AS PROMISED - IN SIDE MY NEW HOUSE

 First picture is the fuse box!!!  I have never seen one so big!  I will spend my days searching for which switch is for which light or fan.  Hydro is coming tomorrow to connect us to the grid.

Next is the view into the dining room and the living room from the primary bedroom area.  The kitchen is on the right.  Nice big windows!

The next picture is looking up at the loft from the living room area.  The tall wooden column is our propane fireplace.  There will be stone covering the column all the way up to the ceiling  There are 2 bedrooms and a full bath plus a sitting area up there.

The last one is of the sun room that morphed into a she/he cave.  There will be a tv and a bank board shuffleboard if we can find one.  I think this will be my favourite room.

There is also a dedicated laundry room, a half bath, pantry and a utility room.  It really is one floor living for us as the loft will be for guests.  Charlie and Monty are happy it will be ready for them - I hope. 😱

ps  some of the rooms appear larger as I found a new setting on my phone to make the rooms appear larger to get more in the shot.

ANOTHER WEEK GONE BY

 We had a big thaw the last few days after a stretch of very cold temperatures and lots of snow.  This usually happens every January or February and it leaves such a mess.  The driveway is horrible.  Slushy and every vehicle leaves huge ruts that will refreeze when the temps finally return to normal.  And extremely slippery.  We have a pile of trap rock that we use for everything - paths, bare spots on the driveway and to provide traction in just this situation.  Rejean chips a load off the pile (it is frozen solid) and fills the loader.  I get to follow in the tractor as he throws the trap rock on the icy sections of the road with a shovel.  Works like a charm and I get to drive the tractor.  Always a good day when I get to do that!

And the snow starts to fall off the roof of the garage and the cottage.  1/2 came off the driveway side of the garage and the other side curled almost touching the ground.  The new house has shingles so we won’t have to face that problems any more.

I will post a few pictures tomorrow of the inside of the new house.  They have dry walled and muddied.  The pine for the ceilings in the sun room and main room arrived this week and there is a lot of it.  I like the color we choose.

DRY JANUARY

 I have done Dry January for a few years now.  I don’t drink a lot but I have do have genetics to worry about.  Some seem to think it could be hereditary and my father was an alcoholic.  I never wanted to come even close to having his demons and I think I have accomplished that goal. But I do enjoy a cold beer on a hot day, spiced rum mixed with pineapple juice with a splash of orange juice sitting on my deck enjoying the views.  A margarita with my Sisters in our new favourite spot in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  And a new favourite holiday drink, chocolate Bailey’s. Mmmm.  But since January 1st my drink of choice is water on the rocks with a splash of President’s Choice liquid water enhancer which isn’t that bad.

Only 26 more days to go…

SHILOH

 I got to babysit my grand fur baby Shiloh. Her parents spent the night in the Sault so Shiloh spent the night with me.  She has her routines that I tried to follow but our property is different than Parker’s so we made what we had work.  They brought her bed over for her but her favourite spot is on the couch.  Shiloh used to live here before the fire so she still remembers when this place was hers.  She gets confused sometimes.  When I let her out for her last pee last nite, she ran off towards the highway barking at something.  I had to get all dressed in my boots, hat, gloves and big winter coat to go out and get her.  I called and whistled for her and she did come back running up from the highway expecting the promised “treat” I said to bribe her.  She got it because she is cute.  I slept on the couch with her so she wouldn’t cry and I must say she is difficult to sleep with.  She had to be on top of my legs or squashing me.  Woke me up at 4:30am to pee but went right back to sleep.  

She is patiently waiting for Stacey and Andrew to come back and take her home.  Back to her own domain.  I will sleep well tonite.

NO. PROBLEM

 We have been buying stuff for the new house for a while now.  Toilets, wood stove, shelves, small appliances etc.  we finally found a bathroom vanity for the ensuite (yes I have an ensuite bathroom). It is a 72 inch beast that weighed 350 pounds.  The delivery notice said that it would be dropped off curb side due to the weight.  Well curb side here is off the highway and dropped off at the top of the driveway.  Good luck getting it to the garage.  You work with what you have.  A steel sled and a quad did the trick easy peasy.  Andrew helped us push it on and then switch the sled to a wheeled cart to move it around.  I got the fun part.  And you can tell that I am getting back into this Blog thing as I stopped mid ride and got my phone out and asked Rejean to take my picture as I needed something to blog today.  So that is today’s adventure.   But wait!  There’s more…

We got a ton of ice and snow yesterday during the storm. We were very lucky we didn’t get as much as some areas and we never lost our power.  Rejean was blowing snow all morning.  I was shovelling decks and porches and restocking our wood supply inside.  I had to take a break and help Rejean get the tractor unstuck.  It was a bit slippery on the hill by the top and he slid a bit and couldn’t straighten out.  Just used some straps and pulled it out with the truck.  And off he went as tho nothing happened.

It was a fun day in -17 but felt like -26 with the wind chill 🥶

CYCLONE BOMB

 In the middle of a winter storm - a cyclone bomb someone called it.  Freezing rain last night and today heavy snow and gusty winds.  We still have power (although I shouldn’t have said that out loud).  I tried cleaning off my car but the layer of ice under the snow will have to wait until the wind dies down.  A bit chilly out there.  Spent the morning sweeping out the new house.  Drywall dust and wood chips.  Looks great now.  Just walked around trying to picture what it will look like with finished walls and doors installed and my kitchen in.  The same white walls throughout the house and the same flooring.  The builders will be so happy.  It is daunting.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 The boys have grown up so fast.  Still hard to be away from them but they are living such a good life.

It was a different Christmas this year without my beautiful Mother-in-law, Claire.  But she was with us in spirit last night in her usual spot on the couch looking so beautiful as usual.  Her spirit could be felt by all.  And also Susan’s first Christmas without Jack.  His absence was filled with love and laughter from her grandchildren and sons and daughter.  

Merry Christmas from my little family to you and yours. ❤️