A quick catch up for most of the summer....

Our Location: Big Buck Resort, 205 Sparks Road, Hornsby, Tn

Hello folks. Still waiting for the jet pack to arrive but thought I’d at least get a post prepared just in case it arrives in a timely fashion. Although we all know that won’t happen, don’t we?

Our summer passed rapidly with us keeping busy most days, doing what, I’m not sure but we seemed busy. I made a few improvements to the Igloo over those island months. Riley’s trundle bed, and 2 bunk beds came out, storage shelves and a single bunk went in to the same space. The storage is under the bed instead of over it. Riley is a tall young lady and therefore always bumping her head on the upper bunk and it was always a mess. So taking it out was a wise idea. I installed a slide out drawer in the new shelving for HRH Miss Kitty’s royal potty making it easier to access and keeping it out of the way as well. The other shelving was made at various heights to allow for air flow as the trundle bed made it musty smelling under the bunks. We now have a a half dozen storage shelves which over time I may actually make into pull out drawers as well. Easier access is always better!! 

Dewy morning walk...look at all the web work...

Also this summer I managed to secure some 6” pipe which I attached to the back bumper and now store some of my sewer hoses inside. Holes in the bottom allow any water and moisture to drain, both end caps have handles to make removal easier, and I attached the end caps to some small chains to ensure they don’t drop off and get lost. A small bumper guard ensures there is no rubbing on the back of the Igloo. 

If any of you are like me, challenged when it comes to having a long reach then you’ll know what I’m about to say. The basement side cubby was always being cleaned out so I could reach something in the ‘far back area’, you know the far back area I mean. The one where you can’t quite reach it but it’s not TOO far back just enough to tease you into thinking if you could add even 1” to your reach you’d be successful. Except it was not to be reached without taking a pile of stuff out so you could lean in and actually reach it. So over the summer I also constructed a slide out drawer for my right side cubby. It’s not a big drawer as the pipes and design of the area don’t allow for it to be big but it extends fully on 36” sliders and makes just about everything on it easily accessible. It’s not fancy, it’s not perfect but it works and I’m happy with it. I can unhook it, pull it out and voila, easy to grab anything I want there. It works fantastic!!! Thanks to my sister Jan and her fella Rick for the help. Mostly Rick, more than Jan. ~laugh~ 

Lovely Lady Slippers

My brother’s oldest son Jason was married this past summer. July 29 seen Jason become the groom of a lovely young lady named Leah. They’ve been together for a long time and have owned a house for a few years as well. Jason and Leah are young, beautiful, exciting people with a warm, friendly and inviting attitude about them. I wish them all the best in the future. For this big event we hooked up and hauled our Igloo to the small hamlet of Providence Bay, Ontario where we parked right on the grounds of the reception venue. No need to drive anywhere after the fun!!

Daughter Riley had her foot assessed at the Desimone Foot clinic in Sudbury. Her problem is a friction callous folded over on itself causing a corn IN her foot. It can’t be removed according to the woman we see at the clinic but I think I’ll ask a dr when we get back in the spring. However it is no longer causing her any issues as Megan has taken the callous down a great deal. I’ll try to keep that up over the winter months but there is nothing I can do about the corn except to ensure she has cushion pads to place around it. 

Fog morning but some family time for these geese!

Riley also had surgery to remove a huge cyst that had formed on her right ovary. Surgery was August 30 and went very well. We spent the night before at my best friends house in Lively and drove into Sudbury the next morning. Riley was out and we were on our way home before 2 pm in the afternoon. A couple of days of easy living and Riley was back to her old self!! Dr. Wallace performed the surgery and upon follow up indicated the cyst was 10 cm in size. HUGE. Everything went well, and looked good at the follow up appointment as well. Thanks again to Dr. Wallace, warm, caring and compassionate, we would recommend her to anyone needing an GYNO/OBGYN in the Sudbury area.

Late September found us hauling our home off the island a few weeks earlier than usual. We hooked up the big Dogsled to the Igloo and hauled our way first to Lively, Ontario for a couple of overnights, a quick visit or two with my best friend Linda and her hubby Randy, an appointment at the foot clinic for Riley and before we knew it we were off to Nepean, Ontario. We put our feet down at Riverbend Park in Pakenham, Ontario for a week while we enjoyed the second wedding of the summer. My sister’s youngest daughter Brittany tied the knot on Sept 30 to a nice young man named Kevin. The bride and groom both work in/around the Ottawa area, own a house in Nepean and have been together for some time. Kevin was leaving a week from the wedding date to attend RCMP training courses out west for 6 months. To them we wish the very best of whatever the future may hold and where ever that may take you. 

beautiful colours...

My sister Jan and her fella Rick stayed at the Igloo with Miss Riley and I. We had some good times, shared a lot of laughs and enjoyed the time together. It was tough saying goodbye to them as I’ll miss them a great deal. As I will everyone on the island but it’s only for a few months!!!

Okay, enough of the catch up for today. I’ll post some more in the next few days to catch up and then I hope to be doing so on a regular basis again. 

So thanks for stopping by, nice to see you again or see you for the first time.

Until next time….be safe, take care……

Nice visit with family today.....

Our Location: Walmart Front Lawn, Hamilton, Ontario 

(all pics taken over the last two days with my phone)

The overnight was a bit chilly but the heater warmed us up pretty quickly. Of course the rain drops were loud on the roof but it wasn't too bad. The rain came and went most of the day but toward late afternoon it seemed to end and while things didn't really clear up it at least seemed to be getting a bit less wet outside.

We spent some time this morning sorting thru our purchases from the US. We needed to get some separated as we have a few things that need to be given away while we're here in Southern Ontario. We've now managed to sort, bag and label all the goodies for easy giving when we arrive were they will be handed out. With two weddings on the horizon we brought back a bit more stuff than we normally would have but at least we are assured that the gifts will be unique, truly one of a kind. 

St. Catherines Skyway Bridge.

Shortly before 11 am we locked the door to the Igloo, climbed into the Dogsled heading toward an appointment in downtown Hamilton. However as we were just pulling out at the end of the row sat a mini van with the hood up, booster cables attached to the battery but sadly the other end was just sitting waiting for someone to offer a boost. I stopped, popped the hood, shut down the Dogsled and gave the guy a boost. Seems he left his tablet plugged in and drained the battery (that was his story at least). He cranked it over and after a couple seconds it came to life!! He unhooked his cables, dropped my hood, and we were off. Our good deed for the day accomplished. 

The canal that runs under the sky bridge in the above photo

Riley's 11:45 am appointment was in the Font Bonne building at St. Joseph's Hospital with a Dr of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. We arrived right on time but waited for an hour before getting in to the doctor. Dr Braga is originally from Brazil but now lives and works in Hamilton. This is Riley's second appointment with her. Blood work for this appointment showed improvements, she's happy with the weight loss and wishes to be kept updated with the rest of the appointments with the Gynecologist (when we have an appointment with the new one), wants to see Riley again in 6 months time. We were hoping to be finished with Dr. Braga but appears that isn't the case. We're booked again in late October which will be on our way when we head south again in the fall. 

 

In Hamilton this little bump is referred to as 'the mountain'

 

From there we headed to our old pharmacy to drop off a couple of scripts, one for Riley and one for me. We'll pick them up tomorrow. After that it was a matter of getting back to the Igloo for lunch. We were both starving. Left overs were the only things on the lunch menu today. 

 

That ugly brown is actually Lake Ontario, it's very churned up but the brown is actually water!!

 

The afternoon found us at the Dollar Store picking up a few little things that we needed, finding some other things we didn't know were available here in Canada but have purchased and used in the US. It's a moisture collector that helps to reduce some of the moisture content in the the Igloo especially in the closets. We also have one just sitting on the top bunk in Riley's room. The air circulation doesn't seem to be too good in Riley's room at times and a definite mustiness can be detected at times. These little containers have helped to rid the room of that problem. In the US they are called Damp Rid, I didn't notice the name here in the Dollar Store but the container shape caught my eye and it's the same kind of product. We're happy knowing we can buy them here in Canada as well. 

 

Not much green here is there?

 

We spent the rest of the time reading and just unwinding. I finished the book by Bette Lee Crosby called Spare Change. It was okay, not the best but not the worst either. A feel good, chuckle at times kind of read. I would read another book of hers if given the opportunity because I think she could truly settle into being a fairly good writer with more experience. 

 

I called this home for about 30 years, Riley was born here.

 

A couple of text messages between Bradey  (middle daughter) and I brought us to Wimpy's Burger Place on Queenston Rd at 6 pm for dinner. Bradey and David arrived right on time. They even parked next to the Dogsled in the lot. Since neither have them had seen the new truck I asked how she knew it was mine. With a big grin on her face she said, "First, it had no front plate,  second, the back plate was an Alabama plate and third, I looked into the drivers seat and saw all your cushions! With that many cushions it HAD to be your truck.". She must take after her father because I would never think to say such things. ~laugh~ 

 

We know these roads very well....

 

They both look wonderful, David will be getting his front teeth in late July. David lost some of his front teeth last summer playing baseball in a rec league. It's a long story but needless to say a painful one. He has only just recently had the posts implanted to hold the teeth that will be implanted in July. It's been a long process. 

 

Bradey is enjoying her work, and moving upward in the company. She works with Autistic children and enjoys the challenges they present. It's always a treat to watch her face light up when she speaks of different children (never by name or location) attaining a new skill, or level of advancement. She's always excited about different ideas for introducing new items to learn or play, new ideas for songs, etc. It's an area in which I wouldn't have thought she would have an interest but as she's matured she seems to have a found the perfect calling. I'm very happy for her and so very proud of her achievements. Bradey was recently given more managerial responsibilities which she seems to also enjoy and is looking forward to the future with this company. 

 

The fog was curling down over the edge of the mountain this morning

 

David is doing well also. He is enjoying his new job in which he wears many different hats and I don't want to give specifics in case I get it wrong. ~laugh~ David spent some time between graduation and this position looking for just the right place. It seems he's found it as it sounds as though he is well liked, well suited for and truly enjoys this job. I'm happy to know he's found something that suits him, that he enjoys and seems to be excelling at. 

 

We discussed a number of possibilities for their upcoming vacations and the July wedding this summer. They will of course be traveling to the Island for Jason and Leah's wedding. They will stay with us in the Igloo but will have to leave their dog, Leia behind for the weekend. Leia is a sweet thing, she is a Golden Retriever/Sheltie cross and is full of energy!!! A very pretty dog!!

 

Not as thick in some places....

 

After dinner at Wimpy's they followed us back to the Igloo where we visited for another hour and a half. Discussing various things, David even took the Dogsled for a little run, just to check it out. ~laugh~ They finally decided they had to leave shortly before 9 pm, taking with them a bag of goodies we brought back for them. Hugs all around, it would have been nice to have another visit with them before we leave but they are busy folks. 

 

It's greener in the city...

 

After they left we tidied up a bit and headed off in our own directions. Again, not a lot of excitement for anyone but us in our day but we truly enjoyed it. Plans for tomorrow will have us doing some work, visiting some old friends, old neighbours, and a trip to the dentist. Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed the visit. Until next time...be safe...take care... 

 

 

 

Goodbyes, Dinner Out.......

Our Location: Magic River Rv Resort, Long Beach, Mississippi

A cold dreary night followed by a cold dreary dreary day for Sunday and now again today it's more of the same. The next few days are much cooler than we'd like but hopefully we are finished with the rain. However time will tell, won't it? 

No blog last night as there was nothing to say except some whining, so the less said, the better. I'm sure you agree. 

This morning up at the fire the usual suspects showed up and chatted for a bit. A sad day today as Buzz and Lisa left our little neighbourhood. They are heading home to Columbus, Ohio which will take them 4 days to reach. Hugs and well wishes, they were on the road around 9 am. We wish them a safe journey. 

Today was house cleaning day and we completely took Riley's room apart. She's been complaining about a musty odor and I think we've finally found it. I believe the trundle bed is causing the problem. The trundle bed is a small single, while Riley's is a larger twin. The trundle has a front face plate that reaches from the floor to the underside of Riley's bed and is full length of the opening, thus not allowing any air to circulate under Riley's bed and leaving a 'dead' space between the small single mattress and the wall. I removed the face plate, tucked it flat under the bed and we moved the mattress to the top bunk to see if that would allow the air to move better and get rid of the odor. We shall see if it works, so once again, time will tell. If not, I'll have to keep looking.

No one went for beans and rice today, we think it's because Buzz and Lisa weren't here so the whole thing fell apart or may be we're all just old and forgot. ~laugh~ We did however use some of Buzz's coupons to go to dinner this evening at Sicily's Italian Buffet on Hwy 49 in Gulfport. 

 

Ron and Sharon stopped by to see if we needed anything from Walmart but we declined as tomorrow we need to do a shop there and since they just have small little vehicle I didn't think they'd appreciate having no room to bring home what they were going for. ~laugh~ 

 

I  had a nap again today, and according to Miss Riley so did she. Seems like it was just one of those days when we needed to recharge more than we had thru the night hours. 

 

Up to the fire around 3:30 pm this afternoon chatting with a few folks, Ron, Mac, Riley Jerry, Pete, and Pat it was there we decided to head to Sicily's for dinner. Ron & Sharon came with us, and we met Jerry and Carol at the restaurant. Riley and I had never  been but we enjoyed it a great deal. Many, many choices of pizza, along with a nice salad bar, regular fare such as mashed potatoes, veggies, gravy, chicken, lasagna, etc, then there were the desserts of puddings/custards, pizza, ice cream, brownies and such. I can honestly say I enjoyed the experience and will go again without hesitation. Riley seemed to enjoy it as well. I tried apple pie pizza and rocky road pizza. A first for me but I will have the apple pie pizza again for certain. Coupons were used and new ones given, they have no expiry date so we'll use them next time we are around. Dinner was $14.00 for the two of us!!

 

Light rain on the way home making it hard to tell about daylight saving time as the evening was so grey anyway. I'm sure the daylight hours were longer but ....

 

I started trying to call Dad last night around 7 pm but it was busy until at least 9 pm, then again this morning it was busy. I called Rick this morning to check on the phone at dad's house but just left a message. Tried Dad's again about an hour later, left a message there as was no answered. Finally reached Dad to chat around 6 pm our time tonight, he said they were out but hadn't known about the phone, so maybe Rick fixed it while they were out today. Things are cold up there but everyone seems to be doing well. Talked to Barb last night, she was telling me about Jason & Leah's wedding plans, and the stag & doe coming in May. Nice to chat with her again, it's been a long time. I should call more often but for some reason I just don't seem to. Also called my sister tonight, she's struggling with her depression again, meds are being changed too, so that makes things difficult as does the time of year. I should call her more often too but well, it just doesn't seem like I think of it before it's too late in the evening there to call. Sis and I have made some tentative plans to do some shopping when we get to the island. 

Up at the fire again this evening but the rain came so we moved into the cabin for a bit. Always enjoy chatting with my buddy Ron, he's a character. ~laugh~ I'll just leave it at that!!!

 I have a few business things to handle in the next week in preparation for heading home to Canada in a few weeks. I  need to contact a broker and get the paperwork to them with regards to the truck and getting it across the border. I'm not looking forward to that day, I think it'll be a long one. I've decided to cross the border in Buffalo as we will be staying about an hour from there when we get back to Ontario. I've been looking at a number of options for our upcoming time in Southern Ontario for appointments. I think Fifty Point Conservation area will be our home location while in the area. That will allow us to be close enough to the city to handle all of our appointments with ease. It will also allow us a short trip from the border to our home base should we get tied up at the border crossing for any length of time. 

 

So as you can see we are managing to put get our days in down here in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. We've not walked for 3 days but we'll be fixing that in the near future I'm sure. This will be a week of goodbyes for us as many folks are pulling out. Sad to see them go but we'll see them again in the future!!

 

On that note, I'm calling it a day. Thanks for stopping by, sorry no pics today either. Tomorrow I'll work on that. ~laugh~ Until next time...be safe, take care...