London and The Ridge

Paisley, On

On Friday, Mar. 19^th Bill and I were both up around 5:30. The sooner we got going, the sooner we would be back with our home. We ate some breakfast, packed a few snacks and drinks and left the house by 6:30. It Was a beautiful day for a drive, cold at -8C/20F or so but the sky was clear and, on the drive, I was able to see the sun rise.

Yay! I captured a sunrise this morning

Soon, I will be seeing these every morning that it
pops up

Glancing out my window, I had to take a picture
of the Monster Black Beauty shadow 😊

It was 9:04 exactly when we pulled into a spot at CanAm on the west end of London. The traffic was expectedly busy, especially on the 401, well, it was a work day for many. 

The Avon River in Stratford

We had picked up some tulips and wine for Peggy, as a thank you. In our humble opinion, she went over and above for us. Not only this week, getting the Diamond Kote (?) on the Suite and having it pulled out front for us on short notice, but every time we've called to ask for help on the Suite. 💛

When we arrived, there our home was waiting for us

She, our home, was sitting in the front lot waiting for us. 😊 We did a walk through with Todd of the things he did inside and outside the Suite. The new floor is awesome and blends nicely with everything else. Four thumbs up! We closed her up and drove to Costco for our few groceries. Really, we did better than we’ve ever done, coming out with a bill less than $150! Our $52 credit voucher helped too. With those fridge stuff loaded into our travel cooler, we headed back to CanAm.

All hooked up and ready to head out

Bill hooked up easily while I stayed in the truck. He hadn’t done that for a while so I wanted to stay out of his way while he went through the routine. That’s how mistakes happen, he didn’t need me out there nattering. And no, he didn’t say that at all, I did. Ha ha. One last trip inside to say goodbye and thank you to Peggy and I used the facilities before the drive home. On the way out of London, we stopped at Denny’s for lunch.

Denny's is the restaurant in the Flying J truck stop

It wasn't a 'bad' meal, I just ordered incorrectly

We weren’t overly impressed with the meal but mine was because I ordered soft eggs on a poached benedict. I should have ordered medium but other than that, I didn’t have to cook it and it tasted okay. Bill’s toasted clubhouse was pretty dark so he didn’t enjoy his so much either. ☹ Bummer. But, we were full and the food was at least nutritious. Bill had fueled up at the Flying M so we hauled butt for home.

Seems we had to drive to London to see our first robin(s)
🐦 This was in the CanAm lot

It was a nice drive, listening to country tunes, guessing the artists, and chatting through our excitement to keep each other awake. I had a weird night, awake every couple of hours and I can only put that down to how much I was looking forward to today’s adventure. We pulled into the Ridge at 3:05 which was 2 ½ hours from leaving London so we made great time. The snow was almost completely gone from the lane and we drove through it easily.

Now, we're truly ready to head for home
out of the Denny's lot

Bill didn’t stop, just made his circle around and put the Suite on our ‘site’. It took a couple or three back and forth jaunts just to get the wheels placed on the boards and at 3:30, she was sitting pretty with slides open. There was no wind up there, which totally surprised me, and we set to work straightening a few things and unloading the groceries that we could leave there.

I love this huge flat along the 401

and before we knew it, we were in Durham

Bill opened the gate and we could see the laneway was clear

The Bunky is so full right now as is the storage shed so we need to decide what to bring tomorrow. First thing, is to bring our cleaning stuff so I can wash cupboards and dust the woodwork before putting things away and then unload a few boxes that we’ll pack in the morning. The weather is on our side this weekend for sure and soon we’ll be in place, crawling into our own bed. 😊

*sigh* Home sweet Home Suite 😀😀

All set up in place, easily

We hung around for an hour and a half and as we drove
out, I glanced back up the hill to the beautiful view!

This was a huge relief for us

Our supper tonight was not healthy, with potato chips and cheddar, except for the cheese, as neither of us was hungry for a meal after our lunch. It sufficed. The evening was quiet and we plan on retiring fairly early. I hope your day was at least half as good as ours!

Bill and Ron having fun with the drone
at Eagles Landing RV Resort, Grove, OK

Ron taking pictures of the classic cars
at Darryl Starbird's Custom Car Museum
just down the road
Good night!

Thank you for popping in!

Suite Goes to London, Dinner and Evening with Friends

The Ridge

On Monday, July 23^rd we were up at 6:00 and in Durham by 6:30 am. Bill drove Black Beauty and dropped me off at the Laundromat to clean while he topped her up with fuel. Today, she was going to CanAm for what we hope is a final fix on our bedroom slide cables. Never say never and never say ‘last’ because it doesn’t always work out that way. This will be the second shop replacement of new cables and it has been repaired once in the shop and twice on the road by Bill and Rob.

Start of a beautiful day

 Bill returned and helped me by dust and wet mopping the floors for me. It was nice to see Bonnie, the owner of Welbeck Lumber, pop her head in with a load for the dryer. I knew I recognized her, not having seen her since last summer, at least, but thankfully Bill called her by name. Pleasant lady for sure. We finished up by 7:30 and returned to the Ridge for our first coffee and tea of the day. It was shaping up to be a lovely day with some clouds in the area.

Good morning!

I texted Jamie this morning to tell him that we were in London for 2 days in case he returned from Manitoba before we got back. I don't know what condition the Mat will be in by then. He was unconcerned but on their way home and happy to hear from me. 

Bill opened up one of the washers that has been out of commission
since Jamie left and it seems to be working

The morning was mostly a final pack up, moving things out of the way so we could pull the Suite out. So many things didn’t need to go with us, Weber Q, our mat, our steps and our chairs could all stay behind. 

I know it's my job but when Bill comes, he does the
floors for me
I'm allowed to bring a helper!

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast around 10 and each had our showers. I vacuumed inside and Bill finished the outdoor process by checking tires and locking the 3 sheds and his cargo trailer. We were on the road by 11:30. It was an uneventful drive although we made a slight deviation in our route today. Instead of going through Stratford, which can be a busy bit of kerfluffle at the best of times, and scooted through Amulree and Tavistock for a change. 

Our 'site'  is looking prtty deserted now but it is a lifetime reserve

This was a nice route, one which we would repeat in the future. I like a change of scenery and enjoyed the many flowers, ponds and properties along the way. We arrived at CanAm at 2:30 to a much less ‘jam-packed’ lot than the last time we pulled in, which was April 6^th. 

We listened to some great 60's tunes
Love this one for a chuckle by the Mandelas

They were expecting us and after checking in with Karly and Peggy, we dropped the Suite out front and in about an hour Dan brought the tractor out and moved us to the back in front of Bay 8 where we’ll spend our first night. The Suite goes in Tuesday morning and hopefully things will get taken care of toute suite!

Route pictures
I liked the cloud formation for some reason

We also need to have the valve stem on one of our tires checked, it seems to have a leak and a check of the undercoating just because it is due. Once we were able to hook up to hydro and water, we got cleaned up a bit and dressed to go out for dinner with friends. First, Bill needed to stop at AVF, Derrick and Jeff’s hobby store. We picked up a few things, chatted for a bit and then went the short distance to Jim and Sharon’s. We wanted to visit while in the city but certainly weren’t expecting an invite to dine.

Parked for the night
Nice and quiet

I like this painted rock at CanAm

We got a kick out of this 12-week old Golden retriever
The calmest pup ever!

Of course, we should have known better as these two are absolutely made of the ‘best’ stuff, if you know what I mean. We arrived early, as is Bill’s trademark, and caught them a bit unprepared. It was one of those “I told you!” moments and Bill groaned something about ‘sometimes I’m right’. Ha ha. Sharon didn’t mind but I still felt an apology was in order.

One view into Sharon and Jim's beautiful living room 

It was a nice surprise that Derrick and Kathy were also able to make it on a short notice invite as well. The conversation flowed, drinks and munchies were consumed (I loved that easy dip, Sharon!) and then we were seated. What a lovely table display. Some people just know how to entertain in style, something I’ve never held as my claim to fame, although I try.

Sharon pouring wine before we sit

Sharon served individual salads, scalloped potatoes, oven-baked pork chops (which were right up to my IP standards!), green and yellow string beans with slivered cashews and a delightful dessert of ice cream, brownies and sauce with a cherry on top. We devoured the meal and I didn’t walk away with any guilt for the potatoes as I’d only taken a few. They were so good and I could easily have had a second helping but refrained!

I'm sure Sharon didn't expect her food to end up on a blog
but when it is this good, you gotta share! 

             The evening went with much regaling with stories and we caught up with what everyone had been and will be up to in the coming months. We ended the evening at 9:30 when Bill and I took them all outside to watch the International Space Station (ISS) fly across the sky from the W to the NE. They had never witnessed it before so we were happy to show them something new.

Yummy!!
Jim was hoping for seconds. :)

Back home, I had some water to diffuse the lovely bottle of wine that Sharon and I polished off so there would be no repercussions in the morning. This was a wonderful day ending with a perfect evening. I hope you can say the same for your day!

Bill offered to take the group picture tonight
Jim, Sharon, me, Kathy, Derrick
Good night all!

Thank you for stopping by!

Au Revoir Templeton! My Chirp Returns, Moving Day, Friends’ Reunion, Birthday Wishes

I was awake and up before 7 on Sunday, Aug. 19^th. Today is my little brother’s birthday. Michael is 12 years my junior so I can definitely call him ‘little’. Way out there in Cold Lake, Alberta, on a Sunday, I’m sure he is going to have a fantastic day doing things that he loves.

Happy Birthday, Michael!
He was looking his finest here. :)

I was out the door at 6:55 and the country roads were so very peaceful. Not a vehicle or person in sight. I love that. No critter sighting to report today.  Bill and I had our coffee and tea after I got back from my walk. The first good news of the day, before I even got out of bed is that Templeton is gone!!

In case you miss the reference from Charlotte’s Web, Templeton was the fat rat who ate anything and everything. Yes, our mouse liked the peanut butter (thanks all for that tip) and 3 minutes after Bill got into bed at 11, he heard the awaited for **SnAp!!**  We are hopeful that he was a loner, with no family and since we are moving our home today for a few days, that might seal the deal too. Big sigh of relief.

The big ball rises

Country road walks

We moved into ‘travel’ mode around 8:30 and finished packing things up. I hopped into the shower after getting the recylables ready for tomorrow’s pickup. The kitchen garbage can’t sit out all night even though there’s no food in it, animals will get at it. It isn’t full yet anyway. Bill worked on the outside and I gathered onions and tomatoes from the garden. Some were close enough to pick and they’ll ripen in a day or two.

It was a dewy morning
I love the droplets on the fence and webs

I know someone who might appreciate some garden goodies. When the time was right, I made bacon and eggs for breakfast and we cleaned up dishes. Pulling the slides in always sends our little guy into a tizzy so when ready to do that, Bill put him in the truck. Just before leaving the Ridge, Bill stopped at our ‘dump station’ near the outhouse and dumped our tanks. We were on the road by 11:20 and it was a nice 73F. The humidity was making it feel much warmer so we rode with the a/c on for a while.

Our London transferred rose bush which has yet to produce
Our sign even has dew drops
My garden is feeling the heat but the weeds are gone!

My veggie garden is still producing
I love the bottom picture, the view from up on the hill behind us
this is our summer home!

When I removed the rolled up hammock from under the Suite
This fat toad was disturbed

Because he was right in line with the wheel track, I had to discourage him

He was disgusted, I'm sure, but I was trying to save his life!

It was a nice drive with no surprises until we got to the far side of Stratford. We met a Detour which always throws one off if you are pulling a big rv. You never know if the detoured route is favourable to the unit. We followed it and took a bit of a different road than we would have but eventually came back out on CR-6/37^th Line through the Brooksdale dip and the roundabout after Embro. Now on familiar ground we are just about 30 minutes from CanAm.

Vacating for a few days
Using our own sewer dump

As we're pulling out, this garden frog is saying
"Where are you going NOW?"

Tomorrow is the day for our scheduled repairs on the Suite to begin. Remember back in the spring when our front hydraulic jacks lowered when I was alone? Okay, so nothing has happened since then with those but we are getting them looked at, under warranty. There are a few other things on the list but nothing major. It could be a couple of days, possibly 3, in the shop so we have planned to stick around until Thursday.

Detours, roundabouts, oh my!

We have some visiting, some dinners out and a bit of work for Bill while in the city. I realize that some travelers prefer to avoid the large highways but I felt relieved when we took the ramp onto the 401. Traffic flows here and you don’t have tailgaters like you do on smaller 2 lane highways. Let’s not get into that! We caught our exit onto Colonel Talbot Road and arrived at CanAm at 2:00. The front parking area was pretty much open and that was a bonus! Yay!

All set up and ready to relax

Bill pulled up across the front and plugged us in and hooked us up to their water hose. Once slides were opened and the awning was out, we took our chairs out and sat with a Happy Hour drink. Bill had a Coke and I had a tea. A few people are looking for something to do on a Sunday and they stop, hoping to be able to tour a few rv’s. Others drive in with their rv’s and drop them off either for service or for storage. The lot is filling up.

Hey! I'm there too!

Around 5, I began getting cleaned up and dressed for dinner. We were meeting our friends, Kathy and Derrick, down the road at Pasto’s Grill for 6. We were very happy to see them again and enjoyed the comfortable conversation of dear friends. Bill ordered a Daiquiri and I ordered a Strawberry Margarita (of course) while Kathy and Derrick shared a bottle of wine. A lot of excellent choices on the menu. We all walked away with lunch for the next day.

It was around 8:30 when we invited them back for a glass of wine at the Suite and to see Clemson. Jim had filled them in on our ‘episode’ of the past weekend regarding the little mutt. I say that fondly, you know that. Everyone who knows us has a strong understanding of our feelings for him. We sat for another couple of hours here and it is then you realize how much you miss each other’s company. When we lived in London, we alternated hosting every month for dinner.

Great food here
Strawberry magarita to start, Broccoli cheddar soup (one of the best I've ever tasted)
Butternut Squash ravioli with Chipotle (oh my!) It was so good!

We said our goodbyes. It has been and continues to be a busy spring/summer/fall for all of us and the time is not allowing us to get together at the Ridge this year. That is unfortunate but we wanted to be sure they understand that they have an open invitation to come any time. Clemson and I didn’t stay up long after they left and Bill maybe joined us within the hour. I don’t know, I was fast asleep. I slept well, only waking once to reach out for Bill. I don’t even know why, I was still in a slumber state.

Bill, me, Kathy, Derrick

This was a good day from beginning to end. We arrived safely at our destination and look forward to getting some issues cleared up on the Suite while here. I hope your day was a good one too!

Clemson had a good ride today
He is so much better

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