It's Thanksgiving!

 

The kids wanted to come over Saturday for Thanksgiving dinner. They are hosting their respective brothers for dinner on Monday. Saturday/Sunday were our days! It reminds me of the Thanksgiving dinners Jesse, my middle kid out in Vancouver, who would host an orphan potluck dinner for his single friends when he was in Toronto, and those away from home. 

I toodled on down the road to grab our turkey, and some more squash and a pumpkin from Diane. Once home, I washed it, prepared it, and got the turkey into the oven.

We planned the menu... Caitlin brought stuffing, but forgot the pie. One year she forgot the stuffing! She made a fresh one from scratch that year. This year she forgot the cranberries. JB planned for this and we had a can of cranberry sauce. He doesn't like turkey, but can tolerate it with cranberry sauce.

The kids arrived, and all the way here Josephine was hoping to find a snake. As soon as they parked their electric car, Caitlin got out of the car and found a wee Northern Ribbon Snake. Jos was thrilled!

They unpacked. I helped the girls blow up the bed in the basement, and then we all sat and chatted. It was good to see them. The girls have been doing well in school. We anxiously await the vaccine for kids Isabelle's age (11). that will make us all feel safer.

Isabelle is doing a cross stitch for Girl Guides. Caitlin held it up for a photo-op!

I popped the turkey in the oven at noon. I didn't have to truss it, as there wasn't room! Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the beautifully browned, yummy finished product. We'll be eating it for days! I shall freeze most of it!

I have some gourds from down the road, as well as a pie pumpkin and did my usual turkey centrepiece.

Caitlin brought a yummy dressing. We didn't cook it in the turkey, since they eased themselves into the weekend Saturday morning, arriving after lunch! 

We had a lovely visit. It was decided that we should pass on JB's Effy desk to Caitlin. I thought, since he was standing up in the kitchen to use his laptop, that it would help his back and his arm. It did not. Then, his laptop (my old one) gave up the ghost. 

 It wouldn't fit in their car, but it did fit in our car. The kids loaded it up after breakfast, and took off for home before lunch. We had lunch, and then I drove us into the city. We unloaded it, and life was good!

Caitlin is still working from home most days, looking out her front window! It fits perfectly. With the push of a button, it raises and lifts if you want a standing desk.

JB drove home, and I took photos. The geese were ubiquitous!

The trees are magnificent.

In Nepean, there were a few decorations!

They've added turtle fences, having redone Moodie Drive. 

The golf course was busy, and the river was high!

There were more decorations nearer to home.

JB spotted this sign on the way into the city. He thought it advertised Muskoka's Santa's Village, and it does! It's in Bracebridge, and we used to go, but it is a five-hour drive away from here. 

Santa's Village back in the day. It's now all high techie, and has bigger rides, and a zip line at the aerial park! Here we are at Santa's Village, back in the day!

The starlings are getting ready to migrate.

🐻SNUGGLE Bears

Lunch in Nepean

We went into Nepean to have lunch with JB's Aunt B. On the way I spotted what could be a new toy. It has triangular wheels. I could navigate all around our forest on this. It climbed up this snowbank! Yee haw!



Also, on the way there was an OPP vehicle. It was funny watching people roar up beside us, pass, then watch their speed. Highway #7 is wicked for speed. It's 80 km/hour, but people go much faster. A truck trailer had just passes this truck trailer, and then the OPP vehicle mosied up behind it.


The snow fences are still up, and rightly so.


The lakes and rivers are slowly melting. There are geese on the ice flow. This is a drive-by shooting, so you cannot see them well. They are there, though!


Lots of geese in this snowy field. Just so you get the picture, it was a drive-by shooting.


Farther along, the three white cars passed the OPP vehicle. Then hovered. The truck in front of us, and behind the OPP, stayed put it, as we did.


Then, an ambulance, lights flashing. On 417, with four lanes, it sailed by. A troubled soul, safe in the arms of the paramedics, on their way to be cared for in hospital.


This takes me back, a day care class going walkies.


We were shocked with the snow banks in Ottawa!


This is our old house. We moved here from Toronto in 1980.


Someone needs a new roof! I couldn't do this work, could you?


There is a bit of snow!


Aunt B has some lovely plants. She gave me the plant that the tree frogs like. (I put it outside in the summer.) She has a green thumb, as well as five children. They lived all over the world, as Uncle B was in the military.


Aunt B has a lot of grandkids and several great grands. She's lived in her bungalow since 1966.


We ordered lunch in, it wasn't great, but there you go. As we left the snow was quite awesome.


Construction everywhere. It looks like an extension of Hunt Club Rd., as well as Richmond Rd.


I'm always amazed by how soon we are suddenly into rural territory.


Back in Perth, this home has a wonderful garden. I am looking forward to seeing it bloom. Lots of homes in Perth have been converted to apartments, this one doesn't appear to. They are often at work in the garden.


Home, and safe. Annie was happy to get outdoors in the sun. I wore shoes today, for the first time this year. The sidewalks are clear. Today, we expect rain on top of the snow, and warmer temperatures. We shall see what we get!