September 18th - fall will soon be here. Where has the summer gone?

September has been somewhat of a whirlwind. At least it seems that way after months of nothing going on.

Labour Day weekend I was happy to visit Greg's parents in Port Elgin. James was home from Borden for holidays so it was nice to spend the weekend with most of the family (Meghan was in London, getting ready to start university, and working at the course she was at all summer).

The Guelph pipe band, of which Tristen is a fledgling new member, did some practice performances at John McCrae House in Guelph. Time for me to catch up on all the things I missed over the past few years. They were getting ready to perform at the first live Highland Games in two years. It was taking place in Cobourg on September 11th. 

Because Patti was going to be away (flying to Europe again ) I agreed to take Tristen to the highland games. We had a really nice day and on the way came up with some other adventures we'd like to try next summer.

I'd heard on the radio that a new place opened in Waterloo called Lobster Burger Bar. Nancy and I had to try it out. So with our friend Marla, we made the trek. It was good but Nancy and I have pretty high standards for lobster. Enough said!

I took the kitten, who is aptly named Pepe Le Pew to the vets for his first shot but was told he was too young. We had estimated that he was approximately 7 weeks old, but the vet estimated he was younger than that, judging by the lack of back molars that had not yet come in. So he was REALLY young when we made that trip from the island. But he's doing really well now, and growing like a little weed.

This picture of a skunk explains Pepe's name!

September 1st - where has the time gone?

 I didn't realize I hadn't shared my last post when it was written. Better late than never, right.

The rest of my visit to the island was wonderful and I have many great memories that I've brought back with me. 

Patti arrived on the island on Monday, having worked a flight from Toronto. She arrived at midnight and I picked her up early in the morning. We had a really nice day touring around the island, as tourists, no longer residents. We enjoyed lunch on the veranda at Dalvay by the Sea and a walk on the beach. 

We ended our day by cooking dinner at Brenda's and because she was out from town, Meghan was able to drive her back into town to her hotel, before her departure the next morning.

Brenda and I took an overnight trip to the west end of the island. We visited several spots along the way that I'd never been to and stayed over at an Inn attached to a lighthouse. The weather was less than ideal but it didn't matter as we spent most of our time in the car.

I spent a night on the eastern end of the island, staying overnight with my friend Donna. She has a trailer that is parked at Red Point for the summer. 

On the way to Red Point I stopped in at the Inn at Bay Fortune and saw Chef Michael briefly, for him to sign a cookbook for a friend back in Ontario'

One of the highlights of my trip was a dinner at Pat and Sharyn's. They had three little kittens that had been born in the barn. Mom had moved three of the six but never came back for the last three. Not sure if she abandoned them or was killed by something before she returned. Regardless there were three very tiny kittens and one that no one wanted.

 Need I say more? My return trip was slowed slightly by having to stop every few hours to bottle feed this tiny wee baby. 

On my way home, I stopped in Iroquois, Ontario and stayed two nights with former brother in law Mike and his wife. It was really nice to catch up with him after many, many years.

Finally back home and into our usual routine. Work three days, off for four. 

Sunday, August 1st - it's a beautiful day on the island.

 The sun was shining when we got up at 7:00 so we dressed quickly and headed into town. We started with coffee at Receiver coffee, along with toast and croissants. The a quick stop at Meg's to drop off the park pass for her to share with her friends who were visiting later today.

On the way back, we checked out a new section of the trail. It's was such a nice morning, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

Then it was back out to the country to go kayaking. I'd left my kayak here so we were good to go. A leisurely paddle down the Johnston's River was a great way to spend part of the day,

When we returned from kayaking it was lunch time so we sat outside on the little front porch and enjoyed the day even further. What to do next? I'd called a local farm to see if I could obtain some lamb shanks but they were closed on Sunday. Still they had what I wanted and they would keep them for me till Monday. So the decision was made to take a drive down to Selkirk to visit friends Richard and Daralen who are camped out there for the month of August.

In the evening Brenda and I ventured into town to see our friend Margie perform. It was an improv type of event. My plan was to surprise her by just showing up but that was spoiled as she crossed the street just as we were parking. She saw Brenda first then saw me. It was still quite a surprise as I'm sure I was the last person she expected to encounter there.

Saturday, July 31st - and the birthday just continues

 In spite of my birthday (and Ethan's) actually being yesterday, the family birthday lunch didn't take place till today. The morning was spent baking a birthday cake and prepping veggies. We had beer can chicken, fresh green beans, carrots and new potatoes. It was a feast.

 Meghan came out from town and she gave me a tour of the tiny house that she's building. (follow the progress on instagram -  mvgtinyhome)

Construction is coming along quite nicely and I'm so glad I got to see it being built. The hope is to have it moved out of the building it's in before the snow comes.

So Meg was here along with Ethan and Amanda and Boden. Sadly Will was working. But a delicious meal was enjoyed by all. 

After lunch was cleaned up Brenda and I headed into town. We did some walking around the harbour front and the little shops along Peakes Quay.  

By that time we were getting hungry for just a snack and a beverage so we wandered over to Victoria Row. We had no trouble finding a table on a patio and a quick call to Meghan, and she joined us. 

When  got back to Fort Augustus, we had time to watch a movie then off to bed. 

Friday, July 30th - what a great birthday!

 After a really good night's sleep, we were all up early.

We had some pastry left over from pies yesterday so we rolled it out and put rounds into muffin tins yesterday. This morning we made the filling for butter tarts and got them into the oven so they would be baked and cooled in time for Bernie to take to the shop for coffee.

Our friend Helena came over to have tea with Brenda and me and she really enjoyed the tarts as well.

It was a pretty quiet morning as we'd planned to celebrate Ethan's and my birthday on Saturday at lunch. 

It was a pretty drizzly day so after the papers were read, it was time for lunch. Homemade soup, homemade rolls and tea for lunch. Then it was off to a local trail to go for a walk. Rain had sort of stopped but got a little worse as we walked but at least I got to see some of the greatly improved trail down the road from Brenda.

 

Later in the afternoon we went to Montague to the Bogside Brewery for their entry in the pei lobster love promotion. Helena picked Brenda and me up and Bernie met us there. After ordering our choice of craft beer it was on to the food. Lobster rolls, onion rings and fries made for a mighty tasty meal.

On the way home we stopped off at the grocery store to pick up some supplies for Saturday's birthday lunch. Then it was home to change into comfy clothes and watch some TV before bed. Exciting stuff for a Friday night - but I'm loving it!

Thursday, July 29th - I'm glad to be here!

 What a really great day I'm having. I drove down to PEI on Wednesday and Thursday. Had a great trip. Wonderful weather both days and smooth driving along the way, in spite of the wrong turn I made that added time to my travel. But it was a very scenic drive and I did get to my intended destination on Wednesday so it was all good.

On my way from the bridge, I stopped in to see our friends Charles and Laura. They didn't know I was coming so were very surprised when I walked into their shop. They were just getting ready for a tour group to come in so hopefully we can plan to get together sometime later in the week, although it's filling up fast!

I arrived at Brenda's just in time for lunch. Timing was always my forte. Her now almost one year old grandson, Boden, was visiting so I got to meet this little cutey for the first time. Fortunately he didn't seem too bothered by this crazy lady who just walked in like she belonged here!

When Boden left I was put to work helping with pies. Brenda had picked a bunch of raspberries and blueberries for pies. She had the pastry already made so it was time to assemble. I helped with the rolling of dough while she prepped the filling before they were packaged up and put into the freezer. Fortunately one was kept out for our supper. Ahhhh, it's so nice to be home!

Once the pies were dealt with, it was time for some fun and relaxation. So off to the beach for a walk along the shore. It was a gorgeous day so we had to take advantage. Down by Crowbush, there were 2 large tents set up in preparation for a function's dinner on the beach. It brought back some fond memories of working there and shucking oysters for guests by the water. 

After spending some time at the beach, we returned home to make dinner - fresh caught fish, new potatoes and beans from a farmer down the road, washed down with a nice white wine from Nova Scotia (after a pre-dinner shine punch!). Then fresh baked homemade pie for dessert. Really, does it get any better than that? Never mind your 100 mile dinner. Everything for this meal came from within a couple of kms. Doesn't get any more local than that.

After supper was finished, I headed out to visit our old neighbours, Frank and Laurie. Usually they would be in the Azores this time of year, but not this year. It was nice to catch up with them.

By the time I got back, it was pretty much time for bed. It had been a pretty busy couple of days.

Saturday, July 24th - what's six months between friends!

 Seriously, it's been a long time but things are finally starting to look up just a little bit.

We are finally out of lockdown, although Waterloo region took a bit longer than the rest of the province. We are now in stage 3, which means there are still some limitations but life is again livable. 

Because we were locked down, there really wasn't much going on so as they say, "Nothing to write home about". So very true.

I'm back at the store in the office but only 3 days a week for the summer. I had my first cataract surgery back on June 10th and it went very well. Much easier than I had expected. Now I just have to wait till my name gets to the top of the list again for the second eye. I'm told it will likely be about 6 months or maybe longer. No worries, the new eye works very well so life is so much better.

Now that most of my friends have had both shots of vaccine, we are able to gather. Last week we had a lovely lunch at Katie's in her back yard. There were 6 of us altogether. We arrived at 12:30 and left at 4:45. Let's just say a splendid time was had by all, just catching up and chatting. 

Then Wednesday evening I went to the movies with my friend Kay. It's been such a long time since we could go out anywhere. It was really a treat.

Then last night, friends Stephan and Trish came over for supper. What a great day I had, spending time in the kitchen making a nice meal for someone else to eat! When we were finished eating we went out to the back yard where I had the fire pit all set up for a bonfire. My neighbours, Sandra and Wes joined us as well as Alan, my neighbour on the other side. It was a lovely warm evening and the conversation continued on until about 10:30. All in all, a really great time with friends old and new.

It's been a really great week after so much down time.

The other great news is I'm heading off to PEI on Wednesday. I plan to arrive sometime Thursday. I'm really looking forward to it.  I've had both my shots and I've received my PEI pass from the government so I should be good to go. Nancy had contemplated going with me. I would have dropped her off in Halifax on my way but her family was hoping to come up from the states at the same time. They weren't sure they'd get across the border but fortunately it all worked out and they are here. So I will be traveling solo. No problem. I've never minded that trip. Just open the windows and crank up the tunes and I'm on the road again.....

Since I'm traveling alone, I will be able to stop over and visit my ex-brother in law on the way back. It will be nice to catch up after a lot of years.

Stay tuned for further updates!