A very tiring weekend .... but lots of FUN!

Conditions at 10:00 am - 20* Expected later - 24* and variably cloudy The weekend got off to a pleasant start with dinner on Friday night with the VanGaals and the Andersons. An evening filled with great wine, great food and great friends. I worked on Friday but it wa s a pretty quiet day as most of the department was out on vacation, and Tracey even sent out an email at 3:28 telling us all to go home, unfortunately I didn't read it till almost 3:45 so I lost out a little but it was still great to get off that few minutes early. When everyone got there I had help in making crepes as both Brenda and Daralen tried their hand at it. They both think it might be a good idea to offer cooking classes at Community School in the fall. I'll think about that one. It might be fun. Friday was Lloyd's last day here and he was leaving on Saturday. I had to be in Souris by 8:00 for the village feast, so a quick coffee and some last minute instructions before I left was all the time we ha d on Saturday. As I was driving to Souris, the sun was shining, the temperature was climbing and there was no traffic. The scenery along the way was beautiful and I thought to myself, how ve ry lucky I am to be able to call this place 'home'. When I got to the Arena in Souris, there was no one there but a military truck (for cooking the chowder) the cuisine machine (a large truck like vehicle with a fully equipped kitchen inside ) and one othervolunteer. Approximately 10 minutes later Chef Michael arrived and soon everyone else who helped setting up tables and chairs (for 1,000) and v arious other decorating functions. Then after lunch (pizza cooked in the cuisine machine) we had a little time to sit and relax before people started arriving around 3:00, even though we weren't going to begin serving until 4:00. arrived and began to organize things. People and trucks started arriving and what was an empty sports field when I arrived was gradually transformed into a spectacular dining space. I took lots of pictures during the day and there WILL be a scrapbook of the event coming soon. There were a couple of added features this year. One was a huge copper oven that was used to bake bread right on site in the field brought in by Speerville Organic Flours from New Brunswick, and Fortune organics supplied salad. When meal time came I was fortunate to be given a post on the plating line. We had four lines, depending on how you wanted your steak - Medium Rare, Medium, Medium Well and Burnt! I was in the burnt line. I was teamed up with two other really interesting folks. Angela, who is the wife of a chef who came in from Hamilton, ON, and Dennis, who is a local fellow. There were several chefs "from a way" - from Halifax, Ontario, Calgary, Winnipeg and BC. Many of them had been with Chef Michael at the Olympics.After everyone was fed, the crew came to get their meals, then it was time to tear it down. I was amazed at just how quickly everything came together. We were done serving at 7:00 and by 8:35 we left. Some of the guys were still there loading chairs and tables into trucks but they were going to various places so I thought it best to stay out of that one. Besides there were lots of other things to do. After it was over, the volunteers were invited to join Chef Michael at his house for a beer. I went for a short time, only staying for about an hour as it had been a long day and I was pretty tired. I also had a bit of a drive ahead of me, about 45 minutes. When I got home I fell into bed, and had a great sleep. It had been an all round great day! Sunday morning I got up, got a bit organized, did a few things around the house, then made a list of what still needed to be done. I'm a big list person. I tend to forget things if they are not written down on a list and there's also something psychologically satisfying each time you cross something off that list. Lloyd called in the morning to tell me he had arrived in Guelph around 8:00 am - just in time to go for breakfast with the guys from the airport - a coincidence? I think not! In the afternoon I went into town when I realized I didn't have enough pillows for the number of people coming to visit. When I got back, I was quite tired, still a bit fatigued from Saturday in the sun all day. So, I was sitting on the couch, watching TV and doing absolutely nothing, when Brenda called to see if I was interested in going in to see Circ de Soleil. So I dragged my sorry butt off the couch, had a shower and away we went. We picked up our tickets and wrist bands at the waterfront, then headed to Victoria Row to find something to eat. (I hadn't eaten yet and Brenda had butterscotch pie for supper - we think alike!)We ordered the jambalaya, and it was okay but not as good as we might have expected. I thought the presentation was a BIT lacking and we had to ask for bread, which wasn't bread, it was a warm pita, AND it didn't arrive until we were all done eating. Next time we'll try somewhere else, I suspect. Not that we're that picky, but we do have our standards! We then headed over to Great George Street to watch the performers parade down to the show area. As the parade passed, we filed in behind to make our way down to the show. It was quite packed and standing room only, so I was glad it didn't last any longer than it did, as my feet were getting sore standing. Meghan (1) and her friends were at the Old Triangle so we walked over there and joined them outside on the patio for a beer. It was a truly spectacular night, weather wise. It was still 24* at midnight when we got home. Needless to say I slept in this morning!

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It was a busy Canada Day at the Denny household

Conditions at 7:00 - rainy and 12*

Expected later: mix of sun and cloud, high of 18*

What started out as a beautiful day, turned out to be a very productive day. Lloyd worked a bit more on installing the invisible fencing and I finished cutting the grass in the back yard. Part way through the morning we stopped to have some breakfast and I tried my hand at the Welsh Cakes recipe I'd picked up

at the multicultural festival. They turned out great. They are quite delicious and easy to make. They look like mini pancakes but taste nothing like them. They are fried but on an ungreased grill so fat isn't a huge issue (except for the shortening and butter used in the batter). These are not a low calorie treat, but a treat they are indeed. I had some dough left so I've put it

into the freezer to make more at a moments notice!

After eating "brunch" , we started working on the shelter. I have lots of things around the yard that need to be stored an

d not enough space to store them. So a few weeks ago I picked up a portable shelter to house some of those things. The hope is it will do fine until Lloyd can build a garage but that will have to wait until he retires. In the meantime this SHOULD work - but we'll see, come the first snowstorm.

It was a little challenging to build and we weren't finished until almost 7:00, when went inside to have supper. By the time it was cooked and we finished eating it was well past 8:00 and we were both quite tired, I suspect partly from being out in the sun all day long.

Brenda called to see if we had plans to go into town to watch fireworks. It was tempting but in the end we just didn't feel like it. Maybe next year.

Lloyd soaked in a hot bath and went to bed by 9:00. I was braising lamb shanks for tonight's supper so I stayed up till 10:00. This morning I could have quite happily just turned over and gone back to sleep when the alarm went off , but alas, that was not possible.

The upside is, yesterday felt like Saturday, and now it's Friday - I'd like more work weeks like this!

PS - welcome home Meghan (1) and friends !

Happy Canada Day!

Current Conditions at 7:00 - Sunny and beautiful!- 14*
Later: Mix of sun and cloud and a high of 20*

What a glorious day! And a holiday at that.

Every Canada Day I have fond memories of Canada Day Parties at our friends Helen and Peter's house in Fergus, Ontario. Each year Helen would put a huge amount of work into organizing her annual event and people were asked to come to the party 'dressed' as some unusual Canadian. Some folks have very good imaginations and some of the things they did were quite unusual. It couldn't be immediately obvious who you were representing and it often took all day for people to guess who was represented. For instance one year Lloyd went with the name Joe written on his shirt, with a string around his neck holding a little stick of wood. He was.......are you ready for it????? Joey Smallwood. Those are the kind of things people would do and it was great fun to try to figure out who people were. It was usually a pot luck and a great time was always had by all.
Helen and Peter are at the cottage but when they get back to town and read this, THANKS for the memories!

Only two more days before Lloyd leaves to go back to Ontario. It's been a busy and productive week but still more to do. Fortunately the weather has mostly cooperated. Today our big task it to get the invisible fencing installed and the the storage shelter put up. That's probably a two person job so it's likely better if we get it done today while I'm here to help.

He was originally planning to leave on Sunday morning but has now decided to leave on Saturday sometime. I volunteered to work at the Village Feast but since I hadn't heard anything from anyone I assumed they didn't need any more people. But someone called on Tuesday night and left me a message. I called her back last evening and I have to be in Souris by 8:00 am on Saturday morning. No idea what I'll be doing but I'm ready to work. I had told Brenda I'd volunteer at the Rec Centre on Saturday night but I don't think I'll be back in time.

Meghan (1) is arriving today. She left a comment yesterday and she's very excited to be coming home. It's a little ironic that she was here when Meghan (2) was here last time and they're both going to be here at the same time again.

I emailed my friend Suzanne yesterday to let her know that Lloyd is bringing her tent back with him to Ontario. She mentioned that she is going to visit family in Gaspe in August and then pondered a quick trip to the island. When I told her she was more than welcome and the door was always open she immediately jumped on that. So she and Jacob are coming to visit in between my trip to Paris and my trip to Toronto. That will be a busy week.

It was so nice this morning to go outside with the dog and see the Bunky sitting in the sunshine, and the sun streaming through the trees on the treehouse ( I guess it's just a play house until it gets lifted into the trees). The stuff from inside the bunky is still in the back of the truck so I'd best get to cleaning that stuff out today.

Have a great day today, everyone!

Everythings where it should be.

Conditions at 7:00 am: 16* and overcast
Later: 22* and a mix of sun and cloud

What a treat to get home last night and both the Bunky and the tree house have been moved. I hadn't heard anything at all and about 3:00 I called Brenda to see what was going on. She reported that she had gone by my place when she went to pick up the lobsters and both buildings were there and both guys were gone.

When I got home I asked how they moved the bunky, and Lloyd replied that they called CAA. WHAT???? Apparently the have the capabilities of moving large vehicles that are not drivable so it only makes sense. Apparently it went much smoother than either of them imagined. The tree house was able to be lifted by the tractor so Bernie drove it down the road, with it totally blocking his view. I wish I had photos but neither of them thought to do that.

But it's nice to have that job done. The other good news is the wood is all cut up. When I got home from work last night I unloaded some stuff from the car first, then went out to talk to Lloyd and he was just cutting the very last piece. What a great feeling for him to have that job done.

The day just got better with a delicious lobster supper at the VanGaal's. Potato salad, fresh baked rolls, beet salad and lobster, followed by strawberry cake. What a wonderful feast! And to add to the joy is a bucket of frozen lobster is now in my freezer for future enjoyment and lobster sandwiches for supper tonight.

Today Lloyd's going to town to get plates and insurance for the Neon, so he can drive it back home. He's hoping he might have a better chance of selling it there than here. He can also take a couple of things home with him that need to get back to Ontario.

I've been a little frustrated with the job search lately. I applied for an admin position downtown but I never heard anything. So yesterday I emailed the woman who the resumes were to go to and asked for some feedback. I questioned if there was something I could improve in my cover letter, my resume or my qualifications that might make the next attempt successful. She was very nice to reply quite soon after. She indicated that she received 160 applications for the position and mine was not considered as I don't have any formal training in office administration. I know when you receive that many responses to a want ad you have to have some basic screening criteria so that makes sense. In the meantime it doesn't really help me. So I will have to focus my search in other areas.

Rumour has it Lloyd is going to meet me for lunch today. I only get half an hour so I think it will be the cafeteria at AVC. Actually that's one of the jobs I am going to submit a resume to, although they aren't actively hiring right now, and that's Chartwells. Everyone complains about the food but it's typical cafeteria stuff - prepackaged, mass produced food but it's only for two more years until I can retire. The other option I have is the call centre. I did get a response in the spring from them and the fellow I spoke with left me his name and phone number to call when my contract ran out so I think I'll give him a call the beginning of the week and see where that goes.

In the meantime, it's time to be off to the job I still have.

The Bunky's coming home.

Conditions at 7:00 am- 15* and light drizzle
Expected later: overcast and a high of 17*


At least that's the plan for today.

The story of the bunky is a complex one. First of all, the name. In Ontario, a lot of folks own cottages, and when you own a cottage on a lake in Ontario, you get lots of company. Many people build a tiny building beside the cottage with just beds to house extra overnight guests and they're called bunkys.

Four years ago, we purchased the property on Five House Road in May. By June we couldn't wait to come back. This time Patti and Greg and the kids came down as well, as did our friend Stephan. We rented two cottages out in Tracadie.
We had a great week touring around, exploring our future home province. After we got home then we really wanted to do something, but we didn't have much money (having just spent it all on the land) and very little vacation time left as well. But we talked it over and decided we could build a little cabin of some sort that we could stay in for short periods of time. The planning began in earnest and after reviewing our options, and visiting RV centres we settled on a plan we thought might work.

We had one week to get from a pile of lumber sitting in the middle of an empty field, to the finished product. (This is one of those time's I'm really happy I document things in scrapbooks as I have the whole process in pictures. )

We came up with a stationary version of a camper trailer - just without the wheels. It's 7 feet deep and 14 feet long - your basic garden shed. But it's totally finished inside with painted drywall and trim, and laminate flooring. It has a small sink with running water and a 3 burner gas stove. The special part is that we did it entirely ourselves (well, really mostly Lloyd)

It's fully insulated which allowed us to come to visit the island any time of the year. And visit we did. We had a lot of wonderful trips to PEI staying in that little structure.

In summer months we would set up a dining tent outside and put the table and chairs out there to allow more space inside and give us a place to eat without mosquitoes. A nearby firepit completed our tiny piece of paradise, and many an evening were spent sitting under the stars gazing at the flames of a bonfire. In winter months we spent many a trip just sitting and reading for hours on end. What could be more relaxing.

On the outside it looks like your typical garden shed, and everyone is totally amazed when they go inside at how much is actually in there.

Today Bernie and Lloyd are going to try to move it to Dromore Road. I think it will be somewhat of a challenge, but they met last night, and took a drive over to size up the situation. They just have to keep telling themselves, it's just a garden shed. I'm sure the job won't be without it's challenges and I wish I was going to be there to help or at least witness and take pictures! I'd love to see it going down the road.

Now when guests come to visit, they have the option of staying in the big house or the 'guest house'. With any luck at all I think the plan is to try to move the tree house as well. It won't be in a tree for while, it will just be on the ground, but at least it will be usable. Tristen will be so pleased. Apparently he tells EVERYONE that he has a treehouse at his grandma's in PEI. Lloyd says he can put it up in the air on his next trip. At least if it's moved, the kids will be able to use it when they're here (so long as they use bug spray!)

If those get moved today, that will be an amazing feat. Most of the wood is cut and I'm off on Thursday so we should have no trouble getting the shelter up and the fence installed when I'm there to help. So it's actually been a very productive week, getting lots of odd jobs done as well as the wood cut up.

Tonight we are off the the Van Gaal's for supper - lobster, potato salad, fresh baked rolls. YUM! Alas Lobster season is almost over so one more good feed before it's done.

It's Monday again

Current conditions: 11* and overcast
Expected later: 17* and 20 mm of rain

It was a beautiful morning at 5:00 am with lovely clear skies but by 6:30 it had deteriorated rapidly. On the radio, the DJ suggested that if you have anything to do outside today to get it done in the morning, but I'm not so sure that's going to last. I just hope it stays dry until at least 9:30 when I have to go out to get the mail and then I have a doctor's appointment at 10:30 so it would be nice to not be in the rain for that as well.

Lloyd made good progress on the wood yesterday. So far about 1/3 of it is cut up and that was really only in about 3 hours. Another two good sessions should finish it. Then we can at least begin to split and stack it. He has to talk to Bernie about the possibility of moving the bunky. If it rains all afternoon, it might be a good time for them to get together, depending on what Bernie's schedule is like.

Yesterday afternoon we went into town to the Old Triangle and listened to some fiddle music then off to Victoria Row for DiverCity, the multicultural festival. It was quite crowded with people but we managed to find some things to eat. We got to try Welsh Cakes, which I'd never had before. Oh my goodness, they were delicious. Fortunately they also had print outs with the recipe on them, so I plan to make some really soon. They look like a pancake and are fried on a griddle but they are made into a batter and cut out with cookie cutters.


On our way back home I mentioned about the cottage at the bottom of Patti Lane and Lloyd said he hadn't seen it. We were over there at Christmas but we didn't go down the hill, so he had no idea it was there. So we toured down the hill, then stopped at Richard and Daralen's on our way back. They had been at Campbell Cove all weekend and had only been back a couple of hours. We had a glass of wine and a nice visit with them.

By the time we got home it was around 8:30. I had cut most of the grass in the back field in the morning but still had some to cut between the trees, so I went out there for a little while but it was starting to get dark and I couldn't tell where the trees were, so it was time to quit. The grass (make that weeds!) had gotten very long over the past couple of weeks and some of the trees were hard to spot so I had to be ever so careful in spotting them in the weeds as I mowed. Now that my lawn mower is fixed, I have to keep on top of that back field or it will get way ahead of me much to easily.

Patti called and left a message - the flight to Paris was packed and some of the stand by's didn't get on the flight so we made a good call in deciding not to go this weekend. Everything happens for a reason!

Happy Sunday!

Conditions at 11:00 am - occasional sprinkling of rain and 14*
Expected later: cloudy and a high of 22*


It's Sunday morning and all is well. It's been a nice weekend so far but today the rain is trying really hard to dampen everyone's spirits but it's not really trying hard enough. Every once in a while we get a little sprinkle and then it's gone again. Lloyd is outside cutting wood and I'm waiting for cookies to bake in the oven. Does it get any more Norman Rockwell than that?

Friday night Lloyd picked me up after work and we went downtown for supper. We walked along Victoria Row and decided on a little Italian place that had a special that appealed to both of us. So after a lovely dinner of seared scallops, osso bucco on risotto Milanese, washed down with an Australian Shiraz, followed by tiramisu and cappuccino, we waddled back to the car for the trip home. We had contemplated going out after dinner but we were just too full. And it had been a very long day for Lloyd, so we just came home.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed into town to the Farmer's Market. While there we ran into Chef Michael Smith, and I chatted with him for a minute. Lloyd was in a hurry as he was pressed for time. He was going to the COPA event in Summerside. So after a quick tour of the market, he headed out and I was off in search of a blade for the lawnmower. After stops at 4 places to find one, I finally got lucky at the Home Hardware in Stratford. Another stop at Sobey's and the Liquor store and then home to make dinner. Brenda and Linda were coming over and I wanted to try my hand at Seafood Linguine. We had a salad first, with an asian influenced vinaigrette, topped with sesame crusted seared scallops (cooked by Brenda ) and then the linguine. We had crepes with a cream cheese and fresh strawberry filling, drizzled with chocolate sauce for dessert. Again all washed down with white wine, then tea and coffee.
A splendid time was had by all!
I hadn't seen Linda since last fall and there have been some MAJOR changes in her life. Let's just say some men can be SUCH jerks, and leave it at that.

Yesterday on my way home, I stopped by my neighbours place to pick up some strawberries. They're not yet ready for picking your own, but they've been picking a few. I have to just say I feel so foolish for complaining last weekend about a sore knee. This woman has recently had her second leg amputation due to complications from diabetes. It's a humbling experience to see her wheel around her kitchen in her wheelchair, going about her everyday tasks. Sometimes we just need to be reminded how truly lucky we are.

Well, my second tray of cookies is ready so I'd best get outside and cut some grass!