MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

I can't think of a better way to wish you all a Merry Christmas than with a little help from Monty and Charlie.  Right now they are in their beds in Abu Dhabi waiting for Santa and his reindeer to arrive.  They prepared a plate for Santa with some carrots and cookies and milk.  They were supposed to be spending Christmas in England but,  like so many others, their plans changed.

It has been a hard couple of months with some unexpected health scares and deaths in the family.  Not being able to travel for Christmas again is an added disappointment.  But we are healthy - we just got our booster yesterday and we are trying to abide by all the restrictions that are in place again.  We cancelled our vacation in February as it is just not safe to travel and there are too many unknowns right now.  

We will be celebrating with Stacey and Andrew and Marilou this holiday - they are in our bubble.  We will be zooming with Rejean's family tonite hopefully and then with Jodie and the boys tomorrow morning.

I hope your Christmas is Merry and spent with the people you love.

FOR SUSAN...

 Losing a dog leaves a hole in your heart,

You simply just wait for your life to restart.

The hurt is so deep that you wonder just how,

You'll ever recover from pain you feel now.

But time is a blessing and memories are gold,

The years that you loved her and watched her grow old,

Are gifts that she leaves you to treasure and then,

One day you'll see her and love her again.

-Glenda Gillis

Rest in Peace little Poop

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE WINTER...

 

November 22nd and we have our first real snow of the season.  We have been fortunate so far.  Altho the condition of the highway at 11am leaves a lot to be desired.  They are snow and ice covered and it appears that the sand trucks and plows have not been out.  At the very least there should be sand along the curves and hills for the big trucks that barrel down the highway.  Not safe at all in my opinion.

Meet my new phone!!  It is an iPhone 8 that my sister Joanne gave me.  She upgraded and felt sorry for me that I still had a flip phone.  It is all set up except for a sim card that Andrew is in the process of getting for me.  I should be up and running and in communication with everyone by the end of November!!  I will be able to text and check emails etc with it - not just make phone calls.  I can't wait to be able to take some pictures with it.  Lately when you ask someone to take your picture with my camera, you have to ask if they know how to work it.  Haha  Used to be that way with iPhones.

It has been an especially sad month.  We received news of the death of Rejean's nephew Miguel.  So young.  And news of new chemo treatments for Susan's young granddaughter Alivia.  

The number of new cases of Covid in our small district of Algoma is out of control with breakouts in our small community.  We used to have 5-10 cases but now we are over 240!!  Our Christmas trip to Windsor is not going to happen.  2022 has to be a better year!!

Stay safe

NOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR...

 

It has been unseasonable warm up here for the deer hunters and very little activity around the feeders - except for the fat raccoons and the fat bears!!   I have never seen such fat bears but they are getting ready to hibernate and they have  been given a few extra weeks to pack on the fat.  The have been taking advantage of the candy corn.  thank goodness they don't hang around the house.  I am very cautious when walking to get the mail but they won't stick around once they hear you.  

Just a couple more days and then the hunters will be on their way home - still time to get a deer.  Haven't heard of anyone around here getting one.  

But I have seen a few grouse.  Next week we will take a ride up to Hinckler and do some bird hunting.  

FALL COLORS

 

Joanne and I trekked up Rock Candy Mountain this morning to take in the colours.  It was well worth the hike up hill!!!  I would say the colours are about 75% to their peak.  They are just beautiful.  The reds are vivid and the oranges are a close second.  The yellows really haven't made their appearance yet and the oaks are the last to change and fall.  Met another couple on the trail who are doing the fall colour tour - they said the colours down in Muskoka are nothing compared to our area.  Little Highway 129 is a wonderful place to view the colours.

WELL, HELLO THERE

 

We have two visitors to the feeders so far this year.  Good size ones too!!  I will be wearing my bear bells for my trips to the mailbox...

STUFF

 

Lots of stuff happened around here this summer.  We didn't have the kids due to Covid but for their birthdays I sent Jodie some money to buy them scooters that they love.  

First pic was taken by Steve (of course as I could never have thought to take a pic from that angle) after dinner when the lake was like a mirror.  We had Taylor's parents up for a few days with Rick and Joan and had a nice campfire.  

Joanne and Mitch were in the Thessalon vintage car parade.  I forget what year it is but it certainly sounds good and loud.  The parade took them all over the town including the Algoma Manor where the residents enjoyed the old cars.  

The next pic was the annual fishing trip the "farmers" come for.  They are all life long friends from the Listowel area and I don't think any of them are farmers now but that is what we call them.  A great bunch of guys.  Mitch and Rejean took them out fishing everyday on Tunnel Lake and tons of fish were caught.  This was the evening of the fish fry held at our house.

The pic after the boys on their scooters was the damage to Steve's bunkie from the 4 tornados we had around here in August.  The two huge hemlocks were removed by professionals as it would have been too dangerous for us to attempt.

The next two pics were of one of the Scott Sisters quad adventures when Susan was here.  We went thru a lot of mud puddles and hung out on the River.  

The next one is of just one of the beautiful bass caught on our lake by Susan and Joanne.  It was released to fight again.

Next is of our progress on blocking our double bunk of wood.  Half way thru.  rick is helping.  He drives the tractor and I place the hook on the logs and make sure it is balanced and then walk with it over to the saw horse where Rejean uses the chainsaw to cut them to length.  We will split them next spring.  It never ends.  We have started having fires in the house and garage already.  It is chilly.

The last two are of the leaves and mushrooms in the area.  The leaves are really changing fast and they are stunning.  They are late starting this year as Rick remembers last year at this same time they were at their peak.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTY AND CHARLIE

 

Happy 7th birthday to these two little boys.  Monty Moo Moo and Charlie Barley as I call them.  We zoomed with them last nite (their Friday morning) to see them open our gift to them.  Scooters!!  They were very happy.

But where did the time go.  I can't believe it has been 7 years already.  We haven't had a visit in two years due to Covid but have been kept up tp date with videos and pictures that Jodie and Dave send us.  They have grown into two amazing little people and I am anxious to see them again and to get to know them again.

I love you Charlie and Monty!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAIRE

 

This beautiful lady turned 95 yesterday!!  Her name is Claire and she is my mother-in-law.  We celebrated her birthday at Pierre's place in Barry's Bay a few weeks ago and all of her kids got together to party.  I really can't remember the last time all of us were together.  We had a great time.  Claire gets to vacation at Pierre's every summer.  She relaxes and sits in the water and Pierre spoils her.  She gets stronger and healthier there and enjoys every moment.  She is a wonderful mother-in-law!

FISHING ON CHENEY

 

It was a beauty evening out on the boat on our lake with Joanne and Mitch fishing.  Susan and Shelley are coming in on Thursday so we needed some fish for a good fish fry.  Mitch and Rejean were out on tunnel this morning but really didn't have any success at all.  Fishing has been hard on Tunnel this year.  But not on Cheney.  I think Mitch got his first Walleye within 2 minutes.  Then a couple of beautiful bass.  Joanne caught a nice Walleye on the lake as well.  When we got back to shore, Joanne and I cast off the dock (now that Jacques is no longer hanging around) and I got a couple of nice ones and Joanne got a beauty!!

We get our second vaccine tomorrow!!  

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Here is a picture of my Father and me on our 250 Harley Davidson.  

I am who I am today because of him and for that I am grateful.  

 

SNAKES, CAKES AND POLLYWOGS

 First the snakes.  We moved a big black rubber runner that we used to launch the brown boat.  I knew there would be snakes under it and I was right.  I just didn't think that there would be so many.  There must have been about 7 small sized snakes under it.  6 of them were the ring neck snakes - the dark grey with the ring around their necks.  They have a beautiful orange belly which I didn't try and see.  Once they felt the sun on them they were out of there.  There was another one that was curled up and took a bit longer to leave.  I think he was a type of garter snake.  There was also some snake skins under there.  One was a good size!!!

Next the cake!!  You haven't seen the boys in a while.  It is Rejean's birthday today and the boys and Jodie made him a cake.  We zoomed with them this morning and they sang Happy Birthday to him and blew out his candles.  Charlie's wish was he wanted his family to be together.  Monty I think was just itching to get at the cake.  Once the candles were blown out Jodie gave them each a fork and they went at it.  With the 8 hour time difference it was evening in Abu Dhabi so I think it may have been a bit difficult to get the boys to sleep after eating all that sugar!!!  It was so nice to see them all.

And finally, the Pollywogs.  At the Hooverville Landing where we launch our boat to fish Tunnel there are millions of Pollywogs hanging around the shore so today I took my strainer and a pail and went and caught me some Pollywogs to put in our lake to feed our fish.  Wasn't too hard.  The bottom was black with them.  All I did was stir them up by walking towards them and they all scrambled away.  I just waved my strainer and got a ton.  A few minutes later and I had enough. Some even had their back legs growing already.  I remember when I was younger and all the kids in the neighbourhood would go Pollywog hunting and I would sneak my Mother's strainer out to use to catch them.  She would get so mad at me.  A very good memory.