It’s Hot

Well, what a month we’ve had – dry & hot which is news for southern Ontario. The lawns are brown, the trees are looking more like we’re in late August than July and even the weeds are struggling to survive. Barb & I managed to stay cool but mostly indoors appreciating our air conditioning.

On Canada Day, we walked down to the river at dark to watch the magnificent fire works display our little town hosted, ending our celebration of Canada Day. We both agree that they were even more stunning than last year. The river park was jammed with fellow onlookers, it was a great ending to the day.

On the 4th of July, we again walked down to the river to watch the Buffalo fire works display, it is usually awesome. This year, there were some problems in Buffalo with their stuff and we decided after a 45 minute delay that we had enough standing and waiting. We were about half way home when they started their display – we didn’t go back.

 

 

We had 2 major errands to run so we planned a road trip. First and foremost, we had to get our passport photos taken so we could renew our travel documents. We also needed more sewing supplies to finish Barb’s terrific Peggy’s Cove project. The weather was great so off to Port Dover to stop off at Len’s Mill’s store for our supplies. It has been a few years since we have been through this little town and seems more built up than we remember. It was quite busy, even for early July but always a nice trip.

 

 

I started to build Barb an extension table for her sewing machine. I have limited choices for supplies here but I found some maple and popular boards, glued & clamped them up. The next day, I ran them through my planer and glued and clamped again. Sanded, edged and made legs with adjustable feet and applied some varnish and now she has a nice extension table to aid with her quilting.

 

 

Barb finished her Peggy’s Cove project and has been taking a ‘3D quilt’ course online and it also looks great but you can be the judge! =========>

She has been pecking away on a large hand sewn wool quilt project that will be seen later.

 

We finally broke out the golf clubs this month and are slowly getting back into the grove so to speak. There are several ‘nine & dine’ deals here so we were invited to join a neighbor (Richard & Deene)  to try Rio Vista on a Friday night special. Not a bad deal, nine holes of golf with a cart and a fish & chip dinner for $25 each. The fun we had was free. On another Friday, we tried the Fort Erie Golf Club. Here you get 18 holes of golf with a cart and a steak dinner for $25! Not bad unless you care about getting the long clubs in your hands – yes, it is an executive course with only 2 short par 4’s. But hey, you still have to make the short shots and we did not bring the course to it’s knees but we enjoyed it none the less. And finally, we went to International Country Club where the deal was ‘$25 Wednesday’, 18 holes on a full course with a cart. Another good deal and it was a nice course with 27 holes. We seemed to have the course to ourselves, no waiting and no one pushing us! Good weather and good company – just Barb & I, could it get better than this!

We did have a visitor, it was a Wave Sphinx Moth. Barb held up her hand to give you an idea of the size of the critter….

So, for the most part, that was our month. Some sewing, some golfing and some eating… Come back again….

 

First Month Back

We only chilled for a short time then back in the truck and off to Belleville to visit our daughter Dawn. She was in the regional hospital there for surgery. We stayed in a cute BnB in the heart of Belleville, just a short distance from the hospital. Our hostess was very nice and we will surely use her place again whenever we go there again. Breakfast was made to order with more than we could eat. Afterward, she would ask if we wanted more coffee and would sit and chit chat. Very homey.

 

On the way home after a few days, we met friends Pat & Carolyn for lunch in Cobourg. We talked the afternoon away but soon had to be back on the road. We stopped off at my brother Larry’s for a short catch up with him. We got back in time for Barb to have a day away with Terri for Mother’s Day at Niagara on the Lake. They shopped, went to the theatre, tasted some of the restaurants of the area and had a wonderful time together.

 

 

Now all the gallivanting is done, we get down to work. The front porch/deck is about 18 inches high and needs a step – maybe that’s why we don’t have visitors, they can’t easily get to the door! Anyway, with Barb’s design, we set about cutting and screwing and voila, we now have a step. We built it with a plan of adding on to make the porch bigger to fill the front of the house. Plans….

 

 

 

 

Barb is working on another ‘quilt along’ where she receives a quilt pattern and works on it with many other quilters but on her own time and in her own quilt room. It is a picture of the Peggy Cove’s lighthouse and so far, it is looking great. It is destined to be used as a window covering in her quilt room.

 

 

 

Gardens, planters and other pretty things keep us busy and make the outside looking better. Randy & Norma come over for lunch and a few games of fast track. Visitors, see, so it is all about the front steps. We had a fun day together, a few wobbly pops, lunch, chit chat and of course the guys lost at fast track.

With all the trees gone down the side of the house, the heat is turned up on the back deck. We’re off to get one of those large patio umbrellas. It’s a toss up between Lowes and Ikea. The Ikea unit has a better stand weight system so it wins. After getting the unit home, we set it up. It was difficult deciding on the best location to set it so we can maximize the shade it gives out. The fabric is a huge 10x12 feet and it will be great. But wait…. we have to turn the deck 90 degrees to get any useful shade – right now, the walkway is shaded perfectly but not so much for the actual seating area! The umbrella looks great, a neat weight system and would have worked but….. so box it up and back to Ikea! On the way home we had to stop off at Walmart for a few things so let’s just take a peak and see what they have to offer. A table umbrella that tilts in the centre so we can adjust it for any sun. We’re better now and it looks fine or as you say, it’s made in the shade. Sorry, I had to say it.

That’s our excitement for May, hope you enjoyed the read and come back again at the end of July for more scintillating fun….

The End of Our Winter….

 

 

In our last post, many snowbirds are talking about head’n north and we’re no exception. So little time left and so much to do before we actually point the truck north. There is more golf, kayaking, dining, quilting, rig maintenance so it will endure the harsh summer sun and heat and all round trying to stay out of trouble at happy hour!

 

 

 

 

 

Barb is busy working on a quilt top for our bed back at the house. It is the Lord of the Rings theme that she has been working on for a couple of years. She took up this challenge with an online work group and enjoyed building the blocks. Another excellent job done and it looks great on our bed.

 

 

Barb managed to get all her stuff done, items packed to come home, sewing put away one last time and I finished the rig maintenance. Lunches had, one last happy hour and good-bye hugs given and the final time arrives where we climb into the truck early Friday morning to get as far north as we can before we call it a day. We managed to get to Pickerington, OH for the night, got checked in and out to dinner. After a long day, we slept great!

 

On Saturday, we were back on the road, heading for Ellictoville, NY to visit with Terri, Mark and Sandra, Mark’s mom.

We head out Sunday after breakfast for the house – kinda anxious to see how well it wintered this year with the weather being so mild back here. Dave, our care taker had been in before we got home and had the house open for us which was a nice welcome back.

 

Once we were unpacked and the dust settled, we looked around and all was good. The city’s Ash trees have been decimated by the Emerald Ash Borer and the city is taking them down - all the trees around our little place are all Ash trees and half of them are already gone. Our street looks so much different. This is the main discussion amoung the neighbors, some neutral, some happy and others not so.

 

Mail, doctors appointments, getting stuff done around the house and just settling in are the main activities for the short term. We plan on some outdoor projects but right now we are just chill’n. Hope all is good where you are and come back again….

When Are You Head’n North?

It’s that time of the year again when this question usually starts a conversation. It’s a time when snowbirds are of two emotions, sad to be leaving the Plantation but at the same time, glad to be moving on. The fulltimer generally is less sad because of the opportunities that lie ahead. Now that we are home owners again, we are excited to go back to the ‘new’ home to see how it wintered and to start planning any new projects to continue to get the place to where we want it.

Before we make plans for our northward trip, we have another visit from friends from Ontario. Randy & Norma decided to make a stop on their way home from Arizona – truth be known, they were probably asked to leave! Just kidding Norma, don’t take this personally. Anyway, they stopped off for a week so they could visit with us, check out the area and do some bike rides along the gulf coast.

They joined us for our brunch with Terri & Mark and then we met up with them again after Terri & Mark left. We had dinner with them, used the clubhouse in their campground for some Fast Track. It was an exhausting day for us, driving to Mobile airport, dinner with Randy & Norma, games, some beverages and a late evening but still a good time.

The next day, the weather was beautiful so we took Randy & Norma around to some of the highlights around our area – Pitcher Plant Bog but we were chased out of the Weeks Bay Preserve by mosiquitos! So, off to the pier in Fairhope for a beverage at Shux that is half way out on the pier. After, back to our place for dinner and an evening of Fast Track and lots of laughs.

Thursday the weather was rainy so the 4 of us took in a show then over to the El Paso for dinner - Thursday is 1/2 price Margarita’s. The rest of our group – Bill & Ann and Larry & Marti – joined us. Good friends, good food, and 1/2 price Margarita’s is a recipe for good fun.

Friday, Randy & Norma joined us for happy hour at Bill & Ann’s. It may seem strange, the same group of people getting together often and we continue to have fun and enjoy each others company. Lots of chatter keeps us all entertained well after dinner hour. We all say our farewells to Randy & Norma as they are riding down the Florida Panhandle on Saturday then they will be heading their rigs north on the Sunday.

 

This is a good place to stop for now and hope you come back again…..

 

Wonderful Surprise Visit

Mark & Terri flew down for a few days over Easter weekend. This was a wonderful and welcomed surprise for Barb & I. You know that our event coordinator moved into action when she learned of the visit! So much to plan and only a few days to fit it all in. They arrived late Friday night after they waited out a couple of flight cancellations in Houston, TX but finally touched down around 11PM.

Saturday, we lunched at Felix’s Fish Camp and then we wanted to tour the USS Alabama sitting in Mobile Bay. We didn’t know there was a car show in the park at the same time and the line up to get in was too long to sit through so we made a plan B and toured the downtown area of Mobile. We were surprised to find it relatively quiet in the downtown, no tourist shoppers or street performers etc. We had a pleasant tour around anyway and then headed back to the Plantation and hosted a happy hour so our friends could meet our kids. Another full day and lots of laughs and fun.

 

 

On Sunday we – about 10 of us – descended on the Tin Top, our favourite brunch spots. Again, more good service, good food, champagne and caesars and great company. After, we toured around the Bon Secour area, showed Terri and Mark the Bon Secour river and fish retailers. The weather did not cooperate for us and outdoor activities were all cancelled. The 4 of us decided on a show and headed off there. Tom & Cheryl hosted happy hour but the show got out late, we made it to their rig anyway and everyone waited for us. So, about 8PM we thought dinner would be nice. It was Sunday and many Sundays through the summer, Terri & Mark will stop into see us on their way home and we go out for pizza so why should this Sunday be any different. Our favourite pizza spot is Cousin Vinnie’s in Daphne so lets go! We got a surprise – they were closed, who knew Easter Sunday was not a time to go out for dinner? Ok, so the next stop was Mexican and another good spot was sort of on the way back to the Plantation – opps, it was closed too! Ok, so one last chance or it could be peanut butter sandwiches. What do you know, McSharry’s Irish pub was open and they had live entertainment jamming in one corner of the pub. It was all we could do to keep Terri from dancing on the table! What a day!

 

Marti & Larry wanted to host a Frogmore Stew event and when she heard Terri & Mark were coming down, she decided to have it while they were here. So on Monday morning we went down to their coach to husk corn, help set up tables and anything else she needed doing. Then we were off to Barber Marina, an upscale marina that provides other attractions en route.

We first stopped at Bamahenge for some photo ops before we stopped to see the dinosaur sculptures also in the woods along the route to the marina. Our last stop was the marina with hopes of viewing the Lady in the Lake at the marina. Unfortunately, she was out of the water for repairs. We spent some time walking out on the floating concrete docks and enjoying the beautiful day. Back to the Plantation early so we could help out at the Frogmore Stew.

Marti invited all the residents on our street (total of 33 friends and neighbors including us 4). It was a beautiful day – Marti fretted for days as the weather forecast showed everything but snow. As people arrived, they sought out the shade to set up their lawn chairs. After lots of chatting and with Larry, Marti & Mark slaving over the hot kettles, the meal was ready to present. Yes, I do mean present. The traditional Frogmore Stew is drained and poured out onto the paper covered tables and everyone at the feast is to stand up to the tables and virtually dig in and enjoy. Larry & Mark drained each kettle basket and poured the contents onto the tables – oppss, some items endured the 5 second rule as we picked up some of the potatoes off the grass – and once both baskets were aligned on the tables, everyone was invited to the smorgasbord of shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, onions, cauliflower, potatoes and did I mention shrimp?

 

Too soon, their visit is over and we are taking them back to the airport but not before another feast at Big Daddy’s for lunch. Again, all our friends joined us to say farewell to Terri & Mark. It was a whirlwind visit and we had lots of fun and enjoyed their short stay.

  

Here’s hoping this finds all well where you are and come by again…….