We were lucky enough to inherit a huge deck from a neighbour who was leaving and had to dismantle his deck in order to move his trailer out. He offered us the deck free of charge if we were willing to take it apart. It was a no brainer! The deck measures 10' x 24'. It needs a good cleaning and re-staining but it is solid and will look great once done over. We were extremely lucky to get the help of two of my new friends, Jim & Jerry, who helped us figure out how to take the deck apart and then helped us move each 8' section to its new location. I rewarded their efforts with each a nice bottle of rye which is their preferred drink. Jim & Jerry (doesn't it sound like a comedy act?) are neighbours in the annual section of the park and have become best buddies. They often can be seen in their "Cozy Corner", a picnic table with umbrella, drinking and discussing the finer things in life (or more probably talking about sports and tools).
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| The new patio |
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| Before the deck |
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| Our "new" deck |
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I have made several friends in the park as I walk the dog at least once a day and take her to the lake. I have been invited to have a glass of wine several times at all times of the day. There doesn't seem to be a 5 o'clock rule here.
I got some perennials flowers from my friend Helene and they turned out beautiful! Some gorgeous lilies and obedient plants that were supposed to be low daisies. I might have to move those elsewhere next spring.
The Piping Plover pair on the beach did have a clutch of babies but all babies were eaten by foxes or other predators. So sad! Hoping they'll be back next year and have better luck.
The lone little cygnet that I photographed on the last blog also didn't make it. The pair was seen without baby in tow a few days after the pictures were taken. Nature can be cruel.
We kept wanting to go to the beach to see the sunset but time kept zooming by and we still hadn't done it. Well, finally, we got our act together and saw the most beautiful sunset! It was an unusual warm evening for the end of September and people were still enjoying the water and the beach at 7:00 pm. We've been blessed with gorgeous warm fall days this year.
How can we not like this place when, right on the main road ahead of us, we have a nice horse-drawn carriage? This company is available for different occasions and were seen in the tourist town of Wellington. (Pictures taken from our vehicle).
The water finally receded in October and we got our beaches back! What a joy to be able to walk along the water further and see our old favorite spots. We always feel so blessed to have those beaches just minutes away from our home. I love seeing and hearing the water and breathing the pure air coming from the big lake. It's not salted air but it's very similar to being on the ocean. Our little Cheeka finally got brave enough to get into the water! What a good girl! She actually enjoyed it and romped in and out of the water with a smile on her face.
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| This is Cheeka guarding the deck at the beach. |
On the Crown land side of the beach, there was a tree that was adorned with all kinds of shells that probably got lodged there in the big flood. It looked so cool, almost like a Christmas tree.
When the North Beach Provincial Park closes for the season, that is when all dog owners come to enjoy the beach and let their dogs run off-leash and enjoy the water. We love bringing our beach chairs over and just sit and enjoy the surroundings. On one of those visits I spotted a bird that looked like a Piping Plover but after a closer look, it wasn't quite the same. That bird was a Semi-Palmated Plover which we had never seen before. Another discovery!
Needless to say that we are very much enjoying this part of the country. I got to visit my beautiful grandchildren a few times and they came to visit a few times which still isn't enough but I'll take what I can. I love, love being with them and also the company of my son and my daughter-in-law. We're very much hoping that we can have William for an extended visit next summer. He's getting older and bolder and has been saying he would like to come and stay with us for a while. Keeping our fingers crossed that he won't back down when comes the time.
I had the surprise visit from my best friend Joanne with whom I have been friends for 60 years! Her sister Helene is also a good friend of mine. We enjoyed our time together and it was nice for me to be with people with whom I can really be myself and express my opinions without being judged.
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| Helene, Joanne and I |
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| Joanne and I |
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| The three amigos (I see here that I'm the shortest) |
My brother and his wife also surprised us with a nice visit. Pierre is showing a lot of interest in life in a trailer but Rejeanne is not quite ready. Hurry up so we can travel together!
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| The old rod compared to a new one. |
We keep learning as we go which I find so interesting and satisfying. I love it when we can do maintenance ourselves. We also sanitized our fresh water tank and water lines. It's very easy to do with some bleach. I also finally cleaned the awning which gets streaked with black lines from rolling up when wet. I used Spray Nine which worked really well. What a difference! Should have done it way earlier! We've been busy but soon we'll be driving down to sunny Florida! We've booked campsites until December. The big question is: will we be able to back up the trailer close to the deck next spring?
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| Cheeka says "Bye for now" |
