Thanksgiving has arrived!

 Our kids flew all the way from Vancouver to Ottawa on Thursday, Oct. 9th for a Thanksgiving visit. They rented a car, and drove an hour to our home. In the dark!

There were preparations! 

Caitlin and I decided on the menu for the Thanksgiving meal. Very traditional. A celebration of harvest and a time to be together and thankful.

I made beds in the basement. That queen-sized mattress is wonderful. We use it a lot for the Ottawa grandkids. The Vancouver girls were sleep on the couch. Jesse and Stacie on the mattress.

We counted chairs. We had 9, and texting Caitlin she suggested an outdoor chair. I had to find the table leaf insert. (Took a half hour!) Forgetting that there is a lock mechanism to release gave me a challenge. I ended up on my back, under the table, pushing one end with my feet, holding the other with my hands. It worked! You can imagine!

Next, set out the table centre! We drove down to our local farm, Miller's Bay, and I got me some gourds. Robert was there moving the produce. 

I'd bought a silly turkey hat, and plunked it on a pie pumpkin.

Every year, we get a big turkey, then have to stuff it in our little bar fridge and our little roasting pan. Every year it does not fit. 

I decided to blow the budget and get a new pan. I needed a bigger pot. I went online, found this one. Purportedly 50cm long. It was on sale, as well! 

Off I went. Canadian Tire was ready for Hallowe'en! Grampa is in love with the dragon! (Only $249!)

I found it! Except, if you read the fine print, it is 16 1/2" (42 cm), not big enough. Someone made a mistake converting the size to metric! I got a boring, big metal, enamel pan!

 

Jesse texted us the flight number, and I watched their progress, and landing. Then he sent a link for their hour-long drive in the dark. They had dinner in North Gower, where we used to live. 

It is dark out there, and there are critters on the move. Rural roads are very dark.

Happily, they arrived. I waved from the deck while the kids roared into the house. 

They'd left Vancouver at 10 a.m., but they are 3 hours behind Ontario time. They arrived at 20:28, and we hugged and hugged.

Out came the toys. We didn't play Sorry, just played with the markers, and Cluny built a tower of cards. Though it was after 8 p.m., they were on Vancouver time, 5 p.m.

Bryony adopted the fawn, and it didn't leave her side for two days.

I had a spontaneous hug, and we took a selfie! We spend so much time talking on the phone or on Facetime, it was a wonderful hug from Bryony.

Nutmeg had a love affair with Jesse's leather runners.

We all finally went to bed, ready for a great Friday! It was to be sunny, if chilly. More to come. We had so much fun.

We went to the farm!

I've been enjoying fall chores. Despite aches and pains, I'm getting stuff done in the sunshine. However, I've contracted another bout of poison ivy around my neck. My meds, an ointment, are past the best before date, hubby went into town and refilled the prescription.

 I took Caitlin and the girls to the farm on their last visit, we went through the corn maze and climbed the round hay bales. JB stayed home.

The Miller's farm was hosting a wagon ride this day. JB loves horses. I suggested we go for a visit, but I didn't tell him what was up.


JB knows horses. They had Belgians, and he played under them in the barn when he was a kid.  He lived with his grandparents and mom on the farm. They didn't have running water or hydro. It wasn't easy.

Joe told us a story from 1957-ish...
JB lived with his mother on his grandparents farm. When he was about 8, he went into town in the buggy, with his grampa. Grampa pulled into the small town, Chesterville, and went into his brother's feed store, leaving Joe in the buggy. While Grampa was in the store, the horse decided it'd had enough and took off for a nice walk, with little Joey sitting in the buggy. He tried hard to get the horse to stop, "WHOA!", but they did not listen. The horse wandered around the small town. He wasn't frightened, but frustrated that the horses wouldn't do as he told them. He doesn't remember how it all resolved.

Precious Moments Carriages 

Shannon and Robert brought in the team for rides. Their names are Kirby and Todd. They are great horses, well-cared for. The tack was nice and shiny. They listened well to Gee and Haw (go right, or go left). They practically stopped on a dime when he said WHOA! The gelding came from a French family (they are a French breed) and he had to teach it English!


Miller's Bay farm peeps work so hard on their signage, but people inevitably don't read the signs. There was a traffic jam. I picked up a few more pie pumpkins for our fence posts.


The horses are Percheron. The one on the right is a gelding. The mare (on the left) is pregnant, due to have a foal May 2nd!

The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work.

In the meantime, we've big storms coming. At least it was a lovely weekend, and our Election 2019 is over!

Shop locavore!

After I visited with my client, I popped into the local farm, Miller's Bay, for supplies.  I coated the pork in flour, cooked it first, removed it, and then did the veggies, an onion first! I threw in some spices, then put it on top of some leftover brown rice. Yummy!

I don't think I could make it again, as I'm not sure what I put in for spices, soya sauce, Worcestershire, flour, extra liquid, a spoonful of spice dry mix for Guacamole. Taste as you go...