On the Road Again

Remember Jetsetters? Everyone is at it again. Alec left at 8 this morning to drive out to Edmonton. I went to work. Kevin, Connor and Dalton left at 9 to go canoeing for the weekend. Caitlin is spending a few days on Gabriola Island (hopefully she will blog about that). Tori is on her way home from University. She is probably picking up her luggage as I type. She is spending the weekend with her grandparents and I will pick her up Sunday.

I spent a lot of the day thinking - "Oh it's 10:30, the guys are hauling the gear down to the put in", "It's noon, Alec is probably eating in Sudbury", "Tori is probably checking in".

Tori's roomie is Dutch. Her parents were supposed to fly in for 3 weeks and visit relatives in Ontario but their flight was delayed because of the ash cloud. Her room mate is taking the train to Toronto with another student, visiting the CN Tower then coming up here for the rest of the week. My schedule at work next week is very light so us girls are planning a trip to Niagara Falls Tuesday and Wednesday and Kevin is going to take them canoeing later in the week. Jellien will experience a lot in a week - a scenic train ride through eastern Canada, the CN tower, Niagara Falls and the quintessential Canadian activity - canoeing.

Spring is Here

My amaryllis looks stunning on the front window sill.

Spring is my favourite time of year in the garden. After a monotone white winter and a dismal, dirty grey thaw I really look forward to the bright colours of spring. The forsythia is such a sunny sight (and remember if you are using corn gluten meal as a weed inhibitor it should be spread while the forsythia is blooming).

I have lots of spring bulbs but it has been so windy it was difficult to get more good shots.

Even the rhubarb is colorful!

I hope you are enjoying spring too!

I'm still alive!

But spring is here and you know what that means. I am back to work and I have less time to regale you with tales from my exciting life.

2 things you need to know about me:

When I am not working I rebound to keep "fit" - whatever that means. A whole winter of rebounding did not result in any weight loss, change in my measurements or the way my clothes fit but I stuck with it figuring it had to be doing some good. I very rarely get sick and I think that is more important than being thin.

My camera is giving me some problems so I borrowed my mom's because she never uses it and wants to sell it. I like it because all the buttons are the same as my old one so it is easy to use. However, I am not impressed with the light/exposure in most of the pictures. I have been taking lots of pictures to try it out.

Put those two facts together and you get this picture.

Easter - the rebounding cat. I really like the way the pot lights shine through the rebounder and create pretty patterns on the mat. We got Easter when Tori turned 8. Today Tori turns 20!

Jetsetters

In January Kevin flew out to Vancouver and flew back in March.

Caitlin flew in from Vancouver March 20 and flew back March 28 (left the house at 3 am).

March 29 and 30 we spent in Kingston for Alec's grad. He came home for Easter and left this morning (at 4 am) to fly out to Edmonton to look for an apartment.

In two weeks Tori flies in from New Brunswick for an undetermined stay.

I haven't gone anywhere but I think I have jet lag. All the visitors (and visiting), late nights and early mornings are taking its toll.

My truck is tired too. In the summer I put on about 300 km a week and fill up once. In the winter I can go weeks or even a month without needing to fill up. In the last few weeks we have travelled to Toronto, Newmarket, Collingwood, Barrie, Collingwood, Newmarket, Alliston, Kingston and Newmarket and have been filling up 3 times a week.

I am nonetheless enjoying all this family time. I know pretty soon I will be a bored empty nester.

Good Friday Paddle

Yesterday 10 of us went canoeing on the Nottawasaga River. It was our first paddle of the year and I think our earliest first paddle ever. Last year's April paddle was 9 days later, windy and 25 degrees colder! This day was warm and beautiful and only windy the last half hour.

Here is Connor fooling around in his brand new kayak. This was the first time he had been out in it and he capsized shortly after launching. He got the hang of it after that and no more problems - except him and Dalton carry on like a couple of teenage girls and were spending more time talking than paddling and making us wait.

Armin and Alec were ahead most of the way. Here they are waiting for us for lunch. After lunch they left us. They finished at least 45 minutes ahead and actually had gone to the put in to retrieve the truck and trailer before we caught up.

This isn't a great picture but it shows the high water line. I think it looks neat.