The cottage by the lake

It's been almost a week since I was online and I am suffering the worst withdrawals ever. Also it has been a busy time so there was so much I could have written that will no doubt now end up forgotten. Oh well.

I've been staying at Pam's family's cottage up north of Toronto. We arrived last Wednesday with Grandma and Isaac, and had a night to ourselves before the rest of the troops arrived. Pam is one of four so they all arrived with respective spouses and offspring.

It's Thanksgiving weekend here so last night was the BIG night and we all cooked a part of it and then ate way too much and went to bed early to sleep it off!

The first few days were so sunny and warm but yesterday it turned grey and damp. But not cold at all. I've needed the air con on in the car both days as it's been so humid. But as a result the photos were prolific in the first days and have tapered off to almost nothing today. I'm disappointed as there is so much more I could go and enjoy with my cameras given the chance...

We're off back to Toronto tomorrow early as my friend, Jane arrives mid morning from New York. We've got the week together then I'm back to Pam's for the final few days before coming home to face reality...

Black squirrels

The squirrels in this place are extremely cute!

They have black ones here in Canada - black squirrels seem so much cuter then the greys.

Yesterday morning I was staring off into nothing when something moved and caught my eye. It was a black squirrel running along a telephone wire upside down while another ran along another wire above up the right way.

I squealed with delight and pointed in the direction while Pam looked at me instead of the squirrels and missed the whole thing. Which of course, it turns out, was not a bother to Pam at all.

I went off for a bit of a walk yesterday and managed to get a couple of photos of these sweet creatures, but I'll have to wait until I can connect to my computer.

Too much excitment!

Today has been a thrill a second as I slept until 3.45 this afternoon.

I got up earlier and had some breakfast with Pam then went back to bed to 'read my book'. Cunning plan, I thought. Then woke just after 3.30. Feeling much better as I've been going to bed late and getting up early.

Last night was another evening sitting in the back garden - me on the Baileys this time. Chris's sister came over and we had wonderful animated conversation, mostly regarding the Burma situation - a subject close to Pam and Chris's hearts.

I just went for a walk to find a store to buy something for (lunch?). Found a large supermarket and have now got lunch on the way.

Plans for tonight... Chris's brother coming over and another night in the garden assuming it doesn't rain as I suspect it may.

Landing in a flood of tears

I landed in Toronto yesterday. I arrive here with mixed emotions - excitment at the thought of seeing Pam and Isaac again and sadness for not being soon enough to see Chris.

Isaac is taller and thinner then when I last saw him. He's just as adorable although a little shy with me initially. He still loves tv just as his dad and him used to in London. He also speaks with a true Canadian accent. Very odd when the last time I spoke with him he was East End London through and through!

Pam is just the same. We shared a bottle of wine last night in the back garden and it could almost have been London - even the same grey skies!

And of course the big difference is the lack of Chris. Very strange. It seems like he's just away at the moment, I think I'm expecting him to turn up at some stage, even though I know he won't.

I went for a wander downtown today and happened upon a shoe shop with my size shoes. Most exciting thing was walking out with 3 new pairs of shoes. Apologies to the bank account... But it will be so nice having a choice of shoes to wear when I get dressed in the morning.

Crumbling orchards

The crumble was rather delicious - and possibly more so thanks to the 2 year old's special mixing efforts!

Another walk the other day took me through apple orchards an pretty green treed fields. One field had a sign saying there were new Shetland cattle just introduced. I hoped I'd see them, but no luck.

I'm looking forward to the end of this job as my next adventure is to Canada to see Pam and Isaac. Can't wait to see them.

And the sun shines so the berries grow

We have had about 2 weeks of sunny weather without any rain.

I'm still struggling to believe it myself. I am working outside of London at the moment and I've been able to enjoy small snippets of the afternoon sun while out walking.

Today I went out with the baby in the sling along some of the local footpaths. There is an old apple orchard which has been left to become overgrown and I discovered a heap of blackberries growing up through some of the trees. I've decided to go back and pick a pile tomorrow and a few apples to make a fruit crumble. I have it on good advice that there is an expert crumble maker in this house.

I'll report afterwards...

It's a scarey world out there...

I went to another movie tonight that couldn't have been more different then last nights one if I'd tried.

I went to see Sugarhouse. A British movie about a crackhead and a middle class guy in a bit of a tight spot who meet under 'stressful' circumstances and of course drama ensues.

I won't write too much in case you plan to see it as it would be too easy to give away the whole plot. But ultimately it set me to thinking again about how futile life can be. How easy everything can change and how unbelievably sad some peoples lives are... And how quickly priorities move. How money doesn't make everything better when you have some; but makes a big difference when you have none. How can that work?

Then to top it off, I went to a convenience store on my way home and a very drunk/stoned woman barged past me and got a drink off a shelf, opened and drank some then went to the counter and said that her boyfriend was paying. He had left after paying only for a beer. So an argument followed where she called the shop keeper names I'd never heard before and she tried to run out of the shop. He caught her but she managed to get away while still reading him his pedigree.

It made me angry to think that she could deprive the shop keeper of his income and still think he was being unreasonable. Why is it some people work hard to eke a living while others think the world owes them and are willing to take away from those working hard. I bet if someone stole from her it would be a whole different story.

Just a philosophical moment I guess, but scary and thought provoking