As my alarm was going off, I could hear the wind howling outside in the dark - it's way too early for this. It's not really that cold - 15' that feels more like 13' but it seems colder because of the wind. Of course the bedroom window is open so it was nice and toasty under the covers. It's definitely beginning to feel a bit like fall. It might be wet off and on today and reach a high of 18' but it will feel more like 22' so that's not really so bad. Hopefully the weekend is nice.
Meghan (1) is visiting the island - she was due to arrive around midnight last night. Let's hope there's at least one beach day in there for her to enjoy so Welcome Home Meg!
No big plans for the weekend. Lloyd is going to an auction on Saturday morning that I considered going to. I checked out the website and decided there's not a single thing there that interests me so I'm going to work instead. I had asked if I could take Saturday off but we're short a couple of salesmen so it's better if I'm there. Not to worry - I'll still have Sunday and Monday. We have two functions at the Rec Centre this weekend - Saturday night and Monday night so we'll be busy that way. Other than that we'll just see what comes and what we feel like doing.
I talked to Patti and the kids the other night and Meghan had a great time on her birthday. She had three friends stay over so it was a busy place. Tristen's birthday is on Monday so he'll likely be at the cottage. They're heading out there today sometime. It might be rainy but James is planning to take his kayak and his fishing gear - just in case. Hopefully the weather cooperates for their last weekend of summer.
Patti picked up the sticker for Lloyd's airplane. The planes name is "Little Miss Guided" and he had found a tiny picture of a girl on a rocket of some sort. He commissioned Meghan (2) to reproduce it into a size that would fit on the airplane. She drew it and coloured it in and did a pretty nice job on it. That was taken to the sign shop but it still needed a bit of work. I've tried to insert a copy of it here but it's a PDF so it won't allow that. We'll have to try something else later.
Once it was done it was digitized and made into a sticker. I haven't seen the final product but apparently it turned out amazing. Lloyd had promised to compensate her if she did a good job - now he's happily going to pay up. He told her he needed an invoice so she sent one by email the other night - it's pretty cute and we'll certainly have to keep it. It's definitely scrapbook material.
Okay, on that note I'm going to sign off as I really have nothing else to report on - see you on Monday and have a great long end of summer weekend!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, August 27th - Greetings all around
A couple of belated greetings to go out this morning. First, a big Happy Birthday to granddaughter Meghan who turned 11 years old yesterday. I tried calling last night but they were either out or busy having a great time. I know she had some friends staying over so I imagine it was party central at their place last night.
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| The birthday girl enjoying an ice cream cone |
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| Looking a little more elegant |
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| The birthday girl in costume at this years dance recital |
Speaking of BBQ's, there's one out here in our area tonight. Only on PEI ! Our local MP, who has held the position for over 20 years, is having a free gathering at his house tonight. He lives just down the highway a piece. He's invited everyone to come on out and have a bit of fun, something to eat and just generally get together. One of tonight's guests will be the leader of the party - that's right - Justin Trudeau will be hanging out at Lawrence's house along with all the rest of the locals. Like I said, only on PEI!
Not much else going on. We were treated to supper at the VanGaals on Monday evening. Lloyd called and told me he was there, so supper wasn't ready yet - could I get something started when I got home? Not to worry, I knew just what to make - reservations at Brenda's! After he called, she called and suggested that since half of us was already there, I might as well join them. Made perfect sense to me. So many thanks for a lovely supper and a nice evening - again!
And finally - Patti, this one is for you. I was putting out the garbage the other morning and I actually noticed the label on the side - ( she'll understand and it will only make sense to her!) Have a great day!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Monday, August 26th - finally have my bike up and running
What a great weekend it was. Weather was coolish on Saturday but sunny so a pretty perfect day and Sunday was even better. This morning it's a cool 15' and we may see some clouds this afternoon bringing us 21' that could feel more like 25' so the humidity is still sticking around for a bit.
Lloyd and Bernie were up really early on Saturday morning to catch the first boat over to Nova Scotia. They had plans to attend a Challenger Fly-In event over there somewhere. It was quite late when they got home but a great time was had by all apparently. I had worked in the morning and met Brenda downtown afterwards. Maureen and Helena were meant to join us but it didn't work out, so it was just the two of us. It was pretty chilly in the shade so we had the restaurant move us to a table in the sun on the patio, which was also conveniently located beside one of those outdoor heaters. Perfect. There were several bands playing and it was a great afternoon. I left around 4:00 as I had a project on the go at home. Brenda came over later and brought a bag of mussels. We steamed those and enjoyed them with some wine - of course!
We watched a video later while waiting for the boys to get back but it seems they missed the boat they were racing for - an ages old island tradition - and had to wait for the next one. Needless to say we gave up waiting and Brenda went home.
Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny, just as promised, so we took advantage of the fact that my bike was now up and running. I've only been out once this year and that was just for about half an hour as my lights weren't working but thanks to Lloyd that problem has been fixed. We headed out to Cardigan, then
back country roads out to St. Peters and a stop for ice cream in Morrell, before heading home.
The bike rental shop in Morrell, where we got our ice cream, has some really funky tables and chairs made from old bicycle parts - perfect for the shop and made by a local welder with a lot of imagination. They were all different and pretty awesome.
What a great day we had. The VanGaals were busy later so our friends Richard and Daralen came over for supper. Fortunately they arrived in their convertible, which is apparently for sale. After supper we headed into town for some ice cream so I could take it for a test drive - just in case I win a lottery over the next several weeks! Unfortunately I had to give it back when we returned :-(
It was dark when we got home and we spent a fair bit of time just sitting in the car looking at the stars. It was a lovely clear night and nice to gaze at the sky like a bunch of teenagers - and yes Brenda, that was us who passed you like a crazy bunch of kids!!!- but you probably already knew that.
Patti and the kids were busy this weekend. Meg is attending a ballet camp in Toronto so she and Patti took the opportunity to go and see Cats on Saturday night. Meg loved it and it was especially appropriate as they're doing the same play at school this year. I'm sure her performance in the school version will now be very inspired. Patti took the boys back with her yesterday and they are planning to go to the CNE today while Meg is at camp. It looks like they took a bit of time yesterday after picking Meg up, to visit the CN tower and it looks like a great time was had.
One last note: I was talking to James on Skype on Friday night and asked if he'd seen the pictures of the chickens and how big they were. He pointed out that it's hard to gauge the size without some reference in the photo so here's a picture of one on July 1st weekend...
... and here's papa with one of them now...soon to be relocated to their new home - in the freezer.
Lloyd and Bernie were up really early on Saturday morning to catch the first boat over to Nova Scotia. They had plans to attend a Challenger Fly-In event over there somewhere. It was quite late when they got home but a great time was had by all apparently. I had worked in the morning and met Brenda downtown afterwards. Maureen and Helena were meant to join us but it didn't work out, so it was just the two of us. It was pretty chilly in the shade so we had the restaurant move us to a table in the sun on the patio, which was also conveniently located beside one of those outdoor heaters. Perfect. There were several bands playing and it was a great afternoon. I left around 4:00 as I had a project on the go at home. Brenda came over later and brought a bag of mussels. We steamed those and enjoyed them with some wine - of course!
We watched a video later while waiting for the boys to get back but it seems they missed the boat they were racing for - an ages old island tradition - and had to wait for the next one. Needless to say we gave up waiting and Brenda went home.
Sunday morning dawned warm and sunny, just as promised, so we took advantage of the fact that my bike was now up and running. I've only been out once this year and that was just for about half an hour as my lights weren't working but thanks to Lloyd that problem has been fixed. We headed out to Cardigan, then
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| Gas stop in Cardigan |
What a great day we had. The VanGaals were busy later so our friends Richard and Daralen came over for supper. Fortunately they arrived in their convertible, which is apparently for sale. After supper we headed into town for some ice cream so I could take it for a test drive - just in case I win a lottery over the next several weeks! Unfortunately I had to give it back when we returned :-(
It was dark when we got home and we spent a fair bit of time just sitting in the car looking at the stars. It was a lovely clear night and nice to gaze at the sky like a bunch of teenagers - and yes Brenda, that was us who passed you like a crazy bunch of kids!!!- but you probably already knew that.
Patti and the kids were busy this weekend. Meg is attending a ballet camp in Toronto so she and Patti took the opportunity to go and see Cats on Saturday night. Meg loved it and it was especially appropriate as they're doing the same play at school this year. I'm sure her performance in the school version will now be very inspired. Patti took the boys back with her yesterday and they are planning to go to the CNE today while Meg is at camp. It looks like they took a bit of time yesterday after picking Meg up, to visit the CN tower and it looks like a great time was had.
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| Hamming it up at the CN tower |
One last note: I was talking to James on Skype on Friday night and asked if he'd seen the pictures of the chickens and how big they were. He pointed out that it's hard to gauge the size without some reference in the photo so here's a picture of one on July 1st weekend...
... and here's papa with one of them now...soon to be relocated to their new home - in the freezer.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Friday, August 23rd - warm and sticky weather is on the way out - hopefully!
It's 19' outside this morning but feels much cooler than that. It's not raining yet but we are expecting rain today and only a high of 20' - a little more pleasant than the 29' we had yesterday. It was VERY warm.
Yesterday Lloyd spent the day out on the water oyster fishing with our friend Jackie. He'd been invited numerous times but just never took advantage of the opportunity. On Wednesday evening the two of us went for a drive up to Savage Harbour and toured around. At the wharf all the boats were tied up and no one was around so we spent a bit of time just enjoying the peaceful scene. As he was inspecting all the boats he remarked that he should call Jackie and go out fishing. I reminded him that Thursday was going to be a hot day so being on the water might be a good thing. Jackie returned his call yesterday morning and off he went. They didn't get back until around 5:00 so it was a full day. It was lots of work but I think he really enjoyed it and would like to go out again sometime.
Got this photo from Patti. The boys won the championship again this year - for the fourth year in a row! Well done guys. They all look pretty happy and proud of their accomplishment.
Not much else is going on right now. The Jazz and Blued festival is on this weekend. I've never been and Brenda and I were hoping to take in some music tomorrow afternoon but then I realized we have a wedding at the Rec Centre so I'm not sure that's going to be happening - too many things to do and not enough time!
Yesterday Lloyd spent the day out on the water oyster fishing with our friend Jackie. He'd been invited numerous times but just never took advantage of the opportunity. On Wednesday evening the two of us went for a drive up to Savage Harbour and toured around. At the wharf all the boats were tied up and no one was around so we spent a bit of time just enjoying the peaceful scene. As he was inspecting all the boats he remarked that he should call Jackie and go out fishing. I reminded him that Thursday was going to be a hot day so being on the water might be a good thing. Jackie returned his call yesterday morning and off he went. They didn't get back until around 5:00 so it was a full day. It was lots of work but I think he really enjoyed it and would like to go out again sometime.
Got this photo from Patti. The boys won the championship again this year - for the fourth year in a row! Well done guys. They all look pretty happy and proud of their accomplishment.
Not much else is going on right now. The Jazz and Blued festival is on this weekend. I've never been and Brenda and I were hoping to take in some music tomorrow afternoon but then I realized we have a wedding at the Rec Centre so I'm not sure that's going to be happening - too many things to do and not enough time!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, August 21st - welcome home Lloyd
It's 19' at 5:15 this morning and we are expected to reach a high of 26' later that's going to feel more like 35' - okay, summers not done just yet. Tomorrow might be even warmer. What great beach weather for those still on vacation!
Lloyd made it home safe and sound yesterday. It seems he left or lost his phone somewhere. He got to Kingston, ON when he realized he didn't have it. He may have left it in Guelph or he may have lost it along the way somewhere so I had no idea where he was. When I got back from lunch yesterday I called the house to leave a message and he answered. He'd just been home around 15 minutes so that was good timing. I wasn't at work when he went by so he didn't stop in. A safe and uneventful trip - the best kind on a motorcycle.
I had spent the past week cleaning and organizing my pantry and all he could say was "Holy organized!" He was duly impressed. Now we just have to make sure we keep it that way.
After supper he went out to feed and inspect the chickens and check out the garden. Some things didn't grow and I didn't replant them, although I suppose I should have. But those things that are growing seem to be doing well.
The cabbages are filling in quite nicely. Something has been munching on the outer leaves but the inside seems to be doing well
We only had two bean plants so there were enough beans for one meal -
sorry Lloyd but you missed it
I thing I'm going to have lots and lots of tomatoes
The swiss chard is doing nicely - we've been eating some of that already - fresh out of the garden with butter and salt and pepper - YUMMM
The cucumbers and squash seem to be doing well too.
There are some things we'll do slightly differently next year but for our first time, we're pretty happy with it. There are also some onions and turnips. The turnips are still quite small but I may harvest some of those on the weekend and give them a try.
Lloyd made it home safe and sound yesterday. It seems he left or lost his phone somewhere. He got to Kingston, ON when he realized he didn't have it. He may have left it in Guelph or he may have lost it along the way somewhere so I had no idea where he was. When I got back from lunch yesterday I called the house to leave a message and he answered. He'd just been home around 15 minutes so that was good timing. I wasn't at work when he went by so he didn't stop in. A safe and uneventful trip - the best kind on a motorcycle.
I had spent the past week cleaning and organizing my pantry and all he could say was "Holy organized!" He was duly impressed. Now we just have to make sure we keep it that way.
After supper he went out to feed and inspect the chickens and check out the garden. Some things didn't grow and I didn't replant them, although I suppose I should have. But those things that are growing seem to be doing well.
The cabbages are filling in quite nicely. Something has been munching on the outer leaves but the inside seems to be doing well
We only had two bean plants so there were enough beans for one meal -
sorry Lloyd but you missed it
I thing I'm going to have lots and lots of tomatoes
The swiss chard is doing nicely - we've been eating some of that already - fresh out of the garden with butter and salt and pepper - YUMMM
The cucumbers and squash seem to be doing well too.
There are some things we'll do slightly differently next year but for our first time, we're pretty happy with it. There are also some onions and turnips. The turnips are still quite small but I may harvest some of those on the weekend and give them a try.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday, August 19th - a great Homecoming Weekend
It's a warm 17' at 5:15 am and we should reach a much warmer 25' later that will feel more like 29' = pretty much a carbon copy of what we had all weekend long.
It was a busy but somewhat relaxing weekend all round. Friday morning I was up bright and early to clean up my pantry. It's been needing it for quite some time and had become somewhat of a dumping ground. I have it all neat and organized again and hopefully we can keep it that way. When that was done I sat down to have some lunch and work on finishing a book I'm reading. The trouble with a book on an e-reader you really can't tell how far you are from the finish. I feel like I've been reading it every spare moment for over a week and I'm still not sure how much is left.
Late in the afternoon Brenda came by and we went out to Panmure Island to take some pictures at the beach for a project I'm currently working on. Just before you cross over the causeway, there's a little restaurant called Sand Bar and Grill. I had read an article about it in the paper at the beginning of the summer so we checked it out. It was really good and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We will definitely recommend it. It was a beautiful day and we had the option of eating inside or out on the patio so of course we chose the patio.
Saturday morning I was up early as I had a few things I decided I really didn't need and could put into the garage sale Richard was having. I arrived there at 7:00 and got all set up. It was another beautiful morning and we had some customers, although it really wasn't too busy. I sold a few things and made a bit of money but I think I spent all that I made on Richards stuff! Half of our proceeds were donated to the food bank so financially I didn't fare so well, but on the other hand it cleared some stuff out of the pantry - a win/win for us all. Richard had advertised his sale on facebook and among other things he promised was male strippers - he didn't falsely advertise...
I stayed there till noon then packed up and went home. I wanted to get some of the grass cut before I had to wander over to the Rec Centre for a wedding. I got the grass that's visible from the road cut so that was the important thing. All that was left was the back field by the time I had to come in and get ready.
We were done at the wedding and home by 10:00 - a full day.
Sunday morning was another one of those days - beautiful and sunny once more. I was up early and made some new curtains for my pantry and then read some more of my book. It seems every time I had a bit of extra time or just needed a bit of a break, I sat and read - not a bad thing.
Around lunch time Brenda and Bernie came by to pick me and my kayak up. Bernie was going to drop us into the lower end of the Morrell River and then pick us up at the next bridge. We did this trip a couple of years ago in the kayaks with Caitlin and Bernie in the canoe and it was a lovely trip.
This time was also quite lovely in spite of the fact the water level was considerably lower than the last time and we kept getting hung up on the rocks. We now know the meaning of the phrase 'still waters run deep' because that's where we needed to be - in the still waters. Some spots were fast moving and that meant lots of rocks. Brenda got lots of practice getting in and out of her kayak. She would get me pushed off the bottom and then get back in so thanks so much for that. It was quite a workout, that's for sure. But it was a gorgeous day and we were out on the water so it was all good - except we had told Bernie to pick us up at the second bridge in an hour, which turned out to be 2 hours and 15 minutes. He stayed on the bridge pretty much the whole time as he wanted to get a picture of us coming down the river. We felt really badly that we'd made the poor guy wait so long for us.
From there they dropped me off and I got back to work on some of the lawn. I was invited for supper later but I had already put something on to cook for supper and I still wanted to tackle my fridge, that badly needed cleaning out. I knew if I went out for supper it wouldn't get done. Can't believe I chose cleaning the fridge to a chicken supper and homemade blueberry pie. But in the end I was glad to have it done.
All in all a pretty good weekend. I talked to Lloyd last night and he's leaving on his bike sometime this morning to head back so he should be home sometime tomorrow.
It was a busy but somewhat relaxing weekend all round. Friday morning I was up bright and early to clean up my pantry. It's been needing it for quite some time and had become somewhat of a dumping ground. I have it all neat and organized again and hopefully we can keep it that way. When that was done I sat down to have some lunch and work on finishing a book I'm reading. The trouble with a book on an e-reader you really can't tell how far you are from the finish. I feel like I've been reading it every spare moment for over a week and I'm still not sure how much is left.
Late in the afternoon Brenda came by and we went out to Panmure Island to take some pictures at the beach for a project I'm currently working on. Just before you cross over the causeway, there's a little restaurant called Sand Bar and Grill. I had read an article about it in the paper at the beginning of the summer so we checked it out. It was really good and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We will definitely recommend it. It was a beautiful day and we had the option of eating inside or out on the patio so of course we chose the patio.
Saturday morning I was up early as I had a few things I decided I really didn't need and could put into the garage sale Richard was having. I arrived there at 7:00 and got all set up. It was another beautiful morning and we had some customers, although it really wasn't too busy. I sold a few things and made a bit of money but I think I spent all that I made on Richards stuff! Half of our proceeds were donated to the food bank so financially I didn't fare so well, but on the other hand it cleared some stuff out of the pantry - a win/win for us all. Richard had advertised his sale on facebook and among other things he promised was male strippers - he didn't falsely advertise...
I stayed there till noon then packed up and went home. I wanted to get some of the grass cut before I had to wander over to the Rec Centre for a wedding. I got the grass that's visible from the road cut so that was the important thing. All that was left was the back field by the time I had to come in and get ready.
We were done at the wedding and home by 10:00 - a full day.
Sunday morning was another one of those days - beautiful and sunny once more. I was up early and made some new curtains for my pantry and then read some more of my book. It seems every time I had a bit of extra time or just needed a bit of a break, I sat and read - not a bad thing.
Around lunch time Brenda and Bernie came by to pick me and my kayak up. Bernie was going to drop us into the lower end of the Morrell River and then pick us up at the next bridge. We did this trip a couple of years ago in the kayaks with Caitlin and Bernie in the canoe and it was a lovely trip.
This time was also quite lovely in spite of the fact the water level was considerably lower than the last time and we kept getting hung up on the rocks. We now know the meaning of the phrase 'still waters run deep' because that's where we needed to be - in the still waters. Some spots were fast moving and that meant lots of rocks. Brenda got lots of practice getting in and out of her kayak. She would get me pushed off the bottom and then get back in so thanks so much for that. It was quite a workout, that's for sure. But it was a gorgeous day and we were out on the water so it was all good - except we had told Bernie to pick us up at the second bridge in an hour, which turned out to be 2 hours and 15 minutes. He stayed on the bridge pretty much the whole time as he wanted to get a picture of us coming down the river. We felt really badly that we'd made the poor guy wait so long for us.
From there they dropped me off and I got back to work on some of the lawn. I was invited for supper later but I had already put something on to cook for supper and I still wanted to tackle my fridge, that badly needed cleaning out. I knew if I went out for supper it wouldn't get done. Can't believe I chose cleaning the fridge to a chicken supper and homemade blueberry pie. But in the end I was glad to have it done.
All in all a pretty good weekend. I talked to Lloyd last night and he's leaving on his bike sometime this morning to head back so he should be home sometime tomorrow.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Friday, August 16th - a double reason to celebrate today
It's a pleasant 15' this morning and we should reach a sunny high of 24' later that will feel like 28'.
What a great day! It's going to be sunny and warm and I have 3 days off in a row - how great is that? Today is Gold Cup and Saucer Parade Day. We get this day off instead of the first Monday in August like they do in Ontario. Last year we had to work on the Saturday which really messed up our long weekend but this year they've given us Saturday off as well - YAAAAAY!
It's also Will Van Gaal's birthday today, so Happy Birthday Will.
What do I have planned for my 3 days off you ask? My big task for today is to tidy up my pantry. It's become such a mess so I've taken everything out and will put it back today in some kind of order, hopefully. I know there's some stuff in there that probably hasn't been used since I got here over 4 years ago so maybe it's time for a few things to go. But guess what - friend Richard is having a garage sale at his office location on Saturday morning so I may just ask him how much he charges to put a table in his sale. I'll see just how much stuff I can get rid of - and no Lloyd, I won't touch any of the things you brought with you last year. I just need to thin out some of the small 'stuff' and organize things a little better. So that will be my big accomplishment for the day AND the weekend. My only other job is cutting the grass. The weather is promising to be really nice all weekend so that shouldn't be a problem. But you just never know what plans may crop up. We have a wedding at the Rec Centre on Saturday so that will take up the evening portion of the day.
I talked to Lloyd on Wednesday evening and his plane inspection went very well. There were a couple of little minor things that he needs to do but nothing serious. He's pretty pleased with how it's all turned out and I know he's really proud of his accomplishment in finally getting it finished. I had a brief chat with one of his airport buddies the other night and you can just tell they all feel a real sense of ownership with this project and they're all pretty proud of the result.
Other than that not much going on, so have a great long weekend everyone here - have a nice day at work if you're in Ontario! I'm off to clean and organize - wish me luck!
What a great day! It's going to be sunny and warm and I have 3 days off in a row - how great is that? Today is Gold Cup and Saucer Parade Day. We get this day off instead of the first Monday in August like they do in Ontario. Last year we had to work on the Saturday which really messed up our long weekend but this year they've given us Saturday off as well - YAAAAAY!
It's also Will Van Gaal's birthday today, so Happy Birthday Will.
What do I have planned for my 3 days off you ask? My big task for today is to tidy up my pantry. It's become such a mess so I've taken everything out and will put it back today in some kind of order, hopefully. I know there's some stuff in there that probably hasn't been used since I got here over 4 years ago so maybe it's time for a few things to go. But guess what - friend Richard is having a garage sale at his office location on Saturday morning so I may just ask him how much he charges to put a table in his sale. I'll see just how much stuff I can get rid of - and no Lloyd, I won't touch any of the things you brought with you last year. I just need to thin out some of the small 'stuff' and organize things a little better. So that will be my big accomplishment for the day AND the weekend. My only other job is cutting the grass. The weather is promising to be really nice all weekend so that shouldn't be a problem. But you just never know what plans may crop up. We have a wedding at the Rec Centre on Saturday so that will take up the evening portion of the day.
I talked to Lloyd on Wednesday evening and his plane inspection went very well. There were a couple of little minor things that he needs to do but nothing serious. He's pretty pleased with how it's all turned out and I know he's really proud of his accomplishment in finally getting it finished. I had a brief chat with one of his airport buddies the other night and you can just tell they all feel a real sense of ownership with this project and they're all pretty proud of the result.
Other than that not much going on, so have a great long weekend everyone here - have a nice day at work if you're in Ontario! I'm off to clean and organize - wish me luck!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wednesday, August 14th - a travellers nightmare - or a whirlwind tour of four airports!
It was supposed to rain last night (and water my garden) but everything is still perfectly dry out there this morning so I don't think that happened. It's currently 18' at 5:30 am and we have a 60% chance of showers this morning. Our afternoon may be sunny and warm - 24' that will feel like 30'.
Lloyd had to be in Toronto by Wednesday and had an early flight booked on Sunday morning. We had gotten home from the wedding Saturday evening around 10:00 pm and were exhausted. Off to bed with the alarm set for 4:00 am to be at the airport for the 6:00 am flight. Drag ourselves out of bed and head off. Unfortunately the flight is full so no go. Not to worry, back home for a nap, then we'll try to get him onto the 1:30 flight. Back to the airport at noon and again, no luck.
Airlines typically overbook as there is generally a small percentage of passengers who for one reason or another have a change of plans and don't show up or take a different flight. That's where the standby passenger comes in - to occupy those seats left vacant at the last minute. But that was not the case on Sunday. Those people who had planned to fly - flew. So now there are standbys as well as regular fare passengers waiting for a flight.
We spent the afternoon in town playing tourist and actually it was quite lovely. Later it was back home for another little while. The plan was to try the 8:30 to Halifax as there was a later flight from there to Toronto that looked to have open seats. Problem solved.
So back into town at 7:30 to catch the 8:30 flight. I thought the airport looked awfully quiet for a place that had a flight getting ready to board in 15 minutes - no cars around, no people around (it's a VERY small airport). But he assured me it was just because the plane to Halifax was just a little one. I said goodbye once more and he went inside but I didn't leave right away. Shortly after I got a phone call from him that the flight was delayed by an hour and a half, leaving now at 10:00. He advised that I should go home and he would get out eventually. So I did.
A while later I got another call with good news - they were going to hold the flight in Halifax for Toronto until they got there. Great! Unfortunately that's not what happened. By the time they got there, the flight had left. By now it was quite late and the first flight out in the morning would have required being back at the airport by 4:00 am so he spent the night on a bench in the airport. I imagine by now he's getting a little cranky.
Morning comes and these people who are trying to get to Toronto are on the list with everyone else trying to get to Toronto. Because of the standby population and the oversold people, apparently there was a list of approximately 70 people trying to get to Ontario. Everything was booked solid - Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto - they were going out a few at a time. When it gets like this you can't even buy a full fare seat as there's just nothing available. I guess that's what it is to live in a vacation destination!
So now Monday goes by and towards the end of the day the list of people waiting is down to 25 or 30. Small consolation when everything is full. The odd seat that is available goes to the full fee paying passengers, as it should be, of course.
By Monday night, he's really cranky and can't even get back to Charlottetown if he wanted to. He leaves the airport and checks into a hotel so he can get a decent nights sleep, a shower and clean clothes. Meanwhile Patti is waiting on standby through all of this as well - to pick him up when he does eventually get there. Then they came up with a new plan. Looking at what the options were out of Halifax airport they decided to send him to Boston, and from there to Toronto on Tuesday mornng. Patti went online and changed his flight. It just might work. Only trouble is he overheard a desk agent suggest that to another passenger.
When I checked the flight loads on Tuesday morning, it indicated there were 3 flights to Boston in the morning and the first one had 6 open seats and 12 standbys. Here we go again! All he needed was to get stuck in Boston. But the next 2 flight had plenty of open seats so it shouldn't be a problem. We expected him to be on a flight that got into Toronto at 3:00 pm, but Patti got a call from him that he was already in Toronto at 1:30. It seems he did indeed get on the first flight but it was a very rushed process and he did send Patti a text message to say he was on it but it didn't go through. She got it the same time as his phone call to tell her he was in Toronto. That meant having to wait in Toronto until she got there from Guelph, but at least he was in the right country and the right city!
What an ordeal. He called me to let me know he was there, but of course, I already knew as Patti had texted me. He sounded pretty weary and said he was never going to fly anywhere ever again - which is pretty funny as the whole trip was because of an airplane!
He wasn't sure if he was going to ride the bike back home or not, but that decision might be a much easier one now. We'll see.
I don't know if he'll have time to get the last minute little things done on the plane that needed doing before the inspection or not. I'll find out later.
Lloyd had to be in Toronto by Wednesday and had an early flight booked on Sunday morning. We had gotten home from the wedding Saturday evening around 10:00 pm and were exhausted. Off to bed with the alarm set for 4:00 am to be at the airport for the 6:00 am flight. Drag ourselves out of bed and head off. Unfortunately the flight is full so no go. Not to worry, back home for a nap, then we'll try to get him onto the 1:30 flight. Back to the airport at noon and again, no luck.
Airlines typically overbook as there is generally a small percentage of passengers who for one reason or another have a change of plans and don't show up or take a different flight. That's where the standby passenger comes in - to occupy those seats left vacant at the last minute. But that was not the case on Sunday. Those people who had planned to fly - flew. So now there are standbys as well as regular fare passengers waiting for a flight.
We spent the afternoon in town playing tourist and actually it was quite lovely. Later it was back home for another little while. The plan was to try the 8:30 to Halifax as there was a later flight from there to Toronto that looked to have open seats. Problem solved.
So back into town at 7:30 to catch the 8:30 flight. I thought the airport looked awfully quiet for a place that had a flight getting ready to board in 15 minutes - no cars around, no people around (it's a VERY small airport). But he assured me it was just because the plane to Halifax was just a little one. I said goodbye once more and he went inside but I didn't leave right away. Shortly after I got a phone call from him that the flight was delayed by an hour and a half, leaving now at 10:00. He advised that I should go home and he would get out eventually. So I did.
Morning comes and these people who are trying to get to Toronto are on the list with everyone else trying to get to Toronto. Because of the standby population and the oversold people, apparently there was a list of approximately 70 people trying to get to Ontario. Everything was booked solid - Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto - they were going out a few at a time. When it gets like this you can't even buy a full fare seat as there's just nothing available. I guess that's what it is to live in a vacation destination!
So now Monday goes by and towards the end of the day the list of people waiting is down to 25 or 30. Small consolation when everything is full. The odd seat that is available goes to the full fee paying passengers, as it should be, of course.
By Monday night, he's really cranky and can't even get back to Charlottetown if he wanted to. He leaves the airport and checks into a hotel so he can get a decent nights sleep, a shower and clean clothes. Meanwhile Patti is waiting on standby through all of this as well - to pick him up when he does eventually get there. Then they came up with a new plan. Looking at what the options were out of Halifax airport they decided to send him to Boston, and from there to Toronto on Tuesday mornng. Patti went online and changed his flight. It just might work. Only trouble is he overheard a desk agent suggest that to another passenger.
When I checked the flight loads on Tuesday morning, it indicated there were 3 flights to Boston in the morning and the first one had 6 open seats and 12 standbys. Here we go again! All he needed was to get stuck in Boston. But the next 2 flight had plenty of open seats so it shouldn't be a problem. We expected him to be on a flight that got into Toronto at 3:00 pm, but Patti got a call from him that he was already in Toronto at 1:30. It seems he did indeed get on the first flight but it was a very rushed process and he did send Patti a text message to say he was on it but it didn't go through. She got it the same time as his phone call to tell her he was in Toronto. That meant having to wait in Toronto until she got there from Guelph, but at least he was in the right country and the right city!
What an ordeal. He called me to let me know he was there, but of course, I already knew as Patti had texted me. He sounded pretty weary and said he was never going to fly anywhere ever again - which is pretty funny as the whole trip was because of an airplane!
He wasn't sure if he was going to ride the bike back home or not, but that decision might be a much easier one now. We'll see.
I don't know if he'll have time to get the last minute little things done on the plane that needed doing before the inspection or not. I'll find out later.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Monday, August 12th - it was a wedding with a twist
It's a comfortable 16' this morning under clear skies looking for a high later of 24' that will feel like 28'. Perfect weather for those attending Old Home Week festivities. It predicted to stay that way all week - let's hope their right. On the other hand, sometimes it's not a bad thing when they get it wrong. All last week they were predicting rain for the entire day on Saturday. We did get rain on Friday, and lots of it at times, and it carried through the night and into the early morning. When we got up on Saturday it was looking pretty dismal and gray and very threatening. But by afternoon it was beautiful. The sun was shining and it was lovely and warm.
We arrived at the brides parents home promptly at 1:00 ready to get to work. I had been there a week before and the space was an old potato wharehouse that had been emptied and cleaned but that was it. You can't imagine the transformation when I saw it again a week later.
The transformation was amazing and beside the dining area they had created a kitchen of sorts. The cooking area was a fairly rustic space but well equipped and quite functional. There were 3 full size stoves as well as a fridge and numerous tables for working on. Two other fridges nearby supplied additional chilling space.
Someone has a very keen eye for decorating and details. The entire thing was absolutely beautiful.
There were little touches all around that made it really interesting.
Because the bride and groom have traveled extensively around the world, they've met many people along the way and some where there for the event. A large map encouraged visitors from around the world to write notes and indicate where they had come from. Photos of people and friends around the world were also displayed. The old mail box was the ideal place for guests to deposit cards and envelopes.
A not so clear shot of the guest enjoying their dinner.
A friend of the couple had made buckets of pasta sauce and we're not sure who made the seafood chowder, but there were buckets of that as well.
The ceremony itself took place at the home of the bride and groom, across the road. Then everyone congregated in the parents yard for mussels and seafood chowder before sitting down to a pasta dinner. There were some challenges involved in cooking the pasta but for the most part it went very well. To avoid any of the 100 plus guests eating overcooked pasta, it was cooked in small batches so timing was key to get everyone fed in as fairly timely a manner as possible. It still took a fair bit of time but everyone seemed pleased with the final result.
I can't say thank you enough to our good friend Brenda. She was there every step of the way and was a tremendous help. It would have been very difficult without it, so thanks to you my friend.
Dessert was serve yourself from a table laden with various cakes, squares, trifle, strawberry shortcake, etc. Once the dessert table was set up, we took in upon ourselves to move it out to the bar area, where there was much more room. A good decision on our part. The original location would have been quite difficult for people to get to.
I'm constantly learning new things about my adopted home here on the island. One important thing I took away was the wedding punch. I'm used to simple punch recipes that may have a little vodka in them. That's not the case here. As the recipe was written out on a recipe card, it appears that it has been used many times and is likely an old island favorite. Gotta love any recipe that starts out with 40 ounces of 'shine'
We were finished up around 9:30 and all headed home. A short trip back on Sunday morning to retrieve the pots and various other cooking items. Again thanks to Brenda and to Bernie for the use of his truck.
We arrived at the brides parents home promptly at 1:00 ready to get to work. I had been there a week before and the space was an old potato wharehouse that had been emptied and cleaned but that was it. You can't imagine the transformation when I saw it again a week later.
The transformation was amazing and beside the dining area they had created a kitchen of sorts. The cooking area was a fairly rustic space but well equipped and quite functional. There were 3 full size stoves as well as a fridge and numerous tables for working on. Two other fridges nearby supplied additional chilling space.
Someone has a very keen eye for decorating and details. The entire thing was absolutely beautiful.
There were little touches all around that made it really interesting.
A friend of the couple had made buckets of pasta sauce and we're not sure who made the seafood chowder, but there were buckets of that as well.
The ceremony itself took place at the home of the bride and groom, across the road. Then everyone congregated in the parents yard for mussels and seafood chowder before sitting down to a pasta dinner. There were some challenges involved in cooking the pasta but for the most part it went very well. To avoid any of the 100 plus guests eating overcooked pasta, it was cooked in small batches so timing was key to get everyone fed in as fairly timely a manner as possible. It still took a fair bit of time but everyone seemed pleased with the final result.
I can't say thank you enough to our good friend Brenda. She was there every step of the way and was a tremendous help. It would have been very difficult without it, so thanks to you my friend.
I'm constantly learning new things about my adopted home here on the island. One important thing I took away was the wedding punch. I'm used to simple punch recipes that may have a little vodka in them. That's not the case here. As the recipe was written out on a recipe card, it appears that it has been used many times and is likely an old island favorite. Gotta love any recipe that starts out with 40 ounces of 'shine'
We were finished up around 9:30 and all headed home. A short trip back on Sunday morning to retrieve the pots and various other cooking items. Again thanks to Brenda and to Bernie for the use of his truck.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Friday, August 9th - a rainy day and weekend ahead
It's currently a dry 19' that feels more like 24'. We're expecting rain for most of the day and reach a high of 23' that sounds comfortable but will feel like 31'. It's been quite pleasant the last couple of days - warm but not so humid, so perfect summer weather.
Unfortunately it's going to rain on the wedding we're helping with tomorrow but what can you do. They have planned to move things inside the potato warehouse in the event of rain so we'll see how that goes. It's going to be a challenging day for everyone but I'm sure it will all work out. We'll let you know on Monday how it went.
Last night Lloyd, Brenda and I went over to Tracadie Community Centre for a local concert. There was a trio of local fellows who did a marvelous job. They played a wide range of tunes - something for pretty much everyone.
Their special guest for the evening was Meaghan Blanchard. I've heard lots about her but have never actually heard her sing. She has a wonderful voice and is a very talented young woman who writes her own music - a pleasure to listen to.
Before we left, Brenda warned me that the band playing was sort of a Blue Grass type of music. She knows I'm not a big fan of country music but I do really like Blue Grass. I thought about it later and I realized that after all I put her through to see Sir Paul, I really can't EVER complain about what ever type of music she takes me to listen to!
So what's new at the Denny house this week you ask? The gadget queen has a new toy! It's a poor mans version of a Sous Vide cooking device. It's labeled as a water oven and we're giving it a try. The premise, for those who might not know, is that you seal food in a vacuum bag, then submerge in water for long periods of time. The idea is that the low but constant cooking temperature slowly cooks the food to the desired doneness without drying or overcooking. Trouble is it can take days to cook something this way. There's a small roast in there right now that is meant to cook for 2 to 3 days! Trust me folks, this is NOT fast food. There's a certain amount of planning involved to cook something this way. Not everything takes that long to cook. Some things only take a few hours. I can see a steep learning curve with this one.
Brenda has heard me talk about it in the past and she had the opportunity to try something at a restaurant in New Brunswick that was cooked this way. Bernie didn't remember that and was quite intrigued with the process when he was here yesterday. So they are going to be the guinea pigs tonight when the first piece of meat comes out of the oven. There's always hot dogs to fall back on if need be! We'll also report back on that experience on Monday.
Bernie was here yesterday while Lloyd was working on his newest project - the oil drum BBQ. Our good friend Walt, in Ontario, has one that was built a number of years ago. It was used many, many times by Lloyd and Walt. It made many trips around the area to supply rotisserie BBQ needs. This one has a long way to go before it's usable but it will get there.
Unfortunately it's going to rain on the wedding we're helping with tomorrow but what can you do. They have planned to move things inside the potato warehouse in the event of rain so we'll see how that goes. It's going to be a challenging day for everyone but I'm sure it will all work out. We'll let you know on Monday how it went.
Last night Lloyd, Brenda and I went over to Tracadie Community Centre for a local concert. There was a trio of local fellows who did a marvelous job. They played a wide range of tunes - something for pretty much everyone.
Their special guest for the evening was Meaghan Blanchard. I've heard lots about her but have never actually heard her sing. She has a wonderful voice and is a very talented young woman who writes her own music - a pleasure to listen to.
Before we left, Brenda warned me that the band playing was sort of a Blue Grass type of music. She knows I'm not a big fan of country music but I do really like Blue Grass. I thought about it later and I realized that after all I put her through to see Sir Paul, I really can't EVER complain about what ever type of music she takes me to listen to!
So what's new at the Denny house this week you ask? The gadget queen has a new toy! It's a poor mans version of a Sous Vide cooking device. It's labeled as a water oven and we're giving it a try. The premise, for those who might not know, is that you seal food in a vacuum bag, then submerge in water for long periods of time. The idea is that the low but constant cooking temperature slowly cooks the food to the desired doneness without drying or overcooking. Trouble is it can take days to cook something this way. There's a small roast in there right now that is meant to cook for 2 to 3 days! Trust me folks, this is NOT fast food. There's a certain amount of planning involved to cook something this way. Not everything takes that long to cook. Some things only take a few hours. I can see a steep learning curve with this one.
Brenda has heard me talk about it in the past and she had the opportunity to try something at a restaurant in New Brunswick that was cooked this way. Bernie didn't remember that and was quite intrigued with the process when he was here yesterday. So they are going to be the guinea pigs tonight when the first piece of meat comes out of the oven. There's always hot dogs to fall back on if need be! We'll also report back on that experience on Monday.
Bernie was here yesterday while Lloyd was working on his newest project - the oil drum BBQ. Our good friend Walt, in Ontario, has one that was built a number of years ago. It was used many, many times by Lloyd and Walt. It made many trips around the area to supply rotisserie BBQ needs. This one has a long way to go before it's usable but it will get there.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Wednesday, August 7th - Happy Birthday Nancy!
It's a comfortable 15' this morning and we should reach a very seasonable 24' later. It started out cloudy yesterday morning but soon cleared up and we had a beautiful day. Monday afternoon was quite stormy with power outages everywhere but it didn't last very long. Some areas even experienced a bit of hail although we didn't get any at work. When I got home the rain had slowed down to a drizzle and the chickens were outside having a great time. They were running around picking at stuff and stomping around in the wet grass and dirt and they were filthy but they looked like they were having fun.
I had wished Nancy a happy birthday for Sunday but I had the date wrong so Happy Birthday on the right day. No idea why I had it in my head it was the 4th - I get it wrong all the time and I have no idea why because it's in my phone calendar for the right day. I know she's just getting back from a very busy but quick trip to Halifax so welcome home and hope you had a good trip back. We'll have to try to get together next year when she comes down. I have no trouble driving to Halifax for a quick visit. It's easy enough with the boat running to hop over for the day.
It's a fairly quiet week so far. Lloyd had been working on the garage and is making some progress. The outside is just about finished. He figures one more day ought to finish it up. I was talking to the kids the other night and Tristen is still asking 'When are you going to build a barn?" He's ever so anxious for us to have a barn so we can have farm animals. You know the ones - those he can visit once or twice a year. He used to want us to get a baby pig then one day he decided he didn't want a baby pig. When I asked him why he changed his mind, his response was "Cause Grandma, they're really ugly when they're grown up!" Well, we may have solved that problem for him. I was telling him about these pigs we saw pictures of from Hungary. Apparently it's quite a high end breed of hog and who knew such a beast existed? So Tristen, these pictures are for you. Let me know what you think. They kind of resemble Cooper when he needs a hair cut ;-)
Now that's some pig!
Meghan is quite excited about her upcoming dance camp in Toronto. It's with a ballet company called Ballet Jorgen and she's really looking forward to her four days there. She and Patti will stay overnight at Greg's sisters and make a great weekend out of it.
James is busy with sailing camp and is eagerly looking forward to Lloyd arriving for the final inspection on the plane. He so desperately wants to go up in it with Papa. He feels a certain ownership as he helped a little bit in the building of it and he just is generally interested in flight. It's been good for him to watch the progress over the years and see it go from boxes of parts to the completed aircraft.
I had wished Nancy a happy birthday for Sunday but I had the date wrong so Happy Birthday on the right day. No idea why I had it in my head it was the 4th - I get it wrong all the time and I have no idea why because it's in my phone calendar for the right day. I know she's just getting back from a very busy but quick trip to Halifax so welcome home and hope you had a good trip back. We'll have to try to get together next year when she comes down. I have no trouble driving to Halifax for a quick visit. It's easy enough with the boat running to hop over for the day.
It's a fairly quiet week so far. Lloyd had been working on the garage and is making some progress. The outside is just about finished. He figures one more day ought to finish it up. I was talking to the kids the other night and Tristen is still asking 'When are you going to build a barn?" He's ever so anxious for us to have a barn so we can have farm animals. You know the ones - those he can visit once or twice a year. He used to want us to get a baby pig then one day he decided he didn't want a baby pig. When I asked him why he changed his mind, his response was "Cause Grandma, they're really ugly when they're grown up!" Well, we may have solved that problem for him. I was telling him about these pigs we saw pictures of from Hungary. Apparently it's quite a high end breed of hog and who knew such a beast existed? So Tristen, these pictures are for you. Let me know what you think. They kind of resemble Cooper when he needs a hair cut ;-)
Now that's some pig!
Meghan is quite excited about her upcoming dance camp in Toronto. It's with a ballet company called Ballet Jorgen and she's really looking forward to her four days there. She and Patti will stay overnight at Greg's sisters and make a great weekend out of it.
James is busy with sailing camp and is eagerly looking forward to Lloyd arriving for the final inspection on the plane. He so desperately wants to go up in it with Papa. He feels a certain ownership as he helped a little bit in the building of it and he just is generally interested in flight. It's been good for him to watch the progress over the years and see it go from boxes of parts to the completed aircraft.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Monday, August 5th - Happy Civic Holiday to our Ontario friends (and some islanders as well)
Hope you're all having a lovely long weekend. It's work as usual for most of us out here today. Some companies have the day off but that's fairly rare. We'll get our long weekend in another couple of weeks.
It was a beautiful weekend weather wise, and it should continue into this week. RIght now, at 5:04 am it's 17' and our high today will be a comfortable 23'.
Friday night we had a wedding at the Rec Centre so that made for a fairly long day. The up side of it was that it left Saturday afternoon and evening free. I met Lloyd and Brenda at the Trailside on Saturday after work and we enjoyed entertainment by Margie and Vince and a couple of beverages. Later on Lloyd looked at Brenda's computer that's been having some issues, before we reconvened at our house for a bit of supper. After eating, Brenda went home and Lloyd and I ventured out to a small community hall to listen to a couple of musicians who are transplanted Newfies. It was quite an enjoyable evening.
Sunday morning Lloyd and I met with a young woman and her family up in Savage Harbour to iron out some details for her wedding next Saturday. We're going to be doing some cooking for them and it should be interesting. Brenda's going to help us out with it and it should be good as she knows the parents involved. Ironically the groom is from Guelph and his parents are known to frequent the same pub Lloyd and his airport buddies hang out at so they have probably crossed paths before. Small world!
After our meeting, we met up with Brenda at the Community Hall in Tracadie for the pancake breakfast, the first one this summer for us. We got there near the end but they were more than happy to accommodate our appetites.
After breakfast Brenda and I headed out to visit some beaches. I'm working on collecting pictures and samples of sand for next years conference. It's going to require a bit of traveling around the island, visiting various locations. It's tough, spending the day going from beach to beach but we're up to the task. We had planned to stop along the way at one of the beaches for a bit of sun, a swim and a beverage, and then perhaps somewhere else in our travels for some ice cream, but that never happened. We were just too busy but we did manage to visit three beaches and get what we went for.
When we got home, we all worked to put together some pasta sauce, some rigatoni and some bruchetta. In no time at all we were sitting down to a very tasty meal. Good job well done by a team that works well together!
Update on the garage project and the chickens.
The garage is progressing slowly but steadily. I'm kind of thinking I won't be in my space by fall, but that's okay. We will get there eventually. Im looking forward to stairs so I can at least use the little balcony before summer is over.
The chickens are growing by leaps and bounds. They no longer resemble the fuzzy little yellow chicks James brought home in a cardboard box back on Canada Day weekend.
It was a beautiful weekend weather wise, and it should continue into this week. RIght now, at 5:04 am it's 17' and our high today will be a comfortable 23'.
Friday night we had a wedding at the Rec Centre so that made for a fairly long day. The up side of it was that it left Saturday afternoon and evening free. I met Lloyd and Brenda at the Trailside on Saturday after work and we enjoyed entertainment by Margie and Vince and a couple of beverages. Later on Lloyd looked at Brenda's computer that's been having some issues, before we reconvened at our house for a bit of supper. After eating, Brenda went home and Lloyd and I ventured out to a small community hall to listen to a couple of musicians who are transplanted Newfies. It was quite an enjoyable evening.
Sunday morning Lloyd and I met with a young woman and her family up in Savage Harbour to iron out some details for her wedding next Saturday. We're going to be doing some cooking for them and it should be interesting. Brenda's going to help us out with it and it should be good as she knows the parents involved. Ironically the groom is from Guelph and his parents are known to frequent the same pub Lloyd and his airport buddies hang out at so they have probably crossed paths before. Small world!
After our meeting, we met up with Brenda at the Community Hall in Tracadie for the pancake breakfast, the first one this summer for us. We got there near the end but they were more than happy to accommodate our appetites.
After breakfast Brenda and I headed out to visit some beaches. I'm working on collecting pictures and samples of sand for next years conference. It's going to require a bit of traveling around the island, visiting various locations. It's tough, spending the day going from beach to beach but we're up to the task. We had planned to stop along the way at one of the beaches for a bit of sun, a swim and a beverage, and then perhaps somewhere else in our travels for some ice cream, but that never happened. We were just too busy but we did manage to visit three beaches and get what we went for.
When we got home, we all worked to put together some pasta sauce, some rigatoni and some bruchetta. In no time at all we were sitting down to a very tasty meal. Good job well done by a team that works well together!
Update on the garage project and the chickens.
The garage is progressing slowly but steadily. I'm kind of thinking I won't be in my space by fall, but that's okay. We will get there eventually. Im looking forward to stairs so I can at least use the little balcony before summer is over.
The chickens are growing by leaps and bounds. They no longer resemble the fuzzy little yellow chicks James brought home in a cardboard box back on Canada Day weekend.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Friday, August 2nd - Happy Birthday Nancy
It's a bit early to wish Nancy a Happy Birthday as it's on Sunday but I usually miss it so better too early than too late! They should be having the same weather as us. Right now it's 17' but later we'll reach a humid high of 23' that will feel more like 27'. However it could be cloudy with showers so it might not be so quite so hot.
Yesterday was quite warm but not so humid and it was a lovely evening to sit outside and have our tea. Brenda and Bernie came over for a bite to eat, at Lloyd's invitation. It was very impromptu but he did a mighty fine job. Bernie's heading off on another biker excursion this morning, so we're really wishing him the best of luck. He may be gone almost two weeks this time. Guess there could be some nachos and patios for us girls sometime soon.
We had planned that very thing for this evening only to discover that there's a wedding at the rec centre tonight so there go those plans. I guess the up side is that it frees up Saturday night to do something else.
Last Sunday was the Church BBQ. Because the weather was really all over the map, it was decided late in the day to hold it indoors at the rec centre. It turned out to be the right decision. It didn't rain but it was much nicer to do it indoors. So much so, that we would like to do it indoors all the time. The clean up is so much easier when you have the kitchen right there. There was a really good turnout and everyone seemed to hang around a little longer and listen to the entertainers. We'll see what happens in the future. Once again, the mussels turned out great and we had nothing left of the 100 lbs that we cooked.
We will get the opportunity to do the mussels again really soon. It's all in the networking. We're meeting with a young woman on Sunday morning who needs some last minute assistance with a wedding very close to our place next weekend. She needs someone to cook mussels and pasta for their home based reception and we heard about it through someone I worked with at the university. Should be an interesting experience for us.
Lastly, we had rain one evening earlier in the week. When Lloyd went out to close up a couple of things, he called to me to come and look. The sun came out for a couple of minutes and we had this wonderful rainbow that was visible at the end of the lane over the river. Just caught it on camera before it disappeared.
Yesterday was quite warm but not so humid and it was a lovely evening to sit outside and have our tea. Brenda and Bernie came over for a bite to eat, at Lloyd's invitation. It was very impromptu but he did a mighty fine job. Bernie's heading off on another biker excursion this morning, so we're really wishing him the best of luck. He may be gone almost two weeks this time. Guess there could be some nachos and patios for us girls sometime soon.
We had planned that very thing for this evening only to discover that there's a wedding at the rec centre tonight so there go those plans. I guess the up side is that it frees up Saturday night to do something else.
Last Sunday was the Church BBQ. Because the weather was really all over the map, it was decided late in the day to hold it indoors at the rec centre. It turned out to be the right decision. It didn't rain but it was much nicer to do it indoors. So much so, that we would like to do it indoors all the time. The clean up is so much easier when you have the kitchen right there. There was a really good turnout and everyone seemed to hang around a little longer and listen to the entertainers. We'll see what happens in the future. Once again, the mussels turned out great and we had nothing left of the 100 lbs that we cooked.
We will get the opportunity to do the mussels again really soon. It's all in the networking. We're meeting with a young woman on Sunday morning who needs some last minute assistance with a wedding very close to our place next weekend. She needs someone to cook mussels and pasta for their home based reception and we heard about it through someone I worked with at the university. Should be an interesting experience for us.
Lastly, we had rain one evening earlier in the week. When Lloyd went out to close up a couple of things, he called to me to come and look. The sun came out for a couple of minutes and we had this wonderful rainbow that was visible at the end of the lane over the river. Just caught it on camera before it disappeared.
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