Rainy and Cold!

Another nasty day, rain and cold for most of the day. It stopped late in the day but was too late to do much at that point.

My back was really bothering me today and Gordon managed to put his out getting his tool chest out of the storage compartment to fix the kitchen drawer that broke last night so neither of us was in very good shape today.

I took ½ a muscle relaxant this morning so my day was spent reading and napping on and off. I didn’t even get to take my walk this morning due to the rain and cold. Not very nice for a long weekend and the last weekend of the Tulip Festival!

No photos taken today.

Thursday Update and Friday Review

Trees Reflection-Andrew Hayden Park, Ottawa

Mist over Ottawa River - taken from Andrew Hayden Park, Ottawa

Goose and goslings taken at Andrew Hayden Park, Ottawa

Andrew Hayden Park scene, Ottawa

Our annual physicals yesterday turned out well. My doctor says that retirement is agreeing with me. She's even given me the ok to go off my blood pressure medication to see what happens. Luckily since I had all the blood tests done when I was in the hospital in Cincinatti so I don’t need to have them done again! YAY!

Yesterday afternoon turned out to be not too bad so we took the dog and went back and parked at Hog’s Back and then walked a bit along the canal. The sun was out for a while so glad we took advantage of it. We took a few photos, then returned to the RV.

Our niece, Danica has the honour of being one of the best young musicians in Ottawa and is presently spending the week at a festival in downtown Ottawa. Here’s the writeup from yesterday’s Ottawa Citizen.

Here’s the Musicfest website: http://www.musicfest.ca/
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The Ottawa Citizen
Young Ottawa-area musicians to play with the best of Musicfest

Published: Thursday, May 18, 2006
A handful of Ottawa-area musicians have been picked from among 9,000 young players to be part of two bands that represent the best of Musicfest, a week-long festival that brings thousands of young musicians from across the continent to Ottawa.
Included in the National Concert Band are Ottawa-area musicians Melissa Jerome (bassoon), Christian Paquette (flute), Jonathan Camire (French horn), Gabrielle Smith (alto sax), Patrick Trahan (baritone sax), Julian Simard (trombone), Jeffrey Teutsch (trombone ), Danica De Jong (trumpet), Isabelle Lee (trumpet) and Sebastian Bouchard (tuba).
Included in the Yamaha All-Star band are Ottawa-area musicians Nathan Cepelinski (sax), Megan Jutting (trumpet), Eric Cathcart (guitar), Lucas Haneman (guitar), and Alex Mastronardi (bass).
Both bands will perform at the National Arts Centre during the final days of Musicfest. The concerts are open to Musicfest participants only.
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Today Gordon was supposed to go for his bloodwork but he forgot and drank some coffee when he got up so we canned that for today. I went to the chiropractor and then to the library. I decided to take advantage of my library membership while we’re here so now I’ve got a lot of reading to do! The morning was cloudy and not very nice but at least it didn’t rain while I was out. When I returned I started to read and of course, fell asleep. More reading, interneting and that was my day!

Later this afternoon, Gordon was going to update my Firefox but somehow lost my bookmark folder, I guess he reloaded the program or something. Anyway, I’ve been trying to recreate it. Thank goodness for history!

Introducing Luke Charles!

Baby Luke

Luke and his Mommy

Since I don’t expect much to be happening today and it’s still raining, we probably won’t do much. We have our annual medicals this morning so we’re getting ready to go to our doctor for 10:00 a.m.

Luke’s picture was finally posted on the hospital website so thought I would post this morning. He definitely looks like his sister Grace did at that age except for his hair. Grace had a rooster comb. Here's the link to his photos that I've uploaded to Yahoo: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smerrikin/album?.dir=7588&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/smerrikin/my_photos

I'm Really Really Really Tired of Rain!

Rain again today. Starting to feel like we’re in Harlingen, Texas again. We had three weeks of cloud and rain in our 2004/2005 winter there.

Today I had another chiropractor appointment and I needed to do some errands and get some groceries so I went by myself and Gordon stayed home with his computer. On my way home I stopped and got to spend some time with my sister and her husband but she had to go back to work for a meeting so I got home around 4:30 p.m.

The rain stopped for the evening but more is expected.

Still no photos of our new grandson! We’ve been checking the hospital website several times a day but so far no Luke!

No photos today due to errands and rain!

Appointment & Other Things

Watson's Mill, Manotick

A.Y. Jackson Park, Manotick

Bib having a nap

This morning was a typical morning, walks, TV, naps etc.

We had an appointment to see our financial advisor this afternoon to get finances straightened out, that being done we came back to the RV, picked up the dog and headed to Sleepy Cedars RV Park at Manotick Station. We had never been there before so thought we’d check it out. Too many trees. We like Tranquil Acres at Carleton Place better. After that we drove into Manotick and took some photos of Watson’s Mill and A.Y. Jackson Park, shown above.

I made a nice Salsa Chicken recipe for dinner. We had something like it at my sister’s last week so thought I would give it a try. It turned out quite well. I did a few adaptations to my brother-in-law’s recipe but it was the same idea.

Another night of TV! The joys of being retired! Not much different than when we were in the house.

Baby Update

Luke Charles Bylaw born 9:32 p.m. on Monday May 15, 2006, weighing 9 lb 7 oz, 21 ¼ inches long. Mother, Father and Baby doing fine. According to his father he looks like our oldest grandchild, Grace.

Photo to follow.......

Our Week of Mostly Medical Appointments Begins!

When I first woke up this morning very early it was pouring rain so I snuggled deep in the covers and it had stopped when I got up at about 7:30 a.m. so was able to go for our walks. It was still cloudy and windy at that time but the forecast was for sun this afternoon.

Unfortunately this afternoon, I had a dentist appointment so wasn’t able to sit in the sun. I thought I had one chipped tooth but I actually had 2 chipped front teeth so she filled both of them, thank goodness. I had visions of crowns! We were home by 2:00 p.m., the sun came out so we took Bib and went to take some photos at Hogs Back Falls Park which is really close to the RV park.

The sun stayed out for the better part of an hour so Gordon took 93 photos. I took some as well but not nearly that many. Photos for today are, of course, of Hogs Back. Hogs Back is a very pretty place and if anyone is visiting Ottawa you should make a point of visiting.

About 3:00 p.m. we received a call from Gordon’s daughter, Michelle. She was on her way to the hospital to deliver our second grandson, Luke. She called again at 6:00 p.m. to let us know how things were progressing so we’re looking forward to the next phone call!

Tonight Regis Philbin is supposed to guest star on Deal or No Deal so we’ll have to watch that. Then it’s two hours of Gray’s Anatomy.

WalMart Day!

Today was another cloudy, rainy day. I managed to get my walk in this morning before it rained. I walked across the street to a dead end street called Stephanie that runs along the river. Of course, you can’t see the river for the houses and trees but I had never been there before and during the week the traffic is too heavy to try to get across Prince of Wales Drive. I did manage to get a photo of a little rabbit and a goldfinch.

When I came back, I called my sister to see what they were doing today. They had some shopping to do so I headed to WalMart in Orleans and it started raining while I inside. I had tried to go Friday but the traffic was too heavy. I managed to find it but didn’t find what I wanted there so stopped at Giant Tiger on Walkley on the way back and then WalMart on Bank Street where I found my duck boots. I got home shortly after noon.

My sister then called to see if I had gone out shopping. She and her husband were just setting out and offered to drop our mail off. I wound up going shopping with them and hit yet another WalMart, this time in Barrhaven. Margie is looking for a patio set and Danica is looking for shoes. We weren’t successful for either item. I got home just before 4:00 p.m. in time to feed Bib.

Gordon went out after dinner to get his photo of the day and Bib and I stayed home.

Tonight it’s TV.

No photos for today. My photos of the goldfinch didn’t turn out very well.

Not Much Happening!

Lilacs in bloom

Robin in the park

Rabbit in the park

Pretty trees in someone's front yard

Today was cloudy and cool, quite windy but not much rain. I didn’t seem to have the energy to do much but just before noon I got my first wind and got the laundry done. The laundry room here is very small and very basic – 2 washers and 1 gas dryer. The dryer works really well so it probably didn’t take me any longer to do 3 loads of laundry than it would at a Laundromat and I didn’t have to go outside the park.

This afternoon, I read and napped off and on and spent some time on the internet. We’ve been lucky with all the cloud today that the internet was pretty constant.

Gordon got the network card in our desktop PC so now he can have two computers going at the same time and be on the internet just the same as he did when we had a stick house.

My back has been acting up again today. Sure hope it feels better tomorrow.

Photos above taken on my morning walk around the neighbourhood and the park.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

I woke up this morning to rain! It seems like it’s been a long time since we’ve seen this much. It rained most of the morning and consequently we lost our internet satellite. Gordon was outside in the rain moving the tripod around trying to get a better location but we still didn’t have internet when I left just after noon.

I had suggested that we go and check out Innes Road as I had read in the Ottawa Business Journal on-line that WalMart had moved out of the Place D’Orleans Shopping Mall and built a new store and I thought it was on Innes Road. When I got ready, Gordon still wasn’t ready so suggested I go by myself so off I went. Still raining but not as hard. I aimed myself toward Innes Road but got to where St. Laurent jogs and you either have to turn left to go north on St. Laurent or go right on Russell Rd. St. Laurent was backed up forever so I turned right on Russell thinking I’d head over via Walkley and the 417. When I got there Walkley was also backed up so I canned that idea and instead headed to Heron Gate Mall to pick up a few groceries. They didn’t have everything I wanted so I stopped at my old Loeb store at Bank & Hunt Club. It was always such a nice store.

I headed home arriving there around 3:00 p.m. It was still cloudy but not raining, at least not much. When I came in I found out we had the internet back. YEAH! So I went about checking email and reading the blogs that I read on a daily basis.

Since it was raining this morning I didn’t go for my walk so I walked tonight. There’s not much place here for walking. I’ll be glad to get to Ottawa Municipal for that but then the mosquitoes will probably eat me alive!

Today's photo is our view out our back window.

Another Appointment

Keeley Falls
Andrew Hayden Park
Ottawa, ON

I had a chiropractor’s appointment this morning just before noon so we got around and ready. First stopped at Best Buy for a network card so we can get the PC up and running. Then to the chiropractor and to get Gordon’s CPP forms ready to be mailed. Our chiropractor signed the forms required. So hopefully in October Gordon will be getting CPP.

After the chiropractor we ran some errands, Gordon got his hair cut, we stopped at Andrew Hayden Park and took some photos and we filled up with diesel at 96.8 at Suny’s at Bells Corners. Seems to be the best price going.

Andrew Hayden Park is a very pretty park that runs along the Ottawa River in what used to be Nepean but since amalgamation, is now Ottawa. It is just off Carling Avenue at Holly Acres Road. It has some wildlife including a groundhog that runs up to you looking for handouts, rabbits and all kinds of birds. It even has a little waterfall called Keeley Falls. We didn’t stay long but Gordon needed his photo of the day for pbase so I took a few photos too to have something to post with my blog.

Since the forecast is for rain for the foreseeable future, I sat outside in my lawnchair and read till I finished my book, then came in to check emails and do some surfing. I found a scrabble game that I could download on a ‘try it’ basis. I thought I had tried them all and all I was getting was that my trial period was over. I really need to buy it.

With the cloud and rain coming over the weekend, hopefully we will have internet service. Our connection isn’t all that stable here because of the trees so if there’s no blog this weekend, it’s because of the internet connection.

Wednesday at the Arboretum

Today was such a beautiful day. I sat outside in my lawnchair and read my book for a long time this morning.

Gordon went out just before lunch looking for his flat panel monitor and came back without one. The plan for this afternoon was to take the dog and go and walk somewhere so just after lunch Gordon decided he wanted to go to Staples and buy the monitor he had seen there but instead we stopped at Future Shop and he wound up buying a 17” NEC flat panel.

When we got back we loaded up the dog and headed for the Arboretum. We walked around and took some photos. It’s so pretty there this time of year. Bib left his presence known on just about every blade of grass and tree there.

When we came back, I sat outside and read again till it got a little cool then I moved inside to read. I’ve been reading ‘Winter Solstice’ by Rosamunde Pilcher. It’s the second time I’ve read it and it’s just a nice little story. It takes place in England and Scotland and I just love their way of saying things like ‘muck out’ and ‘turning your toes up’. There are so many of them!

Photos today were taken at the Arboretum.

Slow Tuesday

Another slow morning but we managed to get doctor’s appointments for this afternoon so we left around 2:00 p.m. and drove downtown on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway. It’s always so pretty in the spring, then dropped into some more computer stores looking for a flat panel monitor, stopped at The Source at Bayshore to talk about Star Choice, then to the doctor, stopped at my sister, Margie’s and home again.

I wanted to see the doctor about the breathing problems I had and she is happy with the diagnosis of reflux disease. Gordon has had a wart on the inside of his lip and she’s sending him to an ENT doctor.

Nothing much going on today and no photos.

More Toys!

This morning was the usual morning with walks, TV, internet.

I had an appointment at the chiropractor this afternoon so we left shortly after noon and Gordon decided he needed an adjustment too so we both went in and got cracked up. Then I got Bib’s dog license and some photocopies to be sent to our US medical carrier for my hospital stay in Cincinnati.

Gordon wants another small flat panel monitor so we looked at nearly every store that would carry such an item in the west end of the city but didn’t purchase anything yet.

We got back around 3:00 p.m. and walked and fed the dog and then sat outside in my lawnchair and read for a while but it’s quite cool and breezy when you’re not in the sun so I went for another walk by myself trying to find something to take a photo of. Not much that’s photographic in the park especially with construction going on next door. I’m about to ram the pile driver up someone’s ……… Imagine what it will be like after a month here. No wonder they didn’t put their rates up this year!

When we got back we called Armand in Lindsay at 3i Communications that set us up with our internet satellite to discuss upgrading our modem from the 6000 to the 7000. Our monthly charge will go down enough to pay for satellite TV but it will be at a cost. It will be around $500 to upgrade the modem and buy the satellite arm for TV but we have to live in the style to which we had become accustomed at home and you only live once! Then we have to set up our own Star Choice and buy the receiver. I can see an expensive month coming at us again!

Tonight we’re just relaxing!

Today's photos show our RV and the construction going on behind us.

Visitors

This morning was cold when I got up so Bib and I went for a walk while Gordon left to go and photograph the tulips. The Tulip Festival has started in Ottawa and he got some really good shots. My younger sister, Margie called and said she and her husband, John were going to drop by late this afternoon so I asked them to stay for dinner.

When Gordon got back I went to Bells Corners for groceries, back to the stores that I used when we had the house. Got home and got preparations done for dinner, then read and had a short nap.

Margie and John arrived about 4:30 p.m. so we sat and chatted for a while, then had dinner and they left as Margie has to work tomorrow.

I didn’t take any photos today so borrowed a photo from Gordon from the Tulip Festival.

We Arrive in Ottawa

We left Rideau Acres at Kingston around 10:30 a.m. and arrived at Rideau Heights Campground in Ottawa around 12:30 p.m. Packing up in Kingston was done in the rain and most of the drive until just before Ottawa was also done in the rain. By the time we arrived at Rideau Heights it started a bit again but didn’t last long so although it was cold and cloudy and the ground is muddy, it quit raining.

We have nice neighbours here at Rideau Heights, Anne and Roger. They came over to see our internet satellite and chatted for a while. They are originally from the Pakenham area and have been fulltiming for 8 years. Their RV is a really big Airstream.

As you can see from the photo, Rideau Heights isn't the nicest campground, but it is in the city and convenient and is full hook-up which we won't have next month when we move to the Ottawa Municipal Campground.

After we got set up, we had a brief nap and then went out for groceries. There’s now a Food Basics at Heron Gate Mall so we started there and then stopped at Loblaws at South Keys. Then home for dinner and a relaxing evening.

Our Last Day at Kingston

View from my lawnchair

Turtle on a log

Canada Goose on his way to the island

A restful spot

This morning dawned bright and sunny but a bit windy and cool and remained that way throughout the day.

Other than my morning walk with Bib, I watched morning TV shows and napped on and off. Around lunch time I went for a long walk around the property and wound up after my walk sitting in an Adirondack chair that is on a deck by the water (picture above). After lunch I was going to go back to the Adirondack chair but Bib wanted to come out with me so we sat in our lawn chairs but I had on a sweater and covered up with a blanket. We sat out for about 45 minutes then came inside to read. Gordon put the outside stuff away and dumped the tanks in preparation for our move to Ottawa tomorrow.

I’m looking forward to seeing friends and also seeing more of my sister and her family when we get to Ottawa.

Thursday at Rideau Acres

Sunset at Rideau Acres

Can you find the Blue Heron?

Today was a ‘stay at home’ day. This morning and part of this afternoon, I got the laundry done. There were two people there ahead of me so consequently it took longer to do the laundry and because I had to stuff things into machines I had to iron too. I don’t like that! While I was doing laundry, Gordon vacuumed.

Last night I noticed a leak under the sink so had to clear out everything under there. There was something loose so just had to dry things out. I left the fan on all night and rearranged things this afternoon after I got done with the laundry.

Other than sitting outside briefly this afternoon before it clouded over and a short nap, that about sums up my day!

After dinner, we went for a walk around the park. It’s very pretty down by the water. There are RV sites there but they are 30 amp, no sewer and most probably wouldn’t work for the satellite but it sure would be pretty watching the sunset on the water.

Visiting and Grooming

Aunt Ruth and myself (taken by Gordon)

Bib after grooming

Bib before grooming

I slept on the couch for part of last night as I had such bad heartburn so I can keep my head up by using the arm of the couch. I felt better around 3:30 a.m. so went to bed but woke up with a sore lower back again. It’s not as bad as it was when I saw the chiropractor on Monday though.

Didn’t do much this morning, the usual walk with Bib then this afternoon we dropped him at KLIPS in Gananoque. He really hates to get clipped but he always feels so much better and prances around and he likes the lady at KLIPS so we try to take him there when we’re in the area. The above pictures show the before taken this morning and the after taken when we got home.

While Bib was at the doggie spa, Gordon and I headed to Brockville to visit with my mother’s younger sister, my Aunt Ruth. We had a great chat with her catching up on what’s happened over the winter and helped her with a computer problem that she had so she’s back in business. We had our usual photo taken together and that too is above. Aunt Ruth follows our travels through our web page and blog religiously so she feels that she's been with us on the trip.

Tonight, it’s dinner and LOST!

Getting Things Organized

April 2006 Expenses

Campground Fees - $617.85
Groceries - $373.90
Laundry - $25.00
Wine/Spirits-covered under groceries
Entertainment - $10.00
Fuel-Truck - $721.89
Propane - $25.72
Dog Food/Vet etc. - $0.00
Repairs RV/Truck - $59.73 (truck service)
Misc - $238.14
Insurance - $140.58 (U.S. $ but paid in CDN)
Internet - $99.85 (US $ but paid in CDN)
Phone - $97.55
Med/Dental - $15.78 (prescription obtained in US may be covered under insurance)
Gifts - $0.00

Totals $2601.95

Pretty good considering we were traveling for most of the month.

When we got home last night I stayed up until the wee hours sorting through the tons of mail that we had received. We only had one mail shipment to British Columbia and that was in October so there was LOTS of it! Thanks to Margie and John for keeping it for us.

In the stacks of mail were Christmas gifts, birthday gifts and cards of all kinds. We left Ontario on my birthday last year and Gordon’s is the week after mine. Also in the mail was a questionnaire and authorizations from the insurance company that looks after our medical insurance while outside the country. I have to complete this questionnaire and fill in all the authorizations and sign them before they will pay my claim to the Cincinnati hospitals. I started filling that out but since I dropped off all the medical information that the hospital had given me to my doctor yesterday, I’ll have to think a lot about some of the questions but must do it quickly as who knows how long it will take to process. I don’t want the hospital to send the bills out on collection!

So out we went to get photocopies of everything made and get the forms mailed. On our way back we stopped and picked up some groceries. It was only when I got back that I realized that I hadn’t sent the photocopy of my OHIP card and driver’s license requested so back out to the post office. We went to the same post office hoping that the letters will arrive together. Sometimes my brain just doesn’t work!

When we got back I sorted through the receipts from the U.S. and took out the ones I wanted to save and put the rest in a bag to be shredded. Sure wish I had kept our shredder! Maybe a bonfire would work better! I still have to go through our Ontario receipts from last year but I have to be sure I keep enough to prove that we’ve lived in Ontario for five months out of the year. Then I started reading some of the RV magazines that we’ve gotten since we’ve been on the road. There are about 15 of them. Don’t people realize that a lot of RVers are full time. They should put the magazines on the internet!

My reflux disease has been acting up today so haven’t felt all that well today, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I took the photo today in the park. These geese were coming right for me!