A Dull But Very Special Day, Durham Run, Hockey in Owen Sound

Bill and I both woke and rose around 7 am on Sunday, Sept. 30^th. September 30^th? Hey, this is a very special day for someone in this household. I couldn’t reach him for a hug because there was a furry sleeping lump between us, but we touched feet and I squeezed his hand “Happy Birthday, Sweetie”. After I got up and got dressed, I took the opportunity to give him his present. Just a kiss, don’t get excited!

I had this picture blown up for Bill's 60th and love it so much
You get to see it
Happy Birthday, Bill!

I got dressed for the out-of-doors, while he made his coffee and settled at his laptop. It was a calm Sunday morning and for the whole 30-minute walk, there was not a vehicle in sight. So quiet and peaceful, my thoughts were not disturbed or distracted by anything other than nature. Aaaah. Perfect. When I returned, I walked up to the garden plot and uncovered my happy pepper and tomato plants. “Thank you” they whispered as they woke up.

Breakfast was yummy

I made my tea and read a few blog posts from our friends. Everyone is busy doing something. Some things involve prepping for south travels, others attending hockey games, others exploring beautiful park lands and still others sight-seeing in our provinces. Oh, and one family in particular preparing for a brand-new batch of baby daschunds. There is quite a variety of hub-bub going on and it is all fun to read about.

Bayshore Community Centre

Bill got a couple of phone calls early this morning, one from Carol, his sister, and the other from my daughter, Bridgette, with birthday wishes. I’m surprised she didn’t sing to him. 😊 His phone was non-stop pinging with new birthday wishes from friends and family across the land. We are so blessed. Yvonne, his oldest, told us that the twins had an afternoon hockey game in our area, so we decided to spend his birthday afternoon in Owen Sound. We had no other plans on this dull Sunday.

The Zamboni does its job

We had our omelette sandwiches before getting washed up and then drove into Durham. Black Beauty needed fueling up, we needed to stop at the bank and we also had to drop a prescription off at the I.D.A. for Bill. Back home, we bided the time preparing some birthday cards and then got bundled for the arena atmosphere.

The huddle around net
Zach is #1

I don’t like to be cold so it has never been my favourite place. Come to think of it, the only time I enjoyed any arena was when I was a teenager in Lucan. I never noticed the cold then, when I was joining my girlfriends for ice skating. Of course, there was some ‘boy-watching’ going on then as well so we were quite distracted. Those days are long gone and my body can’t handle the cold the way it used to. I’ll be taking my Mexican blanket along today.

Zach in net and Carter #7 is on the right in this picture

Sitting here at 1pm it is only 48F/9C. Brrrr. The game starts at 2:45 so we left at 1:45 and drove to the arena. It was a cool day, cloudy and the odd drizzle every once in a while. We arrived at Bayshore Community Centre at 2:30 and saw Yvonne as soon as we walked in. This is a new place for them and the boys only play here once. It is a 2-hour drive for them from Tavistock but quite an impressive venue.

Lots of action and Zach holds them off

They look so small in all this gear

Bill and I enjoyed the game very much, we had a bird’s eye view of young Zach in goal and he played an amazing game. Carter was also very active with his team on the ice and made a number of shots, although unsuccessful today, on goal. We are very proud of these two young fellows. They will have a birthday on Oct. 13 where they will be turning 12. Already! I was quite warm throughout the game with my blanket under and around my legs. The seats are always cold.

If it wasn't for the penalties the Huskies got, a couple of goals wouldn't have happened

We chatted with Yvonne and Dennis while we waited for the boys to change out of their gear and join us. 

Bill, his daughter, Yvonne and Dennis

It is always quite the sight to see them proudly lugging their huge hockey bags with beaming smiles on their faces. I love their hats. Such handsome boys. I got a couple of pictures and then we said goodbye, with the hopes that we see all of them on Oct. 20^th.

Zach and his heavy bag

I love this picture of Bill with his grandsons
Three handsome guys!

From there, Bill wanted to drive to the Bayshore Community Boat Launch to see the memorial that honoured his Uncle Kelly. We did that and I took a few more pictures.

Memorial to Kelly Mothersell because of his dedication
to promote the launch

The last time we were here was July 22^nd of 1995 to witness the dedication. We weren’t even married yet, it seems like such a long time ago! A couple more pictures here and then onward to Durham where we filled the Rav with gas. Now both vehicles are set for a few days. Bill will be taking Black Beauty to London in the morning so I have the Rav for the time he is away.

Adjustable docks so they can be lifted up above the water so the ice doesn't damage them

It was a misty day so no one else was about
Looking south towards downtown Owen Sound

At home by 5:30, Bill fed Clemson and I started supper. We had some roast beef to finish up and I cut up some onion, pepper and zucchini in the fry pan before adding hash browns. We each had a sliced tomato on the side and it was a filling meal. Two of Bill’s daughters called after supper so we were able to make plans with Krystal about dinner before we leave since she won’t be home on the 20^th. 

Looking across the harbour at the Museum where my sister, Wendy, works

We also got to hear about what Charlotte’s family is up to and how school started for the girls. Bill made his sandwiches for the next couple of days and packed his cooler.

It has been a nice birthday celebration for him, even though it was a miserable weather day. We had a good day together.

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Clouds, Good Day for a Drive, Play Date for Clemson, Fort Erie

It was 6:30 when Bill’s alarm went off on Saturday, Sept. 29^th and he slowly got up and into the shower. I slowly got up 15 minutes later and dressed for my walk. We were on a bit of a time restraint this morning, wanting to pull out at 8ish. It was an absolutely beautiful walk, as the clouds continued to astonish me. I cut my walk a bit short but it was hard to do, I wished I could have kept going. Bill was out of the shower so it was my turn to get in the bathroom and get washed up.

I couldn't ignore the sky changes this morning

I was rewarded with such lovely displays

He made my tea in my Route 66 travel mug and we each had a piece of toast with a yogourt. I prepared Clemson’s ‘play date’ bag for Rob and Pat. They would be picking him up after they visited the Meaford Applefest/Craft Fair. He must have had an upset tummy and tossed some cookies on his blanket so cleaning that up and making sure he was okay put us behind a little bit. He seemed fine otherwise, but it is still a concern. He has been much better and sleeping through the night again.

some of the towns and cities we drove through

Bill made his coffee and I grabbed everything I needed for the day. We were on the road by 8:15 so not too bad, after all. We followed our GPS out Baptist Church Road onto #4 to Flesherton where we turned onto Hwy #10. It is 8C and we have clear blue skies overhead and low-lying clouds settling around the horizon. They were so pretty at 7 before the sun came up and now they are just various shades of gray.

We avoid toll roads so 407 was not an option

When we arrived in Shelbourne, I was reminded of what a pretty little town it is. We’ve driven through before. Bill pulled into the Ultramar on the east end of the town and fueled up at $1.20/litre. Not the best we’ve seen over the last few weeks but better than some places. As we got closer to Burlington, we saw some even cheaper at $1.17 so we kind of blew that.  Oh well.

Lots of pesky traffic though and on a Saturday!

We had pretty clear-cut directions from the Freeway 403 to Marilynne’s apartment so stayed on it right to the Duty-Free exit at the Buffalo, NY border crossing and turned left onto Central Ave. Simple, easy to find and she was waiting to buzz us in. Her 2-bedroom apartment is lovely and she showed it off with pride. I’m sure it has been a very long time since she had a place of her own.

We entered wine country 

I'm not a big wine drinker but I know some friends who would appreciate this area!

We had a coffee at the apartment before driving a few blocks to Green Acres for lunch. It was a nice meal, lots of choices on the menu. My Turkey Cheddar Broccoli soup was delicious and my Hot Corned Beef wasn’t quite what I expected but it was enough to fill me up. 

A couple of pictures of Marilynne's lovely spacious apartment

A couple of views here from her balcony and the restaurant front

We drove back and visited for a while and before 3:30 we said our goodbyes. Marilynne rode down on the elevator with us and we were soon back on the 403 headed west. We partially followed the GPS and also Bill’s recollection to get us home.

Bill checked some fluids in her vehicle

and while he did that, I spotted this ball of 'filling' that a mouse had been
gathering
Sure wouldn't want that to catch on fire!

A nice picture of Bill and Marilynne before we left

Some of the waterways we crossed or were near
Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Niagara River (the split between Canada and US) and Welland Canal

Arthur sported some lovely old buildings

This 'country' gal doesn't see skyscrapers very often

On the QEW (403) we crossed the Burlington Skyway (bridge)

At Mount Forest I texted Pat to tell her where we were so she had an idea of when we’d arrive to pick Clemson up. Apparently, he had been doing a lot of wandering all day, somewhat out of sorts but they said he had been a good boy. They treat him so well. We sat and had a late ‘happy hour’ drink together before gathering Clemmy’s stuff up and drove home.

These 3 freighters remained stable from our first crossing and then on our way home as well

The traffic was crazy and we made this exit off the QEW/403 onto Guelph Line

I’d heard that there was a chance of frost overnight so Bill helped me cover my tomato and pepper plants up in the garden. It was about 7:30 after a very long day. The almost 3 ½ hour drive, there and back, took a lot out of us and we were tired. I went up to bed with Clemson around 9:30 and I’m sure I dropped off pretty quickly. It was a good day and the weather co-operated for our drive.

Our little guy was watching for us

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Family Together Again, Mom Visit, Cupboard Fix, Quiet Evening

Clemson moved for the first time since bedtime at 10:30, around 7:10 am. Huh? Not up through the night at all. Lordy oh Lordy! You figure him out! Bill arrived home last night at 9:45 and after unloading his stuff and our groceries from Costco, we relaxed together for half hour or so. I couldn’t keep my eyes open so I left him watching a couple of episodes of Counting Cars. So, it was 7:15 on Friday, Sept. 28^th when I got up.

The day starts out quite nice

It is nice to have Bill home, our family together again and earlier  than originally expected . I checked the temperature outside, 50F, and bundled less than yesterday for my walk. I walked just to Turbine Drive this morning and it was a very pleasant leisurely walk. Just a couple of miles today was enough. When I returned, I made my tea and sat with Bill reading blog posts from the previous day. The sun rose majestically and it will be a day of some sun, more clouds and a moderate breeze.

The sun reflects on our neighbours off the grid home
Seems fitting somehow

At 9:30 we had bacon and eggs for breakfast so that was out of the way. We had to make a phone call to our bank for clarification on a letter we received regarding that stupid scam from back in July. Yes, the $ was reimbursed to our Visa but they are having a difficult time getting the refund from the scammers. We have a pretty strong sinking feeling that in the end we’ll end up having to eat the cost. However, we’re not giving up yet.

After the call, I got cleaned up and drove into Rockwood Terrace for my visit with Mom. She was in her usual prone position, her after breakfast nap on the bed. When she sat up with her smile, she looked so nice in her navy jacket over a white top and blue jeans. She had her red beads on. She can wear any colour and look beautiful. My Mom. 😊 She inspires me.

The pleasant dining room at Rockwood
Mom's table is at the blue door in the far corner

I noticed that she had a puzzle half finished, or half mixed up for putting it away, sitting on the board on her window ledge. That was a good thing for us to do to pass the time since it wasn’t a nice day to take her outside. I noticed that she had an alarm bracelet on her wrist. Hmm, they are trying that again. She destroyed the last one. When I saw how big, bulky and ‘hospital-like’ it looks, I’m not surprised she was determined to get it off.

Mom enjoys putting puzzles together
You'll see the 'alarm bracelet' band in this picture

Before our visit was over, she had managed to slip it off her slim hand. She was under the impression that she had put it on. Just before walking down to the elevator, I wrapped it around the knob on her walker, hoping it would stay there for the time being. Maybe the staff will get the hint to affix it on to the walker, she is seldom without it. After saying goodbye, I drove through the very busy noon hour traffic to Rob and Pat’s. I missed seeing the bag over their One-Way street sign so ended up parking on the next street over and walking to their house.

The new shelf

covered

The contents

We had a nice visit and firmed up plans for a dog-sitting day tomorrow. We will be heading out early morning for Fort Erie to visit my Mother-in-law. Once more, we are so blessed to have these friends in our life for more reasons than one. They really do enjoy our little pesky pooch. It was challenging finding a parking spot on Main St. too but I needed to stop at the bank before heading home. I was sure ready to leave town! Makes me appreciate living in the country even more.

The empty cabinet

I made myself a coffee while Bill showed me his latest project. We’ve needed a new shelf for our dvd cupboard, so with the ½ sheet of plywood Bill purchased the other day, he measured and cut one out. What seemed like an easy enough thing to do turned into some kind of frustration because of one thing or another. Anyway, as always, his persistence paid off and the shelf fits. Next was for me to cover it with the ‘Mac Tac’ I picked up and covering the wood would make things move easier on it.

And all back together again

The Mac tac was obviously very old, although a new roll, and wasn’t sticky enough. I had to use my 'old' glue stick but that worked like a charm. Now the shelf looks pretty, but that doesn't matter because it won’t even be seen. Bill fit it back in where I wanted to place it and I put the dvd’s in. Our series of seasonal programs sit nicely at the top of the cupboard and our cd’s and binder of movie and music dvd’s sit on the bottom. Perfect!

The sky looked like this for about an hour this afternoon
and then cleared up

The afternoon had turned wet, off and on, full clouds and only 50F for most of the day. Now that is depressing! We are hoping to still get some nice dry sunny days so we can get a few more outside jobs done. We are down to 22 days before we leave the Ridge and I’m sure we will manage just fine. Things will get done. We sat together for a while in front of the tv, Clemson taking turns cozying up to each of us.

Here we go again
Notice the floppy ears?

At 6, he needed out so I went out with him and we took a walk down the laneway. I am blown away by his energy and maybe it is because with this weather, he isn’t out as often to stretch his legs. He ran down and all the way back again and then when I bent to pick him up, he romped around wanting me to play chase with him. I went up to the garden and picked a ripe tomato and decided to bring the last of my green onions in. They aren’t going to grow much more.

This is the prettiest the sky has looked since early this morning

I had 2 pork rib chops thawed for supper and browned them in a fry pan before putting them into a baking dish. I covered them in cream of mushroom soup blended with ½ cup of cream. I sprinkled some frozen mixed vegetables in the pan as well and baked them for 45 minutes. It was not a night for barbecuing. I fried up some hash browns with garden peppers and onions for a side dish. Supper was ready at 6:30 and I must say that I enjoyed the pork chops tonight.

Makes a lovely onion bouquet, no?

Bill washed and I dried dishes tonight, our usual routine. There was a serving of rhubarb crisp left for Bill so he warmed that up to fill that tiny hole left after supper. We usually always have a little hole for dessert. As the night time settled around us, we pulled the blinds and settled down to watch some tv. This afternoon we watched the pre-recorded episode of 9-1-1 and one of Johnny Harris’ new Still Standing shows.

A hearty meal, yum

Tonight, we have a few more recorded shows to watch but will spread them out over the next few nights. I have enjoyed this day. A visit with Mom always tops it off nicely, making me feel content and proud, no matter what else I do. An inside job got completed and our dvd’s will ride much better from now on. I hope you have had a good day.

And the blue jays are ever present

Good night!

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