A closer look at the goats.

Arn't these beauties just enjoying a quiet afternoon rest?

Here is Ashley.... a beautiful 18year old Mennonite girl with her goats.

L A Z Y........that's me and enjoying it!

No time to blog lately but I will get serious in the near future!

till next time...

LONG HORNED CATTLE..... which I spotted while on mission not far from the
"jiggy jog"!
L'll Sis just loves Long Horned Cattle but especially Long Haired Long Horned Cattle which
we found in Scotland.
"AHHHH the memories".....

DEAR LILLY LADY....this one's for you!

Three postings in one day...what next you ask???
Grandson and his friend Matt have come for a visit this week and this pic of them was taken just a half hour after they arrived....

OH YES, I think they are part fish!
They sure love the water and the beach.

Till next time...

As some of you know I'm cat sitting for the summer for my wonderful
neighbours.
In this pic Dixon spotted a large dog jaunting across the property and up
the tree he went where he stayed til the coast was clear. His buddy Sam
was no where to be seen.

I know it's been awhile since my last posting so here is another
beauty from my lovely garden.

How do you like this pic???

This what I spotted from my living room window
on a beautiful Sunday morning.

Life just doesn't get any better than this!

Till next time...

Lilly Lady this one's for you!

How do you like the results of last years planting?

Till next time...

OK, can you guess what this is??? MUSHROOMS!
I discovered them growing on a long board of wood which was up against
a small shed. Their grow was because of all the moisture we have had lately.
They didn't last long once the sun got at them.

Till next time...

I wanted to share these pix with y'all.
I spotted this work of art in a little village called Shingletown which is south east
of my residence. I was on my way to visit family and friends and run a few errands.
It amazes me that the artist could see such a beautiful gift hiding in an old tree trunk!

Till next time...

************** AS PROMISED......
Can't you just smell that glorious fragrance?
Oh, I hear you sniffing!!!

~~~~~~~~~ALL'S WELL HERE....JUST A LITTLE BUSY!

I think I need to start smelling the beautiful roses in my garden for a while and a little less of doing other STUFF!
I'll post some pix when the sun comes out!

Till next time...

***********ANOTHER THUNDER STORM!****************
We have had at least 3 thunder storms a day visit us in the last 4 days and now here it is Tues. a.m. and the rain continues. I must thank Mother Nature for saving me a bunch of time in watering all the flower beds and the grass.

#1 Son visited again this past weekend and gave me a hand to do a little edging. I'd rather be on the golf course but I've made up my mind spruce up my property with live plants. I can see Dear Husband grinning and giving me the "thumbs up". I am trying to have my flower beds look similar to the ones I saw in Scotland and England. The new plantings are waiting in boxes till the rain ends maybe later today.

Now I'm off to a workout class at the "Y"!

Till next time...

********* CON'T********************
Wed. we headed out of the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland and Pound Sterling(like the rest of England and Scotland).
The cousins, aka Fire Boy(F.B.) and Moll, (I digress cause that's another story) took us to the town where our father was raised.

F.B. related to us about the strife the family went through and the sectarian violence that dominated the area.
We visited with Moll's sister and stayed for two nights with her brother in a very beautiful spot in the Mountains. The next day we ventured to see the grave of St. Patrick in Down Patrick and drove along the coast the Giant's Causeway which was very spectacular. Along the way we spotted a suspension bridge used by fishermen to get to their catch.

After saying good bye..."We'll Meet Again, Don't Know Where Don't Know When But I Know We'll Meet Again Someday!"
we boarded the plane which was late in take off by one hour and headed to Toronto. We had daylight all the way and dear brother-in-law was there to drive us home.

Now to get the new Bucket List started!

Till next time...

************* I'M BAAAAAAACK!*****************

On Mon. the 26 we headed with the cousins at the helm to Holyhead Wales to catch the ferry to Dublin and all went well.

We arrived in Dublin and stayed at the Jury's Inn near the centre of the city. It was raining when we got up the next morning but that didn't stop us and we hopped on a tour bus and saw the entire place. Dublin is large and has many fascinating spots. Our first was the Dublin Museum where we saw Viking ship being dismantled since the vessel will be sailed back to its original home.
Later in the day L'll Sis and I went to see the book of Kells at Trinity College that was so interesting but the Long Room which was upstairs just blew my mind. Google it to see for yourself.
To be con't....don't ya just hate that!!!

Till next time...

*************** OOPS! NOT THE LAST POSTING!!****************

Dear cousin Mike convinced us that it wasn't necessary to hang around all day packing and would we like to go to Wales for the day. Well, L'll Sis was almost doing
back flips at the suggestion of checking out Wales. You see she has taken a real liking to CASTLES. Yep, she even mentioned that she wouldn't mind studying them.

We left at 10:30am and returned at 8pm. We saw three castles and checked out just one but didn't go inside. The weather was rainy and cold so we didn't linger. We did manage to get to Betws-Y-Coed (excuse the spelling and it's late) a small village which has a very famous church and is also a favorite leaving point for hikers.

We have an early departure time tomorrow so...

Till next time...

************** A Day IN Bridge North*****************

Bridge North is a little community just north of Telford. It was and still has a wonderful market which dates back to the time of the Romans.
We did a little food shopping, watched a wedding party leave the old church and had lunch of fish and chips which was yummy!

Today will be a quiet one for us since we will be packing up and getting ready for the next leg of our adventurer to Ireland.

I don't know when I'll be able to blog next so hang in there!

Dear Jim and Jean, you have been with us all during our trip when ever we spot any beautiful gardens especially at Balmoral. I'd say to Toos, "Wouldn't Jim just love the sight of those gardens!"

Till next time...

***********Fun in Telford...******************

Telford is where the first iron bridge was erected. Cousin Mike took us on a tour of a Victorian village called Blist Mills. The village contains shops, homes, people and animals all in period costume, (not the animals). We really enjoyed experiencing the Victorian way of life and watching the school kids who were visiting. It brought back memories of the many school trips we ventured on.

In the afternoon we visited the "mall" for some Sat. shopping. L'll Sis and I really behaved ourselves since we don't want to over load the suitcases.

In the evening we visited with the cousins' son Pip and family. They are such lovely people especially their little son. Pip served on the Britannia and asked to see the pix I took of the ship which is docked in Edinburgh and I could only find two which really upset me. Something must have happened to the camera cause I remember taking those shots.
Maybe I'll find them when I download the camera then I get home.

Today we are into more visiting, genealogy discussion, and sightseeing around this area. We will be here till Mon. morning when we leave for Wales to catch the ferry to Dublin.

Till next time...

*************Stratford and finding the Bard!!!***************

This is the prettiest city. It is what I thought Bath would be like but it is half the size and no hills.
Our drive from Bath to Stratford was very beautiful and finding our accommodation which I booked on line was just perfect.
As we ventured out to tour Stratford we met some lovely women with whom we had a wonderful visit on the patio of the White Swan, delicious scones and tea.
Following an exchange of emails we were on our way to get the "hop on hop off" bus tour.
We had a blast viewing all the places of the Bard and a new respect and understanding for his life. (I can't think of a quote but I know some of you...the Ramps surely could help me out)!

Following a good nights sleep we were on our way to Telford to drop off the car. It was a good drive around Birmingham heading towards Telford and all went well with the drop off. The cousins met us and there was much frivolity, hugs, and kisses. We are here for a few days to enjoy the country side, some home cooked meals and lots of visiting and of course...getting the laundry done!
L'll Sis is in high gear chatting away and there is much discussion about genealogy.

Well, I can check off all the things on my "bucket list" and I guess a new list is due anytime!

Till next time...

********** CHEERS TO TOUR GUIDES!************

As I was planning this trip I logged onto the Bath web site and found a tour guide Paul Elliott and have been communicating with him. He gave us good directions to get into Bath and then we met hin in the lobby at 9:30 this morning and he guided us around Bath until 2pm.
Our tour, only L'll Sis and me until we met up with a bus group from the north of England and then Paul took us around the city when the bus tour was over. He showed us every little nook and cranny, the ins and outs of this very, very old city.
All the old Roman stuff and "what did the Romans ever do for us"?
Bath is truly a fascinating city. I didn't know that it is as big as it is...population 90,000.

We staggered back to the Holiday Inn and studied our map getting ready for tomorrows adventurer to Stratford-Upon-Avon.

I can now check off on my "Bucket List" another place I always wanted to visit.

Dear Cousins, Phill and Mike get that washer and dryer revved up cause our clothes really need a good wash!

Till next time...

********OH! OH! OUR TOOS IS SPEECHLESS!*******

Thanks Dee for your comments! Yes, to all your questions! It sure would be nice to read comments from others!

Sun. we saw Harrods...it was closed we were too early so we took some pix and charged on to St. Paul's in time to participate in the service of Trinity Sunday service...Old Bro#2 would have loved it...in Latin.

Now today we managed to get to Gatwick and leave London in our car...a Mercedes ("oh I couldn't eat another pea") and headed to Stone Henge. L'll Sis was Speechless!!!
Hey Ramp's Toos is running out of superlatives now her jaw just drops. Say a special "hi to Butch". Thanks!

Now we are in Bath at the Express by Holiday Inn (some of you will I know want to check it out on Google Earth...Enjoy)
Tomorrow our guide will pick us up in the lobby for a tour of the city.

Stay well y'all!

Till next time...

**********HELLO FROM LONDON********

We got to our hotel and all went well. Couldn't blog cause all puters were full and we were tired!

Sat. we really did London and managed to avoid the royal wedding...it was by invitation only!

We saw the Tower and the Crown Jewels, West Minister Abbey the Parliament Buildings and had lunch at the Sherlock Holmes pub. Then took a cruise on the Themes River all the way down to Greenwich.Oh yea we saw the building and the falling ball that marks the time for the world.

The Tube system is awesome and we have used it as well as the hop-on-hop-off buses.

Today we are going to Harrods and St Paul's.

Until next time...

******A WEE BIT OF A CHANGE!*****

Instead of going to Paisley we decided to go to Sterling Castle and "OMG"!!!
Dear Husband was really with us all day long since this is where his roots started with Robert the Bruce... aka "Brave Heart". Doug traced his genealogy back to the Margaret mother of Robert the Bruce.

Last night we stayed at a B&B in Sterling and then headed to Glasgow this morning. We are just putting in time until our train leaves for London. No more driving until Monday so I have a long weekend....

M. E. please tell your lovely daughters we were thinking of them as we toured Sterling!

Dear #1 Son, how is my wee hoose?

We wish y'all a happy May 24Weekend!

****"YOU TAKE THE HIGH ROAD AND I'LL TAKE THE LOW ROAD"!

Can you tell that WE have broken into song MORE that once??

Loch Lomond was where we stayed in a "stable" and OMG what a stable it was!
We got lots of pix so don't worry it was fantastic!

Yesterday we left Fort William and headed into the mountains and saw the moors on our way to Loch Lomond.

Today we had planned to go back to Paisley but deceided to see Sterling Castle and we are here now so I will let y'all know how everything goes on the next blog.

I am really enjoying the driving. Dear Husband has been with us and he is really enjoying the ride...fast, fast, fast,!!! but within the speed limit!

Till next time...

******HEY #1 SON...Toos could really use your walking poles!

We had a fantastic drive over to Inverness and spotted the Glenlivet .
Stayed at another lovely B&B last night.

TEAR, tear we had a very moving experience at Colluden. There is a very new Centre which is a hands on info of the battle site and it just opened just a month ago.

We are at Fort William and heading in land toward Glasgow.

Till next time...

*******BACK ON LINE!!!

We got the rental car with a bit of a challenge....nothing to do with driving which by the way is so much FUN!

We were too late yesterday to tour Balmoral Castle so we are going to do today.
The drive up from Edinburgh was very beautiful and with great winding narrow roads and very little traffic.

We stayed in a B&B which set the standard for our trip cause we both have rated it as a 10++++. \If you want to check it out here is a website. www.TANGLEYHOUSE.co.uk

Since we are on the River Dee what was your decision DEE???

Anyone who knows Butch please call and tell him his lovey has survived the drive so far...I need to slow down a little!

Well, we are off to the Castle and then onto Culloden and Inverness.

Till next time...

******* HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the ladies!

Another woo hoo day!
We ventured to Glasgow on the train, just an hour ride, and then cot a bus to Paisley to check out our mother's roots and we found the house where she lived...lots of pix. It was quite moving especially for L'll Sis....bleep, bleep. Can you imagine nine (9) churches in 1/4 mile. YEKS!
The people we spoke to were so helpful and overall real sweet hearts.
We got back to the hotel at 5:45 pm from 9am.
If any of you know Old Bro#2 please call him to tell him what we did today since he doesn't have a computer.
Dear Niece...The bus to Paisley is the #9...things have changed!

Till next time...

How can I put this??? Edinburgh is a fantastic city of up's and down's.
Yup! There are so many little hills it makes for great "work out"!

Today we went our separate ways and L'll Sis hiked up the "Arthur's Chair!" Google it to find out about it.
I toured the the Royal Yacht Britannia which is permanent on the Firth of Fourth as well as several other sites.
L'll Sis's daughter, dear niece, let us know if you are reading the blog!
"Which bus do we take to Paisley???"
And we are off to Paisley which is just outside of Glasgow and an hour away from Edinburgh...just for the day.
Monday will find us in our rental car on our way to the "hee lands"!

Anyone...please a comment!

Till next time...

HOLY SMOKES You won't believe what happened to us!!!!

We travelled from Glasgow to Edinburgh Fri. am. and arrived at our Holiday Inn and were able to store our luggage so off we went to tour the city and what a lovely place ti is!
We were blown away with the Edinburgh Castle and the tartan shops....and we did!!!

Following 4 hr.s at the Castle we headed back to the hotel to check in and while waiting for everything to go through...POWER FAILURE!!!!! (WHT) where's a generator when you need one????

We were able to get into our room but had to wait to get our luggage. 2 hours later
POWER YEA!!! There was also problems with the phone so couldn't call the cousins but I am heading back up to the room to do that next! I'll call you Mike!

It is 8am now so we are heading back out the see more of the is beautiful city.

Till next time...

OOPS! This keyboard is a little different...sorry.

Yes we arrived in Glasgow under sunny skies and a temp of 15c. It was a beautiful landing. Now the best part we came directly to the hotel from the airport at 10:30
Glasgow time 5:00Am your time and we were signed in so it was off to the showers and some clean clothes and a tour of Glasgow.
We had a ball and learned so much about this interesting city on the River Clyde .
Much to our surprise when we arrived there was a message waiting from the cousins Mike and Phill. That was lovely of you.

I tried to respond but your mobile phone was turned off. Please turn it on since we have your home phone number wrong.

I want to thank all the well wishers especially our families , M.E, Lilly Lady, and Betty K.
We are thinking of y'all as we continue on our adventure!

Till next time....from Edinburgh!

WE MADE IT!!!

YEA! YEA! TODAY IS THE DAY!!!! NO MORE SLEEPS L'LL SIS! WE'RE OFF TO THE UK!


I just had to share these pix with y'all. The lower one is a little "bleeding heart" shrub in my garden and the other is our Provincial flower the Trillium which is in abundant display in the forest where I walk. I was able to get the walk completed in between rain showers. The rest of day till pick up time I will be busy with tiding up the house and checking the suitcase to add more stuff.

Till next time from across the Pond...

On the weekend dear #1 Son completed the repair of the fence and dug his
hands into the Red Devil mulch and doesn't it look gorgeous?

Till next time...

~~~~~GET A LOAD OF THIS BEAUTY!!!!!

Doesn't this just take your breath away? I bought it as a "hostest gift" to take to a dinner party

however the party was cancelled and now I am enjoying it at least until the "Adventure" begins.

Just "3" sleeps left L'll Sis!

Hey Lilly Lady, I know you are loving just the thought of the beauties sleeping in your garden!


Till next time...

~~~~~~ Not to sound corny but, "TIMING IS EVERYTHING"!
(Getting my house and yard in order before the Big Adventurer...only 4more sleeps, L'll Sis!)

As many of you know I try to do most of my yard work myself even though the golf clubs, shoes and bag are calling out my name as I view them sitting in their spot in the garage.

Following an exhausting workout class at the "Y" yesterday I quickly headed over to the garden centre to pick up grass seed, top soil and mulch...much, much mulch. #1 Son is coming up this weekend and wants to get his hands into the soil and into the mulch.

Now about the grass seed. I have several areas of lawn that are shady and the grass in those areas really needed some care. I spoke with a neighbour, Jim, who encouraged me to scarf up the lawn that needed help with a long handle tool that had several sharp pointed prongs and a wheel. The tool loosens the sod and makes room for the new grass seed.

I kept my eye on the sky as the clouds were moving in quickly and decided to just "DO IT" (all the while resisting comments to myself about my aching muscles from that session at the "Y" in the morning) and get the job done.

Three hours later...lawn scarfed and tool back to Jim, seed planted and the top soil scattered over the seed I staggered into the house and the heavens opened up. YEA! Now you see why "timing is everything"!

Till next time...

****
********* THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!!!************

Passport, tickets and all info regarding transportation and accommodation are in hand ready for take off......OOPS! we still have eleven days to wait until our Great UK Adventurer begins but it can't come soon enough!

Till next time...

~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MY APOLOGIES to all visitors to my blog!

I have been taken over by the REAL WORLD! Yup, daily living, yard work and taking care of the details for the big trip to the UK..

Oh yes, L'll Sis and and I are going to Scotland. England, Wales and Ireland in the month of May.
We are conducting our own tour which will include a visit to the new genealogy building in Edinburgh as L'll Sis has done quite a bit of investigating into our mother's relatives.
She wants to invest in a blindfold... cause I am going to fulfill a dream and rent a car to drive (on the other side of the road) into the highlands to Balmoral, Inverness and then travel down Loch Ness to Fort William then onto Glasgow to drop off the car.
A train to London for three days and nights and then off to Gatwick to pick up another car and we've off to Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Upon Avon to check out the digs of the Bard.
The Irish cousins (Phill and Mike) will meet us in Telford for a visit. The cousins, L'll Sis and I will head over through Wales to catch the ferry to Dublin Ireland and check out our father's ancestors. Belfast is the place where we fly out of at the end of our trip....no tears...."WE'LL MEET AGAIN"!!!
OH! OH! I feel a song coming on!

Till next time...

******


****** A special thank you to L'll Sis and Hubby for being lovely hosts during my stay with them in Florida.

I had a safe flight back to TO. and now I'm recovering from a cold the first in 21/2 years. YUK! Excuse the sneezing and the blowing.

Till next time...

***********
***********
************** LET'S HEAR IT FROM EVERYONE!!!!!
**********
****************** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

************* THE BIG 65TH!!!!!

And it was a really lovely day. Shopping and got a new
bathing suit which is 2 sizes smaller than the last one,YEA!

Then L'll Sis and Hubby surprised me with a "O" gravity chair for my patio and they are taking it home for me since I am flying.

And to top it off they took me out to dinner to a place on the Banana River which was just lovely...

Thanks for the memories.

Till next time...

*****NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!

I think those are my famous last words because I booked an early -never again -flight out of TO. for my trip to FL. and of course I was up and on my way to the airport at 3am. All the American paranoia about security, even shoes off does take time. I often wonder what they'll want to check next?

It ended up being a good, fast (2hrs and 17min) and secure flight.

Following all details of getting the rental car I was off to L'll Sis and hubby's house where they were waiting for me in the brilliant sunshine
of their sun porch wearing their welcoming smiles.

It was a very long day and I crashed at about 9pm.

The next day we were off for lunch in Cocoa Village with all the participants of L'll Sis's workout group. It was their thank you gift to her for running all the classes and they really appreciated all the effort she put into it. We had so much fun and the food was great too!

Thunder and lightening prevented us from swimming however it did cool off and for this norther gal it was a welcome relief!

Till next time...

~~~~~Another wonderful weekend!~~~~

I belong to a group of retired teachers known as Leisure Ladies and we try to get together, during the spring, summer and fall. Fri. we had "Lunch and a Movie" at Monica's house and what a delightful time it was. She had prepared four varieties soup which were sooo delicious and everyone else brought nibbles and goodies. For the "Move", Monica shared with us her trip to Chile.
Monica you are one "Adventurous Woman" and a talented chief!
Thanks for an enriching visit!

I headed to #2 Son's house for a lovely visit and a sleep over.

Sat. found me having lunch (again) at my favourite spot, The Old Marina with two dear friends, Lilly Lady and Car Kid. I just love when we share our memories as well as new challenges (like learning the capabilities of MS Vista!)

Now I need to make preparations for my visit with L'll Sis and hubby in Florida for a week and celebrate my big "65th" Bday.
Oh how the years fly when one is having such a "good" time!

Till next time...

~~~~~~~~HERE'S ANOTHER DANDY PIC!!!~~~~~

I took this shot just minutes ago follow the big "HO HUM" snow storm. I had to run some errands in town and for a very short time there were White Outs however I got home safely. The texture of the snow was perfect for making snow people.
L'll Sis can I interest you in a snowball fight?

Till next time...

~~~~~AN EASTER WEEKEND PHOTO OPT~~~~

1. Here is a pic of Wild Turkeys enjoying the Sunshine and just wandering
around.

2. A group of brave souls attempting to fish from the ice on the Maitland River
not far from the mouth.

3. I have saved the best to last. This is #1Son following his three hour
adventurer on the beach during his weekend visit.



Till next time...

******Here we go again!!!!!yup,

this time our area is under a
"Snowfall Warning!"

I received this info from L'll Sis who, by the way is in Florida with Hubby and has been there since Nov. '07 and won't return north till late April.
She's an avid computer buff and don't ya just love the Internet?
She wondered if I was aware of the pending storm and my reply was...

"Just another day in the neighbourhood and the snow will melt!"

I'll keep y'all posted as to how much snow we receive and if I have to do
any digging!

Till next time...

~~~~~Will you look at that.....not bad for the last day of winter!

Following a very overcast and cold winter day Mother
Nature decided to throw a little spectacular colour our way.
Pretty cool eh?

Till next time...

~~~~~Well, March 17th St. Patty's Day has come and gone and shame on me for not posting ( my dad just rolled over in his grave and said "The top of the morning to ya!").

I had a very busy day running errands and stuff and in the evening I was invited to a dinner party to celebrate the "17th" at Sam and Charlene's.

What a wonderful evening and the food was fantastic.
Charlene had prepared corned beef and cabbage and roasted baby spuds. Only she could give cabbage the special treatment that her guests could hardly believe that what they were eating was cabbage....Oh so yummy!

And following a Baileys chocolate mousse for desert she topped off the meal with Irish Cream liquor.

We chatted and laughed the evening away...making memories!

Thanks you guys for a very fun evening!

Till next time...

This top pic is of my driveway following a good workout
with the snowblower and a few hours of sunshine

My little buddies, Sam and Dixon are enjoying some refreshing
RO water from the little statue of a cat holding a dish which
their mommy gave me as a gift. Aren't Just too cute?

Till next time...

~~~~~CAN YOU BELIEVE IT ~~~~~~~

This is what I saw this morning, two deer

walking across the neighbour's lawn.

It is my first sighting of the deer this year!


ENJOY!

Till next time...

~~~~~JUST IN TIME.....On Tues. I was invited to visit dear friends Jim and Jean in Stratford for lunch and what a lovely lunch it was at the Sun Room. We had real good time chatting and laughing until the tears came.

The day was spectacular, bright sunny skies and very clear roads a perfect day ...for our area and at this time of year....to travel. Weather reports put all of us under a Winter Storm Watch and that was hard to believe as I spade along the back roads to Stratford. It had clouded over as I approached their house and the same overcast skies remained until I got home which was about 4:30 pm.

Then at about 7:oo pm. much to my surprise there was the most fantastic SUNSET I thought I would cry!

I am totally blessed to live here and witness such brilliant displays by Mother Nature.

And yes, we did get a good wallop of snow over night but not the freezing rain that other parts of the Province received.

The good part of the snow was the fact I had a real cardio workout before my noon hour fitness class that is always so much fun.

I'll fill you in on that "class" later!


Till next time...