Below is the entries I did while we were on vacation in Canada (August 25 to September 8). Hubby's family has a cottage on Rice Lake in Ontario. I describe it as "rustic". The water is from the lake so you cannot drink it and there is no internet and only 3 TV channels (with 2 of them the same). It's nice and relaxing and I do the majority of my reading when I am there.
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Thursday, August
30
First time turning the computer on this week!
Vacation has been good & relaxing so
far.
Saturday, we stayed at my brother’s
house.
It was a restless night as Esa
did not sleep well.
I think she was more
concerned about where everyone was.
It
was her first time spending the night there.
No issue with Zed. He can sleep anywhere.
The first hour of the drive to NY was terrible.
We were in traffic only 5 miles from our
house AND were stuck there for one hour to go about 2 miles!
That basically blew our whole trip/day.
Sunday’s drive was better and got in some traffic in Toronto, along with the
border, but that was it. We stopped and
got a few groceries and got to the cottage by 6pm. I did realize that there are few cars that
have bumper or window stickers or magnets on them.
Monday was the big grocery day. We went to the Super Walmart and it was an
adventure. The one thing that is hard to
get used to in Canada
is people do not say excuse me when you are shopping.
Tuesday, we just stuck around the cottage &
relaxed. Wednesday was chore day for Dan
(moving some timber & small trees) and then Walmart again for some items we
forgot. My neck has been really hurting
me so Ben-Gay & a better pillow was on the list. Today, my neck seems better. We did find one geocache that is right down
the road from the cottage and got it when we took the pups for their evening
walk. Dan said that he saw the path on
Monday, but didn’t go with his instincts and check out the location.
Today (Thursday) was geocaching day. We went to the Trans Canadian Trail that is
about 2 miles from the cottage and walked about 1 mile. We found 9 out of 10 geocaches. Within the last year, people have placed
about one geocache every 10th of a mile.
I am on my 3
rd book.
I read “Big Stone Gap” by Adriana Trigiani,
“Playing with Fire” by Theo Fleury and now “The Shack” by William Young.
This week is about relaxing, next week,
hopefully some reflection and what I want to accomplish when I get back.
Of course, “The Shack’ is making me think
though…..
Friday, August 31, 2012
Relaxing day – Dan is out geocaching and I am hanging out at
the cottage.
I have started my 4
th
book – “From This Moment On” by Shania Twain.
One thing about vacationing here and getting caught up on my reading, it
makes me think.
I thought that “The
Shack” would be something I read and passed on, but now I think I might keep
it.
It just makes you think about God,
Jesus & the Holy Spirit – no matter what your religion – from a different
perspective.
When I read a book like
that, I think “how did the author think of this book?”
I will be looking up more about this book
when I get an internet connection.
Whenever I read biographies, I think I need to write my
story. Funny enough, that’s basically
what Shania Twain said in the intro to her book. She was writing the story for her son, but
felt that everyone should write their story.
She also mentioned that she wish she knew her mom’s story. I totally connect with that. There are so many questions that I wish I
could ask now. I have been thinking
about my story for awhile & will do some research on where to start (and
how to keep the flow). Do I just do stories
that I remember? Do I start at the beginning, as far back as I remember? Do I
start in the here & now?
I did some laundry today and hung the clothes out on a
clothesline for the first time in probably 25 years. I was able to do 2 loads before the line was
full, still some loads to go. At least
I’m being green!
I also gave Zed a bath on the dock. That was fun (not). I don’t know how much shampoo came off of
him, but at least he’s not licking his paws now! Poor pup.
Not smelling though!
I am glad we are here for 2 weeks. I don’t think I would have been ready to go
back today/tomorrow. I kind of felt like
I had an anxiety attack earlier today (just an overwhelming feeling that I get)
– thinking I had to give Zed a bath & do laundry. I keep trying to think about the positive –
we still have a week up here!
Sunday, September 02
Saturday we visited the library to get on the internet.
The next door neighbors are here for the weekend and Esa has
been playing with their dogs (Luka, Duke & Rosie) - Zed just hanging out
with them. We had a scare with Esa. Dan
was playing with her and next thing you know, she’s limping & we could tell
that her paw was swollen. She was using
it though so I figured it couldn’t be too bad.
Luckily, she was better this morning. The pups played some more this morning &
then we ran out for groceries and to buy a kayak. Yup – Dan wanted to get a kayak. He tried the neighbor’s out first, and really
liked it.
After that trip, we went to Lang Pioneer
Village for a corn
roast. We thought the corn would be on
the grill, but it was boiled over an open fire.
It was really good. They had
music and the Canadian Antique Phonograph Society was there with a
display. It was really neat to see. Dan said, his mom would have loved it.
Now it’s just hanging out while Dan is in the lake on the
kayak. I’ll never see him the rest of
the trip! Tomorrow everything is closed
with Labor (or as it’s spelled up here Labour) Day. Totally different than in the states.
Monday, September 03, 2012
Labour Day (as they call it here in
Canada)
Just relaxing today since everything is closed. Seriously – so unlike America where
it doesn’t matter anymore if there is a holiday or not. Things have changed so much within the last
20 years (probably less than that) when it comes to holidays in America.
Dan took out the kayak this morning and did a 5 mile round
trip. I hung out and made pasta salad
and figured out some goals (yes, time to start thinking about when I get back
home).
After lunch I took a nap, read and caught up on some blogs
that I downloaded on my Kindle Fire.
Dan has been working on a puzzle that he got at the thrift
store (below the library) on Saturday.
It’s TOUGH!
Tuesday, September 04
Rainy, rainy day.
We
ended up going to
Peterborough
to see if we could find a hobby shop (to buy a gift for my brother), with no
luck.
I pulled both places out of the
phonebook here at the cottage which was from 2008-2009.
Both places weren’t there and we ended up
getting SOAKED walking around going to the addresses.
It was by the downtown “mall”, so we walked
in there to see if there was any free wifi.
Finally found some, looked up hobby stores and realized the hobby stores
only have radio control models.
So back
to the car.
Oh, score on a travel bug
though!
When we were parking I noticed a
travel bug on a car, so we at least got that.
We then headed to the Lansdowne Place Mall – which is really
a “mall”. Looked around and got some
“gifts” for the family for letting us stay there overnight.
I started my 5
th book yesterday, “Inside of a Dog”
by Alexandra Horowitz.
I am more than
half way through and haven’t learned anything new about dogs.
It’s written kind of scientific, but in an
interesting way & easy to read.
It
quotes different cases studies and has the author’s stories on her own dog.
Some of the things I have forgotten to mention:
Ducks:
We have a
family of 9 ducks who have been visiting us almost daily.
We have been feeding them bread and I
realized yesterday that if the dogs aren’t on the dock, the ducks will come
closer.
If the dogs are there, they stay
out a bit.
Zed has also realized NOT to
go chasing the ducks in the water.
He
did growl a little yesterday, but stayed away from the edge of the dock.
Beaver: Last couple
of years, we would always see a beaver daily.
We finally saw it once this year on Sunday and was able to get a picture
or two.
Fish: The lake is
FULL of fish this year - from minnows to full size. We never know what the fish population is
going to be like. One year we came up
and there were ton of dead fish. We have
also been feeding them.
It’s just nice & relaxing checking out the nature around
here.
Wednesday, September 05
Our wedding anniversary – 14 years
Today was a relaxing day.
The ducks were by first thing this morning, so the pups & I fed them
before waking Dan up for our morning walk.
Dan went for a trip around the island in the kayak this
afternoon. I started my 7th
book, “My Appetite for Destruction” by Steven Adler. My 6th book was “Running with
Scissors” by Augusten Borroughs. That
book was crazy – There’s no way that book was real! It is too far out there! I think I have seen some of the movie. Once I get back to the internet, I’ll have to
look more into the author.
We went to dinner at
Berc’s Steakhouse.
We have been there once before and it was
really good (and kind of expensive)
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Last full day at the cottage
L
Today will be doing last minute running around (bank &
filling up the gas tank) then starting to pack. L
We are heading to my brother’s again and staying
overnight. It’s just easier for Esa
since she cannot relax in the car at all plus, I get to see the family for a
little while.
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So Friday, we drove and hung out at my brother's on Friday & headed out again on Saturday. Friday night, my SIL had her women's group from church over for dinner & I got to see a church member I hadn't seen since I moved to VA.
On the drive Friday, the check engine light on the Jeep came on. We took it up to Advantage Auto and they pulled the code. Internal transmission AGAIN. The system was reset and hasn't come on since. I will need to look up and see if this is a usual issue with Jeeps. If we need a new transmission, it's a no go - we are getting a new car.
Saturday, we drove the majority of the way in the rain - or should I say hurricane rains. There were several tornado warnings in NY & I guess in the DC area. The rain was coming down REALLY hard, but we kept going. We would get ahead of it and then stop to let the pups out, then back driving in the rain.
Today was groceries and finishing up the laundry. Back to work tomorrow & we will be getting all of our mail delivered. The below Mutts comic was posted on August 29. Fitting! I still look forward to getting the mail.
This Mutts comic was from September 1. Yes - so much to do once you get back home.
