wet road

There's no picture because it snowed and then rained and the cats and I stayed snug in the car until we reached Ottawa, and now I'm not going to rummage in the dark for the camera cable. The highway is washed out just east of here and rain is forecast for the week. So I shall take the long way tomorrow on the old highway and I'll see how far I get. I'll post again when I find another computer.

the last breakfast

The breakfast bookclub met for its last deep theological discussion over bacon and eggs. Except that I always have a toasted western on brown with a cup of coffee.

in the pit

I went down into the pit today where they mine around the clock for gold. If they get an ingot a week, it's a good week. An ingot is now worth over a million. But then the tyres on that truck are $20,000.00 each.

rodent watching

This time we are taking a break from fretting about all the packing to watch a chipmunk.

bird watching

Grackles outside the window deserve our complete attention.

sunglasses

The pix is of an unfocussed blurry photo which was part of the Sunday School display. It's me and the dentist; what can I say? I could use correct English and write that it is the photograh of the dentist and me before church when we were handed sunglasses and asked to pose.

sightings

Today the little blue flowers by the front door came out. The geese flew over. Ducks and loons are swimming where the ice has receded from the shore. A Morning Cloak butterfly is feeding on the maple sap, and it went to 20 degrees. (It was 3 this morning.)

Last week we were shovelling snow. This afternoon a neighbour was out sunning herself in her bathing suit.

driving Miss Johnston

I was vacuuming out the car, cleaning the windows and installing a navigation device in preparation for the big road trip down east, while Miss Johnston, an indoor cat, was meowing plaintively at the screen door to come out and join me. So I let her out and she moseyed around while I finished the job. Then we jumped in the car and drove into town to buy an ice cream cone to celebrate the coming of spring.

rehearsal

We're having a hootenanny this evening, so I joined the chorus for a rehearsal this afternoon. The church hall has been converted to a bistro. When hootenannies were all the rage I don't recall that we ever rehearsed anything.

wet

It is a wet cold day, so I posted a picture of the Timmins church that I took last week when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Just south of here it is sunny and warm, but we are on the other side of the line.

out it goes

The movers came and now I am working with the basics that I'll bring in my little car. The price of petrol has soared to $1.26 a litre just in time for my trip. They say that it will continue to go up. At least my car is small and if I keep to the speed limit; but, then, what choice do I have?

moving - 1st stage

The movers come tomorrow. I have packed everything to send to New Brunswick and I shall leave for Nova Scotia a week on Monday. It looks like I have gone through boxes of booze during my stay here in the north - but really I went to the liquor outlet and begged boxes. Booze boxes are the best.

double digit day

The temperature went into the double digits (Celsius) this afternoon. There is a crab apple tree in the yard. I embraced its warmth and took this picture.

at last

Close to a south wall a brave early crocus has made its appearance. My favourite flower is always the first one that I see in the spring.

diner

This is the local diner - and being as this is a gold mining town - it's called "The Golden Mile". It has a great deal of deficiencies. Everyone seems to have a story about the latest atrocity, but it is the only show this end of town, so we go there over and over again.

pow wow

Somehow I felt underdressed.

bleak

I took the picture of my street in the early afternoon. Now it's snowing again. Is Siberia just like this?

Rogues' gallery

I am leaving the congregation, so they need my photo to put up with all the former ministers. I picked it up today. It came in a package with some in different sizes. Then the store tried to sell me more "for my friends and relatives". I have enough here for gifts for every member of the family. I told the saleswoman that I thought that they might get a bit tired of seeing me. Well, family, now you know what's coming for Christmas!

sorting

I'm sorting, putting together "outfits" and pitching the rest. I have very limited space in my little car

1943 wedding

My sister set up her new scanner and sent me her first effort: my parents' engagement and wedding announcement. They are the couple in uniform. This coming Sunday would have been their wedding anniversary.

vacuums

My mission to clean the car ran into a road block, actually two. Both vacs at the Esso were broken and then both at the Shell were under a mouund of dirty snow. Then the rain started. But I did get to the liquor store and collected a car load of boxes, so I am sort of on track, but not exactly speeding along.

cleaning out the car

Tomorrow I shall take the car to one of those super vacuums at the car wash place and suck up all the winter crud. In preparation I took out all the contents - it's amazing how much stuff I was carrying around, even more because I had to be prepared for breakdowns in a northern winter - so blankets and a sleeping bag, ice grips, shovel, car brush, safety vest and other interesting stuff like a squashed box of tissues, a can of cat food that had rolled under seat, a dirty coffee mug, and a clothes line with pegs. I washed the car carpets in the washing machine. I was amazed at how well that worked out. Here they are drying on the shower rail. With a clean car I shall be one step closer to my get away. Go east old woman!

practice run

Today we had our practice run in the car with the cats on leashes. Miss Johnston sat on the front seat. I have made several loops to shorten her leash so she would not interfere with me, the driver. The Czarina was more nervous and chose to sit behind the driver's seat amid all the usual junk. All in all it went remakably well as we drove around the neighbourhood. The plaintive miaows went on for less than five minutes. They were much more accepting of the harnesses once I had removed the little bells that came with them. So we are one step closer to going down the road.

get away plan

This area was originally called The Porcupine Camp, when the gold was discovered and the towns had not yet developed.
So I have two cats with a three day drive ahead of them. Today I bought leashes and harnesses, and now I shall have to take them out on practice runs.
I have three years of accumulation and a very little car. The thing with Canada is that we have to have clothes for four seasons, which is more clothes than most people need, and April is on the cusp. The beginning of the week was wintry and now it seems like early spring, so I am not even sure what to pack, what to keep out and what to give away.

escape vehicle

This is my little car that will be driving back from the north. The turtle is my way of reminding myself that I need gas. When it gets to under a half tank I put him on the dash board. I need gas infrequently, so I need to remind myself. It is at just about $1.20 a litre, so I wonder if it will go down before I reach a quarter tank. The shell is from San Diego de Compostela - I know that I should only have one if I have made the pilgrimmage, but maybe someday in my dreams.

bad day

So it was a really bad day - I think that I shall lose myself in packing up. These balloons came from a party for an elderly lady who is moving into a nursing home. But right now I really need to think that they are for me.

April Fool's

The worst storm of the year, so far, swept in over night. The first picture is inside the door and the second is looking out the door. I actually could not open the door. So after a teaser of an early spring day yesterday, winter returned with a vengeance. I have just under four weeks left here. I wonder if I shall be driving east with my snow tyres still on? I think that I have cabin fever. Is there a cure?