up on Saturday. Installing plugs, switches and checking the breaker circuits was time consuming, and Iain went back on Sunday to tackle more of it on his own.

I helped as best I could, but am more comfortable having him do the wiring of the plugs etc. My part was stuffing the plug or switch into the box, screwing it in place and applying the face plate.

Before we left, Iain took a reading off the meter. Hopefully Ont.Hydro will accept the reading, as we have been using space heaters and we need to start paying for some of that power; I'm worried about getting a huge bill when they get around to reading it in the spring.

Today, we marvelled at how the mild weather has brought the dirt road into view! I can't recall ever seeing so much melt in February.

Today we met with Susan, our kitchen designer at Home Hardware in the Bay; just trying to finalize things, and we're not quite there yet. Gotta wrap it up soon, so we can get the cabinets on order. After a quick bite to eat at Vito's, and a brief stop in Combermere, we went back to the cottage. We have one circuit that is giving us grief: it has a hard short, and we're having trouble tracking it down. I can report that the heaters are all wired in and working perfectly, however: Iain took a day off work on Friday to install them. I couldn't get the day off, and I would have liked to go to my Aunt's funeral in any case (I was glad to attend the wake on Thursday evening, and pay my respects).

We probably won't do more this weekend; Iain has been working hard on it, and deserves a rest.

A Goodbye

2012-02-15T21:17:00.001-05:00

Mom's oldest sister, dear Aunt Margaret, passed away last night. She had just celebrated her 99th birthday on Sunday.

I think the secret of her longevity, if there was one, was in living well and simply. She was straightforward, down-to-earth and loving. Her children and their families will miss her immensely.

Those of us in her extended family remember her with fondness. Some people are dragged into nursing homes, kicking and screaming, but Aunt Margaret found pleasure in spending time with others and she moved into the Bonnechere Manor quite happily. She liked to take part in the crafts they offered, even before she moved in, and I recall being amazed at the talent she showed, the first time I saw hand-painted notecards she'd made; I'd had no idea she was so gifted.

Katrina, Wanda and Janet still like to talk about the time Aunt Margaret came to the office where we work, for an eye exam. (It was a few years ago, while I was away on summer holiday, but I've heard this numerous times.) The front door must have been left open a crack, and a garter snake found his way in. Katrina made the effort to be brave, but didn't want to tackle the snake herself. Janet and Wanda were up on their desks, scared to be on the same level as the snake. Aunt Margaret came to the desk and offered, "Give me a glove to wear, and I'll catch it for you!" A woman in her nineties put them all to shame; they didn't take her up on her offer, but I've no doubt she would have done it!

A wonderful lady; she will be missed.

A Beautiful Weekend

2012-02-05T17:07:00.000-05:00

The weather has been beautiful; this is the warmest winter I remember. It's been great for us, having to run to the cottage on the weekends. Normally, February is not the time you want to be doing outside work, but as you can see in the picture below, Iain is able to install an outdoor fixture without wearing his gloves.

This time the sun shone when we were at the lake. We sat in our living-room-to-be and ate lunch, looking out at the view(s). This picture is out the south side window, but looking south-west.

This is our view out the front window, from where we sat munching our sandwiches. I mentioned to a friend, a few days ago, that it all seems too good to be true. We are so very, very blessed. My greatest hope is to have the place in dwellable shape by spring, so my mom can come and enjoy it with us!

Water, water everywhere

2012-02-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

Last weekend's trip to the cottage revealed several things:

Nothing adds humidity to a place like mudding the drywall, and
All efforts to remove said humidity by use of paper towels will be for naught (though one feels useful in the attempt).

We had lots of work to do, so Iain was a bit nonplussed at my picture-taking. In this shot, he is just about to move out of the way because he thinks I'm trying to get a picture of something behind him. I'm really taking his picture, though.

Look at this ceiling! We love it.

The peaked ceiling is as nice as we'd hoped.

This may not look like much, but you see that grey conduit in the middle? It was a son of a gun to get together. We were glad to be finished with it.

I'm not sure what Iain is working on, here. It didn't seem like we accomplished too much, but the time went quickly.

It snowed while we were there. Some of the local lads were out at the fish shack; had a fire going and the tip-ups set.

The driving home wasn't very nice, because of all the snow. Next weekend's tour should be better; almost no snow in the forecast.

January slips away...

2012-01-25T08:13:00.000-05:00

It has been a warm month, aside from a few cold days where the temperature dipped to -27 at night and the daytime high was -12. Still, we have a had nice weather overall.

Iain has taken advantage of the good days to get some hydro to the new cottage, so the contractor can start mudding the drywall. Not much has happened there this month, but they're getting close to the end of the job: just the mudding and wood ceiling to do, and some odds and ends. We're thinking of paint colours (though it won't be exciting, we're into cream-coloured walls).

After the rush of Christmas, it's nice to relax a bit, and have weekends where I get to do some puttering about. Back into a schedule now, I've started working out with an exercise program on the PS3, EA Sports Active 2. So nice to get back into working out: I really have let myself go over the last year. This is perfect for me, because I can exercise at home, early in the morning, when I like to do it.

The Kobo is getting a workout: I read Stephen King's Mile 81 (pretty good, typical King; I would have enjoyed a longer story), and am now reading George Martin's A Game of Thrones; it's an easy read, and I love the imagery in it.

I finally finshed The Cat's Table, too, which I had in hard cover. It was pretty good, but Ondaatje always leaves me kinda cold; I just don't find his books satisfying.

We've had some visitors to our feeder, most notable among them this Downy Woodpecker!

Fun in the snow

2012-01-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

On New Year's Eve we went for a walk. It was cold but not terribly so. None of us wanted to do anything too strenuous, so we just went down the road and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

Iain and Myles patiently waiting for the rest of us to get moving.

Crossing the field on the road, I tried to capture how gorgeous the trees were - and failed; the eye can take in so much more than can the camera lens.

We passed by the Regans' barn, and stopped to admire the elk horns Paul brought back from a visit up north.

Carl wearing the horns!

I made everyone stop for a sec to get a group picture.

Kerri was outside with her nieces when we came back by the house. She's a good aunt.

Kerri at the top of the "hill" where the kids were sliding.

Hope was enjoying the stand-up sleigh (I don't know what you really call it).

Taylor trudging back up the hill. Those kids have a ton of energy!

At the lake

2012-01-03T21:24:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun visiting with Carl and Irene at their cottage, at New Year's eve-eve, eve, and day. They are wonderful hosts! Even so, we are dreaming about staying at our own cottage next year. We haven't been able to stay at the old place for the last 6 years: ever since the oil stove came out. It's not got a lot of insulation, and the wood range just can't kick out enough heat to warm it up.

This probably won't be a problem at the new place. We stopped in for a look at the drywall on Friday afternoon, and were surprised to notice that the snow we tracked inside melted pretty quickly, despite there being no heat on for the previous week, and the weather being pretty cold.

Iain checking out the lovely thick insulation in the ceiling.

Once the drywall has been mudded, the builders will probably do the wood ceiling that extends through the living room, dining room and kitchen. You can see the nice pine all stacked up in this next picture.

Mmmmm ... pine!

I made sure to get a picture of the front this time, showing the chimney, the angled windows in the living room, and the cute light outside the front doors!

My new best friend and me

2012-01-01T17:17:00.001-05:00

Funny picture, I know! But here it is, the Kobo, on which I intend to read lots of new books and articles! It was a Christmas gift from Iain (I returned the favour, and he is also Mr. Kobo now), and I've already read Stephen King's Mile 81 and Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Just finished downloading the 4-book set of George Martin's A Game of Thrones.

Currently I'm working on a free ebook, Life in Canada Fifty Years Ago by Canniff Haight, which is a description written early in the 1900's about life in mid-1800's rural Canada. Fascinating stuff, for me; I really enjoyed my Aunt Doris' My Heritage-My Memories, the pdf for which also sits on my Kobo!

My prediction for 2012: I will have my nose in a book even MORE often than usual!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to post pics of all the kitties in Christmas poses, like with bows on their heads, or hiding under the tree, or something. Again, this year, I ran out of time. And getting cats to sit still is ... difficult. So here are a few pics I took tonight while Iain played Skyrim. Merry Christmas from all the furkids at our house!

Stitches,

Snaps,

Jezebel,

and Onyx!

And from Iain and me too, have a good holiday season and a very joyous and blessed 2012.

Lots to do, and Christmas One Week Away

2011-12-18T20:29:00.000-05:00

Iainwent to the cottage again on Saturday to work on some more electrical stuff. He put up the outside lights (he didn't take a picture as proof, though, so I'll have to wait to see them). It was really cold to be working outside; it was -12. Fortunately, the cottage interior was holding the heat from the sun, and when he got a little fire going, he was able to warm his hands at least.

Lots of insulation, now. Also in this picture: the soon-to-be-installed corner shower for the bathroom; the door lockset (we've been using a temporary one); some drywall, which is going in this week; and wood for the ceiling, also probably going in this week.

The chimney looks good It is near the peak, so we won't have to worry about it getting swept away by ice/snow. You can also see the eavestrough and ice barrier that was installed this week.

Not much snow, and the lake is mostly free of ice; it has been an odd, warm early winter.

While Iain worked at the cottage, I did more baking: Gingerbread Men, Orange Wreaths, Peanut Brittle, Almond/Cranberry Bark, Sugarplums. Today, after church, he wrapped gifts while I baked more Gingerbread and Cranberry/Walnut Tarts. Tomorrow I hope to complete the baking, doing a bit more Shortbread and Almond Bark, and possibly more Peanut Brittle. Gosh, I love baking!

Christmas is coming...soon

2011-12-13T21:10:00.002-05:00

Christmas prep is coming along. Rum balls and fudge are done (well, I may make more fudge). Got a batch of shortbread done too. Tonight, I wrote up a few Christmas cards, so I'm very proud of myself. And I am done shopping for Iain (yay!) except for a few stocking stuffers. Also done shopping for everyone else, which is VERY nice.
The insulation and vapour barrier are done at the cottage, so we're just waiting for the inspector to okay it before proceeding. The shower stall can go in next, and then drywall can go on. Yippee!

Hopefully there will be more pictures to post on the weekend.

2011-12-11T07:10:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Iain and I got to the cottage one more time: Iain wanted to bury the phone wire before the ground froze, and I wanted a look at the new stove.

Dan already had a lot of the insulation installed; he was to finish it this week.

Iain and I have just arrived to check it out.

Rather clever, to hold the insulation in place with strips of the plastic bags it arrives in, until the vapour barrier can be applied.

The digging was hard work, as he had to go across Eldon's driveway to bury the cable. That soil was packed hard from the traffic over it all summer.

Pickaxes do come in handy at times!

I puttered about in the cottage, making a wee fire in the stove (we need to make a few small ones to cure the bricks) and putting some vapour barrier around a light switch.

I like this stove! It's exciting!

Iain did a little cleanup on some wiring and then we were off again. He plans to head up again in another week or so to do some more odds and ends.

Ice Storm at Foymount

2011-12-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we took a spin up to the cottage again to do a few things. We didn't expect what we saw at Foymount: the huge rainstorm that had passed through the area last weekend, and kept our sump pump at home running busily all evening, deposited a heavy layer of ice on the Foymount area. Beautiful though the trees were, glistening in the sunlight, many of them couldn't stand the strain of the weight, and had broken or uprooted.

Just down the road from Foymount, toward our cottage. The ice eventually faded to just snowfall, so we had no damage at the lake.

Just west of Foymount.

These next shots were taken on the Opeongo road, just east of Foymount.

I managed to get myself into the picture!

I like this picture a lot.

Baking list for Christmas

2011-12-07T21:30:00.001-05:00

All the must do's:
gingerbread men
shortbread
orange wreaths
sugarplums
rumballs
almond bark
peanut brittle

How is this going to happen with so little time? I have no idea... If I had more time, though, the list would just get longer!

It's looking goooood!

2011-12-06T21:36:00.001-05:00

The exterior is coming along beautifully now. With all the styrofoam and strapping in place, the next step is soffit and fascia!

The soffit and fascia are white vinyl. We were tempted to go with black trim, to keep the theme of our old cottage, but decided a black steel roof would be the only nod to that.

The doors and windows are installed, and the cottage is now fully protected from the rain and snow.

We're looking forward to hearing the rain on the steel roof. Mind you, there will be lots of insulation, so it may not be very loud (probably a good thing, when you think of it).

The pre-stained board and batten siding is next. We went with wood, even though it requires more upkeep, because we prefer the look of it as compared to vinyl (more cottage-ey) or stucco (Iain just doesn't like it). White, because that's just what our cottage buildings look like :)

We ordered a nice little woodstove from McCrea's in Renfrew. Ross Keatley from the cottage area will do the install. Myles and Dodie helped Iain take it to its new home. The crate was just narrow enough to fit through the doorway.

The outside is now essentially complete, with the installation of the windows and doors. There is still the chimney, outside lighting, ice barriers and eavestrough to be installed, but doesn't it look pretty?

The back and entrance to the cottage.

The high windows in the living room are still on order; coming soon!

Everyone says this is crying for a deck; we'll see how much energy we have left for that, next year!

Inside the insulation is piled up, waiting to be installed. Lots of cushy pink stuff to keep us cozy warm. With the approval of the electrical rough-in, Dan can start putting it in!

Adieu

2011-12-04T17:04:00.001-05:00

We had the honour, this afternoon, of attending the wake for Myles' mom, Bernadette Bailey, who passed away this week. I believe she was 92.

We'd only met a few times, and one of those times was at Dodie and Myles' wedding, so I won't say I knew her well. Today, though, looking at the pictures and drawings of her, from her childhood through to recent times, I was made aware that this was a special woman. One beautiful photograph captured everyone's attention: in it, she is wearing traditional native leathers and is playing a guitar. In other photos, she is surrounded by friends and family, smiling and looking lovely. Her bearing is that of a confidant, intelligent woman. A series of pictures taken in a photo-booth captured her sense of humour.

She looked beautiful today, too, though I know she wasn't really there; but her spirit filled the place.

The Boathouse Becomes a Storage Shed

2011-12-04T12:25:00.001-05:00

If you remember our "moving the boathouse" project in July, Myles has resurrected the building! He brought in some gravel for the base and made a low foundation for the walls to sit on.

With the aid of Bob's tractor and the muscles of a young employee, he had the walls up and roof on in short order. This picture shows the building partly completed.

Myles started to set it up in late October, and was finished by mid-November!

Doesn't it look wonderful? Nice work!

All trussed up!

2011-12-01T21:38:00.001-05:00

The roof trusses arrived on the 9th. It was pretty cool that the crane truck set them right up top where they were needed. That saved a lot of work on the part of the builders. I've heard this doesn't always happen; a friend of mine related how the trusses were left at the bottom of their driveway, when their house was being built! The guys who supply these Beaver homes have things worked out pretty well.

Dan got right to work on the roof.

By day's end it was mostly closed in.

I love this shot. I don't know if it was Dodie who took it, or Myles, but kudos to whoever!

On the 12th and 13th, Iain installed phone line and ethernet wire, while the electricians were there. Brett and Todd Crozier did the install. I was there on the 12th - a cold day, but I was some help to Iain. I wouldn't go back on the Sunday, but he went up and worked with them.

Brett and Iain discuss light and outlet placements.

A look at a week of building.

2011-11-29T20:13:00.001-05:00

We are, unfortunately, only able to see the work in person on the weekend. It would be nice to be around when the work is happening, to see the place taking shape.

We took a drive up on Nov.5, excited to see the progress. Amazing to see walls, where for so long there was just a big cement pad! The weather has been great, co-operating with our building schedule. Some years, there would be snow long before the beginning of November.

Iain and I took a walk around the interior. With walls, the space seems very small, but I keep reminding myself that it is actually larger than the old cottage, and we will have enough room!

This is the last view of the sky we expect to have from here for a long, long time! The roof is to go on next week, though there was a hiccup in the delivery of the trusses. Dan is making hay while the sun shines, and expects that once the trusses arrive he'll get the roof on quickly.

There's going to be plenty of insulation in this baby. Styrofoam on the outside, fibreglass in the walls. R36 in the walls and R40 in the ceiling. I like to be warm!

The building is going up!

2011-11-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

November 1, and building is beginning! Dan and his help show up bright and early (long before this first photo is taken, but that's when the camera has enough light to work).

They get to work right away, setting up a workstation and discussing their work.

In no time at all, the east wall is up!

The second wall is up by day's end.

Day two, and the south facing wall is up by 9:33 a.m.! Two of the windows are incorrect, but Myles snapped some photos when he was up, working on his shed project, and we were able to get Dan to change them the next day.

Mid-day, and the last wall has been raised already.

By the end of day two, the interior walls are going up.

Day three: Dan has changed the window in the living room to the large one we had requested, and also the one in the dining room. Here, the chipboard is starting to go on.

Styrofoam insulation for the exterior; we intend to be warm, in this building!

Applying the strapping.

And the peak above the front living room window is up!

October slips by

2011-11-24T21:43:00.001-05:00

October was the month our cottage was supposed to be built. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. Dan the builder man got held up at another job and couldn't get to our place. So, it was a quiet month. Here's what happened:

Susan and Mark, our plumbers, finished up connections to the septic.

Iain filled in some holes while I shot pics for the panorama (which I posted on Nov.13 in this blog).

Carl and Iain pulled wire.

The wire-pulling got messy: the conduit had collapsed. After much digging and making repair efforts, it was decided that a heavy duty cable that doesn't require conduit would do the trick.

And that was pretty much it, for October. Dan started building on November 1: that's the next installment.

Something I am so happy to see!

2011-11-19T15:17:00.001-05:00

Onyx and Snaps curled up together on the couch. Snaps has finally weaseled his way into Onyx's affections!

If you want a gander at our view...

2011-11-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Go to this address and open the Quicktime VR movie there.

QTVR from the cement pad

It's a panoramic view I took from the centre of the cottage pad in early October. It is unfortunately full of watermarks because I used a free version of the software to create it, but you still can get a sense of why we love it there! I am hoping it will work for you.

My thanks to Jayme for telling me what I needed to do!

And still more septic!

2011-11-10T21:34:00.001-05:00

This is what the weeping tile looks at, sitting comfortably on its bed of sand. I wish I could have been there to watch all of this!

Weeping tile. It isn't really sad.

Not sure what this is, but it goes into the septic tank. This is probably the spot where you are supposed to insert the dead animal (I am not kidding, we were told that's the best way to get the bacteria going in your tank; we aren't doing it). A skunk was suggested, or perhaps a well-aged groundhog. Blech!

Once they're done layering sand and stuff, it all gets covered up again, nice and neat. No heavy vehicles are allowed on it now. An ATV is okay, though.

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Last week of September - septic time :)

2011-11-10T21:18:00.001-05:00

Lots more digging and filling in: first off, the trench for the hydro feed.

Iain is supervising, natch.

Ralph's fine touch with the backhoe.

Once the trench was dug, we had to constantly remind ourselves it was there, especially when wandering home from Dodie and Myle's place, in the dark.

Iain had to dig some bits by hand, as the area was too delicate for Ralph to attempt with the backhoe. Here, he is working on the water line trench. We ended up only going part way with it, as it seemed best to not hook everything up, only to have it freeze.

Septic systems are necessary, but how many of us get a close look at them? Well, this is the time, before it gets all nasty and smelly. Just a few pics to give you the basic idea of what was happening;

The big white box on the upper left is the tank, being craned into place. Ralph has made a nice deep hole for it.

An area had to be excavated for the weeping tile.

Hard at work to fill things in.

I have a few more pics, and I'm going to post them, too. That's up next.

The second week of September, wherein not a whole lot happens

2011-11-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

...but we have pictures of it!

The cement was covered for almost a week, as it cured. I was amazed by the amount of heat it gave off the first day or two. At first, it was almost too warm for you to comfortably lay your hand on it for any length of time.

All covered up, wet and warm.

Neighbours watered it when we weren't there, and then Mother Nature took over and kept it damp for a few days more.

Not quite a week later, it was time for the forms to be removed.

We picked up the tarps and disassembled them.

And then, nothing happened for a while. Iain pieced together some conduit for the hydro feed, but there was nothing more to do with it right away.

My funny cousins decided to liven things up a bit!

Finally, on the 23rd, Ralph came back with the backhoe and did more digging. This was to expose the foundation sides so we could apply styrofoam. This is to keep the frost from getting under the foundation and freezing our toesies when it gets cold (at least, I think that's what it's for).

A bit of catch-up blogging...

2011-11-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

Mom's birthday was on September 3. She turned 94! Just a few pics from that day.

Here she is with our little cousins Taylor and Hope.

With our niece Janet. It was a very tiring day for Mom, but she had a good time.

Finally, the foundation!

2011-11-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

At the end of August we were finally ready for the foundation to be poured!

Iain and I stitched together tarps, so we'd have them ready to lay over the cement as it cured. Keeping it protected from direct sun, and keeping it wet, makes it cure better!

The first truck arrives, and the cement is wheelbarrowed into place.

This looks like hard work!

Wonderful to have family around to help out, since Iain and I couldn't be there. My cousin Leon has experience with cement-laying, and kept an eye on things.

The finished floor; doesn't it look gorgeous? And our little cousin Hope put a 2011 penny in, to christen it!

Work continues...

2011-10-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

I really do get my hands dirty, too. Yes, it looks like Iain is doing all the work all the time, and, well, for the most part that's true; but I'm helping when I can. He's the one with the hunky muscles, though, and digging is just... not my thing, okay?

This is me, helping with the digging!

Now that the forms were in, the insulation and rebar had to be put in. So GreenR sent up their guys to work on it. Unfortunately, these lads didn't know how to read the blueprints.

The lads putting in the insulation etc.

It was a big job, and they did try to do it right.

This is Marie, the building inspector. She wasn't impressed with the work done.

The building inspector called Iain after she had been in to check things out. The work had been done so poorly, she couldn't possibly pass it. So, Iain had to go up the next day and tear everything apart (again, with the help of Carl and Roger).

Iain working on dismantling the insulation and rebar.

GreenR sent some lads back the next day, and with Iain explaining to them what needed to be done, they worked with him to fix it up.

It would have been easier to do it right in the first place, yes? But they didn't have the guidance from their boss that they should have.

Finally all done correctly! Ready for concrete.

Third week of August

2011-10-30T08:11:00.000-04:00

The next step: installing the concrete forms. It didn't take them long to do it:

Here are the Greenwood guys starting to put in the forms.

The were finishing up 3 hours later.

Mark and Susan, our plumbers, came in and put down their pipes. Friends watching reported that they were hard workers!

They started one day, and finished the next.

Packing up; work done for now.

When we came up for the weekend, Iain got to work early Saturday morning.

Working on the water feed line.

And we put in some electrical conduit (this is before they were cut to length, of course).

And then it was martini time; we didn't work all weekend, you know.

Cat pictures!!!

2011-10-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

When we saw the gang in Ottawa a few weeks ago, I promised Jenny I'd post a pic or two of Onyx. We had all the cats at the lake during our holidays, and though they didn't get to go outside (except for a few strolls by Jezebel), they had a pretty good time. Sad to say, there were no mice entertaining them this year (as far as we know). The chipmunks nesting under the kitchen cupboards did hold everyone's attention now and again, however!

Onyx is doing his impression of a panther. He looks pretty tough!

There are actually four cats in this photo: Onyx, Jezebel, Snaps and ... hiding beneath the covers... Stitches.

Week Two

2011-10-04T19:29:00.000-04:00

So, the 2nd week of our holidays saw more big machines and busy work!

The first load of "A" gravel, which will form the base of the cement pad.

The gravel is spread and packed. Amazing to watch Ralph at work; he is an artist with the backhoe! He smooths it out bit by bit, and forms an almost perfect rectangle, just using the bucket very skillfully.

Jean Paul is an excellent worker! Here he runs the packer. Not an ounce of fat on this guy. He just goes and goes and goes.

And then Iain spoke with the slab guy, who, it turns out, has his own way of doing things, a way inconsistent with nicely prepared "A" gravel. He waned to put the forms on top of this gravel, not dig them in like every other slab layer in the area would do. Not that he would bother to explain this BEFORE all the work was done on the base. So then, Iain (with Jean Paul's very necessary assistance) had to dig out the trench for the forms.

Iain and Jean Paul posed when they stopped for a quick break.

There were so many large rocks in the gravel, that a pickaxe had to be used to chip away at them before digging them out. This had to be done for just about every shovel-full of dirt.

At the end of the first day, Iain was so exhausted he could hardly move! After two days of work, they were finally done preparing the gravel bed.

Taking Credit

2011-09-13T07:17:00.000-04:00

Just a quick rant about credit cards. If I could give one piece of advice to any young person, regarding finances, it would be to always pay off your credit cards every month!

What brought this to mind? My Mastercard bill for August. The grand total on it is just under $40 (a very quiet month, for me), but the estimated time to repay this piddly amount, if I make only minimum payments of $10 per month, is 5 MONTHS!

Why do we allow this sort of usury in our society? It's disgusting.

End of rant.

2011-09-01T07:30:00.000-04:00

About time for an update...

It's been pretty busy with one thing and another, but here we go!

Work began on the building site right after the long weekend, which coincided with the first week of our holidays. It wasn't the most restful time (the workers showed up before 7:00 a.m. each morning, and we were serenaded by the machines every day), and our apologies go out to our neighbours, who were trying to enjoy their holidays too.

The calm before work began!

Ralph, the very talented backhoe/bulldozer operator. He has an amazing touch with the machines!

After one day's work, it's quite a change in appearance.

Back at it the next day. All the gravel had to be compacted as they went.

Iain and I are doing a bit of height marking. The gravel had to come up to the top of the orange marks on the posts.

More gravel!

More compacting!

The end of one week. Things are coming along!

More to follow...

Update

2011-08-14T20:34:00.001-04:00

Back from vacation, and it's time to update on the cottage:

One of the last things to be done before the landscapers came to change the look of our property forever (if it sounds ominious, well, that's how it felt) was to move the hydrangea bush and a couple more trees, and to save the astilbes from the little garden.

Pine and one of the Astilbes.

The tamarack looks pretty good.

Moving the hydrangea was by far the biggest problem, as it is a bit large and is currently blooming, which I understand is about the worst time to move them. However, we hadn't a choice.

We provided a bit of protection from the sun for a few days.

This was two weeks ago, and though it looks quite a bit more wilted (and in some spots plain dead), I think it'll survive. Not sure about the pine.... but we tried.

We just about wore ourselves out with holidaying, actually. Mostly work, this year. We did accomplish quite a bit though; more pics to come.

2011-07-14T22:27:00.000-04:00

Driving to the lake on June 30, it was rescue time for another wee turtle. If you zoom in, you can see that Iain was wise to hold the wee beastie away from himself: that is a stream of turtle pee, yes. And no, I have no idea how there is room for a turtle in that shell with all that pee.

Okay, things have been moving along at the cottage. We went up on Canada Day weekend, and were both happy and sad to see that Steve had removed the cedar and pine trees we'd asked him to cut, and the cedar was nicely piled to dry.

Canada Day was the boathouse-moving day, so Iain prepared a wall that would hold all the electrical and plumbing fixtures that had to stay behind. Very sturdy!

We had lots of help for the move, which was important, because the boathouse will be rebuilt as a shed; Dodie and Myles intend to use it to store their snowmobiles and other items; so we didn't want it to be just torn down, but rather disassembled.

Irene and Carl came early and pitched in. Myles' buddy Richard showed up with a huge trailer and scared all of us by working all day in sandals, when the others had workboots (he says he welds in them, too). Roger came too, and everyone worked very hard. I have a lot more pictures and video, but here are just a few.

Irene and Dodie removed nails and collected fallen ones. Even so, I think I would like to get a metal detector and clean up thoroughly at some point.

Iain and Carl removing the cap. We started at 10:00 a.m. and the move was complete by 2:00 p.m. I never thought it would be so quick.

Mom supervised. She was enjoying the sun!

A break to discuss strategy, as the walls come down.

Some pics

2011-06-17T15:44:00.000-04:00

Some photos for your entertainment:

Despite what you may hear in some places, I have it on good authority that the Ministry of the Environment does NOT DROP DRAGONFLIES! Nor does any other ministry of which I am aware,except perhaps that of God Almighty, or Mother Nature if you prefer to look at it that way.

I found this recently-hatched flier on the boathouse, near the shell he crawled out of.

These two geese have been living in the area since spring. I think they are mostly hanging out at Judy's place, but they are occasionally in the field near us, which is where I took their picture.

It's so nice that Snaps and Onyx are getting more chummy. If I'm up during the night, they are often together on this windowsill, if the windows are open.

Iain rescuing a turtle, as is done a few times each year; can't bear to see them squished on the road.

We found some Ladyslippers growing on the point, and tried to avoid damaging them.

There is a family of groundhogs living under various buildings,including our cottage: Mom and 4 kids. Here is a young one peeking out. I think they are adorable, even if they do eat my plants.

This is a young Mourning Dove waiting for its parents to show up, in our maple tree, front lawn Renfrew.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-05-31T22:31:00.000-04:00

One of the hard decisions in building, once you've decided where you want to put the place, is what you will have to change, to make it work. Some changes are easy: Mom isn't up to gardening any more, and I don't have the time for it, so removing the vegetable garden made perfect sense even if we weren't building right there!

You can still see the outline of the garden, but a lot of stuff has been cleared away.

Taking out the boathouse....well, Iain has cleaved his skull on the small doorway my Dad built (and I don't know why he built it so low, as he was about Iain's height, but I'm guessing it had something to do with the length of the boards he had available) so very often that he is glad to see it go. I am ambivalent about losing it, but it looks like it will end up on my sister's property, reincarnated as a shed, so it won't really be lost.

The "skull-cleavingly low door" as Iain calls it.

What has been very hard for me is the decision to remove two large trees. The red pine isn't a huge loss for me - it's never been one of my favourite trees, and for several years has dangled dead branches in a most menacing manner. However, it is a mature tree, and that's always a loss. The one that bothers me is the ancient cedar.

This cedar has stood here as long as I can remember. It shows up in many picture from my youth, and I have a lot of memories with it. Sitting beneath it, hanging chimes in it year after year, planting a little garden beneath it...

Years ago - thirty, probably - a pileated woodpecker took an interest in the tree, and made a number of serious holes in it. We thought, "That's it, the tree's gonna die." But I'd been reading a bit about tree patching and pruning, and took some large wooden stakes my mom had, pounded them into the holes to fill them, and cut them off fairly even with the bark. They're still there, as you can see in this picture.

Now, though, her time has come. She's sparse on top and, like all Eastern Cedars, hollow in the middle. If we wanted to keep her, we'd have to limb up the side next to the new cottage, and she wouldn't look the same. So we are taking her down. Next winter, she'll warm the new cottage as kindling for our fires.

Just a few kitty pics from the last few weeks.

2011-05-26T19:29:00.000-04:00

Onyx likes the bay window. All the cats use it, on a rotating basis.

Very toasty when the sun streams in.

"What DO you want?"

Snaps was keeping an eye on him from the other side of the railing.

And now, an explanation. Mom braided seat pads for the wooden cottage chairs, years ago, and sewed them onto foam. I thought they were looking a bit grungy and brought them home for a wash. They were mostly dry when I laid them out on the dining room table. Onyx decided they were perfect for reclining on!

He wasn't moving just because I said so! But when I came back to the room a few minutes later he had decided on a more comfortable position...

Two Weekends

2011-05-25T22:22:00.000-04:00

Another weekend at the cottage! I meant to post after last week's trip, but the week caught up with me, as usual – just planning what to bring for the long weekend, packing, shopping, getting the house ready to have the cats on their own for 3 days (hat-tip to Cassie who checked in on them), and a very busy work-week filled up the time pretty quickly.

It was too bad that Myles was incapacitated and couldn't come up, but we did enjoy Dodie's company on Saturday and Sunday. She was kind enough to bring Mom up on Saturday so there wasn't any rush for her on Friday night, and Mom really enjoyed being there. I took very few pictures on Saturday, so I didn't get a shot of her enjoying the gazebo, but I can report that she wasn't stuck in the cottage the whole time.

As usual, the flowering crab wasn't opening its blossoms any earlier than it usually does, so we may not get to see them this year, again. Last year we were all set for them, and the hot weather finished them in just a few days. It would be nice if it would bloom when Mom is there, just once!

Ready to come out, soon; but not this weekend.

Work on the lot continues. Last weekend was "take out the garden fence", and Iain just about wore himself away doing that. In some spots, trees had grown right through the fencing, and couldn't be saved (fence embedded in the bark!), so he had to cut them as he took up the fence. Rolling up the fencing for the scrap heap at the Quadeville waystation (formerly "the dump") was partly my job. I really did try to help, but I am a bit feeble physically so Iain did all the heavy work. I moved a few lupin plants and Iain helped with the asparagus (two of them).

Also, we went to put the down-payment on the cottage blueprints, so the project is really, truly, happening!

Iain hard at work on pulling out the old fencing.

You can see a pile of rubbish behind Iain in the picture; it's the rotten boards we had taken from the shed last year. Saturday and Sunday we took all of it down to a dump spot Lloyd is allowing us to use on his property, where it can continue the process of rotting away to nothing. Four loads of bad boards....we are SO glad to have the pickup! Also a load of rolled up rusty fencing and such, to the waystation.

We made a trip to the contractors' place to firm things up with them. The Lorbetski's are very nice to talk to, and we are glad to have them working for us. They have a lovely home (probably a good sign, eh?) and run a maple syrup company on the side. They gave us a quart of what promises to be delicious syrup!

On the way out, we found that a beaver dam (or a natural one) had let go and a huge swamp had drained out too quickly for the culvert below it. Half the road was gone, but there was still room to squeeze by. By the time we got back, the road crew had marked where not to drive.

A bit of a mess.

Iain attacked the old willow-of-many-trunks on Saturday, and also the long-dead cedar, a few balsams, and about two million alders. I exagerate, but it SEEMS like a lot of alders. They are all down and ready to be hauled away.

The willow-of-many-trunks, which has been on a 45 degree angle for years, is finally down. It was a persistent tree, but not an attractive one.

One of the sweetest little tools Iain owns is a rechargeable lithium powered chainsaw. Ryobi discontinued making these (or at least Home Despot discontinued carrying them) and he snagged the last one in Ottawa (well, Barrhaven, actually – we had to drive out in search of it last year). Now, I know what all you REAL chainsaw guys are thinking, but he really enjoys firing up a saw that stays running. We own a Mastercraft which has been tuned, sharpened, retuned, babied, sung to, and cradled lovingly... and will never run when you need it to. It is a piece of crap. Iain wants me to tell you his record for it is 30ft. He's not kidding – I've seen him throw it! Yes, the Ryobi takes a bit longer, but it is reliable and good for small jobs.

Using the handy Ryobi battery-powered chainsaw.

So next weekend we go after the other two million alders. *sigh* It wouldn't be so bad, except for their buddies, the two million black flies.

We had to decide what to do with the little maple tree we've been wanting to save. We finally just dug it up and moved it, and said a little prayer. It probably won't make it, but at least it has a chance. I do wish it would survive, the hollow we put it in has been crying for a tree, and it looks so attractive there.

The sweet little maple.

More to follow...

Dear goodness, where did April go?

2011-05-08T07:29:00.000-04:00

Well, it went to a few places:

Don't know why it uploads with all that space around it, but no matter. You can see it is a cute little thing.

Cottage dreaming and prep: We've decided it's time to build anew, so we have spent the last month working on preferred layouts and cottage styles. The one we've decided to go with is small but efficient. Iain has been very busy with contractors and I have mostly just played with diagrams. It probably won't be built this year, but there is an outside chance it could happen if everything falls into place. We'll have to gut the old cottage, but intend to keep it as a storage shed/workshop if we can. Much more to come on this in future posts!
Spring cleaning: To be honest, this never gets done the way it should, but we did manage to clean the windows inside and out, and scrub the front siding and porch. Much more to do, but when?
Baking: We just had our spring bake sale and yard sale at the church. For that I made baked beans, and cookies: shortbread, chocolate chip, skor/pecan, almond macaroons, oatmeal; and a couple dozen buns. Also trucked down some stuff for the yard sale, and spent Saturday morning helping to run it. If you think I baked a lot, it pales in comparison with the scores of pies and loaves made by Carolyn and Pastor Tom and Dodie. Of course Bill contributed his famous date squares, and Marlene brought lovely "cookie pops" made by her and her kids, and Kim came in from Pembroke with Earl Grey tea shortbread paired with books - a nice little package, suitable for mother's day. It was fun to do, and was nice to see everyone who dropped by, but I think the sale is becoming a bit much for me: too few workers, so we have to do a lot of baking, rather than having everyone just bring a couple of things. It may be my last one.

I have been stepping back a bit at church. I'm no longer a deacon, which makes me very content; it was never a comfortable fit for me. It was one of those situations where I answered the call to serve, but - how can I put this - I've always felt more comfortable in administrative roles than in managerial ones: does that help? Anyway, I still have lots of things to do there, being involved in the audio/video end of things, and I'm still the church clerk. But I'm looking forward to the summer, when I am away more than I am there....I need a break.

Today is Mothers Day, and we are having a pot luck at my mom's. Afterward, we are heading to Ottawa to spend the day with Sheila and take her out to dinner. So blessed to have our moms still!

Just cats being cats.

2011-03-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

There seems to be nothing our cats enjoy so much as lolling around in the rec room.

Onyx looked so silly I had to get a picture. This is right in front of the fireplace, his favourite spot on a cool evening.

We've tried to disuade Jezebel from sleeping here, but it is just too toasty warm for her to resist.

The Puzzle Box

2011-03-13T21:12:00.000-04:00

Cats love to eat. And eat. Darn near anything.

Most particularly, Snaps - who is a rescued stray - loves to eat: as though he doesn't know where his next meal is coming from (he does know, of course, because he always comes running at the sound of the cupboard door being opened). He has pretty much doubled his weight since we took him in, last fall. My guess is that he weighs at least 15 lbs., now. He is certainly not the svelte orange tom-in-need-of-fixing we allowed into the the laundry room to escape the rain.

He seems to have levelled off at this weight, finally comfortable that he has enough spare fat on his frame to see him through whatever befalls; but he is still hungrier by far than the rest of our furry horde. Rather than just let him have an extra bowlof kibble, however, we have started to give the extra snack in the "puzzle box".

Jezebel loves it too, and will often leave the others noshing from their bowls, to sit by the box and fish out her snack on her own. Onyx participates somewhat unwillingly, but takes part anyway (as he seems to feel he must be a part of every activity in the house, making sure the others KNOW he is in charge of the situation). Stitches avoids the whole thing.

So, who else out there has insomnia?

2011-03-01T00:34:00.000-05:00

This isn't a problem I'm used to, but it's just one more post-menopausal joy, I guess. Bedtime begins with such snuggly promise: although I don't fall asleep quickly, I do drift off to a nice, comfy nowhere. And then, for some reason - I'm too warm, need to pee, have indigestion, or some other minor discomfort - I wake up...and can't fall back asleep. I lie awake. For hours.
Or maybe it only seems like hours. Perhaps I drift in and out, though it doesn't feel that way: it feels like I am fully awake. I try to occupy my mind, usually with prayer. That doesn't always help, though. Sometimes I start to worry about things, instead. Then I'm REALLY awake.

Worst of all, I'm disturbing Iain's sleep, too. Ever try to lie perfectly still when you aren't asleep? It's not easy.

Well, I guess I will go back to bed; my glass of milk is empty, and I'm getting cold. Wish me luck!

Free TV

2011-02-20T19:14:00.001-05:00

Pursuant to the next-to-last post: the only thing we were missing, after putting the satellite feed on hiatus, was live sports. Iain and I enjoy hockey, in particular, and were missing our Hockey Night In Canada fix.

I did some research on antennas, because I had heard something - somewhere - about over-the-air broadcasts. When we started with Bell Expressvu, we purchased our PVR, and it has an input for OTA. Some posts I read cast doubt on whether we could use it that way, but we decided to invest $30 (on sale) for a set of rabbit ears with a gain boost. Iain actually understands this stuff; I just sort of wing it. At any rate, he was willing to spend that much to give it a try. It turned out to be money well spent. Have a look at the picture above. This is a shot of our television screen, when Five For Fighting was performing. Not bad for rabbit ears, huh??! This is the broadcast out of Ottawa; if we lived in Ottawa, we could pick up a lot more HD channels. The only other one available here right now is SUN tv. They show some movies...so we might turn it on occasionally.

My next mission is to write a letter to the CRTC, complaining about the CBC plan to shut down their repeater tower at Foymount. I want digital OTA at the cottage, too! And am not prepared to invest in a dish for a place where it will get so little use: I want my free tv. The thing about it is, I am already paying taxes to support the CBC, aren't I? So I have, at least, the right to complain...right?

By the way, our opinion (I am speaking for Iain here, too), is that Five For Fighting is the best band name ever.

A Young Author with Talent!

2011-02-15T07:42:00.000-05:00

"The Frog In The Hole" by Emma Lindsay; wonderful!

A brief update from the island:

2011-02-13T20:12:00.000-05:00

Things have been fairly quiet around here of late, as is usual in winter for us. We are spending a lot of time planning and dreaming, as it has become obvious that we'll have to do something about the cottage, within the next year or so.

Our hope had been to raise the building, putting a new foundation beneath and renovating the interior to better suit our needs. After consulting with a contractor, however, we were advised that the lifting would be difficult, expensive, and would leave us with so much work to still do that it made more sense to remove the old building and start anew.

Not that we have decided to do that, either. The old girl still has some life in her, after all; so we are considering other options. They all cost money, though, no matter what we end up going with. Lots of money, *sigh*.

We've been noticing how some of our bills just keep getting more bloated. The Bell bill is one of those. The cost of call answer just went up another $2 (plus HST, of course). Since we were in the market for a new telephone anyway, we picked up one with an answering machine built-in, and cancelled that feature.

The other big ticket on that bill is ExpressVu. We love to watch sports and movies, but most of the rest we can live without. Sad to say, TMN is not showing much of interest right now, and it looks like the Senators aren't going anywhere this year. So we took some advice from Holly and Larry, and signed up for Zip.ca, and put our satellite feed on hold until the end of April. (Not that it was easy to do. The Bell online service doesn't work worth a hoot, and I ended up having to phone for assistance several times. Their system is so annoying)

We're also watching some of our favourite shows via internet. The broadband feed is surprisingly good, and we pipe it right to our tv.

The only thing we are really missing is sports. There is no substitute for live tv when it comes to hockey (unless you go to the actual game!). For the time being we are living without it, and just watching the highlights on TSN.ca.

Well worth it, to save $100 per month. And we aren't feeling deprived in any way, having lots to watch just by surfing and getting the videos from Zip (we are finally watching 24, which we have never seen, and are deeply engrossed in season one!).

Iain got to see Down-Under Dave and a bunch of our other favourite people on Friday, an occasion I was sorry to miss. Saturday was spent getting Iain's Mom hooked up with a new computer, and it is now Sunday evening, and we are looking forward to another work week. Haha.

I am off to attack "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" again: I'm down to the last quarter and it's hard to leave it alone.

PUPPY LOVE (PUPPY LOVE, 11 Feb 2011, Page C1)

2011-02-11T06:43:00.001-05:00

So much like our Puck, except missing the tassles on the ears!

PUPPY LOVE

Ottawa Citizen
11 Feb 2011

One of 11 puppies abandoned near the Canadian War Museum last week seems to be enjoying life in foster care at a Stittsville home on Thursday.read more...

Onyx in snooze mode

2011-01-15T16:44:00.000-05:00

Onyx curled up on the couch, with his little white toes peeking out! A good place to be on this snowy winter day.

Talent in the family

2011-01-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

My sister Carolyn has a lovely voice. Here is a (rather dark, unfortunately) little video of her singing a bit on Christmas Eve at our church.

Christmas morning

2010-12-25T09:06:00.000-05:00

Iain and I still can't help but get up early on Christmas day; in bed at 11 and awake at 5:30! Finally got out of bed at 6, anxious to get into our Christmas stockings.

Jezebel checks out the gifts...

...as does Onyx.

Open gifts are even better than nicely-wrapped ones, of course!!!

Cats and boxes...

...go together perfectly!

Everyone enjoys the morning.

Snaps inspects the paper pile.

Stitches enjoys the tree.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Tired but happy kitties!

Christmas lights

2010-12-01T17:49:00.000-05:00

Iain made a lovely job of putting up the lights in the backyard tree. Here he is, hard at work.

And here is the resulting beauty at night!

Wingscape Birdcam!

2010-11-23T21:19:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, I was using pictures taken with a wildlife camera. It's a Wingscapes model that was a gift from Iain's mom a couple of Christmases ago. The usual use is for getting shots of birds visiting the feeders, but we have used it for other spots as well, most notably as a time-lapse of a few of our camping trips. The camera is only usable in daylight hours, which is a minor drawback, but we have enjoyed it a lot.

Our camera quit working this August; I thought it was case of depleted batteries, but new ones made no difference, and when I ran a test the display showed an error message. So I decided to contact the manufacturers, an American company, by email. I hoped they would tell me where to take the camera to be repaired, if it could indeed BE repaired. I went to their website, http://www.wingscapes.com/ , and wrote them a short "help!" letter.

I received a nice email back from Kim Creel, their customer service manager, and she explained that the error code meant there was a software problem, and the unit would have to be replaced. She asked for my model and serial number, so they could send me a replacement.

Now, when I sent the info off to her, I thought I'd get an email back saying "Okay, now send money". But I didn't. They just found one like it at their factory, tested it to be sure it worked, and sent it off to me. Gratis. I had the replacement camera (which they sent with new documention, bungee cords, cables, and remote control, even though I already had these things) delivered by courier to my home in less than 2 weeks!

And because I'm in Canada and sending the camera back across the border would be kind of a hassle, they said "nah, never mind returning it; enjoy your new camera". Absolutely outstanding customer service!

So if you ever plan to buy one of these cameras, don't pass on the Wingscapes because they are a little more expensive. They're worth it.

A picture of Onyx enjoying the window seat...

...and a picture of Snaps, enjoying the same spot!

The New Cat Tower

2010-11-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

My friend Debbie is a very talented lady. When I heard she was making cat trees, I asked her to build one for us, and she obliged! In the first picture you can see the top 2 levels of it; and strung across the top like a little roof is a cat-hammock she macraméd! There are a couple of hidey-tubes further down, and lots of twine and carpet to scratch at. I'd like to get a few shots of them using it, but the camera hasn't been handy at the right time.

I set up the birdcam - and there's a story about THAT which I will share next time I write - next to the top shelf. We have our old one snugged up against it here, because it needs to be bolted to the wall, and we haven't had a chance to do that as yet. Jezebel is sitting on the old one.

I was also rewarded with a shot of Onyx checking out the situation.

And here he decided to have a look out the window from this ideal vantage point.

I think they like it!

Visiting with the Rotors on Sunday

2010-11-09T18:02:00.001-05:00

It's no fun, saying goodbye! But we were glad to get the chance to visit with Elaine and Dave before they head out to the land of Oz.

We also had a chance to see Dak and Rob, and meet some other fine folks. And to see the house looking very empty, which was sad and kinda awesome at the same time.

We'll miss you guys!

Summer's end, and settling in for the winter.

2010-10-25T08:33:00.000-04:00

We closed up the cottage on the 16th; and so another summer draws to a close. I took only a few pictures on the trip, and here they are:

Not a great shot, but it was a lovely sunset, and the last one we would be seeing up there for a while. Taken on the Friday night as we headed up to the lake.

On our way home, we paused for a moment at Mud Lake. I'm always a bit verklempt on the last day up there; I miss the place and am always anxious to go back, come springtime.

And now, a little insight into our Saturday and Sunday mornings, where we sip coffee and play on our respective computers. The Boarder has claimed the top of the loveseat recliner as his territory.

We had him, Jezebel and Snaps all to the V-E-T on Saturday morning, and I'm pleased to report that all are well. I'd worried we would have a hard time with Onyx, and warned Dr.Al that he had a reputation as a biter, but there were no problems. Onyx was a perfect gentleman, and enjoyed the treats he received as a reward.

Update on Snaps fitting in....

2010-10-15T17:54:00.000-04:00

Just a little proof that the kitties are finally starting to settle down and live in something approaching harmony. Okay, I exagerrate; they are nowhere near harmonious, unless"yowling in unison" can somehow be thought of as harmony. Things are slowly improving, though.

Everyone except Stitches...who has eaten and ran!

Jezebel would like to have some of what's left on that plate.

I'll just help myself!

Finishing the shed

2010-09-30T08:17:00.002-04:00

Ok, finally found a minute to blog. *sigh*

I don't think the problem is so much that I am very busy; I just find lots to do to fill my time.

Anyway, I wanted to post these pics of the shed which is mostly complete now, after Iain puttering away at it most weekends this summer. There's still lots of work to do, but it is user-friendly now.

This is the add-on Iain built for the garden/lawn care tools.

Starting work on the additional cabinet for paint etc.

The completed back of the shed; the centre area is storage for firewood.

Iain had to refit the doors and build a ramp.

Working area and relaxo-chair (with cup/bottle holder). Great ideas start here!

The work/canoe storage area; lots of room to move, now!

All in all, a very happy conclusion to the project!

Last Weekend of August

2010-09-08T20:56:00.000-04:00

I had meant to mention the very nice birthday day I had, thanks to Iain, who spoiled me! It was the last beautiful cottage weekend, and we took full advantage by spending as much time on the deck as possible. Not great swimming weather, as the week of cooler weather and rain had made the lake slightly uncomfortable (it was hot enought that I got in up to my knees, but that was it). We went for a lovely boat ride and lazed about on Saturday, and then in the evening had a fantastic roast of beef that Iain cooked on the smoker.

Getting it ready. It was absolutely perfect when cooked.

Getting the charcoal ready always takes a while; usually about one beer's worth of time.

And getting the charcoal out of the chimney can be tricky.

Dinner, gifts, drinks, and family (not everyone is in this pic, but
doesn't the food look delicious?).

And Dodie made a most excellent trifle. I love trifle!

Cats on vacation

2010-09-05T08:40:00.001-04:00

Jezebel, Onyx, and Stitches joined us at the cottage, and they had a pretty good time as well.

Jez was happy hanging around outside, threatening to catch the birds and chipmunks (and not succeeding).

Onyx found several curl-up spots to his liking, and since we didn't let him go outside, he contented himself with a bit of bird-watching out the kitchen window.

Just one of many cozy spots.

Stitches...well, she did what she usually does on vacation. Aside from a few rips around the cottage each morning, and the obigatory trips to the food dish and litter box, this was how she spent most of her days. Yes, that lump is her.

How I spent my summer vacation, part one.

2010-08-30T07:31:00.000-04:00

Actually, this started back in the spring, when we decided to lift our poor sinking shed. It was getting beyond use - broken floorboards, leaking roof, and water up to the gunnels. It's hard to give you an idea of what it was like, without having pictures of the interior mess. It was totally overrun with squirrels (something we won't allow once it is all fixed up).

These boards were on the floor, stacked up. Someone decided it made a pretty nice dining table!

To lift the shed, we first had to empty the shed. Hmmm. A lot of stuff.

A good part of the junk removed from the shed. Not everything. A lot of this is destined for the local dump, too.

Iain spent most of his weekend time in early April removing the shed floor. We'd hoped orginally to salvage some of it, but it all had some rot on it due to sitting in water for most of the last 20 years.

After the floorboards and joists were removed. Messy.

Just about every weekend leading up to our August holidays was devoted to redoing the shed, once it was lifted.

Working on the new floor.

You can see in this photo how much higher it is; on cement blocks, it should stay high and dry, even though there is usually some water under it. We were lucky in this being a drier year than last; it would have been much harder to install the new floor if we were working in four inches of puddle.

Iain tells me his next move. See the large board attached to the inside wall? That and a matching one on the opposite wall were used to lift the shed. They fed a large steel girder right through the building and jacked it up. We weren't around for it, as they worked during the week.

More to come on this in part two....

Ahhh, the good, quiet life.

2010-08-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

Blogging from the cottage isn't something I do, so this is the only post I'm likely to make until our holidays are done. Why? Well, at 45.2 kbps, uploading pics is exceedingly long to do, and I like to accompany my words with photos. So nothing doing until after next week.

I will say we are having a lovely time, though. The cats are enjoying the new scenery, especially the chipmunks, squirrels and birds. Even the neighbours' dogs are interesting, though not on the feline social calendar.

Iain and I are reading a bit, when not puttering about. I'm re-reading Dickens' "Hard Times"; picked it up to read while camping, as the other books I brought along are borrowed and I didn't want to risk them in the canoe. Now that I've started it, I'm finding I am enjoying it, so I'll be finishing it before moving on. The afternoon sleepies do seem to occur after a chapter or two, though.

Pictures of camping and cottaging will follow, eventually!

Never bother to argue with a cat

2010-07-16T15:01:00.000-04:00

Since The Boarder has become a permanent resident, he and I have had several serious discussions over his laying squatter's rights to the dining room table. Not that Iain and I eat there a lot; we are fans of watching tv while we eat dinner, usually, which calls for folding tables at the loveseat downstairs. But I like to have the table looking nice, anyway, JUST IN CASE we have guests.

This is his response to my concerns:

Laid out, totally relaxed, and completely unconcerned.

"I'm sorry, were you speaking to me?"

"Hmmm, Jezebel appears to be stretched out in the hallway. Wonder if I can get a rise out of her?"

Yep.

They are getting along fairly well, though. No injuries in their spats, just some tufts of hair (Jez's, mostly, and she has lots to spare). Don't feel sorry for Jezebel, she instigates it, mostly.

In case you were wondering about Stitches, she mostly is staying out of the line of fire. She and Phantom used to have epic battles (mostly consisting of her yowling as though he were killing her while he stood and stared at her, probably totally confused), but so far she and Onyx are ignoring each other. If he gets too close, she'll hiss, but that's it.

Stitches relaxing in the cool of the rec room.

This weekend: camping a la trailer. A bunch of us, wedged into a trailer. And it will be hot. I'm hoping to have a lot of fun!

That was the weekend that was

2010-07-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

Had a lovely night on Friday, visiting with friends, saying bye, for now, to Brent and Jenny as they headed off home again. Our excellent hosts were David and Elaine, who provided a chance for everyone to get together, as well as fantastic food and drink. Thanks guys!

Late Friday night, we sped off to the cottage. Saturday was a puttering day for us. Iain is still working on the shed, and it was great to have Darryl put in the new electrical box and outlets. By the time he left on Saturday afternoon, everything was working tickety-boo!

Nice for a change to not have to turn on the stove burner to get the porch light or the microwave to work. This really was happening for the last year, and I always expected the place to burn down! As it happens, the main breaker for the cottage was partially fried, and when the stove was turned on it caused a surge of power, which arced at the breaker, and reestablished the connection. At least, that's the theory. Everything being replaced, now, that is no longer happening.

And what a gorgeous weekend! Saturday night we stayed on the deck until ... well, I think it was 11:00 or so. Lots of wine and food, and laughter. Sunday I really got into "Under The Dome", which I am halfway through now. Typical Stephen King, and I like it.

The heat was oppressive, but Iain still managed to do a lot of building. By mid-afternoon the heat had taken all the spark out of me, but another dip in the lake got me going again. We headed home late in the day.

No pictures this weekend; I just wasn't in a picture-taking mood. I promise to be better next week!

A song in my heart

2010-07-09T07:45:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer, I was honoured to take part in a memorial service for a friend, and was introduced to two lovely songs in the process.

The first one was Robin Mark's "When It's All Been Said And Done", a Christian piece with a gorgeous tin whistle accompaniment. Worth a listen, even if you aren't a believer.

The second was "There You'll Be" by Faith Hill, from the movie "Pearl Harbour" (yes, I know.....Pearl Harbour sucks). Not my usual music choice, but very moving as a song of remembrance. The recent passing of another friend brought it to mind: "I'll keep a part of you with me, and eveywhere I am, there you'll be."

Looking forward to a fun weekend, visiting with friends and family and getting a little book time. Have a good one!

No, I didn't catch any fish.

2010-07-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

Good weekend, all round. It started with a day off on Friday for me (Iain, alas, had to work). I had a lovely visit from Emma, Margaret, and mom Elizabeth, as they dropped in to check out Onyx's new digs.

Emma showed me the hand signals she and Wendy had been using in The Boarder's training, and demonstrated Onyx's ability to navigate a hoop in search of a treat. I was warned against allowing him to try to sneak around instead of going through the hoop! I fear I may not be as firm with him as I should, as part of his visit with the girls took place as he lounged on the dining room table. I am trying to let him be comfortable in the house as much as possible, but this will have to change.

I'm hoping they will drop in again sometime, as they are very polite and intelligent little girls!

As all the cats are getting along, we felt confident leaving them for the weekend (everyone was fine when we got back Sunday night). This was the weekend for the annual fishing derby at the cottage, and it was nice to have my sister Carolyn and our niece Janet visit with us! Janet has become quite the baker: check out this photo of the strawberry swirl cake she made! It was absolutely delicious!!

Iain puttered away at the shed, again, despite the heat. I tried to help, but melted quickly.

On Sunday morning, Dodie and Irene and I went birding. Didn't see too many, probably because it was already so warm by 9:00 a.m. I did get a nice pic of Joann's lily by the water.

Also, a couple of shots of Uncle Eddie's old truck, which hasn't moved in many a year.

I like the logo.

I don't think I will mind going to work today; at least there is air-conditioning!

Some sort of normal life

2010-07-01T11:13:00.000-04:00

Every day has its challenges, if you're making any effort at all. Today, it's a matter of getting back into the stuff I've been ignoring for the past few days .... like laundry. Yesterday was tears, smiles, and good memories. I am reminded of something my sister Dodie said, a few weeks after her husband Len passed away: "Now, it is time for us to make some new memories."

It's also the day to introduce our newest housemate: Onyx, a.k.a. The Boarder. Wendy's good friend Ann had taken him in temporarily, so Iain drove to her place on Monday evening and picked him up. He was very good on the trip to Renfrew, only meowing until Arnprior and then settling down.

His current quarters are in our living room, as we try to gently accustom him to our other kitties. This may take a while. Meanwhile, he is curious about the new sights and smells.

He stretched out on the hardwood and claimed the property as his own almost immediately.

The couch seemed to be the best spot to have a lie-down-clean-up moment after supper.

By Tuesday morning, he was already surveying the front lawn and longing to chase down our resident black squirrel. This is his favourite pose, at the moment. (As Wendy would say, "Feel free to click for a Bigger Boarder.")

He's a lovely boy, and we are so glad to be able to give him a home.

Sad today

2010-06-21T08:32:00.000-04:00

It's difficult to blog today, but I feel compelled to say a few words. The sudden, tragic loss of our friend Wendy has been hard to accept. She always had an encouraging comment for me, and I will miss reading her blog, http://www.off-the-deep-end.blogspot.com/ ,through which i lived vicariously. Farewell, friend.

I'm including a picture I took recently of a yellow swallowtail. Wendy would have liked it.

May at the cottage

2010-05-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

Everything has been early this year, with all the warm weather. Two weeks ago we saw all the Trilliums in bloom up in the Opeongo Range, including this nice red one! Our apple tree at the cottage was just about ready to bloom, too, which would be about two weeks ahead of schedule. Sadly, when we got to the lake last weekend, the hot spell had finished the blossoms. Dang!

I was interested to see a Downy Woodpecker at the feeder last weekend. Didn't know they liked seeds as well as bugs!

Iain's New Truck!

2010-05-28T17:47:00.000-04:00

I really meant to post this when we first got the truck, but we have been far too busy having fun with it!

And using it to haul wood so we can get a pile of work done at the cottage...but fun, too!

It's a 2006 Honda Ridgeline, and we love it so far.

Hail

2010-05-20T21:59:00.000-04:00

May 8 at the cottage. This weekend will be MUCH NICER!!

Window cats

2010-05-11T21:09:00.000-04:00

I know, the internet was invented so people could post pictures of their cats, hahaha. And I don't care. Who am I to buck a trend?

Stiches and Jezebel

Stitches was enamoured of the pansies, which came inside to escape the frost. Jezebel was just soaking up the sunshine. I so wanted to stay home from work and just hang out with them!

Odd Clouds

2010-04-20T21:22:00.000-04:00

Taken on the evening of April 11, just before sunset. I'm shooting toward the east. Not sure why we got this strange light in the sky. It had rained, so perhaps the droplets were reflecting the setting sun.

I could probably look it up in my weather book and find what this is called. Pretty, isn't it?

Backyard buddies

2010-04-19T07:46:00.000-04:00

Took this photo of a White-Throated Sparrow on April 9. Nice to see them back!

And for the chipmunk lovers out there, our little friend having a snack at his favourite spot.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign....

2010-04-18T19:11:00.001-04:00

Sometimes things just strike me as funny. On a weekend away, we stayed at a Holiday Inn, a fairly new place and nice. Nondescript, which is what you hope for. What you expect, actually.

I noticed this the last time we stayed there too, but this time recorded it for posterity. They label the free bath supplies, not with descriptions of scents or imbedded lotions, but with instructions. The soap says "cleanse". The shampoo and conditioner were labelled, sensibly, as such, but the shower cap says....

Check it out.....

I really wanted to leave signs on the bed when we left, reading "sleep". Not going to say what I wanted the sign on the toilet to read.

Also starring...

2010-04-06T22:05:00.000-04:00

Our pal the chipmunk is back in town. Here he is checking out the feeder.

We also got the evil eye from a grackle who was quite suspicious of the gray box with the big eye.

Snow disappearing from our yard

2010-04-05T09:30:00.011-04:00

We had the bird cam out and really didn't get any amazing bird pics, but we did get this neat time-lapse of the snow disappearing.

This one is Feb.20. Lots o' snow still, though in truth we had such a mild winter, and not piles of snow compared to some years.

Here is March 16. Already a lot of it

is gone.

March 18

March 21

March 24

March 26

and finally, March 28!

Alright, it isn't a great picture....

2010-02-19T07:25:00.004-05:00

I admit it. I took it through the window, in a big hurry, without my zoom lens; but see the red dot in the middle? That's a cardinal at OUR feeder, which has been getting precious little use this winter. Made my day!

Snow

2010-01-19T22:01:00.003-05:00

What a gorgeous snowfall this evening! This is what is looks like out our front window:

I swear that maple tree looks even more beautiful at this moment than it does in its autumn colours.

Out the back window, not quite as well lit, but lovely.

New Year Fun

2010-01-17T08:32:00.008-05:00

New Year's Eve was brought in at Joann and Lloyd's. No pictures; I wisely left my camera at home. Shots of me Wii Bowling aren't something you want to see, trust me. It was fun, though.

New Year's Day was lovely, the best weather of the weekend, so we decided on a trek to the upper farm. Irene, Myles, Dodie, and Carl, ready to go.

Carl pauses under the overhanging trees. Everything was heavily laden with snow on top of ice, and a lot of broken branches and some felled trees were evident. This picture is taken on the road, which is about 6 feet wide. With the trees bending over it looked more like a path.

Had to get a pic of Iain, too. He looks so nice.

When we got to Diana's place, we broke out the goodies and had a trail lunch. The small fire was pretty nice on the hands.

You'll notice that Diana's shack, high in the Opeongo hills, has been frequented by bears. THIS is where we stopped for lunch - not something I'd want to do in the summer when they are out and about.

Here's a closeup of the damage they have done to the siding. Yikes.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T21:12:00.004-05:00

I promised Iain I would put something on my blog, and include a pic of me, at his request (really. not my idea. don't like pics of me.). It has been hard to find the time for it, even now that we are post-Christmas-rush, but if one never takes time, how can one ever have time...
So, for your perusal, here are a few pics. The one up top is our tree, which was just SO PRETTY I had to show you all. The next is (a bit goofy one of) me with my mom and sister Dodie, in front of one of her trees. She and Myles had three of them, two indoors and one outside.

We had a great time this year; dinner was shortly after the above pic was taken. A delicious (locally grown) turkey and lots of side dishes. I personally made the requisite "green jelly salad" which only we three pictured above really love. Jeff was brave enough to try it, and declared "I like it!" to the surprise of many; he thereby became an even more favourite family friend.
Iain and I travelled to Ottawa in the evening and spent a couple of days with Sheila, Kyle, Craig, and Karen. Had lots of fun.
Had a second Christmas dinner on the 29th at Janet & Jayme's place, and got to see Les, Janice, and Maddie. Another great meal and fun evening!
To those we didn't get to see over the holidays - you know who you are! - we missed you, and look forward to seeing you someday soon.
These last two pictures are taken New Year's Eve, as we headed for Carl and Irene's cottage at the lake. The first is on the highway, probably the Quadeville road.

This one is (I think) taken along the road that leads to the lakes. Photographs never capture enough. The laden trees were so beautiful that I had to try, though.

More about our new years visit to come...

So who else watches Dexter?

2009-12-14T08:40:00.005-05:00

We were bummed out by the ending to Dexter last night. Yikes.... I didn't see that coming at all!

Not much else to report, here. Shopping and baking continue to be top priorities, with little time left for blogging!

Sukiyaki

2009-11-22T08:22:00.003-05:00

Came across this today, and wow! does it bring back memories.

Yes, I am that old.

The video is nothing, but the music - listen to the music....

Now that's more like it.

2009-11-09T10:49:00.006-05:00

It appears we have indeed defeated the squirrel! No pictures of him since we put in the baffle. Several other interesting ones to share with you, though:

This first one is a jay coming in for a landing. I just like the movement captured, and how spooky he looks.

This next one shows our White-Breasted Nuthatch, and one of our Chickadees.

And we ARE getting some pigeons; they don't miss a trick (or a free treat).

The fight for the feeder

2009-11-01T15:27:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when you try to take bird pics using an automatic camera:

Not just one, but about a hundred out of focus pictures of a squirrel.

So, we have devised a clever plan to baffle this squirrel....we hope:

This is the top off a munchies platter from the local grocery store, with a hole poked through it and a fastener applied.

Wish us luck!

The birds have found the feeders

2009-10-17T17:05:00.005-04:00

We had a couple of Goldfinches in their winter plumage help themselves to some niger seed.

Also, a White-Throated Sparrow found some edibles on the ground. We have also had Juncos, and the sunflower seed has attracted Chickadees and White-Breasted Nuthatch.

Our resident Chipmunk and the one of the many neighbourhood Squirrels have been snacking on the peanuts, but so has a Blue Jay.

But he prefers to hide them for later: right after this picture was taken he tucked the peanut into the hedge!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-10-12T08:18:00.003-04:00

It's a beautiful fall day, Thanksgiving Monday. Iain and I are waking up with our coffee and will soon be heading to Ottawa to see Mom and Kyle. She has promised us a nice mid-day dinner!

This has been a fun weekend. On Saturday we puttered about the house, getting the outside somewhat ready for winter: putting away the bird bath and solar lights, picking up some of the leaves as Iain gave the lawn one last mow. Yesterday began with another good church service, and then we had a family dinner at Myles and Dodies' place. Missed seeing some family members who weren't able to come, but enjoyed the company of many. Also happy to spend some time with Pastor Tom, and with Hugh (our very multi-talented church pianist), who joined the table.

Invariably the question arises this weekend: "What are you thankful for?" As always, I find the answer hard to nail down, because I am so blessed in my life, and have too many things and people I could name. So I will just say I am thankful for the day, and leave it at that.

The view just a minute ago

2009-09-11T19:50:00.002-04:00

Just looked up from my computer, and this was the sunset!

And now, back to computing....

2009-09-10T21:08:00.003-04:00

Iain is spending the evening working one of the gates at the fair. I was wondering what to do with my time tonight, and he suggested that I could blog a bit. He probably will be surprised to see his handsome face looking back at him when he checks my updates!

The picture was taken when we were camping in Algonquin park. The moon was huge and gorgeous, as you can see. It shone brightly all night; flashlights weren't necessary for midnight perambulations in the camp. We were on Sec Lake. Our site was just a short paddle from the boat launch (maybe a mile?), and was on a small peninsula, so we had water on both sides, and a view of both sunrise and sunset.

This is the sunset that same evening. I entered this picture in the fair as a "landscape" entry. One of my many non-winners *sigh*. I have a lot to learn about photography!

These pictures look very calm, but there was a rain and thunder storm when we first arrived, and a lot of wind; so much so that by the time we were ready to strike camp there were a LOT of tarps to be taken down. It was a bit embarrassing, actually - a real Tarp City. But at least we were comfortable.

I've Been Busy, Okay?

2009-08-31T07:45:00.003-04:00

Yeah I know, I should have blogged before now, but I just never find the time! In fact, I don't really have time now; but if we never take time, how can we ever have time, right?

We went to visit Craig and Karen in July, and had a blast as usual. They introduced us to several new toys: Rock Band (which we enjoyed way more than we expected) and remote-control build-them-yourself vehicles. We laughed ourselves silly playing with Craig's big yellow truck. Here are a few pictures:

The truck is put together from a kit. Craig built and painted it himself, and is able to do repairs as needed (and it goes through enough trials that it does need repairs sometimes!).

I don't have any photos of us playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero. That's a good thing, probably.

Renfrew is for the birds?

2009-07-13T08:16:00.005-04:00

This is the sight that greeted us on our arrival back in town yesterday afternoon: a huge flock of gulls!

It could be the ones that normally hang around the dump outside of town. Perhaps something disturbed them. Or, perhaps they just felt like going for a fly.

At any rate, it was awe-inspiring, in a way. And kinda gross. The few gulls that hang out at our cottage lake are good to have around, as they clean up any dead fish and keep the shores clean; the thought that this many gulls are able to thrive on the garbage lying around our town is not pleasant.

Goodbye, Phantom

2009-06-22T07:35:00.004-04:00

We were sorry to have to let him go, but Phantom was becoming more ill as every day passed, and it was time. In this picture, taken June 5, he was taking a walk on the deck at the cottage. Even this little exercise was difficult for him, as his sense of balance was faulty.
We'll miss him, but we're glad to know he enjoyed his life as much as possible, right up to the end.

Canoe on the water!

2009-06-08T10:12:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful anniversary vacation! I don't have time to post too much here, but HAD to put up this pic of my honey Iain in the canoe he built, finally on the water. It paddles beautifully, and will be nice for camping and for touring our lake.

Cheers and Jeers

2009-05-03T08:57:00.002-04:00

Cheers to Ocean Spray. At Easter dinner, I was unhappy with the quality of a can of whole berry sauce (not enough berries!). I wrote online to the company and they replied within a couple of days, addressing my concerns, and not with a form letter. They also sent me coupons for two free replacement cans in the mail! Great reaction, and I will of course continue to buy their products.
Jeers to Hallmark.com, who I contacted about the fact that you can't purchase anything from their U.S. site without a U.S. address credit card - not even e-cards, which don't require any effort at all (they will allow the free ones to anybody, so why not accept payment for the others?). I wrote suggesting that they rethink this policy. The reply was generic and didn't address the point of my letter at all:
"Thank you for contacting Hallmark. Premium E-cards must be paid for with a credit card from a U.S. bank and with a U.S. billing address. Our free E-Cards, however, can be sent to any valid email address anywhere in the world from any valid email address anywhere in the world. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thanks,Hallmark Consumer Care"
Now, I obviously already knew this. It's why I was writing to them! This is unfortunately typical of the "customer care" you get at a lot of websites.
Guess I will keep sending free e-cards, if they don't want my money.

Easter

2009-04-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

Had a nice weekend, with dinner at Janet's & Jay's on Saturday. Turkey, ham, and all the fixings, and they were GOOD! Kyle was able to join us, which was very nice, but it seemed odd to have Easter without Sheila. We also missed Brian and Matt, who were ill.

My Mom and Jay have a chat before dinner.

Carolyn baked several of her famous pies. I think Iain had three pieces of the cherry.

Janet is a great hostess, and took care of everything! She even made a birthday cake for Pam, who turned another year on Saturday.

James gives Mason a ride while Iain carves the turkey. Poor little guy wasn't feeling great, unfortunately.

Myles relaxes with a brewski. Janet is bustling in the background (wearing stripes).

I really did intend to take more pictures, but I admit to feeling a bit self-conscious with my camera. I know some people don't like having a camera on them all the time. So, there are no shots of us playing Guitar Hero. I'll tell you right now, I was not a hero - got booed off the stage (I really thought I could do Enter Sandman - but it's harder than it looks!).

Road Trip 2

2009-03-31T07:16:00.003-04:00

Sunday afternoon we visited with Sheila and Kyle; Iain's wonderful mom treated us to lunch at Milestones at the Pinecrest mall - one of the few restaurants where Iain can rely on being served a perfectly cooked steak. I enjoyed the red curry chicken, followed by white chocolate cheese cake!

I'm not sure what Kyle was doing in this picture, but on the left you can see what remains of the giant chocolate cookie which was Sheila's dessert. I don't think she expected a "cookie" to be quite so large. Iain's desssert was the butterscotch pot (with actual scotch whiskey added); it got his approval.

Road Trip

2009-03-30T09:47:00.002-04:00

A week ago Sunday, Iain and I took a little spin up by the cottage, to see a gentleman who makes canoe yokes. Iain's canoe is coming along really well now. The inside is epoxied and scraped. This photo was taken before the gunnels going on. The finish will look a whole lot nicer when the final product is varnished.The man at Slipstream, who makes the yokes, has a friendly (once you are introduced, that is) old doggie, whose picture I had to take.

On the way home we stopped at the Granary in Eganville for some comfort food. They serve a beer which is a full litre, in a glass so large that Iain's (at present) bum elbow gave him a little trouble. He is not holding it extra close to the camera - it is really that big!

I drove home, just to be on the safe side.

Proof that spring is here!

2009-03-21T11:04:00.006-04:00

Mr. Robin dropped in!

And then Chippy came for a snack:
Not very trusting, but eventually overcome by the peanut allure.
...and it was yummy!

Hockey in the Gan

2009-03-17T07:38:00.004-04:00

Here are a few shots from the Gananoque tourney last weekend, which the Rusty Blades won this year. Fun old-timers hockey.

This is Iain on a rush down the ice:

Here he's in front of the net waiting for a chance:

And here is the whole winning team:

Lots of fun!

See my pretty little flower?

2009-02-18T18:22:00.001-05:00

Don't ask what it is, I have NO idea. It is blooming on one of my houseplants - one I received in a basket some time ago - and I just had to post it because it is so pretty!