Well, we finally heard from the shipping company - with the not so good news that the ship is 6 days late...new arrival date is tomorrow, 24th September. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. However, it appears that they will expedite paperwork when it does arrive and then final delivery to us is dependent upon availability of suitable truck. So, maybe we'll get our stuff next week; then again, maybe we won't.
Things were trucking along so well to. I think the news caused me some stress and I've had a few days with a very sore upper back along with a few other ailments - and that makes me more stressed! Anyway, I guess in the big scheme of things it's not the end of the world - just very annoying. We have now refocussed our attention to ticking all remaining things off our to do list before it does get here to make the most of our "free" time.
It's the first day of autumn here today - we can see the leaves starting to change. In a few weeks, our view of the water will have expanded substantially. It has also been a bit rainy these past few days and the grass continues to grow...it's looking rather unruly unfortunately - it isn't knee high yet so hopefully with the cooler weather it won't grow much more and still be cuttable when we get our lawnmower from the container.
After lighting a fire in the downstairs fireplace on one of the cool days this week, we've discovered that it doesn't work very well. Now having to entertain the idea of getting a fireplace insert to make it more efficient - and less smoky!
Not much else to report this week - we've been laying low. Even did some housework yesterday - we must be bored!!
And sorry, no lovely scenic photos to include...
Friday, 23 September 2011
Monday, 19 September 2011
They say it's your birthday!
The party last Saturday night was lots of fun - it must have been because we arrived at around 4.30p and stayed until around 10.30p - well after our bedtime. We met lots of new people and everyone was very friendly and chatty. Might have some new people to add to our friends list! Forgot to take photos.
Today (19th September) is my birthday. What a wonderful day I've had. I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise over the bay, followed quickly by a freshly brewed coffee (courtesy of my sweetie) and a romantic birthday card (also from my sweetie - as aforementioned).
We spent part of the morning having a look at some of the shops downtown which we hadn't been to before (there really aren't that many) and had morning tea (coffee) as well. In one store we were drawn to a multi-coloured Paris wall clock which had to come home with us, as well as a folding screen. A nearby bookstore had lots of books and maps of the Vancouver Island/mainland area so we bought a book (written I think mostly for boaters) and a map to go on the wall for reference. Happy Birthday Ginnie! And thanks to all of the wonderful messages and phone calls I've received - I'm one very lucky person.
Lunch was at a Greek restaurant (Asteras) which we had seen a week or so ago and which several people had highly recommended. And it was good, very good! The service was great and I even scored a free birthday dessert. We now both reek of garlic so are home with all of the doors wide open...okay, that's just a bit of an exaggeration.
What would cap off the day nicely would be an email giving us a delivery date for our stuff...but nothing so far. Stay tuned.
Today (19th September) is my birthday. What a wonderful day I've had. I woke up to the most beautiful sunrise over the bay, followed quickly by a freshly brewed coffee (courtesy of my sweetie) and a romantic birthday card (also from my sweetie - as aforementioned).
We spent part of the morning having a look at some of the shops downtown which we hadn't been to before (there really aren't that many) and had morning tea (coffee) as well. In one store we were drawn to a multi-coloured Paris wall clock which had to come home with us, as well as a folding screen. A nearby bookstore had lots of books and maps of the Vancouver Island/mainland area so we bought a book (written I think mostly for boaters) and a map to go on the wall for reference. Happy Birthday Ginnie! And thanks to all of the wonderful messages and phone calls I've received - I'm one very lucky person.
Lunch was at a Greek restaurant (Asteras) which we had seen a week or so ago and which several people had highly recommended. And it was good, very good! The service was great and I even scored a free birthday dessert. We now both reek of garlic so are home with all of the doors wide open...okay, that's just a bit of an exaggeration.
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| Asteras Greek Restaurant |
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Another busy week
Oh yes, last week there was an earthquake off the west coast, north of Tofino. Colin and Jess had left that area several hours before and were already on the east coast of the island but didn't feel anything, nor did we thankfully. Apparently there was another smaller one a day or two later. Enough already!
Last Saturday we got up early and did the round of nearby garage sales. Not too many deals but some nice interactions with people. Did score one beautiful old oak washstand though which is doing temporary duty as a nightstand.
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| The handles have to go. |
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| These guys strolled in front of us as we walked to the garage sale at the end of the street. |
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| The "Celebrity Millennium" |
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| This is likely the size of boat we will end up with! That's not a girl with long hair but a guy with dreadlocks.
A few events were scheduled for the day so we took in a walk around the Heritage District downtown and the Harvest Festival (just caught the end of that). One interesting shop we happened upon was McLean's Specialty Foods run by a Scottish couple who we had a great chat with. Also met the head of the Nanaimo Port (not the drinking kind) Authority so that might be a useful connection in the future - he gave me his card. We continue to be amazed at how friendly and interactive people are here. This is a picture of the McLean's shop - they sold small jars of Vegemite for over $11.00!! |
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| Loved the sign - especially good if you are Scottish. |
Also on Sunday, friend Sylvia made the trek up from Shawnigan Lake (about an hour south) to have lunch and to check out our house. It's just a bit challenging catering at the moment but not for too much longer we hope. We also had visits from two Canadian Coast Guard boats into our bay - docking overnight at the Ocean and Fisheries Canada base just down the road from us. It was interesting watching them come and go - not sure if this is a regular part of their route or just a random visit. No doubt will find out more over time.
Tuesday we decided to continue the hunt for bedroom pieces and headed down to Victoria (about 2 hours away) armed with a list of second hand dealers and antique stores. We had a great time checking them all out - a few were out of business but we discovered a few not on the list and also enjoyed driving the back streets of some beautiful neighbourhoods. One funny discovery was the display of some china plates and bowls in an antique dealer's glass showcase - of the same pattern as some we picked up in a box of miscellaneous dishes at a garage sale! We got about 20 dishes for $3. They were selling one for a lot more than that.
We were downtown Victoria around lunchtime to check out the last spot on the list when a city worker happened by and recommended a nearby restaurant for lunch, "Canoe Brewpub". It's down by the water and the food was fabulous. As is immediately obvious from the hops smell when you enter, they brew their own beer onsite - at one end above the bar are four huge copper barrels (is that what they are called?) which contain their on-tap beers. Their outdoor patio was nice too but was a bit chilly for that - yes, the amazingly long run of hot weather has come to an end unfortunately.
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| The chandeliers were pretty impressive as was the heritage building. |
Some random shots of Victoria's waterfront and downtown area:
On the way home from Victoria, we checked out a couple more antique shops at some small towns - got home very weary and with not one purchase! At least we now have an idea of where to go and what prices to expect to pay for anything of interest.
Our other focus at present is planning for construction of some retaining wall and fencing in the front yard to create a deer-proof courtyard - it will give us a spot to grow whatever we want without it being animal feed and also give a bit of additional security for the front door and windows.
Today (Saturday), we spent the morning cooking and freezing the bagful of plums which our neighbour to the back brought down for us the other day. Felt very virtuous! Also picked the few remaining vegetables in the garden - a few ears of corn, one funny shaped cucumber, a tiny eggplant, some small red chillies and a few beans. I think there maybe one zucchini left to grow a bit bigger.
Later this afternoon we are off for our first official Nanaimo social engagement!! It's to a BBQ at Angie and Bruce's - they are the lovely owners of The Painted Turtle guesthouse in downtown Nanaimo. We are looking forward to interacting with some new faces. It's been an on and off cool rainy day so far but there are now a few patches of sunshine so hopefully that lasts.
Tomorrow is September 18th - the day our ship is supposed to come in!!! Into Vancouver that is. It will take anywhere from a week to three weeks after that for our stuff to land on our doorstep - I'm hoping I can use a bit of persuasion with the movers to get it sooner rather than later. It is proving to be a long wait that's for sure. I think I should take bets on when it will get here. Patience Ginnie..... (that reminds me of a poster my mother gave me when I was a very young teenager which said "Patience is a Virtue" - I put the poster up on the wall but never admitted to anyone for a long time that I wasn't exactly sure what a virtue was.) Nowadays I could just look it up on Google!
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
First visitors arrive at MapleGum Canada
It was really exciting watching the ferry come in Saturday before last on which Colin and Jess were arriving for a week on the island. They were the first official visitors to MapleGum Canada - still basically empty! We had a great evening of catchup and, next day with their help, discovered a new section of beach which is fairly close to our house and which offers a different range of water activities and mainland views. Just beautiful.
Monday saw Brian and Colin head south to Duncan to golf with Colin's friend who was coming up from Victoria. While they were gone, we ladies were forced to come up with an activity to wile away the day without the menfolk. As we sit on our deck, we look out over Departure Bay to Newcastle Island. I thought it might be interesting to check out the island and maybe have a short hike.
OPTIONAL READING ABOUT NEWCASTLE ISLAND: Archaeological evidence, such as the large number of shell middens, and culturally modified trees, indicate that the Snuneymuxw people have used Newcastle Island for many thousands of years. Newcastle was extensively used for fishing; hunting deer; gathering clams, oysters, crabs, and other shell fish. Plant foods were also gathered here including berries, ferns, and medicinal plants.The Snuneymuxw have many stories about the Island. One tells how Haals, the transformer, moved about the land and turned animals and people into stone. Today one can see examples of this in the rock formations along the shoreline. The Snuneymuxw also consider this island a sacred place as it was traditionally used for spiritual training. Young athletes were brought there to train for foot racing and canoe pulling. Middens offer rich evidence of at least two Snuneymuxw villages, which existed for several thousands of years prior to Europeans introduction to coal in the area in 1949. Subsequent decades saw the island's fortunes rise and fall as it went through various incarnations while supporting a fish-salting operation, a sandstone quarry and a shipyard.
In 1931 the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company purchased the island and operated it as a pleasure resort, building a dance pavilion which included a teahouse, picnic areas, change houses, a soccer field and a wading pool. An old ship was tied to the dock at Mark Bay and served as a floating hotel. The island became very popular for company picnics and Sunday outings, with ships from Vancouver bringing as many as 1,500 people at a time. Today it is enjoyed by many for its history, culture & outdoor activities.
The 10 minute ferry ride leaves from a downtown park so we were over on the island by 12.30pm and ready for our little adventure. The ferry captain said it takes approx. 2 hours to hike the 7.5 kilometres around the island. We thought that sounded doable so set off along one of the trails which headed up through the centre of the island and came out on the northwest corner from which I knew we would have views of our house, which we did - that was pretty exciting.
Some miscellaneous views from the hike:
The trek down the eastern side of the island proved much easier and was mostly along the beautiful beaches so lots to distract from one's discomforts...and because there were lots more people in this area, I felt we had good odds of not being chosen by a cougar as items of interest!
We finally made it back to the wharf about 2-3/4 hrs after we started, very hot and weary. I told Jess that next time it would be very remiss of us not to bring some wine and snacks to enjoy as a reward at the end of the hike as there were some spectacular spots to sit and rest. We consoled ourselves with a well-deserved ice-cream instead.
The guys were quite amazed when they got back from golf that we had such an adventurous and incredible day...without them. Thanks Jess for being good company.
Tuesday morning was departure day for Colin, Jess and Jay as they were heading across the island for a few nights to Tofino on the west coast for some more adventures. We met up with them at Cathedral Grove, a huge preserved section of old growth giant Douglas fir trees about an hour from Nanaimo, and on the road to Tofino. After an awe-inspiring walk through the trees, we parted ways.
Cathedral Grove is a rare and endangered remnant of an ancient Douglas fir ecosystem. The biggest trees in the Grove are about 800 years old and measure 75 m (250 ft) in height and 9 m (29 ft) in circumference. They are survivors of a forest fire that ravaged the area some 350 years ago and the even more devastating invasion by Europeans who colonized Vancouver Island from 1849. More info: http://www.cathedralgrove.eu/text/01-Cathedral-Grove-1.htm.
Brian and I drove back towards Nanaimo, first stopping at this beautiful lake, Cameron Lake, for a quick look...and note to self to bring picnic next time! In fact, bring picnic whenever you leave the house.
Next stop was the small village of Coombs which has managed to make itself a tourist destination with its famous "Goats on the Roof" Country market and restaurant. We had lunch there but couldn't manage a photo of the goats so I'll include one prepared earlier (last year in fact). The area also has lots of other touristy shops in a rustic setting, along with other newer retail developments. One interesting spot there was the VW Museum, one of only three in the world. We checked it out because it is owned by Colin's friend's father. Neat spot.
We've now had a few days alone again - the gang will be back today for a night or so before heading back to Alberta.
Yesterday, we were amused to see a baby deer (fawn) bound like an antelope across our front yard, closely followed by its mother so something must have spooked them...the mother didn't care where she stepped which explains some damage to the garden which we've noticed.
Our existing vegetable garden continues to give us a small supply of fresh vegetables - we've harvested one huge pumpkin with two more still to pick, some zucchini, red peppers, squash and cucumber. I think there might be a few beans also and corn almost ready. I'm really excited to launch into doing more next year - we have a great sunny spot for the garden which I didn't have in Bateau Bay so no excuses now.
Just waiting on delivery of a new bed purchased yesterday - first item for new look master bedroom - we sold all our bedroom furniture so are trying to figure out what the new look will actually be. Should be easy but I'm never good with lots of choices. Wish me luck.
Well, we had our goodbye's with Colin and Jess - they had an amazing week's holiday here on the island - the weather cooperated by being absolutely perfect. They went on a whale watching tour out of Tofino over to an area with hot springs to swim in - on the way back they saw a bear on the shore turning over rocks and eating the crabs found underneath. I want to see that (from the safety of the boat of course)!
Next visitors over Thanksgiving Weekend will be Heidi and Antoine and we are really looking forward to that.
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| I know, it's the smallest beach ever! |
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| Colin & Jess braving the water. |
OPTIONAL READING ABOUT NEWCASTLE ISLAND: Archaeological evidence, such as the large number of shell middens, and culturally modified trees, indicate that the Snuneymuxw people have used Newcastle Island for many thousands of years. Newcastle was extensively used for fishing; hunting deer; gathering clams, oysters, crabs, and other shell fish. Plant foods were also gathered here including berries, ferns, and medicinal plants.The Snuneymuxw have many stories about the Island. One tells how Haals, the transformer, moved about the land and turned animals and people into stone. Today one can see examples of this in the rock formations along the shoreline. The Snuneymuxw also consider this island a sacred place as it was traditionally used for spiritual training. Young athletes were brought there to train for foot racing and canoe pulling. Middens offer rich evidence of at least two Snuneymuxw villages, which existed for several thousands of years prior to Europeans introduction to coal in the area in 1949. Subsequent decades saw the island's fortunes rise and fall as it went through various incarnations while supporting a fish-salting operation, a sandstone quarry and a shipyard.
In 1931 the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company purchased the island and operated it as a pleasure resort, building a dance pavilion which included a teahouse, picnic areas, change houses, a soccer field and a wading pool. An old ship was tied to the dock at Mark Bay and served as a floating hotel. The island became very popular for company picnics and Sunday outings, with ships from Vancouver bringing as many as 1,500 people at a time. Today it is enjoyed by many for its history, culture & outdoor activities.
The 10 minute ferry ride leaves from a downtown park so we were over on the island by 12.30pm and ready for our little adventure. The ferry captain said it takes approx. 2 hours to hike the 7.5 kilometres around the island. We thought that sounded doable so set off along one of the trails which headed up through the centre of the island and came out on the northwest corner from which I knew we would have views of our house, which we did - that was pretty exciting.
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| Little ferry to Newcastle Island. |
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| Our house is over there near the bottom right of that group. As we hiked through the beautiful forest of huge trees, we chatted away getting to know each other a little better. The elephants in the room were the cougars which a sign said could sometimes be seen on the island! Yikes! I didn't want to admit my fear to someone as young and fearless as Jess so I said nothing, but casually picked up a stick and hit the bushes as the walked. Not sure if that was the right strategy - was that telling them that "here we are, come and get us" or "here we are, so go away"? Anyway, we didn't see any thank heavens. |
The walk had some tough sections but it was never dull as the scenery kept changing. For quite a bit of the hike we had magnificent views of the gulf islands and mainland and, in other places, we had to walk in a bit to see the views. At about the halfway point, we realized that not only were we not on pace to make the loop in the two hours, but that we were just a bit footsore, thirsty and hungry and had no food with us and just a bit of water. Not so smart.
The trek down the eastern side of the island proved much easier and was mostly along the beautiful beaches so lots to distract from one's discomforts...and because there were lots more people in this area, I felt we had good odds of not being chosen by a cougar as items of interest!
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| Lots of beaches here have huge driftwood logs - escapees from the logging industry. |
We finally made it back to the wharf about 2-3/4 hrs after we started, very hot and weary. I told Jess that next time it would be very remiss of us not to bring some wine and snacks to enjoy as a reward at the end of the hike as there were some spectacular spots to sit and rest. We consoled ourselves with a well-deserved ice-cream instead.
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| Totem pole not far from wharf. |
Cathedral Grove is a rare and endangered remnant of an ancient Douglas fir ecosystem. The biggest trees in the Grove are about 800 years old and measure 75 m (250 ft) in height and 9 m (29 ft) in circumference. They are survivors of a forest fire that ravaged the area some 350 years ago and the even more devastating invasion by Europeans who colonized Vancouver Island from 1849. More info: http://www.cathedralgrove.eu/text/01-Cathedral-Grove-1.htm.
Brian and I drove back towards Nanaimo, first stopping at this beautiful lake, Cameron Lake, for a quick look...and note to self to bring picnic next time! In fact, bring picnic whenever you leave the house.
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| Your picnic table awaits! |
Next stop was the small village of Coombs which has managed to make itself a tourist destination with its famous "Goats on the Roof" Country market and restaurant. We had lunch there but couldn't manage a photo of the goats so I'll include one prepared earlier (last year in fact). The area also has lots of other touristy shops in a rustic setting, along with other newer retail developments. One interesting spot there was the VW Museum, one of only three in the world. We checked it out because it is owned by Colin's friend's father. Neat spot.
We've now had a few days alone again - the gang will be back today for a night or so before heading back to Alberta.
Yesterday, we were amused to see a baby deer (fawn) bound like an antelope across our front yard, closely followed by its mother so something must have spooked them...the mother didn't care where she stepped which explains some damage to the garden which we've noticed.
Our existing vegetable garden continues to give us a small supply of fresh vegetables - we've harvested one huge pumpkin with two more still to pick, some zucchini, red peppers, squash and cucumber. I think there might be a few beans also and corn almost ready. I'm really excited to launch into doing more next year - we have a great sunny spot for the garden which I didn't have in Bateau Bay so no excuses now.
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| Just perfect for Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie...or saving to carve for Halloween. |
Well, we had our goodbye's with Colin and Jess - they had an amazing week's holiday here on the island - the weather cooperated by being absolutely perfect. They went on a whale watching tour out of Tofino over to an area with hot springs to swim in - on the way back they saw a bear on the shore turning over rocks and eating the crabs found underneath. I want to see that (from the safety of the boat of course)!
Next visitors over Thanksgiving Weekend will be Heidi and Antoine and we are really looking forward to that.
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Happiness has an address...
and it's on Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo! We had a lovely surprise last Tuesday when we went to the lawyer's with final payment for the house - ahead of settlement date on Thursday. As everything was fairly straightforward and previous owners had already moved out, we were given the keys around 5pm. It was very exciting as we thought we still had two more sleeps before moving. We took over some of our things but couldn't stay as we had nothing to sleep on. Rearranged delivery of the new sofa bed for Wednesday and since then have taken up full-time residence.
Our first night was a bit interrupted because of some strange noises which the fearless head of the household perceived to be an intruder. We both got up and made more noise to ferret him out! I realized next morning that it was the sound of the sheets of paper I'd taped to the bathroom windows (in lieu of curtains) which were flapping in the breeze through the partly open window. It does take a while to get used to the sights and sounds of a new house. Needless to say, I've found a few pieces of fabric which work great as temporary curtains, and don't make any noise, until we figure out what to do on those windows.
The first morning we were up early (easy because we hadn't slept very well anyway, being on burglar alert and all) to watch the sunrise and the first ferry heading out for Vancouver. We see about 20 ferry movements in and out of the bay each day, along with all of the sea planes coming and going. It's a wonderful spot. I can stand at the kitchen sink and watch all of this activity too which is nice - not that I'm at the kitchen sink all that often, but I could be.
We also have a great vantage on the front deck to watch the deer decide which of the plants they will devour for their next meal. So far they have left our garden alone but seem to like the berry bushes which are on our property line. There are such things as deer resistant plants - resistant only because apparently when they are hungry, they will eat just about anything. Thankfully the back yard is fenced so it should be okay.
I'm so excited in this house to finally have some of the little extra and luxuries I have always thought would be nice (such as remote controlled rope lights all around the deck railing no less). We've been watching lots of the house and garden TV channels and there are shows featuring young couples looking for their first home and whining that there are no granite countertops or they can't live without double sinks in the master ensuite. Makes me just a bit crazy! Maybe we are just late bloomers! I've already lost the fight with the double oven and trying to make it work - never mastered my oven in Bateau Bay either! This time, I'm determined to do better so reading the manual is on my to do list.
We've already enjoyed several meals out on the deck - along with the unwanted company of some wasps. They are incredibly persistent so I've had to employ drastic wasp-trapping methods to keep them away - which by the way don't seem to work.
Two of our neighbours have already dropped by to check us out and introduce themselves so that's been nice. One lady from behind us even came bearing a huge container of blackberries, with the promise of more.
While waiting for Brian to pick me up the other day from outside one of the big department stores, I noticed a guy furtively taking some shelving off several huge store display units which were on the sidewalk behind me. After he left, I went inside and asked if they were disposing of them - and yes, they were. I proceeded to take the rest of the shelves, along with the brackets. Then had to stand guard over the rest until Brian arrived - I went inside and borrowed a drill and we removed all of the metal strips for the brackets. So, that was quite a find and allowed Brian to continue with his garage reorganization - he has already made some big changes - no small feat when working with minimal tools and equipment. He found an old Ikea type shelving unit in the store-room and, on our first day here, reinforced and painted it and it is now a temporary TV stand for us. Oh yes, yesterday was a big day with the Shaw cable guy here for 3 hours hooking up TV, phone, internet & wireless - we are now connected to the world properly again. Email me if you want our new home phone number.
Our other major furniture acquisition was a $60 table & chair set purchased from a garage sale yesterday - I think it was one of those permanent garage sales and was like going into a Steptoe & Son property except Steptoe was a lady, but just as ugly and ornery! A big score there were several expensive decorating books acquired for about $2 each. Can never have too much inspiration.
This morning we went out and hit several more garage sales and now have a few more dishes and glasses to augment our meagre collection. Any more and we'll be able to justify using the dishwasher. Brian has just assembled the two stools we purchased to use at the kitchen counter so now we have choices of places to sit. Sure would be nice to have a comfy chair or two but I think that will have to wait till the container arrives.
It is a long weekend here this weekend and now that we have some of our jobs done, we can sit and enjoy the brilliant weather and wait for Colin and Jess to arrive later today. They will be our first official visitors. I've been given the task of creating a mixed berry crumble for dessert - Brian has gone to get the cream. Must go and read the oven manual as it will be important that I figure out how to turn it on.
Our first night was a bit interrupted because of some strange noises which the fearless head of the household perceived to be an intruder. We both got up and made more noise to ferret him out! I realized next morning that it was the sound of the sheets of paper I'd taped to the bathroom windows (in lieu of curtains) which were flapping in the breeze through the partly open window. It does take a while to get used to the sights and sounds of a new house. Needless to say, I've found a few pieces of fabric which work great as temporary curtains, and don't make any noise, until we figure out what to do on those windows.
The first morning we were up early (easy because we hadn't slept very well anyway, being on burglar alert and all) to watch the sunrise and the first ferry heading out for Vancouver. We see about 20 ferry movements in and out of the bay each day, along with all of the sea planes coming and going. It's a wonderful spot. I can stand at the kitchen sink and watch all of this activity too which is nice - not that I'm at the kitchen sink all that often, but I could be.
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| The deer in the middle pulled up short when he spied the garden gnome - I had moved it from its original position to somewhere less obvious (pending complete removal from the garden). After checking it out, he decided to go the other way - maybe the gnome should stay? |
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| Our morning coffee and evening wine chairs. |
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| The ballroom. |
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| Kitchen...obviously. |
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| and the other side of the kitchen... |
Two of our neighbours have already dropped by to check us out and introduce themselves so that's been nice. One lady from behind us even came bearing a huge container of blackberries, with the promise of more.
While waiting for Brian to pick me up the other day from outside one of the big department stores, I noticed a guy furtively taking some shelving off several huge store display units which were on the sidewalk behind me. After he left, I went inside and asked if they were disposing of them - and yes, they were. I proceeded to take the rest of the shelves, along with the brackets. Then had to stand guard over the rest until Brian arrived - I went inside and borrowed a drill and we removed all of the metal strips for the brackets. So, that was quite a find and allowed Brian to continue with his garage reorganization - he has already made some big changes - no small feat when working with minimal tools and equipment. He found an old Ikea type shelving unit in the store-room and, on our first day here, reinforced and painted it and it is now a temporary TV stand for us. Oh yes, yesterday was a big day with the Shaw cable guy here for 3 hours hooking up TV, phone, internet & wireless - we are now connected to the world properly again. Email me if you want our new home phone number.
Our other major furniture acquisition was a $60 table & chair set purchased from a garage sale yesterday - I think it was one of those permanent garage sales and was like going into a Steptoe & Son property except Steptoe was a lady, but just as ugly and ornery! A big score there were several expensive decorating books acquired for about $2 each. Can never have too much inspiration.
This morning we went out and hit several more garage sales and now have a few more dishes and glasses to augment our meagre collection. Any more and we'll be able to justify using the dishwasher. Brian has just assembled the two stools we purchased to use at the kitchen counter so now we have choices of places to sit. Sure would be nice to have a comfy chair or two but I think that will have to wait till the container arrives.
It is a long weekend here this weekend and now that we have some of our jobs done, we can sit and enjoy the brilliant weather and wait for Colin and Jess to arrive later today. They will be our first official visitors. I've been given the task of creating a mixed berry crumble for dessert - Brian has gone to get the cream. Must go and read the oven manual as it will be important that I figure out how to turn it on.
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| Random home-made raft on the beach (see how rocky the "sand" is?). |
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