The Bruce Beckons!

In search of a relatively short and relatively cheap mini-vacay, we opted for a run up the Bruce Peninsula for some camping, hiking, and a long-overdue return to Jane's old stomping grounds. Even pulled off lunch with some old friends in Wiarton.

Spent a night camping at Point Farms Provincial Park, on the sandy shores of Lake Huron just north of Goderich. Two more nights of outdoorsy goodness followed at the Cyprus Lake campground inside Bruce Peninsula National Park, just south of Tobermory. And thank you, fellow federal public servant at Parks Canada, for reminding Jane about the existence of bears.

The weather dampened things a bit, but not our spirits. We still hiked out to The Grotto and enjoyed the rugged Georgian Bay shoreline. Spent a drizzly morning having a warm breakfast in Tobermory. Appreciated the autumn colour change in a way not possible way down here on the prairies.

The circuitous trip home took us past several nostalgic stops in Owen Sound, including Jane's childhood home - still looks the same!

Kitties, the Babysitter's here!

Mattress just waiting for the hot air....

No, not some exotic tropical island....it's Lake Huron! 

Lake Huron sand dunes

A windswept Dog Beach at Point Farms

Goderich Harbour

Highly recommended if you're in the Goderich area

Cyprus Lake campsite

Pressed into coffee duty

A picture within a picture!

The harbour at Tobermory

Georgian Bay from Tobermory docks

A beauty of a Park

Rugged Georgian Bay shoreline

The Grotto

The Grotto, Part II

More scenery from the hike

Cyprus Lake at dusk

Farewell to Mister Bickers

Today we bid a very fond farewell to Bickey, after ten quality years together. He never fully recovered from the liver issues two summers ago, but was living well up until late last week. He went downhill quickly over the weekend, in the late stages of kidney failure. We no longer felt that he was enjoying life, and was clearly in pain. Tough decision, but the right one for our long-time feline friend.

We spent over an hour outside with him today before the appointed hour arrived, letting him wander the green grass and enjoy the fresh breeze through his fur. Though the hard part was waiting for a scheduled time to arrive to take him in to the clinic, his assisted passing was ultimately painless and stress-free, and ours were the last faces he saw and hands he felt.

As his last official act, he bought a round of canned tuna for all his furry friends to remember The Sherriff, as he came known to be among all cats in the house, serving as resident bouncer and laying down the Law of the Paw in times of need. It may sound morbid, but we had a bit of a viewing for the other cats to see him off, before laying him to rest on our property beneath a young tree.

Rest in peace, Bickers. You are already missed.

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Nice summer/fall weekend to get some yardwork done, including cleaning up the much-needed trimming a local contractor gave Old Man Willow the other day. Jane astutely summarized it best, in that he gave the tree a mullet - all business in the front (i.e. where it was previously tangling into the hydro lines), and all party in the back where it still weeps to the very ground.

Amusement aside, it left quite a mess of branches to be hacked up and carried off. With Jane away in Toronto, luckily I had "help" in the form of a sweet black kitty. OK, so she wasn't much help, but she was good company. Also nice that the threat of thunderstorms seemed to abate and afford me with ample weather to get the entire lawn cut, laundry hung and dried, and a significant portion of the willow removed.

Hopefully get to the rest tomorrow.....though Week One of football season may cut into my productivity!