Merry Christmas, Happy New Year

 

 

Location: Hamlet of Tehkummah, Ontario


It’s been a while since my last update but I haven’t had much to say. I’ve had the best intentions to keep reading blogs but well, we know what happens with best intentions. Enough said.

 

Downtown Tehkummah

Looking down the main street out of town.

 

 First things first, belated Happy Thanksgiving to our American Friends. We were with you in spirit and even celebrated here in our little corner of Ontario with a nice big ham. Belated Merry Christmas to one and all. We hope this holiday season has brought you peace, love and joy. Along with good health, good cheer and almost all that you wished for. I do mean almost ALL, because if you received everything you wished for, what would you have left to wish for in the future? We would also like to wish you all a very wonderful New Year as I doubt I'll be doing another update so quickly.

Ward's General Store, across the street from our little winter house.

 

Our little stone winter home.

Snow, cold, milder temps, rain, more snow, more cold, etc. You get the idea. The weather here is a constantly changing thing. Although we’ve had a few very cold nights we haven’t had any long stretches of such weather and so we will not complain. The Big Dog muscles onward but can be seen shivering late at night when he thinks we aren’t watching, the Igloo is safely tucked away near our summer spot and I’m sure is shivering much more frequently. Hopefully next year we will all be back to a much more normal way of life and we can be in a much warmer place with a lot less snow and enjoying spectacular sunrises and sunsets.


 

The back yard of our little stone house.

 

A few days of work here and there but otherwise very quiet here in our little neighbourhood. We did have daughter Courntey visit for a few days before Christmas. It was so wonderful to see her and spend some time getting caught up. The days whipped by quickly but a few days is better than no days. She had a friend heading westward for a couple of weeks and so we managed to meet them only an hour and half drive away which made her visit much easier for us. A less than easy ride taking her home to Toronto, a quick overnight for me with a much easier ride home to the little stone house here in Tehkummah the following day. 

A bit different view of the back yard.

 

Other than that, nothing is new here, everyone is well, healthy and getting through the winter one day at time. All of the photos today were taken with my phone this morning, Boxing Day 2020. They show the small hamlet of Tehkummah and our little stone house for the winter.

View of the back our little stone house.

 Nephew Jason left this morning for a month of sledding near Revelstoke, BC. We wish him safe travels and good health. A very long drive for a single traveller. Wife Leah didn’t make the trip this year as she is due to deliver their first baby in mid February.

 

Can you see the General Store across the street?

Belated birthday wishes to great niece Isabel, who celebrated #7 on Christmas Eve, to cousin Barry who celebrated a much bigger number on Christmas Day. Future wishes to nephew Jason (Jan 2), cousin Sheila (Jan 7), niece Amber (Jan 9), sister in law Janet (Jan 14), daughter Courtney (Jan 22), cousin Craig (Jan 23), daughter Riley (Jan 28) and cousins Bob and Ruth (Jan 29). Lots of folks celebrating those candle days!!!

 

We are too protected here at the house to know the real weather and so we watch it through the trees in that open field of the dairy farm behind us. We can see blowing and drifting snow, fog, snow and when the trees start bending we know about the force of the wind.

So there you have it folks, a quick update. We do hope everyone out there is safe, healthy and happy. Stay warm or cool, whichever one might apply to you. Thanks for stopping by.

Multiple wind chimes grace the yard, these are just a few.

Until next time…. take care, be safe, stay healthy,

Deb

Settled into our little stone house for the winter.....

Our Location:  Tehkummah, Ontario, Canada

 

(All photos taken with my phone)

 

The summer has faded and fall has arrived. Snow flurries have fallen a few times already. The leaves lay carpeting the ground where ever we look and the temps have dipped below freezing a number of times already. I think it is safe to assume that winter is not far off in the weeks ahead. 

 

Summer and fall have been a busy time for us and I had little time to do any blogging or reading of blogs. I also didn't feel very motivated to do either of those things. I'm not sure why but it's just the way things are here. 

 

Riley and I moved into a small two bedroom stone house in the little village of Tehkummah ( Tac-a-maw) for the winter. We hauled the Igloo out here to unload our necessaries on Oct 14, just a few days after Thanksgiving. In the time since then we've had the Igloo winterized and parked close to our spot on the hill, still accessible if necessary. We've enjoyed having family out to the house for dinner a couple of times and are just enjoying the warmth as we watch out the windows on some of the colder frosty and snowy mornings. It will be a very different winter for us this year and hopefully only ONE winter will need to be spent in the cold north and out of our Igloo. We are crossing our fingers and toes. 

 

 

I'm slowly starting to return to reading blogs and have managed to get caught up on a couple this morning before writing my own blog. I will get to answering all the replies from the two previous blogs before long but I don't think it will be today. It is nice to ride along with our friends Deb & Tom of Celebrating the Dance as they travel towards the southwest. We shall enjoy your posts this winter as your photos and words offer us snow bound Canadians comfort knowing someone is enjoying the desert this winter. 

 

I will post from time to time during the winter months, although I doubt we will have much to post about. Pretty quiet in our neighbourhood. Thanks for stopping by, until next time...  Stay safe, take care, be healthy. 

 

Deb 

Travel plans, catching up and quiet times.....

 

 
Our Location: Summer Spot, near South Baymouth, Ontario, Canada


I’ll bet you thought I forgot all about you, well you’d be wrong. It’s pretty quiet here at the best of times and with this pandemic still chasing us all around, it’s even quieter and I had nothing to write about. I salute those that find something to write about every day, I don’t have what it takes to do that.

This doe seemed to hang around for a couple of months. She would show up in various places including the ridge outside our dining room window.

The weather has been great for the most part but like others I’m sure we’ll all be happy to be rid of the humid conditions soon, not to rush fall or winter though. Sweltering heat here with high humidity has been the story for most of us in Ontario this summer and we here in the northern part were a great deal more fortunate than our friends and neighbours in Southern Ontario.  I think we can all agree it has been a summer unlike any we’ve ever experienced before with weather and pandemic being the top of the news for a very long time now. Hurricanes, tornados and floods are now more and more in the headlines as well. Certainly not the type of summer we are used to and our thoughts go to those that have and are suffering and struggling during this very trying time. Hopefully the coming weeks and months bring relief, promise and hope to all.

 

I haven’t been keeping up with blogs nor Facebook so I have no idea what’s happening with everyone. The pace of life here is very different and I find it’s bedtime before I think of turning on the computer and by then I’m ready to call it a day. So I apologize for not commenting and keeping up but as we all know, blogging is to be fun and not a chore.

 

These colourful mushrooms are starting to appear in lots of places around our summer spot.

 

Today’s photos were taken mostly with my phone, although a few were with the camera out the dining room window. The photos range from wild life to sunrises and a few things in between, taken over the past number of weeks since my last post. I hope you enjoy them.

These two photos are in the village of South Baymouth, near the ferry terminal. Very rough waters out there in Georgian Bay made for a few very rough trips on the Chi-Cheemaun.

Both the snake and the hummingbird were photographed out the dining room window.

Riley and I have decided we will be staying in Ontario this winter. With Covid 19 still very much making it’s ugly self known we both feel it’s safer to stay where we have family to help should it be needed. So we are currently searching for winter accommodations on Manitoulin Island. Something small and preferably in the south east area but we will be looking at everything. Comments are always the same: everyone seems to be searching for a winter spot here this year. So I guess we aren’t alone.

A sunrise shot taken on the way to Dad's house for coffee shortly after 6 AM.

These three shots were taken on a different morning on the way to coffee with the fog hovering, things were damp and the dew was heavy.

 

 Some notes to to share that I would normally mention in my blog but since I’m catching up some may seem a bit out of date to some but I’ll include  them anyway. Some notes will of course be for the future as well, since I’m not sure when I’ll write another post.

 

Another sunrise on the way to morning coffee. 

 

 

Another fog covered morning.

Taken between my dad's house and my brother's house with the sunrays shining through a maple tree.

 Condolences to our good friend Sharon and family in the passing of her husband Ron in May. We truly regret not being able to see them on our way home last spring but will always remember Ron’s gentle voice, kind heart and wonderful friendship. We’ve known them for years and have always enjoyed their company.  A true gem and we will all miss you Sheriff.  Condelences as well to the Hall family in the recent passing of their mother Pat, a fixture around Tehkummah for as long as I can remember, a contributor to the local newspaper, she wrote Tehkummah Talk and Times for many years catching everyone up on the local happenings in and around the area. Also to the Ward family in the passing of Susan and to the Oswald family in the passing of Helen. Both of these women were well known in the community, even if I didn’t know them well, and they will be missed greatly.

 

Sunrise one morning as I step outside heading for coffee time.

Birthday wishes to my middle daughter Bradey (July 24), my Aunt Sandra (August 5), my Dad (August 10), cousin Tammy (August 28), our friend Randy (who celebrates today, August 29) and a big happy birthday to my grandson Auston (who will turn one year old on September 12). Happy Birthday as well to my niece Nicole who will celebrate a birthday on September 30. The month of August is also brings us more memories of those that have left us, my mom (whose birthday was Aug 15 and passed on Aug 4, 2003), my late husband Richard (passed on Aug 10, 2006), and my grandmother (whose birthday was Aug 17 and passed on Aug 31, 2005).

The same sunrise as the above photos.

Some other notes for myself, dad’s brother Donnie arrived home almost 3 months to the day after his motorcycle accident. He is now in a wheel chair, but in good spirits and seemingly doing well. He arrived home August 26, 2020, having been injured June 19, 2020 in a single vehicle accident.  Fortunate for sure.

 As I said, I’m not sure when I’ll update my blog again but I assure you all that you cross my mind and bring a smile to my face each time I think of you. Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time….take care, be safe, stay healthy.


Deb

A catch up......

                               Hmmm I don't think I like this new format. It doesn't do anything I want it to do. Makes me sad to think that blogging is taking a step backwards instead of forward. This is complicated.

After trying unsuccessfully to edit this post, I apologize for the ugly post. I'm not working at it any more today.

It's been very quite here, not a lot going on but a we like it quiet. We've been able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine of late, and managing to pass those days that were much less enjoyable earlier in the month.

The top photos are of quick shots of the hummingbird and the new feeder we added to the yard. He seems to enjoy it and manages to handily chase everyone else away. The middle photos are of course taken of the angry, wind whipped waters of Lake Huron/Georgian Bay at the mouth of the harbour where the ferry comes in. Following that is wild strawberries I found not far from our door, and of course the wonderful green colour and abundance of cones from one of the many every greens that grace the views out our window. The last photos I captured a couple of days ago, a visitor on the picnic table. Not sure if he was expecting lunch, but we didn't feed him. 

We've been working off and on a day or two a week and are enjoying the distraction from quiet, lazy days around the Igloo. The nights are warming up nicely or cooling off, depending on your point of view but we can now leave our door, windows and vents open all night and sleep comfortably without being too hot or too cold. The perfect sleeping temperatures for us.

Lots of wildlife around these days. A number of deer have popped out from cover along the roadsides, we even managed to see two bears on our recent travels for groceries. Of course the regular rabbits, porcupines, geese, and sand hill cranes are also ever present.

My dad's youngest brother was involved in a motorcycle accident late yesterday. Not  many details, multiple injuries of course but they don't sound to be life threatening.

 Condolences to my best friend Linda and her family on the passing of her brother Allen, a few weeks ago. Allen had been ill for some time. Belated Happy Birthday wishes to my Aunt Shirley, who celebrated on June 3rd. She is the oldest of my dad's two sisters. Also an early birthday wish for my sister Jan, who celebrates another year on June 25th, and my uncle Percy who celebrates on June 26. Also Happy Anniversary wishes to my brother Rick and his lovely bride Barbara, they celebrate another year (36 years, I think) on June 23. Of course Happy Father's Day to each and every father out there!!!!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit.

Until next time... take care, be safe, stay healthy,

Deb