tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86336218145407407712024-02-20T08:39:04.626-05:00Angie in T.O.A small town girl from Nova Scotia, now living in the big city of Toronto.Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.comBlogger546125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-7329966204873862332023-09-29T20:32:00.000-04:002023-09-29T20:32:20.709-04:00AND NOW ON TO 54!<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkZB7QWokFKOWFp_xvQupc2NXoy9lGVdu5FelVRsLbMxIckGc55AnW3Bc1j0I-D_P9yfkM8LTc7S2GYyPaQBRqrRzosPx0kksJNiT2scNfQSW2hoGlpqqOm-G-307Fd174hyphenhyphenCRORkeuKDa4WU3SZATqobxGqs8rtn-SlzCpTjQyKwkDqIWRGJAWl_nY-J/s2048/Birthday.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkZB7QWokFKOWFp_xvQupc2NXoy9lGVdu5FelVRsLbMxIckGc55AnW3Bc1j0I-D_P9yfkM8LTc7S2GYyPaQBRqrRzosPx0kksJNiT2scNfQSW2hoGlpqqOm-G-307Fd174hyphenhyphenCRORkeuKDa4WU3SZATqobxGqs8rtn-SlzCpTjQyKwkDqIWRGJAWl_nY-J/w400-h400/Birthday.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wonder what 54 has in store?</b></td></tr></tbody></table>My 54th birthday was 15 days after surgery. As I was told that recovery would take about 6-7 weeks, my cousin and I decided to post-pone our duo birthday celebration until I was feeling much better. Her birthday is 3 days before mine and we have been celebrating together for over a decade now. We did get together for a brunch to acknowledge her birthday and get me out of the house for the first time since coming home from the hospital. <div><br /></div><div>Three days later it was my birthday, and I did want to do something. I was feeling a little more confident about getting out of the house for a short period of time after doing brunch, so I invited a couple friends to join Rob and I at one of our favorite restaurants, <a href="https://www.azariasrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Azarias</a> for dinner <p>It was good to see some friends and enjoy a delicious meal together. After dinner they came back to the house for birthday cake. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu48gYFibXabLcTkbBzY82-nySfUlKAbLrMvCtQHlLLvLSxRXuj5Tq5016mAOjQYXfxFc6NrRmt8W6nE06BN3Kd6MhcXs5Id7iIt_7BKy26uIni_DeZJYZA6DTJRdIQL-LeQGcnqyvayeLurp0e7holmCzKTzYbMFUVL0WlO09SD27nSaN2Yftj3Xtg6P/s2048/Birthday1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipu48gYFibXabLcTkbBzY82-nySfUlKAbLrMvCtQHlLLvLSxRXuj5Tq5016mAOjQYXfxFc6NrRmt8W6nE06BN3Kd6MhcXs5Id7iIt_7BKy26uIni_DeZJYZA6DTJRdIQL-LeQGcnqyvayeLurp0e7holmCzKTzYbMFUVL0WlO09SD27nSaN2Yftj3Xtg6P/w400-h400/Birthday1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My birthday feast!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGWJ0qU_hsKpmFd5JIYj4WSPkilQO3LFdwDCsI-QA8AP-k6DBKQ3k1ccVyD3FgcwizHPfLGwhuiuPo3SAfGNVGaAai_YixauWSrfFFBl53vX_DgcWjLNgtjmnM50SJH1zwSvUF3vZ6Y9N3yBvYJE03SSfJFlydmjaJhTt3H-Qj6uA2hMS9RIx1ggwnYsM/s2048/Birthday2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGWJ0qU_hsKpmFd5JIYj4WSPkilQO3LFdwDCsI-QA8AP-k6DBKQ3k1ccVyD3FgcwizHPfLGwhuiuPo3SAfGNVGaAai_YixauWSrfFFBl53vX_DgcWjLNgtjmnM50SJH1zwSvUF3vZ6Y9N3yBvYJE03SSfJFlydmjaJhTt3H-Qj6uA2hMS9RIx1ggwnYsM/w400-h400/Birthday2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Making a wish!</b></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Beautiful roses from a friend. And I had to take a picture of Meadow's favorite bush, as it always blooms around my birthday.<div><br /></div><div>It was a quiet, enjoyable and very special birthday. At this time I still didn't know what the mass was, and it was nice to really put that out of my mind for a little while. </div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-60088351533420610422023-09-08T20:11:00.007-04:002023-09-08T20:14:17.919-04:00MY LITTLE ALIEN FRIEND - PART TWO<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQe-T2JgtKd7FgV4a4z-NG3YEAZoMla1lp0NDIwaP5oY7nbN9w_9R6qoCWqJ51uCHPBNKz8GHqwHMYt5nDuArr4zvby33ghwBNXLhICaW-olzM0apWoI-QecDh1IXFEbp43V6p5yJBGLq3p7qbTu7Y3FUztDBqKa_GcCm2fKIiECs5t3dfF_9Bpib9KX5y/s2048/Note.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQe-T2JgtKd7FgV4a4z-NG3YEAZoMla1lp0NDIwaP5oY7nbN9w_9R6qoCWqJ51uCHPBNKz8GHqwHMYt5nDuArr4zvby33ghwBNXLhICaW-olzM0apWoI-QecDh1IXFEbp43V6p5yJBGLq3p7qbTu7Y3FUztDBqKa_GcCm2fKIiECs5t3dfF_9Bpib9KX5y/w400-h400/Note.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A note from the boys next door.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>After 3 days and 2 nights at the hospital and passing the tests I needed to in order to go home, I was discharged from the hospital on May 27th. I was so happy to be home. I didn't see my surgeon again for almost three weeks, and during that time I really wasn't allowed to do anything, and I mean anything. I wasn't allowed to raise my arms, even washing was a struggle. I watched a lot of TV and slept. I couldn't sleep lying down, so I'd sleep for a couple hours, be awake a couple hours. I think it was a month before I could sleep lying down, and even longer until I could finally sleep on my sides. I even tried to roll over onto my right side a few times while I was under anesthesia, as that's the side I usually sleep on. <p></p><p>I got discharged on a Saturday, and it wasn't long until friends and family started making things easier for both Rob and I with food drop offs. The weekend went ok, Rob had to help me a lot with simple daily things but we found our temporary routine pretty quickly. </p><p>When Rob went back to work on Monday I had "Angie Sitters" for the first week while Rob was at work, as I really couldn't be alone. Recovery was very slow but steady. I made sure to get up every hour for a little walk and when I felt a little stronger I started walking in the yard. I saw my family doctor after ten days to get my stitches out. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGdeuFw_GSFxgYNS0DbSgg__plLRJDh-qArqpZPkAdEtzNYatcHiM4IQ2bbzY_xXQlm77wP-IovcBt8r7QWGnHfeFUZRmWplI8NGKXvNfigpr9WYxIh_eTgoacIzquS9yY2gsFIzexZNg7661Y5pTBmPqvokhmCtH4jWMSA9QAilWJcLBdlYItTr_RtnE/s2048/Flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGdeuFw_GSFxgYNS0DbSgg__plLRJDh-qArqpZPkAdEtzNYatcHiM4IQ2bbzY_xXQlm77wP-IovcBt8r7QWGnHfeFUZRmWplI8NGKXvNfigpr9WYxIh_eTgoacIzquS9yY2gsFIzexZNg7661Y5pTBmPqvokhmCtH4jWMSA9QAilWJcLBdlYItTr_RtnE/w400-h400/Flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Flowers from the boys next door who were my first visitors.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_42bfhirUcAVqCs-ab9Udp72sX5KwrKzFqjNk2crxzGMvB_9aU8HTjNxm5nV6lD7HecxF_itbZbYIr0Tghql-rfyAbeiTWosibu0_ZeKd6g0gJqzzeSZFqhgYS555rNcM_H9YeFdiqaslSIslHK5yi_AVEeyAjgorBTtyX5TU13MpOv1RQ9x4JvbYNjz/s2048/Lunges.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1462" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_42bfhirUcAVqCs-ab9Udp72sX5KwrKzFqjNk2crxzGMvB_9aU8HTjNxm5nV6lD7HecxF_itbZbYIr0Tghql-rfyAbeiTWosibu0_ZeKd6g0gJqzzeSZFqhgYS555rNcM_H9YeFdiqaslSIslHK5yi_AVEeyAjgorBTtyX5TU13MpOv1RQ9x4JvbYNjz/w285-h400/Lunges.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Did this every hour I was awake for weeks, so happy when I could finally get all 3 balls in the air!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAtfWdhPemNhKDia6Sr2V0O-Hp0aB8nZGFuTs1et-bk5k241iGWZlzyP5BeV7BwTpy1M5_uqm-qTibi4iMZUuEq-zvZnDapIeuJ03UlbyYX2ztPVO2CsfIaPRShEfqVBCsMip0gP2unkw7z2mBHU2IiYgeXMDlqTHj0rPH3wBMcMAOpztPIXOFfAfWUsl/s2048/Potpie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAtfWdhPemNhKDia6Sr2V0O-Hp0aB8nZGFuTs1et-bk5k241iGWZlzyP5BeV7BwTpy1M5_uqm-qTibi4iMZUuEq-zvZnDapIeuJ03UlbyYX2ztPVO2CsfIaPRShEfqVBCsMip0gP2unkw7z2mBHU2IiYgeXMDlqTHj0rPH3wBMcMAOpztPIXOFfAfWUsl/w400-h400/Potpie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Homemade chicken pot pie from a neighbor.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YoLcxy5TrJlkW_lmQIOaY8So1cJFSv-dEmNnw8hYGJo-f847h-OMNQ0_I1VFTDQx4NgYHx30zCQhm_d-pL2hz0cF57jzZaTwIAxfJZ0iaNbhmsd9zbU9TNbSU0wkHgppExU7PwgG0iEYvFDnN7kUhNA5lN_w7-iJVyRP76eBJ1mxut705yjsVjDfDcl4/s2048/Juice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YoLcxy5TrJlkW_lmQIOaY8So1cJFSv-dEmNnw8hYGJo-f847h-OMNQ0_I1VFTDQx4NgYHx30zCQhm_d-pL2hz0cF57jzZaTwIAxfJZ0iaNbhmsd9zbU9TNbSU0wkHgppExU7PwgG0iEYvFDnN7kUhNA5lN_w7-iJVyRP76eBJ1mxut705yjsVjDfDcl4/w400-h400/Juice.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bouquet of juice from work. </b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>My co-worker and friend, Steve, was in charge of getting the work card signed and sending flowers. Well, he wanted to purchase something to assist in my recovery so he showed up with all this juice. I did start my day every day with a glass of it. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVZ4uOzTgoCLYNPEpOAmNi6xXngcZ6i36SwYvvovGlZwLRd1k0A9YDyRpgPr0-1euQcWz2vtVUYf0a8Ig_n89ngaNGKt-Q8R524jlUJEf4tGe2xznm7wAkjpQ7bNHJf2p9PJyhjvVcL5Oii8ZqcztpWOhcoLNSvEVi6VU-uVKyeYeHH4nuDB8C7Hfe41/s2048/Sleepy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1628" data-original-width="2048" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVZ4uOzTgoCLYNPEpOAmNi6xXngcZ6i36SwYvvovGlZwLRd1k0A9YDyRpgPr0-1euQcWz2vtVUYf0a8Ig_n89ngaNGKt-Q8R524jlUJEf4tGe2xznm7wAkjpQ7bNHJf2p9PJyhjvVcL5Oii8ZqcztpWOhcoLNSvEVi6VU-uVKyeYeHH4nuDB8C7Hfe41/w400-h318/Sleepy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Nurse Molly on duty.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Molly had a hard time after I got home. She couldn't understand why she couldn't crawl all over me. I tell people I looked liked I was in a 70's slasher film. I had many incisions and bruising all over my chest area and was so tender and bandaged up. I was allowed to remove some of the bandages after a week, but had to wait for others. The iodine was a bitch to get off, and took weeks to get it all removed. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZPEKrQ4K3P5UHTgdzE7L8udE5TBKGRnEkD9EtultFIfBl5kW2-XzFY-JBdM6WmG31lLURpyry1-ZaEtLTXkzzHrTbYTMldMWEddP3FjQ0aNYxy8Pafzgch_C_31hUabcqLnOmeXPUCdw9MvIba0v3h-Vyt_o9k5PJT0AxnKgcPm1A9bRznJi7-LWasTR/s2048/Molly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZPEKrQ4K3P5UHTgdzE7L8udE5TBKGRnEkD9EtultFIfBl5kW2-XzFY-JBdM6WmG31lLURpyry1-ZaEtLTXkzzHrTbYTMldMWEddP3FjQ0aNYxy8Pafzgch_C_31hUabcqLnOmeXPUCdw9MvIba0v3h-Vyt_o9k5PJT0AxnKgcPm1A9bRznJi7-LWasTR/w400-h400/Molly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>She was so happy when she could finally get in my lap.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03GYIfA57YewGpm7MqRP7fpxrCJjFOBNOUe4ojXvVa_tvnM6Pn9QBG-xPxUOIerEh2urSG3g5BHESFCKTLRecQvYn-MzDnNRFfUaq-CGUWmbG_EVSJwwRn1UKcoMEC86CYNh_apJnKMVCBWmL7_Z5_NLxAxjZAWuTuCmKU9KpR8OXHvR9yf20U_T8Pk4S/s2048/Yard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi03GYIfA57YewGpm7MqRP7fpxrCJjFOBNOUe4ojXvVa_tvnM6Pn9QBG-xPxUOIerEh2urSG3g5BHESFCKTLRecQvYn-MzDnNRFfUaq-CGUWmbG_EVSJwwRn1UKcoMEC86CYNh_apJnKMVCBWmL7_Z5_NLxAxjZAWuTuCmKU9KpR8OXHvR9yf20U_T8Pk4S/w400-h400/Yard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our backyard helped with recovery.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I am so grateful that my surgery was in May. Having the backyard to sit in, and walk in, was really helpful in my recovery and with the backyard birds and critters to watch, it was good for my mental health too.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0REfnDFweAubLbDr2ui_3ydvwNzIxk6rG3-Emsi7vGvS8OSRP1dnU1tawwOL3hYapCtwa8M05bpjJ2oHf0hget58QJT5c5YzUL32NMTYJHZ1lhkpdI2nP76VS1JXOO2A0HtqFNDd3xin5G53bSYWteGeXv-780t6xaq1qEE4zRDWIvehDVqVI3CjJ1RUh/s1440/Boop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0REfnDFweAubLbDr2ui_3ydvwNzIxk6rG3-Emsi7vGvS8OSRP1dnU1tawwOL3hYapCtwa8M05bpjJ2oHf0hget58QJT5c5YzUL32NMTYJHZ1lhkpdI2nP76VS1JXOO2A0HtqFNDd3xin5G53bSYWteGeXv-780t6xaq1qEE4zRDWIvehDVqVI3CjJ1RUh/w400-h400/Boop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Boop was morning coffee company most days.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRo8HriDYLk9SSapYquZh1jDkPV01YeCm3u1pXHg_OltYyz62llwoif962IebmNOSWgeAa4NT8Hl2AU5TGBf4Onsq1Yz7QLcNuE7AKW5U8G5dySvLuTQvPR7o5GXpet9zsl43KlGIFeSMOwsVlP-ILp9-FSgstvmPS2Sw-i4VaB2W7MFeNgbf1p3LrRaW/s526/yardrest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRo8HriDYLk9SSapYquZh1jDkPV01YeCm3u1pXHg_OltYyz62llwoif962IebmNOSWgeAa4NT8Hl2AU5TGBf4Onsq1Yz7QLcNuE7AKW5U8G5dySvLuTQvPR7o5GXpet9zsl43KlGIFeSMOwsVlP-ILp9-FSgstvmPS2Sw-i4VaB2W7MFeNgbf1p3LrRaW/w400-h400/yardrest.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rob taking a well deserved break from taking care of me.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I had my first follow-up with the surgeon on June 13th and let go of a breath I didn't even know I was holding. The mass wasn't cancer. It was a mass of glands that should of disappeared as I aged, but instead mine kept growing. It was giving me chest pains that I thought was heart burn, and in time would of caused double vision. What a relief. I still had weeks of recovery ahead of me because of how invasive the surgery was, but this was the best news.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAACGUylaLhPCfFNFrFALRXtHnYPZYXpNiQnskB0_pJR-D1qhxG3LCl5FXtn1Ye5_nYaEhb60-vaAHDDcgBvfbs9E0Yk7i4M61qkR7l-4J0ivhsU5gq5I6srn8paDJvihM3stGAekvMTWUHLiUqiWRYiA1Ts9K4PZHiNaGkXIw7tW_DBgRPiU3sVSoeXDs/s631/Cookies.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="631" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAACGUylaLhPCfFNFrFALRXtHnYPZYXpNiQnskB0_pJR-D1qhxG3LCl5FXtn1Ye5_nYaEhb60-vaAHDDcgBvfbs9E0Yk7i4M61qkR7l-4J0ivhsU5gq5I6srn8paDJvihM3stGAekvMTWUHLiUqiWRYiA1Ts9K4PZHiNaGkXIw7tW_DBgRPiU3sVSoeXDs/w400-h199/Cookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cookies I ordered as thank you gifts. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's been over three months since my surgery, and I've been back to work since July 17th, but recovery continues in the chest area. Those drainage holes seem to take forever to heal.<div><br /><div>Again, a huge thank you to everyone for all the help, the "Angie Sitters", the texts, the phone calls, the comments on my daily Facebook posts, the meals. Everything helped in my recovery and Rob and I appreciated it. </div><div><br /></div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-56704218232784957462023-08-30T19:42:00.002-04:002023-08-30T20:45:01.505-04:00MY LITTLE ALIEN FRIEND - PART ONE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPzRKorvOsV19ou5VxOx4dlJJIpRkjVk23OJOaVmyPDAVkaTOKtnAHSKpXsJvO_Qyb6e9BNNytI5H51aCTM3S2vMulni6NzRckMdISRw5GMpBjInFtpGmAyJ-OFavGZzYQjvY5Eooyxh50XiIFBWjGsdtUMoOyhESFBog_Q6-qUt-1B_-JlmfH6XwWcjL/s420/surgery.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="420" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPzRKorvOsV19ou5VxOx4dlJJIpRkjVk23OJOaVmyPDAVkaTOKtnAHSKpXsJvO_Qyb6e9BNNytI5H51aCTM3S2vMulni6NzRckMdISRw5GMpBjInFtpGmAyJ-OFavGZzYQjvY5Eooyxh50XiIFBWjGsdtUMoOyhESFBog_Q6-qUt-1B_-JlmfH6XwWcjL/w400-h280/surgery.png" width="400" /></a></div>I'm going to try to condense a rather long story. Due to family history of Crohn's disease and Celiac, I have to go for regular colonoscopies. I was referred to a new Gastroenterologist late last year. Before my colonoscopy he sent me for blood-work, X-rays and a CT scan. When I had my follow-up with him he mentioned an abnormality that showed up on my CT scan. He really down played it, but wanted to send me to another specialist that dealt with that part of the body to have it checked out. I didn't think much about it while I waited for my appointment.<p></p><p>The other specialist didn't down play anything. He walked into the room with a copy of my scan and pointed to the "mass" that was behind my breast bone and in front of my heart. The big C word was mentioned, but they weren't sure what it was. It couldn't be tested due to it's location. I was sent for a rushed MRI. I had the MRI May 12th, five days later the specialist called me at home that evening and told me the MRI was inconclusive. I needed to have it removed, as they didn't know what it was and if it grew they may not be able to operate due to it's location. I was scheduled for surgery the following week.</p><p>After that phone call I had a panic attack. Rob's Mom came over and stayed with me until Rob arrived. He left work early when he found out what was going on. I took the next day off work due to lack of sleep. I called people who needed to know and started getting organized. I worked the Friday, May 19th, and due to the long weekend and pre-op appointments that was my last day of work for two months.</p><p>After the shock wore off and I got a good nights sleep we started referring to the mass as "My little alien friend". The weekend before surgery was a long one, and we made it a good one, doing all my favorite things. We went for brunch at my favorite brunch place. We went birding and had a picnic with my cousin and her husband. We went out for a delicious dinner and I enjoyed a feed of oysters. Rob took me to visit a bakery I had seen on the Food network's "Project Bakeover". It was a very fun-filled and food-filled weekend.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ507U0gpWAPHsQUtDRKQ4d5YUmGCAKAn0rEVVVttzTo-_XkkyDFhbjsqrARvu8OkG1TR4CWFT7KYfblQa-_bOeitouA83SS6RKJLqi2Qxp43O4LR-65q3DvIMqxXTJD9ugq9fwAZq_HjGuE8qEBtCs8rjcO9eunL7Sz1CYhrPAnHxj-9OdAEjuiuNLX2/s2048/Toast.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZ507U0gpWAPHsQUtDRKQ4d5YUmGCAKAn0rEVVVttzTo-_XkkyDFhbjsqrARvu8OkG1TR4CWFT7KYfblQa-_bOeitouA83SS6RKJLqi2Qxp43O4LR-65q3DvIMqxXTJD9ugq9fwAZq_HjGuE8qEBtCs8rjcO9eunL7Sz1CYhrPAnHxj-9OdAEjuiuNLX2/w400-h400/Toast.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My favorite brunch meal at Toast on Bloor.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpj1K2AWh_aXryfSEKqS5CP4Y0P2XLjYbu813c6LXby5E6lXAmijF9pySqKcIa16Afe5WD62qYRxRZlu3kxqfdBR2uCtOJ_I_bL7DTzqkas0zTDJZigzSu2hzx8lsS-w8_ysP7UH8S8c-6_z3sBACIJec56edmW37UlFG1Ttdz5lWKeQH_3QgJYIAc_gU/s2048/Birds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpj1K2AWh_aXryfSEKqS5CP4Y0P2XLjYbu813c6LXby5E6lXAmijF9pySqKcIa16Afe5WD62qYRxRZlu3kxqfdBR2uCtOJ_I_bL7DTzqkas0zTDJZigzSu2hzx8lsS-w8_ysP7UH8S8c-6_z3sBACIJec56edmW37UlFG1Ttdz5lWKeQH_3QgJYIAc_gU/w400-h400/Birds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Some birds seen on our walk, Bay-breasted Warbler, Indigo Bunting and a Canada Warbler.</b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHEp1C6Kro9bbQ0zp9cIn9ltij5RvMpCDwt1cmZ2-f0VbovouUed5PaYu9IePCGccdRQe7ctiWqL2uNmQzwDkUPY5_mZXaXR5fs42Lpsd83LJoLVV81rt2rQQ0-AWxuQr5zd7T7L29IEDbrCEKLOiz38quTJtED3mMXmHiW-qJMMlzZ2H5ZiTrQeeqm3G/s2048/Picnic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHEp1C6Kro9bbQ0zp9cIn9ltij5RvMpCDwt1cmZ2-f0VbovouUed5PaYu9IePCGccdRQe7ctiWqL2uNmQzwDkUPY5_mZXaXR5fs42Lpsd83LJoLVV81rt2rQQ0-AWxuQr5zd7T7L29IEDbrCEKLOiz38quTJtED3mMXmHiW-qJMMlzZ2H5ZiTrQeeqm3G/w400-h400/Picnic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yummy picnic food after a morning of birding.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibctIZWFKpBHnPog3WQs2qCrYgLJenbimmkAglbgkY_nTeyXstYD3tz5cFuXZsJj6uQqQPV0NCP27ngMc4oJnCieSMU8r-wc3aFt70xP8ecS2O1R-74PAIPCp40OexdQlDEDgSvckcWLFh6NlbnjyjsbrsgWjKmfXuqFAFQN-MWwQK7QWg9V76jA-3HdEU/s1080/us.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibctIZWFKpBHnPog3WQs2qCrYgLJenbimmkAglbgkY_nTeyXstYD3tz5cFuXZsJj6uQqQPV0NCP27ngMc4oJnCieSMU8r-wc3aFt70xP8ecS2O1R-74PAIPCp40OexdQlDEDgSvckcWLFh6NlbnjyjsbrsgWjKmfXuqFAFQN-MWwQK7QWg9V76jA-3HdEU/w400-h400/us.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Enjoying a drink at Azaria's.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I love oysters, and had 12 to start and another 6 for dessert!<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWmbFhCSnmydFAUO1wHZ3KnllZ_I1NNuTQB0xWk2ex123SroNQj0LQndnrKF2V0pvDT9DSIcENyGkmrrNHq7WLRw4oYVrMKDo-dDGljh2QPT24DBmm8T11LV4dGA9rcdjxyU2CF6L2n0WxkxL2TfH7X7o8Yzmo1_YkjG3KaI5KMqACsuDE8z5u4b36fYJ/s1440/Azarias.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWmbFhCSnmydFAUO1wHZ3KnllZ_I1NNuTQB0xWk2ex123SroNQj0LQndnrKF2V0pvDT9DSIcENyGkmrrNHq7WLRw4oYVrMKDo-dDGljh2QPT24DBmm8T11LV4dGA9rcdjxyU2CF6L2n0WxkxL2TfH7X7o8Yzmo1_YkjG3KaI5KMqACsuDE8z5u4b36fYJ/w400-h400/Azarias.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Feasting at Azaria's!</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_TsJujiBSESv3FqW2fjdG2VzwpfL3SIqRBnM5YtD_CjbiFm1ch9XIRddMrdb3zGWBR2tmlsQ6_wU5OHtNLIGXP5pa6VVH5CYzaY83sAFgwQMQYxl1lMoz-uXa8ZWNcwdlpK8ABy9xxPS8DzRQfVP0L4Qe88P4H_mhyTno2FBbWwCxJI33wx9PBC5gckw/s2048/Bakery.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2024" data-original-width="2048" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_TsJujiBSESv3FqW2fjdG2VzwpfL3SIqRBnM5YtD_CjbiFm1ch9XIRddMrdb3zGWBR2tmlsQ6_wU5OHtNLIGXP5pa6VVH5CYzaY83sAFgwQMQYxl1lMoz-uXa8ZWNcwdlpK8ABy9xxPS8DzRQfVP0L4Qe88P4H_mhyTno2FBbWwCxJI33wx9PBC5gckw/w400-h395/Bakery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Was trilled to meet the owner/baker at Mecairo's Bakery</b></td></tr></tbody></table>And just like that, it was surgery day. I was due at the hospital at 7am on Thursday, May 25 and a couple hours later in was time. I was in surgery for 7.5 hours. When I woke up briefly in recovery, I remember thinking, "good, I woke up", and I asked if they had to break my breast bone, as that was a risk, they didn't. I remember them telling me my family was waiting for me in my room. Rob and his Mom had been waiting a while, and I'm grateful Rob's Mom was with him, it was a long day for them.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharBytO6Dw2rxD4sHVxHuXcDuAkveS4-CFTZHtvjlnc2i2CudsvAqQXKqgRoKV1rq8ybO6FNSO7lLHcsh64eR0UvKKjBih9798wGwVQzSpX5n_ZSTS4od0s0pRu33z7ryQE79MQPuGuJdNfqbKucLx-edGJKnGSX6D2RNkaAvi2CtRCIHihWJCz8_ScfbN/s2048/Charms.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharBytO6Dw2rxD4sHVxHuXcDuAkveS4-CFTZHtvjlnc2i2CudsvAqQXKqgRoKV1rq8ybO6FNSO7lLHcsh64eR0UvKKjBih9798wGwVQzSpX5n_ZSTS4od0s0pRu33z7ryQE79MQPuGuJdNfqbKucLx-edGJKnGSX6D2RNkaAvi2CtRCIHihWJCz8_ScfbN/w400-h400/Charms.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Good luck charms I took to the hospital.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdSDlhW42coKgpWz-KqN8JeT2t1ZlpgJ-4KpewOmsUUYY8q4uke7LCwblP5NR2NKarjIhRThhvtag2Vh65BuFluuF8_4NS693Cc55qchB6P-pv-Kb0eWGnhFjjtl-zq5WdxoTJCoRnbgLf-b0HSos2YOp8aGIUg-CAzPSO1cUk5ZJVwxbPMsxdj8SrJGM/s526/Surgery.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdSDlhW42coKgpWz-KqN8JeT2t1ZlpgJ-4KpewOmsUUYY8q4uke7LCwblP5NR2NKarjIhRThhvtag2Vh65BuFluuF8_4NS693Cc55qchB6P-pv-Kb0eWGnhFjjtl-zq5WdxoTJCoRnbgLf-b0HSos2YOp8aGIUg-CAzPSO1cUk5ZJVwxbPMsxdj8SrJGM/w400-h400/Surgery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Top - Out of surgery, Bottom - The next day. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The first night was pretty rough, I was sick to my stomach, hot, weak, and needed a lot of help going to the washroom due to the two drainage tubes and boxes I had coming out of either side of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rob and his Mom were back the next day and I was feeling better and was doing what I needed to do to ensure I was able to get discharged the next day. I had so many people taking care of me at the hospital. I made sure to ask everyone their names and thanked every one, every time. The surgeon came to see me 3 times on the Friday to check the many incisions, as she wouldn't be there on Saturday. I was told there were challenges during the surgery, but they got it all and it was sent off for a biopsy. Her assistant was there Saturday, and many others were checking on me, often, including a cardiologist. After spending 2 nights and 3 days at the hospital I was able to go home to continue my recovery and wait for the results.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be continued..... </div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-43458346440366860262023-08-28T19:37:00.000-04:002023-08-28T19:37:46.069-04:00MAY VACATION<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbOrFNSeXZC7LTBqpdQE0bsFxj8hQLcN2nHdY8abGGqFfBqrgYIZVs1G1hcnx0HsCrurSNXhpVqZWO6z_kkYBqMAHQsGs7p4cM9qqcs4GJor-LVyCPf3EGUD55kPkkDMU-urASzAQuLRUXcnEZcV3NJYfavl9aP7TnmEWRhPovIwGPT7rAW7CT93-MF2b/s414/sign.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="311" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbOrFNSeXZC7LTBqpdQE0bsFxj8hQLcN2nHdY8abGGqFfBqrgYIZVs1G1hcnx0HsCrurSNXhpVqZWO6z_kkYBqMAHQsGs7p4cM9qqcs4GJor-LVyCPf3EGUD55kPkkDMU-urASzAQuLRUXcnEZcV3NJYfavl9aP7TnmEWRhPovIwGPT7rAW7CT93-MF2b/w300-h400/sign.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sign at Long Point Bird Observatory. </b></td></tr></tbody></table>Our May vacation, as per usual, was all about getting out and seeing as many migratory bird species as we could. We visited parks close to home and also spent a couple nights in the Port Rowan area. <div><br /></div><div><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija82jtNBqf29CyqFWDPEVBdZW4wgUeW0V3ELNHAZPZfKcDyOYh78-s_tg7_IvxjS5dYJoHVUZ0FLEOl4q0xQxsjdenAfZe1gr3NyW_o1jRsWi9md3JcMogm298yN8IYbV_HPYQX7xwTzS88Zqs7XNBUkVxL-sgd5YkX8IcURv3bQF13B2ezgb2VewAY6V/s2048/Dory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1338" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEija82jtNBqf29CyqFWDPEVBdZW4wgUeW0V3ELNHAZPZfKcDyOYh78-s_tg7_IvxjS5dYJoHVUZ0FLEOl4q0xQxsjdenAfZe1gr3NyW_o1jRsWi9md3JcMogm298yN8IYbV_HPYQX7xwTzS88Zqs7XNBUkVxL-sgd5YkX8IcURv3bQF13B2ezgb2VewAY6V/w261-h400/Dory.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Road trip!</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I named our car Dory after Rob sent me a picture of her all those years ago. Then after work that day I went out and bought a stuffed Dory for her. What? doesn't every one name their car?! </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZxLi6P2enQch20ecLssexHPmfw0T_4g5JTHYsJYjyOd_j7SYmkpRVA72bN2JqjBxOlo-RYZtqMhGf-B1PaeXOXQqcOZm4_yciAc6tlVciFfMidZnAnVUUirMcNeuYQkq6sexCma2WfueBxY2X3PCOu5HYJlLITvAxcqS45i0072MytmI_JGSh7oEj3yy/s4148/pro-north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZxLi6P2enQch20ecLssexHPmfw0T_4g5JTHYsJYjyOd_j7SYmkpRVA72bN2JqjBxOlo-RYZtqMhGf-B1PaeXOXQqcOZm4_yciAc6tlVciFfMidZnAnVUUirMcNeuYQkq6sexCma2WfueBxY2X3PCOu5HYJlLITvAxcqS45i0072MytmI_JGSh7oEj3yy/w400-h266/pro-north.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Prothonotary Warbler.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We finally saw a Pronthonotary Warbler this trip to the Port Rowan area after not seeing one the last two years. We had better looks than photo ops and that was fine by us.</div><div><br /></div><div>For lunch I was super excited to visit my favorite restaurant in the area, The Country Fork, but it was closed for a private event. Blessing in disguise, we went to the new to us restaurant <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChefStans87/" target="_blank">Chef Stan's Saloon</a> and it was awesome! Great atmosphere and delicious food! We went back for lunch the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHPF9yr42t8HIbO8ZIE9TNhsyqMurd8xb5eWqDXpUlOm-Cy6JlMwsMwENceSuanRvoHfEC1n-gjfVdgzsnlVZCjvFokeWdRaNv8mdhLwEMdIht-eu8ayda_g0jyjt8cTG5P1FB1Rs_mAWmvvmZ9Duybypviai0PsPYiP-W-IJUa1Bf9Z6UXGtTk_Wx8Xv/s720/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHPF9yr42t8HIbO8ZIE9TNhsyqMurd8xb5eWqDXpUlOm-Cy6JlMwsMwENceSuanRvoHfEC1n-gjfVdgzsnlVZCjvFokeWdRaNv8mdhLwEMdIht-eu8ayda_g0jyjt8cTG5P1FB1Rs_mAWmvvmZ9Duybypviai0PsPYiP-W-IJUa1Bf9Z6UXGtTk_Wx8Xv/w400-h300/chicken.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Best fried chicken sandwich ever!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2k1meoF0T-sEOcXJcWTfW_SngpAZ6txN2JX9mn7YwK8KU6ckYRA2s6-kCV5jLlF-YuoG-ustw7ywy_jFeMC90wCqC4Qu7jklhNFVTZsXVh2PZ9VjPbQk6fb9SNJWRR6dO_iTGu7RQzNlwmAzWiebRQJXHdthxf9GfTaX2c4kzZt9GpnjAYrbLIp41--yU/s2048/ChefS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2k1meoF0T-sEOcXJcWTfW_SngpAZ6txN2JX9mn7YwK8KU6ckYRA2s6-kCV5jLlF-YuoG-ustw7ywy_jFeMC90wCqC4Qu7jklhNFVTZsXVh2PZ9VjPbQk6fb9SNJWRR6dO_iTGu7RQzNlwmAzWiebRQJXHdthxf9GfTaX2c4kzZt9GpnjAYrbLIp41--yU/w400-h400/ChefS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wings, Caesar Salad and Won Ton Nachos to share. </b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>This year we stayed at <a href="https://www.lpfun.ca/" target="_blank">Long Point Echo-Adventures.</a> We had a <a href="https://www.lpfun.ca/wild-suite" target="_blank">King Wilderness Suite</a>. I liked the camping and birding combo, but it was a bit chilly over night. Still, a great location to visit all the spots we like to hit while in the area, and the onsite restaurant was a bonus.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QvW2-Q5sOaaGpHiBg7fZDU1XHd0XZIGZ4eYpjUGufW-5mCap2C-GP1C_NZOw7XRG2XrBxg3uAV_t40SW08Bz8Bhz7pDjBXrs-GBZbb87v6U33czdq8xG0Es0rCS5R0TZlZSA68rMGk6xxcP4UIMLc6811kI_AO7VVRyUgA18Syl1YQvWRi80dVb6VFH3/s2048/Tent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QvW2-Q5sOaaGpHiBg7fZDU1XHd0XZIGZ4eYpjUGufW-5mCap2C-GP1C_NZOw7XRG2XrBxg3uAV_t40SW08Bz8Bhz7pDjBXrs-GBZbb87v6U33czdq8xG0Es0rCS5R0TZlZSA68rMGk6xxcP4UIMLc6811kI_AO7VVRyUgA18Syl1YQvWRi80dVb6VFH3/w400-h300/Tent.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our tent. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpQ8UZ2ZEhBTKVpD23CkQiEdzdWFy0O7i3LTox3bDxEpCFRLHnQvN2EiqBac9elYA65E3oRCp4zaR8WSsYfsg_qv-qUqpqoGNehkn391HEcXC6gvXABE5xYqPR9-6Pac5ELOW9anxsMRMHec9bO5yt2g3mKNiMGiIRpirBXr7650E9LEWvTIbLHxo5Dk2/s2048/Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpQ8UZ2ZEhBTKVpD23CkQiEdzdWFy0O7i3LTox3bDxEpCFRLHnQvN2EiqBac9elYA65E3oRCp4zaR8WSsYfsg_qv-qUqpqoGNehkn391HEcXC6gvXABE5xYqPR9-6Pac5ELOW9anxsMRMHec9bO5yt2g3mKNiMGiIRpirBXr7650E9LEWvTIbLHxo5Dk2/w400-h400/Food.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My dinner on site one night, fish tacos. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwx_KK34rHKwGwa7jqvjxa4nx1VizuqUNGe7NeaUFq7KN5HklpyJJW4DBycH3pVnIfaGXtNOExRtofJKUjjvuj4vXl0brep7zdiNLMbPfvK_y2kWNvmaCamDNGUD7h5p0Txq8rW6WPoG1zuji40sxWa-VROFdNH0_yrLRbn2gqIV0F4qcP6B4HzJ3Cbsv/s4148/Heron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwx_KK34rHKwGwa7jqvjxa4nx1VizuqUNGe7NeaUFq7KN5HklpyJJW4DBycH3pVnIfaGXtNOExRtofJKUjjvuj4vXl0brep7zdiNLMbPfvK_y2kWNvmaCamDNGUD7h5p0Txq8rW6WPoG1zuji40sxWa-VROFdNH0_yrLRbn2gqIV0F4qcP6B4HzJ3Cbsv/w400-h266/Heron.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Green Heron.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We enjoyed watching a couple Green Herons fly around the Long Point area, but I think we enjoyed them calling to each other more, what a sound! We were aiming for 100 species on our trip, got over 90, oh well, we'll try again next year. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfIH3fXdLwkqck2dxvB_1XkzW54y_DEeYbzyKUfQmIL45wid4usXzRGv9ss51M8ymR64aolCL_cpWMw8uuKIiFQQ4dyyy8n2mVdzUrAofOfgkOLq0TN7NzT06sPqcq97XO8LEqb7vvbi37DD37M21jRJ-30umUSo1GzNJm5uzX_zqV18viPUVisluSgOa/s2048/Blabk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfIH3fXdLwkqck2dxvB_1XkzW54y_DEeYbzyKUfQmIL45wid4usXzRGv9ss51M8ymR64aolCL_cpWMw8uuKIiFQQ4dyyy8n2mVdzUrAofOfgkOLq0TN7NzT06sPqcq97XO8LEqb7vvbi37DD37M21jRJ-30umUSo1GzNJm5uzX_zqV18viPUVisluSgOa/w400-h225/Blabk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Blackburnian Warbler, always a nice warbler to see.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>After a nice two night getaway we visited some local parks close to home. <div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbCIx0fpFkOfO-49W9L3ZnpjM-yJOXCUPF4HTqsVg7R1U_dSexX-OWm-H8-62TysVfQ040UT6BB_Rt7xXoUJKxVetcryi44sG8T1y53wyw0ehpU7kCfHMw9DJXO_NvFkzwHbRtGsTGuyWYP4hEUgU5nUNsz6eLu7mmDXnmIbXZFZMsZYigBPx7m1n3jff/s4148/tanagermay14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbCIx0fpFkOfO-49W9L3ZnpjM-yJOXCUPF4HTqsVg7R1U_dSexX-OWm-H8-62TysVfQ040UT6BB_Rt7xXoUJKxVetcryi44sG8T1y53wyw0ehpU7kCfHMw9DJXO_NvFkzwHbRtGsTGuyWYP4hEUgU5nUNsz6eLu7mmDXnmIbXZFZMsZYigBPx7m1n3jff/w400-h266/tanagermay14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our first of year Scarlet Tanager at Colonel Sam Smith Park.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3VwLXlZtK_XrCZW8BFk844voXnA--XOhieUpW9PsJze0dAviwesPBTmfoQ6kflFmhj08mJLc-x_OIYtu2b21Tb80ARqv13lak8oGCHRIR-eWwGVqTBBJ09zveMAQ6FvOpTYFScKL3xbj_LEURNbRCOxbw091Ni5kpFQIWH435AUGIMUgHAN7yLZ1p_-v/s4148/sapsucker-cssp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3VwLXlZtK_XrCZW8BFk844voXnA--XOhieUpW9PsJze0dAviwesPBTmfoQ6kflFmhj08mJLc-x_OIYtu2b21Tb80ARqv13lak8oGCHRIR-eWwGVqTBBJ09zveMAQ6FvOpTYFScKL3xbj_LEURNbRCOxbw091Ni5kpFQIWH435AUGIMUgHAN7yLZ1p_-v/w400-h266/sapsucker-cssp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on the same outing. </b></td></tr></tbody></table>Of course, I love seeing all the migrants every May, but there are two that are my favorite and they enjoy our backyard all summer long. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5xvfmdlmDFzSVjy9-4SHqlbLEh2ovUwuxjosqzn_JHDEUHEPfWn9movYW88oIwY08neCgaRnEBS76trbe9exV4cSSArL5ac-Cs8apuUJ9XPxUTqxdwUcEKRZZRB6mqUchYcGakt746Hr52EWwsq28CtUVQSK2lrBGpO3HWEDRXM0MFzAsb_G0-6TKPda/s4148/hum-fem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5xvfmdlmDFzSVjy9-4SHqlbLEh2ovUwuxjosqzn_JHDEUHEPfWn9movYW88oIwY08neCgaRnEBS76trbe9exV4cSSArL5ac-Cs8apuUJ9XPxUTqxdwUcEKRZZRB6mqUchYcGakt746Hr52EWwsq28CtUVQSK2lrBGpO3HWEDRXM0MFzAsb_G0-6TKPda/w400-h266/hum-fem.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Summer Guest - Ruby-throated Hummingbird </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_3ZN-NRfXeJGbQuhyxYefnwK1vO1ePwT7iL96PzrnxqdBd2LHpF-YkCpCBbAL4UGodWSb58If0tlbFCNf-lGF6vnbU3a2wjeVyiLIehTVOUTalyzzAobrnc2ocXgVCHnaiLE1maVCavd3nNaDcJvaQTCh4gi7THlgH1SUnGqcMsNm7Qq5vXzCA3sHaNZ/s5184/Oriole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz_3ZN-NRfXeJGbQuhyxYefnwK1vO1ePwT7iL96PzrnxqdBd2LHpF-YkCpCBbAL4UGodWSb58If0tlbFCNf-lGF6vnbU3a2wjeVyiLIehTVOUTalyzzAobrnc2ocXgVCHnaiLE1maVCavd3nNaDcJvaQTCh4gi7THlgH1SUnGqcMsNm7Qq5vXzCA3sHaNZ/w400-h266/Oriole.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Summer Guest - Baltimore Oriole</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We've had a couple pairs of Baltimore Orioles this summer, it's hard to believe they will be gone in about a week. It's been the year of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird for us, having about six come regularly. They will also start their migration in the next couple weeks. We leave the feeders up til the end of September, as we also get some passing through from further north.<div><br /></div><div>On the Friday of our week off I had to go for an MRI, I didn't know it at the time, but 5 days later our world was about to be flipped upside down.</div><div><br /></div><div>To be continued....... </div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-54929353335898129992023-08-11T18:01:00.002-04:002023-08-11T18:01:12.839-04:00A PEEK AT OUR MARCH AND APRIL <p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bJ9FiYMq2dj74ahb3UcV7n9rnB4Bf1pzgTeLe73g-7z7rT7iv6ZWv-I3u3eFqlL-DXHzGYpM7WqmPo3WY7ZQ3FmJJeQwXzRlLIL3Jl-A8F_NrKOweJLGy9-NiHMpnhc9wZ_tF3GADjQscY9G0TXiZNlD9thtZsKppHpY8GYol-J8pQB4q3HKuqtl9pP6/s2048/Easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2017" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bJ9FiYMq2dj74ahb3UcV7n9rnB4Bf1pzgTeLe73g-7z7rT7iv6ZWv-I3u3eFqlL-DXHzGYpM7WqmPo3WY7ZQ3FmJJeQwXzRlLIL3Jl-A8F_NrKOweJLGy9-NiHMpnhc9wZ_tF3GADjQscY9G0TXiZNlD9thtZsKppHpY8GYol-J8pQB4q3HKuqtl9pP6/w400-h394/Easter.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Easter Cookies</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I can't believe how far behind I am on my blogging. My life took a bit of a roller-coaster ride in May, and I'll get to that eventually, but first I want to do a few catch-up posts.</p><p>Like most people, once March rolls around we're all ready for the winter weather to end and Spring to really arrive. Planning something fun to do in March helps, and for us this year it was going to Niagara Falls for a night to see Bret Michael's perform at Fallsview Casino with friends. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HG2vwVtcWjsyzhiPRUzgew4f1b_BlZ4qM1MYQIFGHG6E7Ipzv99rkjqM27WWrdzvHv09biPflqcB4M5rfaf1y6me1MeEpOqw1YRi7uslXPpcOOzjn0yn2RgoKhw56t4M_kOgy3dcVRenobjwO213PxbTCFneTM0msOsED9oPbDh_gAqW0ovI4gBfcadg/s2048/Barista.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HG2vwVtcWjsyzhiPRUzgew4f1b_BlZ4qM1MYQIFGHG6E7Ipzv99rkjqM27WWrdzvHv09biPflqcB4M5rfaf1y6me1MeEpOqw1YRi7uslXPpcOOzjn0yn2RgoKhw56t4M_kOgy3dcVRenobjwO213PxbTCFneTM0msOsED9oPbDh_gAqW0ovI4gBfcadg/w400-h400/Barista.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bar Barista Cocktail and Coffee Bar</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Before meeting up with Brian and Amanda we discovered <a href="https://fallsviewcasinoresort.com/poi/dining/barbarista.html?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwldKmBhCCARIsAP-0rfyaTlzpprhTdoF8DVX7rFsKf5CDYNd11nrQUYjjX9jQCX0nZg6rDaQaArf4EALw_wcB" target="_blank">Bar Barista</a>, a great place for coffee, a drink or some small plates to share. I fell in love with this place, so much so we visited three times in less then 24 hours! </p><p>We met up with Brian and Amanda and their kids for dinner and drinks at Margaritaville before the adults went to the concert. Their oldest was sibling sitting back at the hotel. We enjoyed the concert and our time at Bar Barista after. We went for Whoppers at 2am, it's been years since we stayed up that late! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg9G4eQ1KT2PT6FI5lTUdH5vGSrsXuOQuI0wecedh8uu76BSuHkmX25WJTPNVOtADzsxSZYN23Jl-DcNDy5Ln2C6dV0_3MnLvnzl1sYp_qUZRZ_Sc-RK0_aZIhxf8u04JBcoH3k9cvMRoVVhABvmY-FgtnmfZ_6A_WMjb04DFyMxaPORd3K8k1rFV96fE/s960/Bret.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg9G4eQ1KT2PT6FI5lTUdH5vGSrsXuOQuI0wecedh8uu76BSuHkmX25WJTPNVOtADzsxSZYN23Jl-DcNDy5Ln2C6dV0_3MnLvnzl1sYp_qUZRZ_Sc-RK0_aZIhxf8u04JBcoH3k9cvMRoVVhABvmY-FgtnmfZ_6A_WMjb04DFyMxaPORd3K8k1rFV96fE/w400-h400/Bret.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A collage of our Niagara Falls fun.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The end of March saw my life long friend, Cathy, in Toronto, as it was her last appointment regarding a health issue. We were all sad that this was her last visit but made the most of it.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqINcSjxvKgdXOQUX1VNSUZVVNPzXXevLvG2BxOE7QBy16OdQoSYj0bMI-MRcIhOhzcQv6fwJw_Xbl_3OE0pEVWUNgMMIcJOCVBXB2WmM61CRBmM6U_WrSplQsKLiW0i8Uho52Q_M-OqJI-SZaKSc9B8ZjgcAcXOHcLAOvyTiA5pixGdmAcS_2u918aaz/s2048/cathy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqINcSjxvKgdXOQUX1VNSUZVVNPzXXevLvG2BxOE7QBy16OdQoSYj0bMI-MRcIhOhzcQv6fwJw_Xbl_3OE0pEVWUNgMMIcJOCVBXB2WmM61CRBmM6U_WrSplQsKLiW0i8Uho52Q_M-OqJI-SZaKSc9B8ZjgcAcXOHcLAOvyTiA5pixGdmAcS_2u918aaz/w400-h400/cathy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rob, Cathy, and I enjoying our time together.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>April gave us a long Easter weekend and we took advantage of that. Enjoyed a dinner at my Cousin Andi's place, and on another day we went out on a walk in search of Eastern Bluebirds with friends and enjoyed a meal at a favorite restaurant, <a href="https://cascatabistro.ca/" target="_blank">Cascata</a>. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrJz3_oEGttxFEE35qJqHemm9aIvzdwYXWkmaafLaOktvczg6RhVYtiM4qXbXhQo55um8H4KzFLzjWJ4b8mtT4SKSSfD5bDEz1zp4lorUjr_IbhUyLVqq_SrasStRvsJlHyZm1QcVbvFOeS2HVXI_-T630TaEUo-3xhlfu3FHtS81UsoywLpEtk-D1ylI/s2048/Bluebird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1341" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrJz3_oEGttxFEE35qJqHemm9aIvzdwYXWkmaafLaOktvczg6RhVYtiM4qXbXhQo55um8H4KzFLzjWJ4b8mtT4SKSSfD5bDEz1zp4lorUjr_IbhUyLVqq_SrasStRvsJlHyZm1QcVbvFOeS2HVXI_-T630TaEUo-3xhlfu3FHtS81UsoywLpEtk-D1ylI/w400-h263/Bluebird.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Success, we found an Eastern Bluebird on our outing! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_SdTLm1tED_RTP2LgzwZBmLv3wl3GEX8bGtTR7u2DZooTOq-wf8hOx5KgpOPPBFxtfUHLi8wjm-Yko5XCcgPVHUB7jj7bBQtDV2vpN-ts_glIiBEAGclF0OvvMCPaxHcHHfNCU4Pj5GyqWx00bkxJvIF0oLkzMbJ_xJpQJQLKRoTWqWSqh-HTfBu8G-F/s2048/Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_SdTLm1tED_RTP2LgzwZBmLv3wl3GEX8bGtTR7u2DZooTOq-wf8hOx5KgpOPPBFxtfUHLi8wjm-Yko5XCcgPVHUB7jj7bBQtDV2vpN-ts_glIiBEAGclF0OvvMCPaxHcHHfNCU4Pj5GyqWx00bkxJvIF0oLkzMbJ_xJpQJQLKRoTWqWSqh-HTfBu8G-F/w400-h400/Food.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Another yummy meal at Cascata.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1cbt6iHdgZnWYFFvZC4629f4FIJIo0GW5KsWHWHAWGfJbURs6Q5nRNtqpPBNzpeSf97EP4MhsuQmlDDGxW7YCIzzTHkgXRT-W6u8LSXg55wsDEzSf1sWg5j9QhMjLJnXO4eB_PqISV9613JGmkvrzIh9llLF4YxVS7cY-PlZfq1txaipBEjzghJDNjWC/s2048/Easter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1cbt6iHdgZnWYFFvZC4629f4FIJIo0GW5KsWHWHAWGfJbURs6Q5nRNtqpPBNzpeSf97EP4MhsuQmlDDGxW7YCIzzTHkgXRT-W6u8LSXg55wsDEzSf1sWg5j9QhMjLJnXO4eB_PqISV9613JGmkvrzIh9llLF4YxVS7cY-PlZfq1txaipBEjzghJDNjWC/w394-h400/Easter1.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Easter Bunny always finds us.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJeftQlpmsxXQHozETaesk4RK_uILmcAx368Qz4eMUvLkuflkaZVcoEnZbYwkp3njxjb9Raw9i0ZMwKy_PRdlaJDer6fGs_bpIqxPxQfOhSTVDBLKHadPwTQeJPmWjoFqLfPlm5mewzQdaQ-OeP5eEXpIV4ZUxZZT4p9DUheGMQ2qK9mxSM4VqvSuLakn/s2048/Boop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJeftQlpmsxXQHozETaesk4RK_uILmcAx368Qz4eMUvLkuflkaZVcoEnZbYwkp3njxjb9Raw9i0ZMwKy_PRdlaJDer6fGs_bpIqxPxQfOhSTVDBLKHadPwTQeJPmWjoFqLfPlm5mewzQdaQ-OeP5eEXpIV4ZUxZZT4p9DUheGMQ2qK9mxSM4VqvSuLakn/w300-h400/Boop.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Boop, our backyard Chipmunk provided lots of April entertainment. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHXF8Iu2mreMS_yLqP00SQ2li45LIHK7poiIJwRfhmSkCQ9qI4wrUMAm2zy4-mMPiFTGO2KpPhumuHt16PpgnAwnwuvoIEm2wOv_GRe4wWNMq-qBO4zk5TzZqsutkYU1Kg0b4lC1Vm0WY6heZS-ihegWU84reJKo4RGrvFIH0K-9mIPjeXo2r5TD564eZ/s2048/Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHXF8Iu2mreMS_yLqP00SQ2li45LIHK7poiIJwRfhmSkCQ9qI4wrUMAm2zy4-mMPiFTGO2KpPhumuHt16PpgnAwnwuvoIEm2wOv_GRe4wWNMq-qBO4zk5TzZqsutkYU1Kg0b4lC1Vm0WY6heZS-ihegWU84reJKo4RGrvFIH0K-9mIPjeXo2r5TD564eZ/w400-h400/Birds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Early migrants found on April weekends. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>And to end the month, Merry and Molly celebrated their 8th birthday! A cake was made for their humans to enjoy, and they received new scratching pads, though they sometimes use it as a bed. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgKRPS117kq51gA2tHxI51nkh1eWpH4XUQc83WSQaj09jDff_h3PIxq0O9ukNlxCnBblI4GnTxmeClnd-SDDlf82o4CZvchpXKLfKs_tyoHThlwtNjjNSkwiISA2KkB916bPFrOdwpDEiJDq1clHov5q5AnygtRTYku5ZVlgdNyDZ7UP1KNRBfQiT9PG5/s2048/Birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgKRPS117kq51gA2tHxI51nkh1eWpH4XUQc83WSQaj09jDff_h3PIxq0O9ukNlxCnBblI4GnTxmeClnd-SDDlf82o4CZvchpXKLfKs_tyoHThlwtNjjNSkwiISA2KkB916bPFrOdwpDEiJDq1clHov5q5AnygtRTYku5ZVlgdNyDZ7UP1KNRBfQiT9PG5/w400-h400/Birthday.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Merry and Molly celebrated their 8th birthday April 30th.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-29797901384975939432023-05-03T16:21:00.000-04:002023-05-03T16:21:32.869-04:00KITCHEN RENO<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWyBf18K3L5VnUB6twqgacu-55UG-HGDcYV_3sZ8LQR8W2JvC1voADZ_fZXfSWuLnNOlddpE3rLfC-d3FHl6KCzAac2NkT7zQhsXWDgqhagr9ChY1SvNKKJ1qIxHJYRq6Be0T2y93gax2fFFNW9_079H-u3b-b7te4BWQv5kwILFDleFwj2eLe3B00w/s2048/cats.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWyBf18K3L5VnUB6twqgacu-55UG-HGDcYV_3sZ8LQR8W2JvC1voADZ_fZXfSWuLnNOlddpE3rLfC-d3FHl6KCzAac2NkT7zQhsXWDgqhagr9ChY1SvNKKJ1qIxHJYRq6Be0T2y93gax2fFFNW9_079H-u3b-b7te4BWQv5kwILFDleFwj2eLe3B00w/w400-h300/cats.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>What is going on in there?!?</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Rob and I have been talking about giving the kitchen a face-lift for the past few years. The stars aligned this year when my preferred contractor had the time, and an unexpected financial windfall happened. <p></p><p>On Sunday, January 8th the contractors came over to take measurements and discuss the plan. I didn't tell Rob this was happening until the day before, as I didn't want him to stress. A date was set in February for them to start and by March 1st we had a shiny new kitchen!</p><p>We wanted new flooring, cabinets, counter-top, sink and new paint.We ended up with a few extras and some new friends, who we're going to visit at the end of the month.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYKUXODov_NX1amNdO1UdW228SYDjxhzIEG3lBBU1-xvvGcfGxLLsVipPR4tdEszWiDncVWP0DjEZ45fBu5nr_cTW_MYXb1m2ZU2YzgXRYXTjCaT_-Nj6eCS_8UassIiYY5J4A03kJTqEIsa4pNvH5UV31EsDTsAeerPgTbQT0y3u-_WW1SzO16axbQ/s2048/empty1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYKUXODov_NX1amNdO1UdW228SYDjxhzIEG3lBBU1-xvvGcfGxLLsVipPR4tdEszWiDncVWP0DjEZ45fBu5nr_cTW_MYXb1m2ZU2YzgXRYXTjCaT_-Nj6eCS_8UassIiYY5J4A03kJTqEIsa4pNvH5UV31EsDTsAeerPgTbQT0y3u-_WW1SzO16axbQ/w400-h300/empty1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>All emptied out.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDO4SSyLstgOypgHeDcVC108CJ51NSTo6Sj_cTUDXJBaflq_iT9SUqC3vf_X-50f_wTAUZRXRMYGdKe54WrMUTJu0t2n0LQqHSFDMQyePucXbGPkqoKnhfv8wC1r6gOVIeCsKCohO2wh2HoOv7VIm_cCkR43NkB3RBhljYU202LiyaqUKQPUdL0sHRw/s2048/Empty2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDO4SSyLstgOypgHeDcVC108CJ51NSTo6Sj_cTUDXJBaflq_iT9SUqC3vf_X-50f_wTAUZRXRMYGdKe54WrMUTJu0t2n0LQqHSFDMQyePucXbGPkqoKnhfv8wC1r6gOVIeCsKCohO2wh2HoOv7VIm_cCkR43NkB3RBhljYU202LiyaqUKQPUdL0sHRw/w400-h300/Empty2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Protect the internet at all costs!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQyGrvCBRrjjh9NQsip3I8ekIylkuLYrzNtTqABqRV7TD5-cLde6H5QsBLmOn32BC1DiR4efXh04WG64i3cRg5azPCMNHlTVyg_A5FOVBVGvFhJPfEncJIJmMPWPqHovCAtFoYkailvywRMNTdLbjaLXOFlsaVZa3tDycGD7doV9IdKX7DrvC3Qz07g/s2048/Empty3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQyGrvCBRrjjh9NQsip3I8ekIylkuLYrzNtTqABqRV7TD5-cLde6H5QsBLmOn32BC1DiR4efXh04WG64i3cRg5azPCMNHlTVyg_A5FOVBVGvFhJPfEncJIJmMPWPqHovCAtFoYkailvywRMNTdLbjaLXOFlsaVZa3tDycGD7doV9IdKX7DrvC3Qz07g/w400-h300/Empty3.jpg" width="400" /></b></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>We donated the china cabinet and got rid of the extension on the counter.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfQLLnOVt6qGRoMwgnc1aCtDs7N3-Yec8wKwkEuUuwiRh4_3R57Z7NUj0buV1zZbin8N0hOazxJC4fehlJaqcDFUXnKcoFSurpc60pq1Q1QqGcOaDWc92VntJ1gV3PzRBrctekdnipoTgkZfWiHexkIqeASsHuxQcz-numOo_EtUBXKwTrCX5f3GNYg/s417/empty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="417" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfQLLnOVt6qGRoMwgnc1aCtDs7N3-Yec8wKwkEuUuwiRh4_3R57Z7NUj0buV1zZbin8N0hOazxJC4fehlJaqcDFUXnKcoFSurpc60pq1Q1QqGcOaDWc92VntJ1gV3PzRBrctekdnipoTgkZfWiHexkIqeASsHuxQcz-numOo_EtUBXKwTrCX5f3GNYg/w400-h300/empty.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>It was so empty it echoed.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRXTjuhfxUSEXYC8hAmFBrHiXjiFnUBnfwKIFuPe9_KJIhSpPz0D3haZwlOwAM_WFh3qM8yU7dbh-YaODIX8CmmwoStb-HLCQvaEZrbr5KsXCjEfez5VjxrE1o1SNdA5P7S3m3X0gpLcpz1uAGrxk2JZfM2SQmMRwZLFIDMxOSi_yUJdhg51H3-2fUQ/s2048/Demo1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRXTjuhfxUSEXYC8hAmFBrHiXjiFnUBnfwKIFuPe9_KJIhSpPz0D3haZwlOwAM_WFh3qM8yU7dbh-YaODIX8CmmwoStb-HLCQvaEZrbr5KsXCjEfez5VjxrE1o1SNdA5P7S3m3X0gpLcpz1uAGrxk2JZfM2SQmMRwZLFIDMxOSi_yUJdhg51H3-2fUQ/w400-h300/Demo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Demo day!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpVGPG7HARtOfRjtKoi3w9jZF183lzTGMPx3QPQcM7TnyG7WHGktBbUNPhlZ7Ez5f_NMMyBjXbaHx0h_TYFOHR-HwtDxJDP6AXUabte9g_5s89S1ty7at8FpU9qVlUxZIb2_lnM77y0FmYLZXNTFksUo9fx2_XUB0NFS0mkfIhgq8VzPW3cs57U4j2A/s2048/Demo2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzpVGPG7HARtOfRjtKoi3w9jZF183lzTGMPx3QPQcM7TnyG7WHGktBbUNPhlZ7Ez5f_NMMyBjXbaHx0h_TYFOHR-HwtDxJDP6AXUabte9g_5s89S1ty7at8FpU9qVlUxZIb2_lnM77y0FmYLZXNTFksUo9fx2_XUB0NFS0mkfIhgq8VzPW3cs57U4j2A/w300-h400/Demo2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Demo day!</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpDOy8tR-KD-HfnNi_aI6wMI_Yl10Zif8E9AXUUwgZdaVd7-fxqjro0Wco5j3w86ebBrFNPGD_NSFWvE9FN0a3dssQw7Ghusr7UfzUQeRzj0_Mv5EE4Dj9EEt_uHCm2W4rntPc-Zm6d8tUkQzb2CeXV3-aeqJTPfz1djo9lvqHYJztYx5WTrXYolcGw/s960/Demo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpDOy8tR-KD-HfnNi_aI6wMI_Yl10Zif8E9AXUUwgZdaVd7-fxqjro0Wco5j3w86ebBrFNPGD_NSFWvE9FN0a3dssQw7Ghusr7UfzUQeRzj0_Mv5EE4Dj9EEt_uHCm2W4rntPc-Zm6d8tUkQzb2CeXV3-aeqJTPfz1djo9lvqHYJztYx5WTrXYolcGw/w300-h400/Demo.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Demo day!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4Dula8Qh80pIwSBdbwFDxZ-y2PZPN04QWyfQxpJUSXgcqPGc3UMobSvXuMeiXPt8hedfJ2knrvIQ5kaXrG0VGfl5yrlfdWDvrGu0a7yKUWHm1ff3ItY6qugJvOt3egAlgSg5n8F353S4ZW_gFYFL3PQNzCjvl9NzAzyKF-MwsUTDtN6Aw-mrSeWwkA/s2048/Kitchen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4Dula8Qh80pIwSBdbwFDxZ-y2PZPN04QWyfQxpJUSXgcqPGc3UMobSvXuMeiXPt8hedfJ2knrvIQ5kaXrG0VGfl5yrlfdWDvrGu0a7yKUWHm1ff3ItY6qugJvOt3egAlgSg5n8F353S4ZW_gFYFL3PQNzCjvl9NzAzyKF-MwsUTDtN6Aw-mrSeWwkA/w400-h300/Kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My make shift kitchen in the basement. </i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The kitchen reno was hardest on Rob. The contractors were here at 7am, which means he was getting up earlier, and they left at 2pm. I was at work during 99% of it, only taking a couple afternoons off when I needed to. Merry and Molly, who we were so worried about, handled it all way better then we expected. I think it helped that Rob was home with them, as he doesn't leave for work until 1pm. </p><p>One of the things I really wanted was a designated food prep area, and I got it. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq50reikgSzgdx0PoILm1oiWgjsYKJsnndE9jMwbiDJo9p6KeNRTQZgrNhayKQryepzYchF-Y4oJMBPMuCAkBJC3arVfgJvsSDnMK3mpS03YT5lslR1oLpXWEVGLVAi7d5Q3z2Ubx-vb1PP4bUxeatGyxcJvabD_sMnNGzJvZxssYEUPjEX7cnYSmAaA/s960/Before.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq50reikgSzgdx0PoILm1oiWgjsYKJsnndE9jMwbiDJo9p6KeNRTQZgrNhayKQryepzYchF-Y4oJMBPMuCAkBJC3arVfgJvsSDnMK3mpS03YT5lslR1oLpXWEVGLVAi7d5Q3z2Ubx-vb1PP4bUxeatGyxcJvabD_sMnNGzJvZxssYEUPjEX7cnYSmAaA/w400-h300/Before.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Before.....</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5KKZ-FpyWgxzKxt4V9Hq6Aw3hODqIUvBqcXW0SK4fboehdQjq_WooQtVRoD3n26pTFN7d1Od3Qsc4PW9s0hVZ0rFHWVb113BhXb2MNDUL8ipvj5gni5Z7TN2vqgeu_Jmw7yUhDoRC73Jm3e8x6GOlYAsPmPHrZ1y3pVN70IZYFqu6lmohMnMOhdslw/s2048/After.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5KKZ-FpyWgxzKxt4V9Hq6Aw3hODqIUvBqcXW0SK4fboehdQjq_WooQtVRoD3n26pTFN7d1Od3Qsc4PW9s0hVZ0rFHWVb113BhXb2MNDUL8ipvj5gni5Z7TN2vqgeu_Jmw7yUhDoRC73Jm3e8x6GOlYAsPmPHrZ1y3pVN70IZYFqu6lmohMnMOhdslw/w400-h300/After.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>After!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFPuRRMPBRu_uWsax7_32urImhR-W30DGsu5M3BQR_7hv3tSOV48mErz5JPaks2KO5GhJRFnOF-hk7wSsUSnDVGPATSPVGGD9iEDNNR-DQfB2bBoo2EcXQ7E4t-zVJ0SQHxvnYUMFmww24C3CJV6AGY5TiSqvlD-MLORHJEtAAHrD04GW1oyUhD1O5g/s2048/After1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFPuRRMPBRu_uWsax7_32urImhR-W30DGsu5M3BQR_7hv3tSOV48mErz5JPaks2KO5GhJRFnOF-hk7wSsUSnDVGPATSPVGGD9iEDNNR-DQfB2bBoo2EcXQ7E4t-zVJ0SQHxvnYUMFmww24C3CJV6AGY5TiSqvlD-MLORHJEtAAHrD04GW1oyUhD1O5g/w300-h400/After1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Another angle.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dpUQXo3vqRu_msenEcUmL7_Ait_QJcKX6pY8UtUS0I66yzI9XRjxi2jFXFLhi_uePkjQdi6GZgV3zzU_QS8fO1oHNm8E_3sE2aFGP4611PA7jf1SuJ3Ug18XKnU7SORjP7vh-rJQvHWew2T5QucYDcBxEak2YEkjq7koW33RJXsOvRtZFUX4NIkpGA/s1422/Shelf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1422" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dpUQXo3vqRu_msenEcUmL7_Ait_QJcKX6pY8UtUS0I66yzI9XRjxi2jFXFLhi_uePkjQdi6GZgV3zzU_QS8fO1oHNm8E_3sE2aFGP4611PA7jf1SuJ3Ug18XKnU7SORjP7vh-rJQvHWew2T5QucYDcBxEak2YEkjq7koW33RJXsOvRtZFUX4NIkpGA/w400-h180/Shelf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>The teacup on my floating shelf was my Mom's.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbYwKfd3iL9eDevyCQIEGlJ8rBXuawKsJmszsmSV__zGLXUUykhHT_4P_SYnRqxnln7u3OoTGf1qdvf0ChFMAuFw30P96dkLJoD2rI3o51T1XRDyrJy1b_QI8tHez_1lX46Iws4JZ4I-rMHKk-LRbExN9IX_ywXiDmzwKvrpGj6EfdGeRrMZd6jezbg/s2048/BeforeR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbYwKfd3iL9eDevyCQIEGlJ8rBXuawKsJmszsmSV__zGLXUUykhHT_4P_SYnRqxnln7u3OoTGf1qdvf0ChFMAuFw30P96dkLJoD2rI3o51T1XRDyrJy1b_QI8tHez_1lX46Iws4JZ4I-rMHKk-LRbExN9IX_ywXiDmzwKvrpGj6EfdGeRrMZd6jezbg/w400-h300/BeforeR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Before.....</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzeWsXjBkFfEmocIKeMunzm-Xqx5475WfSOGZmGnd14_vJ4szkMakPD7omaBPp4gM8XWYFeY3Zps36J9LKY6IY3gDmZf7VWkDilUfJ-wuL211iHYcgrW8-gL9OF9QDAfzIRqu42qP7jissqfP6DvSo7_zgH1kQKlAj2f9jjJLTqTApawEGDfILrXYOw/s960/AfterR.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzeWsXjBkFfEmocIKeMunzm-Xqx5475WfSOGZmGnd14_vJ4szkMakPD7omaBPp4gM8XWYFeY3Zps36J9LKY6IY3gDmZf7VWkDilUfJ-wuL211iHYcgrW8-gL9OF9QDAfzIRqu42qP7jissqfP6DvSo7_zgH1kQKlAj2f9jjJLTqTApawEGDfILrXYOw/w400-h300/AfterR.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>After!!!</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3rVTExbbTEOhgWvjJeCSGxOKi3ikT-BauTCEjZ61zzsoal-Nz8Q5ieSKNE58xc9H2hieGWjayNQykX8UaMqXbS438_Zq1kTIvuqp2slg1BObq96BTGcOVxS7hSSZi-04cQoBc02brRlu10IT1KNszHWF5u9vW-YPpkVxkBM2ZSyXji22204cP4kfYA/s2048/AfterExtenstion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3rVTExbbTEOhgWvjJeCSGxOKi3ikT-BauTCEjZ61zzsoal-Nz8Q5ieSKNE58xc9H2hieGWjayNQykX8UaMqXbS438_Zq1kTIvuqp2slg1BObq96BTGcOVxS7hSSZi-04cQoBc02brRlu10IT1KNszHWF5u9vW-YPpkVxkBM2ZSyXji22204cP4kfYA/w400-h300/AfterExtenstion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Moved the fridge and added a pantry.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVkSMHBgf6sNBWJzNTIRfqfk9HrDoDwMvHGdPtOX7I2t7do47z4iuRBjTN_S2LodQ-juqP40FhsTuD2-R8NrJCYmYwB-K7mTFPnU63L-zRwNoiLi5hpegjX18ZtxYjwXdpsPo5CAbLsH7bnNDsb7_LIX7y5UZR5bijeov8ewLO5ff1S37GkPYAky6cw/s2048/Frankie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1677" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVkSMHBgf6sNBWJzNTIRfqfk9HrDoDwMvHGdPtOX7I2t7do47z4iuRBjTN_S2LodQ-juqP40FhsTuD2-R8NrJCYmYwB-K7mTFPnU63L-zRwNoiLi5hpegjX18ZtxYjwXdpsPo5CAbLsH7bnNDsb7_LIX7y5UZR5bijeov8ewLO5ff1S37GkPYAky6cw/w328-h400/Frankie.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>After a month at his grandparents, Frankie is back in his spot on top of the fridge.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQe_XTd7wu-V80MF9gwE-wu9J0UsiEi--F5cSgvZNvisc3ZJtufvQUPY-IGobxkchpqCEiH7YyeFuomNGpNHpxLT9ckHknAVqHovCgJxz0VS4UJa1Xh-aN0HP3hzQ9nBqWMprZALQAXiRN9TidHo5BRzRlcDKOGRpiWeWpkXMZhu-VoS-ej0Jjo2Y8w/s960/Hutch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><b><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQe_XTd7wu-V80MF9gwE-wu9J0UsiEi--F5cSgvZNvisc3ZJtufvQUPY-IGobxkchpqCEiH7YyeFuomNGpNHpxLT9ckHknAVqHovCgJxz0VS4UJa1Xh-aN0HP3hzQ9nBqWMprZALQAXiRN9TidHo5BRzRlcDKOGRpiWeWpkXMZhu-VoS-ej0Jjo2Y8w/w300-h400/Hutch.jpg" width="300" /></b></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The hutch is where the computer desk use to be.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrEqQF9j5ImU8qqr0GyIKY1aKTadetaUjL_4JD4GbAWWsbGJ7WmSgo3E6XexFTXifN49ODS01nfnjvGGyi1CelVQaKAwmthaZ4xqf6qezHMOSMd9nAojLlqM4yMpXHJlUnV-JjeWd8opthUyuELGMHD0cOzGYMtF4kNVRnGB082cF4LkuHnBCfhCoPw/s2048/Hutch1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrEqQF9j5ImU8qqr0GyIKY1aKTadetaUjL_4JD4GbAWWsbGJ7WmSgo3E6XexFTXifN49ODS01nfnjvGGyi1CelVQaKAwmthaZ4xqf6qezHMOSMd9nAojLlqM4yMpXHJlUnV-JjeWd8opthUyuELGMHD0cOzGYMtF4kNVRnGB082cF4LkuHnBCfhCoPw/w300-h400/Hutch1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>All filled up.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlWC8azp7Rx2TS4uMQmDFGv-hyV88Ql52l744ghvkXPxoibKfHHj12f4_ZFA2kS8eGB71DXxnQyoLlSvr3GEeXbkHO1vbZR2l3jOVHz3xPeB8J8eBq2vbUW1hA7m4w8uvQk6wf34RBI9A6u2hyTaWWQDjMvoobG8aaw8BFb2hxqUdfHtYmy6tqdnLCg/s2048/Pot%20drawer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlWC8azp7Rx2TS4uMQmDFGv-hyV88Ql52l744ghvkXPxoibKfHHj12f4_ZFA2kS8eGB71DXxnQyoLlSvr3GEeXbkHO1vbZR2l3jOVHz3xPeB8J8eBq2vbUW1hA7m4w8uvQk6wf34RBI9A6u2hyTaWWQDjMvoobG8aaw8BFb2hxqUdfHtYmy6tqdnLCg/w300-h400/Pot%20drawer.jpg" width="300" /></i></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Did I mention how much I love my pot drawer?!?</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jv95ezenJ0x9rboNqiuxvnRcvy00F3TstNmmJ2ZHItdc10jbpvi0hnY-d-hyGgNz3PW37k0krprYrn9j80C1ti8QbNAKsfeDzY-EmFxNYfCC68wZRy4E0uVM1eeElakTXReA0YU59ragRvHOPibP9Nlo5CrKmRlmk47Hg8CkPNzWli8Y9RBDkeyOHQ/s4624/Microwave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><b><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Jv95ezenJ0x9rboNqiuxvnRcvy00F3TstNmmJ2ZHItdc10jbpvi0hnY-d-hyGgNz3PW37k0krprYrn9j80C1ti8QbNAKsfeDzY-EmFxNYfCC68wZRy4E0uVM1eeElakTXReA0YU59ragRvHOPibP9Nlo5CrKmRlmk47Hg8CkPNzWli8Y9RBDkeyOHQ/w300-h400/Microwave.jpg" width="300" /></b></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>New microwave stand as I didn't want it on the counter or in a cabinet. </b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zHG527GERvHV5wRE6yQ1UC60030NZCKJT5iDsSB5jVxqtXWTidXzVWO5RDebL-lYYldGb6wJtZf29_ibXFCc8b2NDK1DOX-Nq--Qky0CNcCvxDsDCw8uWkFwJqlPWz4F7kDld7jhUCJMinFPPgs4oHN6u-nYCASIA74gCZRWc_2-qqMKLEo2_QpMXg/s2048/Frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zHG527GERvHV5wRE6yQ1UC60030NZCKJT5iDsSB5jVxqtXWTidXzVWO5RDebL-lYYldGb6wJtZf29_ibXFCc8b2NDK1DOX-Nq--Qky0CNcCvxDsDCw8uWkFwJqlPWz4F7kDld7jhUCJMinFPPgs4oHN6u-nYCASIA74gCZRWc_2-qqMKLEo2_QpMXg/w300-h400/Frame.jpg" width="300" /></b></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Randy made a pine frame and shelves for this built in area of the wall.</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIJogtncq-dlPnjO4d3-QTYJjyCGF95nMAAvlePVjvha0GVL00CL10hLBzZPqB7C1ZC5SdVvid2_7pGh9O50kJnyNDSnw_fjRBRyWGE9hzlTFJZOdQ6dOtMfI1GYiScjvKpE51OwGK7Y-uzDLM-4CJ2Cd0_qxNPW_X82ufhGsOt70YTmHu-eBxRLNOg/s4624/Bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIJogtncq-dlPnjO4d3-QTYJjyCGF95nMAAvlePVjvha0GVL00CL10hLBzZPqB7C1ZC5SdVvid2_7pGh9O50kJnyNDSnw_fjRBRyWGE9hzlTFJZOdQ6dOtMfI1GYiScjvKpE51OwGK7Y-uzDLM-4CJ2Cd0_qxNPW_X82ufhGsOt70YTmHu-eBxRLNOg/w400-h300/Bench.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>He also made this storage bench seat and I had a cushion made for it.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi84tlxtk2uf_xOHmEKZH8OBrRC1RuKrte7FZfUpzbxjQEKqBky66vxZR-b64IKOQQXFpQMJdAC63fdxy4rXgSiI_fRj_uSkrIkpcBP_qGAVRRB_LjN-1uCkq3qLTSWscVLwX8OGPftC_26TCdAbu3DoO2BAqGGPvAM9e-GLJZ7UHG2hhgo7PCmNyUw/s2048/cat%20bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi84tlxtk2uf_xOHmEKZH8OBrRC1RuKrte7FZfUpzbxjQEKqBky66vxZR-b64IKOQQXFpQMJdAC63fdxy4rXgSiI_fRj_uSkrIkpcBP_qGAVRRB_LjN-1uCkq3qLTSWscVLwX8OGPftC_26TCdAbu3DoO2BAqGGPvAM9e-GLJZ7UHG2hhgo7PCmNyUw/w361-h400/cat%20bench.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Then I had him make one for the cats!</b></i> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qOtvfcKndqqApS-JezgEh55hgZP2MEEp0a-ryspG2jLOBMMfnIx_cxFFg7g0aEpCG3oj2Evqu7ak_WAIfndqlTR3lO5FqFWDBXfwJihXZFhm1BxYnYy_Hi47AJmxVubhIrk_zF3yO7ZdkzQ5Z9JPE39poWN6tdZ_CAYwl4_gQrCsBQH0PE70vcXeJg/s2048/clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qOtvfcKndqqApS-JezgEh55hgZP2MEEp0a-ryspG2jLOBMMfnIx_cxFFg7g0aEpCG3oj2Evqu7ak_WAIfndqlTR3lO5FqFWDBXfwJihXZFhm1BxYnYy_Hi47AJmxVubhIrk_zF3yO7ZdkzQ5Z9JPE39poWN6tdZ_CAYwl4_gQrCsBQH0PE70vcXeJg/w300-h400/clock.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>This Kitty Kat clock is still the only thing on the walls.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We still need to find a small dining set and redo the windows and coverings, but we are very happy with how it turned out and how smoothly it went. </div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-56199869722791855532023-03-17T17:28:00.000-04:002023-03-17T17:28:19.488-04:002023 SO FAR <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI17ljLpTpjgRZoo8z3vY9t7wgfbWsgnys3gZV_CK_gTY3gTzLb026JPbglVxIu_gOYm1mfFaePiidnE1nZDerTJgL8JMUM_xnlzxeP2vlBXhXwmOkFnTHWzM2F564XNP-fFoG74fdz_FKyMaHFmJtINO8lqg_-J-XRQmWRF-5sJKh8uOk6-KnOE98kA/s1080/LittleAl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1080" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI17ljLpTpjgRZoo8z3vY9t7wgfbWsgnys3gZV_CK_gTY3gTzLb026JPbglVxIu_gOYm1mfFaePiidnE1nZDerTJgL8JMUM_xnlzxeP2vlBXhXwmOkFnTHWzM2F564XNP-fFoG74fdz_FKyMaHFmJtINO8lqg_-J-XRQmWRF-5sJKh8uOk6-KnOE98kA/s320/LittleAl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Our backyard Eastern Screech Owl is back for another winter</i></b>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Normally I find the time between January and April drags on. By this time we’re all tired of Winter, the cold, and are looking forward to the newness of Spring.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not this year though, the last few months have flown by. We started planning a kitchen renovation in early January. The work started in February and now here we are in the middle of March, kitchen reno is pretty much complete except for the unpacking and reorganizing of the new cabinets. This blog isn’t about the kitchen though, I think I will do a blog about that separately. This blog is just a bit about what else went on in our lives since the new year started. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuYiyb_RfPFPema0JTR-xfnAzPB3NlCZmBj_fUwJB9dWcaK9USBX5xdhhLKPNrELZ9CRPOK7n-h1CI-K7USzUuwSkq34M4qPemKIREx6q95FeqplrXx4MOxWmiMVIN6NjVVco_IG34U-CmwkB2kKI3-D0PN71HEDClHYBvriK6bXel_TW1TiSUJg3bA/s2880/BrucnhJan7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZuYiyb_RfPFPema0JTR-xfnAzPB3NlCZmBj_fUwJB9dWcaK9USBX5xdhhLKPNrELZ9CRPOK7n-h1CI-K7USzUuwSkq34M4qPemKIREx6q95FeqplrXx4MOxWmiMVIN6NjVVco_IG34U-CmwkB2kKI3-D0PN71HEDClHYBvriK6bXel_TW1TiSUJg3bA/s320/BrucnhJan7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Delicious brunch at Toast on Bloor.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">During the first weekend of the new year we did two of my favorite things, brunch and birding. After another delicious </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">brunch at one of our favorite brunch spots,<a href="https://toastonbloor.com/" target="_blank"> Toast on Bloor</a>, we were off in search of a Red-shouldered Hawk being seen at a park close to home. This was my first real birding out in some time, and it brought back all those fun spring twitchiness feelings of May, when migration is in full swing. We did quite the search for this bird, also ran into a friend, and success! We found the Red-shouldered Hawk. Now, I’m not much a hawk girl, but I was quite smitten with this one, it’s a good looking hawk, and was also a lifer for Rob and I.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBulNv2Q6w_U9FxoN8KhhGNmJai97bf41C0X5pIePUdZ7hz9tgLg24HfAbrsfO7WN7zh2VZ9juiHLqd_1_K-ihqFSR-a6b5Iw9h8yewQ0e8_lc5P5pcVWJ5fWA4UVKHtQkFuObG_M8borUPok8uhEV63V9BcGENyUiYX3zXQDuP8q2_CQ8KsifxStLQw/s3318/red-shouldered.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3318" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBulNv2Q6w_U9FxoN8KhhGNmJai97bf41C0X5pIePUdZ7hz9tgLg24HfAbrsfO7WN7zh2VZ9juiHLqd_1_K-ihqFSR-a6b5Iw9h8yewQ0e8_lc5P5pcVWJ5fWA4UVKHtQkFuObG_M8borUPok8uhEV63V9BcGENyUiYX3zXQDuP8q2_CQ8KsifxStLQw/s320/red-shouldered.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Red-shouldered Hawk, a lifer for both of us.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rob and I are Marvel fans, and we started watching them in timeline order the beginning of January. We hadn’t watched them in this order before, and are catching things being said in different movies that make much more sense now. We work different shifts, so Saturdays are Marvel Movie Night, perfect way to spend a winter evening, and we are almost done as we’ve done some double features as well. We have not yet seen Wakanda Forever, so are looking forward to ending our marathon with that.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JSuWhh_vWjMGsufPtRNqcGiFRa5UKBsCmQAyBbv4c6wdi_uFDBiQiPOayh_-YF4yDCWFycyIkhsBO7rwGxwmAlhaFYe_apKX2l1S54G66OTj4sEqve7x7_Uq6tlfseEufzb6ZWWh-_nGcmdtEwBmtTlaP5q0FyOYGJfRtHqJinqZOrlTt3gvOlsfAQ/s879/wakanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="579" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4JSuWhh_vWjMGsufPtRNqcGiFRa5UKBsCmQAyBbv4c6wdi_uFDBiQiPOayh_-YF4yDCWFycyIkhsBO7rwGxwmAlhaFYe_apKX2l1S54G66OTj4sEqve7x7_Uq6tlfseEufzb6ZWWh-_nGcmdtEwBmtTlaP5q0FyOYGJfRtHqJinqZOrlTt3gvOlsfAQ/w264-h400/wakanda.jpg" width="264" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some years we acknowledge Valentines Day, some years we don’t. Poor Rob, I felt bad for him this year. He took the time to order me flowers to be sent to work, and they didn’t arrive. They didn’t arrive the 15th either, and finally showed up on the 16th. He was more upset about it then I was, I was happy he took the time to arrange that. It was only the second time he has sent me flowers at work, which I love, but maybe not on Valentines Day going forward.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRsQZxnhv_safWnKU4UVfdRqeHbpGFGZpvW37RvAGpXJOutmv8SIKG8KR1-ys1xyFzFIJCI1ADulFaHxVJf7FYYwJVisau0MBrDVxzIpGNiLM9qSh1Rq0j7OwCxXGfLj0Guk7nX9-nnTgXwXD4pKU_e1_9bj-jn67tGDDX9ePrNXqqmiOxsHhv7QdsQ/s2048/cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1658" data-original-width="2048" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRsQZxnhv_safWnKU4UVfdRqeHbpGFGZpvW37RvAGpXJOutmv8SIKG8KR1-ys1xyFzFIJCI1ADulFaHxVJf7FYYwJVisau0MBrDVxzIpGNiLM9qSh1Rq0j7OwCxXGfLj0Guk7nX9-nnTgXwXD4pKU_e1_9bj-jn67tGDDX9ePrNXqqmiOxsHhv7QdsQ/w400-h324/cookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Valentine's Day cookies I ordered. </i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWeNydW_KlYf-f8TPH3wwv3VBRaf3qQME746j6ttk7FhFeoeGRicWBd1chbqaoEBQcfv1kuMKk5KZU6KMrrgf0AQnLvLDPOIrxhT_GlGdFy-B4cLWvAgdbZjTPsatcjFHmh4iJ0hnl2SqXxodHYr-qDtixEacJoXr5NWFeeCp3-iyN-iwnKfjq2m0pA/s2048/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWeNydW_KlYf-f8TPH3wwv3VBRaf3qQME746j6ttk7FhFeoeGRicWBd1chbqaoEBQcfv1kuMKk5KZU6KMrrgf0AQnLvLDPOIrxhT_GlGdFy-B4cLWvAgdbZjTPsatcjFHmh4iJ0hnl2SqXxodHYr-qDtixEacJoXr5NWFeeCp3-iyN-iwnKfjq2m0pA/w333-h400/flowers.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My beautiful but late flowers.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We hadn’t been to my Cousin’s Andi’s since Christmas time, so Family Day weekend was the perfect time to get together. As always, Andi prepared a delicious feast. Seafood this time around as we missed doing that in the Fall. The boys aren't as big of seafood fans as us, but she always makes sure they have a delicious meal as well. I brought dessert, as per normal. The lemon meringue pie I order from House of Good, in our neighborhood is their favorite.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8PS6dprILqFs65YKpfuteXLa77RpCO5gtFwUhqW-0RwTOv6GOis7jaVDITs_cKsYUmh211j1bUTaBa6hv3pX5ipLMazwcsFvYdOp9k7dXuF0Icp535HlDDR86_ogNwbnTQejduf8aDRZAC1IWM9MgeZKO_jgUXFKVfL3W2Jv2WRnw3RE1OZk9_Np9w/s2048/FamilyDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8PS6dprILqFs65YKpfuteXLa77RpCO5gtFwUhqW-0RwTOv6GOis7jaVDITs_cKsYUmh211j1bUTaBa6hv3pX5ipLMazwcsFvYdOp9k7dXuF0Icp535HlDDR86_ogNwbnTQejduf8aDRZAC1IWM9MgeZKO_jgUXFKVfL3W2Jv2WRnw3RE1OZk9_Np9w/w400-h400/FamilyDay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Family Day Feast!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our backyard Eastern Screech Owl, AKA “Little Al” has been around regularly again this winter. We had a scare with him a couple months ago, when Rob found a dead one not far from us on the road and we didn’t see him for a couple weeks during the warmer temperatures. But much to our relief it wasn’t him, and he returned with the next cold snap and snow. Still feel bad for the one he did find, most likely a car strike. We still have our fingers and toes crossed for a mate and babies.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Q2Am3Bfws4oClFFT_BTZoWxXty6qcNpNKCHbNg7cwJ6iS45vQwjjV6vzwctYeUtHuKiWj9mQmM3nHIxzUYgMc49wS9ZLLlzQgb_nmKKy1sUMSbzwge2VD0PBnx1Ziit9Z9IxFGdFeKs5qdci39OjvQwlKwlcLxyrgUf7Wr4e26lR_cRBec-hKdw8A/s5184/al-wow1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Q2Am3Bfws4oClFFT_BTZoWxXty6qcNpNKCHbNg7cwJ6iS45vQwjjV6vzwctYeUtHuKiWj9mQmM3nHIxzUYgMc49wS9ZLLlzQgb_nmKKy1sUMSbzwge2VD0PBnx1Ziit9Z9IxFGdFeKs5qdci39OjvQwlKwlcLxyrgUf7Wr4e26lR_cRBec-hKdw8A/w400-h266/al-wow1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Little Al hanging out in our Cedars.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We also rediscovered another brunch spot of ours, <a href="https://starvingartist.ca/" target="_blank">Starving Artist</a>. We hadn’t been there in three years, and had forgotten how good it was. We’ve been back a couple times since.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhkuVQ3KTcmSHtxqs1BGXYZ30d0Z7nxtHkrMhRXCvPjv03zRujvfL9iWd8nA_Xzl1SwJHivKO_jz-D231-aPdkaUh_yNyp5JwheW2cXM0114DK-D0vgzlvJdXAAtTvtYglFuxLCkk-ndM_4pnHH0Q3Wcz_Up2OHKfGV-bBrcB47LRTpBlmmz2i_f5Tw/s720/starving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhkuVQ3KTcmSHtxqs1BGXYZ30d0Z7nxtHkrMhRXCvPjv03zRujvfL9iWd8nA_Xzl1SwJHivKO_jz-D231-aPdkaUh_yNyp5JwheW2cXM0114DK-D0vgzlvJdXAAtTvtYglFuxLCkk-ndM_4pnHH0Q3Wcz_Up2OHKfGV-bBrcB47LRTpBlmmz2i_f5Tw/w400-h300/starving.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>My brunch at The Starving Artist.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We also introduced some friends to another new to us restaurant, <a href="https://www.azariasrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Azarias</a>. Like us, they don’t mind doing an early dinner, or as I call it, “Senior Supper”. Was nice to get out with friends to enjoy a delicious meal and I can get my oyster fix. This Bloor West gem has quickly become our go to dinner spot. Wonderful staff, and truly mouth watering food. We’ve already planned another dinner there when our friends are back from their trip.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7ITB11nNP5e17RTKvnTitfJ7It2fFjtRYkaNafvozG6P31v9pCUpXCU6B6kha5usyNxlQDUQ4NpRnInYicPl-E6_K2t5E9xSN4ppZE5VwZw6lLM9yyK85ef12V94QQBkF1kKMZCWcBFRxV4gEkt_Efosm94CVlPuLbzti1efHt_MEkUfRKSV-J0ZMQ/s960/Azarias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy7ITB11nNP5e17RTKvnTitfJ7It2fFjtRYkaNafvozG6P31v9pCUpXCU6B6kha5usyNxlQDUQ4NpRnInYicPl-E6_K2t5E9xSN4ppZE5VwZw6lLM9yyK85ef12V94QQBkF1kKMZCWcBFRxV4gEkt_Efosm94CVlPuLbzti1efHt_MEkUfRKSV-J0ZMQ/w400-h400/Azarias.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Azarias, a Bloor West gem.</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Every year I try to make a snow angel as a nod to my inner child. I just joke I need help getting up now! Saturday March 4 I made one after a snow fall, and I had a feathery friend watch me as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/angie.macaloney.9/videos/1185193555532727">you can see here</a>. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_v5aa7qDNjp4jlK70bIQwkRmbGBjCVYsJTlAhGqOiNw6QuguEdM0CI_wHh9bBBE03qOg-GxHnW5tUajUK0hu5Btdq4allaywOFWSM4o__ufT6oLXhx5SH4x9h-1AZL7hI2s_vJ9yO94D1caEB9j2AHe8YggBWSLWaZ9v1_tWTFOX_Au8PxTyTuBClA/s2048/angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_v5aa7qDNjp4jlK70bIQwkRmbGBjCVYsJTlAhGqOiNw6QuguEdM0CI_wHh9bBBE03qOg-GxHnW5tUajUK0hu5Btdq4allaywOFWSM4o__ufT6oLXhx5SH4x9h-1AZL7hI2s_vJ9yO94D1caEB9j2AHe8YggBWSLWaZ9v1_tWTFOX_Au8PxTyTuBClA/w300-h400/angel.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And to end my catch up blog post, a sure sign of Spring…our resident chipmunk, Boop, woke up this week<span style="font-size: x-small;">! </span></span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxb4C1VZsrX7AmJQXsA1yPg1AfdCFDMHsJHyKIAWyhAAnKAUTVvZLFoBh_mVPDppiGZMiGR636U78gKC0afMGqmwmxy5qQCR39ftL34qCId1Zpa5E20JUvdErDqVwu5rEmAdNYwmRp3gNETmMqZkX2P1BsiUc3KoqtQaPRHYPRmG3Ei2PMreaHdoF_A/s1440/Boop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxb4C1VZsrX7AmJQXsA1yPg1AfdCFDMHsJHyKIAWyhAAnKAUTVvZLFoBh_mVPDppiGZMiGR636U78gKC0afMGqmwmxy5qQCR39ftL34qCId1Zpa5E20JUvdErDqVwu5rEmAdNYwmRp3gNETmMqZkX2P1BsiUc3KoqtQaPRHYPRmG3Ei2PMreaHdoF_A/w400-h400/Boop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Spring is close!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-91977362942801574762022-12-31T09:32:00.005-05:002022-12-31T09:38:21.154-05:00A LOOK BACK AT 2022<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSh6yZPuEEcmozta5dqGtKOg7kL46oxhzDtxmNHPlabN7n9K1i3i5RDEIvBXSGAu3lwRVzsOsEdpgLben_F299qDd7Ut614AZhnIy7wEPVyHH9xY8fZ58K2JIWrWV1zwLPGqguhy01ag28rR2ZfMiLjiK3VLkj6jqqa2DWuoDE1EF5_3vfHFRuC-8Q/s5184/borealwow3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxSh6yZPuEEcmozta5dqGtKOg7kL46oxhzDtxmNHPlabN7n9K1i3i5RDEIvBXSGAu3lwRVzsOsEdpgLben_F299qDd7Ut614AZhnIy7wEPVyHH9xY8fZ58K2JIWrWV1zwLPGqguhy01ag28rR2ZfMiLjiK3VLkj6jqqa2DWuoDE1EF5_3vfHFRuC-8Q/w400-h266/borealwow3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My birding highlight of 2022, I found a Boreal Owl in Toronto.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>January - </b>The<b> </b>new year didn't get off to great start. Rob came down with Covid on the 2nd, and me a day later. Thankfully we were able to recover together at home. Care packages from friends and family were left on the porch and much appreciated. January 17th was the first day I had any real energy and took advantage of it by getting out to play in the snow!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFVW3-F-hQoz3ZgS5t1Uk2PtP6ZeQoWnDOFQHgalW6TOEwknKpVFT_dxgU7gmPAA8gm7Wypwf0oWAKW3QCDCqBEgLxhVkQzLfEZSNvQyTHBBqU6ZVRm77K-pYGfigLdHmFqhI1EGJ2djOfX6Teav2gUcAx4aa6n8btqYXlF02MxzKqWbh76xBYExnJw/s1080/Snow%20Angel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFVW3-F-hQoz3ZgS5t1Uk2PtP6ZeQoWnDOFQHgalW6TOEwknKpVFT_dxgU7gmPAA8gm7Wypwf0oWAKW3QCDCqBEgLxhVkQzLfEZSNvQyTHBBqU6ZVRm77K-pYGfigLdHmFqhI1EGJ2djOfX6Teav2gUcAx4aa6n8btqYXlF02MxzKqWbh76xBYExnJw/w400-h400/Snow%20Angel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Never too old to make snow angels.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgOHxmGeaZO5vF6ZNXE7-AyfaWy-zadqFMqFGMTa-ZGEzHhsaUcQ_sZOu3tEqxNjW1wzdfZ6NJqYLn6iDbc3qzevbSr6qMMqK-FiLKEFFfIwdFxyzB2hvUxuTgvyIkKf_M-TMoR6eZRLNFsCAwvl_KnLsuo4Bs0ims5TXQDKNhhCPHC-DhZjdgW3blg/s4122/SnowDay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3092" data-original-width="4122" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZgOHxmGeaZO5vF6ZNXE7-AyfaWy-zadqFMqFGMTa-ZGEzHhsaUcQ_sZOu3tEqxNjW1wzdfZ6NJqYLn6iDbc3qzevbSr6qMMqK-FiLKEFFfIwdFxyzB2hvUxuTgvyIkKf_M-TMoR6eZRLNFsCAwvl_KnLsuo4Bs0ims5TXQDKNhhCPHC-DhZjdgW3blg/w400-h300/SnowDay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I love a good snow day, when I'm home to enjoy it.</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <b>February - </b>While out for a Sunday nature walk with Rob, and with the help of some noisy Chickadees, I found what I thought was a Saw-whet Owl. I was quite excited and happy about that, as I had never found a Saw-whet Owl on my own before. After Rob posted on social media about it, he started getting messages about my Saw-whet Owl possibly being a Boreal Owl. WHAT!?! Thankfully the owl stayed put over night, and we were able to go back and get another look, and photo of our lifer Boreal Owl! It was nice to look at it, knowing what it was. He wasn't as deep in the bush as he was the the day before. I spend less than a minute looking at an owl when we find them, as I'm more concerned about not flushing them than anything else. I was grateful for the second and much better look. <p></p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7OE0XVkAfTsmuE6S4-JmNyfflCm1H13cY9f24b0YKEuBKQ7uwL2YJuy3uFgqSkWFSAaEqhUti6BBM53VJJtorJKg-_814vvFSv_33u4b3D-ydD7bksdsqjOiF94Hl07EMIHQf-Im0rwvo0r6UkxfYmGFUugP1dJDB1hs9V1wMGHjkTBbCa3g_wzT5Q/s5184/angie'sowl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7OE0XVkAfTsmuE6S4-JmNyfflCm1H13cY9f24b0YKEuBKQ7uwL2YJuy3uFgqSkWFSAaEqhUti6BBM53VJJtorJKg-_814vvFSv_33u4b3D-ydD7bksdsqjOiF94Hl07EMIHQf-Im0rwvo0r6UkxfYmGFUugP1dJDB1hs9V1wMGHjkTBbCa3g_wzT5Q/w400-h266/angie'sowl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our first look at the Boreal Owl. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><b>March </b>- Finally made it to the first Canadian location of Carlo's Bakery in Port Credit! I was super excited to go there, Buddy the Cake Boss is a happy Las Vegas reminder for me, as his restaurant was the first restaurant Rob and I ate at on our trip in 2018. There is now a second bakery location within walking distance of my work. I have yet to decide if this is a good thing or bad thing.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7rGU1YPD-oPjPkHGuKKWCEFyxEe23GtxfIvcUS2vQOW9J_5sbRQBdTbdSheqChsUNvjENsJJ1w3xPA-9K1A2WgpJC6oNsQjLal4YxmUFxB4W7xRcApK8SNlz0N0jAN2fIGVkiODVU1Oc2Vf1nIpnFTGSTLTN4wfBwWd0wK3ZB89yyRzpGmbLlNcs4w/s1080/March2022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7rGU1YPD-oPjPkHGuKKWCEFyxEe23GtxfIvcUS2vQOW9J_5sbRQBdTbdSheqChsUNvjENsJJ1w3xPA-9K1A2WgpJC6oNsQjLal4YxmUFxB4W7xRcApK8SNlz0N0jAN2fIGVkiODVU1Oc2Vf1nIpnFTGSTLTN4wfBwWd0wK3ZB89yyRzpGmbLlNcs4w/w400-h400/March2022.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Carlo's Bakery, Port Credit, Ontario</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b>April - </b>Easter was celebrated in April this year, along with Merry & Molly's 7th birthday. Turning 7 officially makes them senior kitties, but you wouldn't know it the way they act. They're still our big babies. <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMKrP2d1fmDBoJuOfdIFwxar3DFNGzyd9JA9SSic9tSDq0eNgqn2ben8yPnByLYagCz4r988qD_zNAKB1o9LfL8wI6XYLExarjDoY45wLLUJFYouIhoDz9obLcqP-mzShi5OjPvzlQZIirCrNo2579mBeIUgSSigqoBFLF7NbppSOQnVHxBqQ6eRMsQ/s2896/april22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMKrP2d1fmDBoJuOfdIFwxar3DFNGzyd9JA9SSic9tSDq0eNgqn2ben8yPnByLYagCz4r988qD_zNAKB1o9LfL8wI6XYLExarjDoY45wLLUJFYouIhoDz9obLcqP-mzShi5OjPvzlQZIirCrNo2579mBeIUgSSigqoBFLF7NbppSOQnVHxBqQ6eRMsQ/w400-h400/april22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Merry & Molly, from kittens to seniors at 7.</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <b>May - </b>May is all about the birds and the return of the summer migrants. We had a week of vacation to bird locally, check out some new spots, and an overnight trip to the Port Rowan area. Our main highlights were on our Port Rowan trip where a tip from another birder had us jetting off to see a lifer wayward Black-necked Stilt on someones front lawn, and best spotting was a Golden-winged Warbler at the Long Point Provincial Park. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO44xgj-qwzczsqCFIvMCjaH0c20Fb24yXF3mzNgcDFXlzgR_8OIhMkBPz05IdYHUoNrB2AyoYSQReRK94xUd7Z1q4umkMqCFMDdmPQLHSKaC4T22f6nFI4PtO17xJ3vpZcY88UTHMFzKrbRcebXsN39UwEz2SrOCMuAV1b1iMO4kfkxcrgUgRRH6pQ/s2896/May.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXO44xgj-qwzczsqCFIvMCjaH0c20Fb24yXF3mzNgcDFXlzgR_8OIhMkBPz05IdYHUoNrB2AyoYSQReRK94xUd7Z1q4umkMqCFMDdmPQLHSKaC4T22f6nFI4PtO17xJ3vpZcY88UTHMFzKrbRcebXsN39UwEz2SrOCMuAV1b1iMO4kfkxcrgUgRRH6pQ/w400-h400/May.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Black-necked Stilt and a Golden Winged Warbler.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b>June - </b>This was the most difficult month of the year. Dad's ashes joined Mom's on June 21st. My older brother Jeff and my oldest niece, Ashlee, flew from Alberta to join me in Nova Scotia for this difficult day. I hadn't seen them in four years, so this was a huge comfort to me. We were surrounded by friends and family, some who we hadn't seen in decades. It was so nice to see and spend even a little bit of time with everyone. I know Dad would of loved that. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6V0Ds05xb2qLajl0STZqFI3DQ8wloxYtBJ0uBK6Lx-G_goY7RmpbsbvZR1C1Dg48EfsZ3DQwVdahTz583j0fgaMNSEY6hsrei8tn4c3qqcqEwnTVMLr94Ii00zqz1smTjQq5jKHK1aGTgUnNwvp4DrNw1F85V5J4poaqQPfIzMF7QC_G8nTpvX9Q4g/s2048/June22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6V0Ds05xb2qLajl0STZqFI3DQ8wloxYtBJ0uBK6Lx-G_goY7RmpbsbvZR1C1Dg48EfsZ3DQwVdahTz583j0fgaMNSEY6hsrei8tn4c3qqcqEwnTVMLr94Ii00zqz1smTjQq5jKHK1aGTgUnNwvp4DrNw1F85V5J4poaqQPfIzMF7QC_G8nTpvX9Q4g/w294-h400/June22.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dad's ashes joined Mom's on June 21, 2022. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><b>July - </b>The highlight of July was finally getting to celebrate my Cousin's birthday, along with my own, together. Our birthdays are three days apart in June, but because I was sick the weekend we were suppose to celebrate, it got postponed. This marked the 10th time we had celebrated together, we enjoyed the usual lobster dinner and cake for dessert. She gifted me with a lovely and thoughtful scrap book about our meeting, discovering we were actually related years later, and of course our birthday celebrations over the years. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut5rbQ8J7nI31LTUZFy8Yny381bz0y6XomAAQu4WUQJqS-rbVkiXCvjcZbokFBRY9Bam4wZvw_FQ1wWHFTd_nq8dlQ9eMAmRAzIPqn_3qvSScHxDKgTjngv1sNxb1Nfff479P6j9VC6odK7S4bg0DP2eUIhJUDK1oEcjFgNv7Tf7w-fAZKWWmMmFx4g/s2896/July.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut5rbQ8J7nI31LTUZFy8Yny381bz0y6XomAAQu4WUQJqS-rbVkiXCvjcZbokFBRY9Bam4wZvw_FQ1wWHFTd_nq8dlQ9eMAmRAzIPqn_3qvSScHxDKgTjngv1sNxb1Nfff479P6j9VC6odK7S4bg0DP2eUIhJUDK1oEcjFgNv7Tf7w-fAZKWWmMmFx4g/w400-h400/July.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Birthday dinner and cake.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvCfELE7T3V_PdjYKE1rAWnkuf2Lfy5waN6op_u_5biZYskGOoP8Iyn2OXBZFsyZA9gtUnNuEEsYAPrgouIENZLzzWO4aHSuuU0nw14zbeCXwe8TEyKYcVSYy5NrXCSU68UVi50mUZWOXb99VYzGm4CUkb2RfAEI-L7n9Quw1euF691hEqKLWfQtYfg/s2896/July2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTvCfELE7T3V_PdjYKE1rAWnkuf2Lfy5waN6op_u_5biZYskGOoP8Iyn2OXBZFsyZA9gtUnNuEEsYAPrgouIENZLzzWO4aHSuuU0nw14zbeCXwe8TEyKYcVSYy5NrXCSU68UVi50mUZWOXb99VYzGm4CUkb2RfAEI-L7n9Quw1euF691hEqKLWfQtYfg/w400-h400/July2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A very cherished gift.</b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><b>August - </b>We don't venture far during the summer months, preferring to enjoy our weekends in the backyard. I did however take in two pretty big concerts this August, The Stadium Tour featuring Joan Jett, Poison, Motley Crue, and my favorite band of all time, Def Leppard. Later in the month I was able to see the Scorpions, Rock Believer Tour, as a friend had an extra ticket. It sometimes amazes me that I am still going to concerts of bands whose posters use to wallpaper my teenage bedroom wall. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJWbPS_EMWe5yrr2R9tdkstqSTllBmGfIWDfJDD0DKNPcEI4eAYcPSD_QmsqYjz4DDb3gR7oWmhdp5hAy5g3D44tHTAgtUb1KGPYdi2VHmCyfduCRqK4YWcTzqpvX6J046iE2pbc7SRutwcmYZf2YJCX-QlALpD4lv9USFC-AM6uy2-dK6AoQk7lwzg/s2896/yard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJWbPS_EMWe5yrr2R9tdkstqSTllBmGfIWDfJDD0DKNPcEI4eAYcPSD_QmsqYjz4DDb3gR7oWmhdp5hAy5g3D44tHTAgtUb1KGPYdi2VHmCyfduCRqK4YWcTzqpvX6J046iE2pbc7SRutwcmYZf2YJCX-QlALpD4lv9USFC-AM6uy2-dK6AoQk7lwzg/w400-h400/yard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Summer backyard shots.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgyaYJae_w2gygdWfbVmcLdLIEZeIXDffkzNESMY8E7g0F7_rUqWJT23L9WXUHmEOt6_3OcF9zisQRXLLNhXBFFXq6Ay1sWoOi8LLUciA5jmyhMBI-6BST_TCsIvswX7jdPWhBE_b6QamLTlhHeYKuzy6CEBfFwPGvBxtZiJUpGiVi3AyOASu_lBnZA/s2592/joe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgyaYJae_w2gygdWfbVmcLdLIEZeIXDffkzNESMY8E7g0F7_rUqWJT23L9WXUHmEOt6_3OcF9zisQRXLLNhXBFFXq6Ay1sWoOi8LLUciA5jmyhMBI-6BST_TCsIvswX7jdPWhBE_b6QamLTlhHeYKuzy6CEBfFwPGvBxtZiJUpGiVi3AyOASu_lBnZA/w400-h400/joe.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, no zoom required, I was that close. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>September</b> - We had a week off in September to celebrate Rob's birthday, and met up with some friends for a long overdue <a href="https://www.conservationhalton.ca/mountsberg-raptor-centre/raptor-encounters/" target="_blank">Raptor Encounter</a> at <a href="https://www.conservationhalton.ca/parks/mountsberg/" target="_blank">Mountsberg Conservation Area</a>. We spent a couple nights at Port Severn Lodge over Rob's birthday, and ended our vacation with a day trip to <a href="https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.ca/" target="_blank">The Donkey Sanctuary</a> with childhood/school friends. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6y5bOQWecNqlpdIy8ruYblU2rlpVqcKSp41hd0mm-qJvPFRdRVN6JaM60PGEJ-3PeU-qjp5Sin7KvqObKGNmJmpq7bYF8qyAcsgXYYsGfgSVQVORqF-gP8L7KW6r2e2WyrdR7Wh5ymoY97sN_i32vCmWPttsiHf7vXej-7aDzR5xM_NbdbqcKLYxGg/s2896/Mountsberg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6y5bOQWecNqlpdIy8ruYblU2rlpVqcKSp41hd0mm-qJvPFRdRVN6JaM60PGEJ-3PeU-qjp5Sin7KvqObKGNmJmpq7bYF8qyAcsgXYYsGfgSVQVORqF-gP8L7KW6r2e2WyrdR7Wh5ymoY97sN_i32vCmWPttsiHf7vXej-7aDzR5xM_NbdbqcKLYxGg/w400-h400/Mountsberg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fun at Mountsberg, and at lunch afterwards with friends. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmhpo-kSPV26mhtvuCVvLebxh7XFMbZWSECbH5jQL5-M0Q-60EyQw5fHPHv4thQLUWDcdrn0gfhD5LrULRIve9oWVIRTnh7avcvnElBt-5xsNwoO7FTdS8bIKo1s_O8DrQ8RHqoX1jtquoZvSR4f39CAOaWKAoHNnmgQccjv4V-PDybrb2mawDLK7VQ/s2896/RobBday22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmhpo-kSPV26mhtvuCVvLebxh7XFMbZWSECbH5jQL5-M0Q-60EyQw5fHPHv4thQLUWDcdrn0gfhD5LrULRIve9oWVIRTnh7avcvnElBt-5xsNwoO7FTdS8bIKo1s_O8DrQ8RHqoX1jtquoZvSR4f39CAOaWKAoHNnmgQccjv4V-PDybrb2mawDLK7VQ/w400-h400/RobBday22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rob's birthday at Port Severn Lodge.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b>October - </b>The weather in October was seasonable warm, and we took advantage of it by getting out for numerous nature walks. We were on vacation the week of Halloween and enjoyed day trips and walks. Halloween was more normal this year despite the rainy weather and Jello Shooters were once more made for the neighbors who wanted them. <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA_nKfBtanTE6WK1LnJRTG6vqD2rMUHhsun7m_vx0Q7HJG9x0hAwWDmLRi8mZqVrIIVcyReZXsjMluGNcn5WzM8CfjDHh82n1qfX1SVDvra4xIP0wpnqEwoESz1SDaAlDbqpE9KjkjRAPfynImlghIMUvN4xv6arWZ_xbStMxc326Khror4BXJVIaWA/s2896/fALLwALKS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA_nKfBtanTE6WK1LnJRTG6vqD2rMUHhsun7m_vx0Q7HJG9x0hAwWDmLRi8mZqVrIIVcyReZXsjMluGNcn5WzM8CfjDHh82n1qfX1SVDvra4xIP0wpnqEwoESz1SDaAlDbqpE9KjkjRAPfynImlghIMUvN4xv6arWZ_xbStMxc326Khror4BXJVIaWA/w400-h400/fALLwALKS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Some sightings on our October walks.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgtEYLCfQxc172AdKmWbhZYLyf5F9wdNqN39FLVtUjy2fD2N_m8pzEi4gE_3oyTIjdvdQRfAf-O9Y2WqtvsaavbqClpRA4DKt9j9yh-AxqFBPJHHdM22PWqLKrhbVoOtiAFZKO1hYsVw6kS_a6xiGePRDwuD06iR-D6FsSSfitiRwgOVdBaekkOLnjQ/s1600/Halloween2022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgtEYLCfQxc172AdKmWbhZYLyf5F9wdNqN39FLVtUjy2fD2N_m8pzEi4gE_3oyTIjdvdQRfAf-O9Y2WqtvsaavbqClpRA4DKt9j9yh-AxqFBPJHHdM22PWqLKrhbVoOtiAFZKO1hYsVw6kS_a6xiGePRDwuD06iR-D6FsSSfitiRwgOVdBaekkOLnjQ/w300-h400/Halloween2022.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Happy Halloween!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY_Y__IHO6diLwloOEDYhy0aHvtPAimzJ6PPUxdJvR6DGpS6e4bdj_1wWktHrexhs2ZGrGTWdPxV5W1qfH0ZkGl0aza-MrnZBxLfMHZWR0XK-1vazII8VBbobXCQX6qMra34xn5l8ygcli8csNDETNXHupSjOurH-1waeB-VfDVqdQGH4o8iFzTE_FQ/s3523/SHOOTERS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2472" data-original-width="3523" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioY_Y__IHO6diLwloOEDYhy0aHvtPAimzJ6PPUxdJvR6DGpS6e4bdj_1wWktHrexhs2ZGrGTWdPxV5W1qfH0ZkGl0aza-MrnZBxLfMHZWR0XK-1vazII8VBbobXCQX6qMra34xn5l8ygcli8csNDETNXHupSjOurH-1waeB-VfDVqdQGH4o8iFzTE_FQ/w400-h281/SHOOTERS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jello Shooters, because the adults deserve a treat too!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>November</b> - I added a couple extra days onto my October/November vacation to go away with my girlfriend, Pat. We hadn't been away together since Oct. 2019, so it was long overdue. We treated ourselves to a two night indulgent spa package at Ste. Anne's Spa. Later in the month Rob and I were off for another week to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We planned a trip to Algonquin Park, as we hadn't been there in about five years, and spent two nights at the Couples Resort in Whitney. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg9T8bK5GU58v1w3vA7kZp4GurDBsAJEsGymVJ4Ttx6BglAt6xHDGfdqNP9adZnTsEUJE5a4OosX4KV38Oq6IUPZ_MyC_XC9qQIj5aSRdzchOUyMAvyMxjwgk1jSdQVb5IThe3WHchW3H3etbizx0vjbL3EX3X3hQwk3ygUNkfTwdvjaZNFtVOmhnlQ/s2896/StAnnes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBg9T8bK5GU58v1w3vA7kZp4GurDBsAJEsGymVJ4Ttx6BglAt6xHDGfdqNP9adZnTsEUJE5a4OosX4KV38Oq6IUPZ_MyC_XC9qQIj5aSRdzchOUyMAvyMxjwgk1jSdQVb5IThe3WHchW3H3etbizx0vjbL3EX3X3hQwk3ygUNkfTwdvjaZNFtVOmhnlQ/w400-h400/StAnnes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ste Anne's Spa, a most relaxing and indulgent getaway.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLllf7_hZKLJhXk4dk-2h2guVpsRanvggMerBL2XKoRaUr2EmWD9Ol-ycRV5M8NesGlY5qqWtGCOc2_yzsJMI6mrhh-jJcCRZdlZf4XIAssUXcsdgZ5LXawECRORjwYi1G_fMtB9_Tsazlr2P5aKtkJ-zssAWyxsHl8QtCWRNx5uzWSYKOf5TqhGmIw/s5184/marten.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLllf7_hZKLJhXk4dk-2h2guVpsRanvggMerBL2XKoRaUr2EmWD9Ol-ycRV5M8NesGlY5qqWtGCOc2_yzsJMI6mrhh-jJcCRZdlZf4XIAssUXcsdgZ5LXawECRORjwYi1G_fMtB9_Tsazlr2P5aKtkJ-zssAWyxsHl8QtCWRNx5uzWSYKOf5TqhGmIw/w400-h266/marten.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Pine Marten alluded us for years, but we FINALLY saw one on our 10th anniversary! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeoYLKXt9leKB3pxtJFAVsl8XRk1Gtm-d8WLeIQPUJJptWYCqKEam1Y9uFYEyf8vTsrRxvr5TCJWXZmlF_hDOrIiHdsO74h6298wAXtDcqaLhvNIm18-3FdQeVo9qEKWScYzejDWFMCY3iY_kmjmia73HEuxqUlVz2qO8P71YQNZl1bPrZK6qSpZclg/s4652/GrayJay22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4652" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeoYLKXt9leKB3pxtJFAVsl8XRk1Gtm-d8WLeIQPUJJptWYCqKEam1Y9uFYEyf8vTsrRxvr5TCJWXZmlF_hDOrIiHdsO74h6298wAXtDcqaLhvNIm18-3FdQeVo9qEKWScYzejDWFMCY3iY_kmjmia73HEuxqUlVz2qO8P71YQNZl1bPrZK6qSpZclg/w400-h238/GrayJay22.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Always thrilled to see Gray Jays in Algonquin Park. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><b>December</b> - Things were pretty much back to normal this year, with an in person Xmas lunch at work which was enjoyable. On December 17th we joined my Cousin Andi, and her husband, Dave for our annual Xmas get together which includes a delicious dinner, dessert and gift exchange. Started my Xmas break with brunch and Espresso Martinis at <a href="https://toastonbloor.com/" target="_blank">Toast on Bloor</a> before Rob had to leave for work. Xmas Eve was just the two of us, no nature walk this year as it was much too cold. We opened some gifts Xmas Eve, and some Xmas morning before going to Rob's parents for dinner. Boxing Day and the 27th were spent at home watching movies and being lazy. Merry and Molly LOVE Boxing Day! New Years Eve is always spent at home, but at least it's not going to be so bitterly cold, so we should be able to get a couple nature walks in before 2023 is upon us. Wishing you all a wonderful 2023! <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWNsPpPCaf7DCsDHZAidj4qs8Mkiu6AvjPxYpM4vxP2Nm2-EKPwYgPgjmVt3FL-VZXUJXKCnr7RGTL9oUPX3MX7p7ISMQena9yW6S8phqlKqaKQBDQKmpEPcAcGzJ6AokNAxNMDHabF588PPKS_hfH8mk32LkBl8vyeoKanb0noVbH1JoGBPV1hk_RQ/s2896/Dec22.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWNsPpPCaf7DCsDHZAidj4qs8Mkiu6AvjPxYpM4vxP2Nm2-EKPwYgPgjmVt3FL-VZXUJXKCnr7RGTL9oUPX3MX7p7ISMQena9yW6S8phqlKqaKQBDQKmpEPcAcGzJ6AokNAxNMDHabF588PPKS_hfH8mk32LkBl8vyeoKanb0noVbH1JoGBPV1hk_RQ/w400-h400/Dec22.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Espresso Martini, what Santa left us, and the kitties enjoying Boxing Day!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9j0EOOgXrazsH4CR40luPpwCV5nWV978FcRNAdFqsNlV3f8vNIWE7leOVkOJxb0o_1iCINS4LwcBtAtI-7FS4BtcpQZ5j8-__qAxt9ZCgWReRajE6xhBlHhra8p6Zb_Lf-z1aYXNzBJWvgPHh2U-QC97arVoFiXhIcSXpFAT7Xsktf8hjbee1nNXpw/s2896/Food.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9j0EOOgXrazsH4CR40luPpwCV5nWV978FcRNAdFqsNlV3f8vNIWE7leOVkOJxb0o_1iCINS4LwcBtAtI-7FS4BtcpQZ5j8-__qAxt9ZCgWReRajE6xhBlHhra8p6Zb_Lf-z1aYXNzBJWvgPHh2U-QC97arVoFiXhIcSXpFAT7Xsktf8hjbee1nNXpw/w400-h400/Food.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yummy goodies enjoyed over the holidays.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-25737232798426363992022-08-30T17:21:00.010-04:002022-08-30T18:06:02.792-04:00SMILES & TEARS<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVZOLI61fbiM1_fVkNxlLvf9CT3nZKSUZ9PBElb7B0A7S3W_70fkdC47lp2vjGgxWSYlByNhB5N9i8jYvDWPdtnmmzWHxP2fhWWNpkWTHl7lxx6e8UrQKz0LfMm-3bOWTBEpcOlfZ2umdVVneg_Yopmho_MLh1n4ifRRyV6ZavPlvk1HYnYeH1ftPkA/s2048/cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVZOLI61fbiM1_fVkNxlLvf9CT3nZKSUZ9PBElb7B0A7S3W_70fkdC47lp2vjGgxWSYlByNhB5N9i8jYvDWPdtnmmzWHxP2fhWWNpkWTHl7lxx6e8UrQKz0LfMm-3bOWTBEpcOlfZ2umdVVneg_Yopmho_MLh1n4ifRRyV6ZavPlvk1HYnYeH1ftPkA/w294-h400/cover.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I miss him.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>This past June I took one of the hardest trips to Nova Scotia I've ever had to take. My Father passed in April of 2021, but his ashes finally joined Mom's on June 21st, 2022. <p></p><p>This trip was weighing on me more than I even realized until after it was over. It was a whirlwind three night trip. I flew down on Father's Day and having my older brother, Jeff, and oldest niece, Ashlee, pick me up at the airport was the support system I didn't know I needed. I hadn't seen them since 2018.</p><p>They had flew down a day earlier and spent a day in the south shore so Ashlee could see Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, and Mom's home town, Liverpool.</p><p>After picking me up at the airport we headed straight to Five Islands. A place we went to often as kids to visit family and camping. We also enjoyed deep fried clams at Dad's favorite place to get them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE7Mja-imNl3jIeqRDcTdFyOcUCD7igTxFmkJGbwzmW4qPMP9VgDIcU9g-P2wOdbCEMOclbX1xZjE08SYl2itRd8FsodVz9Rh9PW1YMUT0GfrAAzYj_22nw4-GSXvBVzOKCf0ocm_z_uvvDJtnZ364JPxPjfz0sFyDsbyYn0vg3LWD_FW052kfd_mcQ/s2048/clams1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE7Mja-imNl3jIeqRDcTdFyOcUCD7igTxFmkJGbwzmW4qPMP9VgDIcU9g-P2wOdbCEMOclbX1xZjE08SYl2itRd8FsodVz9Rh9PW1YMUT0GfrAAzYj_22nw4-GSXvBVzOKCf0ocm_z_uvvDJtnZ364JPxPjfz0sFyDsbyYn0vg3LWD_FW052kfd_mcQ/w400-h225/clams1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Dad would of approved.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlJn6xDFQrL03mvFqFI4_K6tY41UBVDp4HkXkpRZSmiSWBH3Zc_poq2L9cWCYE7AJdGDBUy9q9R26KMyQNtkEp05cyMv5Rdo1FtelnH-5ZZ2QxHlNqDZOYt1PTDBmpiVoG0HqxUyN6-E7Pymswew9fXOgNEK6sl3f9O-SEPc0kHjyq2u_y43Y8U9ygQ/s960/clams.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="603" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZlJn6xDFQrL03mvFqFI4_K6tY41UBVDp4HkXkpRZSmiSWBH3Zc_poq2L9cWCYE7AJdGDBUy9q9R26KMyQNtkEp05cyMv5Rdo1FtelnH-5ZZ2QxHlNqDZOYt1PTDBmpiVoG0HqxUyN6-E7Pymswew9fXOgNEK6sl3f9O-SEPc0kHjyq2u_y43Y8U9ygQ/w251-h400/clams.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ashlee and Jeff.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>It was fun surprising family who had no idea that Jeff and Ashlee were coming. I stayed with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Dennis for two nights and with Jeff and Ashlee the last night at the hotel, as our flights back home were very early in the morning. <div><br /></div><div>Monday morning I took Ashlee for brunch before she had to start work, remotely on BC time. I then spent the afternoon going through boxes of pictures and other small items that Betty had collected for me when she cleared out Dad's house. That evening I went out for dinner with a couple school friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dad's service was Tuesday, and it's all a teary eyed blur now. Many people attended that I didn't expect, like a high school teachers husband, who came in her place, as she wasn't able to. I held it together pretty good at the service until Brad's Paisley's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYHT-TF4KO4" target="_blank">"When I Get Where I'm Going"</a> played, then the tears flowed. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vji5nId0qnbfOa7k3gIJ2uKfgR0P6Kvp19mb-qYCw9VbFkEtH0E4hY7Jazb7Wr7e2Jt4Ni_PYS2OH0W45ug8QsAD-7hNGgBi09syKj-jarJe_NZE3dTgi311Q7R962CAC-5MkAaP8LEC7fMFFyWOsWQT4IKhVjwsDdzVoV3mW8hwcUBQuycGtWBixw/s2048/Us.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Vji5nId0qnbfOa7k3gIJ2uKfgR0P6Kvp19mb-qYCw9VbFkEtH0E4hY7Jazb7Wr7e2Jt4Ni_PYS2OH0W45ug8QsAD-7hNGgBi09syKj-jarJe_NZE3dTgi311Q7R962CAC-5MkAaP8LEC7fMFFyWOsWQT4IKhVjwsDdzVoV3mW8hwcUBQuycGtWBixw/w300-h400/Us.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWhX8LuHwCUEAIVWqJUWKih6uyVhNYSbfB9ScQLsPgW9u-NxFxdGIGlzgGQgTgKamn65BsdASRUmISN5qNltSOOuJnH9149wI5Xca9B7TYmCtbTrAKuB4VaNP7tFkNrNnUvvEZqXtbvLUi-BSOYIwL_gzFuWq5S9wWcXMMpPEXoMW_LMxdkiSCkVpuw/s2048/grave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWhX8LuHwCUEAIVWqJUWKih6uyVhNYSbfB9ScQLsPgW9u-NxFxdGIGlzgGQgTgKamn65BsdASRUmISN5qNltSOOuJnH9149wI5Xca9B7TYmCtbTrAKuB4VaNP7tFkNrNnUvvEZqXtbvLUi-BSOYIwL_gzFuWq5S9wWcXMMpPEXoMW_LMxdkiSCkVpuw/w300-h400/grave.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Friends and family gathered back at Aunt Betty's after the service. It was a wonderful turnout. I caught up with so many relatives and friends, even if it was only for a short time. I reconnected with cousins I hadn't seen in forty years! I am go grateful for everyone's support during this trip, it meant the world to me. I know Dad was smiling down on this gathering, he would of loved it!<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-84330575490517078632022-08-10T20:16:00.000-04:002022-08-10T20:16:04.687-04:00THE STADIUM TOUR<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIe5YV28sATyc29S2Lq7NaS35v1GhgRalaTNWGQDtpYlCXfxXJA-tsKtzMP6G2BoK8TXqm5zqm1u8vhGxSTNuP7bc-Tl3GWOketXYSoIPagqmG9wYYK_22k4d-HWgW3hrA_uHnMyn6eFi8xF5k8KYWS1hlultsZaepgIhYIke8KmUg9X-Tsb_nYk4eg/s1080/Top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1080" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIe5YV28sATyc29S2Lq7NaS35v1GhgRalaTNWGQDtpYlCXfxXJA-tsKtzMP6G2BoK8TXqm5zqm1u8vhGxSTNuP7bc-Tl3GWOketXYSoIPagqmG9wYYK_22k4d-HWgW3hrA_uHnMyn6eFi8xF5k8KYWS1hlultsZaepgIhYIke8KmUg9X-Tsb_nYk4eg/w400-h344/Top.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>From Def Leppard's Facebook Page</b></td></tr></tbody></table>It's a bit surreal to me, that at the age of 53 years old I'd still be going to rock concerts of bands whose posters wall-papered my teenage bedroom wall four decades ago. But this past Monday I found myself doing exactly that. I attended The Stadium Tour at Rogers Centre (Skydome) where Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Poison were supporting co-headlining acts Motley Crue and Def Leppard. </p><p>I was without my concert buddy Brian as he is on vacation with his family in another province, so I attended this show solo. I think it's only the second time in close to twenty years that I've seen Def Leppard without Brian. He was on vacation the other time too. He normally takes photos, I don't, as I prefer to just enjoy the show, but I did manage to take a couple this time around. </p><p>One of the things I noticed right away as I was walking to the venue was all the different ages of the attendees. There were kids with their parents all decked out in their swag, teenagers, and people in decades below and above mine. </p><p>I wasn't quite sure where my seat was when I arrived, but was thrilled when I found out I was only about 12 feet from the stage. I was in the second row right in front of the thrust. It was also nice to run into a couple rocker friends I hadn't seen in a couple years. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLzAf-EBTKb5etRvJUueoRm-4gpjqtqI-U8pM8-GJT9qlXsmcW4RDUfJ-xE_Jg63wwpTrONAk5j7NHaiLnh3L7pyRq-iMBHok4f-WNbQs3LQpWB721_mkBmUzP1OBD0Yj52Tmw10Ivci3fku768ncrFT9Hg1Bou974S-BuLF7QH1sVHLeLLpeQrMUwQ/s1440/BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLzAf-EBTKb5etRvJUueoRm-4gpjqtqI-U8pM8-GJT9qlXsmcW4RDUfJ-xE_Jg63wwpTrONAk5j7NHaiLnh3L7pyRq-iMBHok4f-WNbQs3LQpWB721_mkBmUzP1OBD0Yj52Tmw10Ivci3fku768ncrFT9Hg1Bou974S-BuLF7QH1sVHLeLLpeQrMUwQ/w300-h400/BW.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Michele and I waiting for Joan Jett, stage right behind us!</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <div> Hadn't seen Michele since 2019 at Def Leppard and Tesla in Hamilton. Colour is funny in the pic due to the stage lighting behind us, I edited it so we were't blue.<div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaps_MukGaRjgBiUeF1jjITR7qToHmHwjKUAq_2GlQU8AEUyeIM8Mp5qkm4v42MfpsKwCkCymockjVLmLwb743L5cfmZLjNAIOyYB8CEFxpr3YxGSBipCeKtD0XSJsBsv3HknYAXCnRtn7TLc8USIExxQbueeXcI3dHoPBgFYFnA5dat1yfKVt1-ds9w/s1440/Joan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaps_MukGaRjgBiUeF1jjITR7qToHmHwjKUAq_2GlQU8AEUyeIM8Mp5qkm4v42MfpsKwCkCymockjVLmLwb743L5cfmZLjNAIOyYB8CEFxpr3YxGSBipCeKtD0XSJsBsv3HknYAXCnRtn7TLc8USIExxQbueeXcI3dHoPBgFYFnA5dat1yfKVt1-ds9w/w300-h400/Joan.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Michele took this pic of Joan.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZvGjUgIUKrkbOI68_puHBOdGFkbd0EHVnC8tpg2Uw-MpZevd9V9D9iltc_705lM2JcJRWOQ3O2M1ajASOeQNAwVf8UeDG1HGHgfj2a0wFuM6ffvWdBSnggQGvQSbnsdKmp5zHjMOmWN2GP3ei_UuXUyfe3ngQX-pHBOBfTOOiLkMIVSloNHVvqmIQQ/s2048/CC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZvGjUgIUKrkbOI68_puHBOdGFkbd0EHVnC8tpg2Uw-MpZevd9V9D9iltc_705lM2JcJRWOQ3O2M1ajASOeQNAwVf8UeDG1HGHgfj2a0wFuM6ffvWdBSnggQGvQSbnsdKmp5zHjMOmWN2GP3ei_UuXUyfe3ngQX-pHBOBfTOOiLkMIVSloNHVvqmIQQ/w225-h400/CC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="225" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>CC of Poison</b></td></tr></tbody></table></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfBLA_d0VeZbEmtZVy2ZWyZI5Z6Y1SA9Klhv4gwE1AQQ1kyZ2mqt2PJMSXjOERb8YQ_3eEejEw0cwJMby8wnQ4s61Gp-QG05CjZBchWjXYPw6EOpIB8ImA1waQvKL382xGlv-Sk5y4kgmEhP_0rDVjCazKf-hTzgq4s6by2wVmJPSzN6OJK6wGMi2uQ/s960/Brett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfBLA_d0VeZbEmtZVy2ZWyZI5Z6Y1SA9Klhv4gwE1AQQ1kyZ2mqt2PJMSXjOERb8YQ_3eEejEw0cwJMby8wnQ4s61Gp-QG05CjZBchWjXYPw6EOpIB8ImA1waQvKL382xGlv-Sk5y4kgmEhP_0rDVjCazKf-hTzgq4s6by2wVmJPSzN6OJK6wGMi2uQ/w300-h400/Brett.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bret of Poison</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PZQ3Kf3wSipAy5VAvN8OVIexhKme2lXrHhCBfHGJ8sH0vd2nn-d76YWt3x8nD776UNOuSpoPdwt9RcEbGpeWfaUztJfcNgsgA_46plcVnDvsXeo_jrAYQOGUpJuzlQXGvV3YKFlkC-6Li66q9gQz3EPPOLQUpupUED0OAjYJ5TCbagFG-LpaTGLuhg/s2048/Lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PZQ3Kf3wSipAy5VAvN8OVIexhKme2lXrHhCBfHGJ8sH0vd2nn-d76YWt3x8nD776UNOuSpoPdwt9RcEbGpeWfaUztJfcNgsgA_46plcVnDvsXeo_jrAYQOGUpJuzlQXGvV3YKFlkC-6Li66q9gQz3EPPOLQUpupUED0OAjYJ5TCbagFG-LpaTGLuhg/w400-h225/Lights.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cellphone lights during "Every Rose has its Thorn".</b></td></tr></tbody></table>In my opinion, Bret Michaels was the shining star of the evening. He had so much energy, heart and charisma. I enjoyed all the bands, but Bret really stood out.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOoKQIEFkiws7fUVtt2stgZdViu2Fww__2nf9_aRUlHBHRgo0j5mnijApmMan4Cqii_yLMpCZQ0bZeq-rN-U7bdoYPjt66gnVvcoQqC65OJqZkPyK-THiw92cpK_hQsQzo8IBB7BCROMDc9fmnUi_vBE7De0vdym5GoXWj_oU0IZPlJxRfNOIiJgH9Q/s2048/CC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOoKQIEFkiws7fUVtt2stgZdViu2Fww__2nf9_aRUlHBHRgo0j5mnijApmMan4Cqii_yLMpCZQ0bZeq-rN-U7bdoYPjt66gnVvcoQqC65OJqZkPyK-THiw92cpK_hQsQzo8IBB7BCROMDc9fmnUi_vBE7De0vdym5GoXWj_oU0IZPlJxRfNOIiJgH9Q/w225-h400/CC2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Another shot of CC.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Def Leppard followed Poison, with Motley Crue ending the night. I didn't stay for the whole Crue show, as I wanted to avoid the chaos of leaving with forty thousand plus others. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm__OLf7pBtBL3vg-FTWk4YJHyaDYZPt696BgFKjBYwfnKf9PD83f2ZO1xcShC1hewhjDDJiZEkeReFl50nJUovVhu0k_cqt5OZrcj9LsdQ_Hp7T0wZri3wv-IgOjXWYggfv14_xL844yfD3aGMaGvufMf4ZN5fiPZfOOm6e5420MRHoqcHdlZz0NJw/s2048/Rick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitm__OLf7pBtBL3vg-FTWk4YJHyaDYZPt696BgFKjBYwfnKf9PD83f2ZO1xcShC1hewhjDDJiZEkeReFl50nJUovVhu0k_cqt5OZrcj9LsdQ_Hp7T0wZri3wv-IgOjXWYggfv14_xL844yfD3aGMaGvufMf4ZN5fiPZfOOm6e5420MRHoqcHdlZz0NJw/w225-h400/Rick.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rick </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8Ha038tNK1WVaeRZDXboUFq0rtPs3vzhnLhSn-6IwBszMDTETFLsZXyzI2FY9Y57e4br0rMptnorVJQ1mWxzq4TDYnTmeJKrboSG9KL0cXulQYWU4w1aOnUgT5pKdFrnckRK95lRtWZ0kJ2J3Uge5-Kwxg9YeWdjQvZ3U2D1gIXT42UEnEta249cPQ/s2048/PhilViv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8Ha038tNK1WVaeRZDXboUFq0rtPs3vzhnLhSn-6IwBszMDTETFLsZXyzI2FY9Y57e4br0rMptnorVJQ1mWxzq4TDYnTmeJKrboSG9KL0cXulQYWU4w1aOnUgT5pKdFrnckRK95lRtWZ0kJ2J3Uge5-Kwxg9YeWdjQvZ3U2D1gIXT42UEnEta249cPQ/w400-h225/PhilViv.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Vivian and Phil</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbnFk-AyU_-ry-bpz1CeG3HXG1J6G8eK4HdagD56IIxICY0D5g2pSgukTYKATj15w-Ch3bsLXDRaPGFsKIYRwpMJqkf4zH7YfYrVhvzpw8XyZxonQoAAKeWtVZjSTP5uxtjmo6Hyg2RjLMbLtT980XiWiZ0VLWMKALp3DX7ejL4rpnwnBZXNs3knN9g/s720/Acoutic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="720" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbnFk-AyU_-ry-bpz1CeG3HXG1J6G8eK4HdagD56IIxICY0D5g2pSgukTYKATj15w-Ch3bsLXDRaPGFsKIYRwpMJqkf4zH7YfYrVhvzpw8XyZxonQoAAKeWtVZjSTP5uxtjmo6Hyg2RjLMbLtT980XiWiZ0VLWMKALp3DX7ejL4rpnwnBZXNs3knN9g/w400-h280/Acoutic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Def Leppard's acoustic set. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8aO8tzMmLNYi3XOhjmsbjnGevR76wPgAi9k8JU4u8m7lfISbU9BU0E5PvFAjMrOOd4nD12vh-NvZ6Oglg_ZKo4mjw_l1aDFNwunzgou1PNZ1Kde-vXkUF9ZcyQL1XglcscesndwehmK8QfoHY3tLPGCY34N1PW653o1SnXuTAH1XBj2S24drlCgkEQ/s2048/Joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8aO8tzMmLNYi3XOhjmsbjnGevR76wPgAi9k8JU4u8m7lfISbU9BU0E5PvFAjMrOOd4nD12vh-NvZ6Oglg_ZKo4mjw_l1aDFNwunzgou1PNZ1Kde-vXkUF9ZcyQL1XglcscesndwehmK8QfoHY3tLPGCY34N1PW653o1SnXuTAH1XBj2S24drlCgkEQ/w225-h400/Joe.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Joe </b></td></tr></tbody></table>The next morning I had to smile when I saw Tommy Lee's Instagram post from the Toronto show. I noticed these two girls during the Poison set. Their seats weren't far from mine. They were having a blast, singing along to every song. It was like looking back in time, and I suddenly remembered the joy and excitement of seeing my favorite band, Def Leppard, for the first time in 1988 at the Halifax Metro Centre at 18 years of age. Watching those girls made me smile, and I cannot imagine how excited they must of been to be posted on his Instagram, good for them! </div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-AZhYTEzBr4DpwdLEpBq1Pgt_B0Hq2NZcvynYzlkgnf3ee5sMM_VPPLpJAkORfObOoh4fRur8mA8_dapQ2i-nS7oRc1V2KG1_uA-LbylbYqrmX9unaNbZPd8Mhj_M-3jWihhlxF045_aNjhgWkfITb-RmaLkeMxzffoFMj9SrH_G2kWxOQMLrxriXg/s960/Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="697" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-AZhYTEzBr4DpwdLEpBq1Pgt_B0Hq2NZcvynYzlkgnf3ee5sMM_VPPLpJAkORfObOoh4fRur8mA8_dapQ2i-nS7oRc1V2KG1_uA-LbylbYqrmX9unaNbZPd8Mhj_M-3jWihhlxF045_aNjhgWkfITb-RmaLkeMxzffoFMj9SrH_G2kWxOQMLrxriXg/w290-h400/Girls.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Screenshot of Tommy's Instagram </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As long as these bands keep touring, I'll keep going.<br /><div><br /></div></div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-4936407180721690102022-07-21T20:12:00.000-04:002022-07-21T20:12:16.715-04:00OUR MAY BIRDING VACATION<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKzrCr95URFPyHddMYjkGhu0z_Z1QfhhRejXFRr_NCDufAelYDY8G6LVL680pgxKmIXlpaoAlKqc3m8VjVELg8SG6Z9pPS5H-SyqhY2j5JXny6iFjC7z0dyZFqWxII-ENU2Pti-ApT1bXDYMhVHYOi0Ghk2K2AUb17jjv__ceA_WsOFUOUUqVzlbiAQ/s4148/May12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKzrCr95URFPyHddMYjkGhu0z_Z1QfhhRejXFRr_NCDufAelYDY8G6LVL680pgxKmIXlpaoAlKqc3m8VjVELg8SG6Z9pPS5H-SyqhY2j5JXny6iFjC7z0dyZFqWxII-ENU2Pti-ApT1bXDYMhVHYOi0Ghk2K2AUb17jjv__ceA_WsOFUOUUqVzlbiAQ/w400-h266/May12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of many Scarlet Tanagers we saw during the week.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Rob and I were on vacation the second week of May, and for the first time in a couple years our vacation was all about getting out every day and seeing what birds we could spot. I'm not sure how many species we saw, I didn't keep track. What I do know is that we saw more species than we had in a couple years and we had a great time finding them. <p></p><p>We stayed in the GTA for most of our week off, but did do a couple day trips down Niagara Way, and one overnight trip to the Port Rowan, Long Point area, it was great to get back there again. </p><p>Please enjoy a few photos from our week long birding vacation. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RzXaPzpp5kGXYuSVjQpusXYt5BnsMiKBtf8E1MSsfIWaADNi0ztEcu8R9fhBu7DsKOpYtw5Be6T576_RYWb1099GneUqJZqXiir80sT80GDJxImlV5eN_fObHb8j6jJCi5RbGvP6nvkMUBipvB9GWM11sEDUe4VdhG-OSQPCZxYXN2hcFMWSsgEW2A/s3318/May7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3318" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0RzXaPzpp5kGXYuSVjQpusXYt5BnsMiKBtf8E1MSsfIWaADNi0ztEcu8R9fhBu7DsKOpYtw5Be6T576_RYWb1099GneUqJZqXiir80sT80GDJxImlV5eN_fObHb8j6jJCi5RbGvP6nvkMUBipvB9GWM11sEDUe4VdhG-OSQPCZxYXN2hcFMWSsgEW2A/w400-h266/May7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I'm always happy to see an Orchard Oriole.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgLA60ght0mBXVBtOvaRgpig2GyNcduU45WZRj02V9vRZyucX2wZknQHJFth721xx-QLyMmBY6PcMst5R8J8a2qLNwPOas_cTJWnYDJHZFYEOO6-5E--f7va70tlVSJOnzO6FnYo7fVhcpEvaxRiSypiikfs0HBVZAEdtUxKefGoqgTQpfeXuYIvd_g/s3318/May8A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3318" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgLA60ght0mBXVBtOvaRgpig2GyNcduU45WZRj02V9vRZyucX2wZknQHJFth721xx-QLyMmBY6PcMst5R8J8a2qLNwPOas_cTJWnYDJHZFYEOO6-5E--f7va70tlVSJOnzO6FnYo7fVhcpEvaxRiSypiikfs0HBVZAEdtUxKefGoqgTQpfeXuYIvd_g/w400-h266/May8A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We were super excited to spot a Red-headed Woodpecker!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHahgkD--gbwWNkoLi14-M7W_6o8ad8XLeZ1vD_khfl9b6GZLvH8VJ18D5FceTYXqq9lMBR4v5TZPxKRlHC6JVCWt2kcccwYxn52f809k_vPfP6O729X610uAjNpD57bMbUSE2plL1kvfY7pwAosiIle7c6-HhEBgX4y6gGYRBXJjgIyAp0sk89deamA/s3318/May8B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3318" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHahgkD--gbwWNkoLi14-M7W_6o8ad8XLeZ1vD_khfl9b6GZLvH8VJ18D5FceTYXqq9lMBR4v5TZPxKRlHC6JVCWt2kcccwYxn52f809k_vPfP6O729X610uAjNpD57bMbUSE2plL1kvfY7pwAosiIle7c6-HhEBgX4y6gGYRBXJjgIyAp0sk89deamA/w400-h266/May8B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>And there were two! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg4rXfe-Ho1H4eQwHjKZQPlNpM93DemXGW0uSMVzdKcaC5JejJhhxwGtF5Wj4dUZ7512ycFt0Fv-DwNzopj85JqTbFBFW2jrqQngVsY77F2h6xgN31IU1spxRpczv2OSQ_E6WIh6uUz8_UzTxHwtakVx0IjNIyM1mWEUx_8EVWKv4sn48siGTtHdikA/s4148/May8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKg4rXfe-Ho1H4eQwHjKZQPlNpM93DemXGW0uSMVzdKcaC5JejJhhxwGtF5Wj4dUZ7512ycFt0Fv-DwNzopj85JqTbFBFW2jrqQngVsY77F2h6xgN31IU1spxRpczv2OSQ_E6WIh6uUz8_UzTxHwtakVx0IjNIyM1mWEUx_8EVWKv4sn48siGTtHdikA/w400-h266/May8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of two Great Horned Owl fledglings we saw along with an adult.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDqkFrCkFCxe-J7l5CEDdHSuhNuX7KTzIr_kngHs_4YS1zeGVEsinY2uQ635Nus3PhQOgIRcy_nE-TO_2WcieFzYOMFEF9rPsETno0EPhAUeKxIQ715xP_neM4KxmqnLmxcjItA6c7YWtKLlYxODGyZPXQv6g0BYkbhqlqb9MXe1p4bXeDtl272F5Uw/s4148/May9A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDqkFrCkFCxe-J7l5CEDdHSuhNuX7KTzIr_kngHs_4YS1zeGVEsinY2uQ635Nus3PhQOgIRcy_nE-TO_2WcieFzYOMFEF9rPsETno0EPhAUeKxIQ715xP_neM4KxmqnLmxcjItA6c7YWtKLlYxODGyZPXQv6g0BYkbhqlqb9MXe1p4bXeDtl272F5Uw/w400-h266/May9A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Saw quite a few Blue-headed Vireos this year, one of my favs.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbllyfjlYafxwiBFQy7LDaDZx5bSCgVDPlNQPEfu5XuKXPLBHDOlF6cUZqK0-ppgU0Yldq-_NAhhUV8bGT2YpyQBoQ9OPdDu281uGXWo1-rLW25I7g0_5vhMpspY_oDSuAz6HNJlKGP59dHKssxYQp6NIPHg3VEhC0oAiHNJsQGZEmBvzThkiNfyazw/s2124/May9B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="2124" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbllyfjlYafxwiBFQy7LDaDZx5bSCgVDPlNQPEfu5XuKXPLBHDOlF6cUZqK0-ppgU0Yldq-_NAhhUV8bGT2YpyQBoQ9OPdDu281uGXWo1-rLW25I7g0_5vhMpspY_oDSuAz6HNJlKGP59dHKssxYQp6NIPHg3VEhC0oAiHNJsQGZEmBvzThkiNfyazw/w400-h266/May9B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We had some great looks at a few Blackburnian Warblers, Rob's fav. </b></td></tr></tbody></table>On My 10th we drove down to the Port Rowan/Long Point area for one night. It was wonderful to visit the area again after a couple years. I didn't know it at the time, but I was going to spot some pretty great warblers, not lifers, but two we don't see yearly, and I have never spotted them before. We did get a lifer on this trip thanks to a couple birders letting us know of a bird a long way from home. We also went to our Whip-poor-will spot at dusk and for the first time, saw a couple, as well as heard many.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJTyaeMW0zarE25KT00mYSikB5K05flcKvnYUNJr9wnDJdZNKvFqsQnRx1ZErVoRJLxTZ9_SFokfxfpgNNx3C9PAYD4CvmKbjDWa0RqBRVJCsa765I2ypGq7mXK3fCdXBHfmSUlukwYzjvz6c_6O8s5vCkieS1jvMwEnP-TemD0094ICytJiR7V5LBA/s800/IMG_4921.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJTyaeMW0zarE25KT00mYSikB5K05flcKvnYUNJr9wnDJdZNKvFqsQnRx1ZErVoRJLxTZ9_SFokfxfpgNNx3C9PAYD4CvmKbjDWa0RqBRVJCsa765I2ypGq7mXK3fCdXBHfmSUlukwYzjvz6c_6O8s5vCkieS1jvMwEnP-TemD0094ICytJiR7V5LBA/w400-h300/IMG_4921.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Great to get here again, & meeting up with Kerrie for the first time in 2 years made it even better.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sCVUF9abrZ1VRuHiEYFoY9BkZSu2USKPl8pZDYVSC3QiHEG-F6zaF6cTsdW-QjXIi8jSY7r8C2kkAzESQK0KBQIU2HAkjxoSqdXLUMmZ5GYSjAuOMlBM9LSG-0rrba0gGsQTzIEWIIq8mk8qUvPWj2YKilIjw44WZuEJDYbcJVkpqKxenhWE4phALQ/s2654/angie-bluewinged.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1769" data-original-width="2654" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-sCVUF9abrZ1VRuHiEYFoY9BkZSu2USKPl8pZDYVSC3QiHEG-F6zaF6cTsdW-QjXIi8jSY7r8C2kkAzESQK0KBQIU2HAkjxoSqdXLUMmZ5GYSjAuOMlBM9LSG-0rrba0gGsQTzIEWIIq8mk8qUvPWj2YKilIjw44WZuEJDYbcJVkpqKxenhWE4phALQ/w400-h266/angie-bluewinged.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My first great sighting, a Blue-winged Warbler.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKWn4aMTUn9MLqXvOoiVE09ZliAoJRfUMjyTMzI7O2U76N2jtpPgFamM8hKL68OKUFQcrkL5n3pQojRXhAMFOvGsNJXeNSnfqe5d67cX6mF2d4_6mPMPH0V80v_gr72Krs-KvYl6rdT3ESW_AansGWfg4aSXQ0DHP5Oghk5iKKrGqfQtN7yi_QVhYng/s4148/angie-greenheron1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKWn4aMTUn9MLqXvOoiVE09ZliAoJRfUMjyTMzI7O2U76N2jtpPgFamM8hKL68OKUFQcrkL5n3pQojRXhAMFOvGsNJXeNSnfqe5d67cX6mF2d4_6mPMPH0V80v_gr72Krs-KvYl6rdT3ESW_AansGWfg4aSXQ0DHP5Oghk5iKKrGqfQtN7yi_QVhYng/w400-h266/angie-greenheron1.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This Green Heron was doing a lot of calling, and it was the first time we ever heard one!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiSaBPM2xkGc3fi_Y1uxLj9OSLUGoonw5lFn3vKSUD57dw40Ug7WTXiefgcBtEZ6Q_tN6wN1AMMW32e52cCuin5IUlGH1qD11VyveL1Ilj-Z_y0kPrNglorf-8Ify83I9JdV-D3NF_lY9zlv7UTRC_oXBlTb-hnJw0X0Y2NeJr4tUWeQKpTamNceC2g/s3318/May10B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2212" data-original-width="3318" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiSaBPM2xkGc3fi_Y1uxLj9OSLUGoonw5lFn3vKSUD57dw40Ug7WTXiefgcBtEZ6Q_tN6wN1AMMW32e52cCuin5IUlGH1qD11VyveL1Ilj-Z_y0kPrNglorf-8Ify83I9JdV-D3NF_lY9zlv7UTRC_oXBlTb-hnJw0X0Y2NeJr4tUWeQKpTamNceC2g/w400-h266/May10B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My second great sighting of the day had me very excited because of the awesome view!<br /> Probably Rob's best pic of the week. Golden-winged Warbler! </b></td></tr></tbody></table>Every May vacation we have what we refer to as our "Bird Nerd Moment". This year was no different. We went to the Port Rowan Wetland's area to do our usual walk around. A couple other birders were just leaving, and they told us a Loon was there. I was doing something in the trunk while Rob was talking to them, and then I heard a mention of a Black-necked Stilt in the area. What?! A rare bird for the area and a lifer for us, we were hopping back in the car pronto to go find it. The guy asked us, "Aren't you going to go see the Loon?" as we were speeding off like a scene out of the Big Year movie. We did go back to the Wetlands after, and we did see the Loon.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKUr5nz7mTXFPNfpix__eLoIaPp7wDW7frFm66zOGjUioXLGZ9a2ueMWSPdc-7c_994sQtVIWdt53eAY-QZYj1KbLDsAtfeSqx8fpNfVxIIix7hcacKtg0pOLUd944uavodp7nXkskCRaPfjVbwu46JQOWnwF5iAON5pjdEwNPvbtsxDLFbRePlD7rA/s4148/stilt-shot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKUr5nz7mTXFPNfpix__eLoIaPp7wDW7frFm66zOGjUioXLGZ9a2ueMWSPdc-7c_994sQtVIWdt53eAY-QZYj1KbLDsAtfeSqx8fpNfVxIIix7hcacKtg0pOLUd944uavodp7nXkskCRaPfjVbwu46JQOWnwF5iAON5pjdEwNPvbtsxDLFbRePlD7rA/w400-h266/stilt-shot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our lifer, and a bird a long way from home, the Black-necked Stilt</b>.</td></tr></tbody></table>After all that excitement we got checked into our B & B and then headed out for dinner the next town over, as nothing was open in Port Rowan. After dinner and closer to dusk we headed out to what we call our Whip-poor-will spot, and they didn't disappoint. We actually saw a couple too! I saw one fly ahead of me, and Rob saw one land on the path. That was a first! <div><br /></div><div>The next morning after breakfast we headed to Backus Woods for a walk before driving back to Toronto. We dipped on the Prothonotary Warblers, but saw Scarlett Tanagers, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. We were also serenaded the entire walk by my favorite bird call, the Wood Thrush.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsPaN_k2b6E_0rORo5tlR6j_bqhcAxkxLY9ovJei_ye4zfHBz35vk_VkDgV6sawyFFiWmwdS3JG96cdJ7zgeL9O9ZAmWpWCtCXPaLYh5wjQgQ0EkhYpymtcXBPkjVhL5qxLXLUOlBsr1RtuH9WIGbS9dUrsUECbrGPsFa8CICIEAMkzfB3qHvpWX80g/s5184/May11B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHsPaN_k2b6E_0rORo5tlR6j_bqhcAxkxLY9ovJei_ye4zfHBz35vk_VkDgV6sawyFFiWmwdS3JG96cdJ7zgeL9O9ZAmWpWCtCXPaLYh5wjQgQ0EkhYpymtcXBPkjVhL5qxLXLUOlBsr1RtuH9WIGbS9dUrsUECbrGPsFa8CICIEAMkzfB3qHvpWX80g/w400-h266/May11B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Wood Thrush calling.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOnMu2GrEl7xUN46uqUdVnTqizIHUO_EV3xY8RKhHpsPgDBDEFVajU-qEYLgL3MydmT3PWzMhvhp3pztCcWkY0i6viahOiGigzrcOfoiOHSvZdRIvVu5oa4ETwkAIsLcLz3xMSU9YErwpwZ8PHazm7MveAjPr7U3ygs4QJyCO9uwPsafGr8w8sqZS4Q/s4148/May11C.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOnMu2GrEl7xUN46uqUdVnTqizIHUO_EV3xY8RKhHpsPgDBDEFVajU-qEYLgL3MydmT3PWzMhvhp3pztCcWkY0i6viahOiGigzrcOfoiOHSvZdRIvVu5oa4ETwkAIsLcLz3xMSU9YErwpwZ8PHazm7MveAjPr7U3ygs4QJyCO9uwPsafGr8w8sqZS4Q/w400-h266/May11C.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Love seeing the Trilliums.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We were up and out again the next morning to visit a couple parks along the lake and were rewarded with even more Scarlet Tanagers and some great warbler views. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5wb5f7HvFQKknNjWmRW__juL1mRUUmHusf5UmjX7jAnzrBb390ehmgFkYxO9xEHXfO9KfPZ8DkwTUso5MtyrF08t860pCguAA02qvWSTAg9HP3k7Qw61xXQ2GQbHo5wjbmLkO6apz-6kpffyAMjJilIIrb8s_gGz3JES8oLEwDB9wbX1Qe8FilxxSQ/s1440/Collage%20Maker-19-Jul-2022-07.06-PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5wb5f7HvFQKknNjWmRW__juL1mRUUmHusf5UmjX7jAnzrBb390ehmgFkYxO9xEHXfO9KfPZ8DkwTUso5MtyrF08t860pCguAA02qvWSTAg9HP3k7Qw61xXQ2GQbHo5wjbmLkO6apz-6kpffyAMjJilIIrb8s_gGz3JES8oLEwDB9wbX1Qe8FilxxSQ/w400-h400/Collage%20Maker-19-Jul-2022-07.06-PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bay-breasted. Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, and a Norther Parula.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We decided to visit a park we had earlier in the week on the Friday, it was noticeable quieter, but we still had an enjoyable time.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJwZ235GSO-KKniFByk0lfJYIMiwmUGOv4eZejB21Dyj2n6QXMfdLFSHlyCY1q-PK8oVZ0tK1sys_z5lotIbTZkeegP63iHsQTnlX-HUqQ1dCUa1LnNxZzYrI9zhygkdHXPEmFx08zrbGi4sHh5hwjkni2Jsg0UmBenvJI8Q3v8d2ihopih0KxXFhZw/s4148/MP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJwZ235GSO-KKniFByk0lfJYIMiwmUGOv4eZejB21Dyj2n6QXMfdLFSHlyCY1q-PK8oVZ0tK1sys_z5lotIbTZkeegP63iHsQTnlX-HUqQ1dCUa1LnNxZzYrI9zhygkdHXPEmFx08zrbGi4sHh5hwjkni2Jsg0UmBenvJI8Q3v8d2ihopih0KxXFhZw/w400-h266/MP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Magnolia Warbler.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a mutual decision to remain at home on the weekend and enjoy the birds in our backyard, all the go, go, go was catching up to us. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpNK308Omdtgy0wyfdOFS64ROvep5-0asl9FuWkswiHCdU4PR2q0S0yTDU4Qlb4xyZgiBC66iPonkuVsHUgS4SASktbOJhKvPwaHb0Y3Ok38Mnz3r1F8l7W_8CY5uvv9a2jIgxC_x8c-L8X2cKx0I2mVOVeYITJa7PQ674F4isn4RSVXLYx_9W5pZBQ/s5184/May14B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpNK308Omdtgy0wyfdOFS64ROvep5-0asl9FuWkswiHCdU4PR2q0S0yTDU4Qlb4xyZgiBC66iPonkuVsHUgS4SASktbOJhKvPwaHb0Y3Ok38Mnz3r1F8l7W_8CY5uvv9a2jIgxC_x8c-L8X2cKx0I2mVOVeYITJa7PQ674F4isn4RSVXLYx_9W5pZBQ/w400-h266/May14B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Love when the Baltimore Orioles return to the yard.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLa-BPCMhTqUES74qFrJZcBmY_Al60SntQiLzpBWFF-I1bG_o4bnL_f74IkNWCLjWRe1EUVIXN41bGWWbAY2v1Nf0viSl61-kW0TztZ1pIfs_iA6XQ51yAAhmMAD2pF3OyZq3TGQDfzr5RGheP6ZSmSQW9sGvYmJEutvl38y_uJFN2Z2r_L6KSsbEuEw/s5184/may15A.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLa-BPCMhTqUES74qFrJZcBmY_Al60SntQiLzpBWFF-I1bG_o4bnL_f74IkNWCLjWRe1EUVIXN41bGWWbAY2v1Nf0viSl61-kW0TztZ1pIfs_iA6XQ51yAAhmMAD2pF3OyZq3TGQDfzr5RGheP6ZSmSQW9sGvYmJEutvl38y_uJFN2Z2r_L6KSsbEuEw/w400-h266/may15A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Baltimore Oriole couple enjoying a bath.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHmd79_PdPZzFbEc1ibFtVG0j3hhDXTQZJgTf7NRDmP2KHGVOEZ5KIdfpL1GxirfdAFHMlX6lRLQnzQzWh-VvZv4_g_O58ugPvI5KMOAslJOQy-4AZ-qlcfcY34bVzuB537wcEjSPI4x-wyHVzI-W5K8BmpFQGkYc7XrIPFjYSZckmuMWSmgvHgZ8tQ/s5184/May15B.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHmd79_PdPZzFbEc1ibFtVG0j3hhDXTQZJgTf7NRDmP2KHGVOEZ5KIdfpL1GxirfdAFHMlX6lRLQnzQzWh-VvZv4_g_O58ugPvI5KMOAslJOQy-4AZ-qlcfcY34bVzuB537wcEjSPI4x-wyHVzI-W5K8BmpFQGkYc7XrIPFjYSZckmuMWSmgvHgZ8tQ/w400-h266/May15B.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Is it just me, or do they look guilty?! </b></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a very busy, tiring and enjoyable week off. I look forward to doing it again next year!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /> <div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div> <br /><div><br /><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-25976269969482874752022-05-31T17:16:00.013-04:002022-05-31T18:40:37.445-04:00THE FIRST FOUR<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj41Y4Rubz2GcxWmN_SQrcoUCi7hBQ8AY9aZL0MlkEDOqYOo20XluwitCAyUyCATr_Cc2w_HdWLCjmznpTMr2cu6MaTURTFOFc2hd3c7NoULtHUE3nn--AFfum6bsoOIuNA_9qMZl2YAEbX-XGCUBA8eJ_UO_RLtslEb55CPd22sOPkUl4Nz7TjLMDQ/s1080/ValentinesDay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1080" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsj41Y4Rubz2GcxWmN_SQrcoUCi7hBQ8AY9aZL0MlkEDOqYOo20XluwitCAyUyCATr_Cc2w_HdWLCjmznpTMr2cu6MaTURTFOFc2hd3c7NoULtHUE3nn--AFfum6bsoOIuNA_9qMZl2YAEbX-XGCUBA8eJ_UO_RLtslEb55CPd22sOPkUl4Nz7TjLMDQ/w400-h245/ValentinesDay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Valentine's Day Cookies</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I am so behind in my blogging! I was going through my cell phone photos and decided a picture blog for the first four months of the year would have to suffice. My blog is like an online diary and now that I'm in my 50's a way to remember things. LOL!! Here's a little look at the first four months of 2022. <div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-q-GetDPnAnIRDSmSmGPGJolyjHHk1U_PQP2u3-S8x6ybZbjarMD8cSxlMFNSzChtOI61McLPnjYByEzedp00XjD9mJSIvHkAkTmT9OffOLVvv3g1BiwavfcEGuzEFnrRJikRdoy9SOzUXuc1FEfNfD-SISJLyM9fnUVptI1zm5XDANRHtcXb7DZlA/s2048/january%2017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-q-GetDPnAnIRDSmSmGPGJolyjHHk1U_PQP2u3-S8x6ybZbjarMD8cSxlMFNSzChtOI61McLPnjYByEzedp00XjD9mJSIvHkAkTmT9OffOLVvv3g1BiwavfcEGuzEFnrRJikRdoy9SOzUXuc1FEfNfD-SISJLyM9fnUVptI1zm5XDANRHtcXb7DZlA/w400-h300/january%2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>First real snow storm of the winter, January 17th. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzK3LwXk9LgRP2oFYXSeijvJwaK5tIPzMydSDqB30-guNDgRP5Hr9HgWC2Rz3uGBq4WoQdFDuzwp2rsS7rm7eSKZB3duLyHb4gwN4VjdAF5x9qN2_ehQvn6Dx2H9GtQkzVxpqUqRPJOx-E6oIaZ7iquvENYkQ4SiES8WXGS-Yu4pwVyI9KOZzC-2NPw/s1080/Snow%20Angel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzK3LwXk9LgRP2oFYXSeijvJwaK5tIPzMydSDqB30-guNDgRP5Hr9HgWC2Rz3uGBq4WoQdFDuzwp2rsS7rm7eSKZB3duLyHb4gwN4VjdAF5x9qN2_ehQvn6Dx2H9GtQkzVxpqUqRPJOx-E6oIaZ7iquvENYkQ4SiES8WXGS-Yu4pwVyI9KOZzC-2NPw/w400-h400/Snow%20Angel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>52 and still making snow angels!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUVgERH0U5BiCbhAxtJftxenW23-lNgP9Kjjv8dwpN_-3ZW0XRPGcEZwQb-974bt7Ac3KiiFLAUfAXZ24V9zJRQrUXudgsp7vy9Iimz_lylPtej3QVejGcuHW6_ZNp85Od2NFVwqUPQ-hAvPI5pLxUbQIyumzFSye9k2jmnA6EVE5IapgsgZS_YqVTw/s2048/Vday.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUVgERH0U5BiCbhAxtJftxenW23-lNgP9Kjjv8dwpN_-3ZW0XRPGcEZwQb-974bt7Ac3KiiFLAUfAXZ24V9zJRQrUXudgsp7vy9Iimz_lylPtej3QVejGcuHW6_ZNp85Od2NFVwqUPQ-hAvPI5pLxUbQIyumzFSye9k2jmnA6EVE5IapgsgZS_YqVTw/w400-h225/Vday.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>More Valentine's Day Cookies.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwFh_GQ4cAA-Sj6XkRYYaX8Iudwtx2PLCQGRdYvXVBBUpgU6Kx2mSjugLICAALUpV-e_teTls3wzTyVVZFPFUmlJoiiMWEzzkFeJV7M9I7K_8gIydEdfJMXBQWfrH8Tuhm1HqBHQVQIeh6cRLuaNQST61ptq5K0mk4pr4obXz49pA-zSTzIId7dlc4w/s2048/Cupcakes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwFh_GQ4cAA-Sj6XkRYYaX8Iudwtx2PLCQGRdYvXVBBUpgU6Kx2mSjugLICAALUpV-e_teTls3wzTyVVZFPFUmlJoiiMWEzzkFeJV7M9I7K_8gIydEdfJMXBQWfrH8Tuhm1HqBHQVQIeh6cRLuaNQST61ptq5K0mk4pr4obXz49pA-zSTzIId7dlc4w/w225-h400/Cupcakes.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>And Valentine's Day Cupcakes too!</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Family Day weekend we went to my Cousin Andi's for a delicious feast and visit. First one since Christmas and much needed.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoW9S3sojAJYsb7H0bF1RQSwr8RcVdaD1C7RS3GAhuu5QPGCnUoBmDng7iJ6dj3jDMdJ09EWTM3BMatZy9IWCaDzfxt4_JMF7Jtv5J3scy4O_oEF92G-ExfdBc97GmH295Lm8vTeREXnqMsQxDYaWXIGInATH0LmqYp0TPb0VPFUakhkSBZW3lXrCSQ/s2048/Prepping.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoW9S3sojAJYsb7H0bF1RQSwr8RcVdaD1C7RS3GAhuu5QPGCnUoBmDng7iJ6dj3jDMdJ09EWTM3BMatZy9IWCaDzfxt4_JMF7Jtv5J3scy4O_oEF92G-ExfdBc97GmH295Lm8vTeREXnqMsQxDYaWXIGInATH0LmqYp0TPb0VPFUakhkSBZW3lXrCSQ/w400-h300/Prepping.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Prepping....</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2GsTLa_e4LnKertqckd4j4P7fwNgqjoipfx3evOCIMc6_8QbZzfabB73coLbDpFQZboNfDLgQEL3ovFAnUSqhbLWgDSs0lU57kQDdjsSwsL9Ozid-DLN6NHrEWfRrLMQn4cDh0PSMdoJ4gmKcXg4fGPC1ui3xKTKpPGuMbuQYFIa15GK31OLYZn_4A/s2048/Salad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="2048" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2GsTLa_e4LnKertqckd4j4P7fwNgqjoipfx3evOCIMc6_8QbZzfabB73coLbDpFQZboNfDLgQEL3ovFAnUSqhbLWgDSs0lU57kQDdjsSwsL9Ozid-DLN6NHrEWfRrLMQn4cDh0PSMdoJ4gmKcXg4fGPC1ui3xKTKpPGuMbuQYFIa15GK31OLYZn_4A/w400-h276/Salad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cesar Salad to start. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxlULZXk6pE8sfouI7JaxKUyJ1qH-emEzmCFSTZ21ZEoEZd_QaLl9n5huA8LhdZNpv3kXhO609BZ7SPscEfK5Vj-c6SI5EvbPzXr9sle6qfl-ll3rNrNGs4TZ7DhWwwaOHYPYT5yd2wbyMMNVUcoj64P9HgHuargKwPpqxG5pyexNm7tLtOjx5HMR2A/s2048/Yummy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1879" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxlULZXk6pE8sfouI7JaxKUyJ1qH-emEzmCFSTZ21ZEoEZd_QaLl9n5huA8LhdZNpv3kXhO609BZ7SPscEfK5Vj-c6SI5EvbPzXr9sle6qfl-ll3rNrNGs4TZ7DhWwwaOHYPYT5yd2wbyMMNVUcoj64P9HgHuargKwPpqxG5pyexNm7tLtOjx5HMR2A/w400-h368/Yummy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My delicious dinner!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Rob and I finally made it to <a href="https://carlosbakery.ca/" target="_blank">Carlo's Bakery</a> in Port Credit in March. I'd been wanting to go since it</div><div>opened. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkppjal5jiNhqJ25zc-htDQwpyX_mTD4HWYlnO_riC-3V3pncJRNJtftJx4sHlP-acw4P94e8w5vdRVElgIBgBLWHFJBn_UAtGPDp6KqqZh8mEro4_gTcG6HKZBSzh4frnKe3pds3e6A5664MVwmooSgGMQeh0KN-WVYxvvAtCQzXCWbSCXLptl7FrCw/s2896/IMG_20220322_095741_908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2896" data-original-width="2896" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkppjal5jiNhqJ25zc-htDQwpyX_mTD4HWYlnO_riC-3V3pncJRNJtftJx4sHlP-acw4P94e8w5vdRVElgIBgBLWHFJBn_UAtGPDp6KqqZh8mEro4_gTcG6HKZBSzh4frnKe3pds3e6A5664MVwmooSgGMQeh0KN-WVYxvvAtCQzXCWbSCXLptl7FrCw/w400-h400/IMG_20220322_095741_908.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I hear they are opening a location in Yorkville this summer.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>First brunch of the year at our favorite brunch spot, <a href="https://toastonbloor.com/" target="_blank">Toast on Bloor</a> the end of March. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdIaqYB4-8gel5ysmTlS_L4fxmFvTRTdf2FjJBQ9VDlDswpHRuok_aijeEzjn4SqxXQULpBcrHcWZSonkto58TcDlU2D6L9_q7LOQ1GM3FYa51ne_LXqXa1NgHFuFdzC933XeOaPi5G7pFh5IfJvIAr5CdiJSJpCjhIvBRXRGel2jKz6KMHsTId0cGQ/s2048/Brunch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdIaqYB4-8gel5ysmTlS_L4fxmFvTRTdf2FjJBQ9VDlDswpHRuok_aijeEzjn4SqxXQULpBcrHcWZSonkto58TcDlU2D6L9_q7LOQ1GM3FYa51ne_LXqXa1NgHFuFdzC933XeOaPi5G7pFh5IfJvIAr5CdiJSJpCjhIvBRXRGel2jKz6KMHsTId0cGQ/w400-h400/Brunch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I love their coffee and Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I actually did a blog for our Easter Weekend, you can find that <a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2022/04/our-easter-weekend.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our fur babies Merry and Molly had their 7th birthday on April 30th. It's shocking to me that they are now considered senior cats when they still act like babies. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrk3p6tgw0O1KTPFuzV4L0pnoWTcbxrPieRRKVZCkwZCfda1j73Q6E8DvDEkvJ79wCQNj9ozUfRjOwycCSpmIawok1aJv3tJC6c9_qGSM8aBdzw4H21M1riqlOrQJknU19PTfkSXBQ9r_dG4LGJkTyXk8M8rNLJtZAyY7pkAidJTchis2Hx_JM4SkfdA/s2048/BirthdayDay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrk3p6tgw0O1KTPFuzV4L0pnoWTcbxrPieRRKVZCkwZCfda1j73Q6E8DvDEkvJ79wCQNj9ozUfRjOwycCSpmIawok1aJv3tJC6c9_qGSM8aBdzw4H21M1riqlOrQJknU19PTfkSXBQ9r_dG4LGJkTyXk8M8rNLJtZAyY7pkAidJTchis2Hx_JM4SkfdA/w400-h400/BirthdayDay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Happy Birthday to the "snuggle sisters!"</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNY75Eze_nA7kI_iJxICNQcsVFjEa_FBK5i0S8q8UXD74B5DNC4DRkPKDYCqSOnL5wI07AUwPP0_QeSVU3dWX1ixZ4pPZOxHF8USOivgm-WMtF8gc81_pFNUOiRgdruPrB_kLWR26rOW6YQXgSem5up6N0tzl2gVnLmfiNhDyW58_nQNkhgawUMjz6w/s1195/cake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="1195" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNY75Eze_nA7kI_iJxICNQcsVFjEa_FBK5i0S8q8UXD74B5DNC4DRkPKDYCqSOnL5wI07AUwPP0_QeSVU3dWX1ixZ4pPZOxHF8USOivgm-WMtF8gc81_pFNUOiRgdruPrB_kLWR26rOW6YQXgSem5up6N0tzl2gVnLmfiNhDyW58_nQNkhgawUMjz6w/w400-h379/cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Birthday cake for their human servants.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLaYH29RLjB1glV99GfSH3CwEw7oEteeB33GUkXg26tc2Gl5Fwz9QYgNqYwnNTSnfUDEevU6YEPTp5JDENtYw4NaRtGDOUe397EUtHwTCCH4mXA2ZulxtN8rNOzWi7i9q6bBn2-uG_nrveLknAQpwiEY9Yn4WXsX8loCTQpggc6RNWUDbeoHo7RKztQ/s1001/toy.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1001" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLaYH29RLjB1glV99GfSH3CwEw7oEteeB33GUkXg26tc2Gl5Fwz9QYgNqYwnNTSnfUDEevU6YEPTp5JDENtYw4NaRtGDOUe397EUtHwTCCH4mXA2ZulxtN8rNOzWi7i9q6bBn2-uG_nrveLknAQpwiEY9Yn4WXsX8loCTQpggc6RNWUDbeoHo7RKztQ/w400-h400/toy.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>They got this slithering snake for their birthday, Merry was scared of it, Molly was unsure of it.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table>Now, let's see if I can get my May vacation blog done before the end of June! Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-73598145210235443572022-04-18T15:22:00.007-04:002022-04-18T17:25:42.547-04:00OUR EASTER WEEKEND<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlhVjgcWc6ZGfkGuoUob9LRPu5EQKL-36W-LeSSAeGgaN03Gqmlll8jdneJT8l_dusRQnHyNgBTZd-eKMcsyOb5mzMTPGB2kkRt-8bXLRap1pwp2u2IXalA_f-OK8gQ1HEcFuDcv8H2hEQN2HBFiFvIzgGjMjfHMsoq-jE6dRIMeaj9LQYxrY_4HjSA/s3717/20220418_143055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2509" data-original-width="3717" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlhVjgcWc6ZGfkGuoUob9LRPu5EQKL-36W-LeSSAeGgaN03Gqmlll8jdneJT8l_dusRQnHyNgBTZd-eKMcsyOb5mzMTPGB2kkRt-8bXLRap1pwp2u2IXalA_f-OK8gQ1HEcFuDcv8H2hEQN2HBFiFvIzgGjMjfHMsoq-jE6dRIMeaj9LQYxrY_4HjSA/w400-h270/20220418_143055.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Adorable Easter Cupcakes for dessert on Good Friday.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I am behind on my blogging, but wanted to blog about our weekend while it was still fresh in my mind. It was the most enjoyable weekend we've had in a while, and was the perfect mix of family, friends, nature and time spent at home.</p><p>Good Friday we went to my Cousin Andi's for dinner. We hadn't had a visit since Family Day, so it was nice to catch up with her and Dave. We enjoyed a meal of ham, potatoes and vegetables. </p><p>Saturday morning had us up and out of the house by 9am, as reports of the first warblers arriving by Dave the day before had us visiting one of his favorite spots. Golden and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were in abundance. I enjoyed just standing still with them flitting all around me, closer than an arms length away. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYtFfINnWlEBeFKHmbMCGbeHOC4lEz4ljtWG2wFN_uTTG7g80eR8BCgct2KJ_vPoNJ1Qy3z16eTgnzn8e8xUuFe0n4j-IezWoQbfpgPlePuhUNLQQC4NxoIGo3ZafdvrvqP8uNa8PghXiY_b-vbB5plOme5VAwCHX9D0jGv2uhOEYnYWmcP2fHWKJjg/s4148/GC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYtFfINnWlEBeFKHmbMCGbeHOC4lEz4ljtWG2wFN_uTTG7g80eR8BCgct2KJ_vPoNJ1Qy3z16eTgnzn8e8xUuFe0n4j-IezWoQbfpgPlePuhUNLQQC4NxoIGo3ZafdvrvqP8uNa8PghXiY_b-vbB5plOme5VAwCHX9D0jGv2uhOEYnYWmcP2fHWKJjg/w400-h266/GC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Golden-crowned Kinglet</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mGS3FQpB3dBfTyiT-tkr8mYwWxCIK2dSTmQW8zpS9KE24BnPLggr_n8rnI2a0AbG71ROSSPf6FraAISPUsLUwwh0z_G2sNdpcarcqhq48FCmxtONKcW0bHNpKc6czvK9nNlC30MLanLypUDyQ-v-Z4Hsg2WieRGbNnS7DCH0nAQzs6VDHJCOmYprKQ/s3487/RC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="3487" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5mGS3FQpB3dBfTyiT-tkr8mYwWxCIK2dSTmQW8zpS9KE24BnPLggr_n8rnI2a0AbG71ROSSPf6FraAISPUsLUwwh0z_G2sNdpcarcqhq48FCmxtONKcW0bHNpKc6czvK9nNlC30MLanLypUDyQ-v-Z4Hsg2WieRGbNnS7DCH0nAQzs6VDHJCOmYprKQ/w400-h318/RC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ruby-crowned Kinglet</b></td></tr></tbody></table>We were also treated to our first warbler sightings of the season, seeing both Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers. Spring migration has all us birders a little twitchy to get out there and see who's arriving!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qfo77xA7Ub6YYXnJAgCEMbmDZNDLnYnZLlgvqrdIm8zVTV_aaRgu2dNUv9MLRNjjU1oDWmjpBPuBDs06585bq13QipeVp8s99DjIv-oB2L9OmXIbSxkwStd-x3RjYAmLhNIjQIjRFJ-x_j6pU8_9XA2Mp5WIEQ6khyN7XlolAAOfhbuYD9pPu7jo-A/s4148/ButterButt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qfo77xA7Ub6YYXnJAgCEMbmDZNDLnYnZLlgvqrdIm8zVTV_aaRgu2dNUv9MLRNjjU1oDWmjpBPuBDs06585bq13QipeVp8s99DjIv-oB2L9OmXIbSxkwStd-x3RjYAmLhNIjQIjRFJ-x_j6pU8_9XA2Mp5WIEQ6khyN7XlolAAOfhbuYD9pPu7jo-A/w400-h266/ButterButt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yellow-rumped Warbler, aka "butter butts", and you can see why here. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina_AAjzaHyv5YPmo2EEiP0pj92bEX9pZZk5BQYgEaP40lqN_vi2fzDWhbI-qNQriUQYAJ8nsvvNgM543eYvOmXAQi-RZBL9cqaZhs07Qc4qB5SVPu8Q5dqDSWpmNSPF17e01XrF93aghBGwHsVSbR1Bzpd75h-boOtYRNGZsoPibJ32945d0rbEh8gg/s5184/PW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEina_AAjzaHyv5YPmo2EEiP0pj92bEX9pZZk5BQYgEaP40lqN_vi2fzDWhbI-qNQriUQYAJ8nsvvNgM543eYvOmXAQi-RZBL9cqaZhs07Qc4qB5SVPu8Q5dqDSWpmNSPF17e01XrF93aghBGwHsVSbR1Bzpd75h-boOtYRNGZsoPibJ32945d0rbEh8gg/w400-h266/PW.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pine Warbler</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Dave tells me the Palm Warblers are next to arrive, so maybe we'll see them this coming weekend. Fingers crossed!<div><br /></div><div>As per tradition in my family, our winter hat is set out the Saturday night before Easter Sunday for the Easter Bunny to fill, and he always does. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq2wZBwRZziHBhgPdKv3CY6R7qK4hhwnbzOxY5-YZVHA2Aqp9_wzyQUSHP3qoqrm32M3XSi1WRQlvKdnkSzTNiiqHXgXC065d4Gh0rnugeTQuQ3FuJyqguRxcrLBHQbw00SsMhivPF4K5dKnEmjnVnrDECUHNau6bzWAmjwv1ESonHc2hmy5DXe4R2w/s2048/EasterHts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="2048" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq2wZBwRZziHBhgPdKv3CY6R7qK4hhwnbzOxY5-YZVHA2Aqp9_wzyQUSHP3qoqrm32M3XSi1WRQlvKdnkSzTNiiqHXgXC065d4Gh0rnugeTQuQ3FuJyqguRxcrLBHQbw00SsMhivPF4K5dKnEmjnVnrDECUHNau6bzWAmjwv1ESonHc2hmy5DXe4R2w/w400-h258/EasterHts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The goodies the Easter Bunny left for us.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I baked a chicken for Easter dinner, but before we got around to cleaning up the kitchen we decided to go for an early evening walk in a park close to home. We weren't even out of the car and I spotted a fox Rob had seen earlier in the week. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDvM0kGfAqskxDyTZHc8EwaIo0Pd9e83jk4RIt3fRr0noO2TWTjhPZcZAuGtHF6LyGTM9Zlnzn5tjwz6hZi62IihSFCqrocY9xt4rPd5UQuq0vj_OFfJ8PSMsDhKpk4EqPk87OBzK2oVIr7PYaZ6GODYK1SR0Dyj8OWdAn4aIHhWGpP60HXJSHSObvA/s5184/foxwithangie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDvM0kGfAqskxDyTZHc8EwaIo0Pd9e83jk4RIt3fRr0noO2TWTjhPZcZAuGtHF6LyGTM9Zlnzn5tjwz6hZi62IihSFCqrocY9xt4rPd5UQuq0vj_OFfJ8PSMsDhKpk4EqPk87OBzK2oVIr7PYaZ6GODYK1SR0Dyj8OWdAn4aIHhWGpP60HXJSHSObvA/w400-h266/foxwithangie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Thrilled to see this beauty. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuaAXE9vlrAkEQN9P7asYtV_3S3bNQtQJBKltnSGORwfonEufSfDINNBnk3-c4z_YmjE5S1bTTtrPt84j5CIEQ9CQPtIvS5tlzDwHGxYUUV2McCdXgjVW_rGiB7iVNGtg7YOhhyWdhZQKlZbP1AIQENoEOc3oh8UKSNVQ-KxAQUHfLewI5exCEtFJ3w/s5184/kingfisherwithangie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuaAXE9vlrAkEQN9P7asYtV_3S3bNQtQJBKltnSGORwfonEufSfDINNBnk3-c4z_YmjE5S1bTTtrPt84j5CIEQ9CQPtIvS5tlzDwHGxYUUV2McCdXgjVW_rGiB7iVNGtg7YOhhyWdhZQKlZbP1AIQENoEOc3oh8UKSNVQ-KxAQUHfLewI5exCEtFJ3w/w400-h266/kingfisherwithangie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We also enjoyed watching this Belted Kingfisher fly around.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><div>We also spotted the Easter Bunny while we were driving into the park. How lucky is that, to see the Easter Bunny on Easter! (Not Rob's photo, but our view none the less)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfBklrHfdl0mFeR5LNG5Ttt_-m9kWF5-vxGN4NxYBVCGw24AMJb59L90IsLSUWclTyV0v4dBTP2VBuzIwCOLEKmoUFZhsqipSbvTH1ef1VfCQ131YqlAhquufDivz2LBcTDFB4qbA9ZQtAJ7XOUBJLKoRwJrFD-taxmYfgMgzLGzDZc-ppJlLmvfj_Q/s960/EB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="960" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfBklrHfdl0mFeR5LNG5Ttt_-m9kWF5-vxGN4NxYBVCGw24AMJb59L90IsLSUWclTyV0v4dBTP2VBuzIwCOLEKmoUFZhsqipSbvTH1ef1VfCQ131YqlAhquufDivz2LBcTDFB4qbA9ZQtAJ7XOUBJLKoRwJrFD-taxmYfgMgzLGzDZc-ppJlLmvfj_Q/w400-h265/EB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Eastern Cottontail.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I had booked today off to make it a four day weekend, and met with my friend, Pat, for brunch at one of my favorite local restaurants, <a href="https://toastonbloor.com/" target="_blank">Toast on Bloor.</a> We both enjoyed the Norwegian Eggs Benedict.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvEsiQ_4YIQPNy-psfjgErX01YUwCRy8pFoTppGfAoMONmFJ6yt2H97ktaqWpFX7Tf5RFwLIXzAXtrzWXDDfyuMX-72RT2y0DVW7UQBtZOFad4IzV0GbI5fQmq0NyrJoEOm7TatiVHDKiJb7LGQkFWiZt1Oc3rXhPgz_zA6j3UsOqmeCNQx3yfK3Pqg/s4286/20220326_155248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2580" data-original-width="4286" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvEsiQ_4YIQPNy-psfjgErX01YUwCRy8pFoTppGfAoMONmFJ6yt2H97ktaqWpFX7Tf5RFwLIXzAXtrzWXDDfyuMX-72RT2y0DVW7UQBtZOFad4IzV0GbI5fQmq0NyrJoEOm7TatiVHDKiJb7LGQkFWiZt1Oc3rXhPgz_zA6j3UsOqmeCNQx3yfK3Pqg/w400-h241/20220326_155248.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My favorite breakfast at Toast on Bloor.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a lovely long weekend and I'm sorry to see it come to an end. <br /> <br /><div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-90873957024245960962022-02-28T15:09:00.000-05:002022-02-28T15:09:23.468-05:00THE LAST DAY OF 2021 <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxH3eI0mjfXj88PHmIC6XtsicrDuVDp-crd43X4hadBMil-YWWM0tKwKv3Ibu4uOTGdpWRKw9mNBiVANgLrR5Zlcu2zvJvq-kEFJdxyFlR_arXwpFw0P4DGyUkrZBgBURir68yBYDpBxHBAE0ukbaAFzUUutguBfTClcrCDDozemvU2cxDSqtI2he8hA=s1200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxH3eI0mjfXj88PHmIC6XtsicrDuVDp-crd43X4hadBMil-YWWM0tKwKv3Ibu4uOTGdpWRKw9mNBiVANgLrR5Zlcu2zvJvq-kEFJdxyFlR_arXwpFw0P4DGyUkrZBgBURir68yBYDpBxHBAE0ukbaAFzUUutguBfTClcrCDDozemvU2cxDSqtI2he8hA=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Merry was very interested in our last meal of the year.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Rob had December 31st off which allowed us to get out for a nice nature walk that morning. We were treated to some nice owl sightings. Rob spotted a Great Horned Owl almost as soon as we started our walk, and I found my third Long-eared Owl. We also enjoyed hand feeding some Chickadees before we returned home. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYw9Nl8vQPZLJSdgm-H4SRwgFZuRAUHZihFJ9c5ysTd4y3J-isAdknCsP836y-uW5HFg-UJNteqhDKbkJULMwc_eyzGLKl7QgjCNL22g9wIljkU6Pc69oyGFC3_OIaWEtUWtfq9V5_TAAD-xTr3_UORY3RcJO_Ub2MC-i0BKmnFtoCKjdCOcLg-yu8EQ=s4148" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYw9Nl8vQPZLJSdgm-H4SRwgFZuRAUHZihFJ9c5ysTd4y3J-isAdknCsP836y-uW5HFg-UJNteqhDKbkJULMwc_eyzGLKl7QgjCNL22g9wIljkU6Pc69oyGFC3_OIaWEtUWtfq9V5_TAAD-xTr3_UORY3RcJO_Ub2MC-i0BKmnFtoCKjdCOcLg-yu8EQ=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Great Horned Owl.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTWgV1Tw0jfOsACWpbIR_Lu1JrJaE6cPBi-NAiX09fvAIfPjNscTU1lrmsTeejNaB0arVMuWKYOVIowM5yZprpqwX-YhoeQioAZ5VAgOBmM6f4kZvLwRmmUFCVr-vmipdLmLNhsW7b_pTfeRYkDlWHrVyPT20SL4FgP8_7P6zRfCgUDb6WmW7kS0zmfg=s4148" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="4148" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTWgV1Tw0jfOsACWpbIR_Lu1JrJaE6cPBi-NAiX09fvAIfPjNscTU1lrmsTeejNaB0arVMuWKYOVIowM5yZprpqwX-YhoeQioAZ5VAgOBmM6f4kZvLwRmmUFCVr-vmipdLmLNhsW7b_pTfeRYkDlWHrVyPT20SL4FgP8_7P6zRfCgUDb6WmW7kS0zmfg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Long-eared Owl.</b></td></tr></tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT-_vgJayjVEW8hRtxSFvHXNtK4cB37t-ALdq1hY12BLdUVd3QXsPvZrDPB7BmQe69fy168v3gWonuiyceqezI_2DjdrxFvAH1B-be_ofJAPGeWRg0CvK7tc6ldVbtIUr7XTZoN0BXDpJMbM5hSTOeE2z3bHMDqn2fcYo4dCN5u-iHwj0RyXntiXFkA=s1303" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1303" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJT-_vgJayjVEW8hRtxSFvHXNtK4cB37t-ALdq1hY12BLdUVd3QXsPvZrDPB7BmQe69fy168v3gWonuiyceqezI_2DjdrxFvAH1B-be_ofJAPGeWRg0CvK7tc6ldVbtIUr7XTZoN0BXDpJMbM5hSTOeE2z3bHMDqn2fcYo4dCN5u-iHwj0RyXntiXFkA=w400-h343" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hand feeding a Chickadee.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Rob and I have never gone out for New Years Eve, or even gotten together to celebrate with friends. It's always been just the two of us with our pet family, so it was as normal as it's always been. I made a nice dinner, and we watched a lot of the 4th season of Cobra Kai which dropped that day on Netflix. As always, I'm thrilled if I make it to midnight, which I did. Might not sound too exciting to some, but we enjoyed our evening. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDl7oMjuZI0HUp6CtXCLrZDBSNhxJy88Ojy9rQrILqg0A0NxX4Qi1Pg6CM7EQaOF9hR0HzpLcu3I7kIWlO0wd2wHmm8BM83OUUJD3uJgu21LYHrmwia0XWObATR5Nl9_4tGgJOsqj1mP90iFUZ8fNh1Z5EFlMmICXiLwQAB2O2Th_mJBUJP3o2ta6msQ=s1000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDl7oMjuZI0HUp6CtXCLrZDBSNhxJy88Ojy9rQrILqg0A0NxX4Qi1Pg6CM7EQaOF9hR0HzpLcu3I7kIWlO0wd2wHmm8BM83OUUJD3uJgu21LYHrmwia0XWObATR5Nl9_4tGgJOsqj1mP90iFUZ8fNh1Z5EFlMmICXiLwQAB2O2Th_mJBUJP3o2ta6msQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New Years Eve Dinner, we were too full for dessert. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-32178211985956390102022-01-29T13:24:00.000-05:002022-01-29T13:24:47.563-05:00CHRISTMAS 2021<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbtfU4v06SPkYNjRSeLIvt7DvMZbSsLd6i1RjdEQjWlbd3Lowi5kFUNPaQME7_YOayw2juOSIRNrph38GpyMbilCwOUZzUE9xF-6fbp9d99pyTGqpdiLQPrr8LyJjqqvTzT2IHmXJOTJFFZl1nIsNisTQRQ2nnKltC1nOY_GPK2TdHWiqQRPdY3JVa9Q=s6000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbtfU4v06SPkYNjRSeLIvt7DvMZbSsLd6i1RjdEQjWlbd3Lowi5kFUNPaQME7_YOayw2juOSIRNrph38GpyMbilCwOUZzUE9xF-6fbp9d99pyTGqpdiLQPrr8LyJjqqvTzT2IHmXJOTJFFZl1nIsNisTQRQ2nnKltC1nOY_GPK2TdHWiqQRPdY3JVa9Q=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A special cake for a special dinner.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here it is the end of January and I'm just getting around to doing a blog about Christmas. Unfortunately, Rob and I both had Covid19 to welcome the new year, he brought it home from work the end of December. It's taken a few weeks to get my energy back. But, enough about that, this blog is about our almost normal Christmas. </div><p>We were once again able to join my cousin and her husband for our Christmas gathering a week before Christmas. She always cooks a delicious feast and I bring dessert. Since we didn't get together to do this in 2020, I wanted a show stopper of a cake for our dessert on December 18th, and <a href="https://www.cakestar.ca/" target="_blank">Cake Stars</a> delivered! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVN1qaJhqRRMPq6E5vmdTxEde-88wFGO3O_NnaPkyUoDyRzvK2hVIWDPJ3Bs821P1dLz3aOZjC6m5Z9ZdsGHh9Anw7Bxk4tDvPXakWQfM7v1NdrHUd-Pf70Htxjbt6TLaLCOukizNw9HUYj4tzV4HAODAgGmAhi3KTo1PrO4xAdylR3u8zpcDrUeVbRA=s6000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVN1qaJhqRRMPq6E5vmdTxEde-88wFGO3O_NnaPkyUoDyRzvK2hVIWDPJ3Bs821P1dLz3aOZjC6m5Z9ZdsGHh9Anw7Bxk4tDvPXakWQfM7v1NdrHUd-Pf70Htxjbt6TLaLCOukizNw9HUYj4tzV4HAODAgGmAhi3KTo1PrO4xAdylR3u8zpcDrUeVbRA=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Together at Xmas time again!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Since we haven't had a big Xmas tree since adopting Merry & Molly, I always enjoy Dave and Andi's tree when we are there. It was a very enjoyable evening, wonderful meal, drinks, and gift exchange. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL4Up3MrH3sspe_jboVoIP-gQsy3ycQ3G2h9nNrXHBXQCSA5uHBXUHeSVxsRYYM1jxo7ExHftwOXEggIOuXHw3UPfmGUIP81y7MM2Tl4XjmFz0tCpaIqoP9HCUXVIfiVFkPJG1we_DpXQ-VQ1joUOKeHy1JquSyu9DqFfVsgXcQS3a34c4Y_W7qYf0Dw=s4608" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2592" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL4Up3MrH3sspe_jboVoIP-gQsy3ycQ3G2h9nNrXHBXQCSA5uHBXUHeSVxsRYYM1jxo7ExHftwOXEggIOuXHw3UPfmGUIP81y7MM2Tl4XjmFz0tCpaIqoP9HCUXVIfiVFkPJG1we_DpXQ-VQ1joUOKeHy1JquSyu9DqFfVsgXcQS3a34c4Y_W7qYf0Dw=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Their gorgeous Xmas tree.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTMHODjOS_QCsFRpfc0p-ULxrJvnu8lSK35T-hfsQR2EL03TrYm0Y2l_VV0fJwP9nW9U0evqjUCn-EHX_fXsmV6OBf6I5HcIW645hxi1YpxR-W2lrqsKPwzOzxU5SQ70f0g4hyACmgv-avNcjzlpDdOxVFkd2beUs1kR8ndgzC9-urS4RuhBOGFXkYTg=s6000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTMHODjOS_QCsFRpfc0p-ULxrJvnu8lSK35T-hfsQR2EL03TrYm0Y2l_VV0fJwP9nW9U0evqjUCn-EHX_fXsmV6OBf6I5HcIW645hxi1YpxR-W2lrqsKPwzOzxU5SQ70f0g4hyACmgv-avNcjzlpDdOxVFkd2beUs1kR8ndgzC9-urS4RuhBOGFXkYTg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Closer look at the edible Cardinal.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>If I know Andi, the fondant Cardinal is in her freezer, as he was "too pretty" to eat.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ZEPbSjVGSIgr78aDUVGerm4LiposNL490hTLvMb5y3B6F753aOu2xn6KiRXcLUSlZXiZ6GOPyIBIUgZHaA9jIKjI8QstjpWfM9J2iB7TE5hPbXlUbbXqBGUoVmbnDi6uyrJnXI0OcsLh_AY862fMPsX0aeDdE7hHS9ebGX0Lf76Wd2wCF3GKkzLvNA=s3016" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3016" data-original-width="2528" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ZEPbSjVGSIgr78aDUVGerm4LiposNL490hTLvMb5y3B6F753aOu2xn6KiRXcLUSlZXiZ6GOPyIBIUgZHaA9jIKjI8QstjpWfM9J2iB7TE5hPbXlUbbXqBGUoVmbnDi6uyrJnXI0OcsLh_AY862fMPsX0aeDdE7hHS9ebGX0Lf76Wd2wCF3GKkzLvNA=w335-h400" width="335" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We couldn't stop staring at this cake, it was like a work of art!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Closer to Christmas I did my Christmas baking, Cherry Balls, Candy Cane Blossoms, and Short Bread Cookies. The bounty went to co-workers, friends and neighbors.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdpZyTQLX5-A9YtMgwAyL6cI43kGaCTg4me_OexfwFd4IuxFqa7x-SzFGeREvHTVIo8zl6YZ4uUcmo5V88qeLrGRrwQaaw9Q7J7TR7mp131h2fOVNDXoxy_jOXMH5xHNaLQcBEpfBocHndrOW6pf0PCq96TLgSsRpxSOtMFDu_-nduzlwhMrWgUGrkmQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdpZyTQLX5-A9YtMgwAyL6cI43kGaCTg4me_OexfwFd4IuxFqa7x-SzFGeREvHTVIo8zl6YZ4uUcmo5V88qeLrGRrwQaaw9Q7J7TR7mp131h2fOVNDXoxy_jOXMH5xHNaLQcBEpfBocHndrOW6pf0PCq96TLgSsRpxSOtMFDu_-nduzlwhMrWgUGrkmQ=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Shortbread Cookies ready for the oven.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I carried on the Christmas Eve Lobster Chowder tradition even though I was the only one to enjoy it. I made a half pot, and it was delicious!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8DUnpLBb5h7Z_L4NXDp4EX48lbYGSitx6yRzsUSJNvTNKx1BPdN6X2hgi8YfP5hq-Js1vaYaEEwdak0WBenlD9GCS_nxTLI95rLT-UgEJp2Cd-BxMO2cIq-iKaCHjBWVTtj3dUgClQ3ttGnRhn6SzS0orVr5K93LaY5sGmVHYtsK99fwSgUxP1q0SYw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8DUnpLBb5h7Z_L4NXDp4EX48lbYGSitx6yRzsUSJNvTNKx1BPdN6X2hgi8YfP5hq-Js1vaYaEEwdak0WBenlD9GCS_nxTLI95rLT-UgEJp2Cd-BxMO2cIq-iKaCHjBWVTtj3dUgClQ3ttGnRhn6SzS0orVr5K93LaY5sGmVHYtsK99fwSgUxP1q0SYw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>It's not Xmas if I don't make Lobster Chowder.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Santa found Rob and I again, and after an enjoyable Christmas morning at home we went over to his parents for Christmas dinner with his family. They don't like picture taking, so I have none to share, but we enjoyed dinner and being together again.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgff_ros1b3rBeJS2QNfUZf4r3-nf7vtRAwRT9nPxut6_JsQc1xcMaPSipd45RXLcx83t09z7cp16zlOZ9cS2TJVYdI5WH_N7OlQKrfjNAv3L94ZWrl7ziSHHlweSsg3RekPoCjxf-uMGtRfvdMCv5mWkIEvBxg8pm-7t3ZXGkEP3PZ3jddpzTqh-jviw=s3538" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3538" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgff_ros1b3rBeJS2QNfUZf4r3-nf7vtRAwRT9nPxut6_JsQc1xcMaPSipd45RXLcx83t09z7cp16zlOZ9cS2TJVYdI5WH_N7OlQKrfjNAv3L94ZWrl7ziSHHlweSsg3RekPoCjxf-uMGtRfvdMCv5mWkIEvBxg8pm-7t3ZXGkEP3PZ3jddpzTqh-jviw=w400-h293" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My haul from Santa.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTaGHKrQaKx2VOSVareX3USgbsZOvmf1-ElDb9YNYtAPorLeGQHLpKnsNV0u1qJYCHtfs4X2IjETbBpxptGBxlKbS0v5rBPKHyAsQ2omMUnPILm3UTaWrutPd6v6oRItMxlYDfJW5xnwmG6t229-SB_Zt75LMjiBXHXeWV2A1Pn5M1wUaGTZogoFO6Lg=s3105" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3105" data-original-width="2532" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTaGHKrQaKx2VOSVareX3USgbsZOvmf1-ElDb9YNYtAPorLeGQHLpKnsNV0u1qJYCHtfs4X2IjETbBpxptGBxlKbS0v5rBPKHyAsQ2omMUnPILm3UTaWrutPd6v6oRItMxlYDfJW5xnwmG6t229-SB_Zt75LMjiBXHXeWV2A1Pn5M1wUaGTZogoFO6Lg=w326-h400" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rob's haul from Santa.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgapftME2yoKnQf5uFsQ5EWiSkKhBgTCbaBdOO6zpuPy_cEnzjIRP-wvjuE-ODipdZZLkF_87A4-WCsTBISWPQ_mJWLAhy_5Hsn7tEiCgYY_5GrF3ggkLB6bA6aHlIJnHITbJseU1LXny6Gz4pT3rdZzkDyRySIRoevmZQe8UTphdXJfd2poh6Dqbm4Q=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgapftME2yoKnQf5uFsQ5EWiSkKhBgTCbaBdOO6zpuPy_cEnzjIRP-wvjuE-ODipdZZLkF_87A4-WCsTBISWPQ_mJWLAhy_5Hsn7tEiCgYY_5GrF3ggkLB6bA6aHlIJnHITbJseU1LXny6Gz4pT3rdZzkDyRySIRoevmZQe8UTphdXJfd2poh6Dqbm4Q=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sugar Cookies for Dolce Custom Cookies.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I hope you all had a lovely Christmas too!<br /><div><br /></div></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-43991625776257853182021-12-23T12:11:00.004-05:002021-12-23T12:11:42.918-05:00STROLLING THROUGH MY CHRISTMAS MEMORIES<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihlINW8vWCLLkBRqsHVwbYPAW-xtoJ-7pMKGF-M1OrmkLy_Nl357g2YloUxqO8jwrYRnZNvN08wbP9Ues8-7H2Ji4ajO-S80MPKj4oZ6jTpnpGQkw4Uby0lNDGvsaTpFcq9L8r4yRjIRPDQ7o1h4FwtSVJt_hPx0oHCocJAQAPvDVJJ8iLrr37Uxklfg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1816" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihlINW8vWCLLkBRqsHVwbYPAW-xtoJ-7pMKGF-M1OrmkLy_Nl357g2YloUxqO8jwrYRnZNvN08wbP9Ues8-7H2Ji4ajO-S80MPKj4oZ6jTpnpGQkw4Uby0lNDGvsaTpFcq9L8r4yRjIRPDQ7o1h4FwtSVJt_hPx0oHCocJAQAPvDVJJ8iLrr37Uxklfg=w355-h400" width="355" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Me, way back when.....</b></td></tr></tbody></table>I always get a little sentimental around the holidays, but this year that seems to be magnified. Maybe it's my age, or maybe it's because this is my first Christmas without any living parents. Even though I didn't spend every Christmas with them since leaving home, it was always a comfort to know they were just a phone call away.<p></p><p>The Christmas's of my childhood were magical. My Mom did everything she could to make them special. Decorations all over the house, special foods, and Santa always left a special gift and stuffed stocking for each of us. We spent the majority of my childhood Christmas's at my Nannie Levy's, those trips were full of family, fun and food. My head has so many Christmas memories bouncing around in it this year, and even though I may shed a few tears, I laugh and smile too. Thankfully I have a husband who will listen to me ramble on about things that happened decades ago in another province. </p><p>My last Christmas living at home in Nova Scotia before moving to Ontario was in 1988. After spending two Christmas's in Ontario with my older brother Jeff, I returned home for Christmas in 1991. My Mom was so excited she literally jumped up and down with joy when she saw me coming down the escalator at the Halifax airport. Little did we know at the time, but her joy was about to double. On Christmas Eve the back door opened and my brother walked through it. It was a surprise to all of us, even me. That Christmas was thirty years ago this year. That was the last Christmas all four of us were together. It was thirty years ago, but I can remember that evening like it was yesterday. If you would like to read more about that Hallmark Christmas moment, <a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2016/12/a-magical-moment.html" target="_blank">click here</a>. </p><p>I traveled home a few more times over the years at Christmas time, but the two dates that stand out the most are 2010, the last Christmas with my Mom, and 2017 when Dad, Rob, and I all flew to Alberta to spend Christmas with Jeff and his family, the last time the three of us would be together. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIqwBsmNR4dM6uC5luR1QOyJvMUMbCg7OIEGDnJCT4QNc7oK4VJPPWBC4c8DBRnFkDjoO0k-qqY6F78ZP7IFU71HBf6bnIonixrFibcvrxrgmeBDTRW4xc-IKi4aHWqi-EASKWurkcZtpmAwXdURCxX-XE3GI9sP05zWbFT3TGVbbbCDoZGXRy57LWZA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="2048" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIqwBsmNR4dM6uC5luR1QOyJvMUMbCg7OIEGDnJCT4QNc7oK4VJPPWBC4c8DBRnFkDjoO0k-qqY6F78ZP7IFU71HBf6bnIonixrFibcvrxrgmeBDTRW4xc-IKi4aHWqi-EASKWurkcZtpmAwXdURCxX-XE3GI9sP05zWbFT3TGVbbbCDoZGXRy57LWZA=w400-h269" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Last Xmas with Mom, 2010. We had no idea how sick she was at the time</b>. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsMTrye2IBZ96k-N0332ByExsDG9osEmvLE0TXNxL_f7O384tmIWY8511YKD8ow3nEPYCxQ4ya4emDUj6hxIOjZNonkBMm6nE7ELNvYRB0QW8dsdrPpVPlBHdQGmhWSPApliINQRdZZ_ON34sYSr46BN1KvDkP9psEZi6o0v6prdtsLZoqab1E2227Kg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsMTrye2IBZ96k-N0332ByExsDG9osEmvLE0TXNxL_f7O384tmIWY8511YKD8ow3nEPYCxQ4ya4emDUj6hxIOjZNonkBMm6nE7ELNvYRB0QW8dsdrPpVPlBHdQGmhWSPApliINQRdZZ_ON34sYSr46BN1KvDkP9psEZi6o0v6prdtsLZoqab1E2227Kg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Christmas 2017</b></td></tr></tbody></table>When Dad passed away this past April I went digging through old photo albums, where I found these pictures of my brother and I. I have no idea what year it is or who took them, but they make me smile. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhICwu2z2q7lnfvXij1Yemj7S-FptuwK9AvgAmTJ1wJlQq1_fP_HqCKnVBSKIp2ycT97qaFxlfkH9AnyDyUVZXuMZCd1576TRUV7X9PbPdZeUfodGsl1xcTadLh5s9NjmBWnCXxbkHxXayFBbyguQaCM2mS6OvjGuEGcx0Mfu2rnq8XooDV98FlyHqbYA=s2788" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2788" data-original-width="2356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhICwu2z2q7lnfvXij1Yemj7S-FptuwK9AvgAmTJ1wJlQq1_fP_HqCKnVBSKIp2ycT97qaFxlfkH9AnyDyUVZXuMZCd1576TRUV7X9PbPdZeUfodGsl1xcTadLh5s9NjmBWnCXxbkHxXayFBbyguQaCM2mS6OvjGuEGcx0Mfu2rnq8XooDV98FlyHqbYA=w338-h400" width="338" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbNp7mas8dNTlJmOrxLyRpKZAXfaO3aLc2Fsbl7bG8e9BCczsxb0GQN2kKZFIE-ojCX1lxlhwdeZVAxIS474A-EI-EN85OV_yav6BqgC-9e7_a8gW5HrsmuQHP_T_rYUVSR30KEzPl-WLnN2nwmSoyNAUcUX6NH0KKrd-4GaQhPQgq7Vj5u53btvxUZg=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1655" data-original-width="2048" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbNp7mas8dNTlJmOrxLyRpKZAXfaO3aLc2Fsbl7bG8e9BCczsxb0GQN2kKZFIE-ojCX1lxlhwdeZVAxIS474A-EI-EN85OV_yav6BqgC-9e7_a8gW5HrsmuQHP_T_rYUVSR30KEzPl-WLnN2nwmSoyNAUcUX6NH0KKrd-4GaQhPQgq7Vj5u53btvxUZg=w400-h324" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1W2fRsUGFU7NVnVqI8hZjLSPPZnykzf3bYhINYzB5fuZNhZrYFOPBLGr8bmxK3d906R3uuIv5pZTCV7OTEdkOf1VkINCMYcaGSMEa-NybkcvPrR3tecS1l9NQaELUtv-WH5JAkH88dxsjjcFkSEJptD-48hXa3Qd-EJDb87y_2sdDQps1TtbTS45fQ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1W2fRsUGFU7NVnVqI8hZjLSPPZnykzf3bYhINYzB5fuZNhZrYFOPBLGr8bmxK3d906R3uuIv5pZTCV7OTEdkOf1VkINCMYcaGSMEa-NybkcvPrR3tecS1l9NQaELUtv-WH5JAkH88dxsjjcFkSEJptD-48hXa3Qd-EJDb87y_2sdDQps1TtbTS45fQ=w225-h400" width="225" /></a></div><br /> <br /><p>Christmas was, is, and will always be a special time of year, even though it changes. This year, again, is going to be a very different Christmas for us all, but I will do as I was raised to do, "make the best of it", and I hope you do too.</p><p>I've blogged about Christmas a few times over the years, I've included the links to previous years if you're so inclined. </p><p><a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2009/11/pot-of-gold.html" target="_blank">2009 - Pot of Gold</a></p><p><a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2011/12/time-greatest-gift.html" target="_blank">2011 - Time - The Greatest Gift</a></p><p><a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2013/12/an-old-christmas-card.html" target="_blank">2013 - An Old Christmas Card</a></p><p><a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2015/12/christmas-changes.html" target="_blank">2015 - Christmas Changes</a></p><p><a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2017/12/christmas-cards-lost-tradition.html" target="_blank">2017 - Christmas Cards, a Lost Tradition?</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-27307655506608621522021-12-17T16:17:00.000-05:002021-12-17T16:17:44.968-05:00COUNTRY BRIGHT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihgvRXgJvjHe6SpgmhBTeljQxnGUn7O2tgo6cqNTM_T2GLSDoW6gMU_R1Ntg-hvX9UbzlOAZtaPb-oxLyodEqJIExVNiUpAjFfGbVjVKsiovqlqVu9EMb6tnSr0euxy-NOFsi_TnmuY43vRzL8346aOUKCDCnurr0izt7yzFEbhaYk04CG5YAoBhtq5A=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihgvRXgJvjHe6SpgmhBTeljQxnGUn7O2tgo6cqNTM_T2GLSDoW6gMU_R1Ntg-hvX9UbzlOAZtaPb-oxLyodEqJIExVNiUpAjFfGbVjVKsiovqlqVu9EMb6tnSr0euxy-NOFsi_TnmuY43vRzL8346aOUKCDCnurr0izt7yzFEbhaYk04CG5YAoBhtq5A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>When Rob and I take the week of our anniversary off, I always like to do something "Christmasy", this year is was <a href="https://www.countrybright.ca/ontario/?gclid=CjwKCAiAh_GNBhAHEiwAjOh3ZLjypoU4f-WiwrqGNiCmlASFfQYWpKvNHcMwqIKYiqr1eFJ1BI9jBxoCfnEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Country Bright</a>, taking place in Milton. </p><p>It was a walk through thousands of Christmas light displays while Christmas music played in the background. There were also food trucks, treat stands and even Santa Claus!</p><p>Please enjoy a few photos of our stroll that Rob took with his phone. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW_KjuAmzPbnYBPLZi7hFsOrNUrUibVs1eFXZ16u11SYrRHqkX5SnQ8MwPcJtAQjoC1JhzJ8AUtoT1zfN-ufj1lTfcWT4OBL283zIZSGrS4VESVmzJuojTAsqzJNP9w95EpMvIA3O4I2zUHO2udAW3DOA1xWXrEOurRazyBSzPUIalD9_QDImu_Xrndw=s1581" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1581" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW_KjuAmzPbnYBPLZi7hFsOrNUrUibVs1eFXZ16u11SYrRHqkX5SnQ8MwPcJtAQjoC1JhzJ8AUtoT1zfN-ufj1lTfcWT4OBL283zIZSGrS4VESVmzJuojTAsqzJNP9w95EpMvIA3O4I2zUHO2udAW3DOA1xWXrEOurRazyBSzPUIalD9_QDImu_Xrndw=w400-h270" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb9LJPToIKii0SeGDGU7p4480zB1UQwJtMSKiFTh_tXSfMoqmgt-xeid2t65ofY-E7dbB1nVu3vnr-PgzGqwjRQjVGQ9J5G4UPUwUkViIF_1r_woTtF12mGreUQHAv153c3b-92tPMJypZuAT7H6oxF9F8GX3Rr0iEKIAqGw8aVE2o4pZEBb0IBrQMBw=s850" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="850" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhb9LJPToIKii0SeGDGU7p4480zB1UQwJtMSKiFTh_tXSfMoqmgt-xeid2t65ofY-E7dbB1nVu3vnr-PgzGqwjRQjVGQ9J5G4UPUwUkViIF_1r_woTtF12mGreUQHAv153c3b-92tPMJypZuAT7H6oxF9F8GX3Rr0iEKIAqGw8aVE2o4pZEBb0IBrQMBw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9l78bHsDw7hHxBG_KuAVMtuLAg2lhkRNUnweoqJudnqAdkwbn628pLlcA2v3pJQNfvSD7yiq5zSv_4ldK_WCS4RPPfn73RlzJ-xhsQAmbstmEjJsvyK2L9-8ptj6_pUQ3iZEP6GooPU7oO47IjHQI1Yi-IyK3Q18PqLFwxRfNGxrPPOKvWkKeW-yVpA=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9l78bHsDw7hHxBG_KuAVMtuLAg2lhkRNUnweoqJudnqAdkwbn628pLlcA2v3pJQNfvSD7yiq5zSv_4ldK_WCS4RPPfn73RlzJ-xhsQAmbstmEjJsvyK2L9-8ptj6_pUQ3iZEP6GooPU7oO47IjHQI1Yi-IyK3Q18PqLFwxRfNGxrPPOKvWkKeW-yVpA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEXDlqglkOJjrYXoXp0n-NzOQ3bqvV-_Kbp-x1mPE_ZRBUxEo2dluNc_OD5h7FRbdFPHlOpvVQf-Hi-kgko_RlnxNnXGtEQG0WGg8NCyCUWOgeJfyi7GJNs3F-fshwYpOzMQoREUkjgTROC4R_-KscHPJ-CpYDHk22RDjkQQMotxrVOb6RQVAPtkHKng=s1166" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1166" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEXDlqglkOJjrYXoXp0n-NzOQ3bqvV-_Kbp-x1mPE_ZRBUxEo2dluNc_OD5h7FRbdFPHlOpvVQf-Hi-kgko_RlnxNnXGtEQG0WGg8NCyCUWOgeJfyi7GJNs3F-fshwYpOzMQoREUkjgTROC4R_-KscHPJ-CpYDHk22RDjkQQMotxrVOb6RQVAPtkHKng=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_UzPD1RUV2NuVIwujuOHtFfn6ySK5TvJ-VFDeuj_kNHH6bhaa6NC6lmpiMb3RtBOY8bwBHtGa_lrs2I0ZJX_1cXUWyq-955zBFh18VNZ5cnzN9b5dRqpFCZ2lRR2C9ngYoaEkHE5sxwnOqbjjyI6LP3jlUx3c4OjS2vk4bc1fPWdUfrSV0pg4tWYhAA=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_UzPD1RUV2NuVIwujuOHtFfn6ySK5TvJ-VFDeuj_kNHH6bhaa6NC6lmpiMb3RtBOY8bwBHtGa_lrs2I0ZJX_1cXUWyq-955zBFh18VNZ5cnzN9b5dRqpFCZ2lRR2C9ngYoaEkHE5sxwnOqbjjyI6LP3jlUx3c4OjS2vk4bc1fPWdUfrSV0pg4tWYhAA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQLnVLD8Uzvj9YoHESQmQoC9PEoEs7eWNgBToqRmtfVDPCHk-oocNyCenxYFBhEzWXiEO2BZjx6J9HfNTL7ayJMnLnEEi7XYByfbYfTZTdk11ckUdOxyH_GRNkOqvKpsdAAFhs_r7dtlawTFMYjK3Y8OPKLs7wwsV_R8HI6L5Fd5u5NoFWHTRe1A3HWQ=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQLnVLD8Uzvj9YoHESQmQoC9PEoEs7eWNgBToqRmtfVDPCHk-oocNyCenxYFBhEzWXiEO2BZjx6J9HfNTL7ayJMnLnEEi7XYByfbYfTZTdk11ckUdOxyH_GRNkOqvKpsdAAFhs_r7dtlawTFMYjK3Y8OPKLs7wwsV_R8HI6L5Fd5u5NoFWHTRe1A3HWQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh52yzBHLRo_yBgVQd-geOXqaQME_j-eDdsa8EpXODJCnQA4a0j2pJQ5Sw--WRdGtri4y_BkFa7N78nuc2IWtX81X68u8DaMzF72zK24nBqlD_QaBqs8viSqGR68QVjO57d9TBBmpHAkvtnFrx1jsQMcH_-QjsiG9SYAdssRMGRboHUl0PKd4FKAPuogA=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh52yzBHLRo_yBgVQd-geOXqaQME_j-eDdsa8EpXODJCnQA4a0j2pJQ5Sw--WRdGtri4y_BkFa7N78nuc2IWtX81X68u8DaMzF72zK24nBqlD_QaBqs8viSqGR68QVjO57d9TBBmpHAkvtnFrx1jsQMcH_-QjsiG9SYAdssRMGRboHUl0PKd4FKAPuogA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKEeNul8H5XXYo4wH2O0EwUOYOM36kcOnVTUvdbgF6Q19Ft0BAAx1dQmOJw2nnZZ_sha41iuP2FHjqtv09IZ6Tmq-jdPM5Sunt5alLWcVJ9uGEqhV7XVlRNdBkvnxim0xsxzNQRo4Mvw3i3qJPvGkrw34dKTB__L2KuED54tTc6qXGoTVznAuEZuM8Fg=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKEeNul8H5XXYo4wH2O0EwUOYOM36kcOnVTUvdbgF6Q19Ft0BAAx1dQmOJw2nnZZ_sha41iuP2FHjqtv09IZ6Tmq-jdPM5Sunt5alLWcVJ9uGEqhV7XVlRNdBkvnxim0xsxzNQRo4Mvw3i3qJPvGkrw34dKTB__L2KuED54tTc6qXGoTVznAuEZuM8Fg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-wMCBxiKCA_MQpu50IHfvC3kWRiJtfQsEhwKJFi6PtMVEytPAzevbb_NhcnYlo_KX2cM6xAZHoHvGrmDBubBUE9_8V2QV3DvQGg8oAbDuF3eE-V1MplhQXg1GedCfzyzRZzU91E7ArZpIuUsGQTsejO1hIUlmaJe9gVTekhyBFydGbVlyOqwjc4qJug=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-wMCBxiKCA_MQpu50IHfvC3kWRiJtfQsEhwKJFi6PtMVEytPAzevbb_NhcnYlo_KX2cM6xAZHoHvGrmDBubBUE9_8V2QV3DvQGg8oAbDuF3eE-V1MplhQXg1GedCfzyzRZzU91E7ArZpIuUsGQTsejO1hIUlmaJe9gVTekhyBFydGbVlyOqwjc4qJug=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmqTCjHX-myrx4LPKCeWsS0s-Tefe5IgfmfMFoAXp98yRZ_pxGArT0-jLLrU7XV22t1Xmldz_lzGlNX86XQox2z-dfPoAYk8rxhyrwmbQhKqVE1Bide_U3bp0XencbI8BE7WwC9br7FG6NE9G1xQD-Ph99E3NnwaBfxKXbDVS7qoB-Sm46GczGw60i7Q=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmqTCjHX-myrx4LPKCeWsS0s-Tefe5IgfmfMFoAXp98yRZ_pxGArT0-jLLrU7XV22t1Xmldz_lzGlNX86XQox2z-dfPoAYk8rxhyrwmbQhKqVE1Bide_U3bp0XencbI8BE7WwC9br7FG6NE9G1xQD-Ph99E3NnwaBfxKXbDVS7qoB-Sm46GczGw60i7Q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR3H-7_FEcHVmiVDeGEmG6UL8bPDlhMO5oUp_jNPrmGVTorAH3jnkGjkXKYB5omWFcC7BJzZQKY17L2iQOXsciQgL8xPM6urJaTtHcUdFDznRkvbU0rdGOs6qD9FIhUFAHpH6_OcpjNxhra7CjnxiiwTxgPt4WBGXcLL5d1dkbMviQmDRO1t22_KM3dA=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgR3H-7_FEcHVmiVDeGEmG6UL8bPDlhMO5oUp_jNPrmGVTorAH3jnkGjkXKYB5omWFcC7BJzZQKY17L2iQOXsciQgL8xPM6urJaTtHcUdFDznRkvbU0rdGOs6qD9FIhUFAHpH6_OcpjNxhra7CjnxiiwTxgPt4WBGXcLL5d1dkbMviQmDRO1t22_KM3dA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p>When I walked up to Santa, I told him I was a good girl this year. His response, "You know who you're talking to, right?" LOL!!! </p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-48478182620463371752021-12-10T17:01:00.000-05:002021-12-10T17:01:06.797-05:00OUR NINTH ANNIVERSARY<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPXYuodqmHFHGiablOgT9IhDp2T7psodSzW28IUzMgYonmuI4yb3g-o0k_D5rx7wkHnO_UPpAZ4lMtJNa56jbbTLPbA0-NZLHc4iMJYQAfsulXU8naJnCCDebV7GQ_mhxZTTumWDT9aj9/s2048/_MG_7660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPXYuodqmHFHGiablOgT9IhDp2T7psodSzW28IUzMgYonmuI4yb3g-o0k_D5rx7wkHnO_UPpAZ4lMtJNa56jbbTLPbA0-NZLHc4iMJYQAfsulXU8naJnCCDebV7GQ_mhxZTTumWDT9aj9/w400-h266/_MG_7660.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Exploring a new trail in Burlington.</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Rob and I celebrated our 9th anniversry of being married when we were off on vacation the last week of November. It was very low key, just like the <a href="https://www.angieinto.com/2012/12/angie-rob-get-married.html" target="_blank">day we wed.</a></p><p><br /></p><p>We started the day by going for a nature walk and exploring a new to us trail in Burlington. Not a lot of birds, but it was a very enjoyable walk. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpqkIUpmc1mjQsTyJWVJpDZ2GQLW2KXJTZPBXyWTrubaxYUQaX6rPxY2PEEDd28cy5sW53kFccJDzS4ZZnqYd8sQZinAHGDCMwgrjyIg0jIo_kq2PjqNwW9jchryhjYwx2FDCRa6-OEsn/s2048/_MG_7657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpqkIUpmc1mjQsTyJWVJpDZ2GQLW2KXJTZPBXyWTrubaxYUQaX6rPxY2PEEDd28cy5sW53kFccJDzS4ZZnqYd8sQZinAHGDCMwgrjyIg0jIo_kq2PjqNwW9jchryhjYwx2FDCRa6-OEsn/w400-h266/_MG_7657.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You looking at me?</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZqUfSLapORW2K2_oXMyZpXXvkQKlFvCEbQJlGTE87O4_jlbL2MO1Dc6Bv0p5OXmlg7SG8lvw9ujOWa-jx74TNS4VxCT6FxVLRgXDlWEo8Zu_daFGeu2DN0PnidH1WtENLK1HqqmjEsIx/s2048/_MG_7661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZqUfSLapORW2K2_oXMyZpXXvkQKlFvCEbQJlGTE87O4_jlbL2MO1Dc6Bv0p5OXmlg7SG8lvw9ujOWa-jx74TNS4VxCT6FxVLRgXDlWEo8Zu_daFGeu2DN0PnidH1WtENLK1HqqmjEsIx/w400-h266/_MG_7661.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Me looking for birds. </b></td></tr></tbody></table>After our walk we went for lunch at <a href="https://www.jakesgrill.ca/" target="_blank">Jake's Grill and Oyster House</a>. I hadn't had a good feed of oysters in over a year and I was craving them. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE10gI_y0RZnGB089IZa_yn5GNsSXTMRloFwRvVt3HvNixHX5A0IENKBdDsNQoXZ6APbBq6eLc8AfG0i7dWZux5WgdHSyg98yM4iRmUVtAyqXv7Dd0nteDVSbu78Gfmx9kXjdoZWrdn1E_/s2048/DSCN0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE10gI_y0RZnGB089IZa_yn5GNsSXTMRloFwRvVt3HvNixHX5A0IENKBdDsNQoXZ6APbBq6eLc8AfG0i7dWZux5WgdHSyg98yM4iRmUVtAyqXv7Dd0nteDVSbu78Gfmx9kXjdoZWrdn1E_/w400-h300/DSCN0929.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>6 Malpeque, 3 Raspberry Point, and 3 Daisy Bay</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGujdxhEnMnGWmd7xLq2KuaiEK1EWVT7icCACNguUmkpNSW0g4yBBGP7LKUHh4JFCmCr6eKJsAwKUVKegM4VgwLz8rwM0661QA1B7eUgRTYZclj3h9RR2bUS6Un63LQsTHoSwkxsZTR3Q/s2048/DSCN0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGujdxhEnMnGWmd7xLq2KuaiEK1EWVT7icCACNguUmkpNSW0g4yBBGP7LKUHh4JFCmCr6eKJsAwKUVKegM4VgwLz8rwM0661QA1B7eUgRTYZclj3h9RR2bUS6Un63LQsTHoSwkxsZTR3Q/w400-h300/DSCN0930.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>First time having their Lobster Roll, it was delicious.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table>We really enjoyed our lunch. Rob had beef dip with fries. We're talking about going back over the Xmas break. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Quiet evening at home, and we finally started to get caught up on our Marvel movies by watching the Black Widow, and we watched Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings the next night. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmM7kFXgjKrD3iwga7R9p_jPU9wHJctKbCBzIDIxAMYLYDoXqbcUqXscx_odEjVa3TKSCeJUTlN_T3YfmL5_mWTE9bLwLuPNYuWZSJGW0FZ8h1F_tGxovGDsZJmZeR-SploNsgOtRjskl/s1500/Black+Widow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1013" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmM7kFXgjKrD3iwga7R9p_jPU9wHJctKbCBzIDIxAMYLYDoXqbcUqXscx_odEjVa3TKSCeJUTlN_T3YfmL5_mWTE9bLwLuPNYuWZSJGW0FZ8h1F_tGxovGDsZJmZeR-SploNsgOtRjskl/w270-h400/Black+Widow.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zmRB2qCcNMkuwb0KoKJDfjXx0_aqQmB7j3GArm7NcVwKHE3sRXIp81BpddSBrnByyHctbMNQzdNTqDYpTjaUUmxWAwNPMqnQQ4Z6w9LHPS17GXyolRTZsP-PrpgzKzDMJuYHQEvQd0_U/s2048/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1383" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zmRB2qCcNMkuwb0KoKJDfjXx0_aqQmB7j3GArm7NcVwKHE3sRXIp81BpddSBrnByyHctbMNQzdNTqDYpTjaUUmxWAwNPMqnQQ4Z6w9LHPS17GXyolRTZsP-PrpgzKzDMJuYHQEvQd0_U/w270-h400/10.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>We enjoyed our week off, and our anniversary. We might do something a little more exciting for our tenth. Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-39889182455091201872021-11-29T16:28:00.000-05:002021-11-29T16:28:28.328-05:00FESTIVE SEASON KICK-OFF<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLq24JpoTFIdfDGQkS3xYHxhi4QcPHygBMsqhRFD4uHa_DNtByNidLF7-z-WTjJ7_rzew_n2f5iOq37TknTkyiHxucFjJmXmCHs9eTm4MHlR7AtDEfJKH-kdug6IdZ3WAZf48sH-q_5RM/s2048/DSCN0915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="2048" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLq24JpoTFIdfDGQkS3xYHxhi4QcPHygBMsqhRFD4uHa_DNtByNidLF7-z-WTjJ7_rzew_n2f5iOq37TknTkyiHxucFjJmXmCHs9eTm4MHlR7AtDEfJKH-kdug6IdZ3WAZf48sH-q_5RM/w400-h351/DSCN0915.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We woke up Sunday morning to our first snow fall of the season, and it continued much of the day. The new snow added to that festive feeling of the afternoon tea my friend, Pat, and I enjoyed at <a href="http://www.thetearoomstreetsville.ca/" target="_blank">The Tea Room </a>in Streetsville. It had been a while since we had done something like this together and we both really enjoyed the tea and the time together. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HPaucOBZxQrUqtxuZsE2w0jHaoii0NNQ6SJu-kOsuqktEPF2xdQ9xYcvEg3SQKtYWW_FyFmX15t85_wCn5H25P_llOLldcjsxpj7fzdbduDnBBVMalceiRRB4T479hEzl5hw0CVjOAzW/s792/menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HPaucOBZxQrUqtxuZsE2w0jHaoii0NNQ6SJu-kOsuqktEPF2xdQ9xYcvEg3SQKtYWW_FyFmX15t85_wCn5H25P_llOLldcjsxpj7fzdbduDnBBVMalceiRRB4T479hEzl5hw0CVjOAzW/w309-h400/menu.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnd-Qhn3JYJkJVoeCZn33hOHtNut4I9uTMLqUkfnikgpJaw5FpcKvJuIj-z0SPn1XheJy3CUPTn_BgTwL-NzYQ8CQEqo-cJdli-6mfAQGx8qj6-LxUgkzFZhm5J3-F3wu7SKTsWJWPhEW/s2048/DSCN0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2034" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnd-Qhn3JYJkJVoeCZn33hOHtNut4I9uTMLqUkfnikgpJaw5FpcKvJuIj-z0SPn1XheJy3CUPTn_BgTwL-NzYQ8CQEqo-cJdli-6mfAQGx8qj6-LxUgkzFZhm5J3-F3wu7SKTsWJWPhEW/w398-h400/DSCN0920.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lots of decorations everywhere, even the table.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NbY713VaddD5w1nx3N_d4gtzriODFEdxUJNEo23xxv3h5M8pwUt9X3lcJtdmfM0lpOUt4fOlh48W-KEQL13KavdbiWdCfYR4HuBnscF6a8KZ10JuYsBU5wygZeiLCn_xQ9xNl6vW3nsC/s2048/DSCN0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NbY713VaddD5w1nx3N_d4gtzriODFEdxUJNEo23xxv3h5M8pwUt9X3lcJtdmfM0lpOUt4fOlh48W-KEQL13KavdbiWdCfYR4HuBnscF6a8KZ10JuYsBU5wygZeiLCn_xQ9xNl6vW3nsC/w400-h300/DSCN0916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Salad to start.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NbY713VaddD5w1nx3N_d4gtzriODFEdxUJNEo23xxv3h5M8pwUt9X3lcJtdmfM0lpOUt4fOlh48W-KEQL13KavdbiWdCfYR4HuBnscF6a8KZ10JuYsBU5wygZeiLCn_xQ9xNl6vW3nsC/s2048/DSCN0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMvH65XUFfeUwknh0_MKReUbZzqNqcvExwNkX4nWqtsK46gbTy8UOQFsmz80Wctb8oGIPtz_CWM1huwQtBT8pjWAUyodEAZ0vQZJk8ynUcFKkWu0lZPt0un3H4UKhx3TMSEyAcT9mawBl/s2048/DSCN0921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMvH65XUFfeUwknh0_MKReUbZzqNqcvExwNkX4nWqtsK46gbTy8UOQFsmz80Wctb8oGIPtz_CWM1huwQtBT8pjWAUyodEAZ0vQZJk8ynUcFKkWu0lZPt0un3H4UKhx3TMSEyAcT9mawBl/w306-h400/DSCN0921.JPG" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Every morsel was delicious!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk4iI8EKcIOJ00oQAhKYdma1hDuYhVceBVtNB9NesBGEYIDI35KmtchuSz4dvP1gyo4AzI9rGCdUUW-sWC0i52y0KlvPL5eGAL2k144__bblFjREA30o2RIUcg6rKj7VHQ8wsgehzTuRq/s2048/20211129_161713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1317" data-original-width="2048" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk4iI8EKcIOJ00oQAhKYdma1hDuYhVceBVtNB9NesBGEYIDI35KmtchuSz4dvP1gyo4AzI9rGCdUUW-sWC0i52y0KlvPL5eGAL2k144__bblFjREA30o2RIUcg6rKj7VHQ8wsgehzTuRq/w400-h258/20211129_161713.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Trio of desserts.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB8Kag3xR8T3KGrLLWR91rLcJQAaz8TiH6rMEcv5X7oNtO_GtWAYl-dgKNBkjymVKOonIxRvaO2ifgZLcLV-rFUWZLUBLIlJSFX1r5iF8zQo3cSc41MtYpQXEs8zuFa3oeRaC7N8odom2/s2048/DSCN0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMB8Kag3xR8T3KGrLLWR91rLcJQAaz8TiH6rMEcv5X7oNtO_GtWAYl-dgKNBkjymVKOonIxRvaO2ifgZLcLV-rFUWZLUBLIlJSFX1r5iF8zQo3cSc41MtYpQXEs8zuFa3oeRaC7N8odom2/w400-h300/DSCN0923.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Friends enjoying a lovely tea. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The Xmas tea runs until December 23rd, and we highly recommend!</div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-20907427613522123242021-10-08T19:04:00.001-04:002021-10-09T08:33:04.731-04:00AUGUST & SEPTEMBER RECAP<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndzcr2f7qLw0dYCgbgZZHVZA0-_sQmJ_jb2vqtYMuM7EXQE_8Qe1prnSPkk4r-Wrk1jwAqo0fYVRadtwlMWG3xZjtJK_CQAaEWc6BhqGMZ20rzVZ-jEXx5hQxQTkuqVXmYuC7tgYzrK3j/s2048/Raccoon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndzcr2f7qLw0dYCgbgZZHVZA0-_sQmJ_jb2vqtYMuM7EXQE_8Qe1prnSPkk4r-Wrk1jwAqo0fYVRadtwlMWG3xZjtJK_CQAaEWc6BhqGMZ20rzVZ-jEXx5hQxQTkuqVXmYuC7tgYzrK3j/w400-h266/Raccoon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A raccoon enjoying the decor in our backyard.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Here we are well into October and I haven't blogged since July! August was pretty quiet, our free time was spent in the backyard and we enjoyed a weekly nature walk to various parks where we never knew what we would encounter. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYT2oQ9qFGZI1TcZWtWKLz5PvikUKPsZYM_j9-0OcwkweDlwHONPZDVUkQhWRRN0TWGFUPLhZCUKLMDHmgzeGN2L0YYbuLh246V0bxqlhyphenhyphenQsK4qSKnHf_bBmhSlj4I7zO8zqaEOUnS8Pr/s2048/Butterflies.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVYT2oQ9qFGZI1TcZWtWKLz5PvikUKPsZYM_j9-0OcwkweDlwHONPZDVUkQhWRRN0TWGFUPLhZCUKLMDHmgzeGN2L0YYbuLh246V0bxqlhyphenhyphenQsK4qSKnHf_bBmhSlj4I7zO8zqaEOUnS8Pr/w400-h266/Butterflies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Butterflies at The Riverwood Conservancy.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0yEoNTPJk8PvjOZv9w03CaNjXVnZuwBghjDeyyqPX0XDG-sBuNt_dZVN2d4LmeRqxoO1RtCvT4X0qwIlCf-eHTrzDqMG6aRv30JHhYh8GpdnlPY1luedysZHUFMNhzVplj1-Xenr_CDe/s2048/HB.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp0yEoNTPJk8PvjOZv9w03CaNjXVnZuwBghjDeyyqPX0XDG-sBuNt_dZVN2d4LmeRqxoO1RtCvT4X0qwIlCf-eHTrzDqMG6aRv30JHhYh8GpdnlPY1luedysZHUFMNhzVplj1-Xenr_CDe/w400-h266/HB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the backyard.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh3uliZ2Q15YC57PF26H1o86msw7fAkjPd4kCvAXxOQJnFEp-O8G0pc8Uguicg5itI0MzM0eXsnXpZjN-LKDY9o7lV3aRRC6a_BcUVrHn6Z-KIoDrIye5HgimKypONgchTieyuhFjFZVe/s2048/lake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh3uliZ2Q15YC57PF26H1o86msw7fAkjPd4kCvAXxOQJnFEp-O8G0pc8Uguicg5itI0MzM0eXsnXpZjN-LKDY9o7lV3aRRC6a_BcUVrHn6Z-KIoDrIye5HgimKypONgchTieyuhFjFZVe/w400-h266/lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Enjoying a walk in a lake front park.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5qOp3Lh1x9XwP6-JE6-hF_Qv9ft5WrtbBizSDNfIm87IuxhtZxZJZ30hKbElLDQOjWJrgPJ4NnUC79v-1EQedXFtzkaGxklzNXCg2SDWU9fqUJc9JNNz2_RYUpBz4VLcxGjaRaUNj0cG/s2048/BF1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5qOp3Lh1x9XwP6-JE6-hF_Qv9ft5WrtbBizSDNfIm87IuxhtZxZJZ30hKbElLDQOjWJrgPJ4NnUC79v-1EQedXFtzkaGxklzNXCg2SDWU9fqUJc9JNNz2_RYUpBz4VLcxGjaRaUNj0cG/w400-h266/BF1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Bullfrogs were a surprise on the lake front outing. There were quite a few of them. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizejbnnXc_gp2CHXhokrvnVaurulxGdVqbRtkXznU2HKxw0MS54zTndMoU3z6ucqJ2P787kq19lL-o_n1cABPW6zB8ysj6EuDqoF74TVi4k1HIdYRvw_6_X6ikU1uhnsAD9hsZzPnjcUhN/s2048/BF2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizejbnnXc_gp2CHXhokrvnVaurulxGdVqbRtkXznU2HKxw0MS54zTndMoU3z6ucqJ2P787kq19lL-o_n1cABPW6zB8ysj6EuDqoF74TVi4k1HIdYRvw_6_X6ikU1uhnsAD9hsZzPnjcUhN/w400-h266/BF2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I can hear their croak in my head looking at these pics.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymBNBZrdoUYFo-Do_aYKga0PJovgYRhrJdxjqhjzqqYUeGnc9EWtvrFJ6z0HR4CX63bTJmnr7LKOHLhXGFDbCiahqCE7YrKXvozB4tKRzcXrTgJU7Jkzj__thfmNa2fsb1TKJnHtS1dk/s2048/BabySkunk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUymBNBZrdoUYFo-Do_aYKga0PJovgYRhrJdxjqhjzqqYUeGnc9EWtvrFJ6z0HR4CX63bTJmnr7LKOHLhXGFDbCiahqCE7YrKXvozB4tKRzcXrTgJU7Jkzj__thfmNa2fsb1TKJnHtS1dk/w400-h266/BabySkunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of a few skunks who enjoy our backyard.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido0nfvBD0wQAIoCCguWKpzlZZOH9PbLeDGS1N1wwFDUZM9t4hjZJ7aVg9EV2IluXwaUms62P-J7_fbLb0PtCHxVUFPnicbHIxlV4-ZbmpTbUg3itEFJye0c0I8Iri3rBRZXPmn82sUj6r/s1206/FB_IMG_1628945953338.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1206" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido0nfvBD0wQAIoCCguWKpzlZZOH9PbLeDGS1N1wwFDUZM9t4hjZJ7aVg9EV2IluXwaUms62P-J7_fbLb0PtCHxVUFPnicbHIxlV4-ZbmpTbUg3itEFJye0c0I8Iri3rBRZXPmn82sUj6r/w359-h400/FB_IMG_1628945953338.jpg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This Chipmunk entertained us much of the summer.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV60QApayapBVy1DeRgD_lVzOShKqb4y0J3Fv6apx_xLt2PvGjfpDztg4l6fsQfFUQIC5zSnwvgvVirZ9ucbe1cBL79YqKobpu6CeIGxM2Gsycq1a3p1oXa0cOXMFC3dmTLJt-4lTCY69/s2048/GF.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhV60QApayapBVy1DeRgD_lVzOShKqb4y0J3Fv6apx_xLt2PvGjfpDztg4l6fsQfFUQIC5zSnwvgvVirZ9ucbe1cBL79YqKobpu6CeIGxM2Gsycq1a3p1oXa0cOXMFC3dmTLJt-4lTCY69/w400-h266/GF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A sign summer is coming to an end when the Goldfinches start eating the Jerusalem Artichoke flowers.</b> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TbHDtN8oKwJR4SMt-nkYB_O4cDfYI1hx0_XOQMmuokhdCJhIPpF51SbSbb3P4EKNHhXnOvajTeXXmmfTUotJG763amf2VyF2jSUzSO_qCVWigUhyphenhyphen8szQduqUHLi7lXgsmQhAUDH164Fu/s2048/Skunk.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4TbHDtN8oKwJR4SMt-nkYB_O4cDfYI1hx0_XOQMmuokhdCJhIPpF51SbSbb3P4EKNHhXnOvajTeXXmmfTUotJG763amf2VyF2jSUzSO_qCVWigUhyphenhyphen8szQduqUHLi7lXgsmQhAUDH164Fu/w400-h267/Skunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>So adorable.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>September was a little more exciting. After our birthday gathering in June, Andi and I decided we needed to have lobster together more then once a year, so the first annual "September Seafood Feast" was held on the long weekend. And what a feast it was!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiES8u5aNVLFPqYrOzQTJP_-JpYdEtwCxa_1r6jRtU_3qiyc_xwJCR0lGUdLUgcMXHOdBC4m9dyUF9YwHxeHdzQ8i93I4d6U-Z7EZoeImPQVkG1GPpPdhjMKUSp49ZHaPaiqnCx9ixwS6kW/s2048/Shrimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiES8u5aNVLFPqYrOzQTJP_-JpYdEtwCxa_1r6jRtU_3qiyc_xwJCR0lGUdLUgcMXHOdBC4m9dyUF9YwHxeHdzQ8i93I4d6U-Z7EZoeImPQVkG1GPpPdhjMKUSp49ZHaPaiqnCx9ixwS6kW/w400-h300/Shrimp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Now, that's a shrimp! First course.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiK8QnxZBEY93ILlCLTUXvXMbVPw5xO9bOJ4ZU_M_UIHMTuXFT3MrZhDktg1E7ifsoHbO_88AoUdnMg5iLlDte2o1Cx9mReq218qjZT5up6xOld4jKZgUThk8UcbdNGGZ7q1CjD8iaEY4/s2048/Mussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiK8QnxZBEY93ILlCLTUXvXMbVPw5xO9bOJ4ZU_M_UIHMTuXFT3MrZhDktg1E7ifsoHbO_88AoUdnMg5iLlDte2o1Cx9mReq218qjZT5up6xOld4jKZgUThk8UcbdNGGZ7q1CjD8iaEY4/w400-h300/Mussels.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Mussels in a garlic wine sauce. Second course.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiK8QnxZBEY93ILlCLTUXvXMbVPw5xO9bOJ4ZU_M_UIHMTuXFT3MrZhDktg1E7ifsoHbO_88AoUdnMg5iLlDte2o1Cx9mReq218qjZT5up6xOld4jKZgUThk8UcbdNGGZ7q1CjD8iaEY4/s2048/Mussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJpV1BfZpMFqhXGLte3ySEyoXBDfvHdsk2Wuv5eOSd8WjUQoynDyV6obUf5uZAEgAF_MuczG1xxDnsMYOXc_8MQZlOLLzsxHKgE7JDR6yPepjvhwiyOrWLpnam9IDRPrAoz4byXsIQJZH/s2048/Lobster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJpV1BfZpMFqhXGLte3ySEyoXBDfvHdsk2Wuv5eOSd8WjUQoynDyV6obUf5uZAEgAF_MuczG1xxDnsMYOXc_8MQZlOLLzsxHKgE7JDR6yPepjvhwiyOrWLpnam9IDRPrAoz4byXsIQJZH/w400-h300/Lobster.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The main event! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rob also caught up to me in age last month. We both had his birthday off work, and enjoyed a lovely nature walk and picked up schnitzel and pierogies from <a href="https://www.vsschnitzelhouse.com/" target="_blank">V's Schnitzel House</a> for dinner. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU_1YEaH_MnZIK4CEG9vhsfYBP6PMpzt98jgCZ2IAX52ol_D0XEfGXWkgOUH35zDbmbefkOfYT4IAhydsS7bilD0aRbyrNZNJ9JpABzKiENFaMHMvwlTLUcyNPerAhPzHn3jBZZJAO8nr/s2048/Birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU_1YEaH_MnZIK4CEG9vhsfYBP6PMpzt98jgCZ2IAX52ol_D0XEfGXWkgOUH35zDbmbefkOfYT4IAhydsS7bilD0aRbyrNZNJ9JpABzKiENFaMHMvwlTLUcyNPerAhPzHn3jBZZJAO8nr/w300-h400/Birthday.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Still a hottie at 52!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a vacation week towards the end of the month. It was mostly a stay-cation, but we did do one overnight to Niagara Falls. It was a much needed getaway, as we hadn't had one in almost a year. We also enjoyed a lot of nature walks, and some delicious meals at some local restaurants. Oh, and we also saw our first owl of the 2021 Fall birding season, which started September 1st. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3lfT4uSqPt227K4lWVIiCVhjFl3L3VR0Vf0JvqTnGvu6FM3aKStOfTLr-R_67B7chrh4UhLxXJ9lXieV2n_dyPJHkviMiz-5-hRjRv1wxKD3ZftvSphQZfAWb_R-8SmwSJ0Bh2LM89dC/s1200/20211008_180053+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1200" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3lfT4uSqPt227K4lWVIiCVhjFl3L3VR0Vf0JvqTnGvu6FM3aKStOfTLr-R_67B7chrh4UhLxXJ9lXieV2n_dyPJHkviMiz-5-hRjRv1wxKD3ZftvSphQZfAWb_R-8SmwSJ0Bh2LM89dC/w400-h395/20211008_180053+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We stayed at the Fallsview Casino Resort.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHktg4TgUMeMiuNC5kk0wU1EyLmAFMitGhldOgKsptA0iTprGCdyx-wZlA7SHu0N0g9swp81hBCg8FRM67K06q7PdQ0BYBrIm-a_Va1nJgtYc_Nu6dDqN6aAfufVmLNrTjzNHRwgviwG0-/s1600/Resized_20210923_192300+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHktg4TgUMeMiuNC5kk0wU1EyLmAFMitGhldOgKsptA0iTprGCdyx-wZlA7SHu0N0g9swp81hBCg8FRM67K06q7PdQ0BYBrIm-a_Va1nJgtYc_Nu6dDqN6aAfufVmLNrTjzNHRwgviwG0-/w400-h300/Resized_20210923_192300+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk747Tpd8-jjx4Fc5YQkmDzCoVmwBQCLCSZrBHqLUlCUGAuE0Ra_Os9SyfRTHSmaeJhDdD4zH_XWLF4RQvI50yqQ3qCPpGWfCiFYrdPqJ2Sg9r2jBJ46BrLkA5KWaojsDTcDRDiO-vDBf1/s1600/20211008_180135+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk747Tpd8-jjx4Fc5YQkmDzCoVmwBQCLCSZrBHqLUlCUGAuE0Ra_Os9SyfRTHSmaeJhDdD4zH_XWLF4RQvI50yqQ3qCPpGWfCiFYrdPqJ2Sg9r2jBJ46BrLkA5KWaojsDTcDRDiO-vDBf1/w400-h300/20211008_180135+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Views from our room. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We enjoyed a lively and very enjoyable dinner at Margaritaville, did some shopping and I won all the money back in the casino playing the slots that Rob lost. It was a nice getaway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EYt2egxruPj89n4_1N5VfDHjyjta1Cz9RMp8kvIbRoMaagcAzR5WQYnpmvpTEjmKyhkWKUS21BjgbCsG1a7iR3NK9UNODtXTWcz0Z9rbqKE26BNRkCsfZI1kM3Rbu-hF7xEqdPaQrRBm/s2048/Screech91821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EYt2egxruPj89n4_1N5VfDHjyjta1Cz9RMp8kvIbRoMaagcAzR5WQYnpmvpTEjmKyhkWKUS21BjgbCsG1a7iR3NK9UNODtXTWcz0Z9rbqKE26BNRkCsfZI1kM3Rbu-hF7xEqdPaQrRBm/w400-h266/Screech91821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Our first owl of the Fall 2021 birding season! An Eastern Screech.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> I hope you enjoyed catching up with me!</div><br />Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-20147558571974254182021-07-30T11:21:00.000-04:002021-07-30T11:21:03.515-04:00FIFTY TWO<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nSN6ez4P7erY321mYO7MRhrMvSjmXSMayuG3kwDr-QOMAEj-oVd4ao1AmalWiDlt63mg3Q5x1WRCt-2DCqHPNBuAT-D6qhocR_JbkPCyoCwecS8jNcVacRBhvqRBO7oYLcDU_qOVuhOh/s2048/20210611_090112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1624" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nSN6ez4P7erY321mYO7MRhrMvSjmXSMayuG3kwDr-QOMAEj-oVd4ao1AmalWiDlt63mg3Q5x1WRCt-2DCqHPNBuAT-D6qhocR_JbkPCyoCwecS8jNcVacRBhvqRBO7oYLcDU_qOVuhOh/w318-h400/20210611_090112.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>First birthday cake on my actual birthday.</b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Last month I celebrated my 52nd birthday, which was also my 2nd Covid birthday, so things were not as per normal. For close to a decade now, I've been celebrating my birthday with my cousin/friend, Andi, who's birthday is only 3 days before mine. We have certain traditions we try hard to stick to. We go to their place, she cooks lobster for us and something else for the boys, and only twice have I not taken care of the cake. I like to take care of the cake. </p><p>Last year, due to Covid restrictions, we exchanged cake and lobster in a parking lot and went home to enjoy our goodies on our own. We were able to get together in July, but it was not the same. This year we celebrated together, safely outside, and it felt almost normal. </p><p>My birthday was on a Thursday this year, and I was working from home. I had a little celebration with Rob over my lunch break before he left for work. We had both booked the Friday off to make it a long weekend. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEguUMlNa1znL2yG3ra7j9xaqgV_kGkw2a8xOB4wH-y1kwQWHIDEvP9k1BMWYmVUUHjbiaLIVYzgIdJcHwv5xDE2h8GBPHNMvT-4DTUoXiEhBrPzfgdF5ezVErK_0pKSLEP07Wcyl3Y_P/s2048/20210612_182247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1313" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEguUMlNa1znL2yG3ra7j9xaqgV_kGkw2a8xOB4wH-y1kwQWHIDEvP9k1BMWYmVUUHjbiaLIVYzgIdJcHwv5xDE2h8GBPHNMvT-4DTUoXiEhBrPzfgdF5ezVErK_0pKSLEP07Wcyl3Y_P/w256-h400/20210612_182247.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Happy birthday to me!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On our Friday off we went for a nature walk and enjoyed drinks and lunch on a patio for the first time in months! First time visiting <a href="https://www.thelandinggroup.ca/en/locations/harpers.html" target="_blank">Harper's Landing</a>, won't be our last. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaB-Kyqv6AiaP1QQw9dmNM2P1rfiOCMk2Eow1hYhhfAm4-iexvY4LCsTL0uAQlRMbnSI41PZoYPCfeVZQ1xsGJO5GiqXIkv8JfGdmZm-ABXsn5vvmXbxit_JI-LJe1lSlVTj88TxdRy6i/s2048/bobolink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaB-Kyqv6AiaP1QQw9dmNM2P1rfiOCMk2Eow1hYhhfAm4-iexvY4LCsTL0uAQlRMbnSI41PZoYPCfeVZQ1xsGJO5GiqXIkv8JfGdmZm-ABXsn5vvmXbxit_JI-LJe1lSlVTj88TxdRy6i/w400-h266/bobolink.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>We were thrilled to see some Bobolinks on our outing. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_JEmLsV6sI9yBO0C9tClfYvhkS10iTtV3zeDaz-HS4_MZqZNjPeuVcybDyJps-TtN3qdS3VhajTgeV3eyQdt8wWH7KVU9vacL3aB-_N2_OPCB19VuQv3_o_Lk8ZR1LdVcpnf9zMA7vY-/s2048/20210611_132530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_JEmLsV6sI9yBO0C9tClfYvhkS10iTtV3zeDaz-HS4_MZqZNjPeuVcybDyJps-TtN3qdS3VhajTgeV3eyQdt8wWH7KVU9vacL3aB-_N2_OPCB19VuQv3_o_Lk8ZR1LdVcpnf9zMA7vY-/w225-h400/20210611_132530.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Enjoying drinks on a restaurant patio!!!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWK3D_CKGdgNW17u3kFccLQR-fk5bNyzk07AoUUH2ahg7XXduz4fog9WKNKOVfz9JGYzBbgYBxuYX6Unid-qROtPzpxgbuIy_Xy0QH7SKSeMVxfnd7-gvQ_cBAV7kIxCqYjK1LzCLMC8/s2048/20210612_184235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1722" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCWK3D_CKGdgNW17u3kFccLQR-fk5bNyzk07AoUUH2ahg7XXduz4fog9WKNKOVfz9JGYzBbgYBxuYX6Unid-qROtPzpxgbuIy_Xy0QH7SKSeMVxfnd7-gvQ_cBAV7kIxCqYjK1LzCLMC8/w336-h400/20210612_184235.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My Martini of choice, Vodka, dirty with 3 olives.</b></td></tr></tbody></table> Dave and Andi came over on Saturday to enjoy a birthday celebration in the backyard, and it was lovely.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIOS_piG4R_wvMKvqDuxYAM3ao_ewI3NcCA7hmMgdVn6DwC_M9Kl7hZATN70vSTvxl1oBkrvB8m89jeI_kjnF4VegHvGbAc9NHxC6maQ1-zR8k1kN-J66x8ossHywS-RRylxVRcufSqW_/s1600/20210615_055217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIOS_piG4R_wvMKvqDuxYAM3ao_ewI3NcCA7hmMgdVn6DwC_M9Kl7hZATN70vSTvxl1oBkrvB8m89jeI_kjnF4VegHvGbAc9NHxC6maQ1-zR8k1kN-J66x8ossHywS-RRylxVRcufSqW_/w300-h400/20210615_055217.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Balloons for a festive feeling.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgaey9h6NXVNKJR_zES3jm9nGP9oJo0adxzh9-l4p6Abgmk-p4PdMugWIeIN1pZuEvxSrvxQLNWtWXoQSqpD7ufdiRGX7-1KOc_A4ozjtwBz5mUP3nb9Ei-YOmlDNKQIyAjjXPr9cTrQw/s1196/IMG_20210615_060629_357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgaey9h6NXVNKJR_zES3jm9nGP9oJo0adxzh9-l4p6Abgmk-p4PdMugWIeIN1pZuEvxSrvxQLNWtWXoQSqpD7ufdiRGX7-1KOc_A4ozjtwBz5mUP3nb9Ei-YOmlDNKQIyAjjXPr9cTrQw/w361-h400/IMG_20210615_060629_357.jpg" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Lobster for lunch for us girls!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vuf6z09e2e-A5_hy01DiFVkSV6ksmVDN9txeGH7j9FlqK5Z2vrVMzSrWM4Lxk-kpokSRLywzNU0WuFltSRSxDil3a2pcPCAAafcyMaWtxcWoOPYqLUKIZVzgZr32N83ljjV53ZNamxua/s2048/20210612_183735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1608" data-original-width="2048" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Vuf6z09e2e-A5_hy01DiFVkSV6ksmVDN9txeGH7j9FlqK5Z2vrVMzSrWM4Lxk-kpokSRLywzNU0WuFltSRSxDil3a2pcPCAAafcyMaWtxcWoOPYqLUKIZVzgZr32N83ljjV53ZNamxua/w400-h314/20210612_183735.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Table for two.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9W83uIBP7jawj0LSCl2QnPf-8WFfnXafcbHMxRfFu2B1j0owbLNlWSECjRYP8_O_7rOe-k4ck-OlqmsIfwY26mWk5H72epp_jZ4nO5TUU9F7MftwCiDG2csdZhEKL3Uk2Is-ApTzjoSD/s1600/Resized_20210612_123859.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9W83uIBP7jawj0LSCl2QnPf-8WFfnXafcbHMxRfFu2B1j0owbLNlWSECjRYP8_O_7rOe-k4ck-OlqmsIfwY26mWk5H72epp_jZ4nO5TUU9F7MftwCiDG2csdZhEKL3Uk2Is-ApTzjoSD/w300-h400/Resized_20210612_123859.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>For that festive feeling.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tWz8syQcFU_n-sglC0NdXs2VxUKjSp5HDwptowKibK5IQ8j9Wbfn1XHXHexY8lglcWGHyChUO4G26OuFIXJkJ-s3sG2LKNCK7IZa_Lgqba1UXv_WJJm0WlOcJySjrxQd0Bu0ZCgYspWg/s2048/20210728_173450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="2048" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tWz8syQcFU_n-sglC0NdXs2VxUKjSp5HDwptowKibK5IQ8j9Wbfn1XHXHexY8lglcWGHyChUO4G26OuFIXJkJ-s3sG2LKNCK7IZa_Lgqba1UXv_WJJm0WlOcJySjrxQd0Bu0ZCgYspWg/w400-h230/20210728_173450.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Birthday cakes!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I ordered two birthday cakes again this year, just in case it rained and we couldn't get together and I had to deliver one to Andi. Her's was salted caramel and mine was strawberry, real strawberries, so good! Her's was delicious too.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq6jDwmvtleP93k0HZXIqLSepAoKfQxwLntHWC9NXhjvPRBILcbTwU7EIGqkSN30rRIFL58EarWc_1OQcF66beWHEvKUW7KtOVYHcckyNpA8puF1HutF_6dHKZo9zxsUh9Fh_-8B7PGq9/s1350/IMG_20210615_060629_359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq6jDwmvtleP93k0HZXIqLSepAoKfQxwLntHWC9NXhjvPRBILcbTwU7EIGqkSN30rRIFL58EarWc_1OQcF66beWHEvKUW7KtOVYHcckyNpA8puF1HutF_6dHKZo9zxsUh9Fh_-8B7PGq9/w320-h400/IMG_20210615_060629_359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Birthday Cake #2. </b></td></tr></tbody></table> It wasn't our "normal" birthday get together, but it was still lovely. </div><div><p><br /></p></div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-4051848465929513472021-06-18T19:53:00.001-04:002021-06-18T19:53:34.893-04:00THE FOG IS LIFTING<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdom7aYpwU7_QuI0aWEpn5QwJWJbGUEaQ8z9mkW2vLPYr7BT7j2TGlqxJrbnPdOOkYvC-Hm24fWXkL30G5E-RAUXKUi_8GEdCnbsZY4CY_Ll6GK_FGQcVDMoIFhWMHHf8tVvcbwCS9qHnQ/s494/IMG_20210607_063455_551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="494" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdom7aYpwU7_QuI0aWEpn5QwJWJbGUEaQ8z9mkW2vLPYr7BT7j2TGlqxJrbnPdOOkYvC-Hm24fWXkL30G5E-RAUXKUi_8GEdCnbsZY4CY_Ll6GK_FGQcVDMoIFhWMHHf8tVvcbwCS9qHnQ/w400-h400/IMG_20210607_063455_551.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Sunrise walk earlier this month.</b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's been a rough couple of months but I finally feel like the fog that grief causes is lifting, if only a little. Some of you reading this may already know, but my father passed away in April. It was sudden and unexpected and it was heart breaking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dealing with the loss of a loved one at any time is difficult, dealing with it during the Covid pandemic added a whole other layer. I said my goodbyes to my Dad over the phone while he was laying in a hospital bed in Nova Scotia. I watched his funeral in my living-room while it live streamed with only five people in attendance. It all seems so surreal now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My brother and I talked almost daily during the most difficult days. And I really don't know what I would of done without my Aunt Betty, Dad's younger sister. She took on a lot during this time that I couldn't do. Friends and family members reached out and helped in any way they could, and I am grateful.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I know I still have many difficult days ahead. I'm hoping to go to Nova Scotia in the Fall to bury my Dad's ashes next to Mom. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think about my parents daily, and even though I've done a lot of reminiscing the last couple months, the memories are a little harder on the heart the last couple days I've noticed. I think it's because Father's Day is Sunday. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wrote a few words to be read at Dad's service, and in honor of Father's Day and my dad, I am going to share them here.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>And my daddy skinned his knuckles<br />
On the cars that he repaired<br />
He never earned much money<br />
But he gave us all he had<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>He never made the front page<br />
But he did the best he could<br />
Folks drove the cars from miles around<br />
And let 'em look underneath the hood<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Those words are from country music singer, Alan
Jackson’s song “Home”, written about his father, but they very well could have
been written about our father, Layton MacAloney. Growing up on Dixon Court,
there always seemed to be a car in the driveway on Saturdays that Dad was
working on for a friend.<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>We lived on Dixon Court for many years. Dad always
had time to chat with his neighbors and enjoyed teasing the neighborhood kids.
He also liked to start up the lawnmower or power saw early on Saturday mornings
to let his neighbors know it was time to be out of bed. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>In 1988 we moved to Johnson Avenue. Next door
was a young family, Jan and Jackie Bates, they had three young sons to raise
and for Dad to tease. They became neighbors by chance and remained friends by
choice.<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Dad had many hobbies through-out his life. When
he was younger, he enjoyed driving stock car at various tracks. He drove at
Onslow Speedway with his older brother, Carvel, when we were kids. We’d go clam
digging, smelting and camping as a family. When he retired, he bowled with the seniors’
league a couple times a week. Having family involved in harness racing had him
going to the barn often and attending the horse races. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Dad, for as long as we can remember was always
on the go. Mom used to call it “running the roads”, but Dad truly was a social
butterfly at heart, and he enjoyed going to visit his family and friends and he
did it often. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>In 1995 Dad took his first flight on a plane, to
Saskatchewan for Jeff and Sandy’s wedding. Dad liked to joke that the only food
the airplane served was eggs, he had them when they left from Halifax, and then
again when they transferred in Toronto. Same thing on the return trip. With the wedding and a touristy trip to the
famous Buffalo Rubbing Rock we made some great family memories. He’d fly west a
couple more times over the years to visit Jeff and his family, the last being
for Xmas in 2017, when we celebrated Xmas together for the last time. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Some of you may not be aware, but Dad could be
quite stubborn. When Mom passed away in 2012 we talked to him about moving into
a senior’s residence where he wouldn’t have to worry about yard maintenance and
maintaining the house. He happily remained in his house. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Dad taught us many life lessons while we were
growing up, some he’s not even aware of. We learned the value of hard work, the
importance of a strong community network and that wealth is not always measured
in dollars. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>Though my brother and I haven’t lived
in Nova Scotia for many years, love knows no distance, and we will both miss
our father dearly and long for one more conversation. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>We take comfort in knowing he is no longer in pain or suffering. Dad has been reunited with Mom, his parents,
siblings and countless friends. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><i><b>We hope when you think of our Dad,
you remember that Layton MacAloney grin, and smile or laugh at a memory you
shared with him. He enjoyed a simple, but rich full life, and now it’s time for
him to rest. He’s left us all with a heart full of memories that we will
cherish until we see him again.</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><i><b style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"> </b></i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If </span> you are seeing your Dad this coming Sunday please give him a big hug from me.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE19qbQrscyhwCUxouB5hIBGtyTDmj_Xs5LXz7tFcNyGOCb5iOgSvzoTf-gSGAqFC5SZNZ-40IT_oDP7K1t4TTliXUPcYNNIX1819ZD82YRdgt26KpkvX0qkYBzqhmOxz96RLF29UioDP/s960/dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="960" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidE19qbQrscyhwCUxouB5hIBGtyTDmj_Xs5LXz7tFcNyGOCb5iOgSvzoTf-gSGAqFC5SZNZ-40IT_oDP7K1t4TTliXUPcYNNIX1819ZD82YRdgt26KpkvX0qkYBzqhmOxz96RLF29UioDP/w400-h276/dad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I love this picture of Rob, Dad and I taken in 2013.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-60475848106795512652021-03-01T17:14:00.003-05:002021-03-01T17:19:54.574-05:00WELCOME MARCH<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tTY7v63qGPqMWMN5XvWzrme-wIYiYrxwaa8KPdqjl2udlxm9bgv8Hd_N-Mhw5JmivyE9MeM6tCJ8zYK0pOslaV5s4-tmzbWgspl2XAZkVa7BAPRGfISzt6A7-xnbwf61JkzlL_9-VmCs/s2048/snowysleepy1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="2048" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_tTY7v63qGPqMWMN5XvWzrme-wIYiYrxwaa8KPdqjl2udlxm9bgv8Hd_N-Mhw5JmivyE9MeM6tCJ8zYK0pOslaV5s4-tmzbWgspl2XAZkVa7BAPRGfISzt6A7-xnbwf61JkzlL_9-VmCs/w400-h283/snowysleepy1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My first and only Snowy Owl sighting this winter.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>March 1st marks the first day of Spring in the meteorological calendar, and also in the birding world as well, for those who list their birds seasonally. I do not remember ever being happier to turn a calendar page to a new month as I was this morning.</p><p>I handled the first lock down much better than this past one. The last two months have seemed like a year long. I only left the house the last four weeks to go to work for a few hours every Thursday morning. I worked and hibernated at home the rest of the time, even forgoing my daily walks around the neighborhood and our regular Sunday morning nature walks. I spent my free time binge watching the Food Network and Netflix. </p><p>I knew it was time to get moving again and got out for my first Sunday nature walk in weeks yesterday. I was rewarded with my only Snowy Owl sighting of the winter. The turn of the calendar page this morning has made me feel more optimistic about the rest of the year, vaccines are starting to role out, migration is only a few weeks away, and the warmer weather is on it's way as well.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY9-kxa-DTNLDTvqui1bokZsqLMWEvwgF4rvut85OKl8Cnrm6DVaIkaEGidAAShA1JX0CtzN2euAhBTMxUn4tbKBHOj11691JeLc0wUHzp4mdpwirh-P2a2uNpOmUB9yoEE9di3EdE0iW/s2048/coyorte.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicY9-kxa-DTNLDTvqui1bokZsqLMWEvwgF4rvut85OKl8Cnrm6DVaIkaEGidAAShA1JX0CtzN2euAhBTMxUn4tbKBHOj11691JeLc0wUHzp4mdpwirh-P2a2uNpOmUB9yoEE9di3EdE0iW/w400-h266/coyorte.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A coyote we saw on our walk yesterday. He was gone quickly when he realized we spotted him.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3jdOsrkYnZwmtACS_6ktnE0TtGYaJkZ2qN6iLdMwboJKyErQDX3hOQE5sUGhJvObqPs0LMtH4qDqDbWLEVHkvUnvjUPTxrpZl_o_RJ6a_Liaz9WM-eDumphz7N6d6mjc87QtU8gSnzyG/s2048/snowysleepy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="2048" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3jdOsrkYnZwmtACS_6ktnE0TtGYaJkZ2qN6iLdMwboJKyErQDX3hOQE5sUGhJvObqPs0LMtH4qDqDbWLEVHkvUnvjUPTxrpZl_o_RJ6a_Liaz9WM-eDumphz7N6d6mjc87QtU8gSnzyG/w400-h254/snowysleepy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Another shot of the Snowy Owl seen yesterday. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Even though this summer may not be "normal" again, I am looking forward to being able to enjoy our backyard once again, and the wildlife that visit us. It's time to shake off the cobwebs of the last couple months and start enjoying my life again, as best I can under the circumstances. </p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-31046345555475753692021-02-05T15:39:00.004-05:002021-02-05T15:40:23.001-05:00FOODIE FRIDAY - CATERED CHRISTMAS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0um74_L5yZ3lMqOe3WWTteLexvfN8nPbQQHt1h-Cj6pVOsth3VoRVo3fY4jUVW-wBXGCmteNPF283tG8KBOAeegVT4dVksLh-w7PaC5I6jwGkUE1yKWht3JupIQ0uGZrxt7uPbzxkORd/s2048/20210205_070628.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0um74_L5yZ3lMqOe3WWTteLexvfN8nPbQQHt1h-Cj6pVOsth3VoRVo3fY4jUVW-wBXGCmteNPF283tG8KBOAeegVT4dVksLh-w7PaC5I6jwGkUE1yKWht3JupIQ0uGZrxt7uPbzxkORd/w400-h386/20210205_070628.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Yule Log for dessert, it was delicious! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>This past Christmas when the health officials asked us to only spend Christmas with those we live with, we did. We knew it was going to feel very different, but I wanted it to be special too. This was only Rob's second time not having Christmas dinner with his parents. The first being in 2017 when we flew to Alberta with my Dad to spend Christmas with my brother and his family.</p><p>I still had lots of turkey in the freezer for soups and pot pie from Thanksgiving. So when I saw an ad in my Facebook newsfeed for "Christmas Dinner for Two" from <a href="https://encorecatering.com/" target="_blank">Encore Catering</a>, I took a look. The menu looked lovely, and I thought the price was reasonable. After discussing it with Rob and having a couple questions answered from the company we decided to place an order. Rob doesn't get as much time off over the holidays as I do, so it was nice to really free up the day. I loved that they delivered, but our back-up plan if it didn't show up was pizza. I'm glad we didn't have to use the back up plan. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyPcPRw7n2ttH9Sm6MteVCmjAJHjeAK9WbB3jEgJtVRv-fU6pVsj9tirnPBcsay21anylBxk6HCOMcgnkETAv1vmyE3V-2O_PjGQWY9a2aPkbBrBma1m1C4-n2KjSl-Lpd4VcTcedkrFA/s2048/20210205_070841.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="2048" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyPcPRw7n2ttH9Sm6MteVCmjAJHjeAK9WbB3jEgJtVRv-fU6pVsj9tirnPBcsay21anylBxk6HCOMcgnkETAv1vmyE3V-2O_PjGQWY9a2aPkbBrBma1m1C4-n2KjSl-Lpd4VcTcedkrFA/w400-h270/20210205_070841.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Molly checking out the Christmas dinner box. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SR4xO2_edlcFK1m5YieWH4dQsPJdjFsEf8XgPiVsc6ZGdF3_GYgJfLo39u79dHpc7YGAxu2_BTzNrIjhRkrLmnzwZQIoATtQOYLK_drgbrAybyvgTV9bm4L8wRCubOWvHlG4n74ne4oI/s2048/Dinner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1495" data-original-width="2048" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SR4xO2_edlcFK1m5YieWH4dQsPJdjFsEf8XgPiVsc6ZGdF3_GYgJfLo39u79dHpc7YGAxu2_BTzNrIjhRkrLmnzwZQIoATtQOYLK_drgbrAybyvgTV9bm4L8wRCubOWvHlG4n74ne4oI/w400-h293/Dinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>All the goodies inside the box. </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8tBS-_WaFGTJ9Bir2eUlsKnBB13UJ1gcss-SvMOmfp_uJwXtO3wDTzKZEuVjmncK2MmTUaePNw3C0EXfilkoewg6tp95dGVNLodkXiCWXwE4CydwciDSZzvmbWjXhWi2nUKTJNT-lC-E/s2048/Food.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8tBS-_WaFGTJ9Bir2eUlsKnBB13UJ1gcss-SvMOmfp_uJwXtO3wDTzKZEuVjmncK2MmTUaePNw3C0EXfilkoewg6tp95dGVNLodkXiCWXwE4CydwciDSZzvmbWjXhWi2nUKTJNT-lC-E/w400-h263/Food.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The reheat instructions were perfect and easy. In the oven, not microwaved.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUV_9Fi2Y_Ew1tfb4-dve_rlqtGeIwY2UOjb-TEKdmiTPf0kCMMfPWqzH1qFNEJu0MAPRkElopO6hyphenhyphenq6xGa_BG34P3KfP_Qb87NyfkKS0wdmj0cTafAxcexMZxJg3pbKzNY7T3thZW6KR/s2048/Table.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1451" data-original-width="2048" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUV_9Fi2Y_Ew1tfb4-dve_rlqtGeIwY2UOjb-TEKdmiTPf0kCMMfPWqzH1qFNEJu0MAPRkElopO6hyphenhyphenq6xGa_BG34P3KfP_Qb87NyfkKS0wdmj0cTafAxcexMZxJg3pbKzNY7T3thZW6KR/w400-h284/Table.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Table for two!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwZD4IfDt-rYvhNf2abloS22dj-ji_YYGzfN2y8-QlAJs8gh7mc15Wsvw1o8Em1QldrFWI6nw-qdlI32sErY7fPNvbiw9A84ldt2Q5dudRZZiwhFBYRUpU3jeM_NMi11TQ_RAfYtChNJW/s2048/Plated.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwZD4IfDt-rYvhNf2abloS22dj-ji_YYGzfN2y8-QlAJs8gh7mc15Wsvw1o8Em1QldrFWI6nw-qdlI32sErY7fPNvbiw9A84ldt2Q5dudRZZiwhFBYRUpU3jeM_NMi11TQ_RAfYtChNJW/w400-h300/Plated.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Everything was delicious and we even had a few leftovers.</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb2o_Tx05hwmr29EaLCJTRdcklkb2bQgEWxnIV4PNAlOvg3IcDZViIEEnbLXNKevIIm_Pw44YRGpsCmlWiFkxu15goIOFO6-MmM01rZqGUlBhkUIWM3H-L79Yzk4l8M4liBAdjfJQJRES/s2048/20210205_070545.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1829" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPb2o_Tx05hwmr29EaLCJTRdcklkb2bQgEWxnIV4PNAlOvg3IcDZViIEEnbLXNKevIIm_Pw44YRGpsCmlWiFkxu15goIOFO6-MmM01rZqGUlBhkUIWM3H-L79Yzk4l8M4liBAdjfJQJRES/w358-h400/20210205_070545.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I was in awe of the Yule Log and meringue mushrooms!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Fd7zHqzPqk27PWYxHM2lR1tYAPPeMTMa261HJNE7MJBgszo9-FsHgbWk1VRQu7YxuOF8PDviQZ06wdVttaxgiOHgFwqwqorfsinZ6ctQ3qMnfLMF63RQpllfv0Exic0tNdMNKz83nI4Y/s2048/20201229_173933.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="2048" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Fd7zHqzPqk27PWYxHM2lR1tYAPPeMTMa261HJNE7MJBgszo9-FsHgbWk1VRQu7YxuOF8PDviQZ06wdVttaxgiOHgFwqwqorfsinZ6ctQ3qMnfLMF63RQpllfv0Exic0tNdMNKz83nI4Y/w400-h304/20201229_173933.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I added on a box of 4 Hot Chocolate bombs to our order. They were delicious! </b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I will most definitely use this company again for catered meals for a special event or "just because", but next year I do hope we are all able to gather again around Rob's parents table for Christmas dinner. </div>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8633621814540740771.post-87336339704872150082021-01-08T14:18:00.001-05:002021-01-08T14:18:17.003-05:00OWL SURPRISES<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h5DKqNOrCVeLcIakK-tyj4SCa8KGCqgyYhF9me70REjjUIpWpML5ySxnPgHYrNcFOXYGk4-ek_V9FmkfoieBFFLhNXzHJ-CMZ4mKRrc2Q2agGN_e5HHfR8P-WMPt-OpYQezQ6Q4tekjJ/s2048/OHMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1976" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h5DKqNOrCVeLcIakK-tyj4SCa8KGCqgyYhF9me70REjjUIpWpML5ySxnPgHYrNcFOXYGk4-ek_V9FmkfoieBFFLhNXzHJ-CMZ4mKRrc2Q2agGN_e5HHfR8P-WMPt-OpYQezQ6Q4tekjJ/w400-h386/OHMG.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Screech Owl in our backyard, December 19th, 2016 </b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>December 23rd, 2020 was my first full day of Christmas break, and it turned out to be quite a memorable day! </p><p>Rob doesn't leave for work until around 1pm, so we were home together in the morning. That morning the Blue Jays were quite vocal and Rob noticed them swooping by the owl box, so we both kept a look out. Rob had seen an Eastern Screech Owl in that same box almost 4 years ago to the day, but I was at work that day and missed seeing it. That was the first time he had seen an owl our yard. </p><p>At 9:30am it happened, Rob was downstairs, I looked out the window and there he was, another Eastern Screech Owl hanging his head out of the box! I called Rob quickly upstairs so he could see him. After a quick look, Rob went out the front door to walk around back to see if he could get a picture, but during this time, the owl ducked back down in the box to sleep the day away.</p><p>I kept a look-out all afternoon, and at 4pm he showed himself again. I texted Rob right away, and he asked me if could try to take a pic with his camera. I tried.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRunZvLtdRVzCcn9QFzY1seCATlqcDQeTgevJTy2Fm3fg8wdfFICreO_ekyPuAr5vRXWs3os77DP9DiKnnknySfIn2pNuuLIcuLvKFNEVrOQ3Bv1j0Vgp-KQCJVmZMhA3vpyNFdVS-zEs/s2048/xmasowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1758" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRunZvLtdRVzCcn9QFzY1seCATlqcDQeTgevJTy2Fm3fg8wdfFICreO_ekyPuAr5vRXWs3os77DP9DiKnnknySfIn2pNuuLIcuLvKFNEVrOQ3Bv1j0Vgp-KQCJVmZMhA3vpyNFdVS-zEs/w400-h344/xmasowl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Eastern Screech Owl, December 23rd, 2020 </b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This was the best I could do. It's taken through the kitchen window, as I didn't want to flush him. I sat in the window and watched him for 2 hours. He spent a lot of time looking towards the back of the yard. Who knows what he was hearing. When it was getting dark he flew to one of the pine trees in front of our kitchen window, I could see him sitting there, and then he flew to a neighbors clothes line, before he flew off to hunt, and it was too dark for me to see him any longer. We really hope another Eastern Screech Owl visits us again. </p><p>January 4th I was back to work, but Rob had the day off. We had got a tip of a Barred Owl being seen not far from home a few days earlier. My work day ends at 3:30pm, so we went for a dusk walk. I haven't seen a Barred Owl in many years. We were both very hopeful that we would see one on our walk. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiNSD_OJfC_HSTsg2BZRePEsZXV6TBs6JO8K4LZbSlqq2U0U2LwGzCEXd2UxQEICMoGs7Kpj_BP340RcbDYWtbIdpB6ZNpXBLGYxk-ZeCz29xmPERv62G-Y99_kxgUcReqy66Rirw9JtQ/s2048/sleepybarred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiNSD_OJfC_HSTsg2BZRePEsZXV6TBs6JO8K4LZbSlqq2U0U2LwGzCEXd2UxQEICMoGs7Kpj_BP340RcbDYWtbIdpB6ZNpXBLGYxk-ZeCz29xmPERv62G-Y99_kxgUcReqy66Rirw9JtQ/w400-h266/sleepybarred.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Barred Owl, January 4th, 2021</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I spotted him while we were walking along a path in the area. If you ever see me giggling and doing a little jig while out in nature, it's a sure sign I have spotted an owl. It's not planned, all reaction. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MSpTLD3k9yjAq8G1-Es6HmatnVh9neNEPtTq8tuR73gGwQujo6bJpxijA0fqdDhb0aXwgi91jIyFzZEeym6T_r31AaBtVHF52xeGwsLq8RukSsTl0jZ8WDbfCmtX7FwOb5znvAPnrqq7/s2048/oldmillbarred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MSpTLD3k9yjAq8G1-Es6HmatnVh9neNEPtTq8tuR73gGwQujo6bJpxijA0fqdDhb0aXwgi91jIyFzZEeym6T_r31AaBtVHF52xeGwsLq8RukSsTl0jZ8WDbfCmtX7FwOb5znvAPnrqq7/w400-h266/oldmillbarred.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>What a beauty!</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As always, we didn't linger. A couple pics and good looks through our binoculars and we continued our walk. What a great start and end to my Christmas Break! </p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Angie in T.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00208503841470715157noreply@blogger.com1