BIRTHDAYS AND FISHES

We were getting ready to leave on thursday morning while the lake was calm, and we looked down to the left of our docks and there were these two black bass making a nest and mating.

If you look carefully you can see the fish one on top of the other, the third is just the reflection of the sun. The fish go round and round, scatter the stones around and then the female will guard this spot for about a week.

All we ever see of the result is a bunch of tiny black fish swimming under our docks. As the summer goes on and they get bigger and venture away from our docks, and the surrounding rocks, the loons will come close enough to dive and have a bit of a feast. Now the water has to be calm for the loons to come close and if you look at a few previous postings, calm is not a word we use frequently describing where we are on the lake. So our little black bass are usually a source of joy for the kids to lay on the dock, look in the calm morning waters and see the little bass and sometimes the larger ones that they catch and release. Yeah they like the fishing part, but I tell you now, Nana does not remove fish, do the worm thing so they must learn to gently remove the hooks from the fish as a first lesson from their poppa. Gloves are used to secure the fish and voila....the fish live!

We went to the birthday bash for my sweetie's best friend's 60th. I did take photos, but they shouldn't be published! So much fun was had. Years ago, about 15 I think, this guy and my sweetie were going to someone's 50th birthday. They saw and Elvis head with lights all over the collar part of the bust and thought Peter would just LOVE this! As much as the girls protested, the boys were more adament. They wrapped it up and gave it to him with the instructions that it must be displayed for a year in a promonent place, therein Peter would never have to have it in his possession, but that the head should be passed on to someone with the same promise made.

Well my sweetie got the head back for his 50th and he made a prominent shelf in our garage so that Elvis could be seen from the street. With a Corvette in the garage, and Elvis head on the shelf displayed prominently for the year, the thing went it's way to the next person.

Well, last night Elvis came back to haunt Rod twofold. He got TWO of them. The original and one with the black hair and eyes etc. Everyone just howled. His wife was horrified (lol) that now she would have to look at the thing for the next year. It was very funny to see the cheering from his friends who have had to endure Elvis.

It was a fun night needless to say and seeing friends from years ago who congregated together for this party was wonderful!

COTTAGE PHOTOS AS PROMISED

Who knew when I took this photo on Sunday morning what was to follow. I was actually trying to get a shot of the little hummer who sits on the railing and fights anyone coming to "his" feeder.

It was cold but so bright that I took a few photos of the lake and our views from the deck. Then about 5 minutes later, I looked to the west and saw what was to be the storm of the spring.

Just a note to say how hard it is to put photos where one wants them when posting...ssishh

Anyway the next photo is of the storm that came so fast that it was like second photo just a few minutes after taking the first one.

Was I lying about weather? See the flower pot is still outside and my sweetie rushed to bring them in because of the storm and it was so cold

We had our neighbours up for a week with their

dog Quincey and here is a photo of both the

puppies getting ready to go for a boat ride.

We have had "boat coats" for our dogs for years as it is such a safe way to transport them to and from the cottage. The handle on the top of the coat allows one to grab and position the dog when travelling by boat. It also helps to lift them into the boat.

Whenever our dog sees his coat he knows that life is about to get interesting. He knows he will be going for a ride and be able to feel the wind in his face..

Remember when I said I had spent a fortune of my hanging baskets for the cottage? Well here is one them. You can see why it was expensive!

There are two of these and two others that are orange daisies and purple verbena.

Leaving the cottage for a few days is a chore as all the plants must be brought to a central spot, and the sprinkler positioned so that when the timer (which is connected at the taps) is set, the flowers will be watered a couple of times a day . Isn't that clever? We bought this little device at the hardware store the second year we were at the cottage. Now, I have no idea, I mean it, no idea how it works as my sweetie sets it up and reminds me when I remove said item from its storage spot...."don't touch the dials" and he does the work of setting it up. I hope nothing ever happens to my guy as I have no idea how this contraption works so I would be unable to have flowers such as this.

This last photo, (shiiiish) was taken while riding up to the deck. I think this gives you an idea of the lift that I have been talking about for so long.

You can see the gate at the top and it has plexiglass inserts to keep one safe from falling when on the deck.

Oh it is so good to be home for a few days. I have seen my mother, who was in great spirits and although the nursing home had been under quarantine for a bug that had affected a number of the residents, I was allowed to see her. She said that she had been hit with the flu bug, been confined to bed and been served her meals in her room. She loves that part of living there. She says it's like having room service.

So that was good! Today, I am having my hair cut, having lunch with a girlfriend, doing a bit of shopping and will try to get into the quilting mode again.. I do think the weather has a lot to do with it and also because I am using up my grandmother's stash, the colours aren't me. It's hard to get excited about what I am doing. But really dear dear friends, I think you sustain me and since I haven't been able to read your blogs....I must be in a bit of a funk. So when I go back to the dial up....I think if I do it all manually, you know enter your blogs into google, then I can read your blogs.

I am getting my coffee, and am reading the blogs after this. Ahh, am so looking forward to that!

THE RETURN OF WINTER!

OMG. You just wouldn't believe the weather we had here yesterday! I was feeling like Nanoook of the North! Or a postman....We had rain, snow, sleet, hail, sunshine all in one day. It started out as a bit of rain which we could see about a half mile away on the other island and then I looked to the west and it was like a blanket was coming to cover us.

The rain was sideways it seemed and then in the span of about 2 minutes, we got hail, then we got the SNOW. I mean huge snowflakes that were so heavy we could hardly see our dock about 50 ft away! Unbelievable to say the least.

Now in the middle of all this....remember the flowers I bought last week? Well there was a fortune in those hanging baskets and my sweetie went out in the storm and brought them into the sunroom which was only about 45 degrees....did I mention that it was bloody winter? We put the heater on out there just so they would survive the day!

Of course the hummers were feeding in a frenzie and I looked out and there was this little guy, covered in huge snowflakes! They just kept feeding, I took photos of the storm, but just couldn't get the birds.

I kept feeding the woodstove all day, just to keep warm! It was a wild day and the guests at the cottage next door, who by the way were young, in love etc...arrived on Friday afternoon, and the guy...did I mention young?....jumped into the lake. He was moving so fast getting out that my sweetie who witnessed the whole thing said he was out faster than he was in...Water temp is about 42 degrees....well anyway they left early Sunday morning between storms. I assume they made it safely to the marina as we didn't hear from anyone....lol. After the weather we had during the past week, of course the water was cold! DAH!

My sweetie decided when the sun came out to go and work on the little deck he is building for the lift so that we can just walk up to it and not climb into it with our stuff. I looked down at the dock and then to the west I could see another storm. He said it was hard working in a snow storm, but was afraid to leave his tools in case they got blown away! He usually works with only one sweater on, while I have sweater and jacket doing outdoor stuff, but yesterday he wore two sweaters and said even then it was cold. Well, yeah, with the chill factor, we were below freezing!

I am so sick of the cold damp weather. I am not alone I know as many people have been experiencing the same, but we are ready for spring and summer days people.. Let's get the feeling going and enjoy the warm rays of the sun.

My friend who quilts and has a cottage a few cottages away is working on a quilt for her granddaughter. This is her last, she says, hand quilt. It's so beautiful and I shall take a photo the next time she brings it up. After that, she is going to make fun quilts and will learn to do free motion quilting.

Well, with 21kbg on the dial up, I am still unable to read the blogs. I am so looking forward to seeing what you have been doing! I see the sidebar notes and can't wait till Thursday when we get home to go online and see them.

Till then, think of me in the cold north of Ontario.