Art at RM!

Jane got an invite to set up for Art at RM - a local classic car dealer with worldwide influence and reach. They sell cars to stars, like Jay Leno and Nicolas Cage. To celebrate their 40th anniversary, they decided to put on a big car show....complete with art vendors!

What it meant for ME was that unlike normal art shows, I also had classic cars to check out! Bayside Brewing also had a booth and some excellent food vendors were also invited. People were shuttled in from Chatham on buses, and SOMEONE helicoptered in to the show. There were rumours, especially given the three private jets parked at the Chatham Airport....Jay Leno? John Travolta? Kid Rock?

All in all, a gorgeous day.....Kid Rock did attend affiliated Retrofest in downtown Chatham, and rode in the classic car parade with Mr. RM himself, Rob Myers. He even stayed at the Retro Suites.

Not ONCE did anyone try to buy our "classic" 1992 van. Not even once.

Me, I just drank beer and drooled over cars. Then we tore down the tent and cruised the scenic stretch of Highway 3 along Lake Erie for a nice dinner on the patio at Renny's!

And now....on with the cars!

My choice, if I get one.....

Bin There, Done That

After several years of "thinking about it", we finally went ahead and rented a bin to purge a bunch of the junk from the house, garage, shed and barn. In fairness, we inherited a lot of this stuff when we moved here....but we've certainly collected our own fair share in the meantime!

We donated what we could to the local Friendship Centre for their yard sale, gave away some other stuff, and burned what we could in the burn barrel. Anything that didn't fit into one of those categories went into the bin!

We spent a very long Saturday filling the bin - I say "we" because one of us is about to have knee replacement surgery and was of limited assistance.....though she maintains a mean burn barrel if kept fed with paper, cardboard and wood!

Luckily the weather was perfect - overcast, not too hot, and even light mist from time to time.

A raccoon with distemper on the property meant we kept the cats locked in the house....which thankfully also meant they weren't underfoot or carried away in the bin!

It's "bin" far too long!

A long day begins....

Nearing the end

Burning old cardboard and paperwork

Even typos must go!

R.I.P. Jebus

We lost another member of the furry family today - poor old Jebus reached the end of his decade-long run with us. He had been aging of late, but went missing on Saturday, came back Sunday night acting strange (even for him) and refusing to eat, and by Monday morning had gone downhill quickly and was clearly suffering. We made the always difficult decision to be by his side and ease his passing.

Officially "Holstein", this black and white sweetheart showed up all skin and bones in early 2009, and became the first stray to wander onto the property and stick around - look what he started! He was starving, and we left an old blanket and a bowl of food on the back deck and found him there every morning until he eventually wormed his way inside as an indoor/outdoor resident. We have no idea how old he was (3-5?) when he showed up, but he stayed for ten more years.

A few short years later, he became "Uncle Daddy", taking the mantle of fatherhood and helping single mom Pooka to raise the three Nugs (Gronk, Bonk and Pita) and show those tabby boys the ropes. Jebus was ultimately the name that stuck, though at times he was also Jabby Hayes, Jeebers, Jeebs, Jib Jab and Gnarls Jabathan.

Never the most genetically advantaged feline, he took the reins of "dominant male" around the property for several years, from the passing of Bickey, until handing off to a younger and now very fully-grown Gronk. He lost teeth, and developed cloudy eyes and was partially deaf and blind.....but managed to navigate the familiar environs and enjoy his life around the property.

In his retired years, he enjoyed wandering the yard, field and ditches; befriending raccoons and possums; and cuddling with us and the other cats - he was one of the few cats that everyone got along with and/or tolerated, as if they could sense his gentle soul and simple outlook.

He and his distinctive inquisitive meow will be sorely missed. His passing reduces our feline head count back to single digits, with nine furry lives remaining to honour his nine lives well-lived.

Holstein arrives in 2009

Cuddling with Bickey

Uncle Daddy to three new Nugs!

Spooning with Miss

Straight chillin'

Watching over The Nug Pile!

Oh...good morning!

Cuddle time with the boys

Pfui!

The bottom bun in a Pennywise sandwich

A sweet old boy

Farewell Friend