COWS

 

Speckled Park Cows.  These are my new friends who I am feeding twice a day with Susan during my visit.  Sue unfortunately lost Wilbur about a month ago after a short bout with cancer. Wilbur had been the “hired hand” at the farm for over 25 years. He came twice a day to feed the cows and just take care of the farm.    9 am and 6 pm is the feeding time.  You use a pitch fork to break off 4 sections of a bale of hay for some of the cows.  The younger ones get some corn along with the hay.  You put their corn in a manger and it is behind a gate that only the younger cows can fit through. That keeps the bigger cows from stealing the younger ones’ corn.  Smart!!  The two bigger ones that will be “heading to market” get a combo of hay and corn.  They are fattening up quite nicely.  When you go out to feed them they start mooing at you.  Nice to hear them.

And the farm cats!!  There is about 5 kittens hanging around the barn. We give them water and kibble and the occasional can of cat food.  They have been handled and so are not feral.  One of the orange ones likes me.  I pick him up and he purrs and he has a nice fat belly.  Beautiful golden eyes.  But I can’t go home with a barn cat. Wilbur had a favourite one that used to sit on his lap in the shop after his chores were done.  Jack and him would sit in there for hours just chatting and listening to music.  It is a quiet place nowadays without Jack and Wilbur around.  I am sure the cows and the barn cats miss them.  As we all do.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 🎃

 

Here is a picture of me and my sister Susan dressed up for Halloween in 1957 so I would have been 4 and Susan 6.  Those were the costumes back then. Seeing what kids are dressed in nowadays there is quite a difference.  But I am sure the fun we had was the same as today’s kids.  Getting home and checking out all our candy - what a thrill.

MEMORIES

 This picture is from 18 years ago after my completion,of the Detroit FreePress 1/2 Marathon.  I was dipping my hard earned medal into my BIG glass of draft beer from the Michigan Tavern in LaSalle.  I had done a few marathons and half marathons by that time.  I was addicted and thoroughly enjoyed everything about them.  This is the Marathin month and everyone is posting pictures of their run and experiences and it is bringing back a lot of good memories!  Mostly good but let me explain the sad memories. It is hard work walking for those kind of distances. The course is crowded with people cheering everyone on.  Those people are appreciated. If you ever get to cheer for someone in a marathon, please know that it is not about the 3 seconds that they see you that matters, because for the rest of their life they will remember that you showed up for them.  There were very few races where I had someone special cheering me on. Rejean was with me in Chicago and he followed me through out most of the course bringing me bagels and water.  I will remember that forever.  But other races where I travelled in my own like down in Windsor where I was looking for familiar faces that I never did see.  I was cheered on by the crowd and made to feel that they were there to encourage me on.  But it wasn’t the same as if someone you knew was there specifically for you and was waiting to see you go by and saved their biggest cheer for you.  If you have a chance to see a friend or family member compete in a marathon, try and get down to the course,maybe with a funny sign, and cheer for everyone who has chosen to challenge themselves in this epic event.  But save your biggest cheer for your friend.  They will appreciate it.

FOR WILBUR

 For this one farmer the worries are over, lie down and rest your head,

Your time has been and struggles enough, put the tractor in the shed.

Years were not easy, many downright hard, but your faith in God transcended,

Put away your tools and sleep in peace, the fences have all been mended.

A faith few possess led your journey thru life, often a jagged and stoney way,

The sun is setting, the cattle are all bedded, and here now is the end of your day.

Your labour is done, your home now is Heaven, no more must you wait,

Your legacy lives on, your love of the land, and we will close the gate.

Nancy Kraayenhof

Say Hi to Jack for me please.

FALL

 

My favourite time of the year!  The leaves right now are amazing!  Funny how fast it happens.  Seems like they had just started turning last week and now I would say they are peaking at least up our little highway.  The reds and oranges are stunning.  Hard to believe the deep colors.  The yellows are just starting.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I got up to my favourite spot to view the colors.  Robinson Curve.  It is the first place you see the river and when the colors are just right, it looks like a bowl of Trix.  And the weather has been almost summer like.  Deep blue skies with little clouds. Very warm but cools down at night.

We got out to do some hunting with Rick.  It was a great day. Good trail.  We saw lots of birds and missed a bunch but got 4.  I got one after trying a few times to get others.  Either too far away or it goes into the bush and disappears.  I got enough for my partridge soup!!

And of course some fishing.  Another beautiful day on Tunnel.  We got our limit.  Some nice size ones too.  I was very happy with one of my fish.  The fish fry was, as usual, enjoyed by everyone.

Just another day in paradise.

HOME

 Got out on the boat and took a couple of pictures of the new house from the water. Looks great!  It is coming up on two years since the fire.  August 26, 2024.  Hard to imagine what has happened and what we have had to go thru in two long years.  But being in the house now we realize how fortunate we really are.  Nothing will replace what we lost but living in this house and feeling like we are home, makes it all worth while.

I love my new home ❤️

SMOKEY

 

A bit Smokey here the last couple of days.  Stacey, Jodie and I were in Sudbury on our annual shopping trip during the really bad day - Tuesday.  The drive home on Wednesday was eerie - so Smokey the disability was not very good. And even with the air on and recirculating the air inside the truck, you could still smell the smoke.  And once on 129 you couldn’t see Candy Mountain from the highway!!  The picture of the garden was taken from a Facebook post of one of my friends.  It was yellow and some places were orange the haze was so bad.  Fingers crossed the fires don’t get too close.  There is really nothing you can do.  It is so dry here.   The boys can’t go outside as it is hard to breathe. They don’t mind as they get to play on their devices.