Monday, October 30, 2023

We moved a short distance today….

 

Our Location:

Beamsville, Ontario 


Again no pics, sorry just didn’t take any. Riley and I had an errand this morning before we packed up, lifted feet and moved the wheels. We headed out of Olympia Village Rv before 1 pm and had wheels stopped within 45 minutes at Beamsville. We will be here a couple of days and hopefully then will turn ourselves around and head toward Detroit, Mi and from there run southward for a day and after that southwesterly for a bit. 


The weather is cold, damp and rainy. High temps were about 7c/45f. We won’t talk about the low temps. Nightly calls to dad has us feeling warm in comparison. Things are very quiet on The Rock and the darkness is descending earlier every day there.


Yesterday Riley and I did a bit of shopping, visited Bradey and the boys for a couple hours and then headed back to the Igloo. Our final visit of the year.it was nice getting a few hours with them all.


I doubt there will be a post tomorrow, we will be busy again.I promise more pics in the future posts. Hoping our next post will have us at least heading for the border if not already across.


A quick question to fellow fulltimers calling Ontario home for 6 months, whom do you have full time insurance with? Wayfarers has ceased offering the coverage since being bought out. I’m struggling to find a new company. Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks for stopping by….. until next time….


Take care, stay safe,


Deb



Saturday, October 28, 2023

A quick post…

 

Our Location:

Olympia Village RV, Waterdown, Ontario


No pics today. Riley and I spent a few hours doing some things around the Igloo.  There seems to be so many things to do to keep a person busy, doesn’t there?


A big drop in the temperature this morning had us plugging in the electric heater to help take the chill off. It looks as if we are going to be having a few days of colder temps and a bit of rain as well. After Thursday it looks like things will be warming up a bit and we are hopeful of having the wheels rolling by then. 


A chat with dad tonight, cold up there, not a lot news, other than he has an appointment set up to get replacement glass after breaking his and a spare pair of readers. He mentioned a doe and two older fawns spent a great deal of time beneath one of the apple trees this evening.  


Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all had a fantastic day.


Until next time……


Take care, stay safe,


Deb



Friday, October 27, 2023

Another day of visiting…….

 


Our Location:

Olympia Village Rv, Waterdown, Ontario 


A very mixed day, a little rain, a little sun, lots of warm air with some humidity added in, clouds, wind and just a hint of cold hanging on the outer edges.


No pics today, I just didn’t remember to take any. I’m getting forgetful I think. We had no plans for most of day and just stayed in, I managed to do a number of things on line and still have a couple more phone chores to do before we leave the area.


We headed off to check a few things at the local Brantford Walmart, we will be heading back to do a big shop in the next day or two in preparation for our travels southward. A few little forays into a couple of stores nearby and soon we were heading to Bradey and David’s place. 


A wonderful few hours, thanks for dinner guys, it was fabulous! The boys, Auston and Lincoln were full of giggles and smiles. We heard about school, Halloween costumes, and many other things as we played and chatted until it was time for Linc to go bed, we had hugs and kisses, and headed home. We may see them again before we pull out but we aren’t sure. 


Back home around 8 pm, the night driving reminding me of why I dislike it so much. I’m always happy to be off the roads before the sun goes down and the blinding lights take over. ‘Nough said!


A birthday note again today. Happy Birthday Leah. Leah is the beauty that married my nephew Jason and together they have two adorable children. Leah is a warm, wonderful young lady that lights up any room she enters. Leah is the DIL/Auntie of the two birthday ladies mentioned in yesterday’s post, Barb and Hazel. We hope you had an amazing day Leah.


On that note, thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit.


Until next time…..


Take care, stay safe,


Deb



Thursday, October 26, 2023

A nice lunch visit with oldest daughter Courtney….

 

Our Location:

Olympia Village Rv Park, Waterdown, Ontario 


Another nice night temperature wise, no heat needed. A bit of rain throughout the night and into the morning hours but nothing overly hard. Plans this morning had us letting the Big Dog run into downtown Hamilton to a location on Locke Street called the Beasley House Bistro. Parking is always difficult downtown and while looking for a spot we stopped to ask a nice fella if he could tell us where we could find some public parking. To our great delight and surprise he told us to use his spot at the apartment building as he was in the process of vacating his apartment. Free to use for the rest of the day. We parked after thanking him, making note of our location and headed off on foot to meet Courtney.


Across our driveway you can see the flag showing a light breeze.

The playground is inviting.

The Pavilion and behind that the pool!

I will admit not a single photo was taken, we were too busy hugging and chatting the entire time. She was easy to spot coming down the sidewalk in her bright yellow jeans, purple and gold boots and carrying a bright yellow handbag. She is a very bubbly person, with a quick smile and a warm welcoming way. Lunch was wonderful but the company was the best. Courtney is an online tutor with a full schedule,  she offers English and French in all subjects, her students range from the early grades all the way to helping students prepare for college. She is passionate about it and gets excited when a student has a “lightbulb” moment.  Hugs and kisses goodbye, Riley and I headed back to the Dogsled, while Courtney headed off to catch the Go Bus for the 50 min ride back to the heart of Toronto and her home. Riley and I were home within 30 minutes, a short walk around the park and we are finished for the day.


Closing up for the end of season, Oct 31.

The park pond.

Lots of signs the season nearing an end for some.

And to the right of us, permanent residents.


Birthday wishes to SIL Barb, and her granddaughter Hazel. One turned 5 today but the other is a little older. Barb is a beautiful lady with an amazing smile. Her love of family shines brightly and she is tireless in her enjoyment of that family. Hazel is a spirited young lady, with a matter of fact way, a sweet smile and expressive eyes. Happy Birthday to the lovely ladies!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you’ve had a fantastic day.


Until next time……


Take care, stay safe,


Deb



Wednesday, October 25, 2023

A very quiet day .....

 

 

Our Location: 

Olympia Village RV, Waterdown, Ontario

 

A nice evening, followed by an not overly cool night, we slept well and awoke late.  We spent a bit of time lounging around in our jammies and just resting. 

 

We are parked up in 3P for a week.

Looking down the path in front of the Igloo.

 We strolled some of the park paths and took in the sights. We dropped into the office to extend our stay but it was closed until noon. Back at home we took care of a few things but didn't do anything strenuous. It's nice to just relax for a few days. 

 

We are getting the idea of saguaros and the southwest desert from our neighbour across the lane. 

It is very tight in this park and the rigs are very close together.

 We have plans to meet daughter/sister Courtney tomorrow for lunch. We are looking forward to it. We haven't seen her since last fall. We plan on visiting with Bradey, David and the boys Friday evening, we haven't seen them since the end of July. We are looking forward to that as well. 


Some are permanent, seasonal and transients are rare.

Very tight between most of the rigs.
 

We are finding a couple of Asian Beetles in and outside the Igloo. We need to keep them in mind when opening and closing the door.  They stink when moved, scared, or killed. The temperatures are very nice here, room temperature seems to be the norm for the next few days, somewhere around 68F/20C. We will enjoy that while we can. 

 

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.....

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

A good day…..

 

Our Location:

Olympia Village Rv Park, Waterdown, Ontario


A nice overnight here, quiet and peaceful. We finished half of our laundry last night and will finish it up in the next few days. 


I took no photos today, I was busy doing other things. We spent part of the morning doing those boring things we all do before leaving. We spent some time looking for a replacement cord for one I left at home, changing money, looking for a few little things including some wine. We had an appointment for 1:30 pm that took up the rest of our afternoon. 


We have a firmer leave date now which will have us in the area for approximately a week. We will have some time to visit with Courtney and Bradey, along with David, Auston, and Lincoln.


That’s all for today, hope you all had a great day.


Until next time….


Take care, stay safe,


Deb



Monday, October 23, 2023

We have arrived in Waterdown, Ontario....

 

 

Our Location: 

Olympia Village Rv Park, 1161 4th Concession

 

We woke to a very frosty morning,  a temperature of about 27F/2.7C. A thick layer of frost on the Dogsled and the Igloo. A bit chilly inside the igloo too. However we managed to be on the road before 9 am. A nice slow drive and we ended up here at the park by 2:30 am. It took us about 40 minutes and four guys helping before we were pulled into our spot.  A tight park with too many roads and no sign posts. Oh well, we are here for a few days and then hopefully we will be rolling southward.

 

It looked like ice on this little pond.

 A coyote strolled across one of the rest areas we stopped at. It didn't seem in the least bit worried about people being around. It’s the first time we've seen one on this stretch of road. We stopped a few times on our travels today, it’s been a while since we’ve hauled and we are slowly getting back to it. The day warmed up nicely for us, the mercury rose to about 52F/11C when we arrived here. Heavy sweaters but no jackets, hats or gloves. It looks as if the weather will be warm until we head out, although a bit of rain is being called for mid week. As long as it’s warm, I don’t think I will mind much.


Taken from the Dogsled, a view outside the laundry room.


A call to dad, some food and now as I type we are doing laundry. It will be nice to start our journey with clean clothes and sheets. I think we will have a lot of loads as the top loaders aren’t very big. 


Laundry room, bathrooms and pool change rooms.
 

We have a number of things on the list to accomplish before we head south and we hope to have them completed so we can roll southward as early as Friday. Time will tell.


That’s it for today. Thanks for stopping by.


Until next time……


Take care, be safe……



Deb



Sunday, October 22, 2023

And we are off.....

 

 

Our Location: 

MTO Inspection Pull Off, 40 minutes south of Sudbury, Ontario. 

 

It's been cold and damp, with wind and rain the last number of days but we managed to get everything put away dry and neatly by Saturday evening. So Riley and I decided we would let the wheels roll a day early. The entire Rock is without power on this Sunday, Oct 22 from 8 am until around 6 pm or so the projection goes. Everyone else had schedules planned and so we decided to take advantage of the sun filled but cold day. Tough good byes this morning as we left!! We pulled out the last gate at 11:32 am ( I looked at the clock) and with only a few little stops we arrived here around 3 pm.   It took longer than necessary but we did stop for about 20 minutes in Espanola to do a few little things. 

 

I told you it was frosty a few mornings....

Even the thistles are shivering.

A true carpet of leaves.

Roads were good, dry, but busy. We are only going as far as Waterdown tomorrow, we will be there a few days doing a couple of things. Hopefully that will include getting in visits with both Courtney and Bradey. Of course David, Auston and Lincoln all come with Bradey! Time will tell. Our goal is to cross the border sometime between Friday and Sunday. We are looking forward to some warmer weather! 

 

A few pics from up high over the Igloo.

 
The yellows are strong now.

 

In the midst of putting things away and cleaning things up. The Cabin, Dogsled and Igloo.


We have opted to bypass Buttercup Ridge this fall. No one is there since Judi and her dog Win moved into their own home in Belleville. Janet and Dennis are still in California and so there is no reason to venture out of our way to BR. We usually spend 10 - 14 days there but instead will spend a approx 5 or 6 days in the Waterdown area. 


The waters in South Bay are getting that ugly grey colour and so the temperatures have changed drastically.

An early morning pic, it wasn't quite light yet.

Taken this morning, my last picture of the year in my favourite spot.


I called my dad when we arrived, chatted for a few minutes, still no power there. We will be talking to him regularly over the winter months. I hope you enjoyed the photos.  


We are tucked in here for the night. 


Until next time.....

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 

Friday, October 13, 2023

We are 10 days from leaving our summer spot.....

 

 

Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

 

Fall is definitely in the air. Rain, cold, damp and a carpet of leaves rustling and falling in the north/ northwest winds that blows most days now. From time to time we do manage a west wind but it too is cold. I do believe fall has arrived and will likely be here until Old Man Winter settles in. 

 

Two original cabins...

are now one.

 
Leaves carpeting the yard at Dad's. The metal wood shed in the back is now full awaiting winter.

We have been busy getting things cleaned up, gardens, yards, etc. Work is slowing down a great deal this past week or so. We will be attending an end of the busy season staff party tomorrow at the little inn which keeps us busy during our time here. Looking back in time I determined that we have started our 5th year at the little inn this past August. Our first year was only about 6 or 7 weeks before we left. It has been educational, annoying, enriching, and extremely entertaining. I can honestly say that most days I enjoy going to work, the hours are great, the pay is wonderful (our winter groceries), the people are fantastic, and of course, we manage a few laughs, a few sighs, a little blood, a lot of sweat and yes maybe even a few tears on occasion (from laughter most likely). It is a good place to work, and gives us some structure to our time here. 

 

Dixie the Lab is having a bath in the early morning sunshine.

I never tire of this ever changing view.

The morning sun will pop out soon.

 

My personal cleaning jobs are also winding down, one more visit to each before we leave. SIL Barb will take over those two little jobs for me while I'm away for the winter. Thanks Barb, we all appreciate that very much. The two couples I work for are amazing. I always enjoy my time there, they brighten my day and I hope I brighten theirs just a little too. I will miss them all! These two jobs are providing our Mexico spending money this year. Thank you folks!! 

 

 

How can one tire of this?

It's close to the freezing mark on this morning, and the water is much warmer than the air.

Even the deeper water out in the bay is warmer than the air.

 

We are firming our plans a bit more each day. We will be bypassing the farm this year and spending less than our usual 2 weeks in southern Ontario. We are looking at approx 1 week instead. A change in our route has us being able to leave earlier than expected. The quick change in the weather here also has us looking to let the Big Dog run south quicker. The Big Dog has had his check up and all things are good to go! We will be airing up the tires on the Igloo this coming week and putting the last of our things away in the cabin for winter. I will admit I've been wearing my heavy mittens and winter hat, along with a scarf on my early morning treks to Dad's for coffee at the now dark hour of 6:15 am.  Jeans, fleece jacket and my sploggers (due to the early morning wetness) round off the fall clothing necessary not to be shivering by the time I reach the house.  Coming home the sun is up and the flashlight stays in my pocket.  Fall has arrived. 

 

 

The old dock is white with frost this morning.

The frost is starting to melt as the sun comes up.

A very cold bath for any birds brave enough to break the ice.

 

On that note I'm signing off. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit. 

 

These logs are covered in frost.

The tree pile in the pit has grown steadily all summer and fall.

The white is frost on the ground at Jason's lake front property.


Until next time....

 

The Ferry Dock is the shiny buildings on the left, the others are just cottages along the shore.

I love the sun on the trees over there.

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb