More updates from the North!

What a beautiful day we had yesterday. The weather was spectacular - warm sun, cool breeze, birds singing, chipmunks playing, fish biting - perfect! I paddled around the lake in my paddle boat with the only interruption being taking a video of Bern catching a fish. Hey, Lon, this was right after he'd talked to you on the phone. I'm so happy you had a good time at the cottage. Can't wait to see the pictures!!

I'm at the library in Burks Falls and am having trouble uploading my pictures today for some reason - so will have to wait until we go home next week to do that - sorry! Anyway, we are looking forward to another week of wonderful weather at the cottage. Wish you were here!!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

We just arrived back at the cottage after a very nice weekend! Ted and Lynn welcomed us very warmly on Thursday afternoon. Lynn and I visited while Ted “teched out” my husband with the gift of an MP3 player. They spent a good portion of the evening downloading “oldies but goodies” which we listened to through the car radio, once we’d picked up an adapter on Friday on our way to Massey. But, I digress. Friday morning, Ted and Lynn treated us to an amazing breakfast of bacon and waffles with fresh fruit and whipped cream! It’s really no wonder I’m over-weight, is it?

I was planning to update my blog at Ted’s, but he’s been having trouble with his wireless internet, so I was only able to go on his laptop to pay a few bills and quickly glance through my email. Hopefully, we will be able to get into town on Tuesday and go to the library.

Around 1:00 p.m., we said good-bye with promises they would meet us on Saturday in Massey for the Fall Fair. We arrived at Wayne and Lise’s farm around 2:30 and toured the renovations they’ve made to the old farm house they moved into three years ago. Incredible, is all I can say. This is going to be a fantastic home when they get it finished! Bern BBQ’s hamburgers and we had a quick supper as we wanted to get into town to see the parade before going to the Fair. Lise had made potato salad (which rivals my own - yes, it’s true!) and served some yellow relish she had made last winter which was to die for! She’s going to enter it in the Fair next year and we’re all sure she’ll get first prize!

After supper, we drove into town, parked and found a good place to watch the parade. We needn’t have rushed - the parade was about 45 minutes late, but we had fun. We watched from a corner at the one traffic light in town. A woman with one tooth has a flea market-type set up on that corner and she offered us chairs to sit on. She was a hoot! She also offered to sell us a “MASSEY” snow mobile sign for $5. I said to Bern that it would really look good in his office, so he bought it! We weren’t sure if it was stolen or not (it had a bullet hole right through it), and since there were OPP officers all over the place (stopping the highway traffic for the parade), he kept it out of sight until we could get back to Lise’s car to stash it away! The fellow sitting next to us, had us in stitches! He could be a comedian - we laughed so hard.

Finally, the parade started and I got a wonderful picture of my friend, Jackie. She carries the Canadian flag for the Legion in Massey. She looked so impressive!

Later in the evening, after the Fair, we dropped in to visit Jim and Jackie for a little while. Jim’s sister, Sophie and her husband were there, too. It was really nice to finally meet her after all these years. They don’t live in Massey. After the parade, Wayne and Lise, Bern and I walked over to the Fair grounds and found a good spot from which to watch the Demolition Derby. That was fun and I said to Bern, I bet James would LOVE to do that! He agreed. We wandered around looking at all the fair type things as well as listened to this country singer who was really very good. He was singing when we got there and was still singing the next morning when we came back! I know he didn’t sing all night, but he sure seemed to be enjoying himself. I could have watched him longer, but Bern’s back was bothering him by the time we left the fair Friday night.

As I said earlier, we dropped in to visit Jim and Jackie for awhile before going back to Wayne and Lise’s. Saturday, the weather was crappy - cold and rainy - but, Ted and Lynn drove over from Sudbury and met us at the Fair. We were freezing, but in the tradition of true northern fortitude, we managed to watch the Tractor Pull and Horse Pull as well as admire the Craft and Cooking exhibits. Finally, we decided enough was enough, said fond farewells to Ted and Lynn. While we waited to hook up with Wayne and Lise, who did we run into? Bern's cousin, Jocelyn (aka Pudgy), his cousin Ted Ritchie's widow Beth and one of the nieces (I'm sorry to say I didn't get her name). It was lovely to finally meet Beth! We finally found Wayne and Lise (who had gotten side-tracked talking to some of the horse owners) and huddled up in the car with the heat turned up full-blast, thawed out and headed back to the farm.

Around 7:00 p.m., Lou and Karleen called to say they were just the other side of Sudbury on their way home from a wedding. They arrived at Wayne and Lise’s about an hour later. Karleen shared her wonderful news with us that all her blood levels have gone back into “normal” ranges. Karleen is my friend who was diagnosed three years ago with Stage 4 lymphoma and given two months to live! She was officially discharged from the Palliative Care program last week. That group had never been able to do that before. She’s pretty amazing! She gives God all the praise.

Today, we packed up and came back to the cottage. We had lovely notes from “The Anderson’s” saying they’d had a wonderful (albeit wet) weekend at the cottage. They caught six fish (Ashley’s was the biggest), the girls swam in the lake and they all played games and said they had a good time - they left us notes. Unfortunately, they had to leave for home before we got back as the girls needed to get back home for work obligations. The weather report for this week is promising beautiful, sunny conditions - of course! We’re going to decide in the next day or two whether to stay here until after Labour Day or go home. If we go home, we’ll be staying there until after Bern’s eye doctor appointment on the 17th.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Here we are - on the road to Sudbury! We just stopped in North Bay at Swiss Chalet for lunch. It will probably take us another hour and a half to Ted and Lynn’s. This week has been quite noisy around the lake. We think it’s the renters’ kids screaming and yelling as they’re pulled along on a flotation device behind this very noisy little boat. We’re so used to the quiet that it was really annoying! Oh well, by Wednesday they’d all gone home and peace once again prevailed.

Yesterday, we went into Burks Falls to do laundry and to check email at the library. Unfortunately, the wireless internet wasn’t going to be available until after noon, and we were in town by 11:00. When I went last week, the librarian was very nice and let me set up my laptop at a little table in the back - but, this other librarian was having none of that! So, back to the Laundromat I went to pour out my sad story. The “laundry nazi” (she’s called this because she supervises everyone’s laundry to the point of almost doing it herself) said there was free internet at a little coffee shop just around the corner - and that the coffee was wonderful, too. It turns out that the internet costs $1. Bern and I had an ice cappuccino each - he didn’t finish his. He said it tasted like fish oil!! Mine was okay, but then again, we’re spoiled by Tim Horton’s Ice Cap Supremes - to which we are now addicted! Mom, you remember Ice Caps, right? Yummy!

Bern’s eye has been getting steadily better, although it is a little pink today for some reason. Maybe it’s the driving - the sun is quite bright today. I’m looking forward to the Massey Fall Fair tomorrow - it should be fun.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Thursday morning, bright and early, we packed up the car for the cottage and headed to St. Catherine’s for Bern’s eye doctor appointment. He has another appointment in a month. In the meantime, he is back on steroid drops for his iritis. The doctor told us that even though the medication may cause cataracts, it is the best way to get rid of the eye infection. He also said that if and when cataracts develop, they can be removed and there’s a very good chance Bern won’t need glasses any more. So, we will continue with the eye drops four times a day.

We picked up coffee and muffins at Tim Horton’s and stopped in to see James and Emily. What a nice visit we had with them. They are planning to buy new living room furniture and TV. Their boarder will move in at the end of the month, providing extra income. Emily has a very good job at an award-winning, upscale spa in Oakville and had to go to work before we left - her Dad came to pick her up and drive her there. James and Emily have been together almost 4 years and although we’ve met her Mom, this was the first time we’d met her Dad. All too soon, we had to leave to continue our journey north.

After unpacking everything, we realized Bern had left the TV clicker upstairs in his office at home!!! It’s ridiculous how dependent we are on being able to control our entertainment with a little remote control! Anyway, we took turns getting up and changing channels - it reminded me of the “good old days”???

Friday, we went into Huntsville to Home Depot to exchange a shower faucet we bought last week, which turned out to be the wrong fit. We also bought a few groceries in anticipation of Rene, Christine and Austin’s visit on Saturday. There really was nothing on TV so we put a movie on Bern’s laptop and watched “Duplicity” with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Wade had brought up a whole pile of movies, but they would only play on our computers - not the DVD player.

Saturday morning, Bern went into Burks Falls to pick up some last-minute groceries and while he was there, he went into a little electronics store and guess what? He was able to buy a remote control that works our satellite box. Now, we can change the channels again without getting up! Oh, the joy!!

The Brochu’s (our pastor and his family) arrived around 1:30 Saturday afternoon. We spent a lovely afternoon together. Bern took Pastor Rene and Austin out fishing - they didn’t catch anything, but Bern showed Austin how to properly cast the line out. While they were fishing, Chris and I paddled around the lake and got some nice pictures of the great blue heron. Chris had never been this far north before and was fascinated with the scenery and the chance of seeing a bear! She didn’t see a bear. However, she was just as happy to watch chipmunks, chickadees, and hummingbirds. The weather was really nice - Austin and Rene went swimming - and we were glad we’d done a few outside things on Saturday since the next day turned really cold!

Judy and Herman came over Saturday night for blueberry pie and ice cream, and on Sunday we all went over to see their log cabin. They just finished laying a new hardwood floor in their bedroom and it looks beautiful! But, back to Saturday night - after Judy and Herman left, we got out the cards and played Hand & Foot until 1:00 a.m.! The girls won a game and the guys won a game, prompting a rematch on Sunday (okay the guys beat us again). We had so much fun!!! I am so glad the Lord led us to First Baptist Church in Welland and to this wonderful friendship we’ve found with Rene and Christine.

On Sunday, we had an early supper of roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, with fresh green and yellow beans. Our guests left around 5:30 with plans to get together in Welland when we go home after Labor Day. The church golf tournament is on the 12^th and Bern’s eye doctor appointment in on the 17^th, so sometime in there we’re hoping to have another card night.

On Thursday, we will go to Sudbury to visit Ted and Lynn and Friday we’re going to Massey to the Fall Fair. Jim and Jackie are going camping right after the parade, so we will stay with Bern’s cousin, Wayne and his lovely wife, Lise. Jackie always marches with the Royal Canadian Legion in the parade, so we’ll wave as she goes by! Lonny, Karen and the family will be spending the weekend at our cottage so we’ll get to see them for awhile on Sunday when we get back. We’re eager to hear how the kids like it.