Friday, May 31st - is it finally going to warm up?

May hasn't been the best month weather wise but it's certainly going out with a flourish. It's 13' at 5:15 am and we should reach a high of 26' later this afternoon. Of course it may be the hot humid sticky weather we all hate but we just have to think back to February when we had blizzards three weekends in a row and that should put things into the proper perspective!

My cold is still hanging on but I was feeling much better on Wednesday so I was able to get some grass cut. Hopefully I can do some more tonight. It was wet and drizzly yesterday so that wasn't an option last night.  With the dreary weather we've had everyone is really looking forward to a few days of nice temperatures that are supposed to extend into the weekend. Bring it on!

No real plans for the weekend. I will try to get the push mower started so I can do the trimming around the trees and stuff like that.

GREAT NEWS: As I'm sitting here typing this, a humming bird just flew up to the window and stopped for a moment then flew off. They're back! I have my hummingbird feeders out and washed and ready to hang but not yet made the food. I'm going to have to do that right away so I can get those in place.  That is one of my favorite things about summer here - watching those delightful little birds come up to my window.

I must share this little story. A number of months ago, I mentioned that a woman in Ontario had stumbled across my blog and was following it. They've built a summer home here on the island and eventually will retire to it. In the meantime it's pretty much finished and they are renting it out for the summers.  There are a lot of eerie coincidences in our lives and it recently got even more peculiar. She had posted a picture out of a magazine of what she hopes to make the dining area of her house look like. When I saw the photo on her blog I almost fell off my chair. It was taken from a magazine about 4 years ago and I had saved the exact same picture.  I found it around the time we bought this house and the layout of the room in the photo is my kitchen! It's a very cottagey look and I would still love to do it here once I have somewhere else to put a bigger dining table (which may come sooner than I thought, but that's another plan). Her name is Patti (coincidence #1) and she'll be on the island in June. I can't wait to meet her but it will seem a bit odd to meet when we know so much about each other and yet have never met.  

Wednesday, May 29th - it's pretty quiet around our house these days

It's a chilly 5' this morning but the sun is just coming up and there's virtually no wind so it's really quite nice out. We should reach a high of 18' later with even more sun so bring it on!

I've been fighting a cold the past few days and frankly not winning but I think I have it beat now. I'm feeling much better this morning. Good thing too because if I don't get out there soon to finish mowing the lawn I'm going to need a hay mower. I'd forgotten just how fast the grass grows when you get sunny days followed by wet ones.

Because I've not been doing anything except coming home from work and eating a bit of supper and then going straight to bed, I really have nothing to write about so I'll share the bee experience so far - even though I haven't actually been part of it.

Over the winter Lloyd spent countless hours reading up about the keeping of bees. I guess he wants to make our first livestock really tiny! As he read and researched more and more, he found a place in Moncton that he could purchase beehives and all the assorted paraphenalia that goes with them.

During the winter he also discovered the PEI Beekeepers Assocation and went off to his first meeting. There he met all kinds of beekeepers and made many contacts.  From this meeting came the ordering of the bees.

Fast forward to the beginning of May and we see him anxiously awaiting the arrival of what he affectionately refers to as "his girls".  Finally one evening he got the call - they are here. Meet someone at the Irving in Mount Stewart for the delivery.

It was dark when he got back so it wasn't until morning that I could see two cardboard boxes sitting on top of the hives at the bottom of the yard, down near the road. They had to be left alone to settle down after their long trip. (I know nothing about bees so you're getting the condensed version of what I'm being told along the way).

After a couple of days relaxing, it was time to move said bees into their new digs! I wasn't home for that process but both Brenda and Berne came over and Brenda was kind enough to photograph the whole process. It went something like this:

First you have to make sure you're properly suited up

The smoke making device must be lit (sorry but I don't know what it's called) 

The boxes the bees arrived in

The frames are carefully removed 

And inserted into the hives

"Is this our new dad?"

The whole process actually went rather smoothly with there being only one stinging and that was Bernie. But then he didn't have all the fancy protective gear. 

Now we just wait for them to do their work and we should be rewarded with lots of honey.  The blueberry fields out back will be a great place for them to do their pollinating work as well as the apple trees right beside them. 

Monday, May 27th - not such a bad weekend after all

It's a cool 8' this morning and although it's not raining right now, it has been recently as everything outside is still very wet. We may see more showers later this afternoon with our high of 10'.  A couple more days like this and then it should warm up a bit by mid week.'

Lloyd made it to Ontario but not without incident. Turns out he got a puncture in the new tire he just had put on before he left. After having a bit of trouble finding a place that was willing to plug the hole for him, he continued on his way - in the rain and the wind. Needless to say not the nicest of trips but hopefully he'll have better weather soon, as the bike is his only means of transportation while he's there.  But I'm sure he'll manage.

It rained here on Saturday so I really didn't mind working. It was a really busy morning so it went by quickly. By the time I left to go home the rain had stopped but it was still quite windy and cool. I poked around town and made a few stops, had some lunch at Subway and ended up getting home around 5:00.  Because I'd already eaten I could get to work straight away on the quilt I've been working on and by 8:15 on Saturday night it was all finished. All it needed then was to be washed and dried and it's ready to go to it's new home. There are a couple of little errors but overall I'm pleased with the results and I think the new parents will appreciate that it comes form the heart and not the store.

Sunday morning I woke up around 6:00 to bright sunny skies. Unfortunately they didn't last long and before long it was clouded over. It had rained in the night and everything was pretty wet.  Brenda called to advise that Bernie had gone into town for coffee on his bike but he was the only one there. After a trip up along the north shore he was back home again.  He suggested that she call her friend and he would take us both out for breakfast after church. So I did a bit of tidying up and they picked me up around 10:30. We headed out to Cardigan. It's a busy spot on a Sunday morning but we managed to time it just right.  By the time we finished eating, the sun had come back out again but it was still rather windy. Brenda had been the bus driver at a wedding of some friends of Will's the day before and she didn't get home until 2:00 am. Needless to say she was going home to have a little nap and then maybe a little bike ride. I had been yawning all morning as well and thought I might have a nap too but after changing into old clothes, the sun was shining and I decided to spend some time outside. It was the perfect day for puttering outside in the yard. The sun was shining most of the time and the temperature wasn't too hot. It was a bit breezy but not too bad and miracle of miracles - there were absolutely no bugs around. I think it's that one day between black fly season and mosquito season. It was wonderful to be out all day and not have to bathe in bug repellent to do so.

I went inside around 5:00 and made myself something to eat and that was about it for the rest of the night. I had a hot bath and read my book later in the evening and headed off to bed early. I think I've come down with a cold as I was coughing all day Saturday and by Sunday evening my nose was quite congested so I had a nice hot lemon drink and headed off to bed.

I did get a call late in the afternoon from James. It seems they were on their way to Rockwood Conservation Area to take his kayak for it's maiden voyage. I was hoping to get some pictures in my email this morning but I'll have to wait till Wednesday to share that with you. Hope they had fun. They were taking fishing equipment with them so that they could fish as well as kayak.

Friday, May 24th - Cape Breton adventures Part II

It's a balmier 15' this morning but quite breezy. We should reach a high of 19' later with a chance of showers during the day and rain overnight and most of the weekend.

Let's see where did we leave off. We woke up on Sunday morning and had a leisurely breakfast at the B&B. Then, equipped with maps and traveling instructions from our hosts we headed out to explore. It was still overcast and cool but as the day progressed the sun came out and it turned out to be a great day.

We headed out and around the coast then back inland a bit to find the Mira River and Marion Bridge, places mentioned in my favorite Anne Murray song.

 It's very pretty along there and a lovely drive. Of course it's off season so there was no traffic anywhere. At one point we stopped to pick up something to drink and I noticed a poster that a local hall was hosting a roast beef dinner as a fundraiser. So we continued our travels and ended up back there for something to eat at supper time. It was good and we enjoyed it but our hall does a better job (although my opinion may be a little skewed!).  But it was nice to sit and observe the locals enjoying each others company, meeting and greeting along the way as you'd expect in the rural maritimes.  Unfortunately we had left Lloyd's phone in the car so we missed a call from Seward (the bride's father) to meet them and the couple from Guelph for supper in Sydney. By the time we got the message it was late in the evening.  Not to worry, we made plans to meet for coffee in the morning before heading out.

It was really interesting to see Gaelic on the signs as well as english

It had been a pretty full day of traveling so after a bit of TV back at the B&B it was time to call it a day. We had requested an earlier breakfast on Monday and after packing up, and meeting Seward for coffee, we hit the road around 10:30. Because of the time of year, nothing was open so there really wasn't anywhere to stop along the way. We did take a few pictures at Rita's Tea Room which was run by Rita McNeil before her recent passing. It's not yet up and running for the season, although the website indicates it will be. It looks like a lovely spot and next time maybe we'll get to have tea.

I bet the grounds are stunning in the summer

Saw this building on the way home - this is what my balcony is going to look like
when it's done - we really liked the addition of the shutters

Because it was off season, we made good time back to the ferry. We had time to kill so stopped into a little cafe in Pictou for some lunch. Again, being off season, and a holiday to boot, not a lot was open in this pretty little town but the place we did find was really interesting and the food was good.

We picked up the dog on our way home and as usual he was mighty glad to see us and get out of his kennel.  And that was pretty much our weekend.

Tuesday and Wednesday evening turned out not too badly weather wise so I used those opportunities to cut some of the lawn. If it's still good tonight I'll tackle the last piece.  Lloyd called me late yesterday morning to advise he'd decided to head to Ontario as we are expecting rain over the next few days so not much work is going to get done on the roof so he may as well make his trip now.  He left Charlottetown around 1:00 and called last night a little after 8:00 to say he was in Quebec and was going to travel for another couple of hours before calling it a day. He should arrive in Guelph sometime today.  Brenda and I took advantage of the fact he's gone and got together for some nachos and wine - something we haven't had the chance to do in a while!

PS - welcome back Port Perry!!

Wednesday, May 22nd -Long weekend part I

It's a little milder this morning at 8' but cloudy. We may see some showers later this afternoon and reach a high of 11', much better than the weather we had for most of the weekend. It was very cold with rain mixed with a bit of snow for most of Saturday, but Sunday wasn't so bad as it did clear up and the sun actually came out in the afternoon. There was a threat of up to 5 cm of snow on Cape Breton Island but fortunately that didn't happen. Yesterday I read in the paper that Gander Nfld. received 54 cm of snow between Saturday and Sunday so I suppose a little cold wet rain wasn't really so bad after all.

It was a busy weekend - where to start. I suppose at the beginning when I royally messed up the ferry reservation. I left work early so I could pick Lloyd up and be at the boat in lots of time for the 6:30 crossing. I was surprised when we got there that there was only one other car waiting in line - it was a long weekend after all. When we got to the gate, the attendant checked the list for the next sailing and didn't see our name in spite of the fact that I had made a reservation. Turns out I had booked the 6:30 boat alright - the one that had sailed at 6:30 that morning. Not to worry- we can get you on this one but it doesn't leave until 8:00 pm. It was 5:30 at the time so we had quite a long wait. Fortunately the cafeteria was open so we went inside and took our books with us and had coffee.

This little error was going to make our arrival at the B&B in Antigonish around 10:30.  I called the lady who runs it and suggested that we were going to be quite late and she was totally okay with that and said she would see us when we got there, not to worry.  We eventually got on the boat and by that time we were hungry. Lucky for me Lloyd had taken my earlier suggestion seriously and packed us a nice picnic. We had egg salad sandwiches, tuna sandwiches and pastries for dessert, while we sat at a table and read our books.  It was a great idea.

When we finally got off the boat and back on the road it took approximately an hour to get to the B&B called The Carpenter's Mrs Bed and Breakfast. It was dark and raining and we pulled over to check the numbers on houses and didn't we pull in right at the house. We were warmly welcomed by Ruth who showed us to our lovely room and asked if we would care for some tea. A nice cup of hot tea was just what we needed after driving for an hour on dark, rainy and unfamiliar roads. We went down stairs and joined Ruth and Albert in the living room for tea and fresh from the oven Lavender Oatcakes. They were truly a treat and perfect with a hot cup of tea. (She was very kind to share the recipe with me).
We had a lovely chat while we had our tea and it was close to midnight when we got to bed.

In the morning we were treated to a wonderfully stuffed cheese and veggie omelet along with yogurt and granola,  bacon. toast and juice, tea and coffee.  Towards the end of our meal, Albert came in and sat down and chatted with Lloyd and Ruth sat and chatted with me. We continued our chat while the men went outside to check out Albert's tractor.  I have to admit I could have happily spent the day with Ruth but we had to be on our way. It was 10:30 when we hit the road again after bidding farewell to Ruth and Albert. If traveling that way again, we will definitely plan to stay there again. That's one of the things we really enjoy about staying at a B&B - you meet some really interesting people.

It was only drizzling slightly and it was daylight so the last leg of the trip was much better. We arrived at the B&B in Glace Bay around 1:30 with ample time to get ready for the wedding at 3:00. Our accommodations in Cape Breton were very nice as well. The Cedarwoods B&B only has one bedroom that they rent out but it's in the basement. We essentially had a whole apartment at our disposal. Besides the bedroom, we also had a dining area and a living room area complete with TV and of course our own bathroom. This was a nice feature as we were going to be there for a couple of days. Again we were treated really well and it was nice to have the extra space.

We got changed and headed over to the hall where the wedding was being held. They did a nice job of decorating and the ceremony was lovely.  We were warmly greeted by the brides father Seaward, brother of an  old friend,  and his wife Charlene. ( I realized after I got home that I never did get any photos of the bride's mother as she was too busy flitting around!) The bride's two sisters were her attendants.

 I reminded them of the time they were visiting Guelph as a family and I brought newborn granddaughter Meghan over to visit. I think she was about 18 hours old. I had picked Patti up at the hospital after giving birth the night before. I inquired how long it would be before I could take this new baby visiting and she told me I could take her now. So I dropped Patti off at home and then went over to Arts with this tiny infant. The girls were thrilled and their mom was amazed that this tiny new baby was out socializing already.  (That also let Patti off the hook - Grandma was the one who brought this new baby home to then 21 month old James, not his mom. I'm sure there are days when he's never forgiven me! )

The bride with her two sisters (L-R- Emily, Allison, Samantha)
Meghan , you must recognize these girls -
you've met them before - so what if you were only 18 hours old!

I always have to check out the cake whenever I'm at a wedding

When the ceremony was over we had a couple of hours to kill until the supper so we headed out to explore Glace Bay. Many years ago I worked with a girl in Toronto who had come from here so I'll have to touch base and let her know I visited her home town.

Outside of town

Not a great day for the beach!

We arrived at the hall later for the dinner to discover that we were being seated with another couple from Guelph. I had met Mark a couple of times and so had Lloyd but we really didn't know him and his wife Cathy, although they had lived next door to our good friend Art, who was the uncle of the bride. We had a nice time chatting and getting to know them and it was good for all of us that we had a location in common. At one time we had actually lived on the same street, but not at the same time.   Cathy and I were talking about how busy kids are these days, as they have two girls. Turns out her girls dance at the same dance school as my granddaughter - Meghan (1). We may just run into each other at the dance recital in June!

Mark and Cathy from Guelph

Seaward, me and Lloyd 

Only Seaward could get away with a camo tux.
Dude - too many episodes of Duck Dynasty!

We left the reception around midnight and headed back. It had been a long day and we were both tired. We bid our farewells with plans to get together again sometime on Sunday - stay tuned for part II  of our Cape Breton adventure.

Friday, May 17th - glad I'm not camping on THIS long weekend

It's a breezy 9' this morning that feels more like 6' and that's as good as it's going to get today. Tomorrow will be a high of 6' and rain for most of the weekend. In some ways I'm a little happy because it will justify the fact that my lawn hasn't gotten cut yet. It's getting a little shaggy and may be totally out of control when we get back on Monday.  The plus side is, if the weather isn't great  I won't be feeling guilty all weekend about the outside work I should be getting done.

We're heading off this afternoon to travel to Cape Breton to  attend a wedding there on Saturday. It will be nice to get away for a few days, even if the weather is going to be pretty crappy there as well.
We're catching the 6:30 ferry and will stay at a B&B in Antigonish then head to Sydney tomorrow morning, where we are checking into another B&B there.  Then we'll come straight back on Monday.

Lloyds bees arrived on Wednesday evening. They are in two small boxes that are now sitting one on top of each hive. It's hard to imagine that there are close to 15,000 bees in each box. They've been sitting there since Wednesday so they could relax after their long trip. Today they get put into the hives. Bernie is coming over to watch that process but I suspect it will be from a distance. I suggested to Lloyd that Bernie could be the official photographer. I wonder how many stings Lloyd will have by the end of the day! Hopefully not too many.

Not much else going on because the weather has been cold and damp all week long. The shingles are making a bit of progress but again, that cold and wet weather  has made it difficult. Hopefully next week will be better and it will get finished. It will be easier to start on the inside once the roof is nicely covered to keep out the elements.

James and I have been texting back and forth since he got his new phone. I know he could have texted before on his ipod but this is new and exciting technology I suppose. I have to admit I'm enjoying keeping in touch with the texts, and the conversation we had a couple of days ago really made me laugh a number of times!

Brenda and Marlene came over on Wednesday evening to work on a display board for a church project and it turned out quite nicely. We had a lovely evening all working together on it. I did the lettering for the words they wanted to use while they placed everything and made sure they were securely stuck down.

So, that's it for today but there won't be a post on Monday until the evening when I get back.
Have a great long weekend and if you're somewhere with even slightly warmer weather, enjoy!

Wednesday, May 15th - it truly was a dark and stormy night!

As the daylight slowly comes into the sky, the rain is easing off slightly and the winds have died down just a bit. I was awakened several times during the night to the sounds of the rain pounding against the window and the wind literally shaking the house at times. It's currently 4' but feels more like -1' but we should reach a high of 14' later with drier conditions.

Monday after I got home from work I picked Lloyd up and we headed down our road. Once again this year we are treated to a spectacular display of tulips courtesy of the local tulip growers. What a spectacular sight they make. Unfortunately the black flies were also out in full force so walking among them wasn't really much of an option. I went far enough to get a couple of pictures and that was it. I don't know how far they extended because there was a bit of a knoll and I couldn't see over it but if past years are any indication, it's quite a distance.

It's hard to imagine that in a day or two ( if not already done) the heads of all the flowers will be unceremoniously chopped off. This spectacular display has nothing what so ever to do with  the flowers - it's all about the bulbs. The blooms will be cut off so the goodness can go into the bulb. We are very fortunate to have this display as long as we do.

Not much else is happening. Work has been really busy so I'm enjoying just vegging a bit in the evening although I have gotten caught up on mundane stuff like laundry. I have also gotten all my quilt blocks put together. I just have a bit of hand sewing to do on the back and then the border can go on. It's far from perfect but it's still somewhat attractive and I hope they'll like it. It's heavier than I thought it might be so I'm thinking it might be better used as a blanket to place on the floor to lie the baby down on. I remember how much Patti loved lying on the floor and wiggling around and looking around at the world when she was tiny. Because I haven't used baby fabrics, I can see it being something a little girl could keep folded up on the end of her bed to use as a snuggly blanket when it gets chilly. The back is flannel so it's really nice and soft. I'll post a photo when I get the border finished.

Tonight Brenda and Marlene are coming over to do some artsy crafty things for the church. Letters for words need to be cut out and of course I have just the tools to do that.  Then tomorrow night it will be get packed and ready to head out on Friday after work. We plan to catch the 6:30 ferry to Nova Scotia and then we'll be on our way to Cape Breton. I'm hoping the weather cooperates. I don't mind if it's a bit chilly but it would be nice if the rain stopped for traveling. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Monday, May 13th - hope all the moms out there had a lovely day yesterday

It's a cloudy11' this morning but it's supposed to clear up and reach a sunny 15' later this afternoon.
We finally received the much needed rain they've been promising for quite some time. It did make a mess of Mother's Day but we all made the best of it.

Saturday started out foggy and dreary but actually turned out to be quite nice. When I got home from work Lloyd was working on the garage roof. After coming inside and having a cup of tea, he decided to get back to it. He kept on with his shingling and I got to work extending the flower bed at the side of the house. The ground was very dry so it was easier to dig up the sod and  remove it. I worked away at it until it was all finished and Lloyd was just calling it quits for the day as well. I suggested that if he could take an old table that was stored in the shed up the ladder to the balcony, I'd get the beer. So we have officially christened the new unfinished balcony with our first outing. It was very pleasant up there  except for the black flies that seemed to think we needed their company.  I can totally see this space being put to good use throughout the summer.

CHEERS!

The view from up here is great

By the time we finished our beer, it had started to rain but we were snug as a couple of bugs in our little enclosed space. Of course that's only because the rain was falling straight down and not in our direction!  It was after 7:00 when we went inside so time to make a quick bite to eat and call it a day.

Sunday the rain continued as was expected. I had already planned to spend my time working on the quilt I need to get finished in the next couple of weeks. Brenda and Bernie were going to spend the day cleaning and polishing their bikes.  When they were done, they came over to have a Mother's Day dinner with us.  It was a simple meal but turned out great - one of my better efforts if I do say so myself. I braised some beef short ribs in a combination of beer and balsamic vinegar. After 3 hours in the oven, they pretty much melted in your mouth and the flavour was wonderful. We paired them with a cauliflower potato puree and fresh green beans. All plates were cleaned up so I take that as a good sign. One diner actually used a tiny rubber spatula to ensure getting every little morsel but we won't mention who!
Dessert was  two things - a strawberry rhubarb crisp and lemon meringue tarts. The crisp was okay but it used frozen rhubarb and tasteless strawberries, but pretty soon we'll be able to make it with fresh strawberries and rhubarb - it will be so much better!

Our lemon meringue tarts

Grandson James has a cell phone now so we were texting back and forth a little bit last night. It's probably not really cool to be texting your grandma but I don't think James will care about that.

Friday, May 10th - bring on the rain

It's currently 13' at 5:30 this morning heading for a high of18' later. We should get a little bit of rain but we really do need a full day or two of nice gentle steady rain. It's much too early in the season to be this dry. Not a lot is forecast over the next couple of days but hopefully by the beginning of the week we may get some. It does impede work on the garage roof and things in there will get all wet again, but we really do need the rain.

Well, it's been an exciting couple of days for me at least.

I'm going to see Paul McCartney--- again !!!

I knew that he was playing on the Plains of Abraham on July 23rd but I had decided that after the concert two years ago at Yankee Stadium that nothing else could come close. But Pre-Sale of tickets was going to start on Wednesday at 11:00 our time. I told myself all morning that I really didn't need to go, but then as 11:00 got closer, I couldn't stop myself from going in and at least checking out the price. Well, you know what happened. I was placed in a queue and I thought, good, I'll never get in so the decision will be made for me. But a couple of minutes later a new screen came up and asked me how many tickets I would like to purchase - DUH - of course I need at least 2. No idea who might go with me but what the heck. So I was a pretty happy camper for the remainder of the day.

I had texted Brenda to see if she might be interested and I can't believe it, but she's going to go with me.

Last night we got together and did a little advance planning. We (well, I) decided that it might be fun to camp out. I found a camp ground in the area that has space available and Brenda being the good sport that she always is, has agreed. She had some great ideas too and suggested we could take a more scenic route and tour around the Gaspe area on the way. Wonderful as I've never been there. Then we'll work our way to Quebec City in time for the show. We plan to get there on Monday sometime so we can set up camp, and then be ready for Tuesday. Then we'll have to drive straight back on Wednesday. Of course, those plans could change if it buckets down rain but we'll just play it by ear. If nothing else, we are flexible!





With all this nice weather we've been having, I couldn't resist the temptation to eat supper outside on Wednesday. This was of course, precipitated by a power outage - the second one this week. Power was off when I got home but fortunately for me I had planned supper in advance and it didn't require the stove (although I could have used the stove top). I had put some pork chops in the slow cooker in the morning with some sliced onions and some BBQ sauce. They had simmered all day long so were done by the time we lost the lights. When I got home I shredded the pork and mixed it back in with the onions and some of the sauce. I spread it on half of some large wraps, topped with some grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese and some chives fresh out of the garden. Then I put them on the BBQ to get toasty and hot. With a little Caesar Salad they were pretty darn good. I had suggested that we heat outside at the picnic table but it didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped.

 It was lovely and warm but the black flies have arrived so that made for a lot of swatting. I'm guessing the screened dining tent will be going up sooner rather than later - until I get my upper balcony functioning that is.

It was brought to my attention on Wednesday that I had mentioned the new bee hives but forgot to include the photo so here it is - still without bees at this point.

Wednesday, May 8th - and the sunshine continues.... for now

Its a balmy 8' this morning at 5:30 and we should reach another high of at least 20' later. The past few days have been absolutely gorgeous, and of course we know this weather is not typical for this time of year. We've not had rain for quite some time and things are very dry. That should change over the next few days as rain is forecast right up until Monday. No bike rides on Mother's Day for us this year.

Due to the dry windy conditions yesterday, there was a forest fire up near Pleasant Grove close to the north shore. I could see the smoke from the highway as I was coming home last night. Several homes were evacuated in the area as they were in real danger but it seems that things are now under control. I read this morning that fire crews stayed out there all night to monitor hot spots.

A photo taken by a local resident

This was the view from the highway when I was on my way home last night

Fortunately no one was injured and no historic landmarks were lost this time. 

It's been a busy few days around our house for Lloyd. He's spent Monday working on trimming the branches off the trees. Each time the oil delivery truck comes, they leave us a note asking us to please trim the branches off the trees that hang over the lane. Now that oil deliveries are done for the season, it's finally done! When I got homeMonday afternoon there were big piles of branches under every tree. When I got home last night, they were all gone and are now stacked in a pile in the back yard. When the time comes, that's going to be quite some bonfire!  To give you a little perspective, the tiny pile to the right is the fire pit.

I also noticed something else new when I drove up the road last night. The freshly painted bee hives have been moved from the garage and out to their new home down by the road. There are no bees in there yet - rumour has it that they'll be arriving any day now. That's going to be an interesting experience for sure. Kind of hope I'm not home when that happens. 

The shingles and supplies for installing them were delivered this week but the rainy weather will delay that step a few days. Once the roof is done it will make a huge difference. We just finally got it all dry inside and now it's going to rain but I suppose it won't take as long to dry out this time.  The ice and snow that built up over the winter took a long time to melt and then the dirt floor inside was a sea of mud for quite some time but a little rain should be dried up much quicker. 

But for today we'll enjoy basking in another warm and sunny day. 

Monday, May 6th -it's that time of year again - Lobster Season!

It's a milder 6' this morning and heading for a lovely sunny 19' later this afternoon - much too nice to have to work, but such is life.

It was a beautiful weekend though not quite as warm as expected later today.  After not feeling too well on Friday I was glad to wake up feeling much better on Saturday. Work wasn't too busy on Saturday so I was able to catch up on some stuff I didn't get done on Friday. Then Saturday evening we were treated to a feast at the Van Gaals - the first lobster of the season!  Potato Salad, coleslaw and home made rolls rounded out a perfect meal - topped off with a homemade Blueberry Raspberry pie and ice cream for dessert. Does it really get any better? I don't think so.

All that remains of our lobster feast - a pot full of shells
ready to be made into a luscious stock

Sunday morning dawned nice and sunny although a bit cool. Lloyd and Bernie headed off on their bikes around 8:00 for coffee and then breakfast some where. It gradually got warmer and they didn't get home till around 3:00. I took the opportunity to spend some time doing some jobs around the house - putting away my winter clothes, getting out my summer ones, doing some laundry, fun stuff like that. Brenda popped in for a coffee after church and we planned the rest of our day from there. We met again at 1:00 and loaded up the kayaks and headed to the Johnson's River for our first paddle of the season. The breeze was a bit cool when we first got there then once we were on the water and working a little we quickly warmed up. It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water. We explored some little channels on the river we hadn't found before.

In some spots the channels are quite narrow and present a bit of a challenge to steer through but it's interesting to see where they go.  I'm looking forward to taking James out there when he visits in July.
Yes, James is coming for a few day for the Canada Day Weekend. His favorite band, Hedley, is playing at a massive Canada Day concert series. I know it's not really cool to have to go to a rock concert with your grandma, but he's a good sport and is looking forward to it. Fortunately grandma has been to a few rock concerts in her day so it won't be a totally unpleasant experience. In fact it will be a lot of fun.  Besides fishing, he'll likely have to go for a bike ride with the boys on Sunday morning and of course, we will have to kayak.  Should be a good time for all, I think.

Patti called yesterday to tell me she was picking up the tickets for the dance recital I'll be attending in June in Ontario. The 'star' of the show, has requested that we sit in the front row - did I mind that? Of course not - I need to be able to see that smiling face up close and be able to count every sequin on the costumes! I can't believe it's really just a month away.

Friday, May 3rd - spring is truly here - at least for me

While we have had a few nice days,  yesterday and today don't really feel like spring. Yesterday was only a high of 9 but the wind blowing from the north certainly made it feel much colder. Today isn't going to be much better. It's currently 2' this morning but it feels more like -2'. This afternoon will be 9' but will only feel like 6'. But trust me spring is here.

I know the usual signs of spring that people look for - the first robins, the reappearance of raccoons, the first crocuses and the tulips and daffodils coming up, the emerging buds on the trees but there is really only one true sign of spring for me, the first of which I saw on Wednesday. Then between Wednesday morning and Thursday evening, I spotted a total of 5 of these in various colours in various locations. Of course, I'm talking about .....

...The Mazda Miata.

Like spring flowers, they are popping up all over the area. The ultimate tease is the Mazda dealership that's right across the street from ours. Every day I  have to sit at my desk while the little black Miata sits high on it's perch, facing me day in and day out. I look out my window and there it is, taunting me to come and take it for a test drive.

But I dare not. I've driven them in the past from time to time, if only for a brief few minutes but enough time to know how it feels to zip down the highway in a body hugging little car with the wind whipping through my hair (no helmet required).
No, instead I will wait patiently for the day when somebody comes along with the same dream and takes it away and out of temptation! Then that will be it for another year as they usually only bring in one each spring.

But, how can I possibly complain?  We now have this really cool tractor that I can learn to drive - I don't think it will get up enough speed to have the wind whip through my hair but at least I won't need to wear a helmet :-)

Speaking of said tractor, last night Lloyd picked me up after work to go out to somewhere between Hunter River and Kensington to look at a blade and a bucket for his tractor. After having to call Brenda for directions as we missed the road on the first pass, we finally found our destination. After negotiating the purchase, we headed back to town to Cedars for a Schawarma and Lebanese rice.  By the time we got home it was 8:30 so that was pretty much it for the day.

Wednesday, May 1st - Just checking in...

I woke up at5:30 a.m. and wasn't feeling very well, and as I had really nothing to write about I chose to skip this mornings post. My assumption was that no one would really notice. It has, however, been brought to my attention that I should at least make an appearnace to avoid well meaning friends from having to call to make sure all is well.
So, all is well. I am at work and starting to feel better, the sun is shining and it should be a lovely day and........... I still have nothing new to report.
So,  see you on Friday!!!