Summer 2017

We had many lakeside bonfires this summer and they were all great. Some had guitars and singing, some had meteor showers, some had camp coffee; they all had good company.

 

Some more about July here and here.

Having fun with shapes:

I volunteered at the fair gates one night to help get a donation to the Girl Guides. Kevin watched the tractor pull, Darcy slept over at Nannas's and Cam had some freedom to roam around the fair grounds.

The view from the Boathouse Inn

Mom made this delicious pie when Pat came to visit.

Some of my feathered friends. Hummingbird, Goldfinches, Red-breasted nuthatch, Hairy woodpecker, grosbeak and a chickadee.

Great Blue Heron

I also spent the summer doing three gardening contracts and coaching Darcy's baseball team.

 GEN!!! OMG!!! It had been at least 10 years since we last saw each other in person. It was like time never passed. I don't have a lot of pictures, but I will have wonderful memories. I wish the day could have stretched on much longer, but alas Gen is popular woman and had other visits to make on her short stay in Canada. 

Our daughters hit it off immediately. Darcy still talks about her and has become pen pals with her. Genevieve and her family live in Burkina Faso.

WOW! Those eyes!

Sometimes it looks like a marina here!

We all participated in the regatta.

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Kevin and I have been helping his mom redo her patio. She had the backyard sodded and all the patio stones were removed and left in stacks in her driveway.

Of course, we can't work on the patio when it's wet and when we are available to go work on it, it has to be one of the hottest days of the summer.

Almost done.

Evidence of fun!

Kevin saw the Snowbirds fly by when he was working on a rooftop one day.

How many men does it take to beach a boat?

End of June 2014

Sunday June 22

Hot, sunny day. Finished mowing the lawns (with questionable fuel).

Sightings: 1 Loon, 2 Canada Geese, 2 mergansers, goldfinches, chickadees, Rose-breasted grosbeak, hummingbird, song sparrows, fish, robins, pileated woodpecker, blue jays, raccoons.

Mom tripped on Lovey and fell! She is OK, but hurt her left arm bad enough – not broken, though.

June 25 – warm, sun & cloud

Cameron made a 3D puzzle of the Appollo 11 today – it’s nearly as tall as Darcy!

Darcy was great at baseball tonight!

 

We saw a flying squirrel at the bird feeder tonight.

 

June 26

Mom’s arm is starting to get better.

This afternoon I took Darcy for her vaccines, made supper and left for a volunteer meeting. By the time I got to the meeting I was having chills. When I got out of the car I got goose bumps – it was 27 degrees out! By the end of the meeting I had on a big hoodie, with the hood half way on my head and the cord pulled tight around my neck, while everyone else was in tank tops and t-shirts!  Other than a headache, no other symptoms of a flu or anything, just a slight fever.

 

June 27

I shivered and trembled all night and after finally warming up and sleeping for a bit, woke up with a headache. Still running a slight fever (under 100).

Erin, Ian, Rowan and Isla were here for the afternoon. We went swimming (except for me) and fed the chippies. The kids ran through the sprinkler, too. Rowan and Darcy devised a trap for the chipmunks – very clever, but it didn’t work. Everything outdoors is colored with chalk – LOL!

Darcy's journal: http://tiggeric.blogspot.ca/2014/10/end-of-june-2014.html  and
http://tiggeric.blogspot.ca/2014/09/june-27-2014-darcys-last-day-of-daycare.html

June 28

Very hot and sunny today. I slept well and feel better, but still feel a little “off”.

June 29

 

I woke up at 5, temp 102.2! By 7:30 it was down to 99 with Advil, rest, and drinking water. I got up and went outside as it was gorgeous this a.m. The lake was like glass, it was calm and warm. Brian was out fishing and he caught a trout!
  

Although the calm, beautiful morning was lovely, it didn’t last long enough. Soon there were visitors, the neighbors getting up and making noise, at least 4 dogs barking and I just couldn’t take it. Everyone was gone off in a boat, I was alone with Darcy and I couldn’t sit up anymore. She didn’t want to go inside, so I lay down in the rubber dinghy, in the shade and rested while watching her fish.

 

Kevin too me for a nice (i.e. calm) boat ride with the roof up for shade. Camylie, Darcy and Logan jumped in off the boat.

I trimmed some hedges overhanging the water. In the afternoon I was feeling a bit better and tried to help Kevin re-attach a snapped cable that was anchoring the wharf. I wasn' much help. After Kevin and I BBQ’ed hamburgers everybody left…left us to pick up empties and garbage and put away kayaks, paddles, toys, chairs, and towels. I was sick all day, mostly sleeping in a dingy and definitely did not swim or kayak, so I Know I didn’t get out all that stuff!

Monday June 30, 2014  Aaaahhh…quiet! Feeling much better!!!
I stayed out of the sun. I trimmed some hedges overhanging the water.

When we got home I noticed my feet and ankles were very itchy. Upon inspection I saw tiny red spots…very weird.

Police, pedal boat and pontoon

Saturday July 12, 2014

HOT

Kevin and I headed out for a nice boat ride and spotted the SQ on the lake. Not that we have any reason to hide, but we turned and headed for home just to avoid the hassle of an inspection. From shore we watched them approach kayaks and pedal boats, incuding Lucas and Peter. C’mon! You could not find 2 more responsible teenage boys on this lake, they don't need the hassle of the SQ either!

I went on my first ride on a pontoon boat with Kevin and Darcy on the neighbor’s boat. It was very comfortable and luxurious, but still can’t convince me to get one. They are just not my style. Darcy and Kevin LOVE it.

This is the path I started last summer and had to basically start all over again this year. Many days of work to clear it out, but I like the end result. 

Gaspe Aug 10, 2014

Darcy's journal for today (feeding a calf): http://tiggeric.blogspot.ca/2014/11/gaspe-aug-10-2014.html
Darcy's Journal for Aug 11 (Gaspe): http://tiggeric.blogspot.ca/2014/11/gaspe-aug-11-2014.html
Darcy's Journal for Aug 12 (Gaspe): http://tiggeric.blogspot.ca/2014/11/gaspe-vacation-august-12-2014.html


Kevin went to town amd bought Krazy Glue to fix the door handle I broke yesterday. We all went over when he went ot fix it and we ended up staying most of the day. 

'Ti Charles and his sons tried to put the boat back in, but everytime they backed up the trailer's safety system would engage and literally put on the brakes. After switching vehicles and working at it for about 45 minutes they finally got it. If you ask me, that boat has issues! (Note: the dealer was supposed to take care of everything on warranty)

Once again the boat stalled and was towed back to shore. At least then we were 100% sure that yesterday's problems weren't Kevin's fault. Kevin helped pull the boat put again.

Darcy and I went for a swim. Today there were some waves, so Darcy could lift her feet and float in her tube. 

When we got back to the trailer Rody was there with his daughter, Jennyfer and her boyfriend.

We all went for a swim, except Kevin. Darcy and Cam built a palace out of rocks for Mermaid Barbie. 

Rody and Kevin got a fire started after Jennyfer and Sam left. I made supper. Afterwards Rody roasted marshmallows and I made s'mores. Rody had never had one before!

I saw 3 shooting stars!!!
 

 It was also a super moon; it was so bright it looked like early dawn at 10 pm.

Gaspe Aug 9, 2014

I was up at 5:45. 

Morning coffee

Selfie

Saw squirts of water coming out of the beach...clams!

Today was my parents's wedding anniversary.

BLT's for breakfast once everyone was up, except there was no T, we used cheese instead. We went to town to shop for food. We don't have a fridge in the trailer, just a cooler with ice, so we have to go pretty much every day to get food and/or ice. When we got back we discovered the toilet was flooding the place. 

Once that was dealt with we headed off to Campbell's beach to Mavis and Charles Edmond's ('Ti Charles) trailer. 'Ti Charles is Kevin's cousin, son of Ron's sister Mary (Aunt Mary). At the trailer I Darcy and I met even more family, including 2 more of Mavis and 'Ti Charles' children: Catherine and Charlo. Charlo washere with his wife, Jess, and their 2 children Clara and Julien. Virtually all of Mavis's family (parents, siblings, etc) also have trailers at that beach, hence Campbell's beach. 

We all went for a swim in the salty sea water, although Kevin's swim was involuntary. (He slipped throwing the boat anchor.) This was Darcy's first swim in sea water! We had wet our feet and legs at Rody's beach, but not a real swim. The water at Campbell's beach was much colder, as the Restigouche River empties there. 

'Ti Charles took us for a boat ride, in his brand new baot! It is beautiful. He took us past the farm and Lance a Corbeau (a cove near Rody's) and back past their place towards New Brunswick. Wonderful!

Afterwards he let Kevin take the boat out. Darcy, Jess, Charlo and their kids and I went with him. We weren't gone more than 2 minutes when the boat just stalled. Kevin tried and tried to start it, finallyt went...for a minute. We had to get a tow back. Talk about feeling awful, thinking we brokethe brand new boat, but someone else tried it, too, and same thing. Phew!!! Still a shame that there is something wrong with the boat, but at least we didn't break it. 

Jess, Cam and I trolled the beach looking for crabs, eels, shrimps, fish, clams... We even saw some live jelly fish (and lots of dead ones).

The kids played catch. Cam was very good showing Clara some techniques. Then the kids played beach volleyball.

Darcy danced with Mavis and her family to Dancing Queen. She stayed with them for a while, p,ayed and was spoiled rotten :-) She also played with Vicky, the little dog, all day. She even carried her when she went for a walk with Mavis. 

We saw Gannetts plunging into the water, we could even hear the sound it made. So cool!

We stayed for supper and a BIG bonfire on the beach. There was lots of singing, you can see the video on my youtube channel:

http://youtu.be/hAK_e-0ZdBo

Bonfire at Campbell's beach.

Cam and I started making fire art. Cam would get the end of a stick red hot and draw in the air as I took photos. Soon other kids wanted to try, too. 

After going into Mavis' trailer to use the washroom, I closed both outside doors and broke the inner door handle right off!!!! OMG!!!! I told Mary-Ann and was so calm. We tried to fix it, but impossible. We were able to get the door open using a spoon to pry the handle. She went to get her mom and show her and Mavis was so calm about it too!!! I felt like crap, breaking the handle off their new (much newer than the one we are staying in, anyway) trailer, but she was fine with using a spoon as a "key" to get in and out. I offered to pay for it, but she wouldn't hear of it.

We finally packed up and climbed in the Jeep to go and...click click click...battery dead! After the flooded trailer, the stalled boat and the broken handle, we really didn't need this.  

Luckily with so many people around we got a few laughs and nicknames, like Kevin Casse Tout, but we also had lots of help. We pushed the Jeep into a position where the hood was accessible and boosted it. Not that it worked right off the bat. We had to let it charge about 20 minutes. Then as we're finally leaving, knowing there is a steep gravel hill to get back to the main road, I hear, "Don't stall it!" No pressure...but I made it up the hill just fine. 

August 1 and 2, 2014

Lisa and Brent canoeing. Lisa also took Darcy kayaking and Brent went for a boat ride with the rest of us. 

We will be going to Gaspe, to visit Kevin's family, in a few days. Since we don't have a washer and dryer at the lake, I have been packing the things we will need as they get washed. Looks like someone wants to come with us!

After supper tonight we had a nice bonfire until the wee hours of the morning. 

Aug 2, 2014

Today would have been Ron and Cecile's 45th weddig anniversary. 

I attended the lake committee meeting for 2 hours, with both kids. Kevin was busy and my mom was attending a reunion. They were bored, they were either too hot or too cold (we were sitting u der the A/C),  but they were so good!!!! They actually got compliments as we were leaving for being so quiet and patient. So proud of them!!!

Jeff, Jacob and Marina cams to visit. The kids all went out in the pedal boat, Jacob was captain! 

Nice little fire by the lake with the kids tonight. 

May 31, 2014: Boat launched

The start of another season at the cottage. I wait about 9 months for this each year..

We launched the boat today.

July 3, 2013 & some random pics.

Beautiful, hot day (30 C). 

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Tigger :-)

Hand fed the chipmunks.
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A Great Blue Heron landed on our wharf tonight.

Swimming with Darcy.
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Baseball for Darcy tonight.

 

Kevin and Cameron

Aug 29, 2012 - the missing do-hicky

Went to mow Bartlett’s lawn with the tractor and the lawn mower in the trailer. I got there and unloaded the lawn mower and the tractor, after cursing and swearing and kicking to get the gate off the end of the trailer. I drove the tractor around to the Jeep, set-up the air compressor to inflate a soft tire and the little do-hicky you put the air into WASN’T THERE! I found a piece of wood and managed to lift the tractor onto it, so that the wheel /tire in question was off the ground. I couldn’t find any tools in the Jeep that I could pry the tire off the rim with, in order to get at the do-hicky, so I sat down and cried at the prospect of cutting all that crass without the tractor.  On top of that, I realized my little gas can wasn’t in the Jeep…it was in Kevin’s truck somewhere downtown.  I mowed ¾ of the lawn with the lawn mower and then I decided that was enough, that Kevin could probably fix the tire for me a little later and finish up with the tractor. When we came back Darcy came, too, and played in the jungle gym, which she loved.

In the meantime, back at the cottage, I found and dug up the septic tank cover so it could be emptied.  It took a couple of hours as I had to dig down to the drain pipe and follow it away from the house to find the tank, since it is the first time we emptied it. Darcy enjoyed playing with all the worms I dug up.