Saturday September 19, 2009-Just Hangin Around

It was cloudy when I got up and only 7C (44F). It didn't get as cold as forecast last night and let's hope tonight will be the same but it was still chilly. By the time I was half way through my walk the sun came out and we had clear sunny skies all day.

Walking on the rail trail again this morning

Scene to the right of the trail

A dead tree

They're building a road into town beside the rail trail as they're making Hwy 7 (Ottawa to Carleton Place) into 4 lanes right now


Red leaves

This part of the field is being leveled - maybe for building houses, not sure about that


This morning I made stew - it's feeling like stew weather again.

After lunch I lay down to read and fell asleep again. I had taken a Benadryl for my eye allergies as I want to stay off eye drops since they appear to be causing pressure behind my eyes and giving me bad headache.

So not much happening again today!

Friday September 18-Emissions Test, Truck Plates

I heard rain this morning very early and it was still cloudy with a few sprinkles when I went for my walk so I didn't take the camera. We did have some sunny periods and some wind this afternoon but it was cool all day. Our high was 17C (62F) and our low tonight is forecast to be 4C (39F). Brrrrr!

Gordon took the truck in for the emissions test this morning. It passed so he went and got the sticker for the license plate. He was home in less than an hour. While he was gone I did the vacuuming and coloured my hair.

After lunch, I went in to Carleton Place to pick up some groceries and get some photocopying done so I could send my claim in to my extended health care for our chiropractor treatments and bloodwork.

CBS pulled the plug on the soap opera "The Guiding Light" today. I grew up watching that soap. Although I haven't watched it in years, it's too bad it's finished. According to Wikipedia, it's the longest running soap - 72 years beginning on radio. Farewell Josh & Reva!

Since I didn't take any photos today, I'm featuring ones taken yesterday in Smiths Falls.

These are the doors to the lock

Looking towards downtown

Rideau River when you come out of the lock


Not a very exciting day today.

Thursday September 17, 2009-Truck Service

Yesterday's blog was done with Blogger's new editor. The fact that there even was a new editor came to my attention in the Bayfield Bunch blog a few days ago so I decided to try it. While I'm sure it has many nice features, I've gotten used to the old editor and I don't have any problem placing photos with it as some do. I didn't like the line spacing in the new editor and I had more problem placing photos than I do with the old one so after only one day, I went back to the old editor.

There has also been talk in a lot of blogs about Microsoft's Live Writer but so far they don't have anything like that for the Mac so I'll continue along as I've done for the past three years. It was interesting to try the new editor and maybe I'll try it again another time.

As I sometimes I write my blog around photos, the new editor doesn't seem to be easier to use in that respect.

Today started off sunny and chilly at 8C (46F) but by the time I got back from my morning constitutional it was mostly cloudy again. The furnace is already running and from Accuweather's long range forecast it looks like we're in for some cold weather over the next couple of weeks. I saw a few very low nightime temperatures coming up and this is still only September! Maybe when we get down to the Ontario Riviera (at Sherkston Shores) it will be warmer but I'm not counting on it!

We had an appointment at the Dodge dealer in Smiths Falls for 1 p.m. to have the truck serviced so we left the RV park early so that we could have a late breakfast at the Roosteraunt, one of our favourites. We got there early enough to have breakfast (their cutoff time for breakfast is 11:30 a.m.) and still had time to kill before our truck appointment so we stopped at the Rideau locks and walked around a bit taking some photos.

The Falls at Smiths Falls



On our way to the dealer one of the sales reps called and wanted to know if we want to trade in the truck since it's five years old. Not likely!

We got the truck in for service and about an hour later the girl who discusses what's being done on your vehicle came to us and said our front brakes needed changing. We just did that last year. Anyway, we had thought that the synthetic oil in the rear of the truck needed to be changed but she said all our fluids were good. Gordon decided to go ahead with it thinking that inferior pads were put on at Southbank Dodge last year.

I was tired of sitting so went out for a walk and went by the truck bay. The rear wheels were off the truck. What the h***! So Gordon went and checked and it's the rear brakes that needed to be done. That's better. We've never had the rear brakes done in the five years we've owned the truck. It pays to check!

Anyway, it sure is boring sitting in a dealership waiting room. I thought sitting in a laundromat was boring and I have to do that in the next few days too.th

I'm also including some more flower photos that I took while at the Ornamental Gardens on Tuesday.





To read Gordon's journal that he updated today, click here.

Wednesday September 16, 2009 - Congratulations!

First of all, Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband who is now another year older and wiser!

Also, congratulations to our niece, Danica who passed her MCAT exam with flying colours! So, I guess next year it's off to medical school!

 Today started out sunny and bright but the day became more cloudy as it went on. I had a long walk today. I haven't done this walk in two years. It takes me down the farm road and along a road that goes between fields to the rail trail and then back on the Appleton Side Road. It takes about 40 minutes. They have corn planted all over the place here this year so I was hemmed in as I walked along. Imagine my surprise when an 18 wheeler turned the corner and came down the little road between fields! I was so stunned I didn't even get a photo of it.

My morning walk

 

 

 This morning we drove into Carleton Place Hospital to see if Gordon could get an appointment for an ultra sound before we leave. It's scheduled for October 6th but we're on a cancellation list as well. Then on to get the sticker for the truck plates. I didn't notice that we have to have an emissions test done. I didn't know they did emissions tests on diesel trucks. I guess the truck is old now - 5 years so it needs testing! We have that appointment scheduled for Friday and then we can get our sticker.

We came back to the RV for lunch and then headed in to Ottawa for another chiropractic treatment - Gordon's is free today because it's his birthday. From there we stopped to get some bloodwork done. My doctor has been wanting me to get food sensitivity testing done but it's not covered by our health insurance and it's $250! So, today, I broke down and got it done before it goes up in price! Hopefully our extended health care will cover part of it and if not, it's income tax deductible.

We're really sick of medical/dental appointments and having to go out all the time for stuff. We just want to relax! But there's still stuff that has to be done before heading south.

I had a brief nap this afternoon. Then Gordon and I went for a little walk down by the water and around the campground.

Mississippi River at the campground and bench overlooking the river

That covers the day!

Tuesday September 15, 2009 - A Very Busy Day

The day started out sunny but quickly changed to cloud until sunset. We then had quite a nice sunset but we were on the road so any photos I took were from the truck.

It started out today that we had dentist appointments. Since we were going into town we decided to go to the chiropractor too. As we were driving in Gordon said he had something growing on the side of his face where the dermatologist had taken off a basal cell cancer in June so wanted to stop there and also wanted to get an appointment with our family doctor.

So we stopped first at the dermatologist who took him right away and froze the small growth off. In the meantime I went down to the doctor and got an appointment for 6:15 p.m. (they're in the same building), then off to the chiropractor where we each got a treatment. We had about 1 1/2 hours till our dentist appointment so we decided to go to the Ornamental Gardens.

Lots of pretty gardens, this is a garden of mostly grasses


Flower gardens







Even though some of the plants were past their prime it was still beautiful!

I had packed a lunch for us so we ate that on the way to the dentist's office. I had a check up and didn't find anything wrong. Gordon had never been to my dentist before so he had x-rays and a cleaning as well as a check up and it looks like we're fine.

From there we had a couple of hours to kill so I stopped at the bank, picked up a couple of items at the grocery, then we went to Andrew Hayden Park and took some more photos. There were a lot of critters there today.

Chipmunk

Black squirrel

Keeley Falls

Red squirrel


Gray squirrel with a broken tail

GBH (Great Blue Heron)

Close-up

Groundhog

Off to the doctor, we both had an appointment. We were scheduled for September 25th but they had a cancellation so she took me today too. We have a few tests to do (that we don't have to study for, thank goodness)!

We got home around 7:15 p.m. Here is the sunset that we saw on the way home.

Monday September 14, 2009 - Staying at Home

Another beautiful morning! I walked on the farm road this morning to avoid traffic. I saw horses, geese, a wild turkey and several partridge as well as another couple out for a walk.

Wild turkey

A couple of the horses

Canada Geese

A farm scene


Sun spot on corn


Most of the morning I spent on the internet and chatting with Dee on Yahoo Messenger. I spent some time outside my lawn chair but after lunch decided I was tired so I crashed and had a long nap. It's been quite a few days since I got an afternoon nap and I think I was missing it.

Dave (owner of campground) leveling out new gravel on one of the sites

Our very big yard

I had planned to go out and get the new plates (sticker) for the truck today but just didn't get around to it. Luckily we have till the end of September to get it done.

Sunday September 13, 2009- Birthday Celebrations

I had another nice long walk this morning. Today was a day of clouds and sun but at least we didn't get the rain that was predicted. It was also cooler today.

Scene from my morning walk


We headed in to Ottawa late morning and arrived at my sister's house around 11:30 a.m. We were being fed lunch to celebrate both our birthdays, mine on the 9th and Gordon's on the 16th. Nick and Becky arrived around 12:45 p.m. and lunch was served. I haven't had scalloped potatoes in ages and they were good! Gordon got a baked potato as the scalloped ones were made with regular flour but he also got baked beans. We had barbecued pork chops and green beans and for dessert we had raspberry fluff. A very delicious meal.

Jasper, the family dog

We both also got presents. I got a fancy t-shirt (photo below) and two gift cards for Swiss Chalet, Montanas, Kelseys or Milestones. We'll be able to eat out some before we leave! My birthday has now officially extended over about 3 weeks. I guess I can let it go now!

Gordon got two casual shirts, one a golf shirt and one a soccer shirt, so he's all set too!

Thanks to everyone for the gifts!

After one short stop to pick up some lunch meat we arrived home around 4 p.m.

Lots of clouds on the way home