Laundry, Hair Cuts, Dinner and a Visit

Last night after dinner and doing a mountainous stack of dishes, we took a drive for sunset. We wound up going to Playfairville and McDonald’s Corners but the sunset fizzled again. We took some photos, saw a few deer and that was about it but it was a nice evening for a drive. Below is a photo of the little church in McDonald’s Corners. I love the gingerbread!

What a difference a day makes! This morning was bright, sunny with no humidity and 14C (57F). I did my two miles this morning and actually did a couple of running spurts neither of which I’ve been doing the last couple of mornings because of the heavy air.

After my morning ritual, I took the laundry in to Carleton Place to get that over with then on to the grocery to pick up some items to make my Calico Beans for the potluck at the campground this weekend. When I returned the sun was still shining so I sat outside and had my lunch.

Late this afternoon we both went into Carleton Place and got haircuts. Here’s mine:

Then we headed in to Ottawa. Gordon needed a new camera strap. He’s worn his out so we decided to go to Swiss Chalet for dinner. Nick and Becky had given us gift certificates last September for our birthdays but since there are very few Swiss Chalets in the U.S. (I think only in New York) we just got around to using a couple of them. It was really good too, thanks Nick & Becky. After that we stopped at my sister’s and visited with them for a while and picked up our mail. One of the things in the mail was a package from Laura (my friend who got married in May). It was our name cards that she had made for us but unfortunately we didn’t stay for the reception. They are really cute too. Maybe I’ll post a photo of them tomorrow night. Thanks Laura & Steve!

On our way back to Carleton Place we took the back roads and took a few photos. There was an interesting sky in the north. The clouds looked like snowy mountains along the horizon. Here’s a photo.

And also a photo of a couple of old log barns.

Just Sittin' Around

It’s still warm and humid here, 20C (68F) for my morning constitutional. I had a bit of sun and no rain this morning. I know this temperature isn’t really warm compared to the 41C (106F) that some of my daily bloggers are having but it feels very humid for me!

When I went in to Ottawa on Sunday I took the sneakers that I bought last week back to Tootsies and they exchanged them for a pair exactly like I bought last year so I wore them this morning for the first time since my blisters have now healed and they worked great! Note to self – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! In other words, why didn’t I buy the same ones again the first time???

The plan today had been to go into Carleton Place to do the laundry but late this morning we had rolling thunderstorms which lasted into early afternoon. We also had rain and high winds so I decided it could wait till another day.

This afternoon I read my book and made a pot of baked beans. This makes for lots of dishes to do tonight!

This morning we were told that there was a large frog sitting on a tree down by the water so down we went with our cameras and here he is! Not sure what kind of frog it is but he isn't scared and just sits there and gets his picture taken.
He sure is fat though!

Frustrated!

Last evening after dinner we took a drive as a sunset was looking promising but that turned out to be a flop so we drove around on a few roads we hadn’t been on before and found some deer who seemed to want to pose for us.

This morning was 20C (68F) and a bit sunny as I walked out the door following by rain as soon as I hit the road going southbound so I walked for a while, realized it wasn’t letting up a lot so came back and walked west down the side road, then around the park. I was only gone for 20 minutes but was quite wet by the time I got home.

My U.S. Visa card has a credit balance and I’ve been trying to get it back from them since May 15^th. I’ve called three times each time getting ‘the cheque’s in the mail’ sort of answer. Finally today I got angry and asked for a supervisor. He reactivated my card (it had been cancelled on May 15) and said I could go to any branch of CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) and get a refund there. So, I decided to go back to Ottawa and go to my branch there. Not as easy as Mr. Supervisor had said. Mind you they were having problems with their computers freezing up today. All in all I was there for 1 ½ hours. They have the paperwork ready, just have to wait for their computers to be fixed but here were the problems:

1. We can’t do cash advances on U.S. Visas.
2. After a phone call to Visa – we have to change the U.S. funds back to Canadian and then back to U.S. funds to put in your U.S. account.
3. After my nixing that idea and another phone call they found out how to do it (I hope).

Now I just have to wait for their phone call or email to let me know that the transaction has been done. The lady who waited on me was really nice and very patient. I used to work in a bank so I know what they have to go through and I’m not sure I could be that patient anymore!

After stopping at the Hazeldean Mall to pick up a couple of things, I headed back to Carleton Place and did the remainder of my grocery shopping there. Then home. Feels like I’ve been through the war!

Another Brief Trip to the City

It was cloudy, humid and 18C (64F) this morning as I set out however on my way back it started to rain. Luckily I had my wind jacket with me. It’s not waterproof but it helps.

After breakfast we got ready to go into Ottawa as Gordon had a late morning follow-up doctor’s appointment. I had made a chiropractor’s appointment for tomorrow but called and changed it to this afternoon instead so between appointments we stopped and had some lunch at Wendy’s, picked up a few groceries at Loeb (local grocery chain) and then drove down Richmond Road to Wellington Street to see if there were any changes. Most of the changes were in the little community of Westboro. It's really becoming built up and quite trendy.

We came back on the Ottawa River Parkway and stopped at Remic Rapids where we came across these pretty rock sculptures. They are created by hand by a man named John Félice Ceprano and are quite pretty to look at. It’s too bad it was very cloudy at the time these photos were taken.

We arrived back home early this afternoon in time to read and nap!

Seeing Friends

I’m not a fair weather walker but it was drizzly, 17C (63F) as I took my walk and my camera. Of course, I didn’t see anything this morning. Often deer are out when it’s rainy but I guess they were taking a break today. I wore my old sneakers this morning as I knew just by putting the new ones on, I wouldn’t be walking anywhere in them.

Today was the day that I was to get together with my friends, Sandy and Nancy. We all worked at Nortel together and we meet once a year and have lunch and make an afternoon of it and today was no different. We met at Kelsey’s at the Centrum Plaza in Kanata. Luckily our waiter was a friend of Sandy’s daughter so we didn’t have to rush to leave and spent 3 ½ hours getting caught up and looking at Sandy’s photos of her five week trip to Australia and Tasmania last year. What a beautiful trip!

When I left it was pouring rain but as the day progressed the weather got better although the sun never really came out all day (at least at this point in posting). I arrived home just after 4:00 p.m. under cloudy, quite humid weather.

Pictured below are “the girls”.

Another Low Key Day

We’re scheduled to leave Tranquil Acres for Cobourg in a month. Time is sure flying!

We had some sun this morning but it quickly turned to clouds with periods of rain and drizzle. I walked and my heel was a little better but I still didn’t feel like walking a long way.

Late this morning we drove to the Carleton Place Library. I had put some books on hold via their on line site so we picked those up and then drove down a side road, Glen Isle Road that we had been wanting to see. This road takes you to the island that’s across from our campground. There are quite a few houses and a couple of farms on the island. I hadn’t realized it was that large. The barn photo below is one I took there.

It was just a short outing today as it was cloudy and not conducive to photography (except for flowers). So, I shot this pretty lily on our way back into the campground.

Quick Trip to Ottawa Today

This morning was much nicer 19C (67F) and sunny with no humidity. I put a bandaid on my blister from yesterday and started out only to find that my other heel seemed to be getting a blister so since I had brought a bandaid with me I put it on my left heel. As I was about 20 minutes into my walk my right heel started to hurt again. I didn’t have any more bandaids with me so I had to suffer. I think it’s just the same blister that is hurting even with the bandaid on it. Sure hope these shoes get broken in soon. The good news is my back is better.

Today we had to go in to Ottawa as Gordon is developing an abcess up near the base of the root of a tooth so he got penicillin from the doctor. We filled it and then came back to Carleton Place. We stopped at the Independent Store in Carleton Place to pick up a few things then back to the RV to read and have a nap!

We had some fairly heavy rain on the way back to Carleton Place but it cleared up and is bright and sunny now!

This is a photo I took of our RV a few days ago.

Another Stay at Home Day

It was 17C (63F), cloudy and damp this morning for my two mile walk. I wore my new sneakers and the right one gave me a blister. Hope that will clear up when they’re broken in. I didn’t have any problems breaking in the last pair.

Today was spent just hanging around the RV. I made some potato salad and packaged up the meat I bought yesterday so that it will fit better in our little freezer. Other than that I read. Glad I have those library books!

We had a bit of sun on and off this afternoon but it was generally a cloudy day.

The photo is one I took a few days ago of daisies in the garden here at the park.

Shopping in Ottawa

Happy 4^th of July to all our neighbors (notice I didn't put a "u" in neighbors in honor (no "u) of the U.S. Independence Day) from south of our border!

Today was a cloudy day with some rain this afternoon. I got up early and got ready to go in to Ottawa as I had lots of errands to run. I left around 8:30 a.m. and returned around 3:45 p.m. so it was a long day and I still didn’t get everything done that I wanted to do. I was tired and my back gave out on me. I stopped to try on some new sneakers and the salesman said my old ones were shot which is why my back and groin area have started to bother me again. He said “Listen to your body!” Needless to say, I bought new ones. These have a little more support and bounce than my old ones had so can’t wait to try them out. I didn’t walk this morning as I knew I was going to have a long shopping day and I was saving my energy.

Tuesday Stay at Home Day

I took this photo a couple of evenings ago when we walked around the park. He looks like he's waiting to be turned into a prince!

It was surprisingly sunny and warm at 19C(66F) with very little breeze. I headed east down Cram Road but in the distance I could see a couple of large black shapes on the road so not being sure what they were (I expect cows), I turned around and went south on Appleton Side Road instead. I expect some cows had escaped however there could have been a bull and with bears in the area a couple of weeks ago, I decided to be safe rather than sorry. There were actually a couple of others out walking this morning as well as someone on a bike. Summer is here!

After breakfast my internet time and vacuuming the RV, I went outside to read but fell asleep for a while instead. Those chairs aren’t really meant for comfort!

This afternoon I read, played on the computer and made BBQ spareribs for dinner. I rarely make them as they’re fiddly and messy to eat but I really like them. I got a recipe for the sauce on the internet and it sounded good so we’ll see!

Our Visit to Morris Island Conservation Area and Other Points

Today was a nicer day although we did have some cloudy periods. It was sunny and breezy and 14C(58F) as I did my two mile walk again. I decided to take my camera this morning and of course since I did that I saw zip!

Since it was a nice day but not too hot we decided to go to the Morris Island Conservation Area near Fitzroy Harbour. We had been there last year but it was so hot we didn’t walk very far. We took a different trail today, this one going through the woods. We started out on a nice gravel path

but eventually it became a path with a lot of rocks and tree roots, quite hard to walk on. You had to watch every step you took or you’d trip really easily.

We didn’t see a lot, a chipmunk, but lots of pretty white birches. I did manage a photo of one of the pretty black and white dragon flies.

And here's one of the pretty vistas.

Eventually we got back to the causeway where we had walked last year. We had hoped to see lots of dragon flies as they were plentiful last year but there were hardly any this year. Could it be that lots of people were walking around with nets?

At one stop along the road I managed to get a photo of this green dragon fly. (We don't carry nets, only cameras.)

We had our picnic lunch today at a picnic table near the water but in the forested area then drove around for a while ending up in Pakenham then on through Almonte where we took the back way on Appleton Side Road to our RV park arriving home mid afternoon.

I snapped this photo of the Mississippi River at Pakenham.

I sat outside and read for a while. The temperature reached about 24C(75F) today. Just about perfect! We did have a short shower late in the afternoon but it was very short!

June Expenses

Campgrounds - $636.00
Groceries/Wine/Spirits - $465.11
Laundry - $27.25
Entertainment/Parking/Restaurants - $40.10
Truck Fuel - $163.81
Propane - $25.64
Repairs RV/Truck incl Maintenance - $91.01
Internet/TV,Cell/Insurance - $496.11
Medical/Dental - $684.79
Gifts - $206.65
Misc - $692.97

Total - $3530.10

June was a little better than May but we still had a lot of extra expenses.

1. I had to buy new glasses of which my insurance only paid $100.00
2. Gordon’s camera lens had to be fixed
3. We had to buy an external hard drive for Gordon’s computer
4. Our yearly tax to the Canadian Government had to be paid for our satellite internet
5. Gordon had lots of dental work done
6. Our yearly Visa card fee went up again
7. We had a few gifts to buy

On the good side of things, we didn’t spend much in fuel and we did better on groceries without starving ourselves (not likely to happen). We also didn’t eat at restaurants much and confined our activities to the outdoors.

Considering all the extra expenses, I’m happy with our figures for June!

Purdon Conservation Area and Perth

It was 11C, windy and partly sunny as I did my 2 miles this morning. I saw abundant wildlife – my deer, although she wasn’t on the road, she was lying in the grass by the bush area and all I could see was her head. While I was looking at her a Baltimore oriole flew by and then as I was approaching my turnaround point, I saw something that resembled a dog in the ditch but it was definitely not a dog so a wolf or a coyote. It didn’t have hair around its face and it looked a darker brown so my guess was a small wolf. It didn’t stick around

When I got back we got the tanks dumped so we’re good there for another couple of weeks.

This morning I was looking for somewhere to go so when I got on the computer I was checking out the Mill of Kintail which is close to us and came across the Purdon Conservation Area. We were there last year but were too late for the orchids. They are supposed to be in bloom from mid June to mid July so we decided to go today. Lucky we went today as they are just about finished.Since the day was quite cloudy it was good for shooting photos of flowers but not much else. Below is the 'Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid' and the 'Pitcher Plant'. The Pitcher Plant catches insects almost like the flycatcher plant.

Below are more of the Lady's Slipper Orchids

And one lonely bog or water iris

We had packed a lunch today so decided to stop in Perth on our way home and have our picnic lunch at the park in town along the Tay River. It is a very pretty park and another place we want to go back to. Today was quite chilly for a picnic. I think we got to about 17C (63F).

On our way home we went down a side road that we've been talking about checking out to a place called Scotch Corners. Scotch Corners is a couple of businesses and about five houses but there is some pretty scenery along the road, some wetlands and old barns so we're glad we took the detour.

We also stopped at the local grocery to pick up a couple of things as they are closed tomorrow for the holiday.

So again, Happy Canada Day!

Petrie Island

This morning’s walk was under bright, sunny skies with a light breeze and 16C (60f).

Gordon decided we needed to get out today and he had been wanting to go to Petrie Island which is the northern extension of Trimm Road in Orleans, a suburb of Ottawa so off we went late this morning. Petrie Island is a very pretty place with its own wetlands and lots of walking trails. We walked the Bill Holland Trail down to the end of River Loop. There were lots of wildflowers and this cute little woodpecker. I think he was this year’s crop as he didn’t seem to be afraid and just sat pecking his tree while we took photos.

The Petrie Islands group on the Ottawa River was formed by sand deposited at the close of the last ice age, about 12,000 years ago. The 2 km by 500 m area, from the foot of Champlain St. to Trim Rd in Orleans, has a total shoreline length, including all channels and bays, of about 12 km. Much of the area has been publicly owned since 1983, purchased to preserve the natural habitat of the western portion of the islands. Sand dredging at the eastern end was phased out in 2003, and the ten-hectare sand fill and natural beach is now in use for public recreation.

The Petrie Islands have been used since ancient times, and native Americans fished and hunted the area for thousands of years. In modern times, they have long been a popular fishing spot year round and many boaters, canoeists and kayakers explore the foreshore and backwaters. Naturalists or hikers come to see the varied flora or to get a glimpse of one of more than 130 species of birds identified in the area.

Here are some photos that I took along the trail:



We reached a high today of only 21C(70F) and on our way home from our little outing we had some rain showers but other than that the day was pretty nice - no humidity!

Happy Canada Day Weekend!

It was cooler this morning at 17C (62F) but it was also sunny with a slight breeze so it was comfortable for walking and I walked my 2 miles again.

When I got back after breakfast and internet stuff I packed up the laundry and went in to Carleton Place to get that done after which I went to the library and returned some books and picked up a few new ones. Then I stopped at a couple of grocery stores for a some items since this is a long weekend here in Canada and stores are closed on Monday.

Canada Day Information

The year 2007 marks the 140th celebration of Canada Day, which commemorates the day that Canada became a nation. The holiday is observed on July 1 (unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case Canada Day is observed the following day).

On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act united the British colonies of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into "one dominion under the name of Canada." These four colonies became Canada's first four provinces; Lower Canada was renamed Quebec, and Upper Canada was renamed Ontario.

The July 1 holiday was known as Dominion Day until October 27, 1982, when an act of parliament established the name Canada Day. The new name symbolized a step away from Canada's colonial past. The holiday had also sometimes been known as First of July or Confederation Day. Like Fourth of July festivities in the United States, Canada Day is celebrated with such summer pleasures as picnics, barbeques, and fireworks.

The name Canada derives from an Iroquoian word for "village," kanata, that French explorers heard used to refer to the area near present-day Quebec City. Today, Canada comprises ten provinces and three territories.

My New Glasses

And here they are! They are a mauvey pink sort of colour (according to Lenscrafters) but actually look more like copper. They're the same shape as my old ones but a bit wider and are made of titanium so they're very light which is a good thing with my prescription. They have a better reading field than my old ones did as they were made more for working. I could even see to light the oven by myself tonight! I haven't gone to Lenscrafters for some years as the last time they took over a month to get my glasses to me. This time was two weeks right on the nose and I'm quite happy with them.

I got up later this morning as it was supposed to be cooler but it was 22C (71F), much warmer than I expected so I wore shorts. It looked like rain so I took my rain jacket. When I got out on the road it was quite windy and cool so I did wear my jacket as I was walking north but took it off on my return. I walked 2 miles under cloudy skies.

The rest of the morning after my usual internet stuff and getting a shower, I sat outside and read. Again it was quite cool so I kept adding clothes and eventually added a blanket. I came back inside when the owner started mowing nearby and got back on the computer.

I found another campground in the Lebanon, Ohio area where we stay to be close to the relatives in Dayton and Cincinnati areas. It’s called Big Turtle Campground and I can’t find much about it so I’m wondering if it used to belong to King’s Island and has been taken over by a private owner. We’ll have to check it out. We’re always looking for alternatives to Cedarbrook even though we like it there, there are a lot of trees so we can only see the satellite from a few sites and they have been booked at times so we’ve had to look elsewhere.

It didn't get above 21C (70F) today so our warmest temperature was early this morning. Tonight it's supposed to get down to 8C (46F).

So nothing much happened today other than reading and surfing the internet.

Hot and Humid But a Nice Breeze

I got up at 7:00 a.m. today as it was to be another hot, humid day. It was 23C (73F)and a hazy sun with a nice breeze this morning so I had a nicer walk than expected.

After breakfast and my usual morning routine I sat outside and read, had lunch outside and came in around 2:30 p.m. after about four hours. It was humid but nice sitting under the tree in the breeze. I walked around the campground and took some photos down by the water as you will see below. I talked with a lady who was sitting outside as well. She and her husband are here for a couple of days having come from Mont Tremblant and are on their way back to their home north of Toronto. As I was sitting outside a Class C RV came in and parked next to us. It’s a rental and the people are from Germany. They are only staying one night and then moving in to Ottawa. I think people don’t realize how close we are to Ottawa here. The people that occupied the same spot and left this morning were going in to Ottawa and camping at Poplar Grove which is probably as far south of Ottawa as we are west. They are here for the Canada Day celebrations as are the people from Germany. Hope it’s a nice day for them!

This pretty little blue dragonfly landed right in front of me on the dock
and posed for a picture.

Pretty view of the Mississippi

There are all kinds of little frogs down by the water. This one sat still
and let me take his picture.

More Ottawa Appointments

Reasons to get up at 7:15 a.m. today:

1. Hot, hazy and humid for my walk
2. We had appts in Ottawa
3. Prevent another headache like yesterday’s

It was 22C (72F) when I got up this morning and very sunny but hazy. I walked for my ½ hour but it didn’t seem like I went that far. I had to come back and get ready to go to Ottawa.

Lenscrafters called yesterday to tell me my glasses were in so that was our first stop. Then I had made a chiropractor’s appointment so we did that and Gordon had a dentist appointment this afternoon. Other than that we stopped at Rainbow Foods and got one of the Gluten Free bread mixes that we tasted last Saturday and a Gluten Free pizza crust. After the dentist we stopped and picked up a couple of items at the grocery store and then headed back to Tranquil Acres.

When we got back I sat outside for about an hour. There was a breeze but it was still pretty hot at 34C (93F).

Groceries, Library and Not Much Else

I woke up with a headache this morning and very little energy so I had to force myself to walk but managed to do the full loop around taking about 45 minutes as I walked it, no running. It was 18C (64F), cloudy and quite humid. On the last leg of my walk I encountered a skunk along the side of the road so I stopped and waited for him to make his move. As soon as he saw me, he crossed the road into the corn field so I was able to continue on my way.

After lunch I went into Carleton Place. We had tried to buy corn wraps for Gordon yesterday in Ottawa but the place where we usually buy them were out of stock (Kardish, Bells Corners). We tried a couple of other places but one was closed as it was Sunday and the other one didn’t stock them so I went to The Granary in Carleton Place and they did, indeed have them. They didn’t however have the Judy’s Multi-Mix Bread. The Judy’s website listed them as having it but apparently there is a problem with the middleman and they don’t carry it anymore. I guess we’ll have to stop at Rainbow Foods when we go to Ottawa tomorrow.

While I was out I did some grocery shopping and stopped at the Carleton Place Public Library. I couldn’t use my Nepean library card there but it was no problem to get one for Carleton Place and I can pick it up next time I’m in. In the meantime they let me take out books. I was able to find quite a few on my list from my favourite authors.

It was mostly cloudy all day with high humidity and little breeze although the temperature only reached about 28C (83F), it was still not pleasant to sit out under the tree and read. I tried for about ½ hour but wound up coming back into the air conditioning.

More Flower Garden Photos

Happy Birthday Nick!

Nick and Becky

Nick opening his card from us

Seeing wildlife on my morning walk is always a bonus! This morning I was treated to the sight of a beautiful white-tailed deer standing in the northbound lane of Appleton Side Road. She stood there for the longest time. Luckily there was very little traffic this morning. She didn’t let me get too close though and bounded into the bush but as I passed the area where she had entered the bush I looked over my shoulder and there she was standing in the long grass against the trees watching me. They are such a beautiful sight! Days like this I could kick myself for not carrying my camera on my walks.

This morning Gordon exceeded the cap we have on our bandwidth by downloading something very large and as a result we have less than dial up speed today. It will be like this for the whole day. Our punishment! Because of this I disconnected from our satellite and turned on the wifi and was able to get a wifi signal. Not sure where it’s from but it’s a lot faster than our satellite today!

This afternoon we were invited for my nephew/godson’s 22^nd birthday at my sister’s place. We had a few errands to run so we went into Ottawa a bit early and arrived at my sister’s around 4:00 p.m. Nick was there and Becky arrived from a wedding shower she was at around 6:00 p.m. and at about the same time as Danica had to leave to referee a soccer game. We had a good dinner and it was nice to see everyone!

Nick’s birthday is actually tomorrow so again:

Happy Birthday Nick!

My friend, Laura’s birthday is also tomorrow so:

Happy Birthday Laura!