ROAD TRIP!!

I start my vacation tomorrow. I am all packed and ready to go. I have 3 bathing suits, 6 t-shirts, 4 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of jeans, sandals and running shoes and sox. I have a travel hair dryer, toothbrush, paste, sun screen (15) and the most important thing of all - my sippy cup. You can't take alcohol on the beach but we stay on the hotel property behind the breakwall - the chaises are all set up there and we prepare the cocktails in our room and take them down to our spots. We take turns going back to the room for refills. I can't wait!!!

See Ya Bye

HERE I COME...

A view of the place we will be staying in St Pete Beach - that is not snow!!! That is the sand - I call it white ash tray sand...niiiice.

WICKED WINDS !!

I don't know about your areas but we had one hell of a storm right around dinner time. I was at the Hall all day (doing pies, of course) and it rained all day long and the wind was a'howling. A good day to be indoors. After we were finished, I had to deliver Roger's pies to him on Axe Lake. I had to drive around fallen branches and small trees - there was one that I know someone had to take a chain saw to. I kept my eye on any large trees by the side of the road - they can do real damage to a passing auto and it's occupant. But I survived to deliver the pies. He ordered one of each which equals 5 pies. $35. It was quite windy along the highway but I made it home. During dinner, it just poured and the winds were horrible. I have never seen the lake so turbulent. White caps!!! Then, all of a sudden, there were some real high velocity gusts - I thought for sure that some of our trees would be down but they held their ground. The top and bottom of our fire pit kind of disappeared down the driveway. Rejean pulled out chairs from the front of the house to the side out of the wind. Or I don't know where we would have found them. I know what one of my chores is tomorrow - picking up all the branches and pine cones that are now littering my front yard.

And I have to pack tomorrow - for my vacation in St Pete Beach Florida!!! Yes boys and girls, it is that time of year again when I get out of Dodge when the hunters come up. Barry and Eddie will be here on Friday - I am leaving on Thursday, picking up my sister Susan in Listowel, then driving to Windsor Friday morning - dentist at 2pm and a retirement party for John Davenport at the Essex Golf and Country Club!! Then flying out of Detroit at 8am on Saturday and I will be in the sun, on the beach, with my cocktail in hand by at least 1pm. My other sister, Joanne, will by flying into Tampa from Calgary and meeting us at the "resort". We will have her cocktail waiting for her...Cheers!!

See Ya Bye

ROLLIN' ROLLIN' ROLLIN'

I keep a large jar on my dresser and put all my coin in it when I come home from shopping. It is actually my second jar. I have filled one and there was about 1/2 in the other jar. My vacation is coming up so, as I always do, I wrapped all the coins. I was going to take them to the Zehr's store in LaSalle where they have a machine that takes all your coin and give you paper, but they take a cut - I think 10% - well, I am cheap so I decided to roll them myself. First you have to sort the coins - Canadian from US, toonies, loonies, quarters etc etc. Then I sit in front of the tv with a wooden cutting board on my lap and take handfuls of the coins, count and roll them - it is a pain to get them all going the right way in the palm of your left hand, then getting them to stand up while you attempt to roll them in the paper and try and get the # & $ to match up. But, I am a retired banker so I had no problems whatsoever. I got $260 in Canadian and $36 American. Every little bit helps.

Now I just have to carry them all into the Bank to get the paper equivalent...heavy!!! I can just see all those "Next Customer Service Representative, Please" signs going up. :oS

See Ya Bye

SKUNKED AGAIN

Rejean and I went hunting this morning - I was in the lead and spotted a bird up ahead. I stopped my machine, got off, picked up my gun, loaded it and watched the bird fly away into the woods. I walked for a bit into the bush but didn't see it. Too bad you can't ride your 4 wheeler with a loaded gun - at least in the chamber...it would make it much easier. Oh well, there are reasons for that law. I saw one other one in flight - I just watched it go. Better luck next time - but I am running out of time.
Tonite we are heading over to Linda's to see if we can install her new high speed stick on her computer and tomorrow it is supposed to rain. I have tons of stuff to do inside - like pack for my vacation which starts this Thursday. Where does the time go...
See Ya Bye

SNOW!!!

Fooled Ya

THE SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS WORD

Yes, we had some today - hardly anything really but you couldn't mistake that stuff falling from the sky. You could see white things on the green roof off the balcony. AND I had to scrape my windshield this morning before leaving to go to the Hall to bake Beef Pies. Yes, winter is upon us. Rejean already has the new snow blower attached to the tractor - we are now in the process of getting some skid shoes for it - I am very proud of myself that I know what skid shoes are and what they do - do you? I think I have finally turned that corner where I am more a Northerner than anything else. When I am driving I look at the scenery and try to imagine driving down a city street and seeing cars, buildings, sirens, flashing lights etc etc. I like to see trees and foxes and bears and chipmonks - and I do up here. It's nice up here.
I have to go back to the Hall tomorrow morning to bake more pies - pork this time. Let's see - we have now made chicken, turkey and beef pies and I can attest to their deliciousness. I buy one and bring it home for dinner that evening - I don't have to cook (yea, I just spent 6 hours baking those pies, but it is the principle of the thing). Next week it is hamburger pies - yum yum. Phyllis, Vickie, Cheryl and I do a pretty good job.
See Ya Bye

MY FOX CAME BACK!!!

Last Saturday, on my way home from the dump, there was a fox that had been killed on the road near here - I was very worried that it was my fox - the one that has been coming around for the past couple of months. It turns out it was a female and my fox is a male and my fox made an appearance within the next couple of days - he was here this morning also. I like having the little guy come around - he is very cautious and will run at any little noise. But, he comes around every four or five days and appears in the morning and evening. It's like having a dog but without all the ownership hassles.

And on my way home from Sudbury the other day, down highway 554, we saw 9 elk in a field - it was just about 5:30pm when they come out of the bush into the clearings. The male had a huge rack - even from my vantage point you could tell it was big. They are protected up here and some farmers are not too happy - they do a lot of damage to the crops but they can't do anything about it but try and scare them away from their fields. Even if you accidentally

hit one with your vehicle, the carcass is given to the First Nations. If you hit a deer or a moose, you can keep the meat, but not elk.

I am cleaning today - I have tons of stuff to do before next Thursday. That is when my vacation starts - can retired people still go on vacations? Isn't everyday a vacation day?

See ya Bye

BARBARA - ANN, IS THAT YOU??

I noticed another follower today and, thru elemination, discovered that it was Barbar-Ann and I only know one Barbara-Ann. So if it is you - Welcome!!! I have mentioned Barbara-Ann in a few previous posts - she has been up here on a few occassions, staying at a Lodge nearby. She is excellant at hosting or co-hosting dinner parties. I have been honored to be a guest at 3 of her sworeighs (that is not how you spell it, but sound it out - and I mean it as a complement) The first one was a dinner party where she, and her side-kick Bonnie, prepared Coq-au-Vin for about 16 or 18 people. It was a blast. Then it was a BBQ on their deck when they were staying for the week in the summer. I sure am glad the deck held all of us up. Then it was co-hosting a night at the Lodge - we had 3 BBQs going and it was perfect.

But...if it is not you, I welcome the Barbara-Ann that it is. The more the marrier.

See Ya Bye

NEW TOY & A SURPRISE PARTY

Plain Jane with her new laptop

The new implement

We picked up the new snow blower this morning from NorthShore Tractor in Echo Bay. It is an AgroTrend series 2000 snow blower - made in Canada!! There was nothing wrong with our other one but it was time to get a new one before we had problems with the one that came with the tractor. You don't want to be stuck without one in the middle of winter. We traded in the old one and got what we thought we would get if we sold it privately. That way, no hassles and it is dealt with. Now I can't wait for it to snow to try it out - this is the year I learn how to blow the snow.

Last nite we went to Plain Jane's surprise 60th birthday party at the Sowerby Hall - she likes to dance so there was a disc jockey and we danced the night away. It was fun to meet some new people. Everyone chipped in for a new lap top for her - she was very surprised!!

We found out that there is another bear on Axe Lake - it was out and about last nite causing damage - we told Joy to get her gun ready!!! And on the way home from the dump today I saw a fresh road kill fox - it wasn't there when I went to the dump but there on the way home - I hope it is not mine :o( Time will tell...

See Ya Bye

STILL IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

It must have been foggy that night but you can just make out the outline of the bear over at the Killing Fields. You can't really tell how big he is but it shows he is still around - and that is just across the highway from us. No wonder the fox hasn't been around all that much.

The one that Joy got was not my bear because he didn't have that nice brown nose. But it is a good year for bear - depending on if you are a bear or a hunter.

They are more afraid of you than you are of them but I do respect them and do everything to stay safe up here.

See Ya Bye

WEDNESDAY UP NORTH

I drove Mitch's quad over to the other garage to be put away for the winter. It was like riding an elephant it is so big - it is fun but I prefer my little 250 Honda 4-Trax.

ONE LESS BEAR IN THE WOODS

!!!
It is now a bit safer to walk the woods. Way to go Joy!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU...

Yesterday Stacey and I went on a 2 hour long trail ride out of the Cedar Rail Ranch up here - there were about 20 of us - a lot of the other people had their own horses but we rented some - Cathy, the owner, paired us with some smaller horses - to fit our riding abilities, which is NIL. I had an 18 year old male called Echo - he was great!! And Stacey was paired with Sugar. In this picture, Stacey is holding the reins of both horses - Sugar is the white horse and Echo is the brown one. We had a great time but, I must say, my bum is sore as well as the insides of my knees. I will be doing that again.
Rejean and Andrew went hunting and Andrew got a bird!! His first kill, other than fish and bugs. We ate it as an appetizer and it was very tasty. We have to get more of those little guys.
Today, Rejean and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving over at Axe Lake. Stacey and Andrew will be enjoying some quiet time by themselves. I'll leave them some turkey and deviled eggs for their dinner.
Another beautiful day - high of 17 and not a cloud in the sky. Life IS Good!!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
See Ya Bye

WHO'S BEEN OVER AT THE KIILLING FIELDS???

Rejean's Trail Cam is over at the Killing
Fields and look who stopped by - looks like a bear to me. He knocked the camera off centre so all the other pictures are a bit off . No idea which one it is - either the 2 year old or the mother of the 1 year old cub because the camera was up off the ground attached to a tree - I guess the bears are very curious. We are very careful when we are outside.

BEAR UPDATE

Rejean and Rick saw a small bear cub - from this spring - between our place and Ute's. It was on our side of the highway on the bush side of the ditch. Now either the mother was not far away or she has been shot or she has pushed him out on his own. And Ron saw a 2 year old cub at their place taking the bird feeder under his arm and heading back into the bush. There are a lot of bears around. I hope that the mother is not around because I wouldn't want to surprise her with her cub. And Susan, I promise to carry the air horn everywhere I go. Just for you. Thanks for your concern.

We haven't seen our little bear around but we did discover an overturned solar light yesterday. And my fox hasn't been around lately and I have some left over prime rib and ham for him. If he doesn't come around soon, my ravens will be happy.

See ya By

A GOOD DAY FOR PICKING GARBAGE

Another fabulous day - I got about 3/4 of a bag of coffee cups, water bottles, beer bottles and cans, cigarette packages, pop cans, candy wrappers and paper plates. These things were intentionally thrown out of car windows by people!!! People old enough to know better. I know I have vented before about this but it is sad in this day and age when there is so much said about littering that it is still done. And especially on my highway!!! I take pride in how clean I keep my stretch of the highway and to see garbage makes me a bit pissed off. BUT I will continue to cruise the highway picking up all the garbage - it gives me something to do. And, I enjoy it.

A BORROWED TIME SAVER

Our friend Ron used to work in construction and he lent the guys this piece of equipment for cutting the siding on - you slip the siding under the bar where the saw is located and just move the saw from top to bottom cutting the siding exactly where you want it - it makes a nice cut and it is easy enough for one guy to work on by himself. One guy is measuring, one is cutting and one is installing - a real production line. A great idea.

SIDING TIME

The guys were working on the siding today - Joan and I fetched for them - into Thessalon twice because they gave us the wrong items - so 168 km later - just one of the disadvantages of living in the middle of nowhere...but I like it. It was a nice day.

JUST CATCHING SOME RAYS

Here's one of my raven friends enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having up here for the past couple of days - and for the next 6 days at least. Not a cloud in the sky - mid teens - all the oak leaves are in color (I see furniture when I look at an oak tree). Tomorrow, I pick garbage on my 4 wheeler along the highway - might as well enjoy myself...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Apparently this is what a fox does when he is marking his territory - he poops!!! He has peed in a dish I fed him from and I do find the odd "package" on the road or a rock. I cleaned it up and threw it over the back hill. Where the bear can smell it.

I was in the Sault today - I was on a mission to find an an electric toothbrush. My dentist recommend it so after my last check up, I decided to get one. I researched them on line and I am sorry, I am not going to spend $124 on a Oral B Triumph. I picked up a $12.49 battery powered Oral B soft brush toothbrush and I have used it 3 times already!!! I love it. Feels just like the dentist - lots of vibrations - I hope it doesn't do anything to my brain!! ;p I really don't want to loose my teeth or have gum problems so, after 57 3/4 years, I am brushing my teeth properly - with a soft brush to boot.

See Ya Bye

WHAT I GOT EXCITED ABOUT THIS WEEK

My new hikers I got from Pro Bass - RedHeads for $29.99!! I love them!!!

OAK LEAF TRAIL

A lot of leaves on the ground so it makes for a nice walk in the woods, crunching thru the leaves with our flicking sticks.

FUNNY LOOKING ROCK

I don't know about you, but I see a face in this rock - no I have not been smoking and I only had 1 beer today so I am not under the influence. Kind of like the Virgin Mary episode. But do you see a face???