Day # 33 HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Wishing you all the most wonderful year ever.
Playful.
Healthful.
Delightful.
Loveful.
Bountiful.
Beautiful.

Karen

Photo by Lawrence Spencer from cover of calendar, Dalhousie Faculty of Science 2007.
I tried many times at fireworks events to get the perfect pic, but didn't/couldn't.
Lawrence must have been near the Dartmouth Bridge.

Day # 34 Time n Money

My friend, Wilma, dropped in today, and we discussed 'time'.
Time well spent...
Spending time with...
Time flies...
Give it time.

If you think of these sayings, consider this:
Like money, time can either be SPENT or SAVED.

It's something that can be SAVED,
as in rushing around and getting stressed out for,
or,
it can be SPENT - on having the fun of doing what you enjoy.

Either way,
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU!

YOUR time; YOUR money - use it!!!
(as long as there are no harmful foreseeable consequences)

Do that cycling tour or whatever it is you need to do!
JUST GO AHEAD and DO IT!!!

Day # 35 Home-Leaving

Leaving home yet again.
First she comes home for the holidays.
Oh, Joy.
Then she has to leave again.
Oh, Woe.
What can be worse than standing in the raw cold wind
waiting for a train that is three-quarters of an hour late.
Here it comes now!

Day # 36 Lucking Out

This note of importance from
www.crazyguyonabike.com/msynder
in response to my asking him
why he chose Cannondale:

'Why Cannondale? In my reading, Cannondale had been consistantly shown to be a well made bike - so it had name recognition along with a few others.
I also wanted to get a bike that had a dealer in the near-by city of Calgary.
I went to 3 different LBSs there, tried out several bikes, and the Cannondale had the features I wanted and felt the best.
The Trek was a close 2nd - but the gear levers were bar ends (they're not now), and I did NOT want that.
But, I do admit to being more-than-a-little ignorant when I bought it - I think I lucked out.
Whatever bike you get, be sure you get a super-strength rear wheel.
And use a thread tightener (Loc Tite - blue) to avoid the mega-problems I faced with spokes loosening.
Have you read my "Tips for Clydesdale" page?
I wish I'd have known that stuff before I left. Murray Snyder'

Murray's site pages (22) about 'The Dempster Highway' are simply wonderful. K

Day # 37 Delicacy of Early Winter

Day # 38 Boxing Day

A morning at the mall to return things,
and an afternoon and an evening at work
to pay for the things that weren't returned.
On the way over the bridge,
we saw a pretty little tug boat down below
breaking the ice in the Bay of Quinte
near the mouth of the Moira River.
By the time we got to Myer's Pier so I could get a photo,
the tug had disappeared.
Here's one pic I did get instead.

Day # 39 Merry Christmas

39
and
Holding.

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

May it be your best one ever.

KIS ses

Day # 40 Off My Rocker

On My Rocker.
On and Off.

Rocking.
Rocking.

All Day Long.
Practicing for Retirement.

Day # 41 Rain

Who would believe it!
Just two days before Christmas but pouring rain.
8 degrees Celcius.
Dismal. Grey.
Damp in and out.
My bike awaits, patiently (unlike me), in the sunroom beside the little fake Christmas tree and the angel.
Not very sunny today, as you see, in the sunroom or outside.
Oh, that the angel could change things for the better.
Don't mind going to work after all.

Blog #42 Home-Coming

T'is the Christmas season when wanderers return.
Today my 2nd youngest daughter comes home for Christmas.
Three daughters and one granddaughter cannot.

Day # 43 1943

43! more days.
Born in 1943.
It's almost Christmas.
So little time to blog.
Bought all our Christmas food yesterday.
Went to Toro Sushi for supper.
Came home and filled candy dishes.

Day # 44 The Police Car

Mr. T was playing with his little cars for quite a while on the livingroom coffee table while here on Monday.
I had meant the night before to take the blown glass bowl off the table b4 he came, but forgot...one of the hazards of impending retirement.
All of a sudden, I saw him straighten up
and raise his hand back with a car in his fist.
I started up from the chair, saying, 'Mr. T, don't throw that. Don't.'
Too late.
He couldn't co-ordinate enough to stop,
but I caught him by surprise mid-throw,
and maybe startled him a bit,
because he lost stride, his arm jerked,
and he bonked himself on the head with the police car
but then threw it anyway.
By then it had lost most of its momentum.
Still, it landed on the lip of the bowl,
and bounced off onto the coffee table and then hit the floor.
Then he started crying because of so many reasons.
my verbal order; my starting to get up; the bonk on the head; the crack of the dish; and the whacking onto the teak wood coffee table.
Opa came in from the kitchen and asked what was wrong.
I was laughing and Trent was crying.
Then he said 'You know you shouldn't throw things,'
and walked back to his cooking.
Mr. T couldn't cry long because I was laughing so much,
and, as we all know, laughter is infectious,
plus he didn't bonk himself that hard.
Image! The bowl wasn't even chipped.

Day # 45 What Comes Naturally

It's that time of year to haul out the Christmas decorations.
Even though you tend to downsize as you near retirement,
and/or have less room to put these things out,
it's like ducks migrating...
it comes naturally.

Day # 46 Hobby Potential

This is the Gingerbread House that I got at work at the silent auction.
The figures are leftover Christmas decorations.
The policeman talking to the boy is one I bought for my companion,
who, in 1935, was brought home to his parents by a policeman in Zwolle, Holland.
Here is another idea for things to take up in retirement...baking.
It's something you could even sell at craft sales, or silent auctions.
However, the monies for these items went to charities.

Day # 47 Lows and Highs

Third day of Vacation.
A Mr. T day, but his Mommy had to bring him over here this morning because our driveway had not yet been plowed.
Mr. Tz neighbourhood 6 yr. old friend, Brady, was also snowbound, and dropped in. We put puzzles together as it is Bradyz fav. activity. We opened a new puzzle which is a map of Canada with huge pieces, completely covering the coffee table 3 x 4.
Grandpa Des arrived in the afternoon to bring a 4 x 5 piece of plywood plus a can of bright grass green paint, and we tried out Trentz new Brio train on it b4 the painting.
In the evening I went to the art film, 'Once', and it was well worth the cold trip.
Came home cold, sat in a chair, and was given a glass of Baileys.
It didn't last long, though I took tiny sips.
'Do you want another? I am one ahead of you,' asks my companion.
'Just 1/2 a glass as the bottle is getting low, and I am getting high.'
It didn't last long, either, and is was not 1/2 full, but full.
Donchajistluvthistymeofcheer?
Yep, still do.

Day # 48 Advent Calendars

Big storm in southern ON today.
The roads in Prince Edw. Cty. are barely useable.
Nice home-bound break, and good practice re: entertaining myself on days when I can't ride because of the weather during my cycling trip across the TransCanTrail.
I wrapped some gifts, drank some Baileys,
decorated the tree, drank some Baileys,
emailed relatives and friends, drank some Baileys,
and actually did two hand-written letters.


Every day since the 1st of Dec.,
I have done letters and cards
to my 11 yr. old granddaughter, Marlowe,
and to my 87 yr. old dearest Aunt Ida.
Every card/letter has
a photo in the envelope for my aunt,
and gifts in the envelope for Marlowe.
The gifts have to be flat, like a package of gummies/treats, stickers, photos, and a letter/note for each one.
A personal kind of advent calendar since I won't be seeing them this Christmas.

Day # 49 Work-Stopper!

First day of Vacation!
Hooray!
One week's vacation, and then one day at work.
Boo!
Two Mr. T days, T-sitting,
hip hip hooray!
and then working Boxing Day - over-time.
Don't mind working over-time!
Then 2 days off using up my last 2 requested-days-off for 2007.
Wonderful, wonderful.
Then the team's regular weekend off.
Super!
Then 2 more Mr. T days.
The best days of all. I'm so lucky.

First I slept in,
and then luxuriated in the bed for half an hour,
finally getting up at 10:30 am.
While I waited for the water to boil for tea, I vaccuumed up the dog hair.
Relaxed with hot green tea and a really good book, 'Run'.
I had to do 2 Sudokus before I going to work and putting plastic on two windows in the porch/sunroom, and decorating it for Christmas.
.
Later, I got out the boxes of Christmas decorations and put them out and about the rest of the rooms, constantly tripping over the dog warming himself by the little electric fireplace. Because of the flash, you can't see the 'flame'.
My partner put a stop to the work, though, when he showed up with a big, beautiful, brown bottle of WORK-STOPPER:
Baileys!!!

Warning: morish.
Donchajustluvthistymeofcheer.

Day #50 Beat by 5 Years

My team lead from work is retiring today.
She is 60 years old but looks much younger.
She loves to play golf, and is out there on the greens every possible day, including work days as we are an evening team.
Green Gables had a lovely little Scotty dog (stuffie) that I have purchased for her as a retirement gift.
The card is a little dog in a suitcase which asks with a plaintive look on its boxer puppy face 'Take me, too?'
That's exactly how I feel today. Take me, too, Di.
I have given the stuffie the name of Par-tou. (as in par 2)
I will try not to let jealously show in my eyes when I give it to her this afternoon.
In fact, I try to never allow jealousy to be a part of my life, so in some way, I will celebrate this event, too, happily, and from the heart.

Day # 51 Hit the Roof

At work, the finishing touch for our cafeteria
- the annual 15 foot Christmas tree, completely decorated by employees.
At home, I bought a Norfolk live tree for the livingroom, so it is even more important that I remember to water it than if I had purchased a cut one.
It won't survive outdoors in our climate, so I may have to adopt it out one day.
I had decided last year to keep plants no more so that I would have complete freedom, but they still seem to keep accumulating here,
and even more surprisingly, thriving, in spite of semi-neglect.

Day # 52 Promise of Things to Come

Cattle Pen (formerly) for the to-be-shipped Cty Rd #8.

Day # 53 Trapped!

Snowday
and a
Mr. T Day.
Feeling trapped?
When you absolutely can't get out on your bicycle,
there's always the watching of snow falling
in the relative warmth and safety of home -
whatever 'home' represents at the time...
a house, an apt., a tent, a trailer, a barn, a cave, or a snowfort.

Day # 54 Abstract

Like my life:

abstract,

interesting in large part,

and a little cracked,

but strong enough to take it.

Day # 55 Another Word for Freedom

Hitch-hiking!
This from Jo re: © 2007 The Chronicle-Herald - Halifax. All rights reserved.

She's a streetwise lady; 86-year-old Tina Muller relies on her thumb to get around, and local drivers love her for it.
Muller is a frail-looking, 86-year-old woman, often burdened with 2, 3, or 4 bags of groceries, she stands at the edge of the road, looking for all the world like a strong gust of wind could send her flying...so it doesn't take long to catch a ride.
Drivers slow down, aghast to see what looks suspiciously like their grandmother hitchhiking.
Doors open, a lift is offered and Muller settles into a car, often hearing from the driver comments such as, "Are you crazy?" or "Are you for real?"
Once the Burford, Ont., hitchhiker gets out of the car, though, it turns out she's done the favour.
She leaves drivers feeling like a little blessing has passed through their car.
Her good nature, ready laugh and simple philosophy of life is evident, even within the space of a 10-minute ride.
"Many people give me a ride and end up saying, 'I'm so grateful I picked you up. You made my day!'" says Muller. "I guess I make them laugh."
Once the proud owner of a real muscle car, Muller preaches some basic reasoning.
"I used to have a 396 Chevelle Supersport, but did I appreciate it when I had a car? No, but now I would. You have to lose things before you appreciate them.
"Two friends of mine are on dialysis twice a week for three hours, but how often do we appreciate the job our kidneys are doing? I say it's a good thing we can't see any further than our nose is long because we might be petrified if we saw what's coming."
Fiercely independent, Muller has been hitting the roads for the past 24 years after separating from her husband. Buses to Burford, about eight kilometres west of Brantford in central southwestern Ontario, have always been sporadic and money is too tight to be taking cabs very often.
She hated to ask people for rides and so she began hitchhiking.
It frustrates her family, who have tried to prevent the senior from using her version of public transportation, and it makes drivers feel protective toward her.
One guy gave her a lift to Brantford and insisted she take the $20 bill he forced into her hand so she could take a taxi home.
Usually it's the other way around.
Muller always has a toonie at hand and presses it on her newfound friends at the end of a ride.
"Some take it and some won't. I always say, 'Get yourself a coffee, put it in the gas tank or buy a (lottery) ticket and maybe it will be a winner.'"
Muller rides buses or gets lifts from her two sons and brother, but when she needs to go somewhere and there's no ride, she doesn't like to ask for help.
"People will think that's strange considering I stand on the road begging for a ride, but if I ask someone to take me to the pharmacy, they have to say yes or no. If I put my thumb out, they can stop or not.
"This is my freedom."
While most of us have grown up amid all sorts of cautions involving hitchhiking, Muller isn't afraid to cast her fate to the wind and see who will stop for her each day. She's not afraid to turn down a ride if her warning bell goes off.
Muller says she only learned recently that hitching rides is illegal in Ontario. That knowledge is not likely to stop her, although she would probably urge young people to avoid following her path.
As if an 86-year-old hitchhiker isn't enough to take in, many of Muller's drivers are rocked by the news that she has to be home in time to get ready for work at 4 p.m. The senior has gone back to janitorial work to help her daughter-in-law who had a heart attack. She cleans offices at factories for 30 hours a week.
Neighbour Roger Davis of Davis Fuels has been watching Muller's antics for years.
"She runs her own show. I pick her up sometimes and she's always got a good joke for you and something interesting to say. She's a streetwise lady."
Some people look at the frequency of Muller's trips to Brantford and wonder why she doesn't move to the city, but she likes her rural home.
When people who have driven Muller see her on the roadside, they often turn around to get her. Sometimes they update her on their lives.
"It's been two years since I've seen you," one man told her recently. "We had another baby."
Muller says sometimes the first car will stop and other times it could take as many as 20 vehicles before she gets a ride. But she's sure a ride will come.
"Somebody's taking care of me, I always say. And I'm always so grateful for the ride."

Day #56 1 Option More

Santa Claus Parade at Quinte Mall.
What a great hobby this would/could/should be!

Day # 57 One More Option

Apparently, there are a lot of people who work from their homes now but are connected by internet to their former employers, or to others.
Big retail catalogue chains hire people this way; so do large pizza companies.
I'm only just learning about this, and it seems viable.

Day # 58 Payroll

A friend of mine from school days back in the 50's on PEI wrote this to me:

"Like you, I can't wait to get on the government 'payroll'.
Of course, we'll be doing just about as much work as most civil servants."

Maybe more, if you look back a couple of blogs to see the options.

Day # 59 St. Nicholas Day

A Dutch Holiday.
One of my workmates,
a Dutchman whose last name happens to be Holland,
strangely enough,
gave all of his/my team members a chocolate deHeer letter
- made in Rotterdam, Holland.
I was doubly lucky because Kelly gave me hers.
I told her I would have been happy no matter what the letter - W, X, Y, or Z.
St. Nicholas was actually a Turkish priest who was such a good person that he was accorded the same role in Holland as 'Santa Claus' was here.
On Christmas, though, the day is celebrated just as the birth of Jesus - no Santa.
St. Nicholas day is Dec. 6.
May St. Nicholas be good to all of you.

Day # 60 Winter

Winter - in Arizona, that is.
What am I doing here?
There's good cycling there, too,
as long as
you watch out for the sidewinders,
reptilian AND human,
as well as the other vipers.

Day # 61 Grey Ice

The day after

the day after

the ice storm.

Grey and icy.

Who wants to go out?

Not I.

But I did.

Day # 62 Freezing Rain

The car
is covered
with frosted ice

You can barely
make out its colour

The thought
of going out
is not nice

This is only
the beginning of winter,
as such.
It's not yet
winter solstice.

They say there's not much snow and ice down south.
Cuba, here I come!

Oops, sorry, there's still a customer waiting for service,
and,
since our company was listed as #1 in customer service by CBC,
I'd better get back to work.

Wait for me, Cuba.

Day # 63 Slow Time

An old codger said to me tonight,
"It's going to be an exceptionally cold winter this year,
so they say.
And to make matters even worse,
they have put us on slow time,
so it will go really slowly.

Then they put us on fast time for summer,
and summer goes so fast,
it's gone before you know it,
and you just didn't have enough time to enjoy it all."

Well, old codger,
I hope to slow down time, anyway, when I retire.
Does this mean winter will soon become my favourite time then?
Fat chance!

Day #64 Retirement Options

Cycling - across Canada, across the prov, or in the neighbourhood.
Swimming - Sandbanks, North Beach, Smith Bay or all 3,
every day or every other summer day.
Hiking - conservation areas, provincial parks, and national parks.
Camping and cycling trails.
Working - part-time or just continuing on for a spell.
Traveling, and incorporating all of the above in the trip,
and/or visiting relatives.
Taking courses at a college.
Playing games on the computer,
or board games with friends and family.
Free Cell - Sudoku - Scrabble - Euchre.
Learning how to download music from the internet.
Learning how to use an ipod and other electronics.
Reading more Canadiana - Women authors first.
Watching the news.
Watching all the movies I've missed.
Writing - letters, articles for newspapers, storybooks for children, and/or a novel.
Lying in the sun.
Having tea with friends and neighbours.
Joining organizations - photo club, gym, Women's institute, poetry meetings etc.
Vegging at the cabin, moving stones, having bonfires, BBQ's, sitting on the deck.
Play with the dog. Train the dog. Walk the dog. Shave the dog.
Play with the grandson. Train the grandson. Walk the grandson...
Walking in the woods and fields, alone and with my grandson.
Boating - canoe, kayak, sailboat, motor boat, cruise boat.
Photographing, and reporting interesting things to the naturalists
like Terry Sprague.
Berry picking. Apple picking.
Canning.
Going to the arts films, like Cinefest and QFA.
Going to film festivals.
Visiting fairs, art galleries, museums, studios.
Hobbies - sewing, needlepoint, gardening.
Dining out - Lake on the Mountain, outside in the sun at a patio table.
Dining in - Chinese, Japanese, Grecian, Canadian, Ukranian, Italian, any-ian.
Shopping, craft sales, lawn sales, garage sales.
Coffee shops, hot chocolate shoppes.
Phoning friends.
Cleaning out old cupboards, closets, drawers, junk.
Renovating, redecorating.
Celebrate everything - retirement, birthdays, unbirthdays, holidays, the day.
Bird watching. Animal watching. Cloud watching.
Meditating.
Vegetating.

Day # 65 To Retire or Not to Retire

A lady customer from Alberta suggested to me last night
that I don't rush into retiring from work,
because, although it seems exciting at first,
later on it is no longer fun at all.
I hope she is wrong.
I have the TransCanadaTrail to cycle,
my cabin to enjoy, and
some children's books to finish up.
I want to take a computer course,
and I want to take a course on real estate.
Mondays and Tuesdays I babysit and that's fun
because we always go woods-walking
and find really interesting stuff to study and photograph.
It's fun just watching Mr. T develop, learn, and play.
We have the nature photography club
which goes off on fun and interesting trips.
We live near Sandbanks beaches, and, now that I'm 160 lbs.,
I can float for hours should I want to,
or I can walk an hour along the beach
and join the nudies at the far north end.
I can get a new vehicle, and travel, and maybe even find a traveling companion...or be one professionally. There are few corners of the US and Canada that I haven't driven through.
Really, how can one not have fun in retirement.
Actually, I really will miss work, though.
It's a nice job, talking to people from across Canada, daily.

Day # 66 How Time Flies!

Three of us from my team recieved our 5 year pins today at work, as well as a certificate and a good frame to put it in packed nicely in a large grey tin box...reuseable. Cookies? Candies? When you're 64 about-to-be 65, why not. Worries about calories should be a thing of the past...right?
Wrong! You're never too old to worry about calories, it seems.
Our team lead, Diane, presented it to us, and our pictures were taken.
Our team is the #1 team for sales so we had reason to be doubly proud.
When I first started, I hated selling.
Now, not only can I sell comfortably, but I have greater self-esteem.
Last year I was in the top 12 out of 1500 employees for one type of sales.
It gets easier to be rejected. You just don't take it personally.
Nor do you take ownship of someone who is rude or mean or uses that tone of voice.
Actually, selling is good for you, as hateful as it seems to be or to feel.

Day # 67 Handle Bar Tip

"Consider adding a handlebar vertical extension so you can get the weight off your hands and rest your back and neck.
Besides, a big "front bubble" can make pedalling and breathing more difficult if you're bending over to reach the bars."
This, also, from www.crazyguyonabike.com - Murray Snyder.
Thanks, Murray.

I always use high handle bars so I can look around, hoping for a good photo, and needing to keep the weight off my back and neck.
I see that Murray has his handle bars covered in thick padding, so will also look into getting that done for next year's tours, as long as I can still keep the bike light-weight for those few times when I might have to lift it over obstacles like fences and logs/fallen trees.

Day # 68 Too Heavy for Your Bike?

The following are notes from a 62 year old cyclist, Murray Snyder, who went across Canada twice using the TransCanadaHighway.
He was 295 lbs. when he started out, thus referring to himself as a Clydesdale.
I'm 160 so weight is also an issue/problem with me, too.
His equipment, food and water brought the weight of the bike up to about 400 lbs.

"Get a heavy duty rear wheel - My biggest mistake was using the stock wheel that came with my new Cannondale.
(You'd think that they'd use a heavier-than-normal wheel on a jumbo bike - NOPE!)
The time to get the new wheel is before you start. Once on the road it's almost impossible to get what you need.
Now I have a "bomb-proof" wheel - a Mavic A719 with 2.0 spokes laced in a 4 cross pattern. I wanted to get 40 spokes, but could only get a 36.
It cost me $296 (Can) which seems high, but I've paid up to $180 for a wheel that only lasted 2000 km.
I've found that the weak rims tend to crack horizontally from the spoke holes - then the rim starts to flex apart, widening the tire and thus thinning it and exposing it more readily to pinch flats.
I had 20 flats one summer - mostly pinch type.
After changing rims, no more pinch flats...until the rim started to weaken again.
I always carry several extra tubes, tube repair kit, tire boots and at least 1 extra tire.
Clydesdales are very hard on rear tires.
Another wheel-related problem I faced that could have been a non-issue was that the spokes kept loosening off.
They would get so loose that the wheel would warp enough to rub against the chain stay.
I started having broken spokes too.
I had a wheel completely rebuilt and within 100 kms it was warped again.
I would recommend that you use a thread locking fluid to keep them from vibrating loose.
I use "Permatex", but there are others that are just as good..."Loc Tite", I think, is another one.
Be sure to get the medium strength - the strongest stuff will freeze the threads so tight that you won't be able to adjust them.
I put a tiny drop on the spoke threads where they both enter the nipple, and where they exit.
That's probably overkill, but I have no more problems with loose spokes."

Day # 69 November Gold

Day # 70 2nd Childhood

Only 70 days left before official retirement.
Christmas season, especially in the malls.
Time to check out the annual model train display.
Retirement is going to be one heck of a lot of fun from the looks of it.

Day # 71 Woodland Visitors

Don't give up yet.
It may be dreary, drab and depressingly grey,
but there are still some beautiful fall colours,
happiness in the sounds of crunching,
delight in the crystal clear breathe-able air,
and joy in the smell of past and present vistors
while enjoying a cold November walk in the woods.

Day # 72 Tenacious

Oak Leaves, hanging on still, for dear life.
Perhaps that's all anyone has.
Tenacity!
And the Will to Survive.

Day # 73 Resistant to Change

Caught this young raccoon peeking down at me in summer, as you can see, but they are about the only wild animals I still see out n about nowadays except for the occasional deer dashing across the road late at night when I'm driving home from work.
Not much to do outdoors right now except to adjust to the cold, dream of warmer climes, and countdown to Christmas, and to retirement.

Day # 74 I'm Late; I'm Late

This little guy was in the middle of Chase Woods in late November.
He should have been in or near a pond so as to hibernate in the cool, soft mud.
He likely won't make it through the winter.
I say 'he' because the eye spot looks bigger than its eye.
It looks like an anomaly on its right hind foot. The toe is so long it looks like a worm on the leaves underneath.
Many amphibians near farmlands now have anomalies such as this.

Day # 75 Late Fall

It's November 20th and I'm up to day 75 on my countdown from day 365 020207.
Here it is late November, and a walk in a southern ON woodlot, with my companion and my 3 year old grandson, Mr. T, who loves to find and pick berries and mushrooms, brings many delights like photographing this wonderful home to fungii and moss.
Lots of beauty and colour still, so late in the year.
Too many downed branches, and above-ground roots, for good cycling in that particular woods, though.
The 'Little Guy' tripped and fell on them 3 times, hidden as they are, under all the wet oak and maple leaves. He started jumping over them after that, with both feet at the same time. Bunny hops.
Don't you just love the small joys found in every-day life.
Hope you've had joy today, too.

Day # 76 HippyDippy Farm Shed

This shed looked just like this when I first came to The County in the fall of 1975.
It's fenced and many small farm animals have inhabited it from time to time.
It has always intrigued me.
At least this particular shed is being maintained.
So many sheds and barns are falling down.
Too bad the roofing has to be metal, though, when shingle is available.

Day # 77 Corny

Quite a few years ago, I took a picture of a barn on the outskirts of Cherry Valley with its two corn cribs full.
This is one of my favourite barn/farm pics.

Today, I took a similar picture.
Do you notice a major difference?
Not just the stain fading -
but rather
something that would have taken a lot of strength to accomplish.
Something I certainly couldn't do.
The farmer probably held a big party first for all the cows and pigs, chickens and roosters, geese, ducks and birds, and visiting rats, squirrels and raccoons in the neighbourhood so that the cribs would lighten up.
I only hope he/she had help moving those two corn cribs.
Remember this little tip from me:
Lighten up, eh!

Day # 78 Sumac

The sun was hanging low in the sky when I took this picture today, and would you believe, it was only just after 3 pm!!!
At least the birds should be happy.

Day # 79 Sunbreak

Even though
it's getting cold,
and grey,
you can still
enjoy many moments
of wonder
if you dress
warmly
while you
wander
through woodland trails
like this one
in the Wellington area
whether you're
hiking
or cycling.

Day # 80 Bent on Cycling

This comment from a friend of mine, and a mighty Fine Artist, now living near Sydney, N.S. not far from the start of the Cabot Trail.
Try cycling up that one!!!

"Re:Blogging Along‏ from: Val F:

Hi, Karen! I had to go to a recumbent bike because I couldn't sit on a regular bike seat no matter how padded or jelly filled.
Not only are they fast and comfortable, they are better for your circulation because your legs are out front and you're pushing your core muscles against the back of the seat.
I can't ride anything but a recumbent.
They're fabulous once you adapt to the handling.
Love,Val"

Thanks, Val.
It's my understanding that little recumbent bicycle clubs are springing up around the country, and around the world.
It might be fun to join one, and go touring.

Day # 81 Looking for Real Estate...

for perfect nesting site.
Must be green, several stories high, and devoid of humans.

Photo by Susan Shipman at Amherst Island, ON scanned from Wellington Times.

The following is an email from Terry Sprague, naturalist.
"Hi Karen,
That bald eagle has been around down in that area all summer (meaning Morrison Pt. Rd.), and is actually the cause for all the excitement in wanting to return them as a nesting species.
While eagles at this time of the year are not unusual, to have one stay around all summer, as this one has, makes us think they may be looking for real estate.
website is www.naturestuff.net
There is a lot of content on there, so take your time in looking through it.
- Terry"

And the following from my friend, Val, now living in Cape Breton, N.S.
"We have hundreds of bald eagles nesting here.
Sadly they may be taken off endangered list and then the farmer's etc. will start killing them again as predators.
Love, Val"

This from me: As far as I'm concerned, farmers on the whole have a whole lot of sins to answer for, as do the industrial and political machines that drive everyone.

Day # 82 Bald Eagles

On November 8/07, the day I did the tribute to my mother and brother, I forgot to mention that after I laid the flowers on the waters of Smith Bay, I took pictures.
As I turned around to take this one, a Bald Eagle flew up from just behind that tall pine, flying over the trees towards the fields west of the bay. I missed the shot, so enthralled was I watching him fly, and also so surprised at such an unexpected encounter.
They're easy birds to indentify with their 7 foot wingspan and pure white tail flashing and flitting behind them, as well as the huge white head.
Bald Eagles have been sighted about 50 times/year in Prince Edward County since 2000.
They've been sighted most often at Long Point, and McMahon Bluff which is near the Black River Cheese Factory.
Local expert and naturalist, Terri Sprague asks that sightings be reported to him at
tsprague@kos.net or phone 613 476 5072
'The goal is to get Bald Eagles to start nesting here.'
Does your property have tall trees? Then you have a good chance.

Day # 83 Snow Angels with Bikes

I emailed 3 of my daughters who cycle seriously, to ask what a clipless pedal is, and should I use them.
The first part of the question hasn't been answered for me significantly - yet - as I've neither seen them, nor tried them out.
However, here is a comment about the 2nd part of the question:
Should I use them instead of the 'normal' pedal that I use now?
"Mom, if you install them, practice using them in the snow so that you won't hurt yourself so much when you fall off.
You'll fall off many times before you get the hang of it, and then some."

Thanks, Terri.
I guess I'd best stick with normal pedals.
Falling is fine; it's the landing that does all the damage, and my muscles, tendons, bruises and bones seem to take anywhere from 1 to 2 years to mend, nowadays.
However, I rather like the idea of falling into thick, fluffy snow along with my bicycle, and making bicycle snow angels.
That's cute!
I wonder if it would be a first.
Not likely, as more and more people cycle in the winter these days.
When I first hiked the snow trail a mile down to see the property that I would subsequently purchase for my cabin, it looked like a fairyland in the virgin snow spaces among the cedars, and I made several snow angels there with my dog jumping on me each time in the excitment of seeing me prone and flailing my arms around on the snow-covered ground.
Then, as the day darkened, we hiked back out, reluctantly. It was so very quiet and peaceful/serene there that I would have stayed had I had a dwelling.
Great cycling there for most of the year.

Day # 84 The Watcher

Chase Road, near Wellington.
Note The Watcher behind the red berries (yet to be identified).
My Grandson, Mr. T, simply loves picking berries.
There is so much fun in an average day...the cycling, the picking, the photographing, the identifying, and the humour in the small things.
When you view this photo on a large enough screen, the stump behind the berry bushes looks like a totem-face watching/guarding the area.

Day # 85 Hard

Farmers from the British Isles were reknowned for their stone fences.
When you're cycling through the rural areas, there will be many wonderful sights/sites like this to stop and photograph...to stop and meditate at.
More than likely, the men who built these were crippled up by middle age, if one looks at the size and subsequent weight of these stones.
Hard stones.
Hard life.
They wouldn't have chosen any other, though, I would imagine.

Day # 86 The Pumpkin Barn

or
Why I Love Cycling.
Don't forget the camera!!!

Day # 87 Tribute: November 8

November 8, 1920.
Birth of Alice Roberta Cole,
my mother,
in Alabama, USA.

November 8, 1945.
Birth of Robert Campbell Smith,
my brother,
in Carnation, AB, Canada.

Both are 'buried'
in Smith Bay
near Picton, ON.
In the afternoon, before work,
I drove down to Morrison Point
to put flowers from my garden
along the shore.

Their ashes had been put
upon the waters of Smith Bay,
as requested,
out where the geese are.
How wonderful that the geese
shared the moment with me,
honking happily among themselves
in spite of the drizzly day.

The currents of Smith Bay are usually easterly, as are the winds, and so I expected the flowers to drift out.
They didn't.
As I crouched down to toss the flowers into the bay, without my realizing it, I was slowly sinking into the muck, and had quite a struggle to get up because my boots were stuck and that I had no leaverage.
By putting my hands down into muck to push up, I was able to escape.
Muck! Yuck!