Camping (again!!)

Once again we have survived that primitive pastime better known as camping. This time it was the 'end of season' family camp for all beavers, cubs and scouts. The proviso this time though was that all children had to be accompanied by a parent or they couldn't go. Fair enough. Well it was quite a good turnout. The Scouts went over on Friday evening and set things up, then it was a case of everyone else following on the saturday, pitching their tent (no girly cabins this time!) and then mucking in. The camp this time was at Smiley's Provincial Park near Windsor. A lovely park with plenty of camping facilities which is actually still closed - I think they open 1st June- but we had permission (and the key!) to go in and set up camp. Supper on Saturday night was a Pot Luck and then the Cubs were responsible for breakfast on the Sunday morning, so it was campfire egg muffins all round. Delicious.
After we arrived on the saturday, we set off on a hike up the river. The beauty of this river is the fact it is quite shallow and as it was such a warm day, the kids (and some adults) ended up walking up the river. I've posted some pictures for you to see, but most of the others contain images of other kids and we aren't supposed to post them on the internet without express permission etc. etc. so these will have to do. We foolishly only took one camera, and Matthew didn't go on the hike, so most of the pictures we have are of Emma. Oh well. She ended up swimming at one point fully clothed as she reached a deepish part and didn't want to g back. She did have her neoprene water shoes on, it was just she'd paired them with jeans, which aren't ideal river walking wear.
The picture of them both (don't they looked thrilled?) on the Cannon is at Fort Edward in Windsor - a British Military stronghold to help keep the French out. Nothing changes eh?
We actually bought a tent for the weekend as we figured that as I have no holiday this year, we'd probably just go away for the weekend and stay a night somewhere. This may get expensive, but as we now have all the gear, there'll be no stopping us on financial grounds! As you can see it's quite a smart tent - can sleep 8 apparently - (but not if I'm one of them!!) and it did us proud. It's now downstairs in it's bag in the furnace room awaiting it's next outing.
Obviously the Blackfly were my biggest dread, but as it happens they weren't bad at all. However, the mosquitoes were really bad, even during the day and we all got bitten to varying degrees. Let's hope we don't come down with West Nile Fever. Never got to use our new camping stove (bought in the sale) or our new coffee percolator. Next time though.
It has to be said though, this weekend gave us time to reflect on how quickly things change. All of a sudden the leaves are fully out and things are looking all fresh.I'll post a picture in the next week or so of the house so you see how much it has changed since all the trees came into leaf. Some of the houses on the street are half hidden. I had to cut the grass again today when we got home. I only did it 6 days ago.
The last Cub meet is on Wednesday. I was asked a couple of weeks ago if I had a projector. I said I did, but it was ceiling mounted. The reason they wanted to know was to put on the annual Cub photo display. A collection of all the photos taken from all the camps and activities they have taken part in over the past year. Well the bottom line is that our basement is playing host to the photo show. Should be interesting as the scouts, beavers AND parents have all been invited. Cosy....The pack are providing snacks though.
Well that's about all for this week. The blackfly appear to be dying out. We have some more hot days forecast, so hopefully that will finish them off!!

A Day Late.

Sorry this is a day later than normal - well for those that religiously check out the blog on a Monday anyway. We were away for the weekend. It's Victoria today (Monday) which was originally celebrated because of Queen Victoria's birthday. However, it was kept and we now celebrate Elizabeth II offical birthday on this day and the whole of Canada has a day off (except for those that work in shops as most of those were open today!).
Anyway, I digress. We managed to get a good deal for the White Point Beach Resort so we drove over there on Saturday morning and returned this afternoon. The resort itself is located on the South Shore near Liverpool (which is on the River Mersey!!) and is a lovely spot. Some would say it's rustic, some would say it's just old, but it does have some good points. The food there is excellent. There are some new cottages being built and the Golf Course is being extended to 18 holes. I will include some photos here that were taken over the weekend, but I've included a link to the right for you to check out them all at Photobox. You can even buy some if you want!
We set off around 10am on Saturday morning in the sunshine. Took us a while to get the car loaded and we took Mine and Matthew's bikes with us. We were going to take Emma's as well, but it wouldn't fit easily on the rack, so we decided to hire one there for Emma if she had an overwhelming urge to go out on her bike. As it happens she didn't, so I'm glad we didn't take it for a road trip...We stopped at Tim Horton's at Tantallon for Coffee, Cheese Croissants and a box of Timbits (drive-through coffee shops - what a great idea....) and then we took a slightly scenic route down as we didn't have to be there until 2pm. We did run into a bit of mist/drizzle but it didn't last and by the time we stopped for Lunch at Hunt's Point it was brilliant sunshine and the blackfly were just beginning to make an appearance. We drove through a place called Port Mouton. The reason I mention this is because of the ludicrous way it got it's name. Mouton is french for Sheep and this place got it's name because a sheep fell off a ship here. I think it might have been a french ship, but even so it's a ridiculous reason is it not? Made me laugh though.
We checked into the resort okay. The room was small, but clean and had the usual facilities. That afternoon, Matthew and I set off on a bike ride. There is a disused railway bed that runs parallel to the road for a number of miles, so we set off up this. At one point we had to cross the road, and despite the fact that Matthew had just ridden 3 miles on a rough dirt track, he manages to fall off on the smooth road bit. He actaully came down with a bit of a clatter and now has a nasty graze on his chest where it contacted with the edge of the handlebars. The ride was cut short and we had to head back. I went out again on Sunday, but this time I went on my own as he didn't feel like it.
One of the 'features' of the resort is the amount of rabbits. Strangely not the typical wild brown variety, but white, black, ginger, you name it they are there, everywhere. They give out free food at reception so all the kids have a great time pursuing these rabbits to feed them. Needless to say if they aren't overweight, they're traumatised!
As I mentioned before the restaurant food is very good. The chef used to be head chef at the Delta Barrington in Halifax and he's done a good job. On Saturday, Deborah had the signature Planked Salmon. This is quite a local speciality where the fish is cooked on a small plank of wood. The fish then takes in a bit of a woody flavour and is delicious. You can buy the planks for doing your own in the barbecue. All you need to do is soak the wood for about 4 hours prior to use or you end up with charcoal flavoured salmon. We then had the buffet on Sunday evening which was a choice of seafood, or Hip of Beef which was delicious. Wine was a little pricey, but then isn't it always.
We did plenty of walks on the beach with Bella (it's a pet-friendly resort). Emma even attempted a little paddling, but as you'll see from the photo, it wasn't really warm enough for that! The beach was sandy, but had a band of rocks to cross to get to it. There were also lots of rocks just off the coast which allowed for some good photo opportunities.
We set off home at around 10.30 after an excellent buffet breakfast (dinner and breakfast for the adults was included in the price) and again took the scenic route home taking in a trip across the La Have river on the cable ferry. We kept running into showers, so after a short stop in Mahone Bay we decided to press home and get all unpacked and start preparing for the rest of the week at work.
Talking of which, we had two new people start this week. One of them on Monday, the other on Wednesday. The first guy is Chinese, and although he is quite fluent in english, it is very accented and really difficult to understand. It'll be okay once we get used to the way he says certain things. The other is from Halifax, but of Portuguese extraction, but no accent problems there. He sounds Canadian. Even so, it will be nice to have another English speaker!!
Just managed to complete uploading some more pics to this site, so hopefully they are looking okay. Funny how some days everything is slow....I'm now adding these bits at work, so better go off and get a cup of tea and do some work....Have a great week.

Happy Mothers Day!!

Yes, it's Mothers Day here in Canada. No idea why it is different but there you go. Fathers day is the same here as in Europe....
Anyway, as it's Mother's Day, I'll work backwards through the week and start with today. Deborah requested Cinnamon Toast for breakfast, which is basically Eggy Bread sprinkled with Cinnamon Sugar. Actually not as bad as it sounds...Matthew liked it, Emma had it without the cinnamon. We then decided it might be prudent to get out in the garden and do some work before the Blackfly started. We actually got quite a lot done, and even though they were there, they weren't too bad. We've enclosed the bottom of the Deck with Trellis which gives it a much more 'finished' look. We've also planted Sweet Peas along the base of the trellis, so we'll have a great display of colour and fragrance in the summer. We'd soaked the seeds in water beforehand and they'd all started to sprout, so they've got a good start. We also planted them in a mixture of manure, soil and compost. Sweet Peas originated in Wem where as you know I went to school, so I have a bit of a soft spot for them. Let's hope Bella doesn't eat them before they get established.
I finished mowing the lawn (and I use the term 'lawn' in the very loosest sense) this afternoon. I started it last night around 8pm when the flies had gone, but ran out of petrol (gas). So a quick trip down to the gas station to buy some more, followed by a quick collect of two 'Turkey Bacon Club' sandwiches from Tim Horton's and it was ready to roll again. Have to say, by the time I'd finished the flies were really getting on my nerves!
As you can I have stripes on the 'lawn' which I'm rather impressed with... I've decided I don't need to cycle to work, mowing the 'lawn' is quite exercise enough thanks! It takes a good two hours to walk it. We really couldn't justify the expense of a ride-on and besides the lot is too rough. Needless to say we've left a large portion to 'naturalize' which is quite nice as there is a lot of wild strawberries and viola's growing there. You can see the white flowers to the left of the picture of the front garden - those are some of the strawberries. I've also included a picture of the new mower - lean green mowing machine. So easy to push - it's self propelled, adjusting it's speed to your walking pace. Matthew, Emma and myself went on a bike ride this afternoon along with our neighbours. It's a beautiful day, so thought we'd make the most of it. Have to say Matthew and Emma were particularly slow. Need to get them out more often, build up their stamina.
Yesterday was Cub Fun Day. Now the forecast was excellent with lots of sun, so we went armed with sun cream and hats etc. but we also took coats and gloves as the coast can be notoriously unpredictable. Good job we did - it was freezing. It took place at York Redoubt - an Historic Canada site at Purcells Cove. It's situated 60m above the sea on the narrowest section of the entrance to Halifax Harbour. This makes it an ideal place to guard the harbour and so the British built a fortress there back in 1793. Since then it has been modernized and expanded to meet the changing requirements of the defence of Halifax. It's an impressive place and has great views over the water to Dartmouth. The view came and went with the sea mist and in fact we saw very little sun. Deborah stayed at home with the dog and did loads of work in the garden. However, she had to come inside at one point as it was so hot! And there we were in hats,gloves and coats! Matthew and Emma had a good time, and I helped run the 2nd Wellington position. The theme was 'Winter Olympics' and each cub pack in the region had to have an activity for all the cubs to enjoy. There were 12 activities in all and over 180 cubs attending. The pictures give you some idea.
Thursday night was Toastmasters of course. I was actually doing a speech, and despite the fact I wasn't as prepared as I should've been, I won the Best Speaker award. I was really pleased as it was totally unexpected! The speech was on Cockney Rhyming Slang, it's origins and current use. It was peppered with examples which had the audience in stitches. In fact someone suggested I hone it and enter the humorous speech competition next year...mmm don't know about that...
Work plods on and in fact we have two new people starting Monday. One is Chinese and the other is a local guy, just out of university. It will be interesting to see how they fit in. Apparently the office is much more relaxed since I arrived and they have more laughs, which can only be a good thing.
Anyway, another glorious weekend draws to a close. We have a long weekend next weekend, so hopefully we'll get out and about. Only 5 weeks until Charlie & Karen arrive.

Here Batty, Batty, Batty....

Well the Bat Barn is up. I borrowed a ladder from next door and fixed it to the South Side of the house this morning. As you can see I've included a picture, and I know what some of you are thinking - it's not very central....I know! Problem is, the house has a wooden frame. I needed to ensure the box was screwed into a stud. I located the stud (with my stud finder) and sadly it wasn't central to the window. A dilemma, do I put it central and then run the risk of it coming down during the next gale, or do I fit it properly and safeguard the habitat of our (not yet resident) flying furry friends. Well as you can see I decided to fit it properly and yes it does annoy me the fact that it isn't central. But that's life.
Smart though isn't it? It almost matches the house too. As soon as we have residents I'll let you know.
So what happened this week? Well on Wednesday the Cubs all met up at Laurie Park for a Tree Planting and litter collecting evening. Planted some tiny spruces around the park (if they survive I'll be amazed). We then had a section of Highway 2 to collect rubbish. It seemed to be mainly Tim Hortons coffee cups and beer bottles. However 6 bags of rubbish (and one thong!!) later, the highway was looking much neater.
Then yesterday they were enrolled in a 'Mosaic Stone' class at a local Stained Glass studio to make presents for Mothers Day (next weekend if you were wondering). Next door's children were also going so Jeanette drove them there and we picked them up. We took the opportunity of no kids, to go and price up gravel for the drive, and edging stones for the new raised beds. Also popped into Home Depot to get a new thermostat for the garage and a nozzle for the hose. No hosepipe bans here yet! Also went to Costco to grab a few essentials and then it was time for a quick bite to eat and collect the children. They really enjoyed it. The stones will be available to collect during the week. Has to be said, the weather yesterday wasn't great. They forecast isolated showers, but it was fairly persistent from lunchtime to bedtime! Good for the transplanted trees I suppose.
In contrast today was glorious and was spent doing things around the house. Deborah did loads in the front garden, pruning the bushes and weeding. I started doing the support posts for the decking trellis, but the flies got on my nerves, so I moved into the garage and started fitting a window. For some reason, the back hall has no window and consquently when you come in from the garage or the back door, it's like the black hole of Calcutta. Anyway I bought an attractive Octagonal window last weekend and fitted it today. It actually went in remarkably easily and lets a little ambient light in from the garage. Means we don't have to have the light on permanently. Just need to do some touching up on the garage side and it will all be done.
We took a quick trip to the local garden center to get some compost for the tubs. We're going to have a herb garden on the deck, just need to ensure Bella doesn't eat them. Hopefully she doesn't like mint. Talking of Bella, she went in to the vet on Thursday to be spayed. Everything went fine and although a little subdued for a couple of days, she is now back to her old self. The picture of her was taken this morning before the flies got too bad. The bandana was put on her by the vet's assistant who has taken a bit of a shine to her. She really is a lovely dog though with a fantastic nature. Matthew and Emma just adore her and make a lot of fuss of her. They even do poop scoops!
Matthew and Emma were asked to go and collect Dandelion heads from the garden this morning with a reward of 1 cent per flower. Didn't think they'd do as well as they did. They probably collected a good 500! As you may have gathered we have a bit of a dandelion problem and to make it worse, the use of weedkiller is forbidden. This is to prevent it getting into the groundwater and contaminating peoples' wells. We can use salt though...
So as you can see another eventful week. Hope you like the photos, the one below shows the Bat barn again and also the beautiful clear blue skies. Feel free to leave comments!

Some pics as promised...

Just a quick update to post a couple of pictures of the garden. Forgot to say Leo from next door came round with his chainsaw and took a couple of trees down for us. Problem we had was a spruce tree that had split at the base and then as it toppled, it caught the boughs of a birch tree. They were both then leaning at an angle of approx 45 degrees. The worry was that it might all come down if the children were playing in the woods. However, no longer a problem, it's now been cut up into 6ft lengths and we'll then chop it into firewood at some point to allow it to dry for the winter and feed our wood burning stove.
So, onto the pictures. The one with Bella shows you the edging that we spent a couple of days putting in. The grassy area to the right of it will be covered in a membrane then gravelled. It will then have some pots scattered over it to break up the greyness. This is the area that gets covered in gravel when the snowplough comes down the drive, so the grass is not in good condition anyway. The pile of pallets were under the deck and will get broken up as kindling or put out with the rubbish. I bought some trellis (lattice) this evening with which we're going to enclose the base of the deck. It will make it look a lot better and it gives something for the sweet peas to climb up! We also transplanted a 15ft Birch tree (second picture) that had seeded itself next to our telegraph pole. We didn't want it to interfere with any services (it all comes in via this pole - phone, electric and cable), so we moved it to the front of the house. If it survives it will be a miracle!! However, it's now raining, so that should do it some good. The third picture of the rocks are some that we obtained from up the road. When they start digging out the plots for new houses, they uncover some lovely rocks. These were from the area where our neighbours are building their new house. It's almost like a slate and will look great either on the gravelled area or in one of the new raised beds we're creating. We're hoping to get hold of some really big ones to make an impact, so we'll see what happens when they start to dig out the foundations!
Apparently the black fly have started as well. We just have the annoying males at the moment. The ones that bite are the females (typical!) and they aren't around yet. Can't wait.....