Feleena's Yummy!

Fountain at The Garden of the Provinces and Territories

Lilacs along Bay Street

This morning was busy. I coloured my hair, cleaned and vacuumed, got showered as I was hot and sweaty and then sat outside and read for a while. The sun had come out around 10:00 a.m. after starting out as a cloudy day.

Yesterday afternoon I cleaned out under the bed and found a coat that I didn’t know I had kept. I’m really happy about it as I really liked that coat. I had bought another one at the Thrift store but it wasn’t all that warm and it was bright red so I’m glad I found my own. I was sure I’d given it away. You’d think with the small amount of storage space we have I’d know everything that we have but obviously not! Unfortunately it’s almost out of time for wearing this season but I’ll be happy to have it in the Fall.

This afternoon, I sat outside and read again. Bib sat with me for a while.

Late in the afternoon, Gordon decided he wanted to go downtown to take abstract photos so off we went. We parked on Bay Street near Wellington and took some photos in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories then walked east on Wellington, south on Bank and back to the truck through the Sparks Street Mall.

We decided since we were downtown to head south on Bank Street and have dinner at our favourite Mexican Restaurant, Feleena’s in the Glebe. Bad move – today was the Glebe Garage Sale. They were really busy and had two parties besides but we only waited 10 minutes or so for a table. We didn’t get to sit outside but that’s okay. We’ll be back!

Then back home for our usual TV and internet. Bib was glad to see us. He couldn’t come with us as it was too hot in the truck to leave him and he’s scared walking on the streets downtown. Too much noise!

Cloudy & Rain

This morning I decided I had better get the refrigerator defrosted before it gets really hot. It doesn’t take that long to do, it’s just to get at it. Thank goodness that’s done.

At about 11:00 a.m. I went out to pick up a few groceries and some wine before the weekend rush. Also got some photocopying done to send for my extended health care. It had been mostly cloudy but when I was out there were a few sprinkles of rain.

No heavy rain up until posting time just sprinkles and cloudy.

Photo today is of Bib. I just caught him as he was licking his chops.

Chapman Mills Conservation Area

Rideau River from Chapman Mills Conservation Area

Pathway running through the Chapman Mills Conservation Area

Boardwalk running through Chapman Mills Conservation Area

Downy Woodpecker (cropped photo)

I stayed up till midnight last night to watch the season finale of Lost so I was still tired this morning. After walks and breakfast, I went outside to read but it was too hot in the sun and very little shade on our site so I came in and fell asleep.

When I woke up, Gordon wanted to go south on Prince of Wales (Hwy 16) to the Chapman Mills Conservation Area where he had gone yesterday so Bib and I went with him. Photos today were taken there. It's located on the west bank of the Rideau River just south of Black Rapids and off Winding Way. We walked for about an hour and then came home. It's a nice walking area. There is a pathway but most of it is boardwalk.

I sat outside when we came back for quite a while and read my book.

Our neighbours were at a rally at Stratford, Ontario this weekend and on their way back stopped at Lindsay and got their satellite dish from 3i Communications so we made a quick $100 for the referral!

It’s TV and internet tonight!

A Beautiful Day!

Wow! What a change in the weather from the last week. Today was sunny and warm and reached 25C (78F)!

We left the RV at about 6:50 a.m. to go to the lab for Gordon’s bloodwork and then went to Zellers at Bayshore for breakfast. Gordon was going to visit his friend, Leroy so I stayed and looked around at Bayshore and he picked me up around noon.

Neither of us slept very well last night so this afternoon, I sat outside in my lawnchair with Bib for a while and read, then came in and read some more. I thought I would take a nap but that didn’t happen. Gordon went out in search of photos but I didn’t feel like going out again. Consequently, I have no photos for today.

Busy Day!

Flags in front of the War Museum

Downtown Ottawa from the War Museum

Canadian War Museum

Today was fairly busy. I got ready early and headed out and got groceries and some photocopying that needed to be done before I went for my mammogram. OUCH!

When I came out of the grocery store, a familiar car drove by so I ran over and just caught our lawyer, Liz getting out of the car to go into her office. Liz bought our Saturn nearly two years ago when we started our odyssey. It was great to see her again!

I got home around 12:30 p.m. and had lunch in time for Gordon to go for his appointment with the ENT doctor. He has something on the inside of his lip that hasn’t gone away so our GP wasn’t sure what it was and made the appointment for him to see the ENT. He has another appointment in June to go to the Ottawa General to have it cut out. It’s nothing to worry about, no malignancies or anything, just annoying.

After that we picked Bib up and drove down the Driveway to downtown and took the Ottawa River Parkway west. We stopped at the Canadian War Museum and took a few photos. Looks a bit like a bunker. We continued west on the Ottawa River Parkway but it was really backed up at Parkdale so we took Parkdale south and got back about 4:15 p.m.

Just TV and internet tonight!

Last Day of a Long Weekend

I woke up to bright sunshine this morning. Haven’t seen that in a while.

Got the laundry done this morning. Early this afternoon my sister, Margie called. She saw a dress for Nick and Becky’s wedding and wanted me to go and look at it with her. She wound up buying it.

Got home around 3:30 p.m. or so and read for a while.

It’s very cold today for the time of year but at least it didn’t rain much.

Still no photos.

Sick to Death of Rain!!!!!

I woke up to, guess what – rain! Can you tell I’m getting very sick of it? After taking Bib out, I had thought about doing my walk in the rain but then it started to come down more heavily and I changed my mind. So back inside for breakfast and by the time showers and such were overwith and some reading it was nearly noon.

The sun came out for a bit so I did manage to get my walk done but since I hadn’t gone yesterday because of the rain, I’m still a day behind there.

I decided to go out and pick up a few groceries since tomorrow is a holiday. Our holiday weekend here in Ontario is Victoria Day in honour of Queen Victoria. Too bad it’s such nasty weather! I seem to recall last year was much the same on this weekend.

Bib was getting bored being inside so he and I got in the truck and headed out to do some shopping. I went to Merivale Mall with the intention of getting most things at Farm Boy. I met my brother-in-law, John in the mall and he said there was quit a bit of mail waiting for me at the house and that Danica was there so I could drop by. When I got to Farm Boy, I met he and my sister and we chatted for a short time. Next to the Zellers mall to pick up some things and then on to my sister’s house to pick up the mail.

Danica was there and I got some info on how she enjoyed musicfest. One of my friends, Laura asked me if she played jazz trumpet and she does but thinks she’s more suited to concert band. She said she had a great time and loved it but there was evidence of her getting homework done. With going to New York for a few days and being at musicfest all week, she now has to get back to the grind. High school will soon be over and she graduates on June 28th, then on to the University of Ottawa in September!

I didn’t get to see Nick, he was sleeping. He’s been working and it’s a bit of a grind for him having to get all the way to the southeast end of the city at all sorts of hours.

Can you tell I’ve been reading Rosamund Pilcher again? I seem to be adopting some of the British way of writing.

After that, I stopped at Your Independent as I had forgotten to get bananas and I needed to pick up something else I hadn’t found, that done, I headed home.

More reading, naps and getting ready for Desperate Housewives grand finale tonight!

Again, no photos. Just isn’t the weather for it!

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.