Month: June 2020

After setting the tent up in the backyard, I decided I might as well sleep out there.

So I got the camp cot all set up, pillow, blankets and all.

I had my flashlight and candles (electric) so I was all set.

I slept right through until I heard the coffee maker/grinder go off in the kitchen.

I waited until I knew the coffee would be brewed before I got up.

Other than a slightly stiff back which soon went away, I had a great sleep.

Today I decided to set up our tent in the back yard to check for mildew and possible rips in the screen.

I got it set up in no time and was pleased to find everything ship shape.

I may sleep out there tonight.

Today I cut some stakes for the six tomato plants we have in the back yard planter. We also planted a few of the over-wintered geraniums in there for some colour.

And I removed the mouse traps and the Wyze cam from the attic since there has been no action after catching one rodent.

This morning we made a trip to Toronto to visit the grandkids. First we went to Steve and Sara’s and got to see Roxana. Look at her, she was so happy to lie there, looking out at Grandma! Of course, Mummy or Daddy are never far away, keeping a close eye on their beautiful, dark-eyed beauty of a daughter.

Sara even had a little fan over her, to keep the air circulating. I marvel at all the new things young parents have these days. When it was her naptime, we headed over to Chris and Tonya’s to visit with Max.

Both grandkids are a joy to be around. Roxana is already more aware of her surroundings and Max is getting more mischievous and energetic than ever. He seemed pretty happy to see us, but both of us find the social distance very hard to do; we both just want to rush over and sweep him up in a hug!

There is nothing as soothing to the soul as sitting on the shore of Georgian Bay, listening to the water gently kissing the beach. Very few people, very quiet, a perfect ambience in which to enjoy the bay at her finest.

And it’s all the better when you can share the experience with someone who has that same passion. Jane has often said that when she is at the bay, she feels like she is “home”. I know what she means.

Life is good!

Yesterday I found out that the main celebration for the Temiscaming Centennial is the Labour Day weekend of 2021; that is normally a busy time up there and with the centennial festivities underway, it will probably be even busier.

So this morning I booked a room reservation for Jane and me at the Temrose.

There is supposed to be an official announcement on Facebook in the near future, and then there will be a flurry of reservations!

This morning I checked my Wyze cam events and saw the movement which had triggered the camera at 8:42 pm last night; the trap had been activated and caught one mouse.

I have re-set that trap and placed new bait of fresh cheese in both.

I’ll leave the traps up there for the next few days to make sure there are no others up there.

Yesterday Jane and I celebrated our seventh anniversary. And it seems just like yesterday that we were married at Tonche East on Georgian Bay.

Our plan was to order a high end dinner to take out and dine near the water, but the weather forecast didn’t look promising so we ate on our garden deck.

Jane put runners on the table and we used our good dishes and cutlery.

We had a very enjoyable and memorable anniversary celebration.

I am a lucky man.

This morning I set two traps in the attic to catch our latest intruder.

I have left the Wyze camera in place for now so I can check on them from my iphone so I don’t have to climb up and down the step ladder.

We’ll see what happens.

We have been hearing puzzling noises for the last while so I decided to put one of my Wyze cams up in the attic to monitor.

Sure enough it caught a glimpse of a little intruder.

Tomorrow I will put some traps up there.

Yesterday I finished assembling and testing the boarding ladder project. Keeping in mind the details of the dinghy, I’m pretty sure that this will hook nicely onto the side.

I painted everything black to make it look nice.

Can’t wait to try it for real!

This morning I spent some time reviewing the features of my drip irrigation system. It’s pretty sophisticated in that it is tied in with the Weather Network; if there is rain in the forecast, it will cancel out a scheduled watering. Pretty cool!

So when we are away at the cottage or for an extended period of time, we don’t have to worry about our flowers dying from lack of water. Over the years, we have spent a considerable amount of money in the garden, which we don’t mind, but we don’t want to lose plants to lack of water.

Jane and I were musing about being able to jump off the dinghy in the middle of the lake when it’s really hot.

The issue was how to get back in. We decided that what we need is a ladder, but when I priced them on the Internet, those available were very expensive.

I decided to make one from some scrap wood and a piece of pipe.

Here’s the start of it. Stay tuned for the first time trying it!

The other day I ordered a USB port expander for my laptop.

I have been adding peripherals that have USB connections and there are only 3 ports on the laptop.

Plugging and unplugging things into the laptop was a pain and even more of a pain since I moved it onto the shelf I made.

We’re in good shape now.

Today I continued organizing cottage “things” for our two weeks at the Bonnie Lake cottage.

It’s the same one we have used for the last two years.

I wanted to make sure the floatie toys that we have didn’t have leaks, so I tested them in the garage. They all look pretty inviting!!

It’s looking pretty good so far.

Today the Glass Doctor installed a new kitchen window pane, right in the middle.

The centre one had started to fog up because the thermal pane had a broken seal.

The installer was very professional and had the job done in about 40 minutes. Very quick, very friendly, and the window looks great!

We can see again!

My computer arrangement was a little crowded ,so today I decided to make a little more space.

I installed a small shelf under the desk surface to hold the laptop, freeing up quite a bit of room on top!

I have been mulling over the idea of installing a flight simulator setup, and the space will be handy. The flight simulator game is addicting and I play it every day, so I may consider doing a full flight simulator setup here.

We have planted some shrubs and flowers on this side of the garage which gets lots of sun.

They include the morning glory that Jane started from scratch in the kitchen window, which will climbing the trellises, a peony, hydrangea, and a dwarf lilac.

So far they are doing quite well and the neighbours are happy with their new view.

We are renting the same cottage on Bonnie Island near Pointe au Baril that we have rented for the last two years. Everyone loves it there; there is something for everyone.

I am beginning to gather items in the garage that we will be taking, such as ropes, batteries, life jackets, etc. Jane is making kitchen and food lists.

We are looking forward to getting up there again and are hopeful that the young folk and grandkids can make it too. No one can commit right now, with Covid and we were a little unsure about it, but after speaking with Deborah, we were reassured that she was doing all the right safety protocols.

Fingers crossed.

Back home today after a wonderful change of scenery yesterday! Today Jane worked in the garden, planting several native Ontario plants that she had ordered from a company called Ontario Native Plants, which is based in Hamilton.

Witch Hazel, Pot of Gold and fragrant Sumac all arrived in good condition and extremely well packaged.

It was a very hot and humid day so Jane was glad to finish and come inside to an air conditioned house. I think the idea of a cold beer appealed to her too!

This morning we decided to finally head up to Honey Harbour to take the dinghy out for the day. It was a gorgeous day and the bay was calling!

We packed a picnic lunch and ended up at the Oaks, a campsite on the northern end of Beausoleil Island. There were very few boats in Chimney Bay, a popular anchorage, which is unusual.

We noticed a lot of dragonflies around to help keep the mosquitoes down.

A couple of happy Georgian Bay campers!!

Well the saga of the waterfall continues; the flex seal repair I tried didn’t stop the leak, so I now have a fibreglass repair kit which I’m using on the underside of the basin.

Hopefully it won’t leak anymore.

Another day to visit the grandchildren!!

Following their awake schedules, we first went to Steve and Sara’s where we had a nice visit in the back yard maintaining social distancing. Roxana is even more beautiful! We noticed a lot of changes in her, particularly her alertness; she was curious about who this grey-haired woman was, oohing and aahing and smiling at her!

We had brought our lunch with us as well as camp chairs and a small folding table and we sat under the shade of an evergreen tree that Steve had thoughtfully just pruned, so the branches didn’t rub on our heads.

When it was her nap time (too soon!), we drove to Chris and Tonya’s and had a very chatty visit with them. Max of course was the centre of attention and we had a chance to interact with him on their patio; he seems to remember us, which makes us both happy!

It is very hard not to run over and hug him!

His personality is beginning to shine through and he likes making different faces amid tons of smiles. Jane thinks that he is going to be quite a charmer!

It was a very happy day, with lots of good memories!

Today Jane and I went up to Brandy’s to get Shenanigans cleaned and launched for the summer! Shayne leaves it on the trailer so that we can scrub the underside, and he parks it by the hooked up hose for water.

We had the outside done pretty quickly after which Shayne put it in the water. I happily drove it around to our dock spot where we cleaned the inside.

In talking with our dock neighbour, a houseboat owner who is there all summer, we learned there is a 4 foot otter that has made the dock home. He has left his signature droppings as a hello. I had to take a pail and wash down the dock a few times so that we didn’t step in it as we worked on the dinghy.

Hopefully the otter won’t be interested in getting in the dinghy!

Today we had a couple of small errands to run. The first was to get some special cat food for Minnie recommended by the vet.

It’s a KD brand by Hills to combat the onset of kidney disease.

We also had to go to the LCBO for wine and beer for the neighbour, as they went for us the last time. There was a bit of a lineup, but everyone kept their distance. Some were wearing masks, others weren’t.

Today Annemarie and Jim arrived just around noon for a social distancing visit.

The arrangement was for them to bring their own stuff and we would prepare ours; however, Jim kept eying our potato salad and ended up having two helpings! Jane usually makes lots so we were happy to offer it to him.

We had a great time in the back deck where we had a nice lunch and great conversation; the afternoon stretched on and no one was in a rush to end the visit.

It’s been awhile so it was so nice to catch up.

Today I sent a message up to Shayne, the Manager at Brandy’s marin, to see about getting our dinghy put in the water. He’s going to do it in the next few days so we can clean it. He keeps it at his place over the winter and does the winterizing for me, too. A heck of a lot cheaper than BayPort!

In the meantime we have been preparing for a social distancing visit with our friends, Annemarie and Jim. We are each bringing our lunch to the deck and will sit at the far ends of the patio table. So looking forward to seeing them!

Jane even touched up the lamppost planter with some fresh stain in their honour! When we get a calm day, we’ll paint the post black.

The creature occupying the White House once again has shown his lack of leadership skills.

He had peaceful protesters gassed so he could have a photo op. He can’t even get that right, holding a bible upside down and backwards.

No prayers no nothing.

What a sicko. Thank God we live in Canada!