Getting Back in the Home Groove

The Ridge

On Sunday, Sept. 15^th, I slid back in to the normal routine. I was up shortly after 7, we sorted laundry and I took it in to the Mat. After not having cleaned for a week, I wasn’t too surprised to find a couple of my usual things not completed. That’s okay though, I know Allison is just filling in. There were still some machines out of order but Sandy said his repair guy will be in this week, so not my worry.

Good morning from the Ridge!

After such a fun play date with Caper
and Dot, he was out like a light by 8.

Today, we had 3 loads, it has been a week and a half since I did laundry last because of all of our busy-ness. I finished cleaning, doing those extra things that were missed, and removed our clothes. It was a gorgeous morning again and a perfect hanging clothes day. 😊

A full line of clothes and the
beautiful sunshine to dry them.

He sits up on the hill with me for a while
but soon returns to his shady spot on the step.
Every time. 💖

After leaving there, I drove to Foodland for Bill’s bread and milk, finding a couple of decent priced steak and packs of pork chops (all on sale) as well. He did well all week, looking after his own meals each night. I never have to worry about him going hungry, he’ll always find something in the fridge. Back home, Gibbs and I hung the clothes and that is the first time, in a long time, that I used up all the clothes pins! I have more inside but always leave an abundance on the line.

My last Hibiscus bloom waited for my
return from Bayfield. 
It's gorgeous!

More shade, while I walked around
my flower gardens, planning.

This tree is dropping leaves like flies.
It doesn't look too healthy in this state
but I think it's okay.

I didn’t have anything else that ‘had’ to be done but we opened up the Bunky and I walked around looking at the plants that need to be pruned/harvested before we leave. The bulbs will need to dug up but until the dahlias stop blooming, that will have to wait. I pulled some heads off the coneflower and will try making some echinacea tea. I also picked some mint leaves for drying and will see if I follow through with that plan. 😊 I’m sometimes big on plans but don’t carry them out.

My beef dip was pretty good for
a leftover. 

Bill went flying this morning and I didn’t expect him home anytime soon. It was a perfect day for that hobby too, a high of 27C/81F today. Surprisingly, there was no real humidity to deal with, which makes for a lovely temperature. For lunch, I finished my leftover Beef Dip sandwich from the Beach Street Station Restaurant. Bill made his own sandwich when he arrived home after 12:30.

Driving to the Acreage.

Sitting with Donna.
Too many leaves in the pond to swim but it
was hot enough.

We took a drive over to the Acreage so Bill could help Gerry with an electrical issue on his 3-wheeler and we helped them put their newly built dock into the pond. The rest of the day was pretty quiet after bringing the clothes in together off the line. I am working on a small project on line so plugged away at that indoors with the a/c on. Gibbs and I were comfortable. ♥

Donna and Gerry had built the dock
so we just helped get it in the water.

They will secure and level it
on their own.

For supper, Bill grilled burgers, you know the kind. Bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, relish, onion, mustard, pickle and ketchup. Sloppy good! 😊 After cleanup, he went to the Hangar and after my blog, I’ll be watching some tv tonight. I couldn’t stay awake past 9:45 last night again! It has been a good day, slowly getting back into the swing.

My messy serving of Bill's Best Bacon Burger.
and a bit of coleslaw.
Good night!

Thank you for the visit today! I hope your weekend was great!

One More Full Day, The Other Side of the Family

The Ridge

On Saturday, Sept. 14^th I woke up in my own bed at 5:30 when I heard Bill taking Gibbs out. 😊 That was much earlier than it has been this past week and after having a hard time dropping off last night, it was too early! I got up at 7:30 as I wanted to wash my hair this morning. After making my tea and having a banana for breakfast, we left Gibbs in charge at 9 and left the Ridge.

Good morning!
We had an early start to a full day.
We left in 2024 but wait............did we drop back in time?
Cute car in front of us.

Today, we’d been invited out to a mid-afternoon meal by my mom-in-law, Marilynne, who lives in Fort Erie. Bill’s 2 sisters, his step-sister and their hubbies were all invited as well. It is a 3 hour drive to a very traffic congested area, near the US border of New York but she wanted to treat us and see Bill and I before we left in October. So, knowing it was to be another long day, we arranged with Dot to keep an eye on Gibbs again today. She was only too pleased to oblige. ♥

A few photos of our drive.
The fog over Hamilton, we thought it was smog.
The Burlington skyway on the left and clouds, on the right,
took over the sky.

I love Hamilton's water tower.
Bottom photo is our destination today.

The day was a beaut; sunshine with a high of 27C/87F was the forecast. It was shortly after 12 noon when we arrived at her apartment and had a cocktail with snacks before we all drove to Min Teh. 

View from Marilynne's balcony (left)
The restaurant is on the bank of the Niagara River
That is the Peace Bridge to Buffalo, New York.

This is a Chinese restaurant Marilynne suggested and had pre-ordered about 6 different dishes for us to try. Our server set it all on the table beside us and we helped ourselves. Everything was very good and we were all very full when we got up from the table. Yummy!

We were filling our plates before all the serving dishes were
brought out but I made sure to get some of everything. It was all delicious.

Marilynne had asked me to bring my camera and tripod for a family photo so we stepped out behind the restaurant, along the Niagara River (separating Canada from the United States) and took a few pictures of our group. We hugged our goodbyes and Bill and I headed for home at 4. The traffic was busy enough but it was looking much worse coming from the other direction so we considered ourselves lucky. 😊

L to R front row
Bill, Patsy, Carol,
Marilynne (front) Caroline, Liz
back row
Brian, Chris, Bruce.

We arrived home around 7:30 and walked in to a quiet Suite. We did say Dot could take Gibbs to their house to play with Caper if that was easier for her than popping back and forth. You can guess and we knew exactly why we had no one greeting us. ♥ We drove next door to find Gord, Dot with Gibbs on her lap, sitting in the garage. It didn’t take long for the little bum to jump off and hop up into Ptooties. I’m so happy they love him and that he enjoys being with Caper too.

We were only the 401 for a short distance
and turned off onto 6 north.
Can you see the traffic on the other side of the 
major highway?
Trees are really starting to show their fall dresses.

Back home, Gibbs ate his supper (with some cheese incentive) and Bill and I snacked a bit too. I know a cup of tea at 7:30 is not a great idea but I was willing to risk it tonight. I wanted to stay awake for a while. 😊 

He is quite happy to be at their house. 💕

I sat to write my blog and Bill went upstairs to watch a movie. This was a great day and we enjoyed the time with Bill’s family.

Tonight's sunset.
The top left photo is from the Ridge.
The other three are from Dot and Gord's front yard.
Lovely!
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by for a visit too!

Nice to Get Away, Nice to Get Home

The Ridge

On Friday, Sept. 13^th I woke up around 7:15 and did a few stretches and exercises in bed before slipping out. Donna was the only one downstairs so I joined her. Then Audrey, Gayle and Cathy filtered out of their rooms. In between coffee and tea slurps, we slowly began packing. Check out was 10:00 ‘sharp’ so no delaying. By the time we were finished, we had 10 minutes for a couple of group photos.

Good morning!

I was packed in time with an hour to spare
so sat on the porch .

When I saw this critter and
his lovely home, I was glad we didn't
barbecue. There were a lot of spiders around
the porch. Yeuch.

I’m glad I remembered my funky tripod in Ptooties and set up the last shot outside on the step. Last days are sad, in one way, and happy in others. We’ve had a wonderful week and the weather was perfect. I’m happy, after a wet, cold Saturday (wedding day) that even the newlyweds have had a fantastic week off for their ‘at home’ honeymoon. ♥

This was a really nice, really large home for us to stay in.

Today, is Port Dover Day so Bridgette said they were hopping on their bike and going for a ride. Bill and I took advantage of Friday the 13^th a couple of years back when we were working. If the weather was going to be decent, we’d take the day booked off so we could go. 😊 We went with our good friend and co-worker, Casey, both times and had a great time. I’m sure they will also enjoy the day.

Ptooties was stuffed to the gills

A goodbye photo op

Back to LadyFest. We had 3 vehicles in Bayfield so followed the leader to Blythe, on our way home, for lunch. When we arrived at 10:30, we were too early to get into the Blythe Inn so went into the consignment store down the street for a peek. Well, we thought we were done spending $$ but this place was the perfect way to end a week together. Her prices were cheap and the clothes were all new so 4 of us walked out with something besides a smile on our face.

Lunch was very good.
The soup part was amazing!

We walked back to the Inn and all of us took advantage of the lunch special. Turkey Cheddar Sandwiches with broccoli and cheese soup. Delicious, of course!! I’ve not had one bad meal this week. Before I left, I ordered a to-go piece of peanut butter cheesecake for Bill and I to share. 😊

It was a nice little place to eat.

I first went to Donna’s, where we offloaded her suitcase and the 4 bags of ‘donatable clothes’ we brought back. (Remember we have a clothing exchange around the corner) Then we drove to the Acreage where Gerry was happy to greet her. 😊 When I got home, it was 3 and the Ridge and Suite were empty. My boys were still at work and this gave me time (almost) to get my stuff unloaded and put away.

The sandwich was good.

Peanut butter cheesecake

Bill and Gibbs drove in around 4 and I was thrilled to see them both. Gibbs dribbled with excitement on the patio mat when he ran to me and Bill wrapped me in a wonderful big hug. ♥♥ We relaxed together, all of us, exchanged stories of our week and agreed on toasted bacon and garden tomato sandwiches. They were good. We split the piece of cheesecake and washed the few dishes by hand.

Now it feels like home. 💗

Gibbs crashed on the floor, Bill in front of the tv and I ended up blog writing in front of a Hallmark movie. Aah, such is life. I’m home and very happy for it. 😊 This was another hot day, 28C/84F with nary a breeze. Where’s the beach?

This was this morning.
Gibbs was ready for work. 😍
Good night!

Thank you for popping in.

The Beach, More Shopping and Another Sister

Kew Cottage

On Thursday, Sept. 12^th I was up around 7:15, ready for the day. Once more, it was a lazy morning. Since we finished the crossword last night, we only had Scrabble to entertain our minds. 😊 Donna and I played our Wordle games and we discussed the events of the upcoming day.

Good morning!

This was a picture taken of us at the
Bayfield Berry Farm & Winery

There was a garage sale on Mews Lane until noon so we popped in there for a quick look. I did well with $8 spent and then we drove to The Square (downtown) to peruse some of the shops. Déjà vu and DynaStyle were consignments shops, the former being very high end. We’d have to sell our trailer to buy anything but it was still fun to poke around and chat with the pleasant shop owner.

Lunch at The Little Inn

When our tummies were grumbling, we went to The Little Inn, recommended by the staff in the shops and it was lovely. I ordered a skewer of garlic shrimp and a Caesar salad and it was delicious and just the right amount. No disappointment for my food choices on this trip at all. I think everyone has been very pleased as well. It was time to head back to the cottage.

Headed to the Heritage Main Beach

Soaking up the sun
It was such a calm day

Wasting no time, we changed into our swim suits and drove to the Main Beach near the park. Well, you park your vehicle at the park and walk down the 116 steps to the beach. It was worth the jaunt and we all had a swim and stretched out on our towels for an hour or so. I love a good beach, the sand, the water (to get wet in for a few minutes) and the sun. ♥

Coneflowers? Black-eyed Susans?
Looking over the edge of the steps to the beach.

Around 5:30, we were ready to head out again, this time to Goderich. Bill suggested Beach Street Station, a restaurant down by the marina. It looked good so we planned to meet our youngest sister for supper. She is still a full-time working gal and drove from Owen Sound to join us. 😊 The restaurant was no disappointment, right on Lake Huron.

Our supper venue was
The Beach Street Station
with the best view.

We were seated within 10 minutes outside on their patio and tonight I enjoyed a Pina Colada, the beef dip and a small Caesar salad on the side. It was another delicious meal and half of the sandwich came home with me. It was great that Wendy could join us, it’s a long drive for her. We watched the sun set on the water, or should I say we watched the sun drop into the water? It is awesome to watch, pictures don’t do anything for it.

Nice the 6 of us could end up together tonight.

We drove home and I did something that I haven’t done in 8 years. Are you sitting down? I had a bath. 😊 It was wonderful! Living full-time in an rv does have some drawbacks. Downstairs, the girls were watching a movie and the Scrabble game was continuing. I worked on my blog, texted Bill and Gibbs to say goodnight and settled in for the evening.

Another great meal

Trust me when I say that the sunset
was 98% better than my pictures show.

This was a great day, reaching 25C/77F under sunny blue sky. I hope you’ve had a good one too.

The boss is taking a break
in the shade.
I'm anxious to see the little bum tomorrow. 💗
Good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

Day Three in Bayfield, Birthday Boy

Kew Cottage, Bayfield, On

On Wed. Sept. 11^th I slept in. I know I woke up early and it was still dark out so I rolled over and went back to sleep. It was quite warm in the bedroom so I had to remove the duvet. Next thing I knew, it was 7:45 and I’ve never slept that late – well, not for a while. It was around 11:30 pm when we all said goodnight so that is my excuse. 😊

Good morning!
Our day started off with some brain teasing.

I joined Audrey, Gayle and Donna downstairs (we had the upstairs bedrooms) and Cathy soon came out of her downstairs room. It is quite quiet and today we didn’t have anything pre-planned so we found it even more relaxing. Brunch is always on the agenda but not until 10:30 or later so we have our morning brew and nibble (banana and yogourt for me) earlier. We played our Scrabble game and worked on the large crossword until it was time to go.

What a great place to eat!

Today, the Renegade restaurant was open so we took a recommendation from The Bayfield Bunch to try it. We were able to walk the 3 minutes to the venue from the Kew Cottage bnb. 😊 The best news was to see that Eggs Benedict was on the menu and boy, oh, boy, was it delicious. 4 out of 5 of us ordered it with the Renegade Spuds (thinly sliced potatoes), a definite must! Let me just say, our plates were almost licked clean. Almost, that would have been unacceptable in a public place! Ha ha. Thank you, Al and Kelly, for the tip!

Enjoying the many porches around the house

The driveway side

Back ‘home’ we continued with the games and moved to the side deck to enjoy the warmth of the day. It was beautiful! Around 3, we decided to check out the Bayfield Berry & Winery on Orchard Line. Although it wasn’t a typical winery, not like we are used to, we chatted with the pleasant staff and everyone purchased something to take away. She was kind enough to oblige our request for a picture with the pumpkins before we left for home.

Bayfield Berry Farm

A wine to share

Audrey popped into the LCBO and bought a bottle of wine to share and it was quite tasty. Dry is not my choice and this Kim Crawford Sauvignon is perfect. It was time for some goofy photos so I set up my Canon on the tripod and let it snap away. I’m only sharing one (or two) here, the others are just too silly. ♥ By 6:30, we were ready for supper so walked back to the Renegade and took advantage of their delicious meals.

Renegades is on the corner

Yummy - even though blurred

I had the small Deluxe pizza and it was wonderful! I ate the whole thing! After walking back, Gayle and I walked straight down Cameron towards the water, as far as we could go without going down the narrow trail. It was just too steep in the dark! I called Bill when I returned and worked on my blog and the games until bedtime. 😊

This should look familiar to my hubby.

Gayle and I walked down towards the lake

It has been another great day! We reached a high of 25C/78F under clear skies again. Perfect! 

Sunflower (Snelgrove) girls 💕

I got this picture sent to me this afternoon
The message said "Hi Mom, I miss you. I'm being good
and keeping an eye on dad."

My son, Patrick, is celebrating his 45^th birthday today so I made 

sure to get in touch with him. Hard to believe my children are that old! ♥

My handsome son.
Happy Birthday, Patrick!💘
Good night!

Thank you for the visit.