Goderich Tornado Kills 1, Injures 37, Defeats No One!

Goderich has a reputation of being Canada's most beautiful town. The many times I've been there (it's just a few miles from my trailer in Bayfield), walking the boardwalk, enjoying the sunsets, watching the ships get their cargo from the salt mine, I would agree with that perception.

On Sunday the town was devastated by an F3 tornado. The unique downtown square (actually an octogon) filled with heritage buildings was destroyed. Many people are homeless and over 100 businesses damaged beyond repair.

My heart goes out to the residents of Goderich. I know they will rebuild and that once again I'll walk their gorgeous boardwalk overlooking Lake Huron.

We're HOME!!

Awwwwwwwwwww, home sweet home!

Oops, sorry wrong picture!

Oh well, close enough!

I'm still a bit giddy from the long-ass drive. We drove through major hurricane strength winds (seemed that way, anyways) several times, got caught in bumper to bumper traffic several times (construction, accidents, cottagers coming  home from the weekend away) so didn't arrive

til 10:30pm. 

My sweet little pumpkin-noodle had ordered chinese food and it arrived about 5 minutes after we did. (Now that's something we could never do in PEI, everyone closes up shop by 9pm at the latest in our area so there are a few good things to be said about living in the city!)

So we stuffed our faces and talked, talked, talked. 

Kazi had gone to a major electronic music festival in Algonquin Park (WEMF) that lasted 3 days and I think it took her 3 days to tell us all about it!
NEXT DAY
Forgot that I started this post yesterday - my mind and body are still disconnected!
So I will post it now and get cracking on some schoolwork. Either that or continue with the
unpacking...I'm undecided.
What do you think?

Islanders By Choice Alliance breaking barriers - Local - The Journal Pioneer

Here's an article about Michael and me! We did an interview on Tuesday with the

local paper.

Islanders By Choice Alliance breaking barriers - Local - The Journal Pioneer

All's Well that Ends Well

So Cora the Cobalt had a little accident last night, on the eve of our journey home.  I guess she doesn't want to leave either. We had gone into Alberton to enjoy one more wing night at our favorite pub - The Albert and Crown.

I was still on my first pint of Gahan's Sir John A when someone told me my car had been hit by a truck turning into the laneway of the pub. The driver had made too tight of a turn and a projection from his hubcap hooked our bumper pulling it partially off and breaking the grill. Oh poo. 

 Ironically, the driver (Jeremy) was on his way to say goodbye to us and to buy a couple of pounds of wings to take home. Thankfully we knew him (from previous wing nights) and know he's a good guy. I am writing this the morning after (yes, I'm back at the pub!) and Jeremy just dropped off the cash to pay for the repair. We were referred by another friend to an autobody shop near O'Leary and they are able to get a new bumper this afternoon. It will be painted and installed by sometime Saturday morning. So all in all the experience wasn't too terrible. 

Luckily it's a nice sunny day and we've been invited to the beach this afternoon and to a friend's house in Skinner's Pond to hear about 20 musicians take part in an informal jam session. Could be worse! (notice all the red mud we're taking home with us!)


The unfortunate part is we'll be missing a wedding back home tomorrow. And I had to open up my suitcase this morning and put on some wrinkled clothes!! We were all packed up for an early departure this morning so we have no food left (hence me sitting in a pub waiting for my lunch to arrive). So things are a little awkward but we're making the best of it. People feel sorry for us so they keep buying us coffees and breakfast sandwiches etc. 


Oh yes, Jeremy never did get any wings!

Last Few Days - sniff

A few final pictures of PEI, we'll be heading home this Friday! My, how the time has flown by!  We were over at West Point for awhile on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day, then a storm system moved in - I love watching weather move in over the water...lots of thunder but only a few sprinkles of rain. We huddled under an umbrella and wrapped our blanket around us and made it through ok.

On Saturday we were invited out on a friend's boat. It was mostly sunny that day too so we really lived it up! Two nice days in a row is a record for this wet summer.

 This picture is my "catch of the week"! When we were docking the boat a wedding group was gathered on the dock for some photos. I managed to take a quick snap of this little flower girl before she dashed off. I just love the composition of this photo and the light - purely accidental as she sat there for perhaps 5 seconds.

 I always wanted to see this lighthouse closer up - it's on a little island off Northport pier only reachable by boat, so was thrilled that we got to have a walk around the island. Found a lot of sand dollars!

 A couple days ago we dug up a few maple seedlings from the ditch along our road and planted them in a field near our house.  We also replace the 4 spruce trees that didn't survive the winter from last year's planting. Keep your fingers crossed that they prosper and grow!

 One thing Michael did a couple of weeks ago that I LOVE was create a pathway through our bamboo patch! Next year we'll put a bench in there - for some reason the mosquitoes don't find us in there:)

Kind of a dark picture but can you see the bamboo patch to the left? It's huge!

 It's a little sanctuary in there - green, leafy, quiet.

 Here's some of the new little potatoes. We'll be digging up a bunch to take home with us - I love the little ones - they're so cute (and tasty!)

 Just so you don't think that Michael does all of the manual labour here's a picture of one of the 5 holes I dug for the maple seedlings :)

 Here's me at my favourite local hangout - the A & C. I didn't realize that Ellen (server and step-daughter of the owner) was flashing her cash behind me!

 They're a lively bunch at the A & C. There's Julie (server and singer extraordinaire) hamming it up behind Stever, the owner.  He's trying to take a picture of the musicians - lots of live music going on here - it's a happening place!

 Finally a few pictures from Michael's adventure: he went out with Julie's fiancee's lobster boat on setting day. Setting day is a very big day in these parts - it's the first day they can go out and set their lobster traps. The weather was pretty bad and the waves were really big (one boat from N.B. went down but the fishermen were rescued) but Michael being Michael was up for the adventure.

 On the way back in they checked a trap and already lobsters had found their way in!  

 This is Michael taking his turn throwing in a trap.

Thankfully he didn't go overboard with the trap - it does happen from time to time!  Where was I you ask? Tucked up in my wee bed!  He had to be there at 5:30am and lobster fishing isn't high up on my bucket list:) 


Maybe next year!


Probably my next post will be from London, ON....unless I say to heck with it all, quit my job and stay here!  I would if I could!


Bye for now...enjoy the final few weeks of summer!

I'm Still Here...but not for much longer!

We have just over a week left on the island and then it's back to reality...yet I feel so much at home it seems really weird to be leaving!


I have so much to tell you but I'm just writing a quick post because I want to spend my time catching up with YOU! 


I don't have a picture of today's "Catch of the Day" because we bought it just a few minutes ago - and it was only $6.00.


We went to visit and explore Kerras Jefferey's Back Road Folk Art today, on Route 151.  We have been looking for a shade for our outdoor gooseneck light which is above our back door.  It's been just a bare bulb for quite some time and I wanted to get an authentic shade for it and found several today - hurrah! Can't wait to get it in place...then I'll take a photo for you. 


If you've never visited Kerras Jefferey's place you should...really! He can take any piece of junk...errr...treasure and turn it into a unique one-of-a-kind piece of folk art. Truly charming! AND he makes very rustic furniture and makes headboards out of old doors (turned sideways). We're going back to choose a door for our own unique headboard from his collection of over 250 old wooden doors. 


Gotta go...want to read your posts!

CATCH OF THE WEEK - HUMMINGBIRDS!

This week's "Catch of the Day" is brought to you by the Guardian Drugstore in O'Leary, PE.  Recently Michael and I were in O'Leary to watch the taterrific (hardy har har har) "Potato Blossom" parade:

There goes Mr. Potato right now...


While there we took advantage of the sidewalk sales...this was AFTER the parade because ALL businesses closed shop during the parade!  We browsed through the Home Hardware store, the CO-OP stores and finally Guardian Drugs. 


I hit the jackpot at Guardian Drugs. We purchased some bowls, a big mystery grab bag for $2.00 (topic for another post) AND a gorgeous bright red, cut glass hummingbird feeder for $5.00 (marked down from $29.99)! Since we have seen a hummingbird or two whiz by while sitting on our front porch I was thrilled to find one for such a low price.


I made up a batch of sugary syrup on the BBQ, poured it into the feeder and hung it up on the front porch hoping the local hummingbirds would find it. 

And by golly they did!! I think there are two because one makes a little chirping noise while feeding and the other one doesn't.  They stop by frequently throughout the day (like every 5 minutes!) which makes me wonder if they are feeding young ones. I don't really know anything about hummingbird habits so if you can fill me in I'd appreciate it.

It was tricky getting the photos because by the time the shutter clicked open and closed the hummingbird was long gone but I persisted. I also captured about a two minute video too! Oh, and I want you to notice the blue sky - see?...the sun does shine here once in a while:)


We seem to be friends now, the hummingbirds and I. At first my slightest movement scared them off but now they fly onto the porch, hover in front of me for a few seconds and then start to feed. Maybe they're just saying "thanks" for the feeder...or..."what the heck took you so long?" 


Either way, it's all good.