Mini Me ????

July 5 - 11/2019  Weather.... picture a big warm sun!  It's hot.  We've been parked at the farm on the back driveway and time is flying by.   When we are at the Farm we are busy everyday and this summer my quilty friend Bon and I are taking long arm lessons to finish the stitching on the quilts.  It has been so much fun!

Rosey Long Arm Quilting

When we are here we visit my Mom most days in Chatham at the residence.  She is 93 today!!!
Now going back and forth to Kitchener/Waterloo this summer has been wonderful for us to spend so much quality time with Aiden, 9 months old and growing like a bad weed.  This week we are back in The Landings Campground again.  This time Aiden's going to get in the "big swimming pool with Daddy" at the campground and we will have him stay with us one afternoon at the park too!  All new fun stuff for our little grandson.

Our son has such a beautiful family... picnic at our campground

As we drive into the campground (again) we are definitely being treated like "regulars"!   Everyone is so friendly welcoming us back.  This time we only towed the trailer and skipped bringing the Jeep since the weather is summertime - dry and hot.  We are just driving around on the motorcycle this week.
Oh and when we get back to the farm we have a new addition to our part time "Puddy Kat".  Yes there is a "mini-me puddy kat" now at our door step every morning too!!!!  

Puddy Kat and mini me puddy kat

Hunting for a Tombstone

June 14 to 21/2019  Weather  is low 70's and cool nights at 50's.  It's not quite tshirt and shorts weather yet.  We are off to Kitchener/Waterloo again to see our grandson.  How lucky we are to take our home with us.  Everyday we will see little Aiden.  Once again we are staying at The Landings in Petersburg.  It is only 8 kilometers from their house.  So everyday we get to play, play, play.  

Nana Rosey and Aiden playing peek a boo

After our fun week we headed 40 miles across to Mitchell area.  Friends of ours have a park model in Woodlands Lake RV Resort.  Its quite a big seasonal park and they do have a row of pull thrus that are way at the back of the park.   Takes about half an hour to come in and wind your way to the sites but they sure were quiet !!!!!   Oh and lots of trees.  And mosquitos!!!!  

the campsites are situated around small Woodland Lake

Our site was long and level and we had two nice big evergreens that we parked between.   Billy walked around our rig a couple of times and said..... we can't open.  What?  Oh jeez.    Oh well, it's only for two nights and we were there to visit our friends not sit in the coach anyways.   Don and Annie called us on the cell phone to find out our whereabouts... and we said "funny thing is we are in the Trinity Cemetery in Mitchell".  Don says "you are where?"
So the story is that Billy has been chasing his family tree down and found that he had a great grama and great great grama in Mitchell.  It was important to him to find the stone and we did find it!!!! Which was super exhilarating.   The stone had his great great grandparents, with their two daughters (great grama and great aunt).  

Billy's great grama, great aunt, great great grandparents

We recorded all the information and took some pictures, next time we come up this way we want to look for the home that they lived in for 75 years.    Finding the grave was so emotional as it unlocked some family information that Billy was hoping to find. 

Family Time

May 27/2019  Weather 72 and sunny today.  Beautiful day.

Our site at The Landings

Having our coach just a few miles away from our grandson has been perfect.  Everyday we get to go play with him and then be able to leave our son's family to some peace and quiet without Nana and Papa underfoot.  We have had the best week with our little grandson.  He is such a "peach".  Wow your heart bursts with love when they laugh and smile at you.  

Our little Aiden is such a cutie pie

This morning the Canada Geese were out swiming around the lake in the campground.  They were having family time too!!!

Mama , baby, baby, Daddy

Take our Home with Us

May 21/2019  Weather = Ugh!  that is ugh for ugly.  The worst spring we have ever come home to.  Oh well.  Mother Nature will do whatever she wishes.  Our health is good and our family is good so we will live with the cold wet spring.  Today was sunny (59 high and low of 45) and we headed out to Kitchener, Ontario to see our little grandson who is now 8 months old!  He is awesome:)  This summer we will spend a week every month visiting him.  It sure is handy when you can take your own little home with you. 
We are staying in an RV Park called The Landings.  It has 3 big pull thrus.  Not like cruising around the States where you can find a suitable Big Rig park every 100 miles.    You need to do some reconnaissance before pulling into a campground in Ontario.  Check and double check that you will fit into these parks and sites.  

The water pond at sunset tonight   - we have a nice view from our site

Down on the Farm

April 18/2019 Weather started to thunder in Wapakoneta this morning when we pulled out.  But the storm held off and we were able to drive all the way home to Dealtown, Ontario where we will use the Farm as base camp.  It was not even that cold, maybe 60's.  BUT and that is with capital letters the forecast for Easter Weekend is horrible.   Cold, low 40's, very rainy and windy.  We are just hooking up and keeping the rig closed till the storm blows over by Sunday.   Billy is cranky.  He does not enjoy coming home in the Spring to nasty Ontario weather.   Oh well, it's only for 2 days then it is suppose to break and be mid 50's to 60's and sunny.  Come on Mr. Easter Bunny bring on the warm spring weather.   In the meantime my friend Pammy back in beautiful sunny Hill Country Texas wished us a Happy Easter Texas style.  Haha

Quite the ride Mr. Easter Bunny

Shadows of Magic

September 18/2018   Magic at the Ontario Butterfly Conservatory

When downloading my pictures of the day I realized that there was more "magic".  Now remember I just point and shoot my little camera.  But these guys hanging against the window became art to us.  They were all fluttering up in top on the windows...... how cool?

Lepidoptera

Sept 18/2018  Weather 75, sunny, lovely day to go to the Ontario Butterfly Conservatory (OBC) in Cambridge.  Lepidoptera is the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths.  How do you say that? " Lep e dop tera "    Yes it is a bit of a mouth full.  When we had a stick home we had some butterfly bushes around our yard and in the fall they would be covered with Monarch butterflies migrating south. 

tropical rainforest conservatory setting

hatching of butterflies

The Monarch will fly all the way to Mexico from Canada!  Such a small beautiful little thing, all that way?  Amazing.  The OBC had a tagging of some hundred Monarchs on the weekend and these guys will fly south and be scanned and found and recorded in Mexico and California for research and preservation purposes.   
The Conservatory has a few rooms of educational preparation for you to understand how a Butterfly is born and the 750 species in the world and the difference between a moth and a butterfly.  Do you know?

a couple of butterflies landed

Owl butterflies feeding on orange slices

After learning some facts you can walk into the rainforest type conservatory where you will be swerving and walking amongst the 2,500 butterflies fluttering around.   Stand still and they will land on your shoulder, your head, your finger!!!    It is rather magical.  The different types and colours are exquisite.  We were enamoured with the blue morpho - they are the largest in the world with wings spanning 5 to 8 inches.  The little devils were everywhere.  Do you think we could get a picture?  Haha no way.  They did not sit much and it was almost comical how we spent a good hour trying to get a shot.  They were fabulous.  Finally got the shot.... well sorry it is in a frame and she was not alive..... but we got it!

blue morpho butterfly

Mennonite Highway - Lobsinger Line

Sept 14/2018  Weather is still quite warm, hitting 80's plus everyday and humid.  Not fall yet. 

along Lobsinger Line

 We meander off to a destination lunch in Millbank where a Mennonite community is dominant in the population.  A picturesque road on the way called Lobsinger Line will take you through the Wellesley area.

well preserved 1800's building in Newton - a Quilt shop!!!

  It is like falling into a scene of Little House on the Prairie.   Farm after farm with lanes so long you are tempted to turn into them thinking they are a road in the county.  Huge barnyards will be spotted and massive vegetable gardens.  Most every farm entrance has a sign for eggs, maple syrup, beef, vegetables, cut flowers, pies, apple butter, quilts.   Bring a cooler!  On many of these farms the only vehicle is still a horse and buggy. 

Mennonite school in Millbank

The Mennonites in this area came from Europe and Pennsylvania in the mid to late 1800's.   Our lunch treat is Anna Mae's Bakery and Restaurant.  We dare you to walk through the front bakery section....  and you have to .... then you can put your name in for a table.  There will be a wait but it moves fast.  Homecooking at its best.  The town of Millbank is small and quaint, on the side street you will also find a grocery market with everything you want to fill your fridge and cupboards.  Worth the stop.  

Anna Mae's Bakery & Restaurant

While dining we chatted with a lady from Stratford who was born and raised in the area and worked alongside Mennonites and Amish.  I asked her if they take a debit card?  She said not to worry it is a Mennonite shop and there is a difference.   The Amish shun mechanical and technological devices and prefer a much plainer, simpler life.   She said you can tell the difference watching along the farm lanes.  ????  I had no idea what she meant.   She explained that when I see what looks like a small bus stop hut away from the home and usually down the lane way that is their phone booth.  Really?  Apparently she knew of some Amish that could use the telephone in the phone booth but could not have it inside their house.    Yes of course on the ride back I was watching for the phone booths.  Was this an urban legend?  Don't know but she had me all the ride back to our campground. :)

Child's bus stop?  or Phone Booth?

A Man's Castle

Sept 8/2018  Weather has turned cool, down to 59 today!  What a change.  We are going to have a few days of this and rain as the remnants of a  5 day old hurricane that hit the New Orleans area is tracking our way.  
Unusual for us, we have our Jeep with us.  Rosey drove the Jeep the other day following Billy in the RV with the trailer(Harley inside).   So no Harley today.   We are going exploring to Castle Kilbride in Baden.  We have seen these signs everywhere.  Can it really be a castle?  Of course we are thinking about all the castles we saw in Scotland a few summers back.  

the front driveway is in the shape of a heart to show his love for his wife

James Livingston built his 10,000 sq foot home which he called his castle and named it after his birthplace in Scotland - Kilbride.  It is a Canadian National Historic Site.  In 1877 and Mr. Livingston was known as the Flax and Linseed Oil King of Canada. 

flaxseed (linseed) and the flowering plant - most of it is now grown in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

At the time he extravagantly furnished the huge home and had rare 'trompe l'oeil"  (means fool the eye) wall and ceiling murals in all the rooms.   It has been beautifully restored and the 3D effect of the painted murals will give the illusion of layers that are not really there; except in paint.  Art abounds everywhere in this house.  Look very closely, in one room there is a painted vase full of a bouquet of flowers, till you look deeper and there is a face peering out. 

elaborate tromp l'oeil -  it is all paint that looks 3D

In the late 1800's flax seeds were not consumed as we do today.  Today every health food store sells them.  I grind mine up and put them in my breakfast shake.  In those days the plant was used to make linen fabric.   The seeds were used to make linseed oil that was used in oil based paints.  As latex paints took over the company declined significantly and closed operations.  Flax and linseed are the same plant.    Three generations lived in the home, but as often with an aristocratic property the upkeep becomes too much.  The property was sold to the town in 1988, and restoration began.  Today they are still trying to buy back the Victorian furniture that was auctioned off. 

unusual game table in the library

Fall is coming.......? Today you would never know.

September 5/2018  Weather - today is unbearably hot.  Temp is 86 but will feel like 106!  And it did.  We really should have waited a day, driving was fine but taking the time to hookup and setup once we were there was nasty.  Billy was soaked with sweat.  The relief came after when we swam in the pool for a couple hours.  That was heaven.  Soon the heat will break and it will feel like fall.  We can't wait for that.  Enough of the hot humid summer here in Southwestern Ontario.

Yes this is Grumpy Cat - she "adopted us".  Sorry but you cannot come with us this time!

We left the farm and headed up to Kitchener to camp about 10 minutes away from our family who are having their first child :)   So exciting and how perfect we can take our house on wheels with us, the advantage of living in the motorhome.   We previously found a nice park Country Gardens RV Park.  This time we are the 3rd site in so no trouble maneuvering the small roads in and out and the power pedestal has adequate power - we checked with the voltmeter.  

country gardens rv park , nice shady long spot

nice old dairy farm

September 6/2018  Weather - normal today.  78 and sunny.  Perfect biking weather.  Away we go for a ride from Kitchener to Mitchell, to Stratford, Shakespeare, New Hamburg and return to camp.

rustic old barn in the countryside

The land is a bit different than down Blenheim way.  We are flat.  Here the land is swales and hills, pretty rolling countryside.   Farmland everywhere, soybeans, corn, white beans, dairy farms, horse farms.  A lovely diversion for us to ride the motorcycle.  Each road is new to us and yet only 127 miles from where we grew up. 

Parking at the Farm

August 18/2018  Weather - in general we are finding the summer of 2018 to be a hot and humid time; with too much hot and too much humid.  Funny.  It seems to bother us more than ever or are we just getting older?  Ok. ok.  Don't anwer that.  Billy feels we spending more of our winter months in the South West so we really gravitate to the dry warm weather and cool nights.  Definitely it is our preferred climate.  But who knows maybe the following pictures are part of the climate.  My Mom has had some amazing flower gardens and sad to say we are kind of downsizing them since she has moved to a senior residence.  It's just too much work!    We have moved some plants and such and we are so happy to have the blooms stopping us to take a second look.  Everything that blooms we take in to Mom for her room, which she totally enjoys.

no idea what this is called

Just have to share these pretty pretty pretty flowers.

hardy hibiscus

hardy hibiscus

North of Toronto

June 13 - 20/2018 Weather - we had a record breaking heat wave day.....  most of the week was gorgeous travel weather but Fathers Day was 96 F and it felt like a 100!  Phew, lucky the pool was open at the KOA in Cookstown. 

We like coming  to Cookstown to setup our basecamp then go downtown TO to see our adorable grandson who was 6 this weekend!  Where did the time go?  They live as far into Toronto as you can get, just a few blocks from Lake Ontario.   We could not get our head around taking the motorcycle down there so we rented a car.  What a smart idea, once in a while we have a brilliant moment.  Haha.   Our rate was so reasonably priced that we could not possibly drive our own vehicle from the farm to Cookstown and back for the cost of the rental.
We always bring our motorcycle as the hilly terrain in this semi northern Ontario area is pretty country to ride in.  One day we rode all along Lake Simcoe, another day we rode along a river to the quaint town of Creemore famous for its craft brewery and another day we went spooking around the backroads of newly planted potatoes and rolling farmland.  The wildflowers are bursting in the road sides right now and the sweet smell of clover was heavenly.  Bottle that smell! 
Oh and gosh have a cone or cup or even the whole tub of Karwartha Dairy ice cream.  It’s part of the Ontario summer diet! The best part!!!😀

Wine Trail

May 22 - 30/2018  Weather is beautiful now for the week and we are headed to the end of Southwestern Ontario.  Our campground the last few years was in McGregor, near Windsor and we thought lets go for an hours ride and camp there for the week.  Catch up with our friends and our son who lives in Windsor.

Fore!  We parked far away from the balls this time.

Wildwood Golf and RV Resort is one of the nicest parks in Ontario.    Billy picked a pull thru spot close to the pool and not close to the fairways this time.
We did some nice motorcycle riding along the Wine Trail on the lake.

Lots of wineries along Lake Erie in Essex county

There are some beautiful wineries, tasting and bistros to stop and enjoy.   Every season there are new wineries and new buildings opening.  The road is slow and winding so give yourself the afternoon to enjoy it.  You can follow the lake for about 20 miles, lots of quaint cottages and always a view of the water.

Viewpointe Winery patio (great Sangria and cheeseboard)

North 42 Degrees winery just opened

Is it still Summer?

May 10 to October 22/2017  Great Summer in Ontario

Aerial shot of Wildwood RV and Golf Resort

Our snowbird winters are filled with such great RV resorts and coming back to Ontario it can be a challenge to find campgrounds with the same amenities.  Wildwood RV Resort & Golf is one of the nicest places to pull your rig into for the summer months.  Our site again this year was the first one into the park; with a beautiful view of the golf course.  It definitely adds a bit of risk to it though as we have taken a few hits from the golf balls.  When we are away for the day and return Billy's first thought is did we get hit today?  He especially worries about the windows.  We did get a few hits this season but nothing too severe.  It's just a really nice campground.

18th green; our site is just to the right in this picture

As it turned out we left after Thanksgiving and moved to the Farm.  We had some things to take care of and stayed a couple weeks longer than we normally do.  However; Mother Nature blessed us with an usually warm and extended Indian Summer.  I think we got the very last day in before packing up and heading south.  Crops are off.  Yard is fall cleaned.  Family is taken care of ...... And away we go.

On the Farm

April 15/2016  weather is just as forecasted - warm....yeah!

Might be the nicest days we have ever had yet coming back in the Spring.  We have pulled into the farm, so the nightly rate is very inexpensive.  Thanks to Mom. Last year we had 50 amp outlet added to the shed and it works!!!   Our view of the farm is quite nice.  

Back in site, 50 amp, water, no sewer, no cable, no garbage pickup

It is so convenient being right here on Moms farm for a couple weeks.  We can take her to appointments and in between help her get the yard spring cleaning finished.  It's a big yard.   Moms cat seems to have had an easy winter and she has put a few pounds on!  There she is holding the wall up. Ha ha. 

Fat Minnie

2 Hours

We are feeling this...... 

Jan 17/2016. Weather in Windsor, Ontario 19F Brrrr mild snowfall.   2 hours later in Sanford, Florida 65F sunny.   Isn't it amazing what can change in just a 2 hour flight.   We are loving this flight route by National Airlines.  Today only 64 people on the 180 seat flight.   Gosh we sure hope it fills up on the rest of the winter flights so National will continue this service.  It is so convenient for us to have family and friends drop us off.    No border crossing to Detroit makes a big difference.  When we landed in Florida we cleared US Customs easily.   Great travel day.

From take off in Windsor

Landing in Sanford

Three Months in One Place ???

Summer  2015

Billy??    Don't you need your co-pilot???

When we left Erieau I followed Billy and our Rig with the car we leave at my mum's.    It felt so strange to not be in the co-pilots seat.

Golf holes as you come into the RV park.  Nice view.

This summer we actually stayed in one spot for three months.  In the spring we had to get away from the lake and the fish flies so we moved inland to McGregor near Windsor, Ontario to Wildwood RV and Golf Resort. The park is well kept - paved streets, gravel with cement patio sites, back ins or pull thrus, rec center, 2 pools, many activities, golf course around the whole park, laundry & bath house, restaurant and plenty of super people.    This park is run like the many RV parks that Snowbirds flock to in the south.   There is a large contingency of campers here that winter in the south for 6 months and come back here for the balance of the year.  Good park to walk around and stop to talk and share camping stories.

It's been fun to explore new to us ..... roads and stores and restaurants.  It's only an hour west from where we grew up but neither of us had spent any time in this area.   We carry a back roads atlas of Ontario map book every time we leave the campground!!!  Yes,  I know it seems silly but we have gotten lost a few times.