Month: September 2020

We are doing our weekly housecleaning early in readiness for Steven, Sara and Roxana’s upcoming visit this weekend.

We have a bit of a routine. Jane does the dusting first, after which I do the vacuuming upstairs and down.

She does the upstairs bathroom and I do the one downstairs.

It works well, such a team!!

Today I sent an email update to all story contributors, along with plan details and ordering instructions.

A few people have offered to pay extra and others have offered to help distribute books. There is no question people are very much on board with this project which is very satisfying. One person even sent $100 for a $25 book!

On another note, tvcTK , the Temiscaming local cable network, seemed very receptive of my idea for them to interview contributors on air after the book is published.

I suggested to them that they might have the author read their story and then talk about it. This could be a weekly program throughout Temiscaming’s Centennial year.

Today Jane and I headed to Brandy’s Marina in Honey Harbour to get our dinghy unloaded for winter storage. Jane likes to take all items off, especially any liquids (cleaners, etc). And then we can track what we have and/or need for next year.

It was also an opportunity to give our new Nissan a good highway run and everything worked extremely well.

There is one little glitch – the seat belt warning chime does not sound when you drive with no seat belt.

Otherwise, though, everything is great, we love driving this car!

The back garden is looking very healthy for this time of year.

Even the rose bush has a bloom on ready to open.

But next week the weather is supposed to get cooler, so we’ll be getting our dinghy ready for Winter.

I have been having a challenging time trying to properly format my book for publishing.

The latest issue is when I export the Word version to PDF, a blank page gets inserted which throws everything out of whack. I have no idea why and I have a workaround for it, but it’s really a pain.

Fortunately, I have time to deal with it and I have my own schedule.

Today Jane and I picked up our new set of wheels from Barrie Nissan!

As I mentioned before, it only has 50,000 kms on it and we were able to get the 4-year extended manufacturer’s warranty, PLUS 8 free synthetic oil changes.

We are happy campers!

I had an appointment today with Dr. Leung as a follow-up to my eye surgery last July.

Dr. Leung recommended cataract surgery on my left eye probably in November at Soldier’s Memorial Hospital in Orillia.

This should be a piece of cake, compared to the vitrectomy.

When our maple starts to turn colour, we know that Fall is just around the corner.

Our tree is one of the last remaining mature trees on the street after there was an infestation of mature ash trees by the emerald ash beetle.

We have another mature maple in our back yard too, that is beginning to turn colour as well.

Today we signed the papers finalizing our purchase of the 2017 Rogue SL Platinum and trading in our Kia Rondo. Chris was on the phone with us, proving some guidance and tips to ensure a smooth process. Thanks, Chris!

We were just under the wire for getting a manufacturer’s top-up warranty for another four years; My Jane said that it was meant to be!!

We have all the insurance and financials in order and will pick it up on Friday.

Woo hoo! A new ride for the Pickerings!

Today I disconnected our drip irrigation system for the winter.

It’s quite an easy process. Simply drain the hoses by gravity and remove the controllers from the hose bib.

Jane has been doing a little bit of garden stuff.

It’s a lazy day otherwise!

Today, Jane and I went to Barrie Nissan to look another Rogue which caught our eye.

This is a 2017 Rogue SL Platinum that has everything we want in a used car, even more than what we knew we could get!

We put a deposit on it and will go back Monday to talk to the business manager about extended warranty details. It has less than 50,000 kms and is in pristine shape.

Both Sara and Tonya are using the Tiny Beans app which allows for the posting of photos of babies and toddlers, accessible to other family members, but kept privately.

Earlier today I picked up my tires from Firestone where they were being stored because we are actively looking for a new vehicle.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Ikea to pick up a highchair that Jane had ordered online.

They called their system click and collect, the idea being that you drove through and presented your receipt and they gave you your order.

All went well until we got home and tried to assemble it. Wrong seat.

Jane phoned and was told they would send the correct part in 7-10 days. We waited and waited until Jane phoned again and was told it was never shipped. We had to pick it up.

So thats what we did today. And keep in mind, every time you call, them you’re on hold for a very long time.

We are not happy with Customer Service at Ikea.

We were thinking of taking the dinghy out to Tonche East today but the weather forecast was calling for high winds up there, so we changed our minds.

However it turned out to be quite nice in our back yard, so we spent some time there instead. Our boy Colter had just cut the grass, so it looked quite inviting.

Nice to have that option.

I was contacted by Stephanie Roy-Lalonde of TvcTK the cable channel in Temiscaming, and advised that she was going to be talking about my project on the channel! This will get the folks talking.

It will be aired on Thursday to the local area!

Stories continue to roll in and I am right on track timewise; I am quite satisfied with the interest in this book!

Today I had a dental appointment to get a small filling done. And while I was there, another filling came loose.

Turns out that the tooth from which the filling dropped out needed to be extracted.

It wasn’t an easy extraction because the tooth broke. But it was painless.

I have another appointment next Monday to have an impression taken for a dentures modification.

Roxy is getting registered for swimming lessons which makes us very happy, because all of us like being around the water from time to time and swimming is essential.

It’s pretty tiring for Steven, even though Sara and Squirms did the actual registration, so a nap was in order for him!

We went to have a little visit with Max and when we got there, Chris suggested that we go for a walk to a nearby park.

After playing in the park, we went back to their place and played outside some more.

Then Jane gave Max something she made – a cube with pouches that held different family photos that could be switched out.

A great day.

We had spotted a car on the internet that caught our interest. It was a 2020 Nissan Rogue. And it was in Orangeville.

Of course it was a red one that caught Jane’s eye, so she made an appointment last night online to look at it today.

It was nice to have a short drive to Orangeville, but, once there, we were told that the car was “out on loan”.

We decided to let the salesman show us another and even take it for a test drive.

But the deal could not be made because when it got right down to it, they wanted $1700 more than we agreed to with the salesman

So we walked. Never mind, we will find another, the search has just begun.

We have had a lot of rain in the last few days and this has resulted in very lush grass and some flowers have regained their vibrant colour.

It seems that the summer has just flown by and we are on the cusp of Fall.

Bob Woodward of Watergate fame, has just released his book RAGE detailing conversations with the creature lurking in the Oval Office.

Turns out the creature knew the deadly effects of the coronavirus but despite that, told the public it was a hoax.

He even encouraged rallies of supporters without masks. It doesn’t surprise me but it continues to disgust me.

Today is a cool and dreary day.

What to have for supper? We need something that will warm us up. How about spaghetti and meatballs topped with grated Parmesan cheese?

Yeah, let’s do that!

Yesterday I took a shot of the back yard as part of an ongoing photo record so we can refer to different dates to see what was in bloom and when.

This is a panoramic shot which I then upload to my Facebook album. That way I have all the photos in one spot.

We headed to Ikea in Vaughan to pick up a high chair that Jane ordered online for Roxana and maybe Max.

They have a “click and collect” system, where you drive in following a “click and collect” route, then you present your order number and wait in a designated parking spot until they bring the order out.

It was quite busy but eventually we got the high chair. Now we just need a baby to put in it!!

This morning we headed down to Steve’s and Sara’s to have a back yard visit with Roxy.

She is growing so quickly and getting so much more alert! When we don’t see her as often as we would like, we see big changes.

I think that Sara and Steve enjoyed the visit almost as much as we did!

I am planning a trip to Temiscaming in order to do an interview on the local cable TV to promote Souvenirs de Temiscaming.

It will also be a chance to visit with Terry and possibly firm up arrangements with two local retailers for them to distribute the book.

I had written to Margaret Atwood’s publisher requesting permission to use a piece from one of her books in which she recalls her memories of Temiscaming.

Yesterday I received an e-mail with a series of questions which I answered.

So now I simply wait to see if they will approve my request and if they do, what kind of conditions might be included.

It’s a waiting game.

Today is his first day at Charlottetown Boulevard Child Care, a very big day for Mighty Max!

We are all hopeful that he will adapt quickly to this new routine. It’s a big step for him….and Mom & Dad too. I know that My Jane is on edge, waiting to hear how he is doing.

Yesterday I received the 50th anniversary flag that I had made 5 years ago when we celebrated 50 years of camp on Lake Temiscaming.

There were a lot of memories made that day and even more recalled of the fifty years since it was built.

Everybody who attended was invited to sign the flag, then it was hoisted on the camp flagpole.

Now the camp is being sold and my sister kindly returned the flag to me.

After Mom and Dad passed away, the camp just wasn’t camp for me anymore.

But I have the fond memories that will never go away.