BACK TO NORMAL??

We got Joanne and Mitch to the airport by 5:30 am on Sunday - we left our place at 3:20 and I thought we had plenty of time - we hit the Tim Horton's and they ordered their breakfast sandwiches that took a bit more time than expected. We even saw the pilots of the plane at Timmy's but they left about 10-15 minutes before we did. When we finished we got in the car and noticed the time - 5:20 and it still takes about 15 minutes to bet to the airport. We booted it and got them there on time - even the ticket agents said they were cutting it short. But they were on their way. They had a great time and got a lot of work done. They will be back in August along with Susan and Jack - another good time.
When we got back home on Sunday we just took it easy because we were back to work on Monday. Rejean hit the garage and started the doors to his mother's cabinets - he has to make 13 raised panel doors. He will stain them and then it is my job to finish them off with the varathane. I worked in my garden - turning the soil over - when we first started the garden the dirt was horrible but after a few years of taking care of it, the soil is nice. I got the shovel down about 6-7 inches for the turn. All good soil. It is still too cool to plant but I am ready. Today I washed all the windows up stairs and tomorrow I tackle the downstairs windows. It has been beautiful - sunny and warm. I even get a bit of tanning in over at Stacey and Andrew's. Just about 1/2 hour a day. But it is nice. Tonite we get our hair cut and I need one. You feel sooooo much better after a hair cut. And tomorrow we are invited over to Ron and Mary's for a fish fry - they have some brook trout and perch - they always put on a great dinner.
Friday Rejean's hunting buddies, Eddie and Barry come up to help get the plot of land seeded with stuff for the deer and they also offered to help with the fire wood. It is still down in the valley ready to split. We do that next week.
See ya Bye

Still Alive....

....but very busy with Joanne and Mitch working at their place - I do have pics but just haven't made the time to post them but I will - I promise. We have had one h-ll of a week - tons of fun but tons of work.
See Ya Bye

TALK ABOUT TRAVELING LITE????

The bar fridge in the sauna room - stocked with Kokanee @ $40/case!!! Mitch is happy!!

Mitch's new toy - or is it Joanne's??? First ride.

Got luggage???

Look what they got off the plane with!!!! And they are only staying 1 week??? But it's ok - the majority of the stuff is staying here - thank goodness. We were lucky we took the truck to pick them up. They spent the first nite at our place because by the time we got home it was 11pm - we ate at a place called Aurora's in the Sault - they had beautiful table tops made out of Copper Foil that I have decided I want for the top of the bar - when we finally get it done. I'll have to get on line and check it out and I know it won't be cheap but is it ever nice.

Mitch got a chance to ride his new quad this morning and he enjoyed it. We worked over at their place - they got the water going which was the project for today and NO LEAKS!! Joanne and I got the inside done - everything put away before their first official company arrived - John and Linda and Toby, the four wheeler riding dog. He jumps up behind you on the four wheelers and rides with you. Joanne has treats for him.

Joanne and Mitch are here to take their showers and dinner is ready - cranberry marmalade glazed ham, broccoli and mashed potatoes with sour cream and bacon and a salad. No desert!!! More work tomorrow - they put the eves troughs up - the snow was melting on the roof today and it was like it was raining !!

See Ya Bye

SNOW DAY!!!!????WTF

They called it and I predicted it - sort of. I knew we would get another blast of winter and it happened this morning - we woke up to about 2-3 inches and it didn't stop snowing all day - it turned into freezing rain and ice pellets later on in the afternoon - needless to say I did not go to town today. Tomorrow I'll go. But it will be gone by tomorrow afternoon - don't worry Joanne - nice days are approaching.

We worked on the cabinets again today - I put the finish on the second cutting board. And finished up some more drawers. Ron came over and gave us some venison steaks, roasts and ground meat. I see a beer and deer dish in the immediate future. Yum Yum.

Just a side note - for those who know me I have been walking and doing weights for about 12 years - great exercise but after a while it gets a little stale. I was watching Canada AM and they were rating exercise DVDs. She gave a good rating to Tony Horton's (of P90X workout fame) 10 Minute Workout DVD. I went on line and checked it out too. Good reviews so I ordered one from Sears. It came in yesterday and I have been reviewing it myself. Not bad. And if you have more time (which I do) you can do a combination of the workouts. I shall keep you up to date on my personal reviews. You know my mantra "If you stop, you drop." so I'll keep moving and you should too.

See Ya Bye

WORKING ON THE CABINETS

No Rejean does not have a light bulb for a nose - just the way I took the picture. Working on the full extension slides. And his torn pocket is where he clips his tape measure.

A beautiful cutting board made out of maple from our bush. The slides lock into place and all it takes is a push and it closes up. Just the right height for his mother to make meat pies (yum yum)

Some of my handiwork. These are the doors - not raised panel because they are smaller and narrower so the raised panel would not look good. The bigger doors will be raised panels.

My work area in the finishing room. That is a lazy susan. I put the piece I am working on on it and you can rotate it and it makes it sooooo much easier. I have varathane in the coffee can - that way you don't contaminate the whole can if you have a bit of stain in it.

The cabinet with the cutting board in it. Two drawers below it. Again the drawers have full extensions with an easy close feature - you push it so far and it closes by itself!!! I don't have that in my kitchen ... just saying.

Today, as well as yesterday, I spent all day in the garage working on the cabinets. My job is to sand and apply the varathane to the sides, doors and face frames of the cabinets. Rejean does the staining - buy one day I will be good enough to do that ;o) I enjoy the work. I have learned a lot during the years and all the projects I have worked on. I finished all the pine downstairs and the cabinetry in the bathroom. I find it relaxing. There is an art to it. You have to have a light touch at the end to ensure all the brush strokes are going the same way and you have to be careful about drips. I rarely have drips!! After the second coat has dried you lightly sand the area and apply another coat of varathane. Then, because I wanted to, I lightly sanded it again and applied the fourth coat. They are like silk. Nothing but the best....

I'll be heading into town tomorrow to get groceries for the first group of tourists - Joanne and Mitch are flying in on Saturday. Yeaaaa. There will be days of work and days of play and saunas!!! Mitch will finally get a look at what he bought. He can't remember too much having seen the place for only 1/2 hours before he bought it. Mitch, take it from me, you did good!!!

See Ya Bye

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Easter everyone - I hope the Easter Bunny was good to you!!! Cute, isn't she. Lots of white meat on bunnies...only joking...

See Ya Bye

A HALF DAY OF PLAY

After my trip into town for stuff, I got home and Rejean said Ron and Mary called and invited us to go visit the camp they are thinking of buying. Twist my arm. We loaded up the 4 wheelers and met them at their house. We were on the road shortly after that. They have a sport ut - a two person 4 wheeler. We got to a spot and unloaded the quads and took off up the path. I won't mention where it is but it is a good trip into the camp. I remember being at that spot about 25 years ago. We brought our fishing rods but we didn't have any worms - Rejean got a couple of hits using a jig and a twister tail and I had a small red spinner. The water was 50 degrees - a bit cool but we did see either a rainbow or a speck trying to jump up the little waterfall. You don't see that every day. As usual Ron and Mary brought a picnic - ham, pickles, carrots, radishes, chips and crackers - I brought some rice krispie squares Linda made me. All the furniture in the camp are all made out of logs and branches - very study and comfortable. It is a beautiful camp

and I have all my fingers and toes and everything else that can be crossed crossed and hope they get it. And it rained!!! It hasn't rained or snowed in months up here and it rained when we were in the camp. We had to high tail it back to the vehicles, load up and on our way. We passed a small truck in the ditch which wasn't there on our way in - we stopped but there was no one in it. It looked like the person was living in the truck. He must have hitched a ride into town - but by the looks of the truck I don't know whether he can afford to get it hauled out and repaired.

Tomorrow Linda has invited us over for Easter dinner. Actually she is feeding the masses - there will be 11 of us. She has a 15 pound turkey and I had bought a small ham I was going to cook for Rejean and I - I'll also make my devilled eggs that John loves so much. There will be John and Linda, Rejean and myself, Randy and Robin and their friend Donna, Joy and Arnold and Bob and Clarence, their neighbour - Toby the black lab will also be in attendance. let the party begin....

See Ya Bye

ps - it was Linda who put the tiger by our front door!!! I apologize to Roger for blaming him.