Busy, busy!

Early start Wednesday; in to St Jovite to leave the car to have new summer tyres and an "inspection".  I'm afraid it hasn't been as pampered as it might have been, particularly since it was only last May's trip that I discovered that a "service" was just an oil change (and they do those pretty often!) whereas what we in the UK would call a service is an "inspection".  So we have done a few more miles than ideal between services / inspections.

And the bad news is that we need a major job doing to the brakes :-(  It's leaving the car over the breaks between trips that's doing it I'm afraid; but so it is for many people here.  Anyway; we'll just have to bite the bullet at some point and get it done.  As well as replacing the sills........  It's still working out cheaper to own than it would be to rent!


We took the opportunity of a rental car loaned by the garage to do various bits of shopping, including stainless nuts and bolts to fasten the seats into the Pelican canoe.  So that's done now. 

J&R and Co took the opportunity of our being away to trek off to lac des Mauves for a few nights.  They have their own aluminium canoe and are borrowing our Peterborough.  It seems suddenly quiet.


This chap will certainly value the peace that their departure - and decrease in feverish gardening activity - will bring.  He was originally in the grass of the front lawn but by this point he is seen right outside the front door!

And the deer are back; it was cold overnight (think of the campers!) Ali didn't sleep terribly well and came downstairs in the early hours, to see a total of five; two new dapple fawns, two does and a young buck of three years - he limps so we know who he is from previously - with his first horns in velvet.

All very well and good but you should just SEE what they've done to our hydrangeas!

Today has been quiet but busy; Marmalade making first thing, then sanded the inside of the new canoe, then changed the spray tap in the kitchen, then Karen and Denis came to visit; then made tea, Aubergine Imam Bayeldi; then some more fibreglass on the new canoe; now this.
It's been much warmer - and sunny - today but there's still a clear sky so 9 degrees is forecast overnight.....

We'll perhaps try to get out on to the lake tomorrow - before they come back - but we expect that they will have travelled much further than we can in the time available.