BATHROOM MAKEOVER

And we are also working on the upstairs bathroom.  After 20 years of the same cabinets and countertop, we decided to make a couple of changes.  We painted the door and the cupboards the same colour as the bathroom door downstairs - black liquorice.  Not really black but a very dark grey.  And a new countertop we picked up in the Sault.  Exactly what I had in mind and on a nice sale.  Changed the faucet and hand towel holder and soap dispenser and drinking cup in a brushed nickel.  New drawer pulls as well.  The finishing touches like a new laundry hamper and garbage pail, new rugs and towels will have to wait until the new year.
Now if I can just get a new floor...

ps - the two white lines on the last picture is a reflection of the light fixture and not two lines of coke!!  Just to be clear...

PROJECTS

First project in the books.  Rejean McGyvered the bird feeder to keep the Blue Jays from hogging all the seeds and scaring the little birds away.  And also to keep the little woodpecker out as well because all he did was scatter the seeds around looking for the unshelled seeds.  We had some wire shelving that Andrew was throwing out that Rejean kept.  He keeps everything and eventually he finds a use for it.  All he had to do was bend the wire to make the openings smaller so that the bigger birds wouldn't fit.  It works like a charm.  The little birds didn't take long to figure it out.  They fit just fine thru the openings and as they just take one seed at a time, it will be weeks instead of days before I have to fill the feeder up.
And the flying squirrel fits in there too.  We have seen him at the feeder at night.

A WILD GAME DINNER

Bear Balls, Venison roast (from the buck Joy got last month), rabbit stew, venison sausages and a moose shepherd's pie.  All those were on the menu last nite over at Joy and Arnold's house.  I made devised eggs but said I got the eggs from "wild" chickens so it went with the menu.   It was all delicious!!  Joy sure does know how to cook wild game.  The moose shepherd's pie was made by Michelle and was a show stopper.  Everyone brought something for the dinner and there was lots of goodies after dinner.  Butter tarts and fudge and bark and apple crisp.  I especially enjoyed the fudge and the bark.
There had to be about 24 people all gathered inside Joy and Arnold's A frame house.  It was very cozy and you couldn't help but chat with the person right next to you.  Everyone had a chair and a table spot to eat.
I will have to get the recipe for the Bear Balls and the sausages.  Then I will have to get out hunting...

LIGHTS OUT!!

Well, we had that storm on Wednesday - a lot of heavy snow on all the trees and hydro lines and we lost our power quite early on the Wednesday morning.  We were expecting it.  But we weren't expecting it to last for 34 hours!!  But it did.  We kept a watch on the Hydro One app on my i-pad that kept us informed what was going on and the expected time for our power to return.  It kept changing to later, and later, and then going into the next day.  We got our generator out and hooked it up to the house.  Our fridges and water pump is tied into the generator.  Next time the TV is going to be hooked up!!  We had our wood stoves going full time as well.  I cooked dinner on the propane stove downstairs and when it started getting dark, we would put on our head lamps to see.  We hooked a lamp up to the generator and played Uno one night and Dominos the next.  Please don't mind the crazy "Trains"  Our power finally came on Thursday early evening.  Our friends Ron and Mary's hydro was out for 51 hours and there was still a remote area without power today.
It certainly makes you appreciate the conveniences we have in our lives - like hydro!!

But I have to thank the Hydro One workers who I am sure worked their asses off these past few days. They deserve a day off.

To Anonymous ...

...thank you for letting me know about Evelyn.  It is appreciated.

FLORIDA VACATION

We had such a good time as usual on our Annual sisters' Vacation to St Pete Beach Florida.  We did the usual things but managed to get some new stuff as well - like Sunday Bloody Mary breakfast at the Drunkin' Clam located conveniently across the street from the Bon Aire.  We did Willy's for chicken wings that were a little hotter than the medium they advertised.  But I ate them.
the bottom picture is my Bloody Mary made with ZingZang at Hurricane's.  The drink was good ... that is all I will say.
Only 1 year until we can go back again.  Can't wait!!!

THE WEDDING

The wedding of Steve and Taylor was beautiful, held at the Sprucewood Estate winery in Harrow.  I have never been to a wedding at a winery and i thoroughly enjoyed myself.  A beautiful venue for sure and I found I liked a couple of their wines which I shall look for up here for sure.