Month: September 2014

Most of yesterday was spent in the back garden. MY Jane and I wanted to re-define the small flagstone walls at the rear of the yard. We found a local landscaping company and went over to see if they had some stone that was compatible with the existing rock. We were fortunate in that they had some and so we bought 200 lbs of it. Did you know that this type of stone sells for 15 cents a pound?

You can get a glimpse of the finished product in the picture to the right.

While I was doing that, Jane was busy power hosing the patio which ended up looking so much better.

Later, we went to South Burger for a couple of hamburgers and fries. Quite good. It was our first time to this chain.

In the evening, I challenged Jane to a game of rummy 500. We didn’t expect to have any help, but our faithful Minnie decided she was needed so she chose to lay right in the middle of the table on top of the cards.

In this photo you can see her pointing to a card in front of me suggesting that I use that one. Jane was able to finally coax her out of the way by shaking a bag of Temptations and luring her away.

Yesterday, MY Jane worked hard moving plants around in the back garden and pruning the Rose of Sharon bushes along the back fence. In addition, she planted a whole bunch of tulip bulbs and daffodils back there. We have not had much success in that back flower bed with other plants, so we are trying these. We will also be adding some stone work at either side of the flower bed.

I have moved the two seater bench at the back of the yard to the patio for winter storage and now that it is not there, that back flower bed seems to look better. Maybe we’ll just keep it on the patio.

Chris called me yesterday to set up a time for me to help him install crown moulding at his house. Jane and I are going down there on Friday and we’ll probably stay the weekend. Looking forward to seeing him and Tonya and doing this project with him.

Yesterday, after breakfast, MY Jane and I picked Ted up at her apartment and headed North for an Autumn picnic. We didn’t have a specific location in mind, but we were looking for a place close to water that had a picnic table. We had a cooler full of food and drink and I had brought our own chairs just in case we couldn’t find a table.

We parked the car and stood on the bridge overlooking the Falls. The sound of the water roaring underneath and the light spray that wafted upwards was impressive. 

After looking at the falls for a time, we ambled back across the road where we had parked the car beneath a shady maple tree. There was a solitary, vacant picnic table nearby, so we headed over and sat down. After enjoying the scenery for a while, and discussing where we should head next, the consensus was that we should have our picnic right there.

Of course, the lure of the water was too much for Jane. She just couldn’t resist getting her feet wet!

She even rinsed off some of the dishes.

You couldn’t ask for better day for a picnic. It was warm, the sky was as blue as blue could be, and there was no wind. The town dock, just across the way, had boats coming and going from time to time.

The cottage directly across from our picnic site had a few surrounding trees that have already turned colour.

The prediction is that leaves will be at their fullest colour display in another week or so.

After our leisurely lunch, we continued on our way, taking highway 118 toward Bracebridge, making it a somewhat circular route. When we got to Bracebridge, we noticed that they had part of the downtown area cordoned off for the benefit of shoppers.

I dropped Jane and Ted off for about half an hour and they browsed and bought several items that were “on sale”. We headed home, all of us happier than pigs in mud. Great picnic.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I took our Tim Hortons coffee and headed for a nearby park at Minets Point in Barrie. It was a beautiful warm day and Kempenfelt Bay was very calm. We parked the car and wandered over to a picnic table at the waters edge. The panoramic view of downtown Barrie across the bay was quite impressive.

There were a lot of seagulls hanging about as there always is. They’re always on the lookout for scraps, but none were to be found.

Later that afternoon, Jane took her Mom, Ted, to an appointment and while she was gone, I finished caulking the crown moulding in the upstairs bathroom.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went to Thornton to the “Original Flag Store” to look for more seasonal garden flags. She found a couple of nice ones to add to our inventory.

It’s that time of year to change the seasonal flags we have. Yesterday, MY Jane and I put up our Fall selection. We have a big one over the garage door and two smaller ones. We will get one more sometime this week.

I also added a squirrel baffle to the platform feeder as well as a suet holder.

Jane and Ted went shopping and afterward, came back to the house where we sat in the back yard enjoying the sunshine for a brief time. Then we had BBQ hamburgers along with salads and Boston Cream pie for dessert.

George has asked us to be available to receive delivery of his new gas stove at his new house. Once we know what time the truck is supposed to arrive we’ll head over there.

This is the time of year when those of us with flower gardens begin our days by looking at the weather forecast and the thermometer outside our window.

It’s also the time of year when we begin noticing the trees beginning to change colour. It’s one of the best times of year. We have several varieties of trees in our back yard, but the one that I like best is the sugar maple because it’s leaves turn a bright red.

Just as I snapped the photo above, a blue jay, one of my favourite birds, landed on our new platform feeder where I had, only minutes before, placed a handful of peanuts in the shell. You can see him sitting on the left side of the feeder. Here’s another shot:

Today, MY Jane and I will probably spend a lazy type day. I have a couple of small errands to run and Jane, I think, wants to try a new recipe.

I want to get down to the Ministry of Transport office nearby and get my licence plate renewal and I want to buy some burlap to wrap the recently planted cedars in the back yard. 

My heart is brimming with a renewed affinity and affection for my hometown of Temiscaming. After seeing and meeting with so many people who lived and grew up there after so many years, it is easy to understand why. This past Saturday, thanks to the much appreciated efforts of Lise Lefebvre and Diane Gingras, about 80 or 90 people showed up at Gatineau for this gathering. 

What started as a group of 6 meeting for a meal 4 years ago, keeps growing year by year.

Jane and I had breakfast with my good friend, Mouse and Maureen after which we left for home with promises to visit and stay in touch.

After breakfast, Jane and I went to the Byward Market in Ottawa for awhile, then back toward Barrie via Arnprior (unintentionally…lol). We decided to stop at Casino Rama for the buffet and, finally, home. What an absolutely wonderful weekend!

Well, MY Jane and I made it! What blast! Just getting ready to head out for breakfast with Myles and Maureen. Detailed blog will follow later today or tomorrow.

Last night MY Jane and I watched the final episode of The Boss. It was a delightful series. Hope they make more of them.

Today to Gatineau for the Temiscaming reunion! I am looking forward to meeting up with many of my childhood friends. It’s been a long time!

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went to Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland to remove more stuff from Georgian Spirit in preparation for winter storage. As well, I changed the oil in both engines and the generator. The rest of the winterizing will be done by Bayport. That involves the fresh water system, both heads, and the air conditioning units. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of the tools or expertise to do these things and to avoid serious freezing, I get them to do it. I look at it as a kind of insurance. If something goes wrong in the Spring, they’re on the hook. She is scheduled to come out of the water on September 30.

The dinghy, Shenanigans, will be put in heated storage while Geirgian Spirit will be shrink wrapped and stored outside.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went to Bradford to Vin Bon to bottle the wine we had ordered six weeks ago. It was a Pinot Grigio and we were anxious to get it done. Jane did a quick tasting and liked it. With the help of the customer representative there, we got the bottling done in about half an hour complete with labels (note name below). 26 bottles that cost about $3 each.

Later that afternoon, I went to Wild Birds Unlimited and picked up a stand for the bird feeder platform that George had got us. I installed it in the back yard in a bout ten minutes. Very easy. I put some seed on the platform along with some peanuts in the shell. To my amazement and delight, within two hours, a beautiful Blue Jay showed up.

Yesterday, my cousin, George, bought MY Jane and I a platform bird feeder, something I had been wanting for awhile.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went up to Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland to remove all perishables and liquids from Georgian Spirit. We ended up with a fully loaded vehicle of stuff and will have to go back for one more load.

After arriving back home, we began unpacking everything. Part of that unpacking involved consolidating part bottles of beverages. 

Later on, my cousin, George, volunteered to put together supper. He needed a fair sized saucepan to do so. We keep all our saucepans in the drawer at the bottom of our stove. Somehow or other, the pans were placed in there in such a way as to prevent the drawer from opening. Has this ever happened to you? George was unsuccessful at getting it open, so I had to step in. I was hungry!

I got it open! Then we ate!

Yesterday, after a scrumptious breakfast, MY Jane and I took Ted back to her apartment and while there, I assembled the fireplace that she had purchased last Friday. It took several hours to get it together as there were a lot of parts to assemble.

This was all done under the watchful eye of Ted and when it was finally done, she was happy at the way it looked.

Yesterday began with a sense of anticipation, excitement and worry about weather. It was finally the day that the surprise BBQ for Chris and Tonya was to be held. Two months of planning, countless text messages amongst dozens of family and friends, and hours of preparation would all come together. MY Jane, her Mom, Ted, and I set out for Toronto.

It was time to party.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I picked Ted, Jane’s Mom, up at her apartment and we all went to the nearby Canadian Tire Store. Ted had been wanting an electric Fireplace for her apartment and they came on sale for $300 off. She picked a real nice one and we took it back to her place before heading over to our house.

After some libations at the house we went to a newly discovered restaurant in Barrie called North. Had a great dinner and then back to the house.

Today, we will be picking up MY Jane’s Mom, Ted, and bring her over to our place for a few days. There is some shopping to do and I have a few chores as well.

Yesterday, while MY Jane was getting her hair done, I did some edging around the back yard patio and watered the newly planted trees.

We then went to the newly opened Cabelas Store which sells hunting, fishing, and camping gear. The store itself is huge and the displays are quite amazing. 

Then we went to Walmart and Costco.

In the afternoon, Jane made a peach cobbler from an internet recipe she liked. She had made this same dish lays week and it was delicious.

We topped the day off by watching a Netflix movie called 21 starring Kevin Spacey about a professor who enlists some of his students to count cards and beat the casinos at black jack. Quite a good movie. The Dominos Pizza that we had was good too.

It was Jane’s payback time for the silly pictures I posted of her the other day. Here they are!

Yesterday, MY Jane and I travelled to Toronto to finally meet Liz, a Facebook friend. It was a great drive down although we were reminded of what traffic in Toronto has become.

Last week, in my blog, I mentioned that MY Jane and I went to Bradford Greenhouses to check out cedar trees to plant in our back yard. We saw many that were about 6 feet tall that would be suitable. They were priced at $60 each with a 30% discount. 

The next step will be to create a sculpted flower bed parallel to the fence and remove the flower bed that is  out from the fence and which is presently a “holding bed” for plants. Jane has such great vision.

Yesterday was a busy one at Bay Port as they were holding their annual Fall Events day.

Then it was the Dog Show and I was asked to be a judge.

The car show consisting of dozens of vintage cars went on from noon until 3PM.

At 6 PM the dinner of roast beef, pulled pork, chicken, and salads,too numerous to mention, was served in the Dry Stack building.

After dinner, live music from the Desotos made for a fun dance.

Our plan yesterday, the hottest day if the summer, was to take a tour of the S S Keewatin, an old time ship currently tied up in nearby Port McNicholl.

MY Jane and I drove over there, but when we arrived, we noticed that every hatch and door on the ship was open. Because of the oppressive heat and humidity, we decided to postpone the tour and, instead, we took a scenic drive along the lakeshore with the car air conditioning on full.

Around 1130 am yesterday, my cousin George and his wife Jean arrived at Bay Port in Midland so that MY Jane and I could take them for a day cruise on Georgian Bay as promised.

We anchored just off the cruiser dock at Beausoleil Island. There weren’t too many other boats there at all and the weather was sunny and warm. 

Late afternoon, we headed back to the marina and Jane took George and Jean for a dinghy ride on Midland Bay.

Later we had a nice dinner of ribs, yams and green & yellow beans.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I headed up to Bay Port and Georgian Spirit for a few days. 

After taking a bit of an inventory, we went grocery shopping in preparation for our guests today, my cousin George and his wife Jean.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went to Georgian Mall in Barrie to look around and do a little shopping.

Yesterday, MY Jane and I went to Teds apartment to do a couple of little things. One was to hang a mirror for her and the other to put some potting soil into one of her flower pots.

We already have a few plants in place but want to put a cedar tree in front of each of the fence posts and eliminate the small flower bed to the right of the bird feeder which is presently being used as a  “holding” bed.

Jane and George prepared a very nice BBQ dinner later on, which we enjoyed on the patio.

Yesterday, MY Jane picked up her Mom, Ted, for church and then they went shopping at Georgian Mall. Ted bought some shoes for herself and some sandals and a winter wrap for Jane.

After they returned to our place, we sat on our patio chatting and listening to music. Ted is a big fan of Frank Sinatra so I was playing his music. At one point, I asked Ted if she would like to dance and she was delighted.