It's Cryin' Time Again....

...it won't stop SNOWING!!! Another white layer was laid down...just when we were starting to see the driveway at least. The amount of snow may be more obvious because of a trip to Toronto to visit the kids...where there was no snow and temperatures of 10 -14 during the day. That whining said however ... I'm very glad to come home to the peace, quiet and absence of traffic!

My clothes line is back there somewhere!

Bijou comes down from her look out post...whew! safe from in-coming deer!

We had a good visit for the week...Celebrated Simon's 23rd b-day with a multiple meal; vegetarian, Fundy Bay seafood casserole and steak & mashed potatoes for the carnivores (Simon ate 3 of the steaks!)

Unfortunately, Simon was working at the ski hill all week (Ontario's March break) so his was a short visit....whereas ALL the rest of us descended on Ivan and Sara's house and pretty much just made ourselves at home!

Took Reed to the park after dinner, unfortunately there weren't enough swings for him.

modern sap boiling in the interpretive centre
One day to the Kortright Center and the quaint village of Kleinberg (north of TO) to tour a maple bush and syrup making operation...remember it's March break?...yep 25% of the TO population was there with grannys, and strollers and dogs and backpacks, bluetooths and blackberrys! all moving in a stream of humanity on the trail....so if their not on the highways...
even the harden residents I was with found it crowded!

Thanks to Ivan for some pictures...I forgot to take mine (never happened before), Reed erased all of Amanda's (yes, he's still alvive!)...and Bec only has occasional internet...so here's what I've got so far...

A moment of seclusion! Strike a pose!

three chat while the responsible one ties shoes...

Our responsible Sara trying to dress Reed, and herself...oooops!

Becca avoiding the paparazzi...or Rev Can?!

Amanda comes out of a bookshop...that girl loves books!

Jim calling me on Skype (I was gone a whole week!)...or practicing for a telemarketing job?!




Happy b-day Simon!

Enough Already!...

...let winter end and spring begin....PLEASE!
Yesterday was another drop of 10cm of snow...and today it melted into a cross between a swimming pool and skating rink so that going up the driveway was the equivalent of driving a bumper car...side to side between banks of hard packed snow! And any "on foot" travel around the property requires snowshoes (thanks Rob) especially back to the composter (you were right Amanda, it is a bit far away!).

the way we move snow in the country!!!

I have been remiss in updating this blog for a number of reasons - illness (the sickest I've been in 20 years), sewing, movies, baking and the following...

Though the winter has been long, we kept busy with various activities and social events in the community. I go to dancercize on Mondays, Tai Chi on Tuesdays, Firefighter meetings on Wednesday and Firefighting training on Thursdays....then Fridays and Saturdays the socializing begins!...Community breakfasts or just a good ol' Maritime kitchen party . Needless to say, any poundage coming off during the week is re-applied on the weekends!

Oscar Night (one of my holy days!) was held at Kathy and Jim's as they have a big screen TV and was attended by "Nicole Kidman", "Maddona" and "Show Me the Money -Tom Cruise" to name a few...us? the caterer and banker, of course!

The Banker gets eyed by "Nicole"

the Caterer and Banker

Our hostess "Madonna"

Yes! it's true we joined the fire department and are in the throes of training for Level I. Elmer (my beloved safety elephant) joined in order to keep me from rushing into burning buildings to save kids and/or pets. He now realizes that in the absence of training, no one goes near a fire and even then I suspect I'll be on traffic duty anyway! He, on the other hand has become the Chief's aide/secretary and jumped in with both steel-toed fire boots to begin the re-organizing and strategic planning for the department! I suggested to the Chief that whenever he even thought of doing/changing anything that Jim would have it completed before he had time to even mull it over! (see video below)

We took a road trip up to the Moncton area to have a research meeting with a beekeeper and gather more information on installing two hives in our orchard. All was going well until Elmer asked how many bees there would be in a hive - 15 to 30 thousand! Do they sting dogs? he asked...well of course ... and then the banker emerged with "what is the cost of all this?" ...needless to say he might consider one hive and that we may have to put fencing around it to keep the dog away (even though the bees could fly out to the dog?!!!) aaarrrggghhhh!!!!
Stay tuned for the outcome on this venture!

It was a beautiful sunny day for a drive and as we went further from the bay the ice and snow increased turning birch trees in to "diamond" encrusted chandeliers on both sides of the road. It was gorgeous and unfortunately the pics don't do the scene justice.




Here's something I've never seen before and is apparently common here and especially around old houses. Snow "fleas" which are not fleas but only so named because they have spring tails and appear to jump like fleas. Looking out (sorta) the kitchen window on to our 7' snowdrift on the deck, the snow was covered in a black "soot" which I assumed came from our neighbours' woodstove...it was a gzillion of these fleas! wanna know more? see the link on the right side...

This is them...(click on the pics to enlarge)


...and some other stuff....


My Valentine's bouquet from my sweetheart...and...they lasted 3 weeks!

Just to really annoy those of you in Ontario...this is a video of rush hour on the "4-laner", like the 401... (count all the cars!)!



Two firefighters dressing!!!

I'm off to Ontario for a whirlwind kid visit next week...and then...spring! I'm anxious to get into the dirt and start at it again...our first robin arrived today...surprise! another 10 cm of snow!

Stay tuned!