I woke to the chorus of voices saying "Summer is over!"
Fibbers all!
We all know that summer isn't over until 15:44 UT on 22 September 2008.
Of course, the fat lady is starting to clear her throat.
Later, Mushers!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Like the Buffalo
A fair bit of travelling went on the past few days. Saturday, we went to Chocolate Bay and MegaChuck for more supplies. Sunday, after worship, it was to the cousin-in-law's for a FCC family reunion- good times! Monday it was off to St. Thomas for party time with Patience's family, and a farewell to nephew Jonah as he departed for points far west for continued studies.
It was Monday night that I learned that I was more like my father, The Buffalo, than I realized. We- FCC and I- arrived at Patience's at 10:30 PM, and were immediately sucked into a game of Bananas(TM). This is a game where one starts with eleven letter tiles selected from a central pile. Each player tries to use all the letters to make words which are interlinked like a crossword puzzle. As you use up the letters you call "pick" and everyone at the table has to draw a letter. If you want to return a letter to the central pile, you call "dump", and exchange letters- taking 3 letters for each 1 return. When there are no more letters in the central pile, and you have used all your letters, you call "bananas", and after verification of words, you are the winner (hurrah, and a tiger for you!) If, on the other hand, any of your words are successfully challenged, you are declared a "rotten banana", all your tiles are put into the Central pile, and play continues as you hang your head in shame.
Well, that is the plan.
I found that I had a lot more fun if I made up words to use up my tiles and called "bananas!" OK, so the letter I thought was a "n" was a "z", and "gis" is not the plural for a number of American soldiers, but I still assert that "hoves" is the plural of "hove." You know, the boat hove to, and the boats hoves to!
I was a rotten banana!
I may not have won, but I did have fun! I now understand why my father enjoyed cheating- er- creatively reinterpreting the rules for checkers.
Later, Mushers!
It was Monday night that I learned that I was more like my father, The Buffalo, than I realized. We- FCC and I- arrived at Patience's at 10:30 PM, and were immediately sucked into a game of Bananas(TM). This is a game where one starts with eleven letter tiles selected from a central pile. Each player tries to use all the letters to make words which are interlinked like a crossword puzzle. As you use up the letters you call "pick" and everyone at the table has to draw a letter. If you want to return a letter to the central pile, you call "dump", and exchange letters- taking 3 letters for each 1 return. When there are no more letters in the central pile, and you have used all your letters, you call "bananas", and after verification of words, you are the winner (hurrah, and a tiger for you!) If, on the other hand, any of your words are successfully challenged, you are declared a "rotten banana", all your tiles are put into the Central pile, and play continues as you hang your head in shame.
Well, that is the plan.
I found that I had a lot more fun if I made up words to use up my tiles and called "bananas!" OK, so the letter I thought was a "n" was a "z", and "gis" is not the plural for a number of American soldiers, but I still assert that "hoves" is the plural of "hove." You know, the boat hove to, and the boats hoves to!
I was a rotten banana!
I may not have won, but I did have fun! I now understand why my father enjoyed cheating- er- creatively reinterpreting the rules for checkers.
Later, Mushers!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
When a Cabbage Patch Calls
As FCC and I were getting ready for bed, the phone rang. It was Gloria, one of our cabbage patch daughters!
Since we've moved to Runamuk, we've provided room and sometimes board for a number of young ladies passing through as part of their studies, or work. We've ended up as temporary parents to some degree to these girls until they moved on.
Gloria has travelled and worked to England, and Korea. Married to a young man while while working as an ESL teacher.
She's in Georgia visiting her parents for the next two weeks, and thought she would give us a call before she went back to Korea.
What a joy to hear from her! It is nice to think that she remembers us after all those years.
She couldn't make it up north this time, but perhaps next.
Have to run.
Later, Mushers!
Since we've moved to Runamuk, we've provided room and sometimes board for a number of young ladies passing through as part of their studies, or work. We've ended up as temporary parents to some degree to these girls until they moved on.
Gloria has travelled and worked to England, and Korea. Married to a young man while while working as an ESL teacher.
She's in Georgia visiting her parents for the next two weeks, and thought she would give us a call before she went back to Korea.
What a joy to hear from her! It is nice to think that she remembers us after all those years.
She couldn't make it up north this time, but perhaps next.
Have to run.
Later, Mushers!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Got Trolls?
Another day, another book.
Last fall, while in the Mystical Land of Shopping, I was able to pick up a second-hand copy of Robertson Davies' "The Manticore." Unlike most books I read, this was a serious book for a serious mind. Nevertheless, I made it through, although not in one sitting.
This book- the second in the Deptford Trilogy- deals with David Staunton and his attempt to deal with the consequences of his father's death. To do this, he goes to Zurich to undergo a year of Jungian Analysis. As part of his analysis, he maintains a "Plain Style" account of his life from first remembrance, dreams, along with the various conversations with Dr. von Haller entitled "David Against the Trolls."
This is the first of the Deptford Trilogy I've read, and having finished it, I think I need a nap!
It is an interesting read, but unlike the earlier mentioned "A Forest for Callum", this book is one that didn't draw me in- perhaps because there are no immediate connection between A well-to-do Toronto Lawyer spending a year in Zurich, and yours truly. There are, at the very least, some major differences between Zurich and Runamuk!
On a deeper level, perhaps there are similarities that I we all share with David. Perhaps, we all act as advocate, prosecutor, and judge of our lives. Perhaps, we all have to deal with trolls.
Then again, I might just need a cup of tea!
Later, Mushers!
Last fall, while in the Mystical Land of Shopping, I was able to pick up a second-hand copy of Robertson Davies' "The Manticore." Unlike most books I read, this was a serious book for a serious mind. Nevertheless, I made it through, although not in one sitting.
This book- the second in the Deptford Trilogy- deals with David Staunton and his attempt to deal with the consequences of his father's death. To do this, he goes to Zurich to undergo a year of Jungian Analysis. As part of his analysis, he maintains a "Plain Style" account of his life from first remembrance, dreams, along with the various conversations with Dr. von Haller entitled "David Against the Trolls."
This is the first of the Deptford Trilogy I've read, and having finished it, I think I need a nap!
It is an interesting read, but unlike the earlier mentioned "A Forest for Callum", this book is one that didn't draw me in- perhaps because there are no immediate connection between A well-to-do Toronto Lawyer spending a year in Zurich, and yours truly. There are, at the very least, some major differences between Zurich and Runamuk!
On a deeper level, perhaps there are similarities that I we all share with David. Perhaps, we all act as advocate, prosecutor, and judge of our lives. Perhaps, we all have to deal with trolls.
Then again, I might just need a cup of tea!
Later, Mushers!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Draginon Golf Club
Joe Candy and I went to play a round of golf at Draginon GC.
Though the weather was cooler, it was also drier. My worm burners were just that. No worm was steamed today!
By the time we reached the 14th hole, my driver was working fairly well, and my low irons were working well as well. Life is a rich Pageant, etc.
Home for some Pad Thai, a nap, and a nice mug of tea- Red Rose if it matters. My Tetley Tea Dance shoes are still being serviced.
Later, Mushers!
Though the weather was cooler, it was also drier. My worm burners were just that. No worm was steamed today!
By the time we reached the 14th hole, my driver was working fairly well, and my low irons were working well as well. Life is a rich Pageant, etc.
Home for some Pad Thai, a nap, and a nice mug of tea- Red Rose if it matters. My Tetley Tea Dance shoes are still being serviced.
Later, Mushers!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
One of my Favorite Things
I know I am truly on vacation when I feel comfortable enough to go to bed with a book and feel I can read it in one sitting, figuratively anyway. Last night, I read this book-
and it was well worth the time up.
A Forest for Calum is a coming of age story, but it is more than that. It deals with the changes that "rural" communities on Cape Breton Island faced during the mid 20th century and how various characters from the fictional town of Shean dealt with these changes.
It speaks, in part, about art and what makes an artist, friendship and loyalty, and- if I may be so bold- the temporals and eternals of life. Or it is a good book and I should leave it at that. Besides, any book that includes Presbyterians just has to be good!
Later, Mushers!
and it was well worth the time up.
A Forest for Calum is a coming of age story, but it is more than that. It deals with the changes that "rural" communities on Cape Breton Island faced during the mid 20th century and how various characters from the fictional town of Shean dealt with these changes.
It speaks, in part, about art and what makes an artist, friendship and loyalty, and- if I may be so bold- the temporals and eternals of life. Or it is a good book and I should leave it at that. Besides, any book that includes Presbyterians just has to be good!
Later, Mushers!
Another Day of Pageant
Life on Vay-Cay is a rich pageant of taste, sound, and colour.
For example, I am sitting here at the PC with my second mug of tea (and no, I am not wearing my jingly Tetley Tea dance slippers- they are being re-belled after the last time I wore them [got to cut back on that caffine!]), listening to Corb Lund singing about shining up his boots, and looking at my den's Chesapeake Blue walls.
OK, so that isn't much in the way of colourful, but my eyes aren't open too wide yet.
The back door is still calling for a deck, so with a visit to Chocolate Bay's MegaChuck Building Supplies, I purchased enough materials for the deck.
Living as I am on the roof of the Great Canadian Mukluk Building, a deck isn't much of a challenge- just what one wants when on vacation.
Sister Pearl is off to "The Holy Land"- the isle of our birth, and might have been where Jesus was born, had they been able to find three wise men. Between visiting her many friends, Prodigal, and swimming in Golden Arm, She will be looking for an "as seen on TV" single serving blender. On her way back to Muddflats Green (MFG for short), she will be meeting up with Patience and her crew for some Waterslide Motel fun.
Other than worship, weekend was filled with travel- Draginon for breakfast at The Kirk Hall, North to Railhead and Grande Lapin- and general relaxation.
I see bright light in window now. Must check to see what shining yellow thing in sky is.
Later, Mushers!
For example, I am sitting here at the PC with my second mug of tea (and no, I am not wearing my jingly Tetley Tea dance slippers- they are being re-belled after the last time I wore them [got to cut back on that caffine!]), listening to Corb Lund singing about shining up his boots, and looking at my den's Chesapeake Blue walls.
OK, so that isn't much in the way of colourful, but my eyes aren't open too wide yet.
The back door is still calling for a deck, so with a visit to Chocolate Bay's MegaChuck Building Supplies, I purchased enough materials for the deck.
Living as I am on the roof of the Great Canadian Mukluk Building, a deck isn't much of a challenge- just what one wants when on vacation.
Sister Pearl is off to "The Holy Land"- the isle of our birth, and might have been where Jesus was born, had they been able to find three wise men. Between visiting her many friends, Prodigal, and swimming in Golden Arm, She will be looking for an "as seen on TV" single serving blender. On her way back to Muddflats Green (MFG for short), she will be meeting up with Patience and her crew for some Waterslide Motel fun.
Other than worship, weekend was filled with travel- Draginon for breakfast at The Kirk Hall, North to Railhead and Grande Lapin- and general relaxation.
I see bright light in window now. Must check to see what shining yellow thing in sky is.
Later, Mushers!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A round in Chocloate Bay
Yesterday started with the traditional vacation starting blood sausage breakfast. Ummm, good!
As both FCC and I were off for the day, we made plans to get together with Joe Candy and his wife, the Rev. Joan Candy: the guys going to the Chocolate Bay Golf Club, and the lasses going to Nuddude Island for some shopping.
Golf in Chocolate Bay at this time of year tends to be challenging. With global warming, the normally firm muskeg is a little sloppy. It is really hard to get a good shot off when you are in gumboots. Fortunately, I've found that you can get better traction if you wear icers.
The game went well with less than a half dozen balls lost- most of them being embedded deep into fairway.
I should mention that the recovery of the balls has become a major money maker for the course in the last few years. Frost during the winter tends to pop the lost balls up to the surface- sort of like squeezing a zit. In the spring, they gather up the balls, then grade, repackage, and resell them. Saves money flying new balls in at any rate.
FCC arrived home at Runamuk from the Nuddut run with ear rings and a couple of books. Life is rich!
Later, Mushers!
As both FCC and I were off for the day, we made plans to get together with Joe Candy and his wife, the Rev. Joan Candy: the guys going to the Chocolate Bay Golf Club, and the lasses going to Nuddude Island for some shopping.
Golf in Chocolate Bay at this time of year tends to be challenging. With global warming, the normally firm muskeg is a little sloppy. It is really hard to get a good shot off when you are in gumboots. Fortunately, I've found that you can get better traction if you wear icers.
The game went well with less than a half dozen balls lost- most of them being embedded deep into fairway.
I should mention that the recovery of the balls has become a major money maker for the course in the last few years. Frost during the winter tends to pop the lost balls up to the surface- sort of like squeezing a zit. In the spring, they gather up the balls, then grade, repackage, and resell them. Saves money flying new balls in at any rate.
FCC arrived home at Runamuk from the Nuddut run with ear rings and a couple of books. Life is rich!
Later, Mushers!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Mockumentry, or Northern Cookin'
I couldn't wait until the end of the work day to start my vacation, so I took an extra half-day just to celebrate my coming vacation! Hurrah and a tiger for me!
After a nap, followed by a visit to a local pub to celebrate a co-worker's retirement, I returned home to make supper.
It is a recipe that Pearl gave us- carb-free Shepherd's Pie. Due to FCC's lactose-intolerance, some of the ingredients had to be replaced. As a result, the recipe was,
Carb-Free Shepherd's Pie
1 head cauliflower
1 C. chicken stock
1 C. soy cream cheese
1 lb. Hamburger
1 onion (finely diced)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 C. soy cheddar cheese (shredded)
The flowerets from a head of cauliflower were put in a pot with the chicken stock and cooked until the cauliflower was tender and most of the stock was gone. The "cream cheese" was added and the cauliflower was mashed until smooth. The hamburg, onion and garlic were cooked and blended with the cauliflower, along with half of the shredded "cheddar cheese." This mixture was transferred to a cassarole dish, covered with the remaining "cheddar cheese", and heated at 350 F until the "cheese" was bubbling.
As I was finishing up the dish and getting it ready to go in the oven, Andy and Squeak stopped by to visit. They were in town to pick up some dive gear for some recreational diving.
Squeak stayed with us several years ago while she work with our company, and became a cabbage patch daughter.
We invited them to stay and have supper, and they agreed to, even when I described the Shepherd's Pie as being made of mock cheese, mock cream cheese, and mock potatoes (Cauliflower).
To complete the mock meal, we had crackers without flower, "ketchup-like" sauce, artificial flowers on the table, and a polyester table cloth. You can't get more "mock" than that!
The good news is that we all enjoyed the meal, and had a good time! A great way to start a vacation!
Later, Mushers!
After a nap, followed by a visit to a local pub to celebrate a co-worker's retirement, I returned home to make supper.
It is a recipe that Pearl gave us- carb-free Shepherd's Pie. Due to FCC's lactose-intolerance, some of the ingredients had to be replaced. As a result, the recipe was,
Carb-Free Shepherd's Pie
1 head cauliflower
1 C. chicken stock
1 C. soy cream cheese
1 lb. Hamburger
1 onion (finely diced)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 C. soy cheddar cheese (shredded)
The flowerets from a head of cauliflower were put in a pot with the chicken stock and cooked until the cauliflower was tender and most of the stock was gone. The "cream cheese" was added and the cauliflower was mashed until smooth. The hamburg, onion and garlic were cooked and blended with the cauliflower, along with half of the shredded "cheddar cheese." This mixture was transferred to a cassarole dish, covered with the remaining "cheddar cheese", and heated at 350 F until the "cheese" was bubbling.
As I was finishing up the dish and getting it ready to go in the oven, Andy and Squeak stopped by to visit. They were in town to pick up some dive gear for some recreational diving.
Squeak stayed with us several years ago while she work with our company, and became a cabbage patch daughter.
We invited them to stay and have supper, and they agreed to, even when I described the Shepherd's Pie as being made of mock cheese, mock cream cheese, and mock potatoes (Cauliflower).
To complete the mock meal, we had crackers without flower, "ketchup-like" sauce, artificial flowers on the table, and a polyester table cloth. You can't get more "mock" than that!
The good news is that we all enjoyed the meal, and had a good time! A great way to start a vacation!
Later, Mushers!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Weddings and Waterslides
After dropping off gluten-free date squares off at Pearl's, we (FMIL, FCC, and I) continued on to the Sullendale Resort to book in for the upcoming wedding.
Saturday, the day of the service and attending party, was overcast and sodden. The rain stopped after the service began, but soon started up to create a truly unique feature within the marque used for the meal- an indoor lake!
This didn't deter the bride who announced that there would be dancing, and perhaps later in the evening, mud wrestling!
In spite of the rain, a good time was had by all.
Later, Mushers!
Saturday, the day of the service and attending party, was overcast and sodden. The rain stopped after the service began, but soon started up to create a truly unique feature within the marque used for the meal- an indoor lake!
This didn't deter the bride who announced that there would be dancing, and perhaps later in the evening, mud wrestling!
In spite of the rain, a good time was had by all.
Later, Mushers!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Goin' Off-road
I'm off the road again,
so glad to be off the road again.
Not having to deal with relatives without end,
I'm so glad to off the road again!
A long weekend in Muddflats Green dealing with relatives from both sides.
For now, I'm pooped. Details to follow.
Later, Mushers!
so glad to be off the road again.
Not having to deal with relatives without end,
I'm so glad to off the road again!
A long weekend in Muddflats Green dealing with relatives from both sides.
For now, I'm pooped. Details to follow.
Later, Mushers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)