Last week I began the Laundry Room project, a task that would give MY Jane more and make the room look neater. It would also address another thing that bugged me a bit i.e. the fact that the shelves in the cupboard we had there were not wide enough. When you put things like the crock pot and roasting pans on the shelves, the doors would not close properly. With these new shelves, I made them wide enough to accommodate those larger items.
Bird Feeder Marauder
I have been curious lately as to why the bird seeds in our bird feeder have been going down so quickly. I found the answer this morning.
You see that little blob of brown sitting on the bird feeder roost? That’s the answer. A cute little chipmunk who also happens to be a little seed thief. The roost on the feeder is weight sensitive so as to prevent squirrels from getting at the bird seed. But little Chippie doesn’t weigh quite enough to cause the feeder holes to get blocked.
I’m going to have to try to adjust it somehow. I much prefer to see birds there. Like yesterday, MY Jane and I were delighted to see a male cardinal, resplendent in his red plumage, at our feeder. And the other day, two gold finches were feeding.
Progress on Laundry Shelving Project
Good progress on the Laundry Shelving project. Yesterday I finished the shelving construction and application of the edging tape. As you can see, I built in modular sections so as to make it easier to carry from the garage to the Laundry room.
You will also note the sliding doors which will keep paper products like paper towels and toilet tissue out of view. In fact, when I’m done, everything will be out of view because I plan on putting doors on to cover all the shelves. The shot below shows them in place in the laundry room.
The shelves themselves are height adjustable to allow for different sized items. All the exposed wood you see will be covered with 1.5 inch white trim.
MY Jane is happy and it didn’t take her very long to start organizing stuff.
Today, I put the trim on and measure up for doors and door hardware.
A Day at Home
Yesterday, MY Jane and I spent the day at home – Jane did a little gardening and I was out in the garage continuing to work on the Laundry Shelving project. Both of us are pleased with our efforts and pronounced the day a productive one.
I had to go to Home Depot again for more material and then Jane and I went to the nearby West Marine store where Jane ordered some galleyware for the boat. It should be here Wednesday and they have a nautical theme on them but nothing garish. They will look really nice in the boat.
Jane is also trying to overcome a head cold which she contracted last Monday. She seems to be getting better.
We played one of those kind of puzzle clue games on our I Pads last night which really overtaxed my brain and tired me right out. I was glad to go to bed.
It’s back to work today for Jane while I continue puttering about and doing a lot of nothing (at which I’m very good).
Checking out Midland
Yesterday our plans, initially, were to meet up with the guy who is selling us his boat. We had a few things we wanted to measure and Jane wanted to have a better look at the galley. That didn’t happen as I will explain further.
We ended up going to Midland, specifically Bay Port Yachting Centre where we intend to keep our boat, Georgian Spirit. It’s the one just in front of the dock with the stairs sitting at the end. That’ll be our parking spot. There, we met up with my friend, Larry, and had a look at the slip that will be ours. His boat has already been “splashed” i.e. put in the water, but he cannot yet get to his assigned slip because there is still ice in the way.
Today, a Coast Guard ice breaker is scheduled to sail into Midland Bay to break up the ice there. Usually this is an indication that a large freighter will soon arrive with a shipload of grain for the flour mill in Midland.
After a time, Jane and I decided to stop by to see Paul and Shelly. We wanted to see their new car which, by the way, is fully loaded and quite luxurious. Paul gave me an official NHL Maple Leaf puck to pass on to Chris for his hockey wall in his Man Cave.
After returning home, we had a fantastic dinner of meatballs and penne pasta topped with Parmesan cheese and garlic bread. It was yummy!
We ended our day by watching a movie entitled Falling Down starring Michael Douglas. Another great day with MY Jane!
Georgian Spirit & Shenanigans
It’s a dull overcast day in Barrie, with the temperature around +2 C. It’s not shaping up to be a good day for gardening or any kind of outside work, so MY Jane and I have decided to take a spin up to Port Severn and possibly have another look at the new boat we are buying.
I specifically want to see if the name on the transom (Black Pearl) is painted on or if it is a decal. We plan on changing that name to Georgian Spirit. After all, it is Georgian Bay that has played such a big part in our lives. We got married on an island in the Bay and even had a custom made medallion (representing windswept trees and rocks of Georgian Bay) installed when we had hardwood floors put down in our home.
One other name that was in the running was Shenanigans. It was a close second. It might be a good idea to use that name for the dinghy. For it is the dinghy that will be involved in most of the “shenanigans” that goes on when everyone is up on the boat.
Some past shenanigans include Steven and Chris convincing me to go tubing and laughing their heads off when my bathing suit gets half pulled off, or when Jane gets caught with one foot on the swim platform and the other in the dinghy and ends up in the drink or when the guys come back from a shore campfire in the dinghy and drop the lighted lantern into the lake. It stayed lit the whole time and still works.They then had to fish it out with a boat hook. Or the time Jane took her Mom, Ted, on a dinghy ride and got her wet. Or that day last July when our friends Jim and Annemarie were with us in the dinghy and Jim hit a big wave and got Annemarie soaked. Oh, how we laughed!
Yes, I think Shenanigans is a good name for the dinghy!
Minnie Speaks
Today it’s Friday and MY Jane is coming back home after being in Toronto on business since Tuesday. I missed her. The house is empty without her being here. Minnie is very nice, but she says very little. And at times she gets very demanding with persistent meowing until she gets what she wants. Like just this very moment, she can see that I’m busy typing my blog. Does she wait? No, of course not. She wants out and she wants out now!
There! She’s out….demanding little bitch. (Not really….I just said that cuz she can’t hear me).
You know, Minnie can’t speak. No cat can. But Minnie can sure let you know what she wants. Yesterday, for example, she was out on the patio and came to the back door and began meowing. Thinking she wanted in, I opened the door, whereupon she turned and jumped up on the patio table. So I closed the door. Again, she came to the door and started meowing. So I opened the door and once again, she turned and jumped up on the patio table.
“Oh! I get it. You want a picnic!”‘ I said to myself….(not out loud cuz then I’d be crazy). Or was it out loud? Never mind. I digress.
So being the good staff that I am, I got some of her favourite treats (beef flavoured Temptations) and took them to her on the patio. Sure enough, that’s what she wanted.
After all, when Minnie speaks, we jump!
Wasted Space in Laundry Room
I have a new project. MY Jane mentioned one day that the storage arrangement in the Laundry Room seemed to have a lot of wasted space. This is what I call “JaneSpeak”. What this translates to is, “You should build me shelves.”
I have to admit, there is a lot of wasted space there.
So, while MY Jane is in Toronto on business, I went to one of my favourite stores (Home Depot) to round up material starting with (2) 4′ x 8′ sheets if 5/8″ white melamine. Also bought a sheet of 1/8″ white hardboard because doors won’t work at the lower right where the folding table is. So I have to put in sliding doors there. That decision came about when more JaneSpeak was spoken i.e. “Would sliding doors be better there?”
“What a great idea”, I replied.
Now, don’t get the the idea that I am hard done by. The fact of the matter is that I love little projects like this. I get to use my DeWalt tools, which are the best. Oh yeah!
MY Jane is still in Toronto and working hard despite having a head cold. Murphy’s Law. The one time that her boss comes up from the US for client meetings. Go figure.
Later today, I will pick up Jane’s Mom, Ted, and take her to an appointment and then back home.
My Favourite Sister Visits
Yesterday, I picked my sister, Terry, up at the airport in Toronto on her return from Nova Scotia where she was visiting with Stephanie and Ross and, of course, Megan, her Grandaughter. She had a great visit but found it hard to leave the little munchkin behind. They will all be together again in July when they go to Terry’s.
In the meantime, it was a lot if fun having my little sister visit with me while MY Jane is away on business down in Toronto. One of Terry’s best friends from her childhood, Norma, dropped in to see Terry. Norma now lives in Barrie.
Terry and I had a great dinner last night which I prepared, then we watched a movie together.
Very enjoyable.
This morning, after a quick breakfast and a few laughs, Terry decided to leave a bit early so she might get home in time to get an allergy shot from the nursing station in Thorne, Ontario before it closed.
It’s always a delight having my favourite sister visit. Love ya Terr.
Bill’s Workbench
Do you believe that you can feel a connection to someone through a material object? I do. That’s why, when Chris said he didn’t have a use for Bill’s (Jane’s Father) workbench, I was reluctant to see it discarded. Jane has taken that workbench to every house she’s lived in since Superior Ave. So I brought it home to our house.
The two birdhouses pictured here, which now hang in our back yard, were probably built on this workbench when Jane was small and they lived on Superior Ave in Etobicoke. Jane has kept them over the years even though they were in very rough shape through squirrels chewing them and the weather. Last year she asked me if I could try to restore them and I managed to do so although the yellow one only had one piece of salvageable wood – the back panel.
Jane also told me that, when she was a little girl, she used to play pretend teacher in the basement and she would set up her classroom with her stuffed animals sitting there and pretend to teach. Sometimes Bill would have to walk through her classroom to get to that workbench but Jane told me that her Dad would knock first and ask, “Is it Ok if I walk through?”. And Jane, with a very stern look, would say “Yes, OK, then”. And Bill would go to that very work bench to putter around.
That little story tells me a lot about Bill, and I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet him. I think we would have gotten along very well. That’s why this workbench is so important.
Garden and Boating
Easter weekend is over and, once again, it’s just Minnie, MY Jane, and me. It’s always so nice to have the young ones here. It makes me feel young(er) too. They always include me in their activities whether it’s ball hockey, darts, or just hanging out. Always fun. And always sad to see them go.
Of course, inevitably conversation turned to boating, the new boat, and our planned week long boating vacation in mid July. And when I see pictures of my friend Larry’s boat already in the water at Bayport, I get more excited than ever. He is usually amongst the first to get launched every Spring and on occasion he has been the very first! The top picture below was taken in Port Rawson Bay last summer. Beautiful!
Today, we will be doing a little raking around the garden and some edging just to spruce things up a little. It will also be a chance for MY Jane to do some more long term planning to get the garden where she wants it. She is not a fan of a lineal type landscaping layout, but prefers a more “flowing” effect.
She agrees with my suggestion that it would look better if we had some shrubs and small bushes along the fence to enhance the overall look. Today, I will probably uncover the waterfall in the back corner as well.
Easter Dinner
Our Easter dinner was a great success. Jane’s Mom, Ted, did a great job of decorating the dinner table and, of course, MY Jane did her usual magic in the cooking department.
We had glazed leg of ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, vegetable shishkebab, and shrimp for the main course and cake (two kinds) for dessert. Absolutely delicious.
After stuffing ourselves with all that great food, we went outside to play a little more ball hockey, this time with a goalie net that Chris bought. Much better that way. Steven took some more aerial videos from the Quadcopter.
Once darkness had set in, we all went into the back yard while Steven did a night flight with the Quadcopter and Go Pro camera attached. It was fascinating to see the thing so high in the sky with all the lights on it lit up and so visible.
We then retired to the Family Room and watched the Go Pro videos on the big screen TV. All in all – a happy and fun Easter Day.
Riding off Into the Sunset
Steven, Chris, Klae, and Tonya all arrived last evening after fighting Toronto traffic. Needless to say, they were happy to finally get here and Jane and I were happy to see all of them. They brought a beautiful flower arrangement and apple pie.
They also brought extra hockey sticks because there is a plan to play some ball hockey if the weather holds up. Steven also brought his quad copter that he got for Christmas and which he has yet to try.
Klae gas to go back to work today and tomorrow we pick up Jane’s Mom, Ted, to have her over for Easter dinner.
Chris and Tonya go back Sunday to have Easter with Tonyas family and Steve goes back Monday.
This upcoming week, MY Jane will be in Toronto all week and Tuesday I pick my sister Terry up at the airport on her return from Nova Scotia where she has been visiting her daughter, Stephanie, Ross, and Grandaughter, Megan.
Very busy…..whatever happened to “riding off into the sunset”?
Plans for Backyard
It’s another cool beginning to the day here in Barrie as I sit at my favourite spot at the kitchen table having my morning coffee.
There is always something to see or hear out in our back yard. Last night I was out there doing ribs on our BBQ using a recipe I found on the internet. They were delicious! And so easy. Here’s the link if you want to give it a try http://allrecipes.com/recipe/barbecue-ribs/
Jane has been doing some long term planning for the landscaping look for the back yard. Right now, she is thinking of different shrubs alongside the fence at the left and some tall grasses in the back corner behind the waterfall.
Minnie (aka Minnie Minerva, the Gato, and sometimes “bitch” has) decided to join me while I type my blog.
OK now – where was I?
Oh yeah – the garden.
We think it will look nicer if we can cover up the fence with plants as much as we can. It’s much more soothing to the eye than boards.
Easter Dinner Preparations
Yesterday, Jane and I went shopping for Easter decorations. When you don’t wait until the last minute, there is quite a selection of stuff out there. Here’s some of the stuff we got:
I will post pictures of the finished table setting when it’s all set up for Easter dinner. This year, we will be having our Easter dinner on Saturday because Chris and Tonya have to leave Sunday morning to go to her family dinner. Steven and Klae and Ted will be arriving Thursday but Klae has to work on Friday.
So tonight, after Jane finishes work, we will go grocery shopping to stock up.
Kitchen Challenge and Mother Nature
Two kitchen fixtures installed successfully at Ted’s place, but not without challenge. I got the first one up and working in about 15 minutes. Quite a simple task…just three wires to connect and the new fixture itself was quite light. However the second one presented a different situation. After removing the old one and getting ready to install the new, I discovered that a part was missing – the bracket that attaches to the junction box. It was not a standard bracket either. That meant I had to go all the way back to Home Depot in the south end of Barrie to make the exchange. That done, I got second one installed as well.
Ted is happy!
I am glad I decided to do that job yesterday because I don’t feel like going anywhere today. Mother Nature decided to remind us who is boss and delivered another snowfall. In fact, it is snowing like crazy right now and it’s -5C. Here’s what it looks like in the back yard.
Hmmmmmm. Maybe I was a bit hasty in uncovering the patio furniture.
Looking for a Fixture
Got back home yesterday about noon and shortly thereafter, took Ted and Jane looking for kitchen light fixtures for Ted’s kitchen. Visited Lowes – nothing appealing there. Visited a lighting store – nothing there. Finally at Home Depot – pay dirt!
This is the one she selected, so later today, I will go over to her apartment and install them for her.
This weekend we will be having everyone – Ted, Steven and Klae, Chris and Tonya – for Easter dinner and they will all be arriving Thursday. It will be a busy week!
Project Completed
Well, amongst the three of us – Chris, Steven, and I – we completed the garage shelf construction project at Chris’ place.
All of us were satisfied with the end result, but especially Chris, who exclaimed happily, “Now I can get in and out if my car so much easier!” I should have taken a before shot of the garage. What an improvement.
Chris didn’t have need for the little workbench that was there and offered it to me. I am tight for garage space myself at home in Barrie, but I was reluctant to pass it up because it belonged to Jane’s Dad, Bill, and has followed Jane everywhere since they lived on Superior Ave in Etobicoke. When I look at that bench, I think of Bill puttering around on it and making things like the two bird houses of his that we have in the back yard. I wish I had gotten an opportunity to meet Jane’s Dad.
Besides having fun doing that little project, we had the opportunity to just sit around and shoot the breeze. We talked about boating and sports and watched a few movies together. Tonya and Chris are great hosts!
Look forward to having them all up to our place this Easter! It’s always an enjoyable and fun time!
Construction
At Chris’ today to construct shelving in his garage. Last night we had a great dinner and watched the latest episode of Vikings in his man cave. Huge projector screen. Awesome!
He has done a great job with hockey wall and sword display.
Great to be here with Chris Steve and Tonya
Action Central
Today the back yard was alive. Robins chasing around the trees; rabbits (two of them) scampering all about; a squirrel galloping along the back fence (I call it their highway); and Minnie climbing her steps in behind the waterfall to sit regally atop the post.
Unfortunately, by the time I got out there to take picture of her, she had come back down much to the mirthful delight of MY Jane!
Later today, I head to Chris’ place in Toronto to help him build some shelving in his garage. I am taking my table saw (a DeWalt) and tools. We will do our measuring this afternoon, go get the material, and tomorrow, we build! Oh yeah!
Patio Furniture
Yesterday I removed the covers from the patio furniture and garden bench. I still have take off the waterfall cover in the back corner of the garden.
Jane has drawn up a new garden plan which will involve the planting of shrubs along the West fence and which will hide the fence itself. We expect that this will not happen overnight; more like an ongoing work in progress.
I also spoke with Bayport yesterday regarding a new slip assignment for our new boat. It’s going to be very different with twin engines to operate but all of my boating friends tell me it’s much easier than what I’ve had. Hope they’re right.
Along came a Spider – Sat Down Beside Her
Yesterday was a kind of lazy one. I did go to Ted’s and attach some tie-back hooks for her kitchen curtains and did a little shopping for her, but that’s about it.
After dinner last night, I had a nice telephone chat with the owner of the boat that we are buying. I was extremely pleased when he agreed to leave two spare propellers and the BBQ. Also happy (very happy) to learn that there is a rudder indicator on the boat and that he has a current marine survey which he is willing to give me. Nice man.
After dinner Jane and I were watching the Leafs lose again and I decided to go for a shower. When I came out, Jane ( who is terrified of spiders) was sitting holding one of the Dutch clogs her Dad had brought home after the War.
Here she is looking at the remains of the spider corpse! She didn’t even scream. I’m so proud of her!
Bunny Rabbit Visitor
One of the things I like most about our home is the fact that the back yard is such an interesting place. Being able to sit every morning and gaze into the yard is wonderful. Yesterday, Jane and I were having our morning coffee when all of a sudden, Jane spotted a rabbit. We knew Minnie was out there and Jane was worried that she would chase it and hurt it. It was only last summer that Minnie chased and a caught a baby bunny. Luckily for the bunny, Jane rescued it and set it free unharmed.
As I mentioned yesterday, we went to Thornton and bought some really in garden flags. We wanted something that was Spring like seeing as Mother Nature has not been the most co-operative around here.
It’s starting to look and feel like Spring finally!
Garden Flags and Lunch
Yesterday, we picked up Jane’s 93 year old Mom, Ted, and headed for Thornton, Ontario, home of the Flag Store. We needed some Spring and Easter garden flags and they have a wide selection there. By then, it was afternoon and all of us were wanting a bite to eat so we went to a small out of the way place called Davidsons Country Dining on Big Bay Point Road.
This place is very rustic with the interior finished with log cabin siding and uneven floors. But the food,service, and atmosphere are excellent. The owner, Dan, stopped by our table to greet us and gave us a bit of history about the place. It was opened in 1945 and had numerous owners since then. He has had it since 1995.
Jane and I were there on a couple of previous occasions…not for lunch, but for dinner. They had jazz playing in the background and it was quite enjoyable.
We returned to Ted’s places after lunch and hung her kitchen curtains which look lovely. She has to do a couple more things and then that job will be complete. I think the only other thing left to do at her apartment is to change a couple of kitchen light fixtures which I will do in the next little while.
Tulips poking through!
Busy day ahead. MY Jane is going to Toronto later today. She has a meeting to attend tomorrow morning and tonight she will be having dinner at a huge Sports Bar with Steven and Chris. She is looking forward to that.
I will be remaining at home with Minnie and having a visit with my sister, Terry, who will be staying at our place tonight. She is en route to Nova Scotia to spend time with her granddaughter Meaghan and daughter, Stephanie. I’m looking forward to that!
Yesterday, Jane called me out to the front walkway and pointed out the tips of tulips and crocuses poking through the soil. We planted these last Fall, so it will be nice to see them finally bloom.
Spring Fever
Minnie is getting Spring fever. She loves being outdoors but, at 13 years old, she is not fond of the cold at all. This morning she jumped up (actually, I lifted her) on to our kitchen table and she gazed wistfully into the back yard.
From time to time she would turn and look at me as if to ask, “When is Spring going to get here?” And I would gaze back at her and think to myself, “I ask myself the same question, Minnie!”
Then I thought to myself, “what’s worse? Talking to myself or talking out loud to the cat?”
Spring fever does that to you, I suppose!
To-Do List
Yesterday, my Mother-in-Law, Ted, and I worked together on her kitchen drape project. It amazed me to watch a 93 year old lady, using a new sewing machine, do a fantastic job of making an absolutely straight seam! And with no glasses either!
Because of the mild weather, I was able to finally remove all the Christmas candy canes from the front walkway. All that’s left to do now is to remove the extension cords which are still buried beneath the remaining snow in the front yard. I will then be able to cross another item off my to-do list (below).
Sew What!
Yesterday we went to Jane’s Mom’s apartment to pick her up and look at her kitchen curtain project. We had given Ted a sewing machine for her birthday last year and this was the first use of it since then.
Jane’s Mom (Ted as she likes to be called) is 93 and still as independent as ever. After getting the thing threaded and bobbin wound, we tried a few practice runs on a Canadian flag that had a seam coming apart. That seemed to work OK.
After a time we decided to return to our place for a BBQ pork roast which I did on the rotisserie and Ted would continue with the curtain project at our house the next day.
I have watched Sewing with Nancy before and was intrigued by the precision cutting and measuring required to have a good product. It reminds me of woodworking which I love to do. Trying to get this new sewing machine going and actually sewing a straight hem on the flag was quite challenging for me. I think I will leave future sewing to the experts like Ted and Jane.
The Bank Corner
Yesterday was a very busy day. Jane had left to meet a friend in Collingwood and I managed to contact the current owner of the boat that we are buying. We had a great conversation about boating in general and the boat in particular. He is agreeable to coming with us to take the boat through the Port Severn lock and over to Bayport Yachting Centre in Midland when we take possession. That makes me feel better because, although I have been boating for 30 years, I have never operated a twin engine inboard or a boat this size. It’s 35 feet long and 13 feet wide, so it’s pretty big.
I also had the opportunity to re-connect with another good friend from my youth, Myles Prince. In one of my previous posts I had included a picture of a log cabin we had built – a picture that had been posted by one of my Facebook friends, Jim Graff. That prompted me to contact Myles and we had a great discussion about the notion of getting together sometime. So now that I have contact information and buy-in from them, all that remains is to pick a date and venue. Sometime this Summer and in Temsicaming would be my choice but we will see what the others think. It’s all very exciting!
The Cabin
Every once and awhile something comes along that you would not, in your wildest imagination, ever think of. Yesterday, one such thing occurred.
Jim Graff, now of North Bay, but formerly of Temiscaming, posted a black and white photo of two guys standing in front of a Log Cabin. Here’s the photo:
The one on the left is Jim Graff and the one on the right is Jim Burd.
As it turns out, this was the very log cabin that my friends and I built near Temsicaming, my home town, over 50 years ago. Those friends included Jim Burd, David Chantler, Myles Prince, and George Sparling.
I was so excited to see this photo, not only for the memories it evoked, but also because now I could show my wife, Jane, a picture of the cabin that I referred to when telling her stories about the fun I had up there when I was a teenager. Like the time all of us were staying there overnight in the middle of a very cold weekend (-25 below Farenheit) and the snow melted from the roof and froze the door so we couldn’t get out. With no axe inside (we had left it in a stump outside) and no window, we were locked in.
Fortunately Jim Burd’s Mom had sent Jim’s older brother Ken up to check on us and he chopped the ice off the door. What a time.
As soon as I saw the photo, I immediately called Jim Burd (who I have re-connected with last year) to share this great find. After he looked at it, we had another fun time reminiscing about those days of our youth in Temiscaming. We have already agreed that one of these times we are both going back to Temiscaming to try to find that location.
Very cool!
Easter Bunny Visit
Easter isn’t until April 20, but somebody forgot to tell the Easter Bunny. I looked into the back yard this morning and saw a whole bunch of rabbit tracks – even over top of the Quinzee Snow fort.
It make you wonder what the animals are thinking about this long drawn out winter, doesn’t it?
As for me – and everyone I talk to – we’re all saying we’ve had enough. Today the temperature is supposed to go up above freezing so that may help get rid of the snow cover. I’m anxious to see the tulips and crocuses that we planted last Fall.
And, of course, both Jane and I are very anxious to take possession of the boat on which we placed an offer a few weeks ago.
Life Unfolding 