~~~~Hi Y'ALL....here are some pix of the little jazz band in the gazebo in Cocoa Village that I really enjoyed. I was telling the guys how much it meant to me to hear them play especially after four days driving from Canada....I threw in the bit about feeling my years and one of them mentioned that some days he doesn't recognize himself in the mirror.....that gang is so funny and great musicians.





This is Martel the Turtle heading across L'll Sis's grass with the mission of laying her eggs......an eager generation is preparing to carry on!




Till next time...

~~~~~ SHE'S LANDED IN COCOA....and it only took me 4 hrs. Perhaps it was the heavy foot on the gas peddle.....hummmm.

It is cold here only 55F...however it is going up to 80 tomorrow.....I hope!

It was an ordinary drive down interstate 95 then I spotted the cops....7 cruisers guys with their hands in the air....just glad it was on the North bound of 95.....a nice welcome to Florida Y'All!

Till next time.....

~~~Good morning Y'All, YIKES, IT'S 6AM!!!!!

I think my morning workout will be....."hit snooze, reset, repeat...LOL
Yes, I am feeling very weary even though I have had enough sleep....I would compare the feeling for you but I think it would offend some of my readers....I'm giggling here!

I'm off to Cocoa Fl. which should take me about 7 hrs. give or take a few minutes here or there.

Hey Toos, I've had a regular coffee this morning to get this old body moving so when I get there I'll be swinging from rafters....do you have any rafters???? LOL

Till next time

~~~Pix of the drive through the Smokey Mountains....weather was quite good....no rain just over cast.
Settled in for the night in Valdosta Georgia and ....can you hear me singing "A Rainy Night In Georgia"!





This is a fitting photo... on Veteran's Day.


Till next time...

~~~BITTER SWEET....was the experience I had as I was 'flying' through the mountains....let me explain!

When I travel in the USA I like to listen to NPR ( National Public Radio) and at 2PM. they were getting ready to air the Memorial Service for the fallen at Fort Hood. President Obama was going to address everyone there. The commentator started off describing the scene which must have been a very lovely day in Texas.

Joining him were two other reporters and they added some in site into the background of the fallen.
As the program progressed I was in one of the most beautiful parts of the mountains just flying along in the rain.

The clouds were hangin in each valley in an abstract way ...then it struck me ....I am so very "blessed" to be witnessing the grandeur of Mother Nature and those young 'souls' that had lost their lives last week would never get this opportunity to feel such Joy! Then the tears started and the loud crying and the wailing....oh it's a good thing I was alone!!!!!!

I soon sobered up and lasted until 3PM when I stopped just 10miles north of Knoxville for the night and registered in at the Holiday Inn Express.....are you getting the idea that I like this chain of Inns?

The Inn Keeper mentioned that the restaurant just across the road called Aubrey's was a very good place for dinner and I took her up on it.

I ordered salmon on rice with steamed broccoli and a small side of cole slaw all of which was delicious.
My waiter, Scott, was so interesting and since the place wasn't too busy yet we chatted for a while. I asked him how to pronounce the name of a Lager which I had never seen before....I know I don't get out to bars often enough...... and he said it was "Ying Ling" and I thought it was Chinese but it was made by Anhauser Bush.
Scott asked if I would like to try a glass and I did! It was wonderful and so light. I didn't even feel a buzz.....

While I was waiting for my meal I spotted on the table the cutest little bottle of Ketchup and I asked Scott about the small bottles.
You can't buy then from the restaurant and he didn't know if the bottles were in stores....I will keep my eye open for one....just too cute.

Below is Scott with a whole shelf of the cuties and he is a cutie too!


Till next time....

~~~OK! OK! I JUMPED THE GUN....a little and headed on my adventure Mon. at 10:30 AM.

Border crossing was wonderful....no cars....timing is everything and it took me 4o seconds...the guard had to tell me his adventure on Cocoa Beach...very boring he was very young!

I was very impressed with the good job that the construction crews had done through Detroit. It seemed like I just flew around Toledo.

The weather was fabulous and very mild for Nov.
I started feeling tired around 5:30 so I stopped at a Holiday Inn Express in Tip Ohio which is just outside Dayton.
I had a light dinner and a very hard swim so I will sleep well tonight.
Tomorrow I will do a workout first thing in the morning then enjoy some breakfast which they offer and be on the road again for a very long day..

Before I go....think of me and L'll Sis and her Hubby as that darn hurricane hammers down on Florida.

I will keep you posted....

Till next time....

~~~The sun shining on a very placid and almost spooky Lake Huron.



A lake freighter heading into port.



You will have to zoom in to get this schooner with 4 sails....it's not going anywhere....not even a breeze today


I spotted the vessels on the lake just as I was getting ready to load my bike into the SUV ....and here how she looks! Helmet and lock and other stuff are in the back pack all ready for their trip to Florida.....


Till next time.....

~~~ONLY THREE (3) SLEEPS TILL......

The first big adventure which will be to Florida to visit with L'll Sis and Hubby.
The visit will last only a week however I will be visiting with friends on my way home so it will be a fun filled time.

I still have so much to do prior to leaving....packing, YIKES! What do I take????

Then a refresher study session with the map cuz it has been a couple of years since I have travelled that far south.

And last but not least having my documentation in order. It is not hard to find everything since I keep that stuff in a locked container in my car...I often take a notion to cross the boarder and one must be prepared!

Till next time...

~~~~ENJOY THE PIX OF THE QUILT.....AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK...

Till next time....

~~~AND HERE IT IS .......THE QUILT!
Above is the front of the quilt...

Below is the reverse!


And here I am presenting the quilt to the Guild members at our monthly meeting show and tell.

~~~As some of you know I will be flying to Edmonton in Dec. to watch the curing event called..."The Roar of The Rings" but in the mean time I am taking a trip to Florida to visit L'll Sis and Hubby.

I thought that by the time I got home...near the end of Nov. the weather might have a surprise or two waiting for me so I didn't want to take any chances not knowing where the airport is and also finding accommodation...so I headed off to check things out and now I am quite comfortable with the situation. A Sunday well spent!
Oh, I stopped into Masonville and caught a movie...Amelia....and a little shopping.

THE QUILT!..... Tomorrow my dear friend M.E. is coming for a visit for a couple of days and we will be attending the Quilters' Guild monthly meeting. She is especially interested in going just to see me display the QUILT during the "Show and Tell" portion of the meeting. I will have her take some pix of the quilt during the showing.

M.E. also request to attend my Tuesday morning fitness class which just delighted me since I will be doing the warm up for the class. I just hope she is up to handling the solid hour of workout especially following all that chatting and drinking tea....

I'll let you know how things went even some pix!

Till next time...

~~~DO ANY OF YOU FINE FOLKS KNOW WHERE THIS PLANE IS LOCATED???
I know some of you do so let me hear from you!

~~~WILD WEATHER on Halloween.....it was very windy on Oct. 31, 2009 and I couldn't resist taking a few shots of the surf at Main Beach. The waves in this area were vicious since the wind was blowing out of the south west.


In the pic above the background is one of the stone break walls.

Below the back ground is the Salt mine.

Thanks Pen Pal for encouraging me to post this event!

~~~THE LAST SUPPER!!!

Last evening I had a little dinner party for several neighbours since two of the couples will be leaving the country for some time.

L'll Sis and Hubby are Snowbirds and they will be gone for 6mos. and the Ramps will be away this time for 5wks. The other couple are seasonal and will be closing up their cottage very soon. So I thought it was appropriate and about time I had the party at my house.

I planned the menu which included a salad of baby greens dressed with my own dressing which by the way was very delightful.
The main course consisted of roasted pork tenderloin....

Oh stop drooling Cousin Mike.....

Then an assortment of mixed veggies that included diced carrots, cut green beans and corn all of which were tossed with a "touch" of real butter. Now for the carbs....baked potatoes that I let everyone dress for themselves and their choices were "real" butter and cottage cheese (lite of course) with my own home grown chives.

When I picked up the cottage cheese I thought it was sour cream and didn't discover the boo boo till I was setting things out and it was too late to run into town. I told my guest and much to my surprise everyone liked cottage cheese...whew! I mentioned that I had intended to grate some cheese for the spuds but now I didn't need to.

Now I know that Y'all are wondering about the desert......
Using a base of vanilla pudding I poured on top fresh fruit which had be marinating in a combination of Grand Marnier, Triple sec and 100% Maple Syrup.....

OH! Cousin ....get a grip! no squirty cream this time...LOL!

I served this desert in cocktail glasses which I find really catches every one's attention and don't forget ....presentation is 95% of a meal!
One more thing ...into each glass I poked a cylinder style cookie filled with Belgian chocolate.

I must say....the meal was quite delicious HOWEVER ....my guests are the best!!!

Enjoy the pix below....and keep holding your breath till the recent quilt is ready.


Till next time...

This is a pic of an autum quilt which I made several years ago. I took a special class in the evening to learn how to do this style....duh, I forgot what the style of patteren it is!




Below is a pic of the table centre which is sitting on that lovely quilt!

~~~~AND HERE SHE IS....ANN MARIE, I MEAN!
She is a true artist and she expresses that talent in many ways however quilting is her passion besides Ron that is...LOL!

She is working on the "Quilt" using her long arm quilting machine.

She used a circle motif and the three circles were different sizes, small, medium and large.

I have the quilted piece now and I am completing the "binding"!

When I am finished I will post pix of the Quilt showing the front and the back!
So hold your breath cuz you are in for a treat.....

Till next time....

~~~~LOOK WHAT I SPOTTED.......Two beautiful White Tailed Deer getting ready to "chow down" on some of the apples which I intentionally left for them.


They have their eye on me....I think!



This is just some of the wonderful things that happen to an unsuspecting individual at sunset on a fantastic autumn day up here in Heaven.




Till next time....

~~~~ SHE ESCAPED !!!

Yup, since the construction of the quilt is complete I felt the need for a mini adventure so I was off to enjoy the last of the autumn colours and pleasant sunshine.

I headed down to Grand Bend a spot on Lake Huron which is about 45min. south from Goderich. I like to check out "The Bend" a few times a year and the reconstruction of the street which leads to the main beach is not completed. It was like a disaster site. I wonder how they managed during the height of the tourist season?

On the way home I had to stop and do a little "shutter buggin" of the beautiful colours in my own backyard!

I hope you enjoy the following pix?

Till next time....

~~~~Above is a pic of the Maitland River taken from the bridge.
Below...a couple of "Duffers" playing golf on the green heading to the 9th hole.



A few brave fishermen.....


A view of the "Bridge".....

~~~Surf"s up in Grand Bend





Even some brave boaters!


The Light House in the channel at Grand Bend!