The Morning/Days After, Letter Sent, George Cuts Grass, Water Fill, Crokinole, Keady Flea Market

First off, an apology. I was sure I posted Monday's blog this afternoon

but I found it sitting in blogger - as if incomplete

So, I've done a 2 day post and if you've already read and commented on the first day, please try again. Spooky!

It was 7:30 when I woke up enough to get up out of bed. I slept well and although I heard Clemson jump off the bed around 6 (so Bill tells me), I didn’t realize they didn’t return. I got up and we had our morning brew together and read some blog posts. Bill was outside chatting with George and Rob at the riding mower and George has offered to cut some grass for us. That helps us and it gives him something to occupy his time. Yes, earn his keep! Ha ha LOL

The boys outside chit chatting about the mower and stuff

  Between both of us, we got our letter from Healthy Computers scanned and sent off to the scammers. That is our first step, according to our bank who holds the Visa. Fingers crossed and thank you for all your well and good luck wishes. Once bitten twice shy and we’ll know better next time. Some lessons hit harder than others.

Two happy campers!

Bill got George set up on the mower and I fried up our bacon and eggs for breakfast. With that done, I offered to do the dishes while Bill went to get water. He also wanted to get a sample of the well water to take to Keady in the morning. There is a water softener booth there and they will test it for us. I changed into shorts because the day had already warmed up 10 degrees since I got up.

And away he goes down the lane

We think he did a pretty good job, so he wasn't fired

The winds are down so I went outside and did a second sanding job on the fire pit. My first coat doesn’t look so great so Bill thought a second coat after sanding it a bit might help. Rob and Pat went into town to take care of a couple of things, one being a visit to Aunt Mary before lunch. Pat is going to bring out some candles so we can make some fire starters for their Hunt Camp. We have time so why not?

Clemson went outside by himself and jumped up on his stool
This picture shows the firepit after only 1 coat
I'll get one of the 2nd coat tomorrow

With a new coat of paint on the firepit, I must admit it looks pretty good. Bill touched it up just to finish the can off and that topped it off perfectly. It’ll still burn off quickly enough, even though it is Tremclad Heat Proof Paint but that just means we are making use of the pit. After finishing that, I can’t recall what I got into other than sitting with my book. When everyone returned, Rob had set up his square folding table and George brought out their crokinole board.

First play off was George and Rob against Suzie and I. Then Pat took my place and I could hear a small motor humming so went to seek out the source. Sure enough, Bill had his little Styrofoam plane up, taking off from the back field. He was doing loop de loops in the air and the game was put on hold while everyone joined to watch him. The landing was near perfect, although Bill thought it was a bit hairy when it came close to one of the small trees.

Bill 'outstanding in his field' flying his plane

The games resumed and George and I took on Suzie and Pat. We won, so that was enough, I could quit a winner. We put up the sun shades on our awnings because the sun was very hot and there wasn’t any shade at the front of the Suite. I poured myself a drink while Bill fussed with it and we all met together for Happy Hour. It wasn’t long before Rose and George pulled in with their Class A motor home. Bill helped George get it in place and now we have a full house! Yay!

Bill does loop-de-loops

Then we took some group photos

A peek inside Bill's cargo trailer

Nice landing, dear!

We sat under the awnings, even though the clouds had long since moved over, until just after 6. Everyone went their separate ways for supper. Bill started grilling farmer’s sausages and I boiled some corn on the cob indoors. Thanks Rob and Pat for thinking of us and bringing us some. I made up a garden salad as well and we were eating soon after 6:30. Yum, a very nice summer meal. I could only eat one sausage so the other one is for another day.

summer supper

Happy Hour waiting for George and Rose

When dishes were cleaned up I sat at my laptop for a bit and caught up on this post. Clemson has been all in a dither this past weekend with all the goings on but he seems to take it in his stride. In and out all day, never sure where he wants to settle. 

However, when he is inside, with my hoody, he is quite content

Daily, he checks out the Aljoe’s place, the Yate’s place and now the Gooden’s homestead smack dab in the middle. So many campers, I’m sure he thinks he’s back in Arizona.

Their Itasca sure looks big in the laneway

To settle my supper and stretch my legs, Clemson and I went down the lane for a leisurely walk, I didn’t get down the road this morning so my Fitbit steps are  below 5 miles today. I was surprised to see that our flag was up on the mailbox, oh yes, this is Monday. The days are all jumbled together, hard to keep track. Such is the wonderful life of retirement!

Almost a full house!

When we got back, Rob was sitting outside his fiver, George and Suzie were sitting outside their coach and Bill was starting a fire. George and Rose were inside their coach watching tv and before too long, everyone joined us. We chatted about many things, properties, casinos, gambling and chipmunks. It was a fun evening and by 9:30, the last 4 of us said goodnight.

Clemson washes Pat's face today

Bill said there was a viewing of the ISS tonight at 11:20 but I doubted that this gal would see it. If the clouds didn’t clear away, no one would but it wouldn’t surprise me if Bill was up to try. This has been a great day. We’ve packed one more very large Itasca motorhome into the parking area at the Ridge. I love it! I hope you have enjoyed your day as well.

I couldn't choose just one

No space station but this beacon is just as pretty

It was just before 7 on Tuesday, July 31^st when I got up out of bed. Bill was sound asleep so didn’t hear me. I found it to be a nice warm morning around 15C so first had my shower and then slipped outside for my walk. Bill stirred just before I left to ask what time it was. I went down the lane, down North Line to Baptist Church Road as far as what we call ‘Elvis’’. On the way back on our road, I saw George just heading out for his.

Good morning!

The morning pond refletions

Hard to pick him out but that is George going for his walk

When I got back, Bill was up and there was movement from all the other ‘campers’. Our agreed time was 8:30 for leaving and we weren’t far off the mark, maybe 5 minutes or so late. George and Suzie drove their car with George and Rose while Rob and Pat rode with Bill and I in our Rav. Keady, here we come! 

And the parking lot was filling up fast when we arrived

Two hours in and the place is already booming

The flea market starts at 7 and we arrived around 9:15, split up and agreed to meet at 11:30. That is way longer than Bill and I need for walking around these places but we managed to fill the time until 10:30.

The onion rings smelled good but we didn't try them
the fries were tasty though

 With a snack of ½ fries split between us, we felt rejuvenated but still were ready to head out for home around 11. Bill wanted to check out a couple of things on the way back so tried the H.H. at Chatsworth before popping in briefly at my sister, Gayle and John’s place. Pat and Rob had never been there so we stayed for maybe 30 minutes for a short catchup. Back home, we felt whooped. I think all the rest felt the same because everyone disappeared inside, like us, to take a rest.

The little pony rides

I had picked up a basket of fresh peaches so had one of those. It was delicious. Bill found a belt, so did I, and I found a dress for summer days when shorts feel too hot. We were able to drop a sample of the water we get from Gerry’s well at the Water Store for testing. We’ll probably need to be investing in a filter so we can avoid damage to our valves etc. There is iron in the hard water, but what else?

Peaches and nuts, yum

Bill had a snooze inside while Clem moved in and outside with me. At one point I put him inside and I stretched out on the hammock with my book. That lasted only a few minutes and I lay the book down and dropped off to sleep. I woke up soon after to the sound of Rob and Bill talking, then George G. and then Pat and Rose so I got up and joined them around the firepit. No fire this afternoon, just comradery. George and Suzie soon followed suit.

Our afternoon snack today was an ice cream cone

At 5:30 talk of supper took over the conversation and we split up to get things cooking. Bill lit the Weber and I brought the leftover lasagna from the bunky fridge to warm up. Already in a foil pan covered in tin foil, we only had to heat it on low with the remaining few slices of garlic bread from Sunday. Nice easy supper tonight for us! It is very hot outside with the sun out and the wind at an almost invisible wisp.

The geese in Don and Chery's field this morning

I’m pleased that the finches have found the finch feeder today. I’ve had the feeder for a while but was unprepared to pay $20 for a bag of feed. At FS Co-op in Durham, they sell it by the pound so I picked up a couple of pounds for $4. Yay! I’m happy and the finches are happy, oh and let’s not forget Chippy who naturally sits under the feeder for sloppiness.

During our meal, I was feeling very hot today. Just kaput, so to speak. After dishes, I waited until the sun began dropping and walked down the lane in the shaded relief. 

Then I sat outside for a while and then inside. Bill was going in the morning for bloodwork so after 8 he was not allowed to eat. That works for me too, I feel that we’ve really fallen off the paleo wagon today and need to slow down. 

The geese were moving tonight

Clemson loves sniffing the mailbox stones
No mail today

Clemson ran up the hill ahead of me
And was playing tag with Rob

 This has been a busy day and we’ve opted not to start a fire tonight. We’ll let everyone just enjoy their evening in the privacy of their own campsite. It might be a welcome retreat. I hope you’ve had a wonderful day, as we have.

I think Rob tired Clemson out first

Thanks for popping by. Your comments are welcome.

Busy-Ness, Ran Out of Time = Another Late Posting, Birthday Fun

On Sunday, July 29^th I woke up pumped for the day. I’d put a fair bit of thought over the past couple of weeks into this day. Rob’s birthday is on Wednesday and I wanted to see if we could celebrate a few days early, when more friends and family could attend. Pat was all for it and helped me put things together. Today, I think we were both up out of bed by 6:30 and had our tea and coffee while reading a few blog posts.

The geese families are having a reunion

Bill got cleaned up and by 8 o’clock he had gone out and asked Rob if he wanted to join him for a drive to Princess Auto in Owen Sound. When Pr. Auto has a sale on, it is often worth the 40-minute drive to take advantage of it. The savings are that good. While there, Bill had also planned a stop at Home Depot for a couple of sheets of plywood as well. All things for the inner workings of his new workshop.

I wasn't alone on my walk this morning

The Divine Love house on the corner is up for sale
Gerry says they are asking a lot of  $$ for it too

While they were gone, I first went for a walk down to the turbine entrance and back. What a beauty of a morning. When I returned after 2 1/2 miles, I cooked the ground beef and made up 2 pans of lasagna. I covered both with foil and set them aside for the day, until it was time to cook them for supper. That was my biggest obligation for the day other than making sure everyone was happy! That is never a challenge with this gang as they already have smiles on their faces. 😊

Across the bean fields, I spotted these deer grazing
but didn't have my zoom lens on   Darn!

We met for Happy Hour at Rob and Pat’s and the conversation flowed. Bill and Sandra arrived, as did Donna and Gerry. George and Suzie had earlier decided to try Deb's Beer Margaritas with strawberry punch instead of lime juice. Once we were all present, they served us each up a glass to try. It was good for a summer drink but I prefer the lime for more of a magarita taste. Thanks guys! 

A great Happy Hour today
So nice to have Sandra, Bill, Peter, Linda and Donna and Gerry join us all
for the day

And this is gentle Jenny

While sitting at H.H. we had a surprise visit from Bill’s cousin, Peter and his wife, Linda. They were on their way from Peterborough to visit friends in Kincardine for a few days. Unfortunately, Bill missed earlier Linda's text but fortunately they took the chance and came anyway. We didn't recognize the Subaru coming into our area until Peter stepped out of the vehicle. What a great surprise! Jenny, their beautiful poodle happily explored the surrounding area while we caught up.

Clemson sat out with me while I read my book
Mama's boy, I think

How nice to see them and even nicer that they feel they can just drop in. We both love that! Too soon they were on their way but promised that we’d see them again soon.

Throughout the afternoon, beginning at 3:30 I needed to bake one pan after another of the lasagna in my convection oven. That meant plugging us into electric. When the first one was done, Bill lit the Weber and turned it on low to keep that pan warm while the second one baked inside.

I had to take one more picture of Bill's shed from this angle
There will be a 4' porch on the front for me to sit on

At 5:45 I announced that the entrée was ready and Pat brought her Caesar salad over to the Suite. Rob warmed the loaves of garlic bread on the bbq and soon enough everyone was loading their plates inside and moving outside to the tables and chairs we had set up. Everything was very good and then we offered up Pat’s homemade carrot cake (YUM!) and the Chapman’s ice cream that Bill and Sandra brought for dessert. No one can say there wasn’t enough food. There were 10 of us sitting down to eat. Oh crap! We forgot to sing Happy Birthday!

Today's feast was perfect

The day turned out perfectly even though earlier the dark gray clouds gave me a bit of inner grief. In the late morning and earlier afternoon after prepping I was able to get a few more chapters of my book read. This Jonathan Kellerman book is good but it hasn't got me hooked quite yet, too many other pleasant distractions right now.

Told ya! Clemson loves his Mama
I wondered if I had lasagna drippings as he gave me a full chin wash

and then he posed for a picture

Rob was pleased and appreciative for all the cards he received. I cleaned up the dishes we had inside from the day and then joined the others for a fire. It wasn’t a late night at all with George and Suzie leaving first around 8:30 and Pat and Rob soon after around 9. We were all worn out and needed to relax.

Bill got a fire going

Bill and I moved inside after stirring the ashes and closing the shed doors. I hope you also had a great day. Thanks for joining us today! Your comments are always welcome.

***S*C*A*M*M*E*D***, Clemson Settles Down, More Friends Arrive, Bill and Friends Build

So, we were both up by 7:30 on Friday, July 27^th. I was actually up just before 7 and went for a walk to the corner of North Line and Baptist Church Road. It was the first time in a long time that I’ve gone beyond the driveway’s end. 

I didn't venture onto the highway today

When I returned, Bill was up and we made our morning brew together. As we were sitting at our laptops, we read news from our blogger friends and I went into Facebook. I read a few of the latest posts on FB and then play Scrabble and Words with Friends.

Clemson moves from our bed to the sunny quilt on the couch

 Today, I shouldn’t have. Well, it could have happened anyway. My computer came up with a huge warning of threats and potential viruses etc. (I’m sure you have had the scare at some time or another) and it froze. I was unable to exit, close or turn my laptop off. It recommended we call a number at Microsoft for immediate help. “No!” you are saying. Well, where were you when we needed you? LOL Yes, we called and got hooked into a very convincing scam. SCAM!!

At 6 am, the fog was thick across the land

My laptop is only a couple of years old and I wasn’t about to take any chances………so I thought! Thirty minutes at least on the phone, later I was to leave my laptop alone for a possible 2 hours while they did their thing, freeing up the ‘so-called viruses’ and giving me back my laptop WITH a 2-year protection plan costing us upwards of $200. We were just sick at spending that money but felt it was necessary.

Without going further into more of this fiasco, we discovered we were scammed and Bill took my laptop to a 3^rd party, reputable computer store in Hanover. It felt like I was missing an arm all afternoon, without it. Anyway, the day went on and I cleaned up and drove into Durham to visit Mom at 11. We had a wonderful visit, an improvement of 99% over the last one. I left there and did some shopping in town before returning to the Suite.

He backed the big boom truck all the way up the long driveway

Bill had been waiting for his shed lumber to arrive from Rona and as we sat with Rob and Pat (they arrived just after lunch, much to Clemson’s delight – ‘finally!’ he thought) the huge load came. The driver impressed me as most tractor trailer drivers do, he backed the rig up the long drive and offloaded by a remote-control device strapped over his shoulder, like a lady’s purse. Impressive technology today. Both Bill and I took snapshots of this, it was pretty neat to watch.

Today's entertainment

Mr. Rona with his remote control toy LOL

Mike arrived from the Acreage a short time later and before we knew it, Bill and Rob joined him and they were building! 

The boss arrives to check out the delivery
'Mike's Home Improvement'

The frame for the floor went down within a matter of minutes. I daresay Mike knows what he’s doing! I’m sure Bill was just thrilled with how it was coming together so quickly.

Clemson, the Inspector, races down the corral hill
He's never gone down there before!

And Mike, Rob and Bill set to work immediately

The Safety Inspector checks out the ladder

When the rain put an end to the work, well that and the fact that Mike had already worked today, Mike left and Rob, Pat, Bill and I sat first with a tea and then a Happy Hour drink. The sky all day was not something you’d want to place a bet on. Nothing lasted more than a few minutes and it changed.

First Happy Hour of the weekend

a good start on the shed this afternoon

At 6:30 we all decided it was time to start the Weber. We invited Rob to grill his burgers with ours rather than set up his bbq last night. Bill and I have been having an issue with our water pump the day before and it carried on into today. What is it with water pumps? I’ve heard that no one is exempt from their occasional difficulties. Bill can explain the steps he took, if he wishes, if he ever slows down enough to write a post. 😊

We borrowed some water from Rob, who gave us a jug full to get us through the evening dishes and morning Keurig fill-up. Thanks guys. Rob also brought me a dish of his stewed rhubarb so for dessert, I had some in a bowl with a scoop of Chapman’s Black Cherry ice cream. Oh my! I’m sure I deserved that treat. When Bill came in later, he had some ice cream too, not wanting to ‘spoil’ (his words) the rhubarb by mixing.

Clemson and I were in bed around 10 or was it 10:30 and dropped right off. I knew I was tired with the running around and after walking a total of about 4 miles today. I also managed at some point in the afternoon to get out the weed trimmer and take the tops off the spindly weeds in the area off the patio. That makes it look much nicer. Next time, I’ll go further down the corral hill. So, that was last night.

We're hoping for a nice day tomorrow

Today, Saturday, July 28^th, I was up again before 7 and even though it was cloudy, took a walk to the corner. Arriving there, the rain spatters joined me. They weren’t heavy but wet enough for me to turn around and return home. Bill was getting up around 7:30 and headed directly over to the Acreage to fill the water bladder. He’s still working on the water pump problem. Rob and Pat had a party to go to so they left around 8 for Durham. They’ll be back later today.

This is our Camping area first thing this morning

I decided since it was a wet, cool day, I took the opportunity to do a thorough job of dusting the woodwork in the Suite. It needed it. By the time I finished that, the call came in that my laptop was ready so I scooted to Hanover to pick it up. If we’re lucky, we’ll get our money back by sending an email to the scammers. They tried to impress upon us that they were legit so let’s see them prove it!

Bill patiently waits for the rain to stop and Mike and Gerry to arrive

After leaving Healthy Computers, I drove to the Bread Store for a loaf of bread and while there, took a tour through Salvation Army. I was only looking for a few colourful pillow cases. I found some at .50 a pop. Perfect! I was stealing (?), no borrowing an idea from Pat on how to protect our wooden dining chair backs. I loved the idea when I saw it on her chairs and it will work on ours too.

And the work is well underway by the time I get home
The Inspector is pleased and leaves the guys to work

Clemson runs up the lane, looks like he's ready to take flight
with those ears flopping!

I stopped at Grant’s Independent grocery store and picked up a few more groceries, mainly lunch items for the workers at the Ridge. Back home, I noticed that our second reservation had arrived. George and Suzie’s coach was backed into Site #3. It was very nice to see them again too. There is still room for another camper in between but unlike last year, Gerry and Melinda will not be coming. The bunky is set up but it isn’t needed this weekend. That’s unfortunate but c’est la vie.

Site #3 is now filled
Welcome George and Suzie

I was very surprised and excited to see how much Bill, Mike and Gerry had done on the shed. I snapped some more pictures after unloading the Rav and Donna and I made up some buns for lunch. It is amazing how good a lettuce, ham, tomato and cheese sandwich tastes when you are hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything yet at all so felt ravenous.

Bill and Emily worked together on the rafters

Looks to me like Emily has a lot of male supervisors!

I cleaned up the few dishes while the guys went back at it. The rain returned, more than a light rain but they forged on until Mike’s daughter, and employee, stopped in to give them a hand. Surprisingly, after she arrived and donned her tool belt, the skies seemed to change. Sun appearances were more constant and the rain stopped for the remainder of the afternoon. 

Rob checks out today's accomplishments

At 4:30 they called it quits for the day and enjoyed a beer while they rested on lumber. Clemson was down a few times, checking out the process.

Done for the day

When they left, Rob, Pat, George, Suzie, Bill and I took our chairs to Site #2 for Happy Hour. Clemson got a couple of treats from Pat and tried his darnedest to beg for more. He knew where they were kept! At 6 or 6:30 we went our separate ways for supper. Holy! I hadn’t given supper much thought so it was a ‘look after ourself’ kind of meal. That worked for us today as it has oft in the past.

2nd Happy Hour of the weekend

Pat put my treats inside here

I know those treats are in there, Rob

Since I had some leftover lasagna from a meal early in the week, Bill was quite content to have a toasted tomato and cheese sandwich. We cleaned up dishes and Bill started the fire to see if anyone was interested in sitting around it for a while tonight. They were and we gathered for a couple of hours until the mosquitoes sent us back inside.

I took a walk with Clemson after supper

After the day's work, down the hill he goes again

Inspector Clemson makes a final check of the process

the farmer across the road gathers some fodder from the field

Gathered for an evening fire as Pat captures the sunset

We watched a bit of Live PD before calling it a night. This has been a great day. A lot was accomplished, new company arrived and we are enjoying the time with friends.

Good night!

Thank you for stopping in. Your comments are always appreciated.