Track and Field

My daughter Shelby decided to get involved with Track and Field at her school this year at the urging of her gym teacher. She went in for Shot Put, Javelin, and Discus. She won a 3rd and 4th ribbon for Shot Put and placed 5th in Javelin which made her advance to the semi finals. She didn't place in the semi finals but she had a lot of fun and got to go for an overnight trip with her team.

Here she is throwing Shot Put

Her and Hailie at one of the meets at her school. 

Her school still has final meets coming up, I hope they do well. GO BEARS!

Miss Pearl, a turtle, and a new barrel

Can you believe someone was throwing this out??? I couldn't! My brother was working at a  house for the past week and the house next door had this old whiskey barrel and some tires at the roadside for free so he brought it home for me! I LOVE IT! He took a hammer and fixed the slots(?) that were out of shape. I'm not sure where it will go yet but I'm thinking it would look great in our garden beside or under my old water hand pump.

My Mom went shopping and bought Miss Pearl some new summer clothes. Here she is looking pretty in her new dress. 

I love this next photo - it's like she's saying "oh no, the butterfly fell". She's actually just trying to keep the hair out of her face...it's been a very windy spring for us so far. 

And this visitor showed up last week in the parking lot of my parent's store. We didn't get too close because he was snapping at a stick my brother put in front of his face - course, I'd be snapping if someone was trying to poke me with a stick too! There seem to be a lot more turtles around this year. Sadly, I've already seen 3 as roadkill on the highway by our place.

I'm still pluggin' away at simplifying or decluttering my house. Little by little it WILL get done. I never realized what a pack rat I am. NO MORE! I think a yard sale will be in order soon - maybe a few! 

Crazy busy but we did take some time for a bit of fun at the Midway!

I've been so busy lately it's nuts! I'm finally feeling well enough with some energy to start de-cluttering my house - and boy what a job this is going to be! I know I'll feel so much better when it's done though!

Saturday was gorgeous outside so we headed to the Midway that was in town. Miss Pearl looked a bit overwhelmed when she saw all the crowds and loud rides going but once we were in the "kiddie" area she was OK. This was her first time on rides and she really seemed to enjoy it.

Santana and Hailie holding on tight.

Shelby and Hailie.

Miss Evelynn slept through most of it and Santana won Hailie a stuffie! A good time was had by all and we slept good after all that fresh air!

I love wooden barrels! And now I have 2 more!

I just love the look of old worn out wood whether it's on a barn, furniture, or just in an old house like baseboards and door trims, so I was extremely happy when my Mom came home last weekend from a garage sale with this beauty!

And then a few days later my neighbour who knows I love all things primitive and antique brought this one over for me. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them but for now they're sitting proudly in my gazebo. 

Any ideas for their use??? 

May 24 Weekend - As we call it in Canada!

Well this weekend (Victoria Day) officially kicks off the start of the summer and the start of fishing season here in Northern Ontario, and tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and hot! I've got my gazebo up and started decorating it and my brother's boat is in the lake and he's like a kid on Christmas morning...can't wait to haul in some pickerel! Dad's boat will be going in soon!

Here's a pic of our gazebo. We got it up just in time cause those nasty little HUGE bugs are out in full force now. Can't win....black flies all day long and mosquitoes all night! I'm very thankful for the gazebo!

A shot of it in the evening with the lights on. I have my new Jupiter lantern that I bought from Lehman's that I'll be hanging in it too! It's so nice and cozy and best of all....pretty much BUG free!

Tomorrow I'll be taking all kids (my two Daughters and two Granddaughters) to the midway that's in town for the weekend. Should be interesting to see if Miss Pearl likes the rides or not - Miss Evelynn is too small yet, but I'm sure she'll enjoy riding in the stroller and soaking up some Vitamin D!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Black Bear Season

Here in Northern Ontario it's Black Bear season. I've only ever come across one while driving down the road - there was a Mama and 2 cubs crossing in front of me.

 I thought I would post a few tips of what to do if you come across one while hiking, biking, walking the baby in the stroller, etc... Please remember these are only tips that I've taken from several sources and the best course of action is to always avoid them.

• Stop and remain calm, assess the situation and try to understand what message the bear is conveying before you decide what to do.
• Never approach a bear.
• Don't run - unless reaching a safe place is guaranteed. Bears can out run you and can reach speeds of 50 km/h.
• Bears are excellent climbers and strong swimmers - remember this before you decide to climb a tree or jump in the lake to get away. 
• If you're near a building or car, get inside.
• Make yourself as large as you can by reaching your arms over your head and yelling loudly. If it thinks you are bigger than it, chances are it won't approach. ( Many people that live in my area have suggested this one.)
• Carry a loud whistle or air horn with you when walking or jogging.

Some tips for Bear proofing your Backyard:

• Keep garbage indoors or in a closed shed and don't put it out to the curb until the day of pickup.
• Keep pet food indoors. 
• Bird feeders should be at least 8 - 12 feet above the ground.
• Pick fruit from trees as soon as it's ripe.

As soon as the weather gets a bit nicer and my back stops hurting so much I plan on starting a walking routine with Miss Pearl and you can be sure that I'll have a whistle, (probably and air horn too), and my cell phone with me. The road we walk on has dense brush and forest on both sides with only a few homes scattered here and there.

New Giveaway at Thru Nana's Window

My friend Angela is having a mystery giveaway - her first one- on her blog when she reaches 100 followers. Hope you'll all pop over and check out her blog and sign up! Can't wait to see what she's making!
Here's the link http://thrunanaswindow.blogspot.com/

Miss Pearl has her first bike and it's so Cool!

We got Hailie her first bike the other day. Her legs are a bit short to reach the pedals but it won't be long. I love the fact that it has steering for adults at the back. She loves being pushed on it and it gives her the idea of how to turn and what to do. She has a helmet but wasn't wearing it for the photo. My brother was pushing her in this photo - she just loves him and calls him Big Guy.

My Dad and Miss Pearl

Here's a photo I took the other day of my Dad and Miss Pearl (his Great Granddaughter) sitting on the front steps of my parent's Country Store. I just LOVE it!

Canadian Flag Cake

I found this recipe while going through my piles and piles of magazines that I'm trying to organize. That's another post in itself that I'll be sharing soon!

With strawberry season and Canada Day around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to post it now. I haven't tried it yet but with Jello, Cool Whip, and fresh strawberries, how can you go wrong? Sounds delicious!

1. Line bottom of 13 x 9 in. baking pan with sliced Sara Lee Pound Cake - you can use any pound cake or make your own from scratch.

2. Dissolve 2 pkgs Strawberry Jello mix in 2 cups boiling water. Add 3 cups ice cubes and stir until slightly thickened (about 3-5 mins) Remove any unmelted ice cubes. Still in 2 cups sliced strawberries. Spread over cake slices. Chill 10 minutes.

3. Spread Cool Whip topping on top of jelly mixture. Chill for 2 hours. Garnish with additional strawberries arranged to resemble the Canadian Flag.

TIP: Trace a maple leaf on the cake using a toothpick. Place a strawberry tip in each point and fill in the rest of the shape.

Miss Pearl & The Squirrel

We have a returning visitor and this year Miss Pearl and I are making friends with her. She's not afraid of either of us but will let Miss Pearl get a lot closer to her than I can. I think I'm too big and scary lookin'! It's now part of our daily routine to go out and feed the "quirl" 3 times a day.

Our trip to the Nation's Capitol & some good news!

Our trip went well and the Doctor said she could fix my eye…YAY!  No more double vision!  Unfortunately, it won’t clear up the scarring or floaters I still have from the aneurysm, but hey, after 22 years I’m kinda used to it. At least my eye will be realigned and the double vision will be gone! She explained the whole procedure to me and I cringed at the last part….IF YOU’RE SQEEMISH ABOUT EYES LIKE I AM, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP READING THIS NEXT PART AND MOVE ON TO THE PHOTOS OF OUR TRIP! Just scroll down really fast...LOL
– she has to leave one stitch coming out of my eye so the next day she can make sure we’re both happy with the results. If not she has to pull and tweak on that stitch a bit to rearrange the muscle.  My whole body would tense up completely every time I thought about this part over the past few days. I’m now just able to type it and think about it without cringing and tensing up. Like the doctor said to me when I was squirming in the chair when she explained this to me…..”After everything you’ve been through, you think THIS is bad???” And she’s right! I’ve been through so much worse in my lifetime! She said it will only feel like pulling out an eyebrow hair and only lasts 1 –2 seconds. So I guess I’m gonna pull up my big girl pants and have it done! It will be sometime in the next 6 months. I’ll have to be in Ottawa anywhere from 2-4 days and won’t be able to do any lifting or anything strenuous for 2 weeks. Unfortunately that means I won’t be able to lift Miss Pearl so I’ll need some help in that area. My wonderful family will help me out…aren’t families great? I know mine sure is and I know how lucky I am to have their love and support. The doctor also said that it’s possible that I will have to have it done 2 or 3 times in my life as it’s not the eye causing the problem, it’s my brain. Apparently it’s very common in people that have had any kind of head trauma…interesting! All this time I thought it was because my eye was moving to the area where it could see through the scarring. They sure can do amazing things to a person compared to 50 years ago!

Some photos I took of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Click to enlarge...the detail in the construction of these buildings is amazing!

Supreme Court of Canada

Here are a few more random photos of Ottawa...typical overcrowded city but as you can see in the photos it was a warm spring day with clear blue skies which made it easier to swallow - not a fan of big cities at all!

The tulips are blooming everywhere in the city.

Hope you all have a warm sunny weekend!

Happy Mother's Day and I'll be back soon!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all Mother's, Grandma's and Great or Great Great Grandma's a wonderful and Happy Mother's Day.

My Mother is the Greatest of them all and I love Her with all my heart! I don't think I'd be the kind of person I am or I'm becoming without her unconditional love and understanding through all the years. She's taught me so much....most of all how to be forgiving and understanding when it seems like the hardest thing to do! I LOVE you MOM!

I'm off to Ottawa early Monday morning to see an ophthalmologist to see if she can fix the eye I'm still blind in from my brain aneurysm 22 years ago. I doubt she can do anything about the scar tissue that was caused from the bleed itself but now my eye has become "lazy" and has been causing problems by veering off to the side (where it can see best through the scarring) and it's causing some double vision and more headaches. I sure hope she can fix it! 


I'll be back on Tuesday and hopefully all will go well :)

A Funny Deer Story and a few new changes

I feed deer in my backyard during the winter months and usually don't during the rest of the year when they have a full supply of food. Well with the snowstorm we had in April I woke to find all kinds of tracks in my back yard. We had some leftover corn feed and my Dad decided to put it out for them. I like to go out and take photos of them as they come right up to my deck and they aren't too scared of me anymore. I can stand on the deck while they eat and I talk to them in a soft voice letting them know I won't hurt them.  We usually get 3 does that come every night.

So one night, right after dark, I grabbed my trusty camera and went out on the deck. I didn't see any deer in the regular feeding spot so I took another step forward. Well I guess this buck was standing at the edge of the house and I couldn't see him but he saw me and snorted at me. It scared the bejeebies out of me and I turned towards the door rather quickly which in turn made the shovel I keep on the deck fall down. I thought the darn thing was coming on the deck after me and I bolted into the house. It's a good thing we live out in the country and it was dark because it must have been quite the sight. I actually didn't know what had snorted at me which scared me even more - it could have been a bear or the abominable snowman!

I went to tell my parents about it. (We all live in the same house with separate living quarters). My Dad told me it was probably a big buck - which makes sense and probably wouldn't have been so scary if I had known that! Here's a photo of one of the does I took a few nights later. They're so beautiful and I love having them so close.

Over the next little while I'll be making some changes to this blog so please bear with me while I get them done. It's gonna take a while because I'm not on the computer much but I think it will be worth it in the end. I'd like it to be more organized for me and for all of you that visit! 

Happy May & some random photos

First, just let me say that today is a great day in that Osama bin Laden is shark food! God Bless all the men and women who fought and continue to fight the terrorists of this world! 

Wow, I can't believe how fast time goes! I've been meaning to post some of the latest photos I've taken but I never seem to get much computer time anymore. Taking care of a toddler literally is a full time job - actually it's more than that because she's on the go from 6-7 am until bedtime which is usually at 8 pm - sometimes later. Miss Pearl has never been a good sleeper - not even as a baby so by the time she's in bed sleeping, I'm just about ready for bed myself.

I have been reading my favorite blogs whenever I get a chance and commenting when I can. I just love all the friends I've made in blog-land and cherish each and every one of you that take time out of your busy schedules to read and comment on mine - Thank you so much!

Now that it has finally warmed up a bit we spend a lot of time outside - when it's not raining - which it's been doing a lot. We get one nice sunny day and then 3 or 4 of rain - but I guess that's what Spring is all about! Flowers are finally starting to bloom and the pussy willows are out. We cleaned up the yard a bit and have had a couple of bonfires on the nice evenings. For those of you who are new followers, I'm a bonfire junkie! There's nothing I like more than to sit by a roaring fire in my back yard while listening to thousands of croaking frogs and the occasional hooting owl.

Here are a few photos I've taken over the past couple of weeks.

Poor little birds scrambling for food during our hopefully last snowstorm on April 21st.

A turkey buzzard perched in a tree across the road. There were 3 of them that came for days to feast on a dead deer that was in the ditch. Those things are HUGE and amazing to watch in flight. They did a great job of cleaning up what was left of the deer - nature's clean up crew!

A shot of them flying away as I got too close for their liking.

Grand baby Evie sleeping through Easter dinner. She's getting so big!

Hailie Pearl at Easter - she's sitting in the rocking chair I had as a child. The chair is approximately 75 years old and I saw one just like it at an antique store for $95! 

Miss Pearl collecting Easter eggs and presents on Easter morning.

My Mom and Hailie in the back yard enjoying the warmer weather.

My Dad and Hailie - I love this photo with my Dad sitting on the log beside our woodshed with my collection of old tools - looks so cool!

So that's what we've been up to! And of course praying for all the people in the south who were hit by those terrible storms and flooding.  

Until next time...