The Grass is Greener...until you have to cut it...

So we got a lot of rain last week...then a lot of sun this week....I am on my fourth night of mowing the lawn, and I still have not finished. Granted, the lawnmower has been acting up a little, which has been slowing progress. However, I cannot help but notice that the first patches I cut already need to be cut again...and I haven't even finished the rest of the lawn yet....

But we're not complaining. The tranquility, country breezes, open skies, sunrises and sunsets have made rural living well worth the mowing. We have been enjoying a non-stop barrage of fresh fruits, vegetables and fish from local venues. The kitchen vineyard and dining room brewery are about to pay dividends....this weekend I bottle my first batch of home-made beer...and the home-made wine will be ready next week.

Will post a few pics, sacrificing a portion of my life to dial up speed, for the enjoyment of others.....that is, as soon as we manage to find the camera in the all those unpacked boxes that still litter the house....

We're Back....

Hello all....finally settled in at the new house, and back online....albeit by way of dial-up connection, but still. Beggars can't be choosers.

Much has taken place since the last post, since the closing date at the new house. There were several blurry weeks, of weeks in Barrie and weekends in Wheatley, and the closing date at the old house. A birthday, the August long weekend in Waterloo/Mississauga, and rounding out the string at the old office all come readily to mind....as do a few high-speed runs down the 400/407/401 with cars laden with cats, house plants, and all the explosive and dangerous stuff that moving companies are not allowed to carry.

Finally, we are here. For good. No more "commute", or realtors, lawyers or government relocation consultants. I start at the new office tomorrow, and am looking forward to my first day with the fourteen minute country commute....maybe twenty if I stop at a fruit stand and a vineyard.

No pictures to share this time....not quite sure where the camera is in the mess of partially unpacked boxes...besides, there will be fewer visual posts in future, given the speed of our dial-up connection. Sorry folks, you may be forced to endure my inane banter instead...

Ours at Last!

So today was closing day at the new house in Wheatley....but of course the bank and finance company kept us waiting until late in the day. Jane waited patiently outside the vendor's lawyer's office in Tilbury, waiting for the keys....with a car fully laden with valuables....and slowly fading good humour....

But as of about 4:30pm today, she was finally in possession of the keys, and on her way to the new place! Now we'll see if this vaunted Rogers Remote semi-high-speed internet thing works out....

Tour de Wheatley

So we made our way down to Wheatley (again!) last weekend, for the final home inspection prior to the legal closing. To our relief, all buildings and trees were still right where we left them....

We took the opportunity to tour Leamington and then Wheatley on a sunny Saturday, to acclimate early to our new surroundings. A brief walking tour of Wheatley revealed more than we thought - as the closest town to the house (a mere four minutes drive), Wheatley offers: a Mac's, an LCBO (already knew about that one), two gas stations, a Home Hardware, a Co-Op, a restaurant/pool hall, a cafe/diner, a pharmacy, a dollar store, a bakery, a post office...and five (???) hair establishments. We also took a quick look at Two Creeks, a conservation area with trails and live concerts, about one minute's drive from the house.

OK, so on the way out we also started the vineyard tours early, stopping at Smith & Wilson winery outside of Blenheim. They're pretty free with the samples....which bodes well.

We take possession on Monday...and with last night's two and a half hour visit with the lawyer out of the way, it appears to be a matter of time at this point!

The Back of the House

The Big Barn

The Man Crib!

Old Man Willow guarding the bonfire pit

Idiot's Guide to Camping

So we have tons of experience setting up the tent....but problems arise when your air mattress springs a leak, and Tanya offers you her double-height queen mattress...especially if you're too stubborn to deflate it first, to get it into the tiny tent....

Step One - The Planning Phase

Step Two - Implementation

Step Three - That Finishing Touch

Step Four - A Well-Earned Rest

Canada Day!!!

So how does a group of friends celebrate two birthdays in one weekend? How do we mark Grayson's 6th anniversary...and the nation's 140th, all at the same time?

Well let's see....how about cake (obvious) and soccer (not so obvious).....intermingled with alcohol, euchre, music and fireworks?!?!

Highlights include the food, the Saturday Brick Beer tour (where for the first time ever, the entire group completed the "tour"), an all-Canadian playlist featuring over 120 songs, hot euchre/scrabble action, tenting, grass hockey, and Keith's finely engineered fireworks display. Grayson may cite the gifts as the overall highlight, but in my opinion it was the quality time spent with friends!

Happy Birthday (not so little) G, and Happy Birthday Canada! Thanks to all for the memories - Tanya, Keith, Grayson, Sarah, Jessie, Joel, Amy, Kyla, Jade, Aiden, Eric, Michelle, Little Lars (?), Tom, Donna, Kevin and (of course) Jane!

The Rowdy Soccer Hooligans

Spidey Cake

Y'arrrr...these be friends!

Fireworks....that really work!

Tamawrecked at Tamarack!

Morale has not improved....and so the beatings have continued, this time with a larger group of seventeen friends and family (and one very tired dog), with three days of hard partying in Haliburton. The idyllic shores of Tamarack Lake played host to our eager band of merrymakers, and we were graced with perfect weather to boot, for three solid days of fun in Pringle's Cove.

The long weekend started on Thursday night, with staggered arrivals and staggering campers. Looking back, the weekend is a blur of swimming, tunes, drinking, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, drinking, bugs, campfires, acoustic jams, BBQ....did I mention drinking? How about bugs?

But vague words cannot adequately convey the memories....the final and brutal offensive launched by the mosquitoes on Saturday night....group skinny dipping in the lake in the wee hours....Kester the Floating Bartender, with his paddle boat o' beverages, making endless trips to the floating platform....turtles, and rabbits, and bears - oh my!

Thanks to all for a fabulous weekend!

Pringle's Cove

The Gang

After the Water Fight

Dragonfl-eye View