TUESDAY

Tuesday was Barry and Sandy's last official day here and Stacey was coming in later that evening.  We took Barry and Sandy out on a 4 wheeler ride from 11am tip about 4:30 down FootPrint Lake road.  The first picture is of a nice piece of driftwood I got on Tunnel - it is spackled wood, I believe.  Will make a nice addition to my landscaping don't you think.  There is color up here - a lot of it.  The leaves have been so stressed that I think it will be early fall colours.
The next picture is of Barry and Sandy covering some tricky spots on the trail.  I had safely got over and was the official photographer recording all the fun.
And the next picture is of John getting a head start on his wood.  People up here get bunks of wood delivered to split for the winter - thank goodness we have about a 2 year supply already done.  We just have to move some from the other property over to the wood sheds - but that is for another day.
Barry and Sandy left today, as did Stacey.  We are just enjoying the quiet time - it is going to be 28 and sunny today.  We will be floating in the pool...

PICKER

I've blogged about the dump before and some of the treasures I have found there - well I picked this beauty up on Saturday.  I remember my mother had a dish like this - divided into 2 parts - so I picked it up and took it home.  It is a Glasbake dish - I looked it up on the internet and this very dish is selling for $9 on Ebay!!!!  What a find!!  And mine doesn't have a single chip, scratch or crack in it.   But I will never part with it - I used it last nite for dinner - cole slaw on one side and potato salad on the other.

Wonder what other treasurers I will find on Wednesday....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARENCE

You remember Toby?  For the longest time, we thought he was John and Linda's dog because he is always with John but he actually belongs to his next door neighbour, Clarence.  Well it looks like Toby was busy putting a Happy Birthday notice for Clarence in the local paper, the North Shore Sentinel.  And what a great picture it is.  Nice Catch Clarence.  Good Job Toby!!!

Have a Happy Birthday Clarence - from us.

SOME NEW STUFF

Stacey and Andrew and my little Sadie are leaving for their other place and last nite Stacey gave me all of her planters.  The first picture is of her arranging the pots by my front door.  Looks great.  Then she placed 2 more by my plant out front, again in a group of 3 - something about karma or flow - looks nice, doesn't it.
Then a picture of my Sadie - my "grandchild" whom I love a lot.  I will miss her...and Stacey and Andrew too of course ;o)

Thank you Stacey.

TAMMY'S BAD ASS BASS

Barry and Sandy are up for their annual camping trip and they brought along their daughter Tammy.  She loves it up here - but I guess that goes without saying.  Before she left she wanted to catch a big Bass and it looks like she got her wish, doesn't it.  Got it out of Tunnel Lake on a little frog.  Which explains the next two pictures.  They didn't use all their frog bait so they were set free in our lake over by the beaver dam (so Jacques wouldn't get them).  They wasted to time in escaping - I don't use frogs - I could never put them on a hook but I have no problems with worms.  If you want to put meat on the table you have to put meat on your hook!!  Works for me...

Way to go Tammy - Girls Rule!!!

JOANNE'S NEW CHAIR

We were over at Joanne and Mitch's this morning checking things out and stopped at Linda and John's on the way in.  Toby was there and for the first time this year, he brought his ball to me to throw.  Now in previous years, when Toby was younger, he would play non stop with the ball, pushing the ball towards you with his nose so you would throw it for him.  He wouldn't stop.  Now he is older and I got one throw out of him but both of us enjoyed that throw more than anybody knows.  Good Toby!!
That is a picture of Joanne's new chair.  There was some trading going on on Axe and when it was all over, this is their new chair.  Quite comfortable I must say and it looks good in the room.
See Ya Bye

STUFF

I just uploaded some pictures and I just had to share some stories.
The first picture is of a turtle I saved harassed the other day.  I was driving home from the hall and I saw this guy by the side of the road pointed in the wrong direction - his path would have taken him into traffic and probably squashed him.  I turned around and parked and approached him.  He saw me and slowly started pulling in all his bits until he was just a shell.  I picked him up because he wasn't  a snapper and helped him down a hill towards Chub Lake.  Hopefully that was ok with him.
The next picture you can just make out a pair of adult Sandhill Cranes I disturbed while out fishing the river last week.  I have my own secret spot I go to and left the guys to make my way there.  About 3/4 of the way there I saw a family of Sandhills walking along the shore in front of me.  If you have never heard Sandhills before, it is the weirdest sound you have ever heard - a clucking kind of sound and when you get 2 adults who think you are out to hurt their baby clucking at you, you pay attention.  The adults starting flying in my direction across the river, all the while clucking away at me.  The baby was frantically walking along the shore away from me.  I immediately turned around and headed back - I didn't want to disturb them any more than I had to.  The picture is of them flying back to their baby, clucking their heads off at me.  I did manage to fall on the slippery rocks again and have a beautiful bump on my lower leg to show for it.
It is never dull up here...

SOME OF MY FLOWERS

Of course my Sadie gets in there - she is so pretty.  I only got one sunflower this year - mainly because Rejean chopped down a couple more he didn't know were sunflowers and then my beautiful red flowers I got from Mary - I know the name but I just can't think of it right now.
Can you see the bee on the sunflower?  We have a few of them around here - I know this because I got stung on my back and didn't realize it for a few days until I felt pain and a big bump on my back.  Rejean dug the stinger out and it is still red and swollen - after 2 weeks!!  It just goes with my burn on my arm from boiling water at the hall - trying to drain carrots and the bump on my leg from falling in the river on slippery rocks.  I am just falling apart...

SOME WELCOME VISITORS

It is getting to be that time again boys and girls.  Yes, hunting season.  Bear season started on August 15th, while the tourists are still in the bush (stupid), bird season opens on September 15th (I have my 20 gauge all set and ready to go) and then in November, deer season.  These photos were taken by Rejean's trail cam - even Boots gets in on the action.

I see pepperoni....

SUCCESS!!!!!

Another successful Wharncliffe Hall Pig Roast .
 Phyllis and I shopped all day Thursday, baked pies and prepped 3/4 of Friday, worked all day Saturday and Sunday from 8am tip 9:30pm then cleaned from 9am till noon today and there is still cleanup to do.  But we had enough help that it wasn't unbearable.
We ended up with only a 35 pound pig (we never expect to get a pig big enough to feed 300 people but we wanted one a LITTLE bigger)  Next year it will be 100 pounds.  I cut the head off and put 1/2 a green apple in it's mouth and placed it at the head of the buffet line.
The first picture is of John, Roger and Lynn preparing the pig for roasting.  We did get some meat off of it and Sadie enjoyed an ear.
The next picture is of Stacey happily cutting up 110 pounds of potatoes that Ron and Jerry had peeled (they actually peeled 150 pounds - we used 40 pounds for the potato salad).  They are the best peelers ever!!!
The next picture is of the "Bar Boys" manning the bar tent.  Our bartender backed out and Rejean offered to do the Smart Serve on line and be our bartender - he did a fine job with help from his assistants ;o)
Next is the Bake Sale tent manned by Joan and Sierra - Vickie is just visiting (she is actually hiding from Phyllis - taking a much needed break) - thanks to many members of the community who donated bakes goods and even a basket of home grown green and yellow beans.
Next is John taking a nap (not really) - he is one of the volunteers who arrive at 6am and get the bbq ready and all the roasts wrapped - Phyllis comes in at 6am and makes them breakfast!!  Next is a sample of the pork roasts - delicious.
Next is our carver Leslie who also doubles as our dishwasher (I am glad I didn't have to carve!!!)

The final picture is of the kitchen after everything was over.  It is clean now.  And I am tired.

PATIENTLY WAITING FOR THEIR MOM

First day of cooking for the Pig Roast - one of our favourite volunteers, Debbie, rode over on her rino accompanied by her 2 pups - she tells them to stay in the rino and they do - all afternoon long.  It was a nice breezy cool afternoon so it was probably very comfortable for them.  That's Stella on the right and BoBo on the left.  We had hot dogs for lunch and they got the leftovers.
We got all our Friday work done so Phyllis let us go home early - it was just like getting out of school early!!!  But I'll be back again at 9am tomorrow and then again at 9am on Sunday - it is supposed to be nice and sunny and 24 so hopefully it is a success.

See Ya Bye

CARNAGE ON THE COURSE

I had a day off from the Hall so we got in our annual golf outing.  Rick, Andy, Rejean and myself headed out to Livingstone Creek Golf Course just outside of Thessalon (it's for sale just in case you are in the market...)  We came across all these feathers on the first fairway - from a distance it looked like someone had dumped ice but on closer inspection, it was a dead seagull or what was left of it.  All you could really make out was the 2 wings - a hawk must have got him.
I took a picture of my score after the first hole - I figured it would be the only time I was in the lead so I got a picture of it.  But I was wrong - I came in second last or third - good enough for the bronze (I have been watching too much Olympics).  We go out and have fun - we are not good but who cares.  It took the four of us 3 hours and 15 minutes to do 9 holes - with a cart!!!  We did let a couple of parties to ahead so that takes care of a few minutes so it really isn't that bad.  At the end, we had our celebratory hot dogs and beers in the clubhouse.

A good time was had by all.

ANOTHER HALL FUNCTION SUCCESS

Another successful function held at the Wharncliffe Community Hall - we made more money at this function, working only 1 full day (not counting a day of shopping and a couple of hours clean-up) than we did at the last Chicken and Fish fry which consisted of working 4 1/2 days.
It was a 50th Wedding Anniversary Party for a couple who summer on a lake up here.  39 people plus 6 kids - we made chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, Caesar salad and buns.  Everybody loved the chicken which was easy to make.
In the first picture you can see Phyllis and Vickie in my home away from home.  I brought some white wine from home for the sauce and Vickie is finishing it.
The next picture shows the wedding cake Phyllis made.  The "bride" saved her wedding cake topper from 50 years ago and Phyllis just added a few tweaks like painting the bride and groom's hair grey.  She did an amazing job.
The next photo is of the crowd just arriving.
The next is of my bar area.  Not a lot of drinkers in the group - I (or the Hall) made $3 in tips!!
The final picture is of the feast.
Now we are getting ready for the Pig Roast this weekend.  We baked pies all day long today - tomorrow I get a day off to go golfing!!!, shopping all day Thursday for the food and then all day long Friday, Saturday and Sunday and 1/2 of cleanup on Monday.

Tuesday I rest...