Moving Our Fish

When we moved to our present home in Muskoka the backyard was like an empty artist's canvas. The previous owner had two young daughters and there was a sandbox in the center of the backyard. The structure had a roof and corner posts which didn't look all that stable. So upon tearing down the structure I got to thinking that spot would be perfect for a pond.

My hubby had already turned over the earth for several perennial beds as I'd brought some plants with me from our previous apartment. We were fortunate there to have had a small garden so I dug up some plants from it. Our new backyard was empty of plants so I could design away. Well, my gardening plans usually run to buy what I like and find a spot for it.

Hubby went along with the pond idea and he started digging. He said he could get his hands on a black barrel which he proceeded to cut in half lengthwise. Sunk into the soil, it became our first pond. I arranged all the rocks around it and started planting. After several years we felt we needed to have a larger pond so bought a ready made plastic one from our nearby Home Depot Store. One fine summer day dear hubby and his son dug up the space for the new pond insert.

This meant I had to rearrange all the rocks and rethink my planting. Actually the planting and rethinking is ongoing as all gardeners know. We have had some adventures with the pond, some great, some not so great. We have had wonderful resident frogs that have put on some great shows for us, especially the one dear frog attracted romantically to a plastic frog I bought..alas, the romance waned when Mr. Frog found out his mate wasn't real..

On the sadder side of things a beautiful Blue Heron decided to clean out our pond one day while I was away and I think even breakfasted on my dear resident frogs..We replaced all our goldfish and Koi but were not so lucky with the frogs. We get one or two now but we had more in summers past and enjoyed them so much.

We hope very much to have a similar sized pond in the front yard of our property in P.E.I. where I can keep an eye on it when around. I hope to take down some rocks from here as there is so much beauty in our Muskoka rock. Transporting the fish will be somewhat of a challenge if they survive this summer and proceeding summers from the Blue Heron.

We thought it such a lark when it appeared one hot summer's day on the neighbor's roof. Then later in the afternoon we ran to grab camera's as it landed on hubby's workshop roof. Then the penny dropped and Jim realized it was after our fish. We ran a rope around some posts hoping he would fear getting tangled up in it, but alas he was smarter than us.

We heard that same summer Blue Herons cleaned out a lot of ponds in a neighboring town, went right down the block, having lunch at each one..and I know P.E.I. has more Blue Herons than we do here. Therefore something will have to be done to protect our fish, or we will be making a lot of trips to the Pet Store.

I know about the term Survival of the Fittest but if I get my hands on a Blue Heron trying to snack on my "fish family" he may be lacking a few tail feathers. Do they even have tail feathers?

I Have To Learn to Drive A Tractor

I will not only have to learn to drive a tractor but a riding lawn mower and maybe even a truck! In the above picture I'm getting a lesson on my brother-in-law Frank's tractor around the perimeter of his house. He is not in the picture but I'm sure he is close by yelling instructions at me. It was fun at the time but should I get on it again this coming May, I wouldn't remember a thing.

Being the proud owners of 35 acres, much of it soon to be planted in potatoes this year, there is still a lot of grass to mow. For the next five years until we permanently move down to P.E.I., Frank is going to have to cut our grass along with his own. We will cut our grass and help him with his each time we go down for holidays. My husband Jim has always enjoyed visiting his brother and finding out what all the odd jobs are that need doing.

They work so well together and really enjoy each other's company. I only got really stressed out one summer on the island when my husband was feeding tree branches into a wood chipper they had rented and the branch swung back and caught Jim in the face. It cut his nose and just about his lip where his mustache covers the left-over scar. Men never want to go to a doctor and always say they never need stitches..I tried my hardest to persuade him to get stitches but lost the argument. So he wears the badges of honor to this day.

I've never had my permanent driver's license even after having many lessons over the years and getting my beginners license. There are times in year's past that I wish I did drive but I still never persisted. So it's a big event for me to learn to drive a lawn mower or tractor. I'll start small and work my way up. Possibly within the next five years we will be on the look out for a good used tractor. Frank has a Kubota which he cuts grass with and uses for snow plowing but in the back of my mind I'm thinking of an old John Deere. Time will tell what turns up. I"m sure hubby will make the ultimate decision.

It's just four weeks away until our trip out East to start working on our farmhouse. Friends are giving advice as to what color to paint the house, put on shutters or window boxes, perhaps add on a wrap around porch and yes, all these ideas are wonderful but are a little off in the future yet. We will be concentrating on the inside this trip down. My carpentry skills will improve I'm sure and hope I don't come home with a fat thumb. My husband Jim is getting so excited about our adventure, but also apprehensive about all that has to be accomplished in three short weeks.

Rather than banging a hammer knocking down drywall I'd much rather be outside pulling weeds and starting the design for my future flower beds. I'd love to transport many perennials from here this spring but our truck will only hold so much on the trip down and hubby has a list a mile long. Patience is a virtue so my desire to start my new gardens will have to be on hold for another year. Unless I see some great sales on plants on the trip down and I can get hubby to stop..naw, it will never happen...

Spring, I Need You and Other Updates

The above picture is of our property on Prince Edward Island, my brother-in-law Frank is sitting in a field of winter rye I believe..the house and barns can be seen in the background. The new red roof isn't on the house in this picture. When I view this serene view I think of spring, of buds bursting forth on trees and bushes I haven't all explored yet, delights awaiting me this coming May.

We will soon be driving to the island for the first of many working holidays where I will take my breaks exploring the tree lines or back woods. If I get out of hearing, maybe I can extend my exploring but that wouldn't be fair to hubby would it?

I saw my first snow drops this week in a lovely, small town called St. Marys, where I used to make my home. That was Tuesday of this week, but Wednesay morning they had once again become buried in freezing rain, then a fresh snowfall..well, my spirits were lifted even for that short glimpse of them. Winter hit us once again with all her fury, freezing ice pellets, freezing rain, driving winds and raging snow. It's enough to make a grown woman cry.

On that note I was in St. Marys to support my children during a ceremony of celebration for their father's life. His life ended peacefully and quickly after a 3 week illness. My children made me so proud in how they arranged the service, handled many of the sad details and bravely soldiered on..Perhaps I saw them in a new light, as the strong adults they've become. Wise, caring, giving, compassionate adults who though they will often encounter the hardships of life will come out on top. Even though their father and I have not been together for nearly fifteen years, they included me in many of the arrangements and my being there with them was cathartic, as we embraced the memories of the good years together as a family.

On a lighter note, my dear sister-in-law Pat is on the mend, in fact she may even get home this week around the 25th of March. What a celebration that will be after such a long stay in the hospital. That is another reason I want spring to burst forth with warmth and sunshine so Pat can enjoy the outdoors.

I renewed many former friendships will visiting St. Marys which gladdened my heart and bodes well for the future. As time passes we lose touch with people we care about, so to exchange email addresses and with promises of future visits a new chapter begins. I believe strongly that my two adult children will heal over time this loss of a parent with dignity and courage. Perhaps they will grow even closer as brother and sister during the course of duties that awaits them, as they live in different cities.

My heart is encouraged as I see the chickadees already starting to nest in our backyard birdhouses, the snow in our yard slowly but surely melt a little each week, that spring will be around "some" corner and a healing will come to the earth as well as family and friends who have need of new beginnings with a renewed strength of heart.

Our Angel is Sick

When my brother Gordon got married many years ago an angel entered our family. Her name is Pat. There are some people who are so kind, so generous, so good natured and loving we wonder where they hide their wings. Pat is one of those people.

My brother and his wife have two grown sons, their oldest just turned forty this month. They are blessed with four grandchildren and Pat is a loving, doting grandmother. I've known Pat now for a over forty years and we've never shared a cross word. She has never been anything but encouraging and helpful to everyone she meets.

On occasion I have held family reunions here at my home and who is always in the kitchen helping me wash or dry dishes, get the food ready..Pat of course. When she and my brother come up a couple of times a year, she brings lots of food and treats and a lovely hostess gift for me.

This week I heard from my brother by email that Pat had to be taken to the hospital because of a bad case of pneumonia and our whole family is very concerned. How we hate to see our dear angel suffering as she is, each cough causing her pain. All the while she is suffering she is concerned about her own mother who also had to be hospitalized for 12 hrs. with the flu.

I look for emails each morning and evening from my brother to read updates on dear Pat's health. I'd like to think she has now turned a corner after five days in hospital and she will soon be back to perfect health and be able to return home. We don't often hear of Pat being sick, not down and out like she is now so it took us by surprise and reminded us just how special she is to us all.

Do we tell people often enough how much we appreciate and love them? Probably not. With all the new technology we have now we don't even phone each other much anymore, we just blast off an email or text message. My daughter has been calling me more this week, she too is dealing with her father who was hospitalized with pneumonia and has come to the age where he now must give up his home to enter a nursing home. Big changes ahead.

My son and I spent nearly an hour on the computer this week typing messages back and forth on MSN which suited the purpose I guess but how much nicer to have heard each other's voices, to have that more personal touch. This week I've been on the phone to a great many people and except for the fact I couldn't see them, they could have been in the next room. We can hear gladness in a person's voice, sadness or discouragement over the phone. Even a personal letter that we recive in the mail box has something to highly recommend it.

This brings me back to Pat who always picks the most beautiful birthday cards, taylor made for the person who is receiving it. Long messages written on all the white space on the card in her lovley handwriting, making the card extra special, a treasure to keep. I am many miles and hours away from my sister-in-law but she is on my mind very much. I wish only the best for her, for improvements each day, less pain and a better appetite. Some families are so blessed by the people who marry into them. Such is the case with our dear Pat, she has graced our family with her special ways, her peaceful, sweet, generous nature. Yes, I think of her as she is on my mind and in my heart always.

Turning Sixty

There are just some things we can't stop and having birthday's is one of them. Time marches on, sometimes too slowly like when waiting for our first grandchild to be born, or too quickly when said grandchild starts to grow.

This year my dear husband turns sixty! It's hard to believe how fast the years have gone by. I'd like to put the brakes on for awhile and slow down time. We have a lot ahead of us, renovating our farmhouse in Prince Edward Island so we will need to be strong and healthy. It's so easy to start thinking: "If only".. If only we could have purchased our dream place on the island twenty years ago, or if only we could have met twenty-five years ago instead of fourteen. If only we could win the lottery!! Yes, there are a lot of "if only's" to think upon but we are where we are meant to be, as it was all the events prior to this time that set the stage for where we are now. Get's confusing doesn't it?

We have so much to be grateful for, we now have our retirement place to dream about and plan for, we have our first grandchild, baby Claire and we only live an hour's drive away from her. My husband has two healthy, grown adult children, as do I. We have hobbies that we enjoy, a warm house to live in, plenty of clothes to wear and food to eat. Friends to go dancing with on Friday nights and with computers and email, we are well connected with family living many miles away.

My husband doesn't want a birthday bash, but I have other ideas. It won't be a huge event as we have a small house but in August the weather is usually wonderful so we can eat and mingle outside. It just seems like such a special day that I can't let it pass without some hoopla...and making his favorite chocolate cake for the occasion.

I couldn't begin to write about all the adventures my hubby has packed into nearly sixty years already but being a prolific reader with a fondness for science fiction I can put into print he wouldn't be disappointed if he was ever "beamed up"..but I've told him over and over I'm not going with him..nor would I appreciate him looking me up if he comes back! He likes to tease me when we are out walking at night by saying "beam me up Scottie, beam me up!"..it's at that point I walk quickly over to the other side of the road..I'm not taking any chances!!

All kidding aside, how lovely to have spent nearly fourteen years together and to look forward to celebrating this milestone together this August. I look forward to many more special occasions and celebrations together as we travel down the laneway of life together, perhaps him on one side of the road and me on the other :)

Our Nine Month Wait Is Over

My husband and I are very excited. We are nearly floating off the ground with happiness. We have just become grandparents for the very first time. We have an addition to our family, a beautiful new baby girl. My husband's daughter and her husband who were married in Cuba last year, another exciting event and a trip we very much enjoyed presented us with our wee treasure this past Monday in late afternoon. That tremendous news put a sparkle into our dreary winter day.

It's been a long time since I've held such a precious bundle in my arms. I have two nephews who live quite a few miles from us that have had babies in recent years but I wasn't able to hold them after birth. My neighbours next door have had three new grandchildren and I've watched envious at times, the fun they have had with their new babies also now growing up and running around. So when my husband decided we would venture down to the hospital an hour's drive from our home that very same evening it didn't take me long to get organized.

I had to turn off the stove where I was cooking potatoes and turnips for supper. Have him carve up one of the two chickens I had just finished roasting and delve into making sandwiches. I even made a couple for the new father as we had talked to him on his cell phone and he was quite pleased to know food was on it's way. We drove as quickly as was safe and arrived at the hospital around seven-thirty p.m. Up we went in the elevator to the fourth floor and pushed the buzzer to be let into the maternity area. Down the winding hall we walked, getting more excited by the minute. Which room was hers?

We heard some babies weak little cries but our baby was sleeping soundly. What a beauty she is. Such a lovely pink complexion, the tiniest eye lashes laying on rosy cheeks, even a lovely head of hair. Maybe not enough for a bow yet, but it will grow..I thought as I saw her for the first time of the miracle of life, how as I did over forty years ago carry a baby for nine months, then this wonder, this miracle appears with ten fingers and ten toes all so perfect.

I thought of the word "swaddling" as I saw how our little princess was all wrapped up like a package in white cotton blankets. Underneath all that wrapping was a pink outfit, the color suiting her perfectly. She yawned, she blew a few bubbles, once we thought we were in for a sympathy cry as the babies around her were stretching their lungs, but our dear one just twisted up her face a bit and blithely slept on.

What a treat to hold her close to my chest, kiss her tiny head and wonder at all the great times that lay ahead. How we will grin and giggle over her every expression, taking picture after picture, filling an album before she reaches her first birthday. I've already pictured her in my mind feeding the fish in our pond. We are waiting on a name, several have been mentioned as we are also anxious to see her open her eyes and let us see another side of her personality.

Wonderous times lay ahead, being a grandparent is a joy I didn't know I'd get to experience and now that it's here I know what my friends were talking about when they said: "you'll just love it, there's nothing like it!" My husband is so looking forward to the day we can have her here for a whole day, just to ourselves. Today the snow is swirling down, the wind is howling, making the snow fly around in blizzard conditions. But I'm inside, warm and comfortable, dreaming of this new blessing which has grown our family. Anticipating the moment I can kiss those little hands and hold her once again, perhaps telling her stories of my garden and letting her know I won't get upset if she picks all the heads off my tulips so she can give "mommy" a pretty bouquet next spring. Lots of fun and adventures ahead, we can hardly wait!

Our Very Own Woods and Magical Stream

I'm a towny, always have been except for a few years living in a very small village as a young child. I'm used to being able to walk downtown whenever I need to for a shopping fix. I'm also now able to walk to a coffee shop, Wal-Mart and Home Depot due to the land being available at our end of town. It usually takes me twenty-five minutes to walk to the bridge over the river downtown and from there I can access my doctor's office, dentist's office and my optometrist all within another ten minutes or so. I have even ventured on occasion to walk all the way to our Zellars Store at the opposite end of town but it's a feat I don't tackle anymore. There are many hills in this town, some very steep and if I can avoid them I do.

This past weekend the temperature here has been minus 26 degrees with the wind chill making it feel like -37. Since I find that way too cold to go walking outside I have set up a jigsaw puzzle to challenge me. Actually I'm on my third one, they all involved flowers of some description. These flower puzzles made me think of spring and spring made me think of May, the month we hope to return to Prince Edward Island to start our renovating process on our over seventy year farmhouse.

Thinking of our farmhouse put me in mind of our wonderful property. To some it might look like just a bunch of fields bordered by trees. In the spring the fields will be planted in potatoes but to an old towny like me it looks like paradise. To think my husband and I own all those fields and the long, deep woods behind them is so exciting to me. Last year along with my sister-in-law and her husband we grabbed a pair of long handled loppers, a small axe and headed into the woods. Several of the first dozen trees had a yellow plastic ribbon tied around them so we figured that's the trail to follow. It was tough going after awhile. It was very dense with small trees trying to reach towards the light of the sun, dead trees, old logs plus branches reaching out to halt our progress.

But the charm of the woods was the lovely, deep moss covering the forest floor, hearing the birds sing and finding all sorts of different mushrooms, none of which we knew. One particular mushroom has the reddest top I've ever seen. It was so beautiful. Jim's brother placed it on a tree branch so we could get a good photo of it. We knew from the deeds of the property that there were several streams on the property. Plus the owner had told us as a small child she fell into one. We tramped through the dense woods for nearly two miles it seemed, ducking here, dodging there to escape a branch in the head. One small clearing made me exclaim with joy as there were stately maples growing there. Some small enough I hope to dig up and transplant later.

When we finally reached what we thought should be a stream it seemed to be dried up, no water was flowing but the moss was very spongy and wet. We trekked on, up hill and down dale and finally found the most magical little stream I've seen in a long time. I was beside myself with joy. Bouncing around with delight at this narrow little stream with clear, sparkling water flowing ever so bravely on. I suppose to some it wouldn't look like much, but I have a vision of fairies dancing there in the sunlight when no one is around. I envisioned cleaning up the stream, pulling out soggy logs and branches, clearing vegetation away near the edge and even putting little benches here and there to sit on someday.

There will be so little time to go exploring in the woods over the next few years as we renovate the house and barns but hopefully we can set aside one day each summer to go exploring. Even the fact I caught my right foot under a log and fell headfirst on the soft, cushiony moss, really hurting my foot and ankle won't deter me from searching out treasures in the woods again. I was limping for several weeks and lucky I didn't break my ankle so instead of looking UP next time I will try and look for twisting roots or old logs that want to trip me up.

I shall feel like Anne of Green Gables or the Girl of the Limberlost when entering my dear woods. Loving, admiring every tree and bush. Listening for the birds and marveling at Mother Nature's bounty and goodness to a towny part of the year and a bonafide "country girl" the few weeks we get to spend on the island until we retire there permanently.