Municipal Sewer and Water Issues at Sauble Beach

Before I start another rant, for some reason the spacing here on this blog is not good. I can't fix it for the life of me. . .so don't email me to tell me my formatting is less than perfect please. . . As I age, I feel I should get more political. So here I go. This is a scattered and sleep deprived attempt: Sauble Beach residents do not need municipal sewer and water. Just take the pipeline idea, and forget about it. Who really wants water that is chlorinated, and treated with oodles of chemicals, when there is natural sand filtering action in place? Here at home (Blyth),I don't even like to wash my face with our Sodium Silicate and Sodium Hypochlorite treated water. Check out this site http://www.anaturalway.com/water.html . There are oodles of reasons as why not to persue a sewer and water system. When I moved here (Blyth), after using the water, my eczema flared up like crazy, I found that it was a reaction to the water. For Sauble residents, if you have a good personal water system ( for example, a sand point, pounded down through many feet of sand (25 feet at my Chromosome Donor's home in Sauble ) and your septic tank is a raised filter bed, you are good to go (it's a bit more involved than that). There are other personal options as well, that could be used (UV, Reverse Osmosis,), yes they all cost, not one system fits all. There are pro's and con's with any option. In my opinion, the chemicals that are used in conventional water treatment are terrible. Would you like lemonade with your Javex? Would those systems cost as much as the blanket solution of sewer and water? The sewer and water installation benefits mainly the businesses that dot the main street. Yet, it is the taxpayers who are going to be footing the bill for bikini joints and burger barns. Although progress can be good, it is not necessarily progressive. I realize that there are people who do not have "good" personal systems in place, and in that case there should be a non partisan person come out and do an inspection of those properties/all properties, and force the owners to get up to code. If the owners do not want to comply, then a course of action should be taken. If the owners decide to sell the property, then prior to sale, the property in question should be forced to get up to code. I can understand the Sauble "downtown" (I use that term lightly), wanting to hop on the sewer and water train for infrastructure purposes. Yet, it should not be forced down the throats of those who have good, tested, and up to date systems in place. Even with the "wonders" of municipally treated water, mistakes and consequences have happened. Walkerton is a great example, look at the Bayfield and area currently under a boil water advisory (broken pipe). In Walkerton's case human error / neglect / drunkenness was at fault. As a person who has come down with Beaver Fever (from brushing my teeth with tainted water ~~ yes, the Honeymoon in Algonquin was not without bears andstomach issues (quite romantic), I am aware that there are diseases you can get from drinking bad / or untreated water. I really think that the idea of municipal water systems in rural areas are not always the best solution. They are pricey, do not necessarily have the most health benefits, and are an infringement upon the rights of property owners. Cryptosporidium was the cause of deaths in the States, and made thousands sick. . .municipal water. Another thought, attention was drawn to little streams running down to the beach that had high levels of e coli. There is animal life around streams, deer, mice, raccoons. This is called an ecosystem, part of the web of life . Yes, there should be more delving in to where the contamination is coming from, but I would be very hesitant to blanket the issue by saying septic tanks are the culprit at this point. But there should be education vis a vis septic tanks, wells, bla bla. Not all people know the in's and out's of these systems. From vacationing at my parent's cottage (in the family since the 1950's and where they now live), I have personally gleaned some information. Don't flush huge amounts of toilet paper. (There are biodegradable versions out there, and a little goes a long way. . .). Be wary of store bought septic system treatments that promise to solve problems. Don't flush or put anything down your sink other than what is supposed to go there. Don't use excess amounts of soap or detergent. Only wash full loads if using a dishwasher. Use sink strainers. (The mesh ones from the dollar store). Anything that you put down your plumbing ends up in the tank. I am not editing this yet because I have a lot more to say but I am sleepy.

Antique / Vintage Moffat Cook Stove For Sale

Okay, I am dropping the price of this neat stove to 300 obo. Updated May 12 08. This is still for sale! Email me. Today is October 21/ 07, I will keep updating it until it is sold. Okay, I have not been updating my blog. Too darn sick. Come one, come all, I am tired of looking at it. I need it out! I have had a whack of people asking about the cook stove, so far no serious offers, mainly people who like the "idea" of having something unique, but are ultimately just lurkers. It is an early 1950's Moffat. This stove would be awesome in a retro or antique country setting even a cottage setting would accentuate the fine lines of this dynamic kitchen appliance. Unfortunately, my house is in the midst of reno -hell, and I need it out. I need the room and less weight on my floor. It is a big sacrifice. I love the stove, it is such a character. It has a warming oven, main oven, two drawers, original Red Spot burners, and lots of other really neat things. It would need a re-wire (it does work (has the three prong plug that hooks up to any stove outlet), but with all older appliances, I recommend it, even if it was a hair dryer, I would recommend a re-wire). It's big and beautiful. I am asking 600.00 or best offer / or trade for a large quantity of antique ornamental double loop fencing or other antique decorative fencing that someone may just have sitting around in an old barn. I may be looking for old tin ceilings as well (good condition, already removed). I would rather have the moola though at this point. Also, the same people who are looking for a cook stove, probably want to hold on to their dear ornamental double loop fencing and their tin ceilings. So if you are interested in the stove, shoot me a comment. Don't you just love that horrendous wallpaper? Lovely, just lovely. I am sure it is stuck on with flour and water.

The Fluzie

Well, it is definitely the flu. Adam, of course had a few days off, and he was hit with it on Thursday. Now he can't move, has a huge fever, his back is out from coughing, he is a complete puddle of a man. He might not be able to make it to work on Monday. I made him a hot toddy, but, let's just say it didn't stay with him. So I have been trying to get him to drink other things, but, he still doesn't want much. Today is the first day that I am almost mobile. Adam had managed (pre-flu) to excavate part of our basement in order to put new footings in to support our house, but now it is at a standstill. In the process he unearthed a few bones and some pottery. This time I told him to leave the stuff where he found it. We don't want any more incidents of bad luck caused from removal of superstitious remains. I am not sure if I have written about the mummified cat from the threshold or the cobbler's foot we found. The mummified cat was placed at the threshold of our house when it was built in 1870. I thought it was just an old dried up prune cat that had simply died and over the years dirt covered it. Unfortunately, that was not the case, I discovered after we took the carcass to the dump. It was placed there on purpose (according to certain sources), and that by removing it, it was bad luck. I asked about replacing it with another cat (when one of the Sister Fats' passes on) and that won't work. I asked about placing pictures of cats underneath the porch, that won't work either. It has to be the original darn cat. We put the cobbler's foot back where we found it. It is actually near the original back door, now the entrance to our living room which was the addition built in 1890 twenty years after the original house was built. Old houses are weird. I just don't know if I will ever buy one again. It's not that we are haunted (we have had some odd things happen. . .denial. . . denial), but they are just a lot of work and we don't have the time. Plus, when you are ripping out crap from a hundred years ago, you are bound to come down with something. One such affliction is histoplasmosis. It has made a resurgence due to crazy people like us, who want to restore old places. My theory on this though, (the weird illness stuff from old houses) is that once you get the crud out of the house, with each dump load you are getting healthier. I hate plaster and lath(e). That stuff bugs me, I have eaten a few pounds in the past few years, and had a nest fall down my shirt (judging by the turds, it was a rat). The nest was from the 1950's, because the newspaper had that date on it. I almost got run over by a school bus three times today. I took Wookie out for a walk at the arena, and this moron, kept trying to back into me as I was wedged in a snow bank. I was so tired from walking, that I was unable to move. (Damn Flu) Finally able to unearth myself, I started giving snotty looks to the bus driver, and then almost walked into another moving vehicle. We got hit with a wad of snow. The snowmobiles are out in full force. The snow was so deep that it was up to my hips in some places. I had to ask Kevin to blow my driveway out. I just don't have the strength to pick up a shovel. I was able to download Netscape, quickly, because my IE is being a brat and my email is still up and down. This is a lousy post. I don't care, I am sick and full of self pity. The kids are feeling a lot better though, they are back to fighting, so I know that they will be fine.

We got married in a fever Hotter than a pepper sprout. . . I like the Calvin Johnson (sic) "cover" of that song. I am pretty sure it was Calvin Johnson. Anyhow, my kids are still fevered (not as bad), and it's a snow day. ALL THE SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED. Yippeee. . . at least, they are not missing school. I was given some misinformation regarding the Orphan Clinic, it's open TUESDAY. . .not Monday. So. . .we will wait out the vile illness, and tomorrow the roads will be better for driving anyhow. Power walked last night, with the big hat and my walking buddy. The big snow globe has deflated, and looks very sad. I wish the owners would pick it up or do something with it. Yet, I can't say too much because my hose is still outside, frozen to the ground, not connected of course. I just kept forgetting to roll it up, and there it lies. Not too much new here, Adam bought me three boxes of Brandy Beans. . .I am addicted. I just can't stop. I may be a tad tipsy. Aerobics has been cancelled for good, and I am going to have to get my weights so I can at least keep "my guns" in prime condition. I don't want, as someone put it on CBC's Wanted Words, "arm lungs". I think I have to get heavier weights anyhow, but it's always good to have an assortment. C'est la vie. I have nothing remotely exciting to post here. The day has been filled with running up and down stairs with tea and juice for the kidlets. I sequester. . .Adam called me the "World's Meanest Mother". I figure, that it is a deterrent against crying wolf. If kids do not like to be at home sick, then I do not have false alarms. Also, it keeps the illness in a specific area, and off my remote, phones, and other touchable objects. If I go down with the flu, I am toast. The dogs will be crossing their legs and chaos will ensue~ or more chaos than usual. Oooh I am starting to sound like a germophobe. I am quite comfortable with certain germs, just not alien germs. I like the idea of the new way of coughing. You cough into the crook of your elbow, instead of your hands. What a wonderful idea.

Poor Little Chickens

My kidlets, over the course of twelve hours have metamorphosed into not butterflies, but mini Phlegm Factories. They both are down with a horrible illness that has hit them both like a brick wall. No amount of tea tree oil or vapour rub can cure them. I have reluctantly asked them if they want to try my cold protocol with no avail. 1) peroxide in the ears for ten minutes each side. 2) wet cotton socks 3) tea tree oil up the nose 4) apple cider vinegar They may break down though. Honestly, I have had good luck with these remedies. Adam has had a horrendous bug for the last month. So far (touch wood), I haven't been the recipient. I went through the house bleaching everything that the little chickens may have contaminated. I am allergic to bleach, but in times like these, a diluted mixture can help. The poor little kidlets, it's the weekend too, which is a good thing, but I know they were looking forward to spending time with their Dad. Now they are sequestered in their bedrooms. They don't want to eat, so herbal tea and gingerale are in the mix. I can't take them to the doctor, because guess what? We don't have one and there has been some mixups with the Orphaned Patient List in Goderich, from what I hear. Oh I wish I was in a city with a walk in clinic. I am presently downing neem capsules and ginseng. I will start the apple cider vinegar pronto. This stinks. Next Day. Update. . . Fever's of 102. Holy doodle. Not good. Bad. Bad. I phoned emerg, they do have an Orphan Clinic I can take them to, I have to call tomorrow. Normally, I wouldn't if it was just a mere cold. This is absolutely horrible. I have been trying to get them to drink pineapple juice, supposedly there is an enzyme that helps your aveola. We shall see. Arg. I am not even going to try them with the home remedies. . .it would be torturous. It would be like rubbing salt in their eyes. "here kidlets. . .you are sick, lets just make you feel worse". I will reserve those nasties for me.

Rant

Today was nice out. . . the morning was white and shining and I finally mailed off a letter that I had needed to send away. Then the door fell off the house. I knew the the dang thing was ready to go, and I had endeavoured to fix it yesterday. When it came off today, all I could do was laugh. My patch job didn't work, and I had to enlist my handy dandy hubby to do the job correctly. In doing so, he managed to whack my finger in between the door and it's frame, causing me terrible discomfort. (I was trying to show him that there was still a gap between the frame and the door, and while using my finger as a gap gauge, he swung the hammer). All I could do was laugh though, which is one of my weird reactions to certain types of pain. It may have also be due in part because he was wearing his coveralls over top of his pyjamas and the coveralls have a "insta-cap". It is bright orange, and it sits inside the collar of the suit. Tres attractive. He had put it on over his stubbly head to avert the dripping icicles and he just looked funny. It was very tight and accentuated his round head. Plus he has the never ending cold, so his face was all puffed up. So as I type, I have a bo bo, and I am eating torte, and drinking a cup of tea. My rant does have a point. First of all I am multitasking. Torte, Tea , and Typing. Insurance companies are sending out a warning to drivers in an effort to cut down on accidents due to multitasking. You know the people you see, reading a book (I couldn't believe it when I saw it). Doing their face (mascara for example). Changing a CD. Talking on the cell phone. Personally, I cannot multitask and drive for the life of me. I need my hands at 10 and 2, or 9 and 3. I don't even like to put on the defroster. I have pulled over to change CD's and I don't use a cell phone. I don't know how the multitasker's do it. I am sure there are people peeling carrots, flipping burgers and having a pedicure. According to the last job (outside the home)I had, I did have manual dexterity and was able to multitask, I just can't apply it to driving. That includes listening to the kids play Connect Four in the back seat. Which brings me to my other issue, that Food Banks aren't supplying the needy with enough calories or nutrition. When ever I do support the Food Bank, I always chuck in beans (yup, the protein thing), canned beans such as in lima, or black. When I have looked into the drop boxes, I see a lot of beans. So now I will switch tactics and maybe try to send some freeze dried vegetables or something. Maybe instead of canned goods (ooh that is a nasty combination of words), maybe vitamins would be a good idea. The places where I have dropped off stuff, do not want any fresh food because they would need places to store it. I can just imagine the influx of turnips (or in our area), rutabagas. Those bloody things can be waxed and left for a few decades. They must be high in nutritional content because they taste horrible. The idea of the Food Bank is to supplement, not for total reliance. Unfortunately, there are many people who heavily rely on the Food Bank. Give me a break. Minimum wage isn't even at eight dollars an hour. If you are a single parent with two kids (who need day care, which runs about forty dollars a day, and you don't have subsidy), you may have to rely on a Food Bank. Even a single person on minimum wage may have to rely on a Food Bank. A few years ago, I read a study that said that minimum wage should be at least eleven dollars an hour, if it was on par with minimum wage in the 1970's, keeping up with inflation etc. That was a few years ago, and for the life of me I can't remember where I read it. Here is another thing that is bothering me tonight as I plug away. Tea. I drink it with milk and sugar. I thought I was doing myself a favour by drinking tea. Now I learn that all my effort is all for nought, and by adding milk I have negated any health benefits. (Big sigh) I hate plain tea. I hate it. It tastes terrible. Now I am going to have to switch it up a bit and drink my orange pekoe straight up.

Shift to What I thought - Now chards Smashed Crushed What I thought I knew Is not what is or was Cracks form Stretch out like rivulets Mapped and remembered On my topography Small fractures Open to deep chasms And the divide now grows Stains have blemished And run along old vein fractures Crazing over Super glue won’t fix this mess The bits are too remote Or get swept under the fridge Scattered but not forgotten This time though They are not lined up And pieced together The parts that remain Splintered Damaged goods You are my empty tea cup dear Remembering Is not the same as being What was there Is not now Polaroid snapshots of what were Are only that Flat Only partial shots Of a still and long ago moment Did it exist or only the idea

Wow. . .the Highway Man Cometh

I remember this video. . . LOL. Gotta love Helix. .. I wonder what ever happened to them? I have a feeling someone in the band died. I digress. I am going to rename my blog "I digress" because that is all I have been doing lately. Digressing. Ooops just checked, no one died from Helix. . . I don't want to start a huge Canadian "rock rumour" (since I get so much traffic on my blog --haha, ya right). Oh, I must say, I need to start a music list of stuff I want on CD.

My List

Still raining out. Yick. I couldn't sleep last night because I was planning repairs on the rental mobile home. We have to put new ceilings in. When we were doing the roof, of course, the storm of the century happened, and even though we had tarped it, rain came in through the new strapping holes, causing a bit of a mess. It could have been worse, but it never ceases to amaze me that when we do something, the worst possible scenario always pops up. The tenants were wanting sheet rock ceilings. . .yes drywall would be cheaper. But drywall doesn't flex. In a mobile home you need the flex action. Otherwise there is going to be cracks and problems down the road. We have added extra weight to the roof by using a layer of bubble wrap insulation, ice and water shield, and styrofoam, then the sheet steel. Therefore, the ceilings need to be light. You just can't keep adding weight to the mobile home structure. So after doing some research, Adam and I will go in next week, replace the tainted fiberglass insulation (12 inches from any stained stuff), and then vapour barrier it, then hang ceilings. I want to do one room at a time. I still wish I hadn't rented to the tenants, but they were in need. It would have been so much easier to do it without furniture or other stuff in the way. Then there are the floors, we bought laminate, and I want to get some vinyl for the mudroom and around the other entrance. They are installing the floors and doing painting, for reduced rent. I hate having to go into the rentals, I feel like I am infringing. They tell me they don't mind but it still bugs me. I can't wait till next Spring when I can get out my power painter and paint the exterior. It looks like crap. I still kind of wish that we didn't buy the rentals last year. It has been one headache after the other. There has been absolutely no gain, except now we have nice neighbours. No crazy woman yelling at me or the kids, no fear of using our back yard. I am sure it will all even out in the end. It all comes out in the wash. At the rental house, I need to get Adam over to fix the drip in the shower, the plumber just teflon taped the handles, (I asked him to fix it. . .ya right, nice fix buddy. . ., it lasted a day, and it was a war to get Adam to agree to a plumber in the first place, he wants to do everything himself, even though he has no time). Then I need to get on the roof next spring and repoint the chimney. I hate heights, so this may be a job for Adam. The rental house was actually the "summer kitchen" from our house. Our house was built in two parts the back half in 1890, and the front half in 1870. I woke up with a headache that made my head feel like a huge watermelon. There was absolutely no coffee in the house either. I drove to the store in a daze. . . need . . .caffeine.

Oooh Almost Forgot This Rivetting Tidbit

It seems like Spring has sprung. . .not only have my iris bulbs poked green fingers through the earth, but I saw three dandelions on my walk in the mud. Literally, I was walking in deep mud today in my good boots. It seems with the unseasonably warm temperatures, that not only foliage has reared their little heads, but also the John Cougar Mellencampy Highway Man has also reared his head. The man looks like the lead singer from Helix, and if you are from around these parts you have probably seen him trying to thumb a ride on the highway. Adam made the mistake of picking the poor bugger up once, and regretted it. The man would not stop talking the whole ride. I couldn't believe Adam actually picked up a hitch hiker, I was sure to give him a lecture on the dangers of doing so. At least The Acid Wash Traveller was benign. He only comes out in good weather it seems. He is also a pest (I am one of those weirdo magnets). . .do not make eye contact. . .do not acknowledge his existence. Otherwise, he will yell at you, follow you, or hang out at the end of your driveway. Last year during a thaw, I saw him out across the street picking up beer bottles. He didn't have a vessel to carry them in, so he found a dilapidated plastic bag in a snow bank. When he tried to wrestle the bag out of the snow bank, some dirt must of flown up and hit him in the eye. I watched as he rubbed his eyelid for a few minutes whilst stumbling around. It's not that I watched on purpose, it was at that precise moment I was waving Adam off to work, and his actions caught my attention. Adam also saw a robin, twice on his way to work. Either someone has played a practical joke, and placed a robin on the hydro line near the River Nith, or this robin is Temperaturely Challenged. I saw a very nice documentary on Whooping Cranes the other night. Which reminded me of the book "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues". That was a fun book. Oh, while I am ignoring my children (they are really ignoring me. . .watching t.v.), I keep going in and poking them and making faces, but they just give me dirty looks "move mom, I can't see". It's raining here right now and I am feeling a tad melancholy. The fire won't start in the woodstove, it is damp and cool. Musty. Dusty. The street lights are casting illumination on the slick street, the windows are splattered, and my tea, although warm is too strong. Bitter. Solemn. Tired. Drained. Pooped. Bored. I want to list some stuff, but I think I should err on the side of caution. . . wait for the new computer. I had bought a few things a while ago from a really nice power seller on Ebay. She was great, then she had some problems, and was NARU'd. I do not want a blight on my feedback, because I can't respond to emails, or my computer is kaput. Patience Lisa Son. Catch fly with chopstick. Wax on Wax off. Your Vocabulary Score: A Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. How's Your Vocabulary?

My Resolutions

I hate New Year's Resolutions. It's not that I don't have the resolve, or the will, it's just that I don't feel like jumping on the band wagon with everyone else who thinks that this year is going to be the year where they change their lives and then by January 17 th, most people are back to doing the same bad stuff anyhow. If I was to make a few resolutions, they would be very boring. Get more organized. (Can't do that right now, lack of storage, lack of storage devices, and lack of walls really impede me). I have tried to get rid of junk on a daily basis though, and every time I burn newspapers or make a dump run, yes it feels good. BUT there are some things I just can't bring myself to get rid of: 13 sets of antique china, I feel sorry for porcelain, if I see it at a garage sale, I squirrel it away. I think of all the happy dinners people may have had off the setting. (Pyrex Flameware, Fiesta, Petal Ware, Corning Ware). The vinyl collection. . .it's ugly, but I love it. Even if I did end up transferring the thousands of records on to MP3's , I still could not get rid of the actual record. Books, I know that I am not going to re-read certain ones, but , there are some books that mean a lot to me. Some books mark certain pivotal points in your life, and although if I donated them, those pivot points certainly would not evaporate, I still like them. Meanwhile, my upstairs bedroom is slanting even more to the south, probably due in part to the books. (I have rid myself of some, and am down to the bare bones collection). Magazines. . . Country Home, Country Living, and certain Victoria Magazines. I store them in a big sea chest. I think it is bad to cut up magazines. So instead of just keeping the ideas that I like, I keep the whole thing. I still rue the day that I cut up a whole bunch of magazines from the Soviet Union to do projects on Rhenium and Bed Bugs. Stop smoking. . .my only bad habit. I have quit before, I could do it again. I hate the smell of it, hate the taste of it. I am a closet smoker, or I should say a Tool Shed Smoker ( I don't agree with indoor smokers). I also wear a hat and a jacket, that way I don't smell bad. I don't smoke inside, and the funny thing is, when I first started selling stuff on Ebay, I was sure that people would think I was a drug dealer because of my Tool Shed Smoking Habit. I had received a huge roll of crisp white craft paper to wrap my boxes in. I figured that people, watching me walk the streets of Blyth, with white boxes, and smoke coming out of my tool shed would think I was "up to no good". Get back to school . . .easier said than done. Fear of driving impedes me, fear of failure. I hate to drive. I absolutely hate it. I figure that I am sitting in a few thousand pounds of heavy equipment. I could do some serious damage. Not that I have (touch wood). I know, deep down, I am a good driver, who just hates to drive. Every time I do get behind the wheel something flies at me, be it sheet steel off an old truck, big ducks in the middle of the highway, a man in a wheel chair trying to cross Highway 4, during peak traffic times, woman in fog standing in the middle of the highway. . .the list is extensive, yet I have averted danger. I still don't like driving. Stop worrying. . . (Ya right). Moisturize legs daily. . . Stop my plunking in the garden. . . Remember to take my vitamins. . . Wear high heels. . . Stop trying to make everyone laugh. . . Stop poking people in the eye. . . Finish upholstering my one chair. . . Glue and clamp dining room chairs. . . Stop watching late night documentaries. . . Stop being fascinated by dog noses. . . Learn to think before I speak, or at least wait a few seconds between thinking it and saying it. Maybe stop myself before I do say it, and just think it, and let my eye twitch uncontrollably. Stop popping the leaves of succulent houseplants, and enjoying it. Stop even thinking about resolutions.

Mom's Art

Here are some photos of the sunset last night. It was a very juicy sunset. Also, I had to post my Mom's art. The black ones with the luscious flowers, I received as a Christmas gift (I just love them), and the sheep, I had to wrestle her for. I have a lot more of her work, I have put it away due to the never ending renovation. She does great stuff. I love her Winky's (I will be posting those once unearthed from storage in 2015). The other pic is of my new hat. . .Adam and I have matching ones :)

Sauble Beach Christmas

I am going to attempt to upload some pics from the holidays, most are of the dogs. There are a few of Adam and I riding bare back down the beach. . . Okay, no they are not. It was the first time I had ever seen people on horseback riding on the sand. I wish I had gotten closer, but, I figured that the pups may spook them. Then, my camera became filled with sand from my porous gloves, and it was a disaster. Right now my computer seems to be working again (touch wood).

Frosty's Down!

After a little bit of a hiatus, I am somewhat back online. My email is not working (Big sorry to everyone who has emailed me in the last few days, I just can't get back to ya good buddies. . .breaker breaker that's not a 10-4), and I am at the point of wishing that suddenly my antique Mission library desk would suddenly collapse and my computer would be a write off. I think that we will be deciding on a new one in the next month or two. I think we are set on an Acer one, cheap and effective. I hope everyone had a good Christmas vacation. It may have been a green Christmas, but it was a pleasant one (minus the mini drama). I truly "enjoyed" all the Christmas cards I received with references to our growing animal family. A "Christmas Story" was enjoyed, and we ate too much. Actually in regards to "A Christmas Story". . .I am really upset. I was corrected. What I thought the father yelled "PAPA SAYS!" was actually "Bumpess's!" While at Sauble, we took the dogs down to the beach and let them "frolic". Blaster the Wonder Dog and Wookie found a huge carcass of a type of fowl. It was not a seagull, it was not a duck, in my mind it looked like a white emu. Especially when the dogs tried to have an h'orderve prior to their kibble. The carp is still on the beach. The last time we were up was about month or two ago, and there was a huge dead carp lying in the sand (it was as big as our pug), I pondered if I should get gloves and dispose of it, but figured, little scavengers may have use for it. Now the bones remain and looks like it has a big fishy grin. (What is Beach Etiquette regarding dead fish and avian removal?) Are you supposed to touch it? It was a beautiful walk , not too windy or cold, and we had fun watching the dogs carry a large stick together. We also went to Walker's Woods with Dad. I don't think I have ever seen so many trees down. I used to know the paths like the back of my hand, but, now, to stay on the paths, you have to go through bush to get back to them. I remember as a kid, we used to visit Bouncy Pond and catch newts. If you weren't careful, you would come home empty handed, missing a sneaker. The pond has a bottom like quick sand and it is easy to get sucked into the sludge. Adam and I tried to catch a few newts when we were first married, but were almost sucked up to our necks in the bog, and we got a bad rash. We ended up running swiftly down to the beach covered in muck, and diving in. We looked like we had been at a spa for a full body mud treatment, but we smelled like a couple of septic tanks. It must have been a few years ago when Dad and I took a hike in Walker's Woods, in a snow storm. We figured that if we got lost, we could always find our way back by our tracks in the snow. We turned around at one point and realized that the snow was falling so hard, that it was covering up our footsteps as quick as we could make them. As a kid, my cousin and I loved to hang out in Walker's Woods. We got little mice, found a large skull, coddled salamanders, and played with newts. We must have driven my parent's nuts with all the terrariums that I would bring back from the cottage. We had to drive in a Mini Austin, or the Mini Wagon, so, space was limited. We would have the hamster, the dog, the terrariums, two weeks of luggage, my Mom, my Dad, and my brother. The car was packed and to compound it, we were a tall family. We looked like we came right from a Richard Scary's book. Big heads, little car. That's all for now, I can't spell check and my computer is becoming twitchy.