Trip Memories I Cherish All Year!

My husband makes the best blueberry pancakes ever on the wood stove in the cook camp which is pictured below that. This "kitchen" has propane lights, two fridges and a new stove. I can just smell the fresh perked coffee and I'm still thinking about the pancakes!

The next shot is of the screened off porch of the sleep camp overlooking the lake on the top of a big hill. The log building below that is for storage. You can see the that behind the cook camp, we have a water tank which gets water pumped up from the lake and with a propane hot water tank, we still have the conveniences of a home kitchen.

Next, my husband is shown here taking our canoe down to the water. He's an avid canoeist and has done many white water trips, although not with this wooden one!

The last shot is of the sun streaming through the forest on the leased property.

I love the simplicity of this place and wish I could somehow siphon a little to infuse into my daily life. I guess that's why we take pictures. In the dead of the blustery winter or during some hectic times throughout the year, I shall let my mind sink into the scenery of these images and hopefully, drink in the peacefulness as the feelings of craziness, desolation, or drudgery dissipate.

Bush Lady Has Returned To Civilization!

We got back late last night. It was pouring all day and the last two days were quite unsettled but at least it wasn't cool, just a bit buggy. (Those "no seeums" are the worst! I've been scratching ALL day!)

Generally, we had a terrific week.
My sisters had a great time and are talking of booking even another day next year! (Yikes! My poor husband,Dave! He actually thinks we are a riot.) We took them to see the canoe our friends lodged on a rock as they tried to come down some rapids and they were quite amazed. (see picture) They were really lucky to escape with mere bruises.

We spent a lot of time canoeing and fishing and brought lots of bass home. Dave caught a 4lb and we each got a 3 1/2 lb by the rock face. (see picture)

This was the year for wildlife for sure!

Dave rode his bike up a mountain road and just as he came to the turn-off into a lake, he saw a big lynx and one cub..(kitten?). This is a rare sighting. The kitten had gone off one way and the mother kept looking back to see if the kitten was okay and eyeing Dave but he rode past okay. Yikes!

Then, he saw a big black bear on the way back down by a huge beaver pond. Further down he saw a fox. Only saw the resident hare once. While canoeing, we sighted turtles on logs everywhere and some with babies too.

There were numerous mice! We caught about 15 in traps. My sister had one run across right through her hair and when she got up to look, it was sitting on her sheets just below her pillow! She immediately switched to a non-bunk and pulled it far out from the log wall!

We witnessed a weird dragonfly ritual a few times .... many were flying and zooming up and down and then swarming way up high at dinner time. Might they be eating? Mating? Does anyone know why this is?

Several military aircraft from Base Pettawawa were on training missions, flying very low over our lake. One in particular scared the bejeepers out of us when we were out just off the camp. It came over the sand beach, just clearing the trees! It was only about 30-35 ft directly over our canoe! The loud noise was quite frightening and I felt like I was in a scene from a war movie!

After dinner coffee was enjoyed in both screened porches (our sleep cabin and the other one down by the river) as we watched the sun go down and the stars appear.

Well, that wraps up for another year, a wonderful holiday in a perfectly enchanting place.
Tomorrow, my regular life will slam into me as always. Sigh...

Quality Time In The Outdoors!

I'm going to be away at these lovely cabins from Aug. 17th - 26th enjoying the fishing , swimming and canoeing on the Dumoine River in Quebec. It's a 7 hour drive for us so we're going part way tonight. I can hardly wait! We have to pack up everything we need for 10 days since there are no places to buy food or anything....except fishing licences!

See you all sometime in the last week of August.

I Present to You - August!

This is a re-posting of a poem I wrote while on holidays at the log cabins last year. Today and this evening had a real August feel to it. What a welcome change to the hot, humid and muggy summer we've had so far!

August Is Announced

The nights are cool
The berries are gone
The lake is colder
There's mist at dawn
Crickets are singing
In the evening still
We're building fires
To take off the chill
The winds of August
Leave tell-tale signs
The gusts and the gales
Sway the lofty pines
The evergreen's laden
Heavy with cones
Some leaves are tinged
In colourful tones
The woodpecker's drumming
His August tattoo
And the raucous bluejay
Is screaming at you
The asters in bloom
Are staking a claim
All down the pathway
They shout their name
The squirrels are chattering
About what's ahead
They eat all they can
Before summer is dead
August's announced
By Nature's call
Lending its voice
To the prelude of Fall

Mother of Invention, savouring these last few weeks of August.

Potato Festival!

We live in a town of about 7,000, surrounded by the best sandy soil in the heart of Potato Country! This weekend is our annual Potato Festival.

Last night was the kick-off Potato Festival Parade which I love because we see so many people we know come out of the woodwork since the last year. You can just walk down the middle of the main street, watch the many and varied events and talk to people.

Everyone gathers at our house and we put out all the chairs we have, offer coffee, drinks, and dogs and burgs. All my husband's former and present receptionists and massage therapists come to this annual reunion. They all have keys so there's a steady flow into the office washroom. It is neat that so many great people are connected through his little small town practice. We actually get to be seen together which really doesn't happen much so I like that.

The parade goes for at least an hour and many clubs, businesses and groups enter their floats. It is a laugh to see and recognise characters around town dressed up and having such fun. Having taught here for 26 years, I also see many former students which is always a thrill for me.

After the last float, (inevitably the huge potato diggers) goes by, everybody just literally spills out into the street after the parade and start partying. Many, (not us!) are drinking beer in coffee cups and eating these great French Fries with the skins on (well, it IS Potato Fest so even we shared some last night!) and generally just schmooze. Lots of music, cafes and food happening!

We talked to many local teachers, students and many patients of my husband's.

Today are the pancake breakfast at a church, the main street store sales, street painting, many garage and craft sales, singers outside the coffeehouse as well as the fairgrounds with the rides and games. On Sunday, you will hear the beautiful music of several outdoor church services which I love.

It is absolutely perfect weather this weekend.

I think our town puts on a wonderful display for this event from beginning to end, after which the farmers take their potato diggers back to their farms and get back to the business of harvesting this year's successful crop!

Pics of Dad's 88th! (See post below)

It was a great party and the cake was sensationally delicious!

Dad's B-Day!

Today is my dad's 88th birthday. He wanted a white cake with pink icing...don't laugh! This is what his mother always made him when he was a child. It's amazing to me how strong and long lasting the mother bond is in this life. Parents really do have a huge impact on our whole lives.

I had a friend who used to be a baker, make the double layer cake. It looks beautiful..pink with white lettering...I think I'll get a balloon with 88 on it if I can. Imagine turning 88 on the 8th day of the 8th month! Once-in-a-lifetime, eh?! Missed 1918 by 1 year!

We're going to my parents' for dinner tonight and I'll take some pics. Hope you're having a good day, Dad!

Peak of The Yard!

Here you see one of our new gardens at the end of the property down by the river and two shots of looking back up towards the house. It looks like a long trek back , especially lugging the hose every morning at 6:00 a.m.!

At the very bottom of the lot, we can look left along a beautiful strip of flood plain that is really not used by anyone else but a few people who live along there. It's a great place to take a srtoll in the evening or early morning.

My cats, Mooky and Socks, often follow us!

How I Got Into Blogomania!

**** It has been too hot to stay at my computer very long so I'm sorry that I haven't kept up reading all your blogs. We're in an extensive heat wave and I have to hang out in the rooms near where we have a window air con.****

This meme is asking all about how I became a blogger and came from Annelisa.

How/why did you get sucked into the blogging whirlpool?

I had a friend at the time who had just started a blog himself and he thought my e-mails sounded sort of "bloggish" in that they were full of gold nuggets on everything and anything. He said I should mine the sort of stuff we talked about and put that and my poems on a blog. I felt like I was being pushed and really didn't want to do it. I had no idea what it as all about and should have asked more questions and viewed various blogs.

How long ago did you start?

My original one, called, "Mooky's Place" was created in November 2004.

Who introduced you?

A friend who had one and set it up for me.

Who was your very first visitor, and do you both still visit each other?

The guy who set it up and no, he doesn't visit mine anymore. His personal blog is inactive but he just rejuvenated a business blog on signmaking, "Following The Signs". Nobody in my family reads it, unless I e-mail a post. The one time my sister read it she said, "I took a look at your blog sight. It is interesting listening to your "conversations" with your blogging friends. I felt like I was eavesdropping."I actually thought that was cool, don't you?

How has your blog changed from your first posts, and did you envisage it developing the way it has?

My posts in the beginning were all just poetry and short stories I had already written. Gradually, it branched out to include daily life chatter, and finally, I learned how to upload pictures.

When I first started, I didn't really understand the idea of visiting other blogs so I never visited any others except my friend's for about a year! Of course, no one ever visited me either.

The thing that I never would have expected to be on my blog was my song and a video to go with it. This is only because Annelisa wanted to create a video and knew how to do it...well, stayed up all night one time to figure out how to get it on You Tube!

Other than the video/song, my blog is very simple and quite unadorned - nothing much on the sidebar, no real ads, awards, challenges, achievements, fabulous links, incredible flashing moving figures uploaded from God knows where.... and I'm fine with that - it overwhelms me and I don't want all that much on it.

Have you any other blogs and, if so, what is their purpose?

No, it's hard enough for me to maintain Spilling Out! I started with one, then deleted it after a year because I thought there was a weird person obsessing over my blog. The visitor was on it 24/7 several times a day for hours!

I transferred a lot of the posts over here.

So there you have it. Nothing particularly exciting but I still enjoy writing and visiting blogs! Thanks to all those who have ever taken the time to stop by and read. I have really appreciated your comments as well.



MOI