Rest day!

We slept well, to about 5.30.  Coffee and collecting thoughts then - it began to rain.  By 11.30 we decided to pack anyway and paddled across the holding pool to portage up above the top lock.  Just as we put in, the frogs started to make a clamour, and the rain stopped!

Jones Falls to Newborro - 19k

Reasonable paddling up to Davis Lock, where we decided not to portage, and took the easy way up.

Across Murphy's bay with a strong cross wind and more speed boats, to Chaffey' s lock and the temptation to stay there overnight. I (Peter) was very low at this point but Ali steered us through the islands on Newboro lake, with forked lightening in the background.

















An easy lift off the lake to a pleasant camp spot.  Chunky soup and noodles for supper.  Very, very tired.  Awoke with shoulder capsule pain in the night.  Some drizzle early on; we need a rest.  Lunch in the Sterling hotel in Newboro.  Stubbornly sunny, but we are grateful for the down time, a huge, open water pull tomorrow.

Newboro lock

This is fun - of sorts.  But fun nevertheless.

Take it when you can get it......

.... WiFi that is.

Put in at Upper Brewers lock at about 12.30.  Good paddling - but quite a few power boats needing severe "low brace" paddle position.  Good practice but a bit nervous in the middle of these expansive waters!

(Later edit - This is what we're trying to achieve!)

Upper Brewers to Jones Falls 19k

Started from Upper Brewers.  Massive, fruitless detour to Seeley's Bay. 


Already portaged half of the flight of locks, the rest to do in the morning.

Huuuuuge thanks to Ann for taking us to the put in.
See you soon, we hope.




Now at Jones' Falls.  Tent pitched, waiting for supper in the local fishing hotel.

Jones Falls locks seen from the hotel verandah

Safe in Kingston

Reasonable trip down.  Drizzle most of the way but not hard.  Staying overnight at Ann's house in Inverary. Weather not too brilliant forecast but - tomorrow, here we go!

Bits and pieces

Saturday - the Garage Sale in aid of the local Church Fund.  Smaller than last year and not so many visitors.  There have been several "real" garage sales in the village of late.  Perhaps that's had an effect?

Shopping for dried food.  Planning a trip and we're not sure of the ration situation.....

We went paddling with the little sail (a Devon flag on a little stick!).  I think we travelled faster without it.......

So, we brought the boat home to pack it.  Chaos reigned all over the living room floor and got worse after this...

....when night fell and - as you do - we moved the boat inside as well. 

We have been building kit of all sorts; finding things that we meant to take with us; generally having messy fun.  All this in between chatting to Mike and Julia Phillis about a car; Guy, Julie and a very chatty Lila about bricks and cars and building towers - and about the fun week they've had with UK visitors from Guy's past; my parents about an attempt to find some photos that Guy sent them by email but the icons on their iPad have moved somewhere and I couldn't guide them to them - and I don't know Apple technology that well.......

Tomorrow, we shall head off to Kingston, almost down to Lake Ontario, to overnight then to start to paddle up the Rideau Canal towards Ottawa as far as we can get  for about ten days, before heading to Toronto for the following weekend.  We may be off line for ten days to two weeks!  See you!

I have absoutely no idea....

.... where the last three days went!

The Blog tells me that we last recorded anything on Tuesday - and today is Friday!

Wednesday - no idea.

Thursday - Ali painted the Blue room a bit more - four coats of undercoat on the window-frames so far.

Friday - into the village early- shopping (lots); Skype with Martin in a tropical Portishead;  Good Skype with Mother and Da in Collingham - reassuring - ish.  (Oh!  We gaily write "Skype".  This is extraordinary.  When I was very young, my operatic Uncle recorded a disc - literally engraved a disc -real-time on a machine - of his singing, to give to my Grandmother.  Now we chat to our kids, friends and parents across the Atlantinc as if we were in  the same room!)

And then a big paella in the Screen room for all the neighbours.. Claire's birthday yesterday - so Janin had brought a huge N. American cake.   Room just the right temperature.  Decent grub; good company; good chat, all in French.

For the record, present  - Claude and Claire, Karen and Denis, Yves and Janine, Stephan and Sylvie, Us, Michel. 

Starters - Watermelon, feta and mint salad; Tortilla; Olives; Peppers roasted Provencal style; bread from the Boulangerie with olives or dried tomatoes in.  For the main course - Paella or Chicken risotto (or more tortilla if you're Yves!).  For dessert - Boodle's orange fool; birthday cake; cheeses; coffee.

Tomorrow is the Garage Sale in the village.  Yayyy!

Working like........

.... a Canadian!

The turkey returned first thing; Ali managed to catch him on photo before I was up and about.

But I should really take things at face value.  The delivery was indeed promised for this morning and lo and behold, at 08.45, a truck, with two very large, easily bilingual guys on board, arrived - as did Claude! - to deliver the Screen room.

Claude said that he was waiting for his brother-in-law to arrive and could help us until then.....




His beau-frere arrive mid afternoon - and joined in.

Neither stopped, other than for water, until the celebratory beer at 17.30.

Mind; neither did we!

The final beer was very sweet!


 Merci bien messieurs; merci bien!

Promises, promises

The weather forecast has not been distinguished by its five day, even its two day, accuracy.  Which has been either a problem getting in the way of tasks, or perhaps an excuse!

But the promise of deck paint yesterday, after a tranquil and suitably "Sunday" start, took us to Riviere Rouge to Rona, the DIY store; where we had paint cans opened and samples spread onto cuts of our deck wood.  Just too confusing by half! We came away with samples but no decision.  And now Claude tells us that we shouldn't treat treated wood (which ours is) for at least a year.  So that lets us off that particular task!

And the promise of just a leeetle shower today brought on a fit of window-painting and an attack on the Blue-room ceiling  (don't worry, it's still going to be blue; just a bit less fish-tank blue!)

And the promise of a trip to the Rideau Canal in the next week took us to an hour's practise paddle on the lake.  The newly installed seats are wonderful; just the right height and much more comfortable than the old suspended sticks.  The neighbours across the road have reiterated their offer of docking, so MarRon is resting under a cedar on their third lawn....

And the promise of a quiet end to the day took Ali to the front lawn again - chasing clover.



Oh!  and we are promised the gazebo tomorrow morning - I'll wait and see about that one!

Where did Thursday go?

Saturday evening.

Today has been busy, yes;

and I remember yesterday - Friday; we invited Karen and Denis who are visiting the lake for a couple of days, together with their hosts, Stephane and Sylvie from the end of the road,  in for canapes and drinks in before we all ended up going to Giselle's restaurant in the village for supper.  Giselle does really tasty, local, family food.  Huge bowls of salad Minervois with the restaurant's own tasty dressing.  Homemade lasagna, with the sauce very reminiscent of that which comes with the spaghetti bolognese....

Then back to S and S's for a fire, and red wine, and a ridiculously late return home on the quad; stumbling in the dark to the bike; not from the wine, but from the darkness.  Unfamiliar stars above - bright against a narrow sky.







But Thursday? I remember ringing my father for his 92nd birthday, and hearing of the health care professionals coming with contraptions and devices to support Mother - physically and metaphorically; and of her dislike of said devices....


  I remember making a cleat for the mast for the canoe...

I remember beginning the very satisfying process of carving the foam for the outrigger..

Oh yes!  How could I forget?  After the chat with Da and in the middle of the boat work, Ali called me upstairs to see.


The meadow had turned into a Safari Park!  Not only had the young buck reappeared, but also four other white-tails, AND a magnificent male turkey.

So we have this year seen deer, the back end of a fleeing ground-hog (Marmot), butterflies, squirrels, chipmunks, turkey, a toad of Toad-Hall proportions, mice, a snake (a very little one...) the raccoon, raven, various birds of prey, loons, spiders the size of a soup-plate.  Er - well - not that one actually; a singular lack of ginormous spiders so far.........


And THEN, of course the excitement of the season!  A fast moving patrol car swept past the end of the drive and ended up at the bottom of des Mauves.  Soon afterwards, an ambulance, lights flashing, made its way back towards the village; followed by the Patrol car; followed three civilian cars at intervals.  Of course, all of us being of an age, we wondered who it might be that needed the attention.  It seems that someone had been "fishing" in des Mauves - which is severely restricted as to catch and season - and had shot himself in the ankle whilst unloading his harpoon (!).  Not only that, but it is rumoured that his cold box was too full of fish!

Anyway; it seems that despite having lost a lot of blood, he was not fatally wounded and was duly carried off to the hospital.  Undoubtedly, the method and size of catch may well result in later complications ;-(

So, quite a memorable day on Thursday really!






But today,  today, despite the house looking lovely.........

 ...........(with still no sign of the gazebo of course. 
Need you ask?), there was no putting off the windows any longer.  I have come to hate this task.  SURELY there must be better things to do on a glorious day, when the temperature reached 28 degrees, that paint windows?  But no, it has to be done. So, as the Bard has it: "creeping like snail unwillingly to school." I began to sand the meadow-window.  I do not remember its taking so long last year.



In the end I rebelled, picked up Kate (the little canoe) and fled to the lake.  You simply cannot paddle this thing kneeling; it is way too tippy.  And sitting, you get a wet bum so I shall have to make a little seat of some sort.  But it slips along nicely with a single blade in that way, and it's good for pootling!

Ali is on a mission to civilise the immediate surroundings of the house.  This includes attacking the front lawn and removing all of the clover.  A noble quest indeed.

Chowder for supper.  Not long for bed!

I could be angry .......

... but then again, it's too nice here to be cross about much.

Essentially, the Screen room hasn't arrived.  Still.  I've been told so many things; best just to leave it to Costco to sort out.

Mean time, we went into Riviere Rouge for curtain poles for the bedroom yesterday.  So many years and we're still buying curtain poles! 


Today, we have disassembled the stove chimney to de-soot it, something that was really needed.  It has so many bends inside the house that that seemed the best way to do it. 

No Chimney brush so a quick search of the internet suggested - Pine branches!  We have lots of those and it seems they do a great job!

At the moment, the car's at the menders for another go at the front cabin fan; we've scythed a bit more meadow to reveal some bright yellow flowers amongst the sedges. 

The wooden coving in the bathroom - stained at the end of the last trip - is now in place.  You wouldn't know that it had ever been missing :-) 

I've fitted the Canoe  replacement thwart.  I'm trying to make an outrigger and a sail for the long haul up from Kingston to Ottawa.  I went to see Claude last evening to tell him about the non-delivery of the Screen; I had a happy hour spent with Michel later.

We're just off out to supper at Lorne and Audrey's (again!) - or we will be when the car arrives.

Car arrived at 6.00.  The fan is not fixed; the ABS sensor was the wrong one supplied.  But the oil is changed and the wheels, too....

Lovely supper at L & A with Norman and Marta and George and Sandra.  A delicious roast turkey.

Our Chef retired to rest - OBVIOUSLY appreciated ;-)











But not before this guy had turned up for afters!

Sunday - a time for friends....

Sunday was a wet day; so what do you do on wet days?  You go to see friends!

In fact, we drove down to Prevost early (well, early for us!) not only to see Karen and Denis for coffee (it's an hour and a half each way, mind!) but also to go to their local flea market.  We need a bed-head and another chest of drawers. Instead, we bought some more hanging baskets (geraniums; cheap and they're stunning!) and some rope to tie the canoe on the truck when we eventually head for the Rideau.....

It rained pretty heavily.  We stopped off in Tremblant on the way back for some shopping, where we met Audrey.  So she and Sandra and we went for sushi for lunch!  As you do on a wet day in Tremblant.

Once home, lots of lovely chats with the British family and then a call from Lorne, inviting us for supper.  Well, it's only 45 minutes each way; next door really.......

George and Sandra were there as well.  A lovely evening with a boned chicken and a great raspberry pie and good chat. 

Today dawned fine, cool but fine.  It warmed up later but the bugs came out so not everything was brilliant.  A day of chores and some general progress.

As you can see, the Screen room has not arrived.

But this is a lovely place to have lunch, just the same.  Watermelon, feta and mint salad, a bit of  Canadian "Cheddar", some bread.....





I have (after three years - no!  FOUR!), fitted the seats in the first canoe.


Which means that there is much less room between the after seat (mine, generally) and the thwart.  So I'm making a new thwart.  Here it is decorated and varnished.  I only hope that I can get the old one out.  I remember only too well how difficult it was to get the screws in in the first place.

Still, it's beginning to look the real thing now.

About time!





We've had company of various sorts today.

There's a new Chipmunk just beginning to make his / her presence known.  We shall buy some peanuts to see whether we can encourage this one to feed from the hand as the last one did.

We have many "White Admiral" butterflies.  They must be 4 inches across.

The squirrel was feeding on the wild raspberries.  There are lots of fruit (well, there were) and I shall have to pick some to make raspberry vinegar.  The magnificent toad, which must have been 5 inches long in the body, narrowly escaped being scythed.

And I have caulked around the front door.  I may have used the wrong material but hey, it was all that we had left. 

The "hole" is intentional - as those who have visited will know........   I hope the new resident hasn't come to a sticky end.

Day's end - and the meadow does look lovely, doesn't it.

Well! That wasn't what we expected!

Friday morning was supposed to see the delivery of the Screen Room, as carefully arranged by Claude.  At about noon, we were phoned by the manager of the delivery firm, pretty full of apologies;  it's gone to Toronto.  Hmm. Neither Claude nor I were very pleased; he lost a day's work, we've lost a weekend in the hut.

Never mind; it takes as long as it takes.

The not-so-grim Reaper!

So we found other things to do around the place; some scything of the meadow with the new Austrian scythe....I have to say, having read a number of YouTube items about how to set the scythe up, sharpen it, "peen" it, compete  with it and even join a group that cares for English country church-yards ("God's Acre") with scythes; it is a robust, quiet, smell-free, effective and easy to start (!) device.  Just the job.

St Pauline-mouth-full-of-pins.

The jobs continued today; Ali imitated St Paul (St Pauline, perhaps)  by tent-making - mending the old flyroom as a shelter for the quad bike.

 The meadow is well used by the deer - here is one of many deer-beds.  They don't just use these overnight.  we've startled them in the day-time too.

But we are two weeks earlier than ever before and what really strike home is the intensity of the green.  This really is Full Summer.

Clearing the decks!

By rights, the new, disassembled screen-room  / gazebo / solarium should arrive some time tomorrow.  So we've spent the last two days catching up with friends and other crazy stuff.  Wednesday, up early (about 02.30 UK time to begin with - went back to sleep, fortunately.....) to take the planning application in the Mairie to Mme Archambault; a very helpful lady.  It's promised for Friday - the day we hope to start raising the building.  Hmmmm

Back at home, first, and most important, are the bird feeders! 

And no sooner had we filled the humming bird feeder than one appeared - as if by magic.


And look how the meadow has bloomed this year.  Very encouraging.  Needs some black earth (topsoil) in the barest patches, but a huge improvement.



Also appearing by magic were visitors; Lorne and Audrey with guests from the UK (whom we knew through the Morgan club) George and Sandra Dow.  They are over here for four weeks, George has literally just retired.  We liked them before, and we like them still.

Chatty lunch and then a walk up the trail and along the back and round.  This little guy was on the back trail.....  Need to work at his / her identification.

They all left abut mid-afternoon (our body-clocks still said very late evening), and then this young fella came out into the meadow!  (new camera; smart, eh!).

Thursday (today) we all went to Montebello (about 1 3/4 hours away - as you do) for breakfast at 09.00.  Brilliant breakfast; lettuce only for the rest of the day - well, almost.

Ali and I drove on - via the super-efficient, 24 hour-running ferry over the Outaouais - to Lee Valley Tools (the amateur craftsman's nirvana) in Ottawa to buy a scythe and a few other bits.  If you are of the DIY persuasion - dream on!

Lettuce (and a beer) for lunch at the Aylmer Marina then up to Pam and Noel's for very welcome lemonade (did I say that the car fan still isn't working and it was 23 degrees today?) and home by 7.00 pm.

A bit weary - it's a lot of driving - but fine.  Bed 'ere long and then let's see what tomorrow brings....

"Home" again .....

It's pretty weird to be able to write that and feel it to be true.

We overtook this one mid-Atlantic

We're safely ensconced at the cottage, listening to the sound of the rain; the first rain they've had for some time it seems. We had a pretty seamless journey from home (the other one!) to town by taxi; to Heathrow by coach; to Montreal by a reasonable Air Canada flight and by car to Karen and Denis' new house in Prevost, about 3/4 of an hour north of Montreal. It's a shock seeing them in different surroundings, and more of a shock not having them across the road in Summer.....

It's a nice house, in a modern suburb, with a big, grassy, back yard and lots of space.

 Karen made us a really tasty salmon supper, with Key Lime pie to follow. Yum. They have done so much to the house in such a little time; the basement was just a single, huge room when they came back from the States a month or so ago. Now it is divided into rooms; there's a bathroom installed and all is drywall partitions (plaster-board in the UK) and new paint with a really nice cork floor throughout. Amazing! They do not slow down!

Great breakfast at a local restaurant (not quite Giselle's but hey!) and then up here to collect the repaired car from Marcel at SOS Mechanique. Two new rear wheel bearings, a new safety (hand) brake cable; grinding in the discs - we shall have to find a warm and dry garage for next winter; this is silly :-(




 But the house is lovely. Ali has weeded the front path across the house. We've made contact with L and A again. Very nice chicken brochets for supper. Bed made. I reckon we're not long before we're abed!

(Pictures tomorrow - honest (Done!). Tired now!)