Jan 5 - truly strange experience

Conditions at 5:30 am - clear, starry skies, and-8'
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and -6'

Yesterday they promised sun and a few flurries. It snowed lightly all day and there was NO sun - let's hope they get it right today!
Last night I was watching TV (after calling Shaw and getting some technical assistance - I'd been without satellite since Monday morning so this needed to be fixed!) Anyway, it was a little after 10:00 pm and I thought I heard a knocking but it wasn't at the back door, and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Of course the dog started barking madly. I turned on the kitchen lights and went cautiously to the back porch and after turning on that light as well, I could see out the door but there was no one there. I figured it must have been something outside in the wind maybe. Then as I was standing in the back porch I heard a voice yelling "Hello, hello". It's late at night, out in the middle of no where and there's a strange man's voice outside. Being from southern Ontario, my immediate gut reaction is fear. So I go to the door and look out and there's a strange man, a little scruffy looking, standing at the door. I said hello through the glass but didn't open the door. He said his vehicle had broke down and he wanted to know if he could use my phone. I wasn't sure if I should open the door or not but I said okay and I let him into the porch. I went into the living room and retrieved the cordless phone. I brought it back and he appeared to be harmless enough. But then so did Russell Williams! Inside in the light, he didn't look so menacing and explained that his furnace had broken down and he thought he had water in his fuel line and had gone to Mount Stewart to pick up some little bottles of stuff to fix the problem. I forget what you call it but I know you can put it into cars fuel tanks. Anyway, he asked me to dial the number as he didn't have his glasses and I did that as he dictated the number to me. He then spoke to his wife and was telling her his predicament. He didn't know what was wrong with the truck and he would walk home from here. I asked where he lived and he said just up the road.

By now I was feeling a little silly for being scared initially and I thought, this is PEI for heavens sake. So I told him I would give him a ride and yes, we could take his dog too, who he was going to leave in the truck over night. So I got my boots on and started the car while he walked down the driveway to his truck.  I drove down and got out and helped him push it off the road a little further, as it was right around the bend in the road. He had a lovely little dog who I put into the car so he wouldn't get hurt. After we got the truck moved, he got in and I drove him home. He lives down on McCannell road and he would have froze to death if he's had to walk home. He said he's lived there for 13 years and was pointing out the bus driver's house down the road from him and then it all fell into place. The bus driver was Gerard, whom I've never met, but I'm fairly sure that it was the same fellow that Brenda subbed for in the fall. I asked this man if he knew Bernie VanGaal and he said he did. I figured then it was okay. I asked him his name and he said it was Melvin Jackman. So I've now met another one of my neighbours.  He was most grateful when I pulled into his driveway and I was glad that I hadn't just told him to go away when he knocked on my door.  That is totally what I would have done in Ontario and that would have been the best thing to do.  Then this morning I was feeling a little guilty because I know they didn't have any heat and I feel I should have offered to let them come over here to stay until it could get fixed but...I guess part of me is still an Ontario girl.  I know if Lloyd had been here it might have been a different story but being by myself, I was a little unsure. So I did what I comfortably could at the time. Hopefully they got the heat working.
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I talked to Lloyd on Monday night and he mentioned that he didn't think there was anyone home upstairs. Mystery solved. Later in the evening I got an email from Jana. It seems that she and Scott, Kathy (Scott's mom) and Grace (Jana's mom) were in Las Vegas and were on their way to see "Love", the Beatles themed Cirque du Soleil

Jan 4-The new year is off to a booming start

Conditions at 5:30 am - light snow falling and -6'
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and-5'

The view from my living room window on Monday afternoon

It was a beautiful sight yesterday to watch the snow softly falling all day. Well actually,  not ALL day, it ended around 3:00. It was lovely to look at but I was ever so grateful to have the day off. Then last night the wind picked up and I could hear it howling all night long, but this morning when I let the dog out it doesn't look too bad. I think the snow had just enough moisture in it that it didn't drift too badly. Mind you, that's my back yard. The roads might be a different story. A quick look ahead and it appears we are being forecast another 15 cm on Friday so it should make for an interesting week. But on the up side, maybe we'll be able to get out and do some skiing this weekend..

For some unknown reason, I don't have any satellite reception on my TV. As a result I got lots of things done yesterday. My main accomplishment was putting away all the Christmas stuff and cleaning out my craft room. It is now actually usable for it's intended purpose again. It took most of the day but it's now done. I think Brenda might have a plan to do a scrapbook as I know she bought one before Christmas. That might be a great way to spend our winter evenings instead of parked in front of the TV. I have space for two people to work at the same time and we could leave everything out and just pick it up when we have the time. Even if we just did a couple of hours a couple of nights a week, it would get done in no time. I'll have to talk to her about it when she gets back. I thought they might have come back yesterday but I suspect the weather may have factored into that decision. Today should be a better day for traveling.

I received an email message on Sunday night from an old friend - it simply said "I'd love to talk. Can you send me your phone number" and it was signed "Me"
So I called "Me" up and I said  "Okay, what the ---- do you want to talk about, ?"  It was my great friend, Doug, of course. We haven't spoken in a while and it was really nice to hear from him. We chatted for quite some time and got caught up on life.  He's not really enjoying the rain out in BC - it seems it has done nothing but rain for the past two months in his area. He says they've maybe had 4 or 5 days without rain in all that time. I don't think I could cope with that much rain. I know we get rainy stretches here, but certainly nothing like that. I'll gladly take the snow any day.  But it was nice to catch up.

While I was cleaning out my spare room I came across my Abby Road coffee mug,  Unfortunately I broke the handle off of it some time ago. So I emailed Patti and suggested that I would gladly pay for a new one should one appear. (She had called me on Sunday night and left a message to let me know that she was on her way to London, England and would be away until Tuesday) I don't know if she got the message or not but it's okay because I think she has 3 flights to London this month. Hopefully they won't have any more of the weather they had before Christmas.

Well, I'd better get going and see how much trouble it might be to get out of my driveway this morning.

Jan 3/11 -I knew it was coming

Conditions at 7:00 -light drizzle and 0'
Expected later - 10 - 15 cm of snow and minus 2'

On Friday morning, I checked the weather network and it advised we were getting lots of snow on Monday. But when I was driving the work, and around town throughout the day, the radio forecast plus 4' and rain, so I wasn't sure who to believe. I was really rooting for the milder weather but alas, that is not to be the case. We are now going to get the snow they were talking about. But then again, perhaps we might be able to get out with our skis sooner rather than later.

The Van Gaal's and the Hugh's came over on Friday night for dinner and by all accounts it was a success (well maybe not so much for Brenda). Lloyd did an amazing job on the steaks and every one's was done to perfection. Unfortunately we gave Brenda a little too much wine before filling her stomach and she wasn't feeling so great and she missed the creme brule for dessert. But fortunately she felt better in the morning.
Lloyd and Meghan got away around noon, and Lloyd phoned at 7:30 our time (6:30 their time) to let me know they had arrived in Toronto around 6:00 am on Sunday morning. He was at a Tim Horton's waiting for Jim to pick him up. There was  a little confusion about the scheduled time to be picked up but in the end it all worked out! So it sounds like they had an uneventful trip - the best kind to have.

I've been having some problems with my colour printer recently so I took it into town yesterday after finding the necessary documentation for the extended warranty. Unfortunately I needed a case number from the warranty department (that requires a phone call to somewhere that was closed yesterday). So I could take it today but I don't think so - not in a snow storm. That can wait until tomorrow.

This will be the fifth Monday in a row that we've had a storm.  I think I mentioned earlier that we should just cancel Mondays and make them part of the weekend.  When I was driving around on Thursday and Friday, the sun was shining and with the snow, you just wanted it to stay so we could get out and ski. I was looking at the calendar the other day and between trips away, and coming from away, out of 12 weekends, we are going to lose at least 7 of them. So our skiing this year might just be like our kayaking was this past summer - pretty sparse. But as Brenda pointed out, the first summer I was working at the golf course and I had days off during the week and that made a difference, but then I worked most weekends so I suppose it all balanced out.  Hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate on those days we do have available.

Last night I was invited to an annual gathering at Marlene and Raymond's. They do this every year and it was quite a lovely evening. Lot so food, good company and lots of conversation. A good time for sure.

Yesterday while I was in town, I stopped by the Bulk Barn and picked up spices to replenish my collection. Then I spent late last night and early this morning reorganizing them. They are now all divided into even rows and in alphabetical order. My spice drawer is now truly a thing of beauty (not to mention functional). There were several that I was out of but it's much better now. I really should have done that job before Lloyd got here for Christmas but unfortunately I didn't have time. Today I plan to organize and put the Christmas stuff away in the closet it goes into, and re-organize my craft room. It's not been used in a while and has become somewhat of a dumping ground. So today is the day it returns to it's former place as a fully functioning space

Lloyd sent me this link and all I can say is, he has a lot of nerve - and he knows why!

YouTube - A GIGGLE with the GOATS Jingle Bells Holiday Performance

Happy New Year!

Conditions at 6:00 am - clear skies and -3'
Expected later - a mix of sun and cloud and +1'

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day - one I truly wished I was off to enjoy. The sun came out in the morning and stayed out for most of the day. The bit of freezing rain we received the day  before was shining in the tree tops as the sun beamed down on them. It was a perfect day for a walk, or ski, in the woods. I'm so sorry I missed it! But at least I got to go outside and enjoy the weather from time to time if only from the comfort of the car.

Last night we had our next door neighbours over for supper. It's been long overdue and it was a pleasant evening. We had a lovely meal prepared by my more than capable husband. It was fairly simple, as I don't think they are quite as used to what my son in law refers to as  'the weird food' I usually serve!  We started off with shrimp cocktail, followed by brown rice, with mushrooms and lemon zest, pan fried cod, baby peas, and corn and finished with warm apple crisp with ice cream.

Tonight however, will be a little different. I was going to post the menu but then that would spoil the surprise! Brenda and Bernie, Marlene and Raymond will be joining us tonight. Lloyd has planned quite a feast. But the up side is it can all be cooked after I get home so he's not left doing it all by himself tonight. He did make the dessert yesterday, and that is chilling as we speak, but the rest will be prepared later. I'm really looking forward to this evening. Although I did have a couple of glasses of wine too many last night and I woke up with quite a head ache around 1:30 but some pain relievers fixed it right up. SO this morning I'm good to go.

Lloyd had coffee with the VanGaals yesterday and he and Meghan(1) are leaving around lunch time on Saturday, stopping in to Grand Falls on the way, and then they plan to drive right through, but it will, of course, depend on the weather. They should be okay. Monday here, could be a different story, once again. For the fifth Monday in a row, we are expecting a storm - this one should bring 15 cms of snow with it. I think we should just declare Mondays as part of the weekend for the rest of the winter and be done with it.

I'm going to spend the weekend taking down the decorations and maybe, just maybe, I'll get into my craft room upstairs. It has sadly deteriorated in terms of it's functionality. I really need to get in there and straighten it up. It became somewhat of a dumping ground over the holidays and then of course, Meghan(2) was doing crafts in there as well, so it desperately needs some attention so I can use it again for it's intended purpose.

I was reading back through a couple of my posts yesterday and there was a lot of things we wanted to do over the holidays that just didn't get done. We always try to pack so much into that little time we have together. Maybe next year will be different. I know the kids won't be here as it's Greg's mom's birthday on Christmas day and next year she turns 60. So, of course, all the family should be together next year for that. I know they'll all have a wonderful time. The best part of it is, it will be a lot less stressful for everyone travel wise, as they can drive to the cottage in a couple of hours! 

Well, I'd better get going, I have a couple of things to pick up at the store on my way to work this morning.

Happy New Year Everyone!

The best Christmas gifts ever

Conditions at 5:30 am - a little windy and -4'
Expected later - mix of sun and cloud and -2'

This year I received two very special gifts that mean a great deal to me.

The first one I received when the kids arrived at the Charlottetown airport. In his hands, James was carrying a handmade centre piece. It consisted of an orange juice can wrapped in bright Christmas fabric, and secured with a ribbon. Inside was an assortment of live evergreen sprigs, accented with a silk pointsettia, and in the centre standing proud and tall was a column of red, green and white pipe cleaners twisted together. At the top of the pipe cleaners was a small square of red construction paper with the words "My grandma is awesome" handwritten on it. When he gave it to me in the airport he reported that there was "the green stuff inside" so that I could add water to it. Apparently he came home from school with this and Patti just assumed it was for Greg's mom, as she lives in town. But no, he announced it was for me. She asked how he was going to get it here, and he said he was going to carry it. "All the way to PEI?" she asked, and he said Yes.
I'm sure that he brought a smile to the faces of many people as he traveled through the Toronto airport, flew to Ottawa, waited for a connecting flight to Halifax, then the plane to Nova Scotia and ending the day going to a hotel. Then the next morning catching the flight to Charlottetown, all the while holding this precious piece of art work. To me, that was the true meaning of Christmas - someone working hard to make something special for someone they care about, then going to great lengths to see that it gets there safely. I displayed it on my desk all day and everyone was delighted with the story. It was a little thing that reminded everyone what Christmas is really supposed to be about.


The second special gift I received was from Meghan. It was a calendar that had

blank pages for the cover and each month, so you could customize each one. The front cover has a carefully drawn picture of me and Meghan. Inside is a hand drawn picture appropriate for each particular month. January has a countdown from 10 down to 1, and the word Party, in big, colourful letters to signify New Years Eve. February has a large red heart for Valentines Day, of course. March has a large shamrock with Happy St. Patrick's Day on it. April has a large and very colourful Easter Egg. May has a big blue mug filled with steaming tea, for Mother's Day and June has a large steaming mug of coffee for Father's Day.  July is my favorite. It has a large polka dot birhday party hat and the big letters spell out "Happy Birthday Grandma!!!!!".  In keeping with the same vein, August has a large chocolate birthday cake with the words "Happy Birthday Meghan!!!!". I am a little curious about the fact there are only 5 candles on the cake though. September has a large book, open to a page with lots of writing, and some juicy red apples to signify back to school. October, of course, has a large candy, a skull and a ghost and Happy Halloween in orange and black letters. November has a beautiful red poppy with green leaves growing in some green grass and the caption for this one reads "Rememberin's Day" and December finishes off the year with a lovely Christmas tree surrounded with candy canes. I know a lot of time and effort went into this gift but I also know she would have enjoyed doing it very much. She has even been kind enough to write in all the kid's birthdays for me just in case I forget.

So for me, it was a very special Christmas with some very precious gifts.

And the snow continues

Conditions at 5:45 am --1' and from the sounds of  things, lots of wind
Expected  later -flurries, freezing drizzle, and not so windy

The travelers should be in Ottawa, although I thought I would have a text message this morning telling me that they got there. I received several messages throughout the day yesterday updating me on their progress. It seems that conditions improved significantly once they got away from the Maritimes. The last message was at 8:54 and they were in Quebec City, and expected to get to Ottawa around midnight. I'm assuming no news is good news, that's all I can do at this point.

The drive around the city yesterday wasn't so bad in the morning but it deteriorated in the afternoon. The drive home was a bit of a challenge. The wind was blowing quite hard and at times you just had to stop dead where you were until the snow cleared and you could once again see where the road was.  In some spots the drifts were at least a foot deep on the other side of the road. It took me roughly an hour to get home from work. I guess the up side of working until 5:30 is that most people are home by that time and there was very little traffic on the road. But then a lot of places were closed yesterday as well. Today may be a different story. I haven't been outside yet to see what conditions are like but I just know it won't be pretty.

When I got home last night Brenda called. She and Meghan had tickets for a concert at the Confed Centre and they wondered if I was interested in going. Not a chance. There was no way I was heading down that road again. I hadn't been home very long and the warm fire in the kitchen and the smell of supper cooking on the stove greeting me as I walked in the door, was just too good a deal to pass up. I have to take advantage of that while I have the opportunity!

It's hard to believe that Christmas is all over and the family has left (well, except for Lloyd).  The house still needs some damage control but I'll have all weekend to do that. It appears that Lloyd will be driving back with Meghan(1)  and I suspect they will leave on Saturday, but that will depend on the weather.  I heard rumours yesterday that there's another storm headed this way for the weekend but the weather network is forecasting above freezing temperatures and sun for Saturday and rain for Sunday so it's hard to say what might happen.

Last night when I got home the snow has all blown into my driveway so I wasn't able to get in. I was able to get the car in off the road but that was it. So this morning I will no doubt have to shovel the snow where the plow has probably gone by. I guess I'll cut this short and go and see what I have to do to get to work again this morning. With any luck, I should have help!

Don't believe everything that you read

Conditions at 5:00 am: -1' and overcast
Expected later - some snow and a high of plus 2

I was reading the news on Yahoo and it was telling about a great storm that hit the Maritimes yesterday. While it was quite messy for a while, it really didn't amount to much. We got a couple of inches of snow before turning to rain then clearing in the afternoon. I'm sure that other parts were harder hit than we were but for us out here, it was somewhat of a none event. In fact in the afternoon the sun was actually out and the kids were able to spend a fair bit of time out playing in the snow.

Sitting in the partially completed fort

Because of the rain, the snow was very wet so was excellent for building a fort around the apple tree. They only came inside because it got too dark to work.Our whole winter so far has been like that. All around us the weather is really bad but out where we are it's not been too severe.

Unfortunately, because of the weather in the morning, the flights were cancelled for a while out of Charlottetown, which backs everything right up and makes it difficult for those flying standby. It's difficult enough for regular passengers to get flights now. So last night the decision was made that the Dennisons are going to drive to Ottawa. They have to be there for Wednesday evening so they are going to pick up a rental car this morning at the airport and head out. It seems like the only possible way for them to get there. Tristen already volunteered to stay behind. He said "Well, Meghan got to do that last year". But that won't be necessary this time.

The fresh cheese ready to be pressed

I think the kids had a good time, in spite of the crumby weather. On Friday, Lloyd and Meghan tried their hand at making a fresh cheese and it actually turned out quite good. We even served it to our guests on Sunday night.

James and I took a little side trip while they were doing cheese and went out to Lakeside Beach to see what damage had been done and to see for ourselves how big

The dunes at Lakeside

the waves were. It was really quite devastating to see. The dunes have been partly washed away and the new stairs that were just built late this summer, are all in pieces. I can only imagine what other areas of the coast look like. The wind damage is quite extensive in several parts of the island but we haven't been out to see them. But at the same time, it was amazing to see the surf and witness Mother Nature's fury first hand. Those are the kinds of experiences I'm so pleased to be able to give the kids.

PS - okay I take it all back - it's now 8:20 and the drive into town was HORRIBLE. It's snowing very hard and the wind is blowing it all around. I really feel uncomfortable sending the troops out in a rental car on a day like today. I pray they have a very safe trip, I know it will be a long one. Although they claim the time they drove back from New York City was worse (all the flights were grounded so they drove home), but they didn't have the kids with them. I won't relax until I know they are safe and sound in Ottawa.