It’s a Pickle!

I thought I had a really interesting and heart warming story to tell.  It started out like the hallmark movies I like to watch. You see, I like these movies because there is a bit of drama at the beginning, a turn around and always a happy ending.  Yes, they are very predictable but I’m okay with that.  The movies that have me sitting at the edge of my seat dreading what comes next just aren’t my thing. My story I am telling needs the warning, “some readers may be disturbed by the content of this blog and it may not be suitable for all readers.”

Well, this story began along the shores of Bella Coola.  A baby seal was tangled in a net and the police were called.  Another call was made to Fish and Game.  They made their way over to do a rescue which is all another story.  They worked to untangle this little one and set him free.

The decision by the conservation side was to leave the baby there hoping that mama would return for it. This would have been when the producers of the Hallmark movie would have stepped in and had mommy seal appear and acknowledge thanks for the rescue. Since she didn’t show, the policeman’s desire was to take it home and bottle feed it.  

The policeman put up a trail cam after the first day to watch and the baby remained alone.  On the second day, Pickle was taken to the vet.  His breathing wasn’t good.  They hoped that they could stabilize him and he would be flown to the Vancouver Aquarium, restored to health and returned to live where he was born.

The story does not have the happy ending.  Pickle didn’t make it.

I’m so thankful for a son who has such a soft heart.  He has always wanted to save things.  When he was younger, he volunteered at an animal sanctuary where injured birds and animals were taken.  He has rescued a bird off the streets of Calgary and has been called the dog whisperer.

This time, there was a sad ending but he tried and I know that the next animal that needs help, he will be there.  There have been many happy endings in his rescue stories.  You only have to follow his Instagram to see that. My Rescue Family

He also rescues suitcases and people too…and it’s more than just being his job!

This blog is dedicated to Pickle💔….and Stephen. 💙

Celebrating

Sarah and Jett have been dating for one year.  They wanted to celebrate and we offered to be their transportation since one is too young to drive and the other is just learning how to.

The driver said that the taxi was leaving at 7:30 a.m. and we managed to make it into the vehicle close to that time.  We headed for the 401 and drove west.  As always, the highway was busy.  We parked in Whitby and got on the GO Train for the next part of the trip.

We arrived in Union Station (downtown Toronto) and made our way to Sarah’s first choice of the anniversary celebrations.  Ripley’s Aquarium did not disappoint.  It was busy but very interesting.  At one point we were all on a revolving sidewalk that took us through tunnels of fish over our heads.  

The colours of the fish were pretty nice.  

Sarah decided to crawl through another tunnel just because she could.

Next on the agenda, Jett wanted to go up the CN Tower.  Ron and I decided to sit that one out.  He had already done it before and for me to walk on a glass floor that high in the air was something I was willing to miss.

They enjoyed their experience.

After a little lunch, we all did the tour of the Scotia Bank Center.

Our tour guide explained the history of the Leafs and Raptors and the background of the building.  There were lots of renovations going on.  The moment that Sarah had been waiting for almost brought her tears.  She sat in the spot where Mitch Marner use to sit.  

There wasn’t a shirt hanging there anymore.  Thankfully there were still some of our faves still there.

We went back to the Go train and headed east.  We found our way to our car and pointed it towards home.  We stopped in Belleville for supper and then arrived in Tamworth just as it was getting dark.

It was a full day of celebration.  Jett informed us that next year he would be driving.  I think that means that we won’t be invited. 

Just A Summer Day

The weather was perfect. The lake was calling and the only problem that we had was that we needed to wake Sarah up.  We went about our morning routine hoping for her to appear and then a magical thing happened.  The neighborhood cat, which happens to be called Penny, appeared on our deck.  She meowed loudly, looking for some attention.  That was just what we needed…we let Sarah know that Penny was at the deck door.  That’s all it took and she was up.  Penny stayed around long enough to be treated to some cream and then she went on her way to the next neighbour.

Mission accomplished, the girl was up.  Lunch was packed, the kayak and paddle board loaded and everyone hopped in the truck.

We found a spot on the beach and went for a swim and a paddle and enjoyed some chair time.

Lunch was breakfast…bacon, eggs and homemade english muffins.  We walked to the little store for some treats and then went for another paddle.

After a relaxing few hours, we packed up and came home.

Jett and Ron went to play golf while Sarah planned the next day’s events.  

I just worked hard to try and stay awake until 9:00.  Final visitor of the day..Penny.

And with that…Good Night!

Happy Canada Day!

Sarah asked me, “Why do you get so excited about these things?”  The thing right then was the parade.  I looked around and said something like, “I like to celebrate and it’s fun seeing so many people in the community.”  I do enjoy seeing what is happening and taking part in the things that interest me.  

We started the day off at the fire hall for their pancake breakfast.  We got a few steps walking there and it was already starting to get warm.  

After breakfast, we sat on the back deck and watched the soap box races.  Race might be a little bit of an exaggeration for this competition.  The goal seemed to be more of trying to reach the finish line without wrecking the course or running into your opponent.  Some were a little faster than others or perhaps I should say, some were not as slow.  Anyway, the point was to have fun and it seemed like the kids and adults did.  There were no major accidents and only a few off course “vehicles.”

Next up was the parade.  It was short and sweet.  It started and finished with a police vehicle.  In between were fire trucks, bikes, classic cars and a few other floats. Some candy was thrown, flags were flown and people smiled.  

Off to the ball field…games, music, vendors and food.  The sun was hot but still people looked happy.  Our new neighbour was there enjoying the Tamworth vibe.  He had just moved here from Toronto and he was liking Canada Day Tamworth style.

Our day was pretty full but still more to come.  Pam and Kevin came with a bag full of goodies.  We sat on the back deck around our fire.

We could hear the music playing at the ball field and then our conversation was interrupted by the first bang of the fireworks show.  We moved our party to the front of the house and enjoyed the show while the mosquitoes enjoyed us.

Each bang, sizzle or crackle kept our eyes focused on the skies.  A drone in the mix of the exploding lights caught our attention.  The pictures must be very interesting but it also made us wonder how close was too close.  

The grand finale came with a burst of colour and loud noises and then the cheers and applause were heard.

It was a really nice day.  I am proud to be Canadian and I’m proud to be living in a little community that knows how to celebrate.  Our only complaint for the day was that the pancake breakfast did not use real maple syrup.  Think about it!  The Canadian flag 🇨🇦 has a maple leaf in the center.  A maple leaf comes from a maple tree.  A maple tree produces sap which is boiled down to make maple syrup….so on Canada Day pancakes should be served with maple syrup.  Just saying!

Goals!

The strawberry season has been cut short in the area due to the extreme heat.  My goal was to get one more batch of jam made so Ron and I headed to the berry patch first thing this morning.  We were in the line waiting for it to open.  When the gate opened, we parked and grabbed our two baskets and jumped on the wagon.

From our view, the berries looked good.  When we actually got picking, it made me a little sad.  There were so many berries but most of them rotten because of the heat.  We worked our way down the rows and managed to fill our two baskets.  

This made it so that we had enough for one more batch of jam and lots to eat.

I made a dessert thanks to Kylie sharing her recipe with me.  Sooo good!

In the evening, we took a little motorcycle ride into Napanee to pick up a few groceries in case we have a camp fire tomorrow evening.  We have a great place to watch the Canada Day fireworks and a s’more is an excellent treat while you wait for the first explosion.

Hopefully, we will be sitting around the fire tomorrow night, if the mosquitoes leave us alone and the weather cooperates!

I had another goal besides making jam.  I wanted to have 2,000,000 steps for the year so far by the end of June .  I had to work hard to achieve and I did it!

It’s good to have goals…next goal, new running shoes!