Thursday, 30 June 2016
Canada Day means Summer!
Happy Canada Day!
Our wonderful holiday for Canada's birthday. The first long weekend of the hopefully long, endlessly sunny summer.
This is Moe's last summer as a teacher so it's our last true summer holiday. From now on summer will just be summer, a change of season but not a holiday from work. So we get to practice being retired together for the summer.
It's time to change up our daily routines, no alarm clock for weeks, no reason to go to bed early. We'll be getting out the beach reading including some new books, some already read books and piles of magazines.
Moe will be firing up the barbecue and meal prep will be easy. A lot less housework and lots more days at the cottage, and plenty of time in the sunshine. Canadian summers are wonderful!
But best of all we will be traveling to gorgeous BC.
I bet your mind immediately went to visions of Vancouver or Victoria maybe Tofino and the Rockies. That's not where we are going. Remember the Friendly Giant? How he always said look up, look way up as he arranged that fabulous tiny furniture? Well, look way up on a map of British Columbia and eventually you can locate the Chetwynd near Dawson Creek, north of Prince George.
Why would we go to Northeastern BC, not even to the mountains but to the foothills of Peace River area? What is there that would encourage us to take a flight across three provinces to Calgary and then transfer to a small plane to Fort St. John?
Family of course.
Our daughter and her husband will pick us up at the airport and I will get to do the annoying mom thing of wanting to see every mundane thing. Like the grocery store where they buy groceries, the post office and the highlights like the schools where they work, the Powder King ski resort...everything in town. They tell me it will take fifteen minutes.
I have nothing against Chetwynd. My daughter and her husband both have jobs there. She has her own classroom, something that might not be possible in Ontario. But it's just so far away. Bring on Moe's retirement so we can visit more often!
This is Moe's last summer as a teacher so it's our last true summer holiday. From now on summer will just be summer, a change of season but not a holiday from work. So we get to practice being retired together for the summer.
It's time to change up our daily routines, no alarm clock for weeks, no reason to go to bed early. We'll be getting out the beach reading including some new books, some already read books and piles of magazines.
Moe will be firing up the barbecue and meal prep will be easy. A lot less housework and lots more days at the cottage, and plenty of time in the sunshine. Canadian summers are wonderful!
But best of all we will be traveling to gorgeous BC.
I bet your mind immediately went to visions of Vancouver or Victoria maybe Tofino and the Rockies. That's not where we are going. Remember the Friendly Giant? How he always said look up, look way up as he arranged that fabulous tiny furniture? Well, look way up on a map of British Columbia and eventually you can locate the Chetwynd near Dawson Creek, north of Prince George.
Why would we go to Northeastern BC, not even to the mountains but to the foothills of Peace River area? What is there that would encourage us to take a flight across three provinces to Calgary and then transfer to a small plane to Fort St. John?
Family of course.
Our daughter and her husband will pick us up at the airport and I will get to do the annoying mom thing of wanting to see every mundane thing. Like the grocery store where they buy groceries, the post office and the highlights like the schools where they work, the Powder King ski resort...everything in town. They tell me it will take fifteen minutes.
I have nothing against Chetwynd. My daughter and her husband both have jobs there. She has her own classroom, something that might not be possible in Ontario. But it's just so far away. Bring on Moe's retirement so we can visit more often!
Enjoy your Canada Day. I will be happily packing!
My Mistake..sort of, kind of..
Our garage right now is beautiful--not quite a work of art but really rather nice for a garage that actually is a garage with a car in it and loads of stuff that needs to be kept in a garage. That same garage was a disaster from January until just last week. Which was really disappointing because in the last few years we have put a lot of work into organizing it and in the fall we were confident that this winter would be different and it would stay neat enough until spring. Hah! A few things foiled that plan.
First, in January, I went on my annual January craze of organizing and reorganizing. I love to start the year off right as so many other people do--that's why the Canadian Tire flyer is full of organizing materials in January. This year with all those extra hours to tear apart closets and sort through drawers the pile of items to give away, take to the cottage or donate grew and grew. And it grew in the garage, neatly against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Neatly but still in a guilt inducing don't look at me way. A pile that was annoying and irritating every time you passed by it.
The second thing that destroyed the plan is that grown children sometimes need space to store their things while they go away or they because they don't have a place for their summer tires. That kind of storage makes things really tight so there is no room to put anything else.
Well the grown children responsible for the storing of things were here last week collecting those things. And as the wonderful adults that they are they cleaned and organized the garage after they reclaimed their things. It was a way of saying thank you for the storage. I painted a bench and spray painted planters while they worked in the garage. A truly wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
That beautifully clean, organized garage inspired me to do some further upgrading of the space. I had found a can of white paint to use on the bench, and there was enough left to use in the garage to repaint the door into the house and the door out into the yard. That cleaned up some rather messy doors nicely. Then I decided to paint the garage stair railings that managed to survive for twenty-five years without paint. That turned out well and really brightened things up.
I was satisfied for a day or two but I still had some paint remaining. Hmmm...maybe the actual stair threads could use a coat of paint. Then they would match the railing and over time they would lose the paint but would take on that nice worn look. That's what I was thinking. So I did it. I painted the stair threads with a nice thick coat of paint and planned to do a second coat the next day.
That was a mistake. And it took only a little bit of time to figure this out.
I had left the garage door open so that the warm air could dry the paint before people needed to use the stairs. However the cat from next door also came to visit. He left his very dirty paw prints on my lovely dry white paint.
Every footstep showed. Every footstep is going to show. My lovely white paint is already filthy. Not in a timeworn shabby chic kind of way but in a nasty, non-glamorous, need to be cleaned kind of way.
I am not going to do another coat, I am not going to wash those stairs so I will need to live with the glaring dirt until the paint wears off. Hopefully soon. I will find a way to use the remainder of that paint. And it won't be a mistake.
Our garage right now is beautiful--not quite a work of art but really rather nice for a garage that actually is a garage with a car in it and loads of stuff that needs to be kept in a garage. That same garage was a disaster from January until just last week. Which was really disappointing because in the last few years we have put a lot of work into organizing it and in the fall we were confident that this winter would be different and it would stay neat enough until spring. Hah! A few things foiled that plan.First, in January, I went on my annual January craze of organizing and reorganizing. I love to start the year off right as so many other people do--that's why the Canadian Tire flyer is full of organizing materials in January. This year with all those extra hours to tear apart closets and sort through drawers the pile of items to give away, take to the cottage or donate grew and grew. And it grew in the garage, neatly against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Neatly but still in a guilt inducing don't look at me way. A pile that was annoying and irritating every time you passed by it.
The second thing that destroyed the plan is that grown children sometimes need space to store their things while they go away or they because they don't have a place for their summer tires. That kind of storage makes things really tight so there is no room to put anything else.
Well the grown children responsible for the storing of things were here last week collecting those things. And as the wonderful adults that they are they cleaned and organized the garage after they reclaimed their things. It was a way of saying thank you for the storage. I painted a bench and spray painted planters while they worked in the garage. A truly wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
That beautifully clean, organized garage inspired me to do some further upgrading of the space. I had found a can of white paint to use on the bench, and there was enough left to use in the garage to repaint the door into the house and the door out into the yard. That cleaned up some rather messy doors nicely. Then I decided to paint the garage stair railings that managed to survive for twenty-five years without paint. That turned out well and really brightened things up.
I was satisfied for a day or two but I still had some paint remaining. Hmmm...maybe the actual stair threads could use a coat of paint. Then they would match the railing and over time they would lose the paint but would take on that nice worn look. That's what I was thinking. So I did it. I painted the stair threads with a nice thick coat of paint and planned to do a second coat the next day.
That was a mistake. And it took only a little bit of time to figure this out.
I had left the garage door open so that the warm air could dry the paint before people needed to use the stairs. However the cat from next door also came to visit. He left his very dirty paw prints on my lovely dry white paint.
Every footstep showed. Every footstep is going to show. My lovely white paint is already filthy. Not in a timeworn shabby chic kind of way but in a nasty, non-glamorous, need to be cleaned kind of way.I am not going to do another coat, I am not going to wash those stairs so I will need to live with the glaring dirt until the paint wears off. Hopefully soon. I will find a way to use the remainder of that paint. And it won't be a mistake.
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Snowshoeing in April
I certainly don't like that the copious amount of snow that descended upon us last week has stayed on the ground. However, it did provide me with an opportunity to make up for a missed chance in March.
I have so loved snowshoeing this winter, something that I haven't been able to enjoy in many years. Since January, whenever it was warm enough (which wasn't often) I managed to get in a good hike while soaking up all the benefits of outdoor exercise. Warm sunshine and vitamin D, fresh air and a chance to marvel at the beauty of snow and trees and open space.
In March, when weather forecasts indicated the season was just about over, I wanted to do one last hike and get some pictures of a gorgeous spot on my trail, as well. Please note: I am not the photographer in the family. However, it was a perfect day. I put the iPad in a plastic bag and set off into the glorious sunshine. And I took fabulous pictures! How could I miss? The sun was so bright and clear that all I could see on the screen was black but the scenes of glittering snow and tall pines thick with snow were perfect. The sunlight was so brilliant, it completely overpowered the capabilities of my camera. I was excited about the blog I would craft highlighting my wonderful pictures.
Once home, I discovered... no such luck. The screen had not been black because of the glare from the glorious sun, it was black because I had not removed the protector from the camera lens at the back of the iPad. All of my hard work was wasted, my good intentions for naught. As I said, I am not the family photographer.
But last week's snowfall gave me a second chance.
So off I went but without snowshoes. I had put them away and didn't want to go get them. Besides, I thought how hard could it be? The snow is not that deep. Wow, did I find out differently.
Exercise is good for a person, but not all exercise is created equal. On the treadmill, I can walk at a good clip and on an incline for a good length of time working up maybe a mild sheen but no real discomfort. Five minutes (probably less) of walking through the snow had me stopping to catch my breath. At the end of a thirty minute hike with stopping to take pictures and to catch my breath multiple times, I was so warm that once inside I was tossing my outdoor clothing off at a rapid rate to cool myself down. And all the muscles accustomed to the treadmill were talking to me, and not kindly!
The pictures I took are okay. But the sun was not as brilliant as last time and the snow neither as deep or as heavy on the trees but I still want to share a spot that makes the trek worth the effort.
I seem to like tree stumps.
Looking back at where you have been is so rewarding.
My path back home. Thankfully, I only needed to follow the path I had already created. The first step off of the road had me sinking up past my knees but the field and in the bush was only ankle deep. It does seem I was having trouble keeping a straight line on the way in. Still wish the sun had been shining but there is always next winter.
I certainly don't like that the copious amount of snow that descended upon us last week has stayed on the ground. However, it did provide me with an opportunity to make up for a missed chance in March. I have so loved snowshoeing this winter, something that I haven't been able to enjoy in many years. Since January, whenever it was warm enough (which wasn't often) I managed to get in a good hike while soaking up all the benefits of outdoor exercise. Warm sunshine and vitamin D, fresh air and a chance to marvel at the beauty of snow and trees and open space.
In March, when weather forecasts indicated the season was just about over, I wanted to do one last hike and get some pictures of a gorgeous spot on my trail, as well. Please note: I am not the photographer in the family. However, it was a perfect day. I put the iPad in a plastic bag and set off into the glorious sunshine. And I took fabulous pictures! How could I miss? The sun was so bright and clear that all I could see on the screen was black but the scenes of glittering snow and tall pines thick with snow were perfect. The sunlight was so brilliant, it completely overpowered the capabilities of my camera. I was excited about the blog I would craft highlighting my wonderful pictures.
Once home, I discovered... no such luck. The screen had not been black because of the glare from the glorious sun, it was black because I had not removed the protector from the camera lens at the back of the iPad. All of my hard work was wasted, my good intentions for naught. As I said, I am not the family photographer.
But last week's snowfall gave me a second chance.
So off I went but without snowshoes. I had put them away and didn't want to go get them. Besides, I thought how hard could it be? The snow is not that deep. Wow, did I find out differently.
Exercise is good for a person, but not all exercise is created equal. On the treadmill, I can walk at a good clip and on an incline for a good length of time working up maybe a mild sheen but no real discomfort. Five minutes (probably less) of walking through the snow had me stopping to catch my breath. At the end of a thirty minute hike with stopping to take pictures and to catch my breath multiple times, I was so warm that once inside I was tossing my outdoor clothing off at a rapid rate to cool myself down. And all the muscles accustomed to the treadmill were talking to me, and not kindly!
The pictures I took are okay. But the sun was not as brilliant as last time and the snow neither as deep or as heavy on the trees but I still want to share a spot that makes the trek worth the effort.
I seem to like tree stumps.
Looking back at where you have been is so rewarding.
My path back home. Thankfully, I only needed to follow the path I had already created. The first step off of the road had me sinking up past my knees but the field and in the bush was only ankle deep. It does seem I was having trouble keeping a straight line on the way in. Still wish the sun had been shining but there is always next winter.Thursday, 25 February 2016
Pillar and Post
NIAGARA on the LAKE
Trying to make travel plans for a retirement trip during the Christmas holidays proved to be too difficult. We would have loved to have booked a sunny trip somewhere south... the Mayan Riviera would have been my choice; however we needed to work out when each of our sons would be home, when we could go to see my parents and siblings' families and work around my husband's return to work. So instead we made a quick jaunt to Southern Ontario before Christmas and then a short visit to Ottawa after Christmas and then up to Walford to visit my parents for New Year's Day.
I left the bookings up to my favourite travel agent, Moe.
He loves TravelZoo because he loves to believe he is getting the best bang for his buck. Through that website he was able to book a stay at the Pillar and Post in Niagara-on-the-Lake that included dinner at the hotel restaurant and a wine tasting at a local winery, the Reif Estates. The Pillar and Post is one of the Vintage hotels in this picturesque small town that I have been hoping to stay at someday. The website claims the Pillar and Post is Ontario's only five star Inn, and includes on an on-sight spa, a first class dining room and a hot springs. There is also a very nice salt water pool. You can check out their website for some luscious pictures.
http://www.vintage-hotels.com/pillarandpost
Their foyer was decorated with a giant Christmas tree and banks of poinsettia. That's me standing beside it.
A large bouquet of red roses was on the table in front of the fireplace flanked by four club chairs. Sitting there to sip morning coffee felt like being part of the upstairs folk in Downton Abbey.
We enjoyed our meal at the Cannery very much, although with the TravelZoo deal it was a limited menu. Two choices for appetizer, three choices of entree and two choices for dessert. I enjoyed all of my meal and Moe felt dessert was the best part. The Cannery gets its rather strange name from the fact that it was once a tomato cannery for Aylmer. You can check it out at the link below. We both regret passing up having breakfast there in favour of going to a restaurant in town because we were planning to visit the shops on the main street.
We enjoyed our meal at the Cannery very much, although with the TravelZoo deal it was a limited menu. Two choices for appetizer, three choices of entree and two choices for dessert. I enjoyed all of my meal and Moe felt dessert was the best part. The Cannery gets its rather strange name from the fact that it was once a tomato cannery for Aylmer. You can check it out at the link below. We both regret passing up having breakfast there in favour of going to a restaurant in town because we were planning to visit the shops on the main street.
http://www.vintage-hotels.com/pillarandpost/dining.php
Saturday night, there were too many guests taking advantage of the hot springs that we went to the salt water pool instead. Moe got up early on Sunday morning to go check on the hot springs since he thought that might be our best chance to enjoy it alone. He was right. He came back to say that no one was there, so we quickly threw on our bathing suits and hotel robes to speed down the hall. The hot spring was ideal. You leave your robe on hooks conveniently close to the entrance and then can enter the water while still inside the hotel. Once you pass through a covered opening you are outside in a warm hot springs with winter all around you. The snow was falling very light and the sky was still dark, the pool was surrounded by rocks and tall pine trees and with the push of some buttons and you are basking in the warm bubbly water. A great, relaxing way to start the morning.
I would definitely go back to the hotel but I know that I would also like to stay at the other Vintage Hotels in town, The Prince of Wales which is located right down town on the main street making it very easy to stroll down the quaint street or Queen's Landing. It's best to check out the Queen's Landing website to see just how beautiful it is.
http://www.vintage-hotels.com/queenslanding/
We look forward to visiting Niagara-on-the-Lake in the future and perhaps doing more wine tasting and winery tours. Of course we could also go to do more shopping or attend a play at the Shaw Festival. Niagara-on-the-Lake is ranked as one of the best places in Ontario and Canada to retire. It is a beautiful area of vineyards, with quick and easy access to Niagara Falls, St. Catherine's, Buffalo and Toronto. It is close to outlet malls and regular shopping in St. Catherine's, as well, the quaint town offers unique and interesting shops on its very pedestrian friendly main street. The town is small but offers many excellent places to eat, several historic areas to visit, beautiful parks and walking paths and of course wineries and the Shaw Festival. Even if you don't want to retire there, it is a place worth visiting.
A few of the places I want to explore.
It is easier to say where I don't want to go...anywhere that is currently at war.
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