Boxing Day Birthday!

It was a busy couple of days! 

Another chat with the cousins in Vancouver.

Cinnamon was so tired with all the play times!

We greeted the day with the deer circling the house!

JB began the morning by driving into town for my secret birthday cake.

On my birthday, the 26th, Caitlin went for a forest walk. I think the rest of us were hanging out, although Jordan had several naps the day before. 

She noticed orange poopies. I imagine from the raccoons eating the pumpkins!

Deer fur stuck in a dead branch!

A tree snapped during one of our windstorms.

Frost

Jean-Luc, Jordan (feeling much better on the 26th) and Aster, went off for a walk. I had a great chat with Caitlin. 

My carrot cake birthday cake. You'll notice my surprise if you watch the video JL took of us.

This was Joe Brian's wry sense of humour! I posted it to Facebook, and a friend wrote 'Welcome to your next decade!' I am 69! It all began when I mistakenly thought Jordan had turned 16 when she was truly 15. Or maybe it was a joke?! We ran with it ever since.

Dec. 29th 

I will set this to post Monday morning. We may or may not have power and the Internet. If you read this message, we do not have power! We have a wood insert that we'll run, and the new battery to run the well and have water. No hot water, though! I can make coffee on the BBQ side burner, and cook on that. 

 I woke at 2 a.m. Monday and it was pouring rain, but the temperature was -4 ℃ and it was freezing on everything. There are 45,232 households without power in southern Ontario when I arose. We aren't one of them (so far). But the numbers have risen. 

I have to see if our garbage collection is a go! The township has declared an emergency and wants everyone to stay home. I'm not sure I can walk down the driveway, as there is about 4cm of frozen snow covered in ice! Mebbe not...

Christmas dinner

It was -18 ℃ this morning, Sun, Dec. 28.

We are expecting an ice storm tonight. We'll see what happens over night. 

Dec. 25 –  There was much planning required! And then it is over. I enjoy looking back at the event. Everyone has gone back home after two nights here. It was terrific. 

My friend sent me home with a lovely plate of goodies (center). She'd been baking up a storm, including her famous Christmas Crack. Joe Brian brought some nuts and chocolates. We had a fine time nibbling until dinner. 

There was a Facetime with the Vancouver clan! Poor Jordan has a bad cold, and he had several naps. The grandies both wore masks for us. 

I made the kids a book of their photos from their Newfoundland trip. They had fun reviewing their trip.

Jordan was given a mystery gift. He couldn't quite figure it out! 

🚽 Jordan is in residence. He and another kid share a bathroom, but their bed rooms are private on either side of double doors. They are responsible for their bedroom, but their joint bathroom is cleaned once a week by staff. The toilet paper is replaced with one single-ply roll, but tends to run out. Grampa bought a 4-ply six pack!

The cats had a grand time.

We watched 5 Jeopardy shows, everyone trying to answer. We all have our specialties between space, science, history, literature, etc. 

I even put my face on!

JL was gifted a food basket of cheese, crackers, condiments, canned oysters, olive oils, etc. We hadc fun watching him open it.

My personal shopper bought us two hams. We only needed one, so maybe on New Years! We divided up the meal. The kids brought the cake and yam casserole. JL did the cooking. 

 

I saw this recipe on TV, by Mary Burg. I was keen to try it: Everything Bagel Star Buns. I watched the video twice to get it right. 

Star Bread! Recipe here.

I made it Christmas morning. It didn't brown as well, but it was tasty. I will make it again.

Grampa put on a show, with a singalong and some jokes and Christmas puns. He started this during COVID when the grandies were with us alternate weeks for Virtual School. It made our time fun. 

He is a hoot. Here is a snippet. 

Saturday's critters

It's been so cold. The morning brought some pretty skyscapes, the afternoon brought snow.

It was a marvellous couple of days with the Ottawa kids here. I've lots of stories to tell in the next few days. Suffice to say we were delighted to be together. 

UPDATE: Now, I think it was a red-bellied woodpecker!

 We are enjoying the critters. Caitlin and I saw a woodpecker in the horse chestnut tree. I think it was the yellow-bellied sapsucker. (Archive photo!)

Mourning doves are happy. I counted 19!

The junco:

Female  cardinal:

The Labbit has been hanging out with the deer.

freeze, thaw, freeze, SNOW!

Let me start with a weather report:

We did Facetime with our Ottawa kids. Jordan gave Aster an interesting present. He switched the heads on these stuffies. Thrifted gifts! They are a hoot!

Aster and Jordan left treats out for Santa and the reindeer! Aster is applying for a student exchange in July, to Ireland! Jordan is looking at a summer work placement in Montreal. All great excitement.

 

The cats are fascinated with 75! He figured out how to leap onto the feeder.  

 

There are three black squirrels!

The wetland near Barry's lodge was wet again, after our rain. 

The fisher was by. Barry is safely tucked inside!

Apparently it was getting a drink or playing in the mud. 

I accidentally set this to take photos, not videos. Oh, well. Here is the fisher!

The frog pond melted and refroze!It's seldom cleared and flat.

 I remember the grandies skating here one year. 

We're back into the snow. You can hear the crunch of snow as the coyote trots on his way.

 

We had a lovely dinner yesterday. Another one is planned for today. I turn 69 today. 

There is snow on the way. We'll see you on the other side.