2016 Karen's Shed...

Work progressed throughout the week.

quite a few nails had to be pulled before the metal roof could be removed. 

 By mid-week the back half was demolished.

Back and side walls of the back half of the shed along with it's metal roof are now in the scrap piles.

After the side wall boards were removed, the rail supporting the roof on the front of the shed was removed and a gentle push had the roof collapsing to the ground!

A gazillion nails had to be pulled to remove the shingles 

Once the shingles were removed the beams were quickly cleared. 

Another push and the other half collapsed 

More nails and shingles to be removed

 The last floorboards were removed

Piece by piece the shed was demolished and the scrap piles grew 

 The foundation rocks were added to the flower garden rock walls

and the last piece of framework was knocked down. 

SUCCESS!

A tired but happy work crew!

2016 Karen's Shed... Sunday

After leaving Kelly at Syracuse airport, we continued on to Troy, PA arriving at my SILs around 4 and thus began our week of labor.


After a quick chicken dinner we spent several hours beginning work on tearing down an old shed. We started on the back wall... it looking to be the most stable section of the shed.  

First we had to remove the overgrown weeds and loose boards and items surrounding the building.

A pile was started and my job (with help from Stan) was to remove the nails from the boards because Karen wanted to save the wood for future projects.  

 


We worked until dark and had most of the back wall removed and de-nailed and some of the shingled roofing on the side rabbit hutch was removed.

2016 Canada... the fishing

I went to Canada, not for the fishing, I don't go on the water... inner ear troubles make me sick as a dog.  So while I was sewing the family was on the water.  Here are pictures of their fun

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016 Canada.... Saturday walkabout

Saturday is our last day her and it is a cool sunny morning.  So, after a quick banana and peanut butter breakfast I head out for a morning walk... camera in hand.

  

Close to my turn-around point I came near a farm... There is a big white dog on the other side of the fence just staring at me, with a cow nearby.

 

There is a farmer and lady talking in the driveway just ahead and their 2 dogs come barking and running at me. I freeze...terrified!

All ends well. They were very nice... Lilly was a mutt that herds the cows and Shep is a huge I don't know what. His job is to protect the lambs from coyotes. (I didn't get a picture of Lilly... she was just a bit too rambunctious for me)

I had a nice conversation with Brian and Mandy... and they tried to hire me out to do chores for her mom Lori who happened to drive by.   I could hear sheep making a racket in the barn and asked why they were so noisy (I'm a city girl... and curious).  They asked if I wanted to see and they walked me across the field "Watch out for them soft spots!"
They open the barn door and there are oodles of soft fluffy lambs! I forget how many ewes... but there were 70! month old lambs just being weaned. Oh so cute!! Most of them were twins... but there were also 4 sets of quads! I got a lesson in animal husbandry....

They separate out 2 of the quads into a small pen and feed them milk from a bucket with nipples on it... 4 is too many for one mom to nurse. The ewes were in the center of the barn and the lambs were separated left and right by fences. there were spots in the fence that the lambs could go through depending on their size. Once they get to a certain size, no more mamas milk.... and that's why they were noisy!  There were troughs of feed for them in the side pens. I asked where all the daddys were... Brian say, "only one" (color me shocked!) Mr. ram has been one busy daddy!  Then Brian tells me has only 19 days to get the job done!!! oh my!! 

I thought I took a bunch of pictures but I think I was so busy petting and in awe that I forgot!

This cow came up to the fence to say goodbye as I was leaving.

After my Saturday morning walk I spent the afternoon sewing and completed all 30 of my yellow/gray blocks.  I'll have to arrange them when I get home before stitching into a top.

Our last meal was cooked on the grill....  chicken and vegetables.  There were some left-overs to finish up too.

 

  

We left the lodge Sunday morning after packing the car in the rain. 

Farewell Seeley's Bay

Once again, I was driving, and had no trouble getting through the border. 

We stopped at Sabarros for Kelly's favorite pizza before last hugs and dropping her at the Syacuse airport. 

2016 Canada... Wednesday-Friday

Wednesday morning is another beautiful day and after breakfast I load up the car.  A quick lesson on how to make a phone call with Stan's iPhone, written directions in hand, GPS plugged in and programmed and I head out for the 2.5 hour ride to Ottowa where I am to meet Judy at an Ikea.

We located each other with the help of our cell phones (how did we ever live without them)  and had a salmon dinner at the Ikea cafe before she led the way through Ottowa, past the construction and detours, to her home.

We set up my table and Featherweight sewing machinein her living room where I worked on cutting and piecing my yellow/gray Turning Twenty Again and she worked on her HQSixteen Quilter quilting her Paddington Bear quilt to be gifted to a lucky nephew.

 

We chatted and laughed, quilted and sewed, cooked and dined.  We walked around her neighborhood for exercise and a great long-distance view of Ottowa. 

Weather predictions called for severe storms Thursday afternoon/evening so I stayed an extra night.  After dinner and no sign of the predicted storms, she drove me into Ottowa for a night-time tour of the city.  The parliment buildings which reminded me of European churches... complete with a clock tower similar to Big Ben!

Friday

After breakfast Friday morning we loaded up my van and said our farewells.  She led me back through the city to the 417 ramp near Ikea and I was on my way back to Seeleys Bay.  But I somehow turned a 2.5 hr drive into a 5 hr scenic drive through the Canadian countryside!! 

I some how missed the exit for 416... stayed on 417 ... forever.
When it turned into a 4 lane...no middle divider... I started wondering...
When it turned into a 2 lane road and I saw signs for 17 not 417... I knew I was in trouble!

The GPS never made a sound until I hit the 2 lane.. then it wanted me to do a u-turn. I found a turnaround and drove back 30 miles before finding a gas station.
I told the attendent I was lost, but heading to Seeleys Bay.... She never heard of it! Oh OH!   A customer overheard our conversation and I ask her  "Kingston?"
The customer says, "oh yeah..your a bit out of the way".  So he pointed me back toward Ottowa...87 miles away!

Another bit down the road GPS finally pipes up and wants me to turn onto 7...and I remember there were other routes that were shorter than 416-401.. so i took a chance that she was right and followed her directions... 7 then 15.  I seemed to be driving forever so I stopped for gas because I wasn't sure how much further I had to go.  I finally made it to the lodge about 3:45. It was a beautiful day for a drive through the countryside, but I am glad to be here!

Judy Reid is a generous hostess and fun to be with. I only hope that she will come visit me in TN some day and that I can return the favor.

2016 Canada... Tuesday

I spent Tuesday sewing while they fished.  With windows open, ceiling fans running... it got up to 78 during the day, but the moving air helped and it wasn't too dreadful.  I think the heat made me sluggish and sleepy as I didnt get much done during the day... only the first row... six blocks for a quilt I'm hoping to get it done and gift to a special friend this Christmas...this year.

They came back empty handed late in the afternoon, but happy. They actually they caught lots of bass, which are not in season and had to be released. Pike are in season, and they haven't gotten any. I think Stan said the pike are in deeper water... out farther than the little boat they are renting can go.  

We were invited by neighboring campers to join in for a fish fry.  Stan and Kelly opted to eat the ribs I had cooking in the crockpot.  But  Matthew and I are the big fish eaters and we opted to bring some ribs and join in.  The fish was delicious... as was the golumbki (polish stuffed cabbage) pierogi, keilbassa, meatballs, lasagna and tenderloin. Attendees contributed a variety of dishes and it was a lot of fun.

After dinner it cooled down a bit and I sewed into the night and pieced the next six blocks.... two rows done... five to go!

2016 Canada... Monday

Monday morning and it is 71deg and a beautiful sunny day. 
I know I sounded bitchy last post.  I'm sorry,  but I wasn't expecting totally rustic living for the week.  I'm doing better this morning...except for the cracked glass coffee pot....we'll get another from James later.  Meanwhile I can boil water in a pot for instant coffee and cook eggs and toast for breakfast.

After breakfast, Stan goes down to talk with James when he arrives about the water situation and wi-fi.  It turns out that we are the first to stay here this season and all the circuit breakers were not turned on. Got that fixed and everything works.  YAY!

With the wi-fi now working Kelly does some research and finds a salvage yard for a used rim and a repair shop in Kingston (40min drive)  Also.. I didnt tell stan... and he didnt notice until the border... that the check engine light came on when the car hesitated and started roughly for me Sunday morning.  There was nothing we could do about it anyway, so I kept quiet.   It's happened to me before and it had something to do with the computer and pollution control sensors.  So, hopefully, it will be nothing again.

Stan and matthew will stay and get the boat and fishing gear ready and start fishing while we are gone.  Kelly and I head to Kingston for car repairs and groceries for the week.  The auto salvage yard had a rim for $35can. Then in town, we found a Firestone and bought a new tire to put on the good used rim, added air to the broken rim tire and bagged it to keep for spare. Checked, pumped and mounted the donut spare back under the van. They said the check engine light indicated a misfire and trouble in the fuel line. They think that was because the van was lopsided for the flat and a bit of air may have gotten in and messed things up. 4hrs $225can

While waiting for the van to be repaired, we got lunch next door at Harvey's. Tried poutine...meh.

I love french fries *drizzled* with brown gravy... this was drowned.. and I didnt think those curds did anything for taste. After eating, we walked up then down the road for an hour to kill time and got some steps in, it was nice just spending time and chatting with Kelly... I miss that.

The van is "fixed" and its now 430 and we head to Walmart for groceries. Didn't get even one block and the check engine light goes back on. GGRRRRRR! Around the block and back in. Now the computer says the AFR.. air-fuel ratio is running lean. He says.. its not a problem I can make it home and it wont cause any damage. No need to mess with it. Huh??? OK.. I guess HE doesn't want to mess with it at the end of the day.

We bought groceries for the week and get back to the lodge with no problems. I Googled AFR and it said that the carbeurator needed tweeking to enrich the ratio. low AFR might cause the engine to run hotter.

I talked with Stan about it and he said it would be good to give the van a test run and go visit my online quilting friend in Ottowa, Quebec.  I first met her in person at a retreat in Virginia Beach last year and really enjoyed her company.   Hopefully there will be no problems driving. I will have the the GPS which worked yesterday when it was sunny... but if its overcast it doesn't work... so we'll see what the skies look like in the morning. Iv'e got the written directions so i should be ok. l'll take Stan's iphone ... which does work in Canada... I don't know why... in case I have a problem.  Not sure who I will call, but I'll figure that out if I need to.

The guys had a great day of fishing while we were gone and matthew caught two 17in+ bass and they both caught several other smaller fish. kelly went out with them for an hour or so until it got dark and caught 1 small something...so they are all happy.