been a while, huh?

w0w - I just realized I haven't posted for a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time and figure I better get to it or people will just stop checking it.

We are certainly giving our emergency department a lot of business lately. Last week Jamie was in for about 4 days with stomach issues. His girlfriend Julie brought him out here last Monday because he was so sick and so weak he was barely able to stand up. The nurses immediately popped him on a gurney and started him on an IV. He was admitted about 4 a.m. and in the morning our local surgeon did a scope on his stomach which revealed a small tear in the stomach lining. Not much to be done but let it heal - not a chronic thing, but he had lost so much blood (being sick) over a couple of days they gave him a blood transfusion on Wednesday.

Anyway, he was released on Thursday and spent the long weekend getting back on his feet - and is back to normal now. A little stressful though - he didn't much care for being in a hospital!

Then this morning, Rick was putting out the garbage and cut his hand on a small piece of metal and so we were back in emerg. for stitches for him. We're getting to be on a first name basis with the nurses!

Thanks to all for Rick's B-day wishes. We didn't do anything exciting - went up to Pembroke for a drive and went to Burger King - Rick had been drooling for a Whopper. I planned on getting a salad, but when I got up to the counter, somehow the words - "Texas steak burger" popped out of my mouth instead! Hahahaha! funny how that happens!

Actually, we rarely eat out - not sure why, but we rarely do. And, as we were eating our Burger King burgers yesterday, we both admitted that our own home-cooked burgers were just as good. I do have a serious Timmy's tea habit, that I am trying to cut back!

I hear Hydro rates are going up (again) we heat with electricity - so this is always a bit of a worry and we just got word from our municipality that our water rates are going up to around $100 a month. We currently pay around $40 a month but that's not enough to cover the cost of the new pump house building & chain link fence and the cost of testing the water everyday that the M.O.E. says we have to do. Everyone's freaking out, but what are you gonna do?

Not much else new - we were over at Bill and Andrea's last week for the NASCAR race (my driver still sucks) and had Bill's to-die-for ribs and Andrea's super potato salad. Had a great time - race was a night race and was quite late when we got home.

Don't know if I mentioned before, but Rick is going for his real estate license and is halfway through the second of 3 courses he must complete before getting his license. He sailed through the first course (taken on-line) with a final mark of 94% - very good! We plan to work together as a team and I think Rick's quite looking forward to it. The hours are good - even though one does work evenings and weekends sometimes - but that just means one takes days off during the week!

well, hell - this has been a long post - that's what happens when I get lazy about posting. I don't think I even have any new pictures! Will try to post on a more regular basis!

another one bites the dust!

Timminco Metals, formerly Chromasco Limited, formerly Dominion Magnesium - a magnesium mine established in the 30's (I think) is coming down!

As we drove by the mine last night, we noticed that the demolition of one of the larger buildings has started. This is just another example of Canada's (North America's) manufacturing going off shore. Cheaper to import inferior grade magnesium than mine it here. hmmmm....

When we moved to Haley Station in 1986 there must have been 350+ people working there - I worked in the offices myself for several years before going to Timminco's Pembroke plant (long gone as well - same story - cheaper to import inferior strontium from China) In the 90's both these plants were thriving - and millions spent in upgrades and research.

These plants exported high-quality magnesium & strontium alloys all over the world with offices in the States, Europe, Australia & Japan. This was a well respected and dynamic business. For more information and to rejuvinate a little bit of Canadian pride, google the Pidgeon Process and see what you get....

By the late 90's the writing was on the wall and by 2005 there were only half a dozen employees left.

Well, it's a sign of the times - as long as we continue to purchase cheap crap from overseas, we will continue to see our own Canadian plants disappear

I think the saddest thing is that this isn't even worthy of a note in the local paper - I have yet to see any of our local newspapers write so much as a column about it.

Okay, I'm done - I'm climbing off my soap box now - I just thought that someone, SOMEWHERE should make note of this event.

yup, another one quietly bites the dust....

WHEW! HOT!

Another hot humid day in the Valley. I don't remember days like this when I was small

I just came in back in the house after rescuing a poor little mouse that two of my cats were tormenting out on the front lawn. I HATE it when they do that! the two nasties (Nibbles and Buddy) had the mouse between them and every time it moved (or shook) they would be ready to pounce and it would freeze again! Anyway, I snagged the two beasties and brought them in the house. Hopefully the mouse will get up the nerve to run away. I think they sometimes die from fear - have little mousey strokes or something

I listed two properties this week - actually one was a re-listing in Calabogie, so it was back to Calabogie Lake to put up the signs again and get signatures etc. Nice place at $349K

I also listed a fixer upper in Renfrew for $79,900. The upstairs has been very nicely renovated, but the downstairs - not so much! Just a little place about 900 square feet. Still, what can you buy for that kind of money? In Ottawa, it would still probably be around $200K I'm amazed that more people from Ottawa don't move out here and communte - living's cheap!

The long weekend was rather quiet for us - we watched the NASCAR race on Sunday and I must say that my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, and his crew chief are inventing new ways to lose a race. Honestly! Best car, fastest car, leading the most laps - bad pit call close to the end and Jeff comes in 20th or something stupid like that. "Stay out, Jeff!!!" I said, but NOOOOOOO, he comes in for 4 tires and throws the race - LOSER!

Anyhoo, other than that life is quiet - Kris is doing a lot of fishing in his canoe (it only leaks a bit - I understand they can stay out for almost a full hour before having to come in and pour the water out...) I think they throw back whatever fish they catch - at least it isn't winding up in my fridge, thank God!

picture today is Buddy trying to catch a light reflection on the wall (his punishment for playing with his food, is messing with his little kitty brain with lights on the walls that he never EVER seems to figure out he can't catch!) and Missy working on her tan.

nice day!

I have not been posting as often as I should - I'm irritated with my sign in for my blog account. We changed our email adress to a new Gmail address and now my blogger account (being somehow affiliated with Google) has changed my password from my blog account password to my Google account.

so, when I go to log in - I try my old password, it doesn't work, I get pissed and don't blog. I don't like it when things (particularly passwords) get changed without my knowledge. oh well, what-are-you-gonna-do?

I may have mentioned my stove in past blogs - a couple of years ago I bought a new smooth top GE stove. I love my new stove - it looks great - it doesn't cook worth a damn! Basically it can't boil water! Yesterday Rick and I decided to make a casserole - I cooked my ground beef in the electric frying pan and Rick actually fired up our 35 year old propane camp stove in the garage to boil the water for the pasta! Tell me there isn't something wrong with this....... That's what happens when you buy something for looks alone!

Rick had a nostalgia day on Saturday - he and a friend went to a remote control boat club regatta in Sprats gravel pit somewhere in Ottawa South. Rick used to be an active member but this was his first time back to the "pond" in about 30 years. He was there most of the day and said he had a great time - I am sure he would like to get back into the hobby if there was a handy place around to run the boats. Maybe we should buy something on the water!

Yesterday was mostly real estate - in to Renfrew to list a fixer upper in town ($79,900 in case anyone is interested) and then home, only to get a call (just before the race started) from a couple wanting to go through a cottage I have listed. So, off we went to Mink Lake - nice drive in the Pony.

When Rick used to race his r/c boats years ago and take pictures, I always thought they just looked like little specks on the water. Guess what? they still look like specks on the water - hahaha - today's pictures r/c boats from Saturday's regatta

heat continues....

As anyone and everyone in the area knows, it continues to be extremely hot. I don't think the humidity was nearly as bad as it was last week, but it is still a bit on the sticky side. We've been making good use of the Pony - sunscreen, hats & sunglasses when going for a drive are a definite MUST!

I've rarely worn sunglasses as I wear prescription glasses and I don't like the clip on sunglasses very much. My latest "find" is a pair of $8 wrap-around sunglasses that I can wear over top of my prescription glasses! At last I'm cool in sunglasses (even if these are probably referred to as "granny glasses" by younger people. They are available at your local Giant Tiger store!

We've been running the roads a fair bit this past week - real estate continues to be slow (for everyone) but it won't stay that way. Probably in a few weeks I'll be whining about being tooooo busy!

Jamie and Julie came up last weekend - a surprise visit - very nice to see them both. Jamie is throughouly enjoying his new job - the pay is good, steady (not "piece" work pay like he got at Canadian tire) and the hours are regular - 8 to 5 & no weekends. He quite likes the people he works with and so close to home he could bike there if he wanted to. Nice!

Nothing much else exciting going on - all I can say is THANK GOD FOR AIR CONDITIONERS!!! I don't know how people manage without them in this weather.

Picture today is Nibbles (who's just so darn cute) - I wish I could get THAT comfortable! By the way, that is HER spot on the back of the couch in front of HER window. She does go out, but never far - NEVER goes into the bush and I think she is pretty content to watch the world go by from her window.

holy heat wave, Batman!!!!

As everyone in the area knows - it's been really freakin' hot lately! Our house is fairly cool - with the use of 3 window a/c's. I would prefer central air, but not having a central heating system in the house means we use window units. And I wouldn't be without them!

Tonight we had to run back into town - I had a showing booked for 7:30 - so we took the Pony, but ran the a/c on our feet cuz it was so hot!

Kris has been complaining about the heat - I told him that, that's what you get for wanting an "outdoorsey" job - WEATHER! freeze your tail off in the winter and roast in the summer!

Jamie says his new job "rocks" - it would appear that he made a good move from Crappy Tire to this new place. His girlfriend's parents have a cottage on the Quebec side of the Ottawa river and I'm guessing Jamie and Julie are spending evenings there on the water - not a bad life!

speaking of water - I have a great 2 bedroom house on Calabogie lake for sale if anyone is interested..... Calabogie is generally a busy market, but not this year! I do think that the HST has created a number of serious misconceptions among homebuyers. Many think HST will be charged on resale homes and I had one lady tell me that she thought it meant our commissions were jumping to 13% (I wish.....) so, I wonder if that is keeping people from buying, cause, the bank rates are super low and should be helping things along. I know many of you reading this will remember interest rates in the low - mid teens.

today's the thermometer at my office - this was taken around 6:15 p.m. and it was in the shade!

HOT HOT HOT

WOW! Now THIS is a summer day! Just right for a drive in the Pony with the top down! I had a showing up in Mt. St. Patrick today and what a great drive. We slathered on the sunscreen and away we went. Rick made a point of washing the car first, but we encountered some dirt roads which quickly dusted up the car. Oh well.

This house I have listed on the top of Kennelly Mountain in Mt. St. Patrick (and, YES, I realize the this would not really be considered a "mountain" anywhere but in the rather flat Ottawa Valley...) is a fabulous home with views up to 40 kms or more. So well built it is heated exclusively by a wood stove! No phone service, but perfect cell phone service so one doesn't really need a land land (and many people just don't bother with land lines any longer) Anyway, I really like this place, but the drive up the "mountain" would be a bit tough in the winter time.

In spite of having the top down, it was a hot drive home and we made an impulsive stop at KFC (did you know they changed their name from Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC to try to tone down the "fried" angle???) We rarely get KFC, in fact, Rick and I don't eat out or get take out very often - but about every 6 months or so, I get a craving for KFC and today was the day! toooo hot to cook anyway.

Tomorrow I have an open house in Calabogie - should be a nice day for that - hopefully I will get some BUYERS!!! It is a great place - perfect doll house on the lake! Last year it would have sold in a month, this year - only a few showings - it is a quiet year!

Picture today is from the top of Kennelly Mountain!