Tuesday, September 12, 2023

A mushroom kind of day.....

 

 

Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

 

With the coolness of fall, the daily heavy dew, some rain and a bit of sunshine has made the various mushrooms pop up everywhere I walked. I hope you enjoy the views.

 


Acorns, ferns and squishy moss.





 

Happy Birthday to grandson Auston, who celebrates his fourth birthday today!! He is a shy little fellow, who enjoys Paw Patrol, trucks and all big equipment!! Happy Birthday Auston. 

 

The views of South Baymouth's little harbour!  Top right is where the Chi-Cheemaun rounds the corner.

The top left picture is my favourite picture taken on the farm this summer. The old wagon needs some air in the tires but is still operational. The bottom left picture is squishy moss on some of  rocks. The right two pictures were taken in Manitowaning after a morning at work at the motel My Friends Inn. The top right is a picture of the harbour and the bottom is a pic along the main street. The red brick building is the local grocery store, Freshmart. 



A cloudy day at one of my favourite spots for taking photos. 





Turning around, this is the view.


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

 

Until next time....

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 




Thursday, September 7, 2023

A walk around part of the farm.....

 

 

Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

 

I took a walk around part of farm the other morning and found some interesting things to photograph.  I hope you enjoy them. 

 

I found the warbles in the trunk of this young birch tree to be interesting.

These leaves are now starting to turn just a day or two after I snapped this photo.

 

The top to pics show how the spruce trees are dying and the skeletons they leave behind. The bottom left picture was taken on my way to morning coffee at Dad's around 6:30 am, you can see the webs in the grass and the heavy dew makes them show up easily. The bottom left is a picture of the dew dropping from the branch of a cedar tree, also on my walk to or from coffee.


As you can see there is colour popping in many places.


Colour is showing everywhere!!

 


A few old cars hidden in the bushes here and there. The farm belonged to my great grandfather at one time and so the cars were definitely driven by the family. A great deal of the chrome is still shiny and amazingly fabulous. I'm sure with a little spit and polish it would shine like it was new!!
 


Some of the many paths in a small portion of the farm. Many of them were once the main road that twisted and turned across a corner of the farm. Some are paths from the dirt bike era of my nephew riding as a kid, and the cattle that pasture here have been following them as a means to get around. 



The paths are becoming overgrown and yet we can still see them and use them with quads and our feet! 
 
 
Looking up and down the fence line, and a few more over grown paths.
 
 
 
Evidence of death on the farm.
 
 
 Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of the farm. 
 
Until next time....
 
Take care, stay safe, 
 
Deb
 
 
 
 

Sunday, September 3, 2023

A touch of summer returns......


 

Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

 

 

A few pics to share with you. Enjoy.

 

Early morning patch of fog as I stand in one of my favourite spots. 



 


Lots of mushrooms around the area.

Our weather has taken a nice turn and we are back in the summer time temperatures with a bit of humidity. Thunderstorms roll along the line of the lake's shore and lightning is evident out over the bay. Rain drops pelt down, fine mist hovers in the air, and all the activity in between the two extremes. It's very much like the desert, coolish to cold in the mornings and a warm up during the day, with quick cool downs as the sun starts sinking. Hopefully it lasts for many weeks, it will make our stay here so much nicer. 

 

An abundance of apples, the view from above the Igloo, The Cabin, and a colour mushroom.

A small hint of colour, seeds ready to drop, and the view of the old orchard.

 

A few views around the farm.

A hint of the colours that will be coming soon!!



Until next time....

 

Take care, stay safe....

 

Deb

 

 

Sunday, August 27, 2023

We are nearing our last full month in our summer spot.

 

 

 Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada


The temperature this morning was in the single digits on the Celsius scale, a mere 7C/ 43F. It warmed up as the day went on, just like the desert, although not nearly as quickly nor as high. It turned out to be a nice day and just like the desert, started cooling off quickly as the sun started it's descent. 


Sunrise, August 21.

 

I thought I'd share a few pictures today, as I have very few words to share. 


On a ride to the Sugar Shack I stopped to take the bottom three photos in the above collage. We call it 'going over the rock'. There is a trail that wanders around through the trees, it runs past all of the favoured maple trees for spring tapping. There is also another one that runs along the fence line to keep an eye on anything that might fall across the wire. The top left picture was taken upward toward the Igloo from the bottom of the pit, within a few weeks the leaves will be turning and the colours will look amazing. The top right picture was taken about half way up the side of the hill on a very steep roadway. As kids we used to toboggan down that hill, we banked the corners and enjoyed a fast ride down. The walk up was always difficult.  


    

                

A bit of colour in the greenery.  Some seeds getting ready to drop and get set for new growth in the spring.  There is much beauty here and I some times fail to see it, kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees kind of thing. I guess writing an odd post now and then helped me realize what I've been missing. Thanks to my good friends Deb & Tom for giving me a little push to drop a post now and then.

 

 
 
Jason has been busy over the summer working on the lake property. So I thought I'd post a few pictures to remind me of the progress between old and new.  The top left picture is how the old cabins currently sit in construction to becoming one cabin which they will use while building their new home and possibly be turned into an Air BnB at some point. The middle right picture is the inside of the right cabin.  The outhouse, bottom left, is the only thing that hasn't been touched in any way. The two water pictures were just nice pictures. 
 
 
 A note of congratulations to our friends Linda and Randy, and their son Micheal and bride to be, on the birth of a son Weston on July 29. All are doing well and the proud grandparents are extremely tickled!
 
 
 Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the few pictures!!

Until next time...

Take care, stay safe, 

Deb


Thursday, August 17, 2023

It feels like fall is in the air....

 

 Our Location: 

Our Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada


It's been a while since I've posted and I thought it was time. The weather has changed a great deal, it went from being dry and hot to being wet and coolish. A touch of fall is in the air. The mornings are cooler, and darker than a few weeks ago. Heavy moisture in the mornings in the form of dew, quite literally drips off of all things. Some of the maple trees are starting to turn and we have barely passed the middle of August. The winds feel and sound like fall winds. Some gardens are producing greatly and others are barely producing at all. Apple trees are hanging heavy, chokecherries are dripping from sagging branches, raspberries are finished and the waters of Lake Huron are changing colour. 


A few signs around home. We live near the corner of Lakeshore Rd N and Lakeshore Rd.

We've been working a lot over the past while. Our private cleaning jobs are going well too. Our most senior gentleman, Ron is now in the hospital and is doing very poorly. He is a wonderful man, very pleasant, extremely gentle and a true gentleman. He is in his mid 90's and has lived a very long, good life. His bride Justine is also a very wonderful lady, a sweet gentle soul, with a soft voice and an engaging smile. She misses him greatly and visits him every few days.

 

Heavy dew, farm implements in the morning dampness, a few land mark rocks that have been around for years.

 

Daughter Bradey, husband David and their two young sons, Auston and Lincoln came to visit for a few days. We enjoyed the visit, the boys are growing fast. We will visit them again before we head south for the winter.  


Growth on the birch trees.


August has been a difficult month for me for many years. My parents and my grandmother all have/had birthdays in August. My mother and grandmother both died in August, as did my husband, who died on my dad's birthday.  On July 20th my father's youngest brother passed away three and half years after having a motorcycle accident that left him in a wheel chair. It has been a bit of a rough time. 


A few photos of interest, changing leaves, chokecherries, morning mist, abundance of apples.

On a good note, Jason and Leah welcomed a daughter on July 30, Laney James, a beautiful little sister for Hudson. One day after their 5th wedding anniversary. Daughter Bradey celebrated a birthday on July 24. Bradey is a beautiful lady that keeps life interesting and seems to have found her way on life's path! She is doing well! Dad turned 86 on August 10 and is doing well. 


One of my favourite places. Jason has moved the cabins.


We are starting to make travel plans, or at least we are figuring out our route. We have a couple of different ideas about dates to cross the border but for now we are happy to be here and are looking forward to at least another 6-8 weeks.

 

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

 

 

Until next time....

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 



Sunday, July 16, 2023

Not a typical summer here.....

 

Our Location: Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island, Ontario

 

It's nice to read all of you are doing well. Some of you working hard, some of you hardly working, and others just having a great time doing old things, new things and other things. 

 

Webs and fog caught in the dewy morning views.


Wild fruit, chokecherries, billberries, apples and raspberries. (not in that order)



Not a typical summer here weather wise, it's been cool, cold at times, dry from the sky but humid, hot and breezy. Lots of smoke, plenty of clouds, some foggy mornings, and a bit of pure blue sky! We more often than not, have lots of clear blue skies for the summer months with some hot, humid days, and dripping, dewy, mornings.  The cool to cold waters of Lake Huron are fantastic for cooling off on those days. Some days the water is warmer than the air and other days it's the opposite. It depends on the wind direction. 

 

 

Some greenery and some blossoms!

 The summer is slipping past so quickly. We've been back in Ontario for over 90 days and in about 100 days we will be leaving our summer spot for this season.  Not crossing into the USA at that time but leaving here for southern Ontario. How does time pass so quickly?

 

You have to love the views!!

 

We've had some visitors here around the Igloo in the form of the cattle pasturing here on the farm. They are foraging for green grass and with the lack of rain for so long there is little to be found. They found a few things to chew on that were green, now we will have less tomatoes than we planned and The Cabin is half a flower short. We have cow deposits around but other than that our visitors were here and left quickly. 

 

A different drive home with just the Dogsled after we park the Igloo.

 

The promise of rain appears every few days but it never really comes, a drop or two here and there, 5 more the day after tomorrow and mist the day after.  We truly need some water from the sky for a few days and nights. The fields are crunchy, the leaves are starting to show lack of water, and the water levels in the ponds and rivers are getting lower.  It has rained all around us for weeks, fire bans have lifted around us but not here on the Rock. Although we wonder if we can get it turned off when we've had enough. 

 

The Igloo up there in the trees,(top left, bottom right) a water view (top right, bottom middle), with and without fog, low pond levels.

 

Spoke with my SIL Janet, she's doing well, things are moving in the right direction. She and Dennis will be moving to Portland for the rest of the summer months, taking a cruise  to Hawaii and then returning to Indian Wells for the winter. They hope to get a round or two of golf in at Pebble Beach before they return to IW.  

 

A beautiful field of Canola!

 

Today's photos are of various things that caught my eye. I hope you enjoy them. 

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all stay well. 

 

Until next time...

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb

 

 

Monday, July 3, 2023

Happy Canada Day, Happy 4th of July....

 

 

Our Location: 

Near South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada

 

Hello, I hope all of our fellow Canadians had a joyous Canada Day and the our US friends all have a grand 4th of July tomorrow. 

 

We call these Devil's Paint Brush.

The road sides are brilliant with colours!

Tiger Lily.

There is beauty here!

 

Things have been pretty hot and humid here on our Rock. We have a fire ban for the entire Sudbury, North Shore, Manitoulin Island region. It has been in place for about a month now and it doesn't look like it will end any time soon. No rain in the forecast! 

 

From a distance this looks just white. Queen Anne's Lace!

Wild Strawberries.

Wild Roses.

A large patch of wild roses.

We've been busy working (our little summer jobs), doing some work around a summer spot, getting caught up with family, and appointments, etc. I have been trying hard to keep up with your blogs but I will admit I don't read them everyday but I do comment from time to time. It's nice to see most of you home and keeping busy! I have enjoyed the views of the travelers that have ventured out during the summer season. Thanks for sharing them with all of us. 

 

Morning dew is often very heavy.

A small patch of wild strawberries.

I love the vibrant colour.

It's not in bloom yet but it's promising.

 

Birthday wishes to sister Jan (June 25). A great sister and wonderful friend. We chat often and visit back and forth on a regular basis. The winters are spent catching up on the phone and visits tend to be long! Birthday wishes also to co-worker Amanda (June 22). A nice young lady that loves cats and dogs. She is foster mom to more than a few cats! Happy Birthday to Uncle Percy (June 24). He is actually my great uncle, half brother to my grandfather! Happy Anniversary to brother Rick and his beautiful bride Barb (June 23). We spend many mornings with coffee cups in hand and it's something I miss over the winter months! A special note of kindness from my Uncle Don, he and his lovely wife Joan granted us use of their Suzuki Quad runner for our stay here. Very kind and we appreciate it very much.

 

Today's photos are of various flowers along the roadside! I hope you enjoy them. 

 

Until next time...

 

Take care, stay safe, 

 

Deb