Quinte West Reflections

Checking in

2011-09-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hello to all who visit this blog. Summer is still in situ here in Trenton. Although a few of the mornings have been close to freezing, the leaves are still on the trees and their colour hasn't changed to those wonderful autumn hues of rust and gold that tend to make the coming of winter more bearable.

I now have a new ride.

It's a 2010 Ford Escape. It's the first Ford I have ever owned. The interior looks like it was copied from my old Subaru Forester. Very similar in design so it only took me a few minutes to figure out most of the dashboard widgets and gadgets. So far so good. I think the Scarlet Runner (that's what I named my car) and I are going to get along just fine.

Of course, this means I have to find employment in order to pay it off. I have made some enquiries in that regard and am hopeful that I will hear something soon.

Also expensive, but well worth it in my opinion, is my weight loss through the Dr. Bernstein Diet Clinic. Since June 14th, I have dropped a whopping 49.2 lbs. The in-house doctor says I should reach my goal weight in 5 or 6 months, putting it around March 2012.

In the above photo, I had lost 37 lbs. I'll continue to post as I pass other milestones. I feel good and have a great deal of energy, another reason why I need to work.

I am filling my time by learning new songs. I am currently working on a song by Sara McLachlan called 'Angel'. If all goes well, I will record it and put it on YouTube just for the fun of it and you all can have a look as I'll also post the link right here.

In the meantime, here's hoping all is well in your part of the world. Bye for now.

Summer road trip pictures

2011-08-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

We are closing in on the end of August, which means pretty much the end of summer in this part of the world. And it was a fabulous summer.

I am back with some more pictures. I took a 7 day road trip in mid August to go up north to my cousin's wedding and this provided opportunity to snap a few pictures and weave a little story.

I have quite a few pictures to post so I hope you'll read the whole entry. (Readers take note: a 800x600 px copy can be viewed by clicking on the small picture in the posting.)

First I went to my cousin Nelson's wedding in a little place called King Kirkland, about 6 km outside Kirkland Lake Ontario.

It was a casual affair in a large backyard and pictured here is the happy couple, Nelson and Laura Jean, cutting the cake.

The happy couple have their first dance as a married couple. Local musicians and friends made up the band, the members of which changed frequently as people got up and sang and played when they felt like it, which was often. I even got up and sang a little myself.

Pictured here are Nelson with his siblings. There were six of them but one, Jerry, died many years ago and Bobby lives out west and did not make it back for the wedding.

This is my cousin Rose Kostello. She was able to get the time off work to come to the wedding and have some fun.

And this is Uncle George. He is uncle to Nelson and his siblings, as well as myself and Rose. All different branches of the same family.

My next stop was an hour away in the little town of Matachewan, on the Montreal River.

The bride's cousin Merry and Aunt Elsie did not attend the wedding so I decided to visit them as I love them both and won't get to see them again for a while.

This is Elsie above and Merry below.
We had a nice visit.
Then it was time to go to Gowganda, my home town. I hadn't visited since last year before I moved out of the north.

Gowganda Lake was quiet and serene the day of my visit. I went and played euchre with the gang for fun and to say hello to them all at once. I won second place and a handful of coins for stopping in.
The next part of my trip took me back down south and I drove for approximately 8 hours to get to Woodland Beach on Georgian Bay, one beach north of Wasaga Beach.
My hosts were the Stewart sisters, Elva and Janice.

And here we are, myself (Nancy), Elva, Janet and Janice.

Their cottage is perched on the top of a cliff with a million dollar view.

I was able to stop traveling for a few days and it was good. The beach was a short walk away and I even went swimming one day.

On the western shore is the bulk of the good ski hills in Ontario.

Since they can't be seen very well from a distance, I zoomed in on Blue Mountain, the largest of the ski hills in Collingwood Ontario.

There were many birds as well.

I decided to walk down the stairs to the water.

The steps had become crooked due to the weather but were still sturdy or so I hoped.
I made it to the bottom and looked back up.

Holy smokes - looks worse than it was, I assure you. Below are 2 pictures I took while down there.

There was a bush there and I have forgotten what its name was but the flowers were reminiscent of hibiscus, found in the tropics.

With such a view, the sunsets were spectacular. I was able to capture one sunset.

A good time was had by all. I entertained my friends and their cottage neighbours by singing and playing guitar in the evening a couple of times. I asked for a photo of me doing so but they haven't sent me one so I am publishing without it. And so ends my 7 day road trip in August 2011.

It's humid - Welcome to August

2011-08-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

July was such a pleasant month here in Trenton. The temperature could reach the 80's but it still felt comfortable because the humidity was uncharacteristically low. It got a little dry and killed my grass, but this saved me from having to cut it, so it all worked out in the end.

There was only one really hot day in July. I took this picture for proof.

That pool you can see in the corner of the shot was 86f and no relief from the heat that day.

I have these two other pictures to post. I was driving through Napanee a few days ago and took these pictures of a railway trestle that crosses Highway 2.

Today is the last day of the Civic long weekend. This was the scene down in Centennial Park in Trenton. Looks like everyone was cozy and having a good time.

These campers were clustered around a band shell that featured old time country and western music all three nights of the long weekend.

August is beginning and all is well. I have shed 26 pounds and am still on the way down. Big plans this month for a road trip that will see me make stops in Orillia, North Bay, Englehart, Kirkland Lake, King Kirkland, Gowganda, and Woodland Beach. Fortunately, all those places are in Ontario so I should be able to complete the trip in just a week.

I'll post pictures of this trip first chance I get. Byeee.

Hogtown still growing

2011-07-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

I visited Toronto this past week and the part I was in was under construction. Out with the old, in with the new, I suppose. The west side of Union Station is getting a face lift or cleaning and was hidden behind a partition. Front Street was tore up and workmen were busily digging up earth and wielding shovels and assorted other work implements. It was quite a corridor that the pedestrians had to negotiate just to get across the street.

I stayed at the Sheraton Hotel which was just across the street from City Hall.

I also took this picture of old City Hall.

I was glad to be back in Trenton. It moves at my speed.

I just read in the paper that Trenton Air Base will soon be host to 17 new Hercules C130J's. This is in addition to the 4 C-17's already here and a handful of C130 Hercules. Good thing I like aircraft because if I thought it was noisy before, it will be busier than ever.

Here's a picture I took while sitting on my deck recently.

And so it goes.

Tragically Hip Fan Club Strong As Ever

2011-06-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

I say 'fan club' to describe the Hip's followers, but the truth is, they're more like a modern musical cult.

I recently attended a Hip concert in Peterborough Ontario with my two friends Joanne and Laurie.

The two of them are typical Hip fans.

They attend as many concerts as they are able and prefer it if they can catch the Hip in the small venues, that being the old movie theaters now being used as stages for various acts and artists across southern Ontario and elsewhere.

We drove from my place in Trenton to Peterborough and Jackpot! We got a parking space right across from the theater. It was going to be a good night.

For them, it was a dream come true because the place only seated 675, meaning any seat in the house was a good one. Our seats were up in the balcony along the west wing, single row, no one behind with an unobstructed view of the band only 30 or so feet away.

Laurie and Joanne danced and sang their way through the whole concert, as did everyone else in there, that is, except me. You see, I am not in that fan club. I don't know all the songs by heart. Besides, I was having way more fun watching the antics of the fans as they did their thing to every song the Hip played. There were old people, young people, really young people, a swaying mass of humanity united for this brief moment in singing every word of all the songs. I was totally transfixed by the sight. Maybe there is hope for world peace yet.

And they all stood throughout the whole concert. Fortunately for me, the seats we had allowed me to remain seated and still see the concert. I would not have been able to stand for that long. I did get up and dance a little bit too.

It was a great night, the weather cooperated and all went well. I thank my friends for taking me along on The Hip Adventure.

Alive and well in Trenton Ontario

2011-06-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hello once again. I have been lazy and haven't posted since March. I found that during the winter, there's only so many pictures you can take of your surroundings before they all begin to look the same, dull and drab. I don't like to post without pictures so there you have it.

I have a bunch of picture to post so I hope you like them. The ones directly below are from a thunderstorm that went through a week or so ago.

I played with the photo program and got this.

Living beside an airstrip at the Trenton air force base has given me opportunity to take some aircraft shots. The first two are of the C-17 cargo aircraft and I don't know the type of jet in the third, although it flies circuits here all the time. Good thing I like aircraft.

A pair of F-18's was here all last week and they are a noisy addition to the neighborhood.

Having found myself with time on my hands, I played with my photo program and produced the following images just for fun. Enjoy.

That's enough posting for one day. Do check back. I'll probably be making entries again on a more regular basis. Bye.

Deja-Vu, sort of

2011-03-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I posted but I got sick after I returned from Abbotsford, a nasty cold that took almost two weeks to leave my system.

First thing I did when the ice went out was go looking for the water birds down on the Trent River and I found them in the same spot as before winter got started. I fed the gulls the french fries left over from my lunch. The geese and swan weren't very interested and I guess they don't care for fries. But gulls, gulls will eat almost anything, I have discovered. I watched a man feed them an apple that he cut up and tossed at them. They were probably surprised at the taste, but gobbled the pieces up regardless.

It has been a cold spring around here but the sun is shining and forecast to do so for another five days or so and I can live with that.

I will be having dental surgery on March 29th so I might not post again for a couple of weeks. As soon as I am able, I'll be back to tell you all about it.

This is a short post and I thank you for stopping by to read it.

Impossible to escape snow

2011-02-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Even in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia.

Greetings one and all. I have been in Abbotsford British Columbia for almost three weeks, enjoying a snowless landscape until today. I awoke to a white world outside.

That's my rental car to the left. As pretty as freshly fallen snow is, I had hoped not to see any while I was here.

During my visit to B.C. my friend Reg Scharf and I visited two other locations not too far away. The first town we visited was Harrison Hot Springs.

Even in February, the town had quite a few visitors from elsewhere. It must be very beautiful in the summer time. We did not take advantage of the hot springs themselves, although many tourists come here to do just that.

A few days later, we were on our way to Hedley B.C. but only got as far as Princeton. It had snowed the night before in this area and the road was quite messy to drive over.

We did see some hoar frost that made for a nice picture.

I only took one picture of Princeton and here it is below.

During one of our day excursions, Reg and I took a drive along Stave Lake Road out of Mission B.C. and I took these pictures. You will note there was no snow and the afternoon sun was pleasant and made for a nice day.

Mount Baker, part of the Cascade mountain range that runs along the western shore of North America, stopping just inside the American border, was visible in the interior here. I cropped a picture to demonstrate.

Mount Baker is easily visible to anyone in Abbotsford and is quite magnificent.

The above picture was taken fairly early during my stay here and since the picture was taken, much more snow fell on the mountain and it is now completely white and pristine.

Only two more sleeps here in Abbotsford and one in Toronto before I am back home in Trenton Ontario. I hear it's has snowed often and been very cold during my absence. The good news is that spring is just around the corner and all the snow will soon be history. Talk to you soon!

Down but not out

2011-01-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

At last, a moment to sit and put a few words on paper as to what has been happening. Snow, deep freeze cold and more snow has descended on the Trenton area in the last few weeks, annoying the heck out of me. The idea to move south was to escape shoveling a lot of snow, yet that is what has taken up some of my time.

My sister and I went to Toronto for a few days and I picked up some sort of bug that seemed to come right out of the blue. I was so dizzy with an upset stomach. I thought I had developed a neurological disease because of the dizziness. I am happy to report that I am at present feeling almost like myself again. This is a good thing as I am going out west to visit my friend Reg. I don't want to be sick while I am there.

If you can't get away from snow in Trenton, well, the next best thing is to go somewhere that doesn't have any snow and still be in Canada and that place is the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. Abbotsford did have some snow in early January but the temperature has rebounded and made short thrift of the snow. I'm hoping to experience an early spring out there.

I'll be taking my camera so I will be posting more in February complete with photos. I hope you'll come back for a look at this beautiful province.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-03T16:30:00.001-08:00

The snow that fell in mid December has all disappeared and the new year came in green. The forecast is calling for snow this week and that's normal. I had wondered where all the sea gulls had gone once the Trent River froze but I found them at a small area where the ice has not completely formed.

There are Canada geese, sea gulls, ducks and a lone swan, probably the one that I took pictures of further upstream in the summer. Quite a nice sight to see.

My airplane ticket has been purchased for Abbotsford B.C. in February. I will be visiting my friend Reg there for a few weeks and hopefully leaving the snow behind in Ontario. Only a little over a month before I go. I'll take pictures there and continue to post in my blog. Hopefully I'll get some neat shots.

That's it until my next posting.

The new reality...

2010-12-20T06:29:00.001-08:00

is how white it is now in my world. Yes, three days ago I was wearing sandals but that won't be possible now. About 7 inches of snow has fallen since then. Only winter boots will do today when I go outside.

Hello out there. Trenton has finally joined the rest of Ontario under a clean white blanket of snow spread out across the countryside. It has been snowing on and off for the past 3 days. I am luckier than most that the amount of snow is quite manageable and I do have snow tires and all time four wheel drive on my car. I can zip through that amount of snow anytime. It's the other guys I have to watch out for who don't have the proper equipment on theirs.

I took these pictures yesterday while I was out to the gym. Snow is certainly here and it's not yet officially winter.

Some snow in OhiO

2010-12-10T16:02:00.000-08:00

and now here in Quinte West as well. Hello to all. I have returned from a one week jaunt into Ohio, which took me through a part of New York and Pennsylvania. While in Ohio I also visited in West Virginia for one day and night. Some snow there too, but only a dusting.

I stayed in Niagara Falls Ontario as a mid stop to Ohio and took these pictures.

These are the American falls. My room faced these falls.

Here they are after I have zoomed in a little.

This is the morning of my last day, nice and sunny to drive home to Trenton.

Fun was had in the U.S. and I enjoyed my visit. Still, I am glad I am home again and I hope I don't have to travel too far by car for some time to come.

Oh yeah, I got my first gig for the Lions Club in Frankford. I will be playing a few songs before their Christmas dinner. As luck would have it, I think I picked up a cold on my travels. I am hoping it won't affect my voice too much. I'll be rehearsing all weekend. Check back, I'll let you know how it went. Bye for now.

Snow has arrived in Quinte West

2010-11-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, it had to happen and it has - the world filling up with white bits that swirl and fly in the wind right outside my windows.

Hello everyone. The first signs of winter have reached the southeast corner of Ontario. Here are some pictures of the first snowfall.

The world was white momentarily and then the sun came out, ending the first snow event of 2010.

All of November is almost gone and these are the first pictures I have taken. It does cause huge gaps in time between posts but if you are reading this, thanks for being here.

Since my move to Trenton, I have had to cross railway tracks with regularity if I go north from my home to catch an east-west road that is not as busy as highway 2. The railway crossings are terrible and in need of some maintenance.

I had been threatening for 5 months to write an email to the town council with my complaint. What brought it to a head was the weekend closure of highway 2 that forced thousands of cars traveling along the highway to go over these tracks. This caused a hastening in the deterioration of the planks at these crossings.

So I went ahead and fired off an email to advise the town council of their shape and suggested the use of some taxpayer dollars to rectify a situation that could soon endanger the public.

Well, three days later, there are a few fresh planks and some gravel to smooth out the worst crossing. A day after that, White's Road was closed for 36 hours. When I finally went up White's Road, the railway crossing was completely redone, with new planks and asphalt. Ta Da!

Now I think it was my email that sparked this activity, but my sister Shirley, thinks that I probably wasn't the only one to complain so I'll just say that my email had something to do with the improvement. Other crossings remain to be attended to but the worst of the lot has been upgraded and I am grateful for that.

Never underestimate the power of your voice, be it spoken or written.

I have two more pictures to show you. One is a train crossing over the Trent River and the other is a neat tree that I am posting in black and white, found along the banks of the Trent.

This will probably be my last post for November. I am going on a trip to Ohio to visit friends the first week of December (weather permitting!) so I'll be sure to take some pictures to post here upon my return. Hope you will check back then.

Another month almost over

2010-10-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted but the internet is not always running at a high enough speed for me to download pictures to my blog and I don't like posting without pictures. I use an internet stick and in the area that I live, the coverage is not always good.

It has been a good month. Trenton has only had one night that dipped below the freezing mark. For someone who has lived the balance of her life in the north, this is most unusual, but very welcome. I have been wearing sandals right up until yesterday and it is possible I might be able to continue to wear them through November.

The above nests were in the birch tree in my sister's driveway. All summer we enjoyed watching the robins fly in and out of the tree on feeding missions for the little ones.

The following pictures were taken on a day trip to Ohare Mill in nearby Madoc Ontario. Enjoy the scenery.

Along the line of smokey hills...

2010-10-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

The crimson forest stands.

And all the day the blue jay calls throughout the autumn lands.

Just when you think you have it all under control, a death occurs that makes you stop and reassess everything you value and prioritize. My friend, Linda Knies, passed away unexpectedly in September. I drove up to Kirkland Lake for her funeral. Despite the sad occasion, it was good to see old friends again that I have been missing since I moved away to Trenton.

Raindrops fell on the funeral procession for Linda like tears from heaven at her passing.

A taste of Kirkland Lake, a booming mining town at present. The area can use a boost to its economy after being a depressed area for so long.

Signs of progress abound in the 40 km stretch of Highway 11 that is still only two lanes.

The picture below shows where the new highway will lie just south of Sundridge.

I wasn't back long when the news came that another friend, Clark Hosick, had passed away in Ohio. He had been sick for a long time. Still, it was sad news. My thoughts and condolences go to those who mourn his passing.

I am off later today for a look at some tall trees. In this part of the world, it would be interesting to see them as this whole area has been tree harvested a couple of times. If there is any picture I take worth posting, I'll be back here with an update.

Slowing down somewhat

2010-08-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

I did go off to Kawartha Lakes (aka Manilla) last Friday night for a Mars viewing party. The moon and Mars tracked each other across the evening and morning sky and was quite visible out in the country. It was a marvelous night. The band that played in front of the barn were working out a few kinks in their act but by the second set were beginning to sound pretty tight. I played some songs on my guitar after they had packed up and left. Their sound was entirely different from mine so I waited until later to play by a small fire.

I had a good time. I slept in a little bunkhouse separate from the main house and got up bright and early to hit the road home. As I was leaving, I stopped and took a picture of Marie's farm house.

The house needs a lot of work and I wish Marie well. She will need all the help she can get over the next while but she is happy to be where she is and that is what is important.

You know you're getting old when...

2010-08-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

you go to Toronto for the day and it takes three days to recover. Unbelievable but true. I left on Saturday morning to meet up with three friends I hadn't seen in 36 years and met them at the Sheraton Center in Toronto.

I didn't do much drinking, just a beer and a shot of Canadian Club over lunch and then a glass of red wine on the train back to Belleville. That being said, I woke up on Sunday feeling like I'd been on a bender for 3 days. I napped on and off all day Sunday and took it easy on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday I was back to normal, except that my weight is up about 10 lbs. I'm hoping this isn't the beginning of my body fighting back over the weight loss I have achieved so far.

Here is a picture of the 'girls' 36 years later.

They are from left, Debi, Nancy, Lynne and Cathy.

I am pleased to say that none of us are on any medication and are healthy. The picture was taken by Lynne's grandson Aaron.

Good thing I am all rested up because I am off again tomorrow for a Mars party at a friend's farm about 2 hours from my home. I will be staying overnight. There is supposed to be a band playing and I might get to sing with them. I'll let you know.

Sun and Surf

2010-08-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday. I won't tell you how old I am but let's just say that I'm way beyond the age of majority and all is going well. I am having a wonderful day.

Ahhhh...

Yesterday I spent another day at Sandbanks Provincial Park, only this time I had company - my sister's 14 year old granddaughter Rebecca. What a perfect day it was. We swam and played in the waves and laid on the beach, she in the sun, me in the shade.

As what sometimes happens when you're having a good time, a thunder cloud wanted to join the party at the beach so we had to pack up and get the 'h' out of there. We drove out of the rain back to my place and watched the end of a Nickelback concert I had recorded. What fun that was.

Rebecca will be going back to her home near Kitchener tomorrow and I am sorry I didn't spend more time with her, but she'll be back again.

A new adventure awaits. Tomorrow I am taking the train into Toronto where I will be meeting up with three friends I haven't seen since 1974 and 1976. I am so looking forward to seeing them again. There is much to discuss. Stay tuned.

The non-event Sunday

2010-08-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Not much has been happening around here so on Saturday I took a trip to Sandbanks Provincial Park, about an hour from my home. It has a magnificent beach.

I took the picture below on the causeway before entering the park.

It was really windy and it was picking up a lot of sand so I didn't stick around after I had my lunch. Still, it was a nice place to visit.

I had a request to post a picture of my home so here it is below.

I did cut the grass and dig the weeds out of the patio stones later. :">)
And this is my current view.

These sunflowers came up without my doing anything and I am happy to have them brighten up my life.

Wish upon a shooting star after midnight

2010-08-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight just after midnight till near dawn and tomorrow night too, the sky will be filled with shooting stars from the Perseid constellation. Every year the earth passes through this meteor belt and this year promises to be spectacular. I was out last night around 10pm and saw 3 and this was before midnight. I am going to stay awake until midnight so I can take in the show.

Speaking of shows, I was in Orillia on Wednesday night and saw Sheryl Crow in concert.

I picked this shot of her on stage at the concert off an internet story about the show. She has a whole new sound, more soul than before and her band was exceptionally tight. It was a wonderful concert.

I hope someone stays up to watch the show besides myself. I love falling stars and this is the time to see them in all their glory. I'll report tomorrow night how many I actually saw.

Back from the north

2010-08-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

My sister Shirley and I went to New Liskeard over the weekend to visit family and friends. I confess to not taking any pictures on the way up but we crossed over into Quebec to bypass construction on Highway 11 for the return leg to North Bay.The highway in Quebec runs along the eastern side of Lake Temiskaming. I did take a few pictures there.

The lake is beautiful on this side too.

It was soon apparent we were in Quebec.

The countryside looked peaceful and serene on this hazy August day.

There was a field planted with sunflowers that had seen better days so I found one that wasn't quite so tired looking.

In the town of Temiscaming, we were wondering just what was on the other side of this hill.

Turns out it was a combination of both smoke and fog, er, smog from the Tembec Lumber mills that operate in the town.

And then we were back in Ontario.

From that point on, it was known territory and I put the camera away. It also began to rain in North Bay and it rained almost all the way back to Frankford, our starting point. It was a good adventure and I saw the far side of Lake Temiskaming where I had never been before.

Time for a little tale

2010-08-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

After I had moved into my new home and got settled a bit, I took the train into Toronto, basically just because I could now. My Achilles tendon was killing me but I walked around downtown Toronto and had supper here at the Hard Rock's outdoor cafe.

I tried a couple of the fancy margaritas they were serving.

Mighty tasty.

While sitting there I looked around. The street has been widened at the corner of Dundas and Yonge to accomodate a large meeting and greeting area.

I was able to watch TV from my seat on the patio as the monitor about 6 stories up had the words printing across the bottom, like it's done for the hearing impaired.
Of course the advertising was screaming from the ads in every direction.

I loved it, loved the fact that I was just visiting and was able to leave and go to a much quieter, peaceful place.

Here are some pictures of downtown Toronto as it was July 2010.

Quiet Sunday

2010-08-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Another day dawns bright and sunny here in Trenton. It promises to be a gorgeous day with sun and cloud and moderate temperatures. Fortunately the big jobs I had to do were all completed yesterday. There is still some cleanup involved but that can wait for the beginning of the week.

I took on the massive job of repainting my bathtub. It was a moss green and had a couple of big chips and a series of smaller ones marring the surface and was quite unattractive. I dreaded doing it but after reading all the instructions and buying all the materials necessary, it began to look doable. I started last Wednesday and it is all painted and dazzling white. I still have to replace the caulking around the edge but I'll leave that until the epoxy paint has completely cured. Here's what it looks like now.

Now I have to put a little fresh paint on the baseboard as it now looks dingy in comparison. It truly never ends but is still rewarding to make these upgrades.

I recently updated my home page with a picture of the local lonesome looking swan that patrols the Trent River near Frankford Ontario. Below are some photos.

The swan heard the clicking of the camera and looked around until he spotted me.Uh oh, busted.

I also had to stop for a couple of turkeys jaywalking on Glen Miller Road. These turkeys are allowed to do so and are a treat to see up close.

That's it for today. Have a good one.

Hello from Trenton Ontario

2010-07-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

Well, hello everyone. I finally have five minutes to sit down and post a comment or two. It has been a long time, since May 14th to be exact. Lots of water has flowed under the bridge since then.

I am happily ensconced in my new mobile home and all is going very well. I have taken a lot of pictures which I want to share with you so it will take some time. I don't want to send people away because my posts are excessively long so I'll keep this one short.

I have seen some interesting things. Like this car repair service...

Not sure I want to take my car there, in case the owner is having a bad day.

Down the road that parallels the Trent River is the town of Glen Miller. At first I thought it was named after the famous band leader whose plane disappeared over Europe in 1944 but after some research I realized it wasn't.

Glen Miller is home to the Bleasdell Boulder however. It's a huge rock that was left behind after the last ice age. I haven't been in to see it yet, but when I do, I will post a picture for everyone to see.

Here in Trenton, I have some very noisy neighbors, seeing as how the park where I live runs alongside the 10000 ft runway for the air force base. I had only been there one day when I saw this.

It's a Russian Antonov, in Trenton to pick up supplies for Afghanistan. I stopped and watched it take off. Quite the sight. That was okay but it came back and left again at 245am...everybody in town heard that departure.

Here is a photo of the Trenton area, a view of the Bay of Quinte from inside Bain Park.

My sister's place is where I used to see the deer. They would come in the early morning and have a snack of cracked corn that my brother-in-law Jack would put out for them.

Not to be left out, one morning I saw a raccoon checking out the trough.

It has been a hot and sunny summer for most people in Ontario, including the Trenton area. This is the best summer I have experienced in many years. My sister Shirley has a great pool and I have cooled off in it quite often this year.

Trenton is the air force base that all the soldiers that are killed in Afghanistan are brought to upon repatriation. It is something to see. Canadian flags and people line the route that the fallen soldier's remains pass by.

This portion of the Highway of Heroes is Hamilton Road, not too far from my new home.

I made a new friend the other evening. He looked a little lonesome. I don't know for sure that it's a male, but that is what I initially thought when I saw it so that's what I'm calling him.

Finally, for this post, I will leave you with an idea of how beautiful the Trent River is in this area.

I'm hoping to post fairly often now so do check back again.

Everybody likes pictures of eagles

2010-05-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Only two weeks now until the big move. I am as ready as I guess I am going to be. I received these pictures from Connie Horak, my friend in Pennsylvania. She is always supplying me with material. The latest missive contained pictures of eagles en masse.

Just outside the town of Comox on Vancouver Island in January, 2009, the weather was so cold that the bald eagles were cruising over houses looking for helpless cats to make a quick meal. Some kind souls decided to feed the eagles down at Goose Spit so they would survive the cold spell.

These birds were curious but not the least afraid of the men who came and put out food for them.

Many eagles showed up to feast on the food these men were able to bring for them.

The only other time I have seen pictures of eagles in great numbers was for the salmon run in British Columbia where eagles line the river banks, waiting for a quick meal.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Busy, busy, busy

2010-05-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. I went to visit my sister Shirley in Frankford this past week to scout out a new home. We went to 3 (very) different trailer parks in the Trenton area. The one on the Trenton Air Force base itself was sort of seedy and worthy of the expression 'trailer trash'. I doubt I'll be moving into that park anytime soon. The next two parks were quite well maintained and would suit well.

The last one was the best, but of course the most expensive. It is also probably a seniors park, which I admit, now includes me as a member. At this last one they also have a Resident Ownership Program (ROP)which translates into me having to cough up more than my down payment if I want to live there. Still, it means a better class of occupant and perhaps a more responsible one as well. Dang, my housing is forcing me to invest my own money into something resembling a nest egg. Hmmm. If the money is tied up, I can't spend it, right? Certainly an avenue to consider.

Down in a cute little town called Bloomfield, Shirley, Claire and I visited an open garden. It was almost past the tulip season but I did get some nice shots.

While in Trenton one day, Claire and I stopped to have a snack at the William Bain Memorial Park, right on the Bay of Quinte. Here the water level is also low. There were many swans visiting the area and I got these photos.

When I got back from down south, I was greeted by a white blanket that metaphorically said 'Welcome to Northern Ontario!'.

The look on my cousin Claire's face says it all. Yuck. The next day was a winner too.
This was how my backyard looked.

I went to the lawyer's office today and signed the offer to purchase for my house. Now it is legal and there are few legal hurdles left. I now have to go about the chore of canceling services and arranging to have my mail forwarded, etc. I'll probably forget some important things but I hope not.

The movers came this morning and gave me an estimate for the move to Trenton. One less thing to worry about as it was quite reasonable. Moving, although necessary at times, is a pain and I will be happy to hang up my hat at my next address and stay put for a while. I might still travel but I am not moving anywhere again anytime soon.

That's the kind of week I had. Talk soon.

Not your average Thursday evening

2010-04-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Strange things happened last night. I was standing in the kitchen when I could hear this loud tone like a faraway bandsaw and I couldn't figure out what it was or where it was coming from. Then out of the stairwell flies this bee. It was the biggest bumble bee I have ever seen. I have no idea how it got into the house but there I was, with a bee in the kitchen and I'm not sure what to do next.

I didn't want to hurt the bee so I first opened the kitchen door, hoping it might fly out but no, it got distracted by the under counter light. Eventually, after following it around and ducking a lot, I got a lunch box and trapped it inside and carried it out.

Whew. A shot of adrenaline at 930pm is not always a good thing, not if you want to be calm and asleep in an hour. I settled back in my chair and went back to the program I had been watching on TV. A little while later I smelled gas, not a lot, but definitely gas. I got up to investigate and I could smell it again by the furnace. Not wanting to take any chances, I called the gas emergency line.

And so began my second adventure for the night. A gas man showed up with a meter and wand and walked through the house, waving the wand around. There was no detectable trace of gas left anywhere, and again, Whew. He did remark about it being a nice house though. All that hard work to sell the house had paid off if this stranger noticed.

I was able to sleep quite well last night despite it all. It's interesting that just when I am selling my house that a potential catastrophe occurs. It will take a little time for the dust to settle down when I leave as I can't get out of town fast enough. Only 28 days to go...

The Sold sign arrived

2010-04-27T05:32:00.001-07:00

A man came along at 730am and put up the 'Sold' sign on the lawn. Now my neighbors know I have sold the house. Pretty soon I'll have to go about canceling all my services and such. I know the lawyer's office does a lot of it but I might get started on the phone and satellite TV.

I am no worse for wear for my little adventure in the woods at Eau Claire Gorge. It actually did me some good as I have now officially lost 38 lbs total. I finally made that breakthrough, probably in part due to the moment of panic I experienced when I thought I might be lost.

I wanted to post a few more pictures from my hike. Here they are below. Enjoy.

Happy news and nature pictures

2010-04-25T17:25:00.001-07:00

Unbelievable but true - I sold my house here in North Bay. It only took 30 days. I fretted a bit as houses were disappearing off the market very quickly. The closing date for the sale is May 28th. I'll be staying with my sister until I figure out just where exactly I am going to go but it's a pretty safe bet that it will be in Trenton. I am leaning toward a mobile home as they are affordable for someone on a fixed income, and you still get the feel of a house. Stay tuned as I figure that out.

Switching gears a little, I have been working on losing weight and the last while has been a struggle. My body does not want to part with the old fat that's been around for a long time so I was stalled at 33/34 lbs. I have been so busy with people coming to the house and such that I only had time on Saturday to run in to the 'Y' and weigh myself.

I was down 37.5 lbs! I stared at the scale but it didn't move, it was true. I finally broke through the barrier. Of course, I still have to go to the diet clinic tomorrow for the official results. At first both sets of scales were matching up closely but the past week I weighed less at the 'Y' then I have at the diet clinic. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

On yet another note, after the buyers for my house left in the morning, it was a mild sunny afternoon so I decided to go for a short drive to Eau Claire Gorge Falls, a wild waterfall on the Amable du Fond River, about 55 km's east of North Bay.

It promised to be a pleasant hike in the woods and a distance of about 2 km's round trip. How better to spend an afternoon getting exercise when you have skipped going for a workout all weekend, right? I had remembered to bring along some poles but I decided I didn't need the little hand protectors that look like gloves without the fingertips, nor was I likely to need a jacket as it was a pleasant 16c. I also didn't bring my cell phone or anything other than my camera and poles.

I had been there once before years ago and so I hurried along the path, anxious to get to the gorge, get my pictures and then have a few tranquil moments back at the car. It was further in than I remembered and there were 2 trails, a yellow one and a red one. I figured red was a warning that the trail was steep so I stuck to the yellow path. There were ominous signs like this to warn of the danger of the moving water.

The cliffs gradually got steeper until I looked down on the water from a height of about 30 meters or so. The trail wound alongside the water until it opened on a little clearing and I got these two photos below.

I can only post a few pictures tonight of the river but I can say that there was no shortage of water going down the chute but even so, the level of water was lower than it had been in the past according to water marks on rocks along the way.

Having gotten my pictures I turned around and scurried back along the yellow trail, eschewing the red unknown path in favor of one I thought I knew.

Hm, something seems amiss. I am encountering muddy areas I hadn't remembered going through the first time. Hm,I am thinking I missed the turn to go back to the car.

I was just beginning to think I would have to turn around when the trail opened up on the edge of a farmer's field and I could see buildings about 300 meters across a field. Oops! I definitely have overshot the turn.

So by now I am thinking I better hurry it up a little, it's getting late and I have already walked an extra km at least and I am tiring. The theme of Gilligan's Island begins to run in my head (a 3 hour tour, 3 hour tour...). I begin to think, hm, no snack, no jacket, no cell phone...where the 'h' was my head when I started out on this fun little hike, solo to boot.

There had been other people there but nonetheless, I was careful on my way back not to overshoot the turn once again. (a 3 hour tour, 3 hour tour...)

Ah, there it is, the turnoff. Yay! I won't be sleeping in the bush tonight, woefully under prepared after all.

But I could have. I have to be more vigilant so I don't find myself thinking of Gilligan (a 3 hour tour, 3 hour tour)again.

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

I haven't any new pictures to share with you this posting but I couldn't let Earth Day go by without relating to you my most memorable experience with Earth Day.

In 1990, I had just purchased the property in Gowganda and, my partner at the time Reg, and I had cleared a large portion of it but there was this huge pile of brush that had to be dealt with. We decided the thing to do was to burn it. Well, it was a cool April day with drizzle falling intermittently between hints of sunshine and the fire wasn't burning very well.

So, we got in the car and drove to the dump and came back with half a tire and threw that on the fire. Needless to say, the fire perked right up, the plumes of black smoke testament to that.

Later on I heard it was Earth Day... Oops. = :">)

Today I spent Earth Day in a greener way. I cleaned up my yard without endangering the planet. I want to make a good first impression on the potential buyers that have started calling to view the house.

A quick perusal of the M.L.S. here in North Bay reveals that many of the houses in my price range has been bought up already so mine will probably go before the end of the month. The people who were here earlier this evening really liked it and I have someone else coming on Saturday so I am hopeful that the sale will be a done deal shortly.

Almost time for bed after another busy day. Catch ya later.

More sunshine to celebrate

2010-04-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

After a dreary day yesterday, the sun shone all day today in compensation. I went for a drive down to Sunset Park in West Ferris and took some more pictures. It is shocking how low the water is there.

The docks shown here are about 6 to 8 feet above the sand.

I watched a young family set sail in a little sailboat from this boat launch last July...there won't be any boats launched from here anytime soon.

There is no doubt that the water table is dropping in Ontario. I have visited the beaches around Wasaga Beach since the early seventies and I can say that the water in Georgian Bay has dropped significantly over the past 40 years. It comes as no surprise that Lake Nipissing is also showing more shoreline than ever. The rains will come, of that I am sure. It's the 'when' that is the mystery.

Having lived in the north for most of my life, I embrace these warm, sunny, unexpected days and actually hope for more while they last. Let's keep in mind that this is an El Nino influenced year. The warm ocean currents are throwing the seasons out of whack. There is plenty of rain and snow in our future.

On that, um, interesting note, I will close for this evening.

Saturday evening rain

2010-04-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Of course the weather could be much worse, like snowing or something awful like that. A little rain is making all the flower heads peek out of the ground. So far I have seen crocuses, snow drops and daffodils appear in my back yard. And the soon to be magnificent tiger lilies are already about 8 inches tall.

No progress yet on the house sale. Lots of lookers though. I am at 1050 hits on the Property Guys site and 476 hits on the Kijiji web site. It really is only a matter of time. Fortunately, I don't need to move so I can wait as long as it takes.

Time continues to fly, it being past the middle of April already. The leaves are starting to show on the trees here. This is quite early, even for North Bay. Soon it will be May and the start of pickerel season and the May 24th weekend, which actually falls on the 24th this year. Good luck to all you would-be fisher people out for the first strike of the year.

One thing the lack of snow and rain has caused is a shortage of runoff water in the North Bay area, as evidenced by the log on the beach and a sand bar about 100 feet out.

It doesn't seem to bother the geese any. They are liking the fact that they can walk on the sand bar away from human traffic.

I am having difficulty getting the long term fat to budge from my body. Today at the 'Y' I weighed in at 34.8 pounds. Thirty five has become a magic number for me. Perhaps this coming week I will 'cross over' to the other side (of 35 lbs, that is).

Not much else happening around here so I'll close for tonight. Bye for now.

Monday evening sunset

2010-04-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hello again. One thing North Bay has is a big beautiful lake - Lake Nipissing. These days, however, the water is quite low due to the lack of rain. This does not affect sunsets and this is a good thing.

Here are some pictures I took tonight. Enjoy.

Sunny Monday

2010-04-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

I was away over Friday night in Orillia where I saw the band Air Supply. They were really good. I didn't realize how many of their songs I knew as I had not followed their careers actively.

On Sunday a small weather squall formed over Lake Nipissing and dropped ice pellets on the city for about 10 minutes. I was able to get a shot from the back door. Unfortunately it's out of focus but I am printing it anyway. They fell and bounced off the deck looking like so many rough diamonds cast off from above.

I was unable to get a clear shot because the ice pellets melted as quickly as they had appeared.

Lots of people looking at my house on the web but no calls yet. In the meantime, I will work on the yard as today is bright and sunny and there is always something to do.

Belated birthday wishes to my friend Vicki Rendall in Gowganda. I was out celebrating with my cousin Claire who shares the same birth date. I hope you had a fine time. I was thinking about you.

Time to go and get weighed in. I was 34.8 lbs down (Yay!) yesterday but I somehow manage to weigh more when I go to the clinic. Here's hoping...

It had to happen I guess

2010-04-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Not only has the rain returned but today it was accompanied by freezing rain, ice pellets and snow. It's becoming a white world outside once again.

The temperature today is hovering just below the freezing mark, hence the ice that has accumulated on my fence post.

I wouldn't care all that much as this is April and you just know the snow isn't going to stick around for long, but I am driving my friends to Orillia tomorrow night to watch the band Air Supply. One thing I do not relish is the drive there if it is snowing. It could end up being rain, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for that.

Not much else is new, still waiting on the right person to come along and fall in love with my house. There have been 770 hits on the property guys web site so people are looking. Property Guys has a booth at the Home and Garden Show this weekend at Memorial Gardens here in North Bay so more people than ever will become aware of my house for sale. Here's hoping...

2010-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I heard the rain beating on the window about 430am but I managed to sleep through it til 7am. The ground got a thorough soaking and the rain stopped within an hour. The sun played hide and seek with clouds for the remainder of a pleasant day.

Still no movement on the house, although people are looking at it on the Property Guys web site.

On a brighter note, I am now officially down 34 lbs. The weight loss has become a struggle. My cousin Claire pointed out that 'new' fat is easy to lose but the 'old' fat that has been on the body for some time will be reluctant to leave. I am at the point where my body must give up the old fat to burn for energy, to offset my caloric restriction. I fear this will be a long battle that I am determined to win.

Tomorrow I have to fix the gate in the fence. I need a small piece of wood to accomplish this. Perhaps my neighbour might have what I need. I'll ask him tomorrow.

My brother, Jim Decker, and his wife, Sophie, are presently in Australia taking in the sights. He sent along these photographs of the Twelve Apostles formations near Melbourne Australia.

The Twelve Apostles are giant rock stacks that rise majestically from the Southern Ocean and are the central feature of the rugged Port Campbell National Park, Australia.

The Twelve Apostles have been created by constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10–20 million years ago. The stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore.

Thanks Jim for the geography lesson and for sharing such beautiful surroundings.

That's it for today.

Those April Showers

2010-04-04T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first time it rained in many a day. It probably didn't last all that long and I didn't see it, but the ground was wet this morning when I looked outside. Not much rain but what a difference it made in the greening of the lawn in the back yard. New growth seemed to appear out of nowhere and take root. The early flowers are still blooming and the tiger lilies are up out of the ground about 3 inches or so. Won't be long now before they are out in their glory, filling up the blank spaces and lining the walls of my house and fence. They are a welcome sight for winter weary eyes.

Had a nice Easter dinner at my cousin Claire's home, delicious as always. She wouldn't let me carry any food down into the rec room because of my problem with gravity at Thanksgiving. (I fell down the stairs that day carrying a casserole dish of vegetables.) Her son Jason won our game of Trivial Pursuit and is the reigning champion. I'll get him next time.

I hope everyone had a good dinner and didn't eat too much. It's great putting on the weight but oh so miserable when the time comes to take it off again. I know. The first pounds come off easily, but those the pounds that have been around for a while will be the most difficult to lose. As of this afternoon, prior to dinner, I was down 34 lbs even. I hope I can say the same tomorrow when I go get weighed in at the clinic. I'll let you know how it went.

Gorgeous and warm

2010-04-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Another great day. Of note, this day last year, it snowed about 25 cm's and once again covered the bare ground with snow. I remember the day well. I had left Gowganda on a normal day and the closer I got to North Bay, the less snow I saw. I brought my car to the Subaru dealership and had the winter tires removed from my car. On the way home, up Highway 144 was not a problem, but those last 100 km's from the turnoff on Highway 560 were a nightmare without those winter tires. There was 6 inches of slush that threatened to pull me into the ditch every chance it got. An hour's drive took me 11/2 hours.

Lots of people out and about today, enjoying the unusual sunny weather. Rain showers are forecast for overnight and should be done by the time tomorrow morning rolls around. Wednesday is the first day it is forecast to rain. This is a good thing as the forests are tinder dry and a fire now could be potentially devastating.

No calls on my house today but I live in hope. Time now for my afternoon, er, tea. Best go get at it.

A beautiful Easter Friday

2010-04-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

It was a quiet day in the bay and very warm and summer-like, despite the fact that the date on the calendar reads April 2nd. It has been many days since there has been any precipitation of any kind and these above pictures illustrate how low the water level in huge Lake Nipissing has gotten.

The ice on the lake normally is gone between the 15th and 17th of April, but this year it will be gone in the next day or so, as evidenced by the gray colour of the ice offshore.

There were many people out walking on the waterfront paths and it was difficult to get a few shots that weren't full of people but I have added a few here to illustrate just how nice it was.

Although the dryness is a concern for many, I am enjoying each and every day that it continues. The weather has been absolutely crappy for the past 2 years so we really deserve this. Get outside and enjoy these unexpected warm balmy days while they last.

On to other matters. I am the incredible shrinking woman these days. I am currently down 33 pounds and hoping to go much lower before I am finished. My thrice-weekly visits to the local 'Y' have given me added strength in my muscles and I have much more energy than before. Things are looking up. Now, if only I could sell my house in North Bay, I'd be in heaven.

That's it for today. Stay tuned. :>)

Everything in its time

2010-04-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all. My hiatus didn't last all that long after all. It occurred to me that a blog would be the next best thing to my newsletter. This way I can post my thoughts and pictures as they are happening, instead of once a month, as in the past.

I hope you will check in on me often and write in once in a while with your thoughts. My blog is the logical next step. More shortly.