I'm so glad you could stop by. This is my personal blog of daily life and my journey through life. You will find a strong emphasis on family and friends as well as finding my ancestors through genealogy. Unlike my other blogs this blog is more of a catch-all so any topic is fair game.
The Creek
September 19, 2011
Our vacation home is located in a beautiful resort with many, many gorgeous bodies of water. This small creek is a short walk from our house so I visit quite often during my walks. I love how the sky and trees are mirrored in the still waters. The water is quite clear revealing fish lazily swimming by. I haven't seen any gators at the creek but the nearby larger pond is known as a popular gator breeding area. Part of the pond is shown at the top of the picture but it expands quite some distance to the right (not shown). It's quite common to see gators sunning themselves along the shore of the pond. There is also an abundance of waterfowl at the pond. I always take my camera with me when going for a walk as there is just so many wonderful photo opportunities.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Fog Over the Water
April 3, 2011
My gosh, my two least favourite months are November and March because they are transitional weather months. April usually is filled with rain mixed with beautiful bright bursts of sunshine. So far this year April has been nothing like April. We've had snow, freezing rain, heavy slush, rain and cold temperatures. The sun has peeked out only a couple of times and then for very brief periods. The days are still dull and grey with foggy mornings that cause poor driving conditions and school bus delays. The only cheery highlights are the return of the robins and crocuses poking their way through the ground. I don't know about anyone else but I think it is time for Old Man Winter to skidaddle!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Shimmering Sheets of Ice
February 10, 2011
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Log in the Water
March 17, 2011
The weather has turned milder which has been quite welcomed after what seems like a long winter. While we didn't have any really bitter cold like we normally do, we had a lot of snowfall. The snow came in a series of rather nasty storms that brought accumulations of 15 to 25 cm at a time with high winds resulting drifting and blowing snow. As a result the driving conditions were quite hazardous on numerous occasions.
The milder weather has brought ice down from the lakes. Along with the ice is other debris, mainly logs and brush. There has been a fair amount of run-off from the spring thaw as well. The nice thing is we have been heating mainly with our gas fireplace that keeps the living level warm enough so that the furnace doesn't kick on. I will be so glad when we can turn both the furnace and gas fireplace off! Our heating bills are more than reasonable coming in about the third of the average for our area but we are very energy conscious and have done a lot of winterizing so it is to be expected they would be less. Oh and I saw my first robin of the season too! At any rate, spring is on the way...
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
Life on the Intercostal
December 16, 2010
Garden Gnome
©2006-2011
More Dock Damage
February 12, 2011
The morning of January 12 was eventful to say the least. I posted a picture of the damage done to our neighbour's boat lift and dock immediately to the south of us. Pictured is the neighbour's dock next door to them, two doors down from us. The force of the ice snapped the welds for the short end of the weld and either bent or moved the two outer supporting spiles. About four doors down it looks like the ice may have damaged the bottom of their boat that was on the lift for winter storage. Next to that dock, the next dock had most of the runway taken out.
My husband quickly checked our dock. Ours is smaller so won't know if there was damage done or not until we can get underneath it in the spring. Our immediate neighbours' docks for four houses to the north of us look to be unharmed. Next to them there is more dock damage so it must have just been the way the ice was breaking and shifting.
Garden Gnome
Boat Lift Destroyed By Ice
February 12, 2011
Last Saturday morning I awoke about 5 AM, way to early to be up given that we were hosting a larger get together that evening that would go well beyond midnight. Anyway I heard a horrendous noise followed by more strange noises. It was dark so I couldn't see anything and the house appeared to be fine. I woke my husband to tell him something strange was happening outside. He got up to check things out. It was a loud, cracking, somewhat tinny mixed with a screeching noise. We determined it was the ice breaking up that can make quite a bit of noise when it shifts and heaves. Wrong!
While some of the noise was due to the ice giving way, mingled in was the sound of twisting and bending of cold metal through the sheer force of the ice. Once daylight hit I looked out and oh my gosh! The damage was horrid! Damage along our stretch of the waterway was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. This has been our seventh winter living on the water we have never seen this amount of damage.
Pictured is our neighbour's destroyed boat lift to the south of us. They just moved in the first of December last year so my heart goes out to them. The ice ripped one of the supporting spiles of the L-shaped dock. It literally ripped most of the boat lift from the short end of the L twisting it downwards into the water. My husband figures that damage alone to this dock is somewhere around twenty thousand.
Garden Gnome
Glass Reflections on the Water
November 24, 2010
This is the time of year where most days are grey and dull. The water takes on the greyness turning it into a shimmering grey mirror reflecting shades of grey. The water was so still when I took the picture. The seagulls looked like little puff balls resting on the water's surface. If it wasn't so cold it would have been perfect water to glide over smoothly. It was a peaceful view that didn't last long as the rain came across the water. Still it was pretty while it lasted.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Swan Visit
August 18, 2010
The swans visit at least twice daily. This is the same couple that has visited us since we moved here over three years ago. I never tire of photographing these majestic birds! The picture was taken from the kitchen patio doors just a few feet away from the water's edge. It was early morning and the water was just a bare ripple, still quite grey from the cloud cover. The water constantly changes colour or appears to depending on the time of day and sky conditions.
These are Mute swans that winter here as well. We get visits from the Trumpet and Whistler swans occasionally during their migration. Mute swans mate for life and care for their signets for two years. This year the couple have no signets which is unusual so they likely had them but something happened. The swans can be quite territorial and despite their graceful, serene appearance when agitated one hit from their powerful wings is enough to break an adult's arm!
The swans have become quite friendly with us. They know they get fed! Just the sound of the patio door opening is enough to bring them to the dock where they wait for the bread we toss them. They are rather spoiled as this isn't the cheap store bought white bread but rather most times homemade multigrain bread or occasionally my husband's store bought Italiano splurge. Everyone along here feeds them. Our neighbours a few doors down have a seadoo. Last year the swans were near their dock and would not let them into the dock. It was quite the sight to see! Each time they tried to dock the seadoo the drake went right after them. The poor neighbours were stuck out on their seadoo for a good hour not being able to dock because of the swans. Finally the swans mosied on and they were able to dock the seadoo. It was very interesting to see a very different side of the swans.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Lake Guardian
August 8, 2010
Living on the Great Lakes waterway we have the wonderful opportunity to see a wide range of vessels ranging from fishing, pleasure, homeland security, commercial and research. Smaller research vessels are a rather common sight but we only see the Lake Guardian a couple of times a year if we are lucky. The Lake Guardian is the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) largest Great Lakes' research and monitoring vessel operated by the Great Lakes National program Office (GLNPO). This vessel is the only self-contained, non-polluting research vessel on the Great Lakes. It conducts monitoring programs sampling the water, aquatic life, sediments, and air to assess the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Data collection lasts for about 7 months of the year. Scientists interested in using the Lake Guardian for research purposes can apply to the GLNPO for one of the twenty-seven available space allotments for scientists.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
The Island
July 3, 2010
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
The Swim Hole
July 3, 2010
It is always enjoyable spending a warm summer day lounging at the swim hole. After spending a lazy day enjoying the sun and water we head out usually around the dinner hour sometimes a bit later. Occasionally we wait until the sun is lower in the sky. We headed out our normal time on this day watching others do the same as the sun danced over the water. It was such a gorgeous day!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Rippling Waves
July 3, 2010
The weather started warming up here in time for the Canada Day celebrations. Saturday it was quite warm so we spent the afternoon at the swim hole. The day was absolutely gorgeous, rocking gently in the boat on the waves. As the temperatures continued to soar into mid-week I'm sure a lot of people were cooling themselves in swimming pools, local beaches and on boats.
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
The Swim Hole
July 3, 2010
Shortly after getting the boat we learned where a few good swimming spots aka
swim holes were. A swim hole is unlike simply going to a beach. We usually pack a cooler or two with a light meal, snacks and refreshments. When we arrive we find a spot to anchor amidst the many other boats anchored. Once anchored we put the top up for shade and turn on the tunes. The boat rocks gently and sometimes not so gently in the waves. We usually make our way to shore to sit on the beach but unlike a lot of the other boaters we don't bring a lot of gear up to the beach. Some of the boaters have small dingies that they pull filled with gas grills, umbrellas, lawn chairs and that type of thing but we spend our time between the boat, the water and the shore. It is a very lazy, relaxing way to spend an afternoon!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Reflections
May 21, 2010
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Laughing Gull
May 23, 2010
While sitting in the shade of the cabana snack shop I let my mind wander a bit to take in all the sights, sounds, smells and just simply being there. Then the
Laughing Gulls caught my attention. I personally like seagulls. I think they are rather interesting and have even more interesting quirks. This little guy landed on the picnic table right in front of me posing rather nicely for a picture. I managed to get quite a few pictures of the gulls even though I refrained from feeding them. Feeding gulls is a rather interesting story that perhaps I will share with you sometime :)
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Sand Dollar
May 23, 2010
On the Sunday of our vacation we headed to the Golf Coast to enjoy a late lunch combined with a bit or R&R along with swimming. We ended up stopping at St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. It was a rather hot day so first we found a restaurant with an outdoor patio for people watching. After lunch we headed to the beach where I settled in the shade of an umbrella at the beach cabana snack bar while my husband headed to the water for a swim. I lazed about people watching, taking pictures and sipping a cold one while he enjoyed a swim. A DJ had a booth set-up for karaoke which proved to be quite entertaining watch young girls about the age of 10 singing their hearts out. I discovered there is a thing called the
karaoke mom who coaches from the sidelines with the goal of getting their child discovered! Behind the karaoke booth there were a few artisans selling their wares but I didn't want to lose my shady spot.
My husband came up to show me the sand dollar he found in the water. Normally the sand dollars we see are cleaned and quite brittle. This large sand dollar was very much alive so after it's photo shoot my husband returned the sand dollar to its aquatic home. Then he went back in for another swim. The whole day was just a true delight!
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Babbling Brook
May 19, 2010
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Hidden Pond
April 30, 2010
Garden Gnome
©2006-2010
Late Spring IceMarch 21, 2010Mid-March we experienced a week of unseasonable warm temperatures. It was quite delightful! Then it turned cold again with winds from the North. Waters that had been clear were suddenly filled with ice that was quickly forming ice jams. Ice jams from along the Great Lakes waterways cause the secondary and tertiary waterways to back-up as they can't drain properly. This puts communities along these smaller waterways at risk for flooding. The Canadian and US Coast Guards in an attempt to prevent flooding conditions co-operatively work overtime to prevent ice jams and when an ice jam does form as it so quickly can they work round the clock without break to get the ice jam to release. It is always and interesting time along the Great Lakes waterways this time of year!
Pictured is an ice jam forming. By the time I was able to get this picture the Coast Guards were in full force trying to release a 15 mile long ice jam to get things moving again. Unfortunately things worsened overnight as more ice backed up so the next day they were still working overtime trying to get the ice to move. Late that afternoon as the weather turned to freezing rain and even cooler temperatures I watched the US Coast Guard ice cutter slowly made it's way through the thickening ice I was reminded once again how very quickly the Great Lakes water conditions can change.
Garden Gnome©2006-2010
