Why I hate my heat pump

Oh, back in the glorious day when Art and I were building we had such a perfect outlook on how our house was going to shape up. For the most part this has been true and we truly have our dream home. We were determined to have as much an environmentally friendly house as possible and to use clean energy. This is what happened when we decided to get a heat pump to warm our home. After realizing that a geothermal system was not going to be feasible on our property we promptly decided that the air to air heat pump would be our next most environmentally friendly option. It was going to cost an obscene amount of money in comparison to oil or propane but we were going to do it for the environment.

How many times I've wished we could turn back that day and just get a regular fossil fuel furnace like everyone else. The first winter we had it it worked great! We had heat and more heat and yet more heat. Then we got our first hydro bill. $900 later we realized something was very wrong. They came and looked and scratched their heads. They replaced the outside sensor and the thermostat and assured us it would work much better now and cheaper! After two more bills of similar numbers we then seemed to have a working heat pump. It worked great through the summer until about November of 2007 when the thing would never shut off. It just kept going and provided barely a smidgen of heat. We called again and they came again scratched their heads and changed yet another thermostat. They added coolant and took some away again but never really figured out the problem. Then in December when the stupid thing couldn't get above 13C we called again. They again changed it to another thermostat telling us this would definitely fix our problem because this was the ultimate thermostat.

On our own we discovered if we kept the thermostat at 17C it behaved reasonably well and decided to put in a woodstove the following year to prevent the two week cold stint that we seem to endure just about every year. Today when we awoke to a what seemed like a dead heat pump they came and said, "Why you have the most amazing thermostat, I don't know why you have a problem." So they determined this time it was a condenser and another thinga majigie that was the problem. That should be fixed in a couple of weeks and then yet again we will have the best heat pump. Yeah, right.

I almost wish that the heat pump would just die already. I wish it would die beyond repair and they would give us a new one instead of this lemon. But they won't. They will just keep sending out techs who have no idea where the problem truly is until the warranty runs out and we are forced to buy a new one anyway. I hate my heat pump and when we finally get to replace the junk heap I may just have the time of my life beating it into further submission with a baseball bat.

Bored

Well for the first time in a long time I'm bored. Yep. Nothing on tv. Nothing really left to do and I'm bored. Oh there are things I could be accomplishing like mopping the floor or freezing meals for the new year but I've got a bad case of lazyitis. It starts with staying up too late and getting up too late. It is also further helped along with large doses of sugar. Well starting tomorrow that's going to be different. I'm going to get back up early and go to bed on time and well feel better.

I realized that by allowing myself some simple pleasures I've also become overly tired and lazy. I'm not liking the way I feel and there is lots to do that I've been meaning to do for months. Now is the time to do it and it's not getting done by thinking about it. So maybe I'll get something done yet tonight.

Boxing day

Well we fully intended to get out early and hit all the shops but after perusing the flyers via the net last evening we realized there was nothing we really wanted. So instead we ended up waking up a bit later having some McDonalds and slowly making our way to through the stores. We started as Zellers and didn't find much. We headed over to Future shop and just found it too crowded and over priced. So we perused Home outfitters since I received coupons and still didn't find much. Went to Sears and still didn't find much. So much to our dismay finally ended up at Wal-mart where I was able to purchase some DVD sets that I've been wanting for a couple of years and for the cheap price of $11.97 each! I was in heaven. We then got to eat out and though we didn't get too much it was fun to spend the day out and about.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Well I know some of you guys must have red eyes to eat your turkey dinner today since your kids woke you up so early. We however are basking in a wonderful Christmas glow. Last night since we had already had turkey, I made Ribs and roasted poatoes for our Christmas feast. It was soooo good!

Afterwards, Art and I ran to the Christmas tree to watch each other open presents. I had been finding presents most of the day scattered throughout the house. He kept trying to act innocent as I found each one. I was not so creative as I just wrapped up each present as best I could and shoved them under the tree. I'm still not feeling 100% after my bouts with Strep and ear infection. Anyway, both of us was more excited to see the others reaction to what we got instead of our own so we traded off opening presents. This year was extremely different from last. Last year we had just gotten the heat pump repaired again and were trying to wash all our clothes from living in a 10C house for two weeks. I only had two days off for Christmas eve and Christmas day. We also only got one present from each other and that was it. This year we had presents from our friends, my bus route kids and a few each for each other. I tore into mine and found everything I had been asking for. A new coffeemaker, waffle iron, chafing dish, a mini crock pot, mini food processor,a paramesan cheese grater and even two liquid measuring cups. I couldn't believe it! I was overwhelmed!

Art on the other hand got many new bits for his drill, some new cords and a new sweater, a new square since his old one is not as square as it used to be and two new games for the Wii. He is currently playing Lego Batman and was up for most of the night playing it. I think he likes it.
Though, we didn't end up going to church because I'm still coughing too much we did take time to read through the nativity story and watch an all time favourite "Little drummer boy" which conveys the true meaning of the season.

Today we get to play with all our new stuff and enjoy just relaxing. This is the best Christmas ever! Hope your Christmas was just as wonderful as ours!

Merry Christmas from the Greiss'!

Art and I have always wanted to do a Christmas letter and though it is always our intention to send out a letter and Christmas cards early each year we never seem to get around to it. So though this letter from us to you is electronic instead of on pretty paper I hope it will still convey the message that we care for you.

2008 was a busy year for us. At the end of 2007 we knew that 2008 and was going to be different than any other year we had been together and it was. First of all there was snow and more snow and still more snow. I think all the way to May we were still dealing with the white nasty stuff. We piled, pushed and shovelled until there was no more place to put it. Roofs in our area collapsed under the strain. Decks were compromised and of course when spring came there was flooding. It was definitely different weather wise.

Art continued working his extra jobs all winter and I was working two jobs as well. One as a nanny and the other as a salesperson at Sears. All in all we both got very tired and barely managed to see one another. During that time we also became official members of Fellowship Baptist Kanata our home church and Art was baptized. One of the most important events though of the winter/early spring was the birth of our beautiful neice Ava. We only wish we could be closer to spoil her properly.

As spring came work slowed for both of us. I got less hours at Sears and Art started working on the many things around here to do. The first thing on the agenda was to stain the house. Then he built our bedroom balcony and then tackled the impossible job of the front decks. I set about planting some veggies, a lot of herbs and flower. I also started to burn brush which had been stacked for the last few years around the sides of our property. Most of the spring and summer was consumed with this.

Summer began to wane and the offer of a new job came up for me. One driving a mini-van bus for special needs children seemed to drop right into my lap. Of course I knew that this was God's provision for me as I was growing weary. I said good-bye to both of my positions and began a fresh new one which has been rewarding to me. Art also was not getting many jobs but spent most of his time fixing up the house and finishing all those nagging little details. He redid the enclosure in the main bath with tile, installed my laundry tub and put in a mirror. Finally the main bath was finished. Fall soon came to a close and with winter came the fear of high hydro bills due to our malfunctioning Lennox heat pump. Again in God's timing we were able to put in a chimney with help from our Pastor and friend. Then not long after we were able to purchase a new to us woodstove which heats our basement to a warm 22C+.

Now we are again up to our eyeballs in snow and awaiting the day of our Saviour's birth. The tree is up, the Christmas party over and we sit in amazment at God's blessings to us this past year. Hopefully, this letter gives you a small glimpse into our lives for the last year. Know also that we always have a spare bedroom and can put the kettle on for a cuppa. We'll be praying for you and your families this wonderous time of year! May you be blessed and keep in good health.

Monique and Art Greiss

Rockn' around the Christmas tree..

The Great room ready for guests.

Well not exactly but we did set up several tables in our great room in front of our Christmas tree. We had many of the people from our church who are our friends and who also helped on our house at one time or another come out for a full dinner. We had roast beef, ham, turkey, salad, homemade bread, veggies, and desserts including four types of ice cream. Plus I had made up fruit and veggie trays for everyone to munch on. It was a large event in other words which required a lot of prep but it was so worth it to visit with our friends!


The foodline in our dining room

We had such a great time and for the most part I avoided coughing on anyone which I was very glad about as you might imagine. Everyone ate, drank and was merry! We sat and talked and remembered the many times that they had come out to help us. For some they had helped to stain the many peices of wood, others had put on siding, still others gave Art a hand with the deck, some had drywalled, painted or mudded with us. We got to show each of them their handywork over the last two years and each of them liked that we thought of them contributing to our home. Not to the beauty of it but to it's true foundation.

Since we have begun attending this church we have truly been adopted into their family. We miss our family since they are so far away either in Winnipeg or in Sault Ste. Marie but they help make up the void. I'm so glad that each one was able to attend so we could be with them over Christmas! Now what to do about all the leftover ham?

Christmas Vacation

It's the first day of Christmas vacation and in a matter of hours about thirty of our friends will descend upon our home to eat a full meal. I have been trying hard to prepare for this all week but to no avail. I have just been miserable and sick. So hopefully I can finish preparing the meal without too many problems. So far it is okay but I can't really taste test to verify. Should make for an interesting party!

Twas the night before Christmas vacation...

I think that all the teachers out there who give candy to kids right before they get on the bus should be forced to sit in a small confined area with those same kids and drive them home. Today everyone had their Christmas parties as tomorrow afternoon is the Christmas concert at one school and a school dance at the other. While I understand the teachers mean well in the few minutes before the gremlins board the bus they tend to stuff whatever candy they can into their mouth. By the time they reach my van they are on full sugar high. I was ready to put straight jackets on them by about five minutes into the drive. I watched a program last night that said that sugar highs are a myth and predominantly psychological. Try telling them that. "I'm sorry little Jimmy but you are not really hyper from the pop, ten chocolate bars and the million candy canes you just consumed. You are really making yourself hyper." The fact still remains that too much sugar means a rough ride home. Thank goodness tomorrow is the last day for my candy junkies to torture me before they torture their parents for the next two weeks.

On another note yesterday was not the funnest day for me. I being a good wife and being considerate of my husband who was to pull into the garage after I got home last night pulled the van into its old parking space near the bottom of the hill. While attempting this manuever I promptly slid into a nearby snow bank placing both tires on glare ice. I tried everything to get it out but when my situation continued to worsen I waited for Art to arrive home. He took a go at it and promptly told me that this is why we have CAA and to call them to get it out. After waiting half an hour to talk to someone I found out that they would A. Not be there for up to three hours and B. Could refuse the job entirely if they thought it was too dangerous. Thinking to myself they would have to get up the hill and then pull me up hill we decided to try it ourselves while waiting for the tow truck to arrive. Armed with kitty litter and salt we headed out to the van. We placed each under the tires and continued to try. This didn't work in the slightest. Art decided if he could get a leftover shingle under the tire that may give us the desired traction. The van just spit that back out us like a baby who hates their food. As a last resort Art went and dug some gravel out of the snow which we have piled behind our garage for a project next summer. He placed the gravel under the front tires and finally it moved about six inches but was still stuck. After he placed more gravel and turned the wheel back and forth we got it out. It took us 90 minutes and there was not even a hint of a tow truck. So I called and cancelled it. I was so grateful to get the stupid thing out and made a decison never to be considerate for my hubby's parking ever again. Also, while waiting for Art to arrive home I got two phone calls offering me jobs during the holidays. At first I was hesitant but since I wasn't being paid for Christmas vacation I figured I should take one of them. I decided to go back to Sears for the holidays and will get my discount back temporarily. Besides I really do have fun, I miss my friends and I will get lots of hours and double pay at least one day. So back to work again. Oh and in case you are wondering where the pics are of the garage I'm still working on it. I will get down there one of these days during daylight. Art hasn't actually wired it yet to take pics at night.

Only in Ottawa

Though I lived in Ontario for most of my life it never ceases to amaze me how different areas of Ontario are in winter. Yesterday the temperature swung from the -20Cs to the +4Cs. Truly mind boggling. I woke up to rain and snow melting. Things like this never happened when I lived near the Sault. We just got snow and more snow and I never remember it getting as cold as it does here. Maybe I am just more concerned now because of my heating bill. I did experience similar things when I lived in Alberta but mostly due to chinooks where people were warm enough to walk around in shorts. Crazy MEC-ers (that's Mountain Equipment Co-op in case you didn't know)!

On another note another fascinating thing happened at a result of the moderate temperatures. A phenmenon I never thought would happen on this property. That's right we now have two cars sitting in our garage. Count them two! I was shocked as I pulled in last night to see space in the garage. Usually littered with building materials and various junk was now all neatly piled and stacked. The things that were supposed to come into the house got there and truly Art did a fantastic job! Pictures of this amazing event will follow later. :)

Christmas tree is here!

In spite of feeling miserable yesterday and Friday we went to get our tree on Saturday. Art and I bundled up in an assortment of long underwear, wool and heavy coats before heading out to the tree farm. I also loaded up on Kleenex. We had phoned ahead so we also knew that we could get a pre-cut tree at the farm as I was not feeling up to the wagon ride and subsequent tree cuttting this year. We had discussions on whether or not we wanted a real tree but in the end decided that a real tree is the most environmentally friendly all the way around. Fake trees actually produce gases which is not what I want circulating in the house especially after I made the switch to all natural cleaners. They also take gas and oil to produce which is not a renewable resource. Plus we love the natural smell of the tree and since the tree producers actually replant another tree to replace this one we know that more oxygen will still be produced. In the end the city actually picks up the tree and shreds it for future use as mulch in our playgrounds instead of when it is worn out to send it to the dump to decorate it for the next thousand years.

Anyway, we ended up driving to Pakenham which is not that far from us to the farm and drove down the narrow driveway to a picturesque property. The wagons and tractors were hauling tonnes of people to cut their trees and we meandered around the bonfire and hot chocolate they were handing out while watching the kids slide down the hill. We finally made it over to start searching the trees. We knew we wanted a big one and couldn't find exactly the one we wanted at first. We turned the corner towards the back and realized there was a whole bunch more trees waiting for us including our perfect tree. Art and I both saw it at the same time and we both grabbed it. I guarded the tree while he went to arrange to pick it up. They came and helped us shake and wrap it while I went inside to pay for it. Then Art heaved it over one shoulder and loaded it on the car. We got it back home and barely up the stairs. Art cut off the bottom and I helped him put it in the tree stand. We then realized we didn't have enough lights. So we headed back into town while the tree branches descended and purchased a multitude of lights. We spent last evening decorating and having a good time. I could even smell the tree slightly through my blocked nasal passages. It was awesome!

Sneezy

I've had a sore throat off and on throughout the last week and have been sneezing pretty regurlary. This is usually a sign of oncoming sickness which I treat with lots a vitamin C and manage to escape unharmed. I didn't pay it much mind this time as I was often loading up the woodstove and inhaling smoke which escapes from time to time. I was positive that this is all that was wrong with me. I was wrong. I woke up yesterday morning with that heavy feeling, a firey throat and a inability to breathe through my nasal passages. I still had to work so I grabbed a box of kleenex and headed out for a miserable day. Things of course did not go too well. I had scheduled a time for a tire changeover on the van and then realized I had an appointment at the same time. I rescheduled the tire changeover for yesterday afternoon and double checked that they could get it done before my afternoon run. Of course they ran late and I was late picking up the kids from school. I was then late for my second set of kids and late getting them home. All in between sneezing and sniffiling the whole day. I was supposed to go to a party downtown for my highschool friend's 30th and of course by the time I got home I was ready for bed. So sorry Maureen! I really wanted to be there. So now I am sick and hating it.

SNOW DAY

This morning I awoke to snow still falling outside. Last night I didn't arrive home until 6:20pm a full hour later than usual. Art was already exhausted on the couch by this time having shovelled our 90ft driveway twice already in anticipation of me coming home. By the time I got there, there was already another four inches of snow that had fallen. I was dreading going out into the blustery weather all over again and facing slow drivers and hazardous road conditions. I sat and listened for the reports coming in over the radio and to my amazement by 6am I still had not heard the cancellations. So I went and warmed up the van, cleaned it off and carefully pulled out onto the roads. Just before I made my first pick up at 6:30am I called my boss as I had heard the cancellations for all school boards over the radio. She informed me that what I had heard was wrong and that the buses were still going out. So on I trudged and just before I hit the driveway of my first pick up the call came in over the CB. All buses cancelled return to home. I was ecstatic and probably drove a little faster home than I should have but I was so excited to return to my warm bed and a day at home with Art. Now we just have to clean out the driveway and shovel off the deck and we should be good!

The traffic report

For those of you who are about to go out on Ottawa streets I suggest a day off today might be a good idea. I struggle to grasp why school was not cancelled today. My route was 20 minutes late arriving as were several others. I can only imagine those who were not driving back roads faced a even tougher morning commute. From what was heard on my CB the queensway is more like a parking lot. The roads are still bumper to bumper an hour later than usual and there are a pile of accidents all over the city. Doesn't make for a fun driving day.

On the other hand for the next two hours I will be hiding out in my nice comfy house and folding laundry. Art of course ventured out in this mess which includes blowing snow and then will turn later today into freezing rain. He had his breakfast meeting today with his buddy Nathan and it couldn't be missed for something so trivial as weather. So Oliver and I have the place to ourselves for a bit to enjoy and relax until the next time I have to venture out. Hopefully the weather people at environment Canada are just having an off day and the snow will taper off in time for the plows to go out. But probably no such luck.

Brrr

When we came home from a friend's house last night we didn't expect it to get quite so chilly so quickly. Art's little 323 has no heat and I was chattering the whole way home. We had also been away all day pretty much and the fire had long gone out. The house was not the warmest at about 15C. Of course it was much warmer than the -18C outside so we were glad to get in the door. I immediately climbed under a blanket and tried to get warm while Art started the fire. I put an extra blanket on the bed for us and somehow it was quite cosy all night. This morning when I had to start the van was another matter. I sleepily stoked the fire and got it going okay before I left and then went in search of a hat, scarf and gloves for my van start. Poor Vinnie (what we call the mini -van) barely turned over but eventually did and I ran it for about 15 minutes. Thankfully, and I think only by the grace of God the doors actually opened as well with a little coaxing. It was soooo cold though I couldn't even write down my circle check report which i do each morning. I was afraid to freeze the metal pen to my hand and the ink wouldn't come out anyway. Art left this morning for work thankfully he has the option to take the Nissan Maxima(aka Maxamina) instead complete with heated seats. He does however have to walk about 15minutes from his parking spot to his building. So he is likely just thawing out about now. The craziest thing about this weather is that tomorrow it is supposed to be zero and cause melting. Gotta love living in Ottawa!

Getting into the Christmas Spirit

So today I finally got around to setting up my Christmas stuff. Art is a stickler for not putting up the decorations until the second weekend in December. I guess in their househould Christmas was not what it was at mine. As soon as it was December 1st my Mom would drag all the decorations out of the basement and the tree and we would play loud Christmas music until it was all set up. Included in this setup was a mini village that decorated around the base of her tree. Complete with cobblestone steets, a water feature and even a skating rink. Did I mention the working street lights. Yes, it was a big thing. But this year we had a mutual friend who sold her house after the death of her husband and who was missing putting up Christmas decorations. She is stuck in a basement suite until her new house is ready in April. So I invited her and her son over to help me decorate. I don't have that many decorations but they all soon went up and it looks like a Christmas wonderland around here. Now I am just waiting for the tree which will be decorated and stand about ten feet tall in my great room. Woohoo! I think even Art is excited to put up his Dexter ornaments. :)

The Slow life

Today has already been interesting for me. I got home just after 12am this morning and after talking to Art finally dropped into bed around 1am. I had a friend who needed a sitter for her daughter while out at a company dinner. Must be nice I thought since Art doesn't get either a free dinner or get to invite his spouse. That's the government for you. However, after being up since 5am yesterday morning I was pretty much out of steam by the time I arrived at 5pm. Alison being eight is full of energy and wanted me to tickle her and play hide and go seek. Under normal energy I would've been more fun but I think the person she is used to playing with was not there and she was a tad disappointed. I did manage to chat and watch movies and even stay awake until her parents got home. I even managed to sleep in today until 10:30am.

Art on the other hand got home early from work around 5 since he had also gotten up with me and headed out early. He got his McDonalds for supper on the way home since we haven't had any for a while now. Then he settled down to tend the fire and watch tv with Oliver purring next to him. When I got home I am amazed at this new slower life we are leading. It truly is amazing that everything is not torn apart when I arrive. I no longer have a frazzled husband who wants to throw stuff out the window because it doesn't work. We are truly blessed. The best part is that with the woodstove I am finally getting rid of all those pesky wood scraps that I have been wanting to send to the dump for the last three years. I'm ecstatic! Half a crate down already and only two and a half more to go!

Oliver and Frankie Valli

On Monday night Art and I settled ourselves on the couch to watch some much deserved television after our days. During Jeopardy as Art and I were callling out all the answers (okay some of the answers) a commercial came on for a show in Toronto called Jersey Boys. One of the songs featured in this commercial was "Sherry" by Frankie Valli. Art and I of course jumped in to "sing" along. This resulted in a very loud, "SHERRY...SHERRY BABY" being sung in our house. As this happened Oliver our fearless cat jumped up and off the couch and out the door at lightening speeds. I'm pretty sure that he and a jet would have been neck and neck. Art and I started laughing as we had never seen this type of behaviour from Oliver. Art of course could not resist singing more to him at different levels to see what he would do. He ran each time. My cat hates Frankie Valli that is all there is to it. We've since tried different songs and it has been met with different levels of running. Some he dislikes but will stay and others he will run a little bit but come back right away. Whatever the reason behind hating Frankie it's still funny!

At odds

I think this is the first weekend in a long time where we had a full day to do nothing. Other than church on Sunday there were no pressing projects or what not. We kinda ignored the rest of the clean up we could have done and were almost bored. It's a bit weird facing your spouse with nothing to do. We actually were forced to talk to each other and didn't try to fill up space with games or tv or what not. We just spent time with each other. This was mostly the case because Art didn't want to watch tv or a movie. I didn't want to clean out the garage (*gasp* I'm sure most are shocked by that). So we were left staring at each other and started talking. It took a bit because we have been so surrounded by something all the time that it is reaching far back to our dating days to remember the rhythm. It was a good experience to reconnect with each other this way. Though Oliver was a bit distracting at times. He is always up to a new antic which never cease to amuse us. He does add a different dynamic to the house which usually amounts to laughter.

Keeping the homefires burning.

Well yesterday was not the funnest day for us. We awoke early to go and see some tires to put on the mini-van. I had been keeping an eye out for some as there is a law now in Quebec that snow tires are mandatory for all vehicles entering the province. This of course meant that my particular tires were on back order from the company's main distributor. I had suggested we try a couple of userd versions which meant we had to get up early again. Art was not too happy about this situation as he had other things in mind for the day. When we got ready to go Art cleaned out the driveway of remaining snow and I cleaned off the car. By the time we got to Barrhaven about an hours drive from us we found out the tires had been sold. This was not our finest moment as we had travelled all that way and for nothing. As a last resort I headed into Canadian Tire to view what was left of their selection. There they were all shiny and black and already mounted on rims. So after a quick call of approval from my boss we walked out with four beautiful Goodyear tires. They smelled wonderful as we drove home and by Tuesday morning they will be mounted on my van. It's always so exciting to have new tires isn't it? Okay maybe not for most people but for me it is.

We left for home soon after our tire adventure and Art and I realized we still needed a few more parts for the woodstove. So we headed to Arnprior and picked up the last parts. I think they are getting sick of us trying stuff and returning it but there is really nothing we can do since we have an older woodstove and it doesn't quite work with all the new fangled parts. So we have been experimenting to get just the right fit. Finally last night we did and it heated the house very nicely. Now inspite of all the wood we have lying around we need to buy a cord to fuel it. Most of ours is wet from being stacked for three years. This was disapointing to us but we will cut up our own wood next year.

A Frustrating Morning

I am not even close to blonde but I every once in a while have a moment where I check my roots in case. This morning was one of those times. I had just finished cleaning off the snow from the van. I was warming it up nicely for the little tykes who would climb in in a few minutes. As I inspected each door I realized one was frozen shut. This seems to be the case with this particular door and it can sometimes be resolved by locking and unlocking the door from the inside. I opened the front door and repeated the procedure and then tried to open the door. It was still frozen so I shut the front door and went around to the driver's side to head out and figured it would thaw out by the time I hit Kanata. When I reached for the door handle I realized it was locked as was each door I tried. Even the hatch. I was furious. I went into the house and phoned my boss. The only extra key was stuck in a garage that would not open for another half an hour and was at least that time to get there. So I called CAA who ultimately got me out but I had to wait an hour and a half for what seemed like a little drunk man with a elaborate coat hanger. The van was running the whole time and I had to drag poor Art out of bed to wait for the call since I my purse was one of the items also locked in the van and I didn't have my CAA card on me. It was a frustrating time at best.

I also had scheduled our oil changes and tire change over immediately following my run. Because the van was late I was late returning home. We just managed to squeak our changes in and pay the exhorbitant price before I drove home at reckless speeds to hop in the van and set out again. I don't think Art had a much better day as he spent most of it cleaning snow or checking our attic for any heat loss. He spent most of his time crawling around on his stomach and chopping out some non load bearing areas so he could see better. All in all we came home and just sat and wondered if we should have gotten up this morning.

It's still snowing...

I decided that I hate slushy roads. Though, I am a good driver thanks to the tutelage of my husband I really don't appreciate the winter driving I have been enduring. Last night I got home to a husband who was starving at 5:30pm. That's half an hour later than usual. I avoided several deer collisions and the anti-locks only came on twice but I couldn't go any faster than 60km/h the whole way home. On average I went around 30-40km/h all day.

I was set to wake up this morning to plowed roads and a lack of snow falling but no such luck. I listened intently for the school cancellations without a result. So I went out again and though the main roads were clear I still had to go down slippery roads and unplowed driveways. All the kids were begging for me to go into a skid and I was praying for the exact opposite. Not to mention I don't think I can do a full doughnut because I am trained to do otherwise. I know in Febuary I will be forced into a skid for my collision avoidance training but under the watchful eyes of instructors. I kinda think it will be fun in controlled circumstances. Art on the other hand can be driving in any weather and feels the same. This morning he got up with me and we drove out at the same time . (Yes, Angel it's true your brother was up with me at 5:00am and finished breakfast by 5:30am. ) He trudged through with barely a thought that he has only two winter tires on his car and the others are summers. He just puts it in gear and goes. Maybe it is a guy thing.

It's snowing.

The title pretty much says it all. We are becoming a winter wonderland around here and I still don't have winter tires on any of my vehicles including the school one. This morning I awoke at a brisk 5:00am and and found myself wishing for a snow day. No such luck. I knew the snow was coming so this time I was prepared. I had bought my brush yesterday for the van. Put in the extra shovel and had laid out all the appropriate gear last night. Hat, mittens, coat and columbia hiking boots. I was ready to take on the storm. So at 6:00am I was out brushing and warming the van and finally on the road about 15mins later. It was a slow drive. All season tires suck for the record. I love my Michelin tires which grab the snow and I feel like a tank on the road. Not so with all season where winter driving is more like a very delicate dance which you hope to stay on the road rather than be sucked into the ditch. There are always the idiots who think that keeping right down the center of the road is for everyone's saftey. I personally considered sideswiping a couple of those who did this this morning and seeing how safe they were. Also the wonderful people out there who must blind you with brights because they can't see through a few flakes coming down. Did I also mention that only one out of the nine children I pick up had a clear driveway? Somehow, by the grace of God I made it and made it through some of the most tough rural areas of Ottawa. Through sleet and snow and dumptruck ruts the van went through. We will see now if I can get the driveway shovelled.

Just another manic Sunday...

Okay, I'll start with Saturday but Sunday rhymes better in the song. Saturday was a lazy and busy day. We slept in. Yes, I can't believe it either but I slept all the way to 8:30am which is a feat for me these days and Art to 10:30am which is a feat for him. Usually, we are wide awake by about 7am and staring at the ceiling due to our confounded internal clocks. So I got to spend a leisurely couple of hours on the computer and Art in bed. When Art finally awoke we headed to Sears where we returned a Mitre saw which the bevel had broken. Thankfully, because I knew the person and had worked there it was no problem. I know it can be a real hassle and had saved my receipt and used my co-worker charm to get all my money back. Otherwise they can call in a manager and it gets a bit more sticky. :) Then we headed off to Wal-mart to buy a few items and to the Desperate know to most as the Home Depot to get the last few remaining items for the woodstove installation.

The installation however went about as smoothly as a train wreck. We ended up in very bad moods and I considered throwing most of the stuff out the window. We decided to give up for the night and regroup in the light of day. So Sunday morning we got up earlier at 7:30, got a good breakfast and headed to church on time. Yep, that's right on time!! Our lessons taught we started to head to the main sanctuary for the sermon and but I was stopped by our friend David who said he had proposed and been accepted by his girlfriend Laura who is also our friend! We were ecstatic as we knew it was just a matter of time. I went out in search of the ring but wasn't able to find the bride to be in time to get to service. After the sermon I made a beeline to the 3 and 4 year old room and found her and ring. After many hugs and excitement we headed out. This will be only the third wedding we will have attended and the second after we have been married so it should be fun! I'm already planning the shower! :)

One more trip to the "Desperate" and found the assorted parts and brought home a few extras just in case. Right after we changed we headed out to pile wood and put together the stove pipe. It went fairly easily and soon we had a fire going thanks to much prayer!

Showers and Snowflakes

It finally happened this week that we have snow. Art and I were not exactly pleased when the flakes started falling earlier this week but here they are. All 5cm of them stuck to the ground. Thankfully, not enough to really worry about but the temps are dipping like crazy and we still haven't gotten around to hooking up the woodstove. That's number one priority on our list today. I am currently listening to the heatpump never stop and cringe to think of next months hydro bill. OUCH! However, in spite of the dipping temps we are warm of spirit and chuckled at the many people digging themselves out already just south of us. HAH! Take that Toronto!

Wednesday was supposed to be a big cleaning day here to prepare for my friend's shower I was hosting but since Art was home I helped him install the last light fixture in the house. We got a beautiful chandlier just for stairway and it now fully illuminates the stairs and the great room! It's awesome. So Thursday the day of the shower was spent cleaning. cooking and decorating. I also had to figure out how to seat approximately 20 women and several children in the great room and went scavaging for chairs in every room of the house. At the same time I was baking two cakes and cupcakes in my toaster oven (I don't actually have a working oven just a cooktop), blowing up balloons, and putting up streamers. Also, vacumming the last of the sawdust out of the house which had been tracked in during the chimney cap crowning on Wednesday and trying to attend to the mountain of dishes in my sink. It was you could say a busy two hours that I had Thursday in between my morning run and my noon time run. Somehow, I got most of it done but just as I was running out the door (literally) I managed to break my hubby's unique and quite beautiful Wolford lamp. It's essentially a lamp within a lamp and I had moved it out of the way to avoid the children who were coming to the shower. Instead of saving it from doom I actually broke it by moving it to the chair with my coat on it. It actually managed to fly through the air and smash into a million bits on the slate.

When I returned home I still had to clean up that mess and finish off getting coffee, tea and drinks ready and finish icing the cake. I made a very cute Pram cake complete with a baby in it. I was just about set to do that as my friend Regina arrived about 45 minutes early. So there I was chatting and talking instead of decorating the cake. Oh well, it still turned out okay and then at seven all the ladies from my church descended up my home. The ladies in charge of food also descended upon my dining room. They filled my whole dining room table with cookies, and veggies, dips, chips and sandwiches. I'm also pretty sure we have never had so many vehicles in the driveway or hosted so many people here at once. I had 21 women and 5 children in total. I was thrilled!

After everyone had come in and sat down I started the games. First we played the tray game. The tray filled with baby junk was placed on a coffee table. The ladies had two minutes to memorize the tray. I of course asked my friend Irene to take the tray out of the room and guard it until the ladies wrote down their answers. After Irene had left the room I instead asked them to write down what she was wearing. There were many groans in response but I was laughing to myself. Pat a good Ukrainski who had travelled with Irene got her outfit exactly and won a bunch of smelly soap products. In the next game I handed a "dirty diaper" which was really a folded napkin to the group. It was passed around hot potato style until everyone was out. It was really quite hilarious as I have never seen some of these more conservative women whip things around the room but they were very competitive. I of course gave them a very large chocolate bar for their efforts. The last game I handed out a roll of toliet paper and asked each lady to take as much as they thought they might need. Looking at me strangley as they did so and when I took out the roll and measured Irene's tummy to be 11 sheets they all groaned again. Shouts of "YOU'RE SO BAD" rang out and I just laughed because it was quite obvious everyone was enjoying themselves. Regina won that game having exactly 11 sheets and it was very funny! Then we had the gift opening and much to the children's relief started eating the food! Everyone had a great time whether it was children playing on the Wii or all us women eating and chatting! So at 9:30pm I called Art home from his buddy's place where they were having "Man" time and started to clean up. I am already looking forward to the next shower we are having for another friend of mine in January!

Sunday and Monday Mayhem!

Sometimes I wonder why we call Sunday a day of rest. More often than not we end up running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Though this past Sunday was even more hectic than usual. Art and I have pretty much finished the house from the main floor up so we have been busy trying to open boxes and put tools away in the basement. Taking away all the building materials and scraps and also retiring them to the basement. Art of course ended up being out Saturday morning and I ended up cleaning but when Art got home only half of the cleaning was done and we were both in relax mode. This is probably why we end up having such hectic Sundays. I knew we were having guests on Sunday but what I forgot was that we had missions weekend dinner scheduled Saturday evening. Not only was it scheduled but I was supposed to bake a cake for it. So Art reminded me of this and of course all my cleaning and prep went right out the window for our guests on Sunday. We did not get home until late and by the time I did I no longer felt like getting things ready. I was so sure I could get up early and get it all done.

My alarm went off promptly at 7am on Sunday morning. I also had forgotten to prepare my Sunday school lesson so I read that over in between shoving things in Art's office. By 8am I knew there was no way I could get it all done and roused Art to my aid. However, Art was out cold and it ended up taking me just as long to get him out of bed I think as get the help. He stumbled down the stairs finally and helped me tidy and shove things in hidey holes until it was 9:30am. By this time I had yet to shower and were supposed to be leaving early for our classes which we teach at 10am. I quickly showered and we were on the road about ten minutes later with lesson plans in hand and wondering if we would indeed survive our friends coming over.

Our friends "The Shipleys" have three daughters all four years of age and under. The youngest Elizabeth is just over one and started walking about a month ago and running about two days later. We soon realized how unbaby proof our house was. With lego bits being shoved in mouths, our poor cat being chased around and the sheer noise of the girls we were overwhelmed with kids. I set about to making lunch and chatting with my friend in between her chasing her daughter and keeping her out of harm's way. Art was chatting with "Dad" and the other kids were thankfully completely enamoured by Peter pan and various toys I keep on hand for just such occasions. When our friends left I think all three of us including our cat breathed a sigh of relief. Not to say that we didn't enjoy having the whole family over but we were so unprepared for the children and were thankful they survived the many bits of dangerous things around here. The exhaustion we both were experiencing from cleaning so early and going to bed so late only further added to our relief since we could finally sit down and sleep. It was mayhem at its finest.

You'd think that by this time I would have learned my lesson but noooooo. Monday was no better for me. Art was teleworking from home but I was on the road again at 6:30am and still struggling with the after affects of little sleep Saturday evening. My body needs a routine to function well and when I break routine it wants to crash. By the time I got home around 9:00am and woke Art, got breakfast and helped him with some odd jobs I was more than ready for a nap. But instead of napping I instead started cleaning up for the baby shower I'm throwing on Thursday. I knew that I was babysitting last night and I should sleep but didn't. I kept right on going. Then before I knew it it was time to go and pick up my Kindergarden student and I was off again. I dragged my butt in the door just after five where I briefly chatted with Art and changed before heading to my next job. I was there until 11:30pm and when I finally got home afterwards I could barely make it up the stairs. I'm pretty sure I crashed soon after in my bed and didn't wake up until 5:30am this morning. Maybe this time I will have learned my lesson.

Up to my ears in Spuds!

Art volunteered himself to cook the potatoes for todays mens breakfast being held at our church. This really meant of course that I was cooking the potatoes last night so they could be fried this morning. I knew only my biggest pot could do the job. This is a chaudier pot which is more than a foot in diameter. Art got it on our honeymoon in PEI for me. He was quite happy to get me the very huge and expensive pot though discounted (because chaudier was discontinued) in hopes of large stews that would be made. He really enjoys any type of beef or turkey stew and would do just about anything to get some.

I've only gotten to use the pot a couple of times but regardless it is truly the most awesome pot a girl could ever want. Okay, I know it may seem a bit backwards for me to get excited over a pot but I love cooking and Art always has gotten me the best cooking materials. So there I was last night cleaning and chopping up 25lbs of taters none of which I can eat which sucks for me. I can't really eat them because I am on strict diet regulations from my doctor not because Art won't bring the leftovers home. But it is probably best as every time I have things lately that have sugar or starches in them my stomach tends to get very upset. Thankfully, Art will be frying them up this morning for the men which is really his main cooking talent. Frying stuff that is. I sent him off to church fully armed with spices and one huge pot of potatoes. Between the pot and the weight of potatoes I think it was about 50lbs. Hopefully a good time will be had and all the food eaten because we certainly can't eat any here! Here is a picture of Oliver who finally left my zoom lens alone long enough to get a clear pic.
His new favourite lounging area. I will have to find him something else besides my coffee table. :)

Defensive Driving

Today was a busy day. I had my defensive driving course scheduled for today. It was pretty boring and mostly common sense but I managed to pass and will ultimately get a lower insurance rate. The group of attendees was pretty small. The company only has about 18-20 employees at any one time. Most are either retired or close to it. Some of them worked for OC Transpo our local transit company for 25-30 years before turning bus driver. They were talking about getting their licenses back in the sixties today. I was thinking that my mom wasn't even born until 1956 so they are even older than my parents. I am the youngest member of the group at 30. Some of the younger members are the ones I work with. Most of these ladies are around 45-50 with grown children. In spite of their age they tend to get a bit rowdy. They drink, smoke, swear like truckers and like a good time. I'm pretty sure they never really grew up. I love hearing their stories and their laughter is infectious. I'm the exact opposite but yet they still include me in their group and treat me like one of their own. I'm thankful for such a fun bunch to work around. I met Art at the Home Desperate aka Depot after class and got home quite a bit later than usual. Somehow our monkey of a cat broke into our pantry and stole his treats. Crazy cat. He is currently cuddling with Art watching TV. I think he was relieved to see us. By the way I found out today I will be able to get my "B" class license which means I can drive a big bus if I want. That will pretty cool huh?

The Cat came back....

Yesterday Oliver (our new cat) emerged from his basement hide out to visit us on the main floor. I think of him sometimes as Osama in Afghanistan hiding among the nooks and crannies the mountains. We just happen to have mountains of stuff down there which he particularly likes. Anyway, Art had the brilliant idea to take away his food unless we were in the house and not sleeping. Oliver had previously been eating when we were not home or asleep. This way he was forced to make some contact with his new owners. So yesterday, Art called him to where he was hiding in the basement with his food dish and miracously he came upstairs to eat a few minutes later. I had been disapointed because I was not yet home and missed it but he came up again all on his own to come and visit with us while we were watching a movie. He snuggled right up to us and purred and explored. We were very excited! However, he again returned to his lair beneath us before we went to bed. He again came out this afternoon and played and followed Art around as he was teleworking. I again missed it but am happy he seems to be getting more comfortable around us and we can keep him. :) I will post pictures of our huge cat later as he lets me. Art continues to protest that he doesn't like cats but he loves it that Oliver is following him around like puppy.

Cheap Frills and Date Night

Last night Art came home early so we could go on cheap night to the movies. But first I had an errand to run before hitting the theatre. I found out that my flour had been recalled and some of my tortillas had gone bad before the date so I was planning on returning them. It was kind of a chore but I wanted my money back. So we managed to get to No Frills before the movie started and headed in with my stuff. I had bought no name flour which for the record is only available at Loblaws stores and I almost exclusively shop at No Frills. But they gave me a hassle because I had no receipt. I couldn't believe it. They were arguing with me about $3.99 but finally they called the manager and I said that I didn't want another bag of flour in case it had the same results as the last one. It had made us quite itchy when I used it because of increased folic acid and iron. But the manager said that if we were not happy to just refund our money but the lady who had been serving us was adament she was not giving the $2.99 back for the tortillas and would only give us another bag of them. I wasn't so concerned about this but it was fact that she decided to to this after the manager had specifically said that we were to get our money back was frustrating. By the time I got my $3.99 and new bag of tortillas back we made it just in time for the movie. What really sucked is that both Art and I really wanted popcorn with butter and by the time we got there they were all out. It was a bummer! We did watch Madagascar 2: Return to Africa. If you're planning on seeing it don't waste your money at the theatre it's a better rental. All in all we had fun even with the hassles.

Always an adventure ***Could make some feel nauseous***

This morning I awoke at 3am to Art trying not to barf. It's always a fun sound to start the morning. When I stumbled down the stairs to investigate the problem I found Cat barf already on the floor. To me this is not unusual I'm pretty sure that all cats barf at one time or another. This one happened to gorge itself on food and promptly threw it up. But to Art it is the epitome of disgustingness if that is such a word. So there I was in pjs with one eye open cleaning barf and trying very hard to prevent more of the human kind from presenting itself. Although, once it was cleaned up Art was fine and returned to bed and promptly fell back to sleep. I on the other hand had to be up in two hours and realized that sleep would not come as easy to me. So it is always an adventure and now I am a very sleepy girl and likely I will be grumpy today.

Meow!

We found another cat to give a new home. This one is a dominant male cat and his name is Oliver. He was pretty much purrfect for us. He already has had his shots and he was declawed. He even liked to play. So when he was dropped off on Sunday with all his paraphanalia we expected that he would immediately fit into our family. The problem??? He is hiding in our basement. On the plus side he is eating and using his litter box while we are sleeping but otherwise retreats to the basement and hides among the clutter. My hope is that we will not have a MIA cat. Otherwise, he may also have to go back to his orginal owners.

Fire in the hole!

Okay, not that kind of fire in the hole but today was chimney day! I woke up this morning at 5:30am. Just like I do every other day and was wide awake. I woke up Art and asked him to check the time. As I expected it was much too early to be up yet to start work on the chimney. So I forced myself back to sleep and slept all the way until 8am. It was nice even if i did feel a bit groggy after. We meandered until 10 or so eating a large breakfast and going through flyers. It happens to be one of our favourite hobbies. Searching for deals. It is an unspoken rule in our house to never buy unless it is in bulk (and thus cheaper) or on sale or both! By the time that happened we finally got to work taking apart our exterior chimney called the chase. Really just a bunch of plywood covered in siding and got ready to wait for the helpers who were coming with the forty foot ladder.

Pastor Colin and our friend Nathan Pennington arrived on the scene around 1ish and we got the ladder up to the top of the chimney where Nathan took off the cover and then put it back together again with the chimney pipe. Art and Pastor set about setting in the ceiling support which of course took much longer than expected. This was because Art and his Dad who built the chase had done a very good job. Each sheet of plywood was glued and tarred on and let us not forget the nails. Art of course will only use three inch ardox or spiral nails so taking that apart to put in the support was not easy! The ceiling support finally in, it was time for the the stainless steel chimney pipe to go in. Each section stacked and locked in place. All this done inside the chase. Good thing that Art built a ladder in the middle that was strong enough to hold the guys! This also took time but everyone was having a good time. I finally convinced them at 7 to come in and eat some supper and the finished just after eight. We finally have a chimney except for a cap. We got the wrong one so we have a bucket on top instead right now. It's actually quite funny looking. By next week we should finally have a working woodstove and lots of heat!

Another day at the grind!

It's seemed strange the last couple of days. The kitchen stays in relative order. There aren't that many tools lying around and the house is basically tidy. I have even managed to catch up on things like cleaning out the pantry. I have wondered why this is happening and then I realized it was because my hubby has been out of the house. I also realized how much I miss him. After having him around for the last few months it just seems so empty without him. Fortunately for me he is taking vacation the rest of the week so we can make up for lost time. ;)

The Mosquitos are back!

Who said that global warming doesn't create some interesting weather? Last week we trudged through snow and this week it's summer again. Yesterday we reached a high of 17C. Today it is supposed to be 18C and tomorrow 19C. I can't say I mind it one bit. One last little bit of summer before winter hits in full force is fine with me. I can discard the winter jacket for a time and only worry about the mosquitos which are buzzing around the exterior of my house. It is also perfect weather to get in some of that last minute sealing with the silicone. I personally can't wait to do this. I know some people think I'm crazy but it's really fun! Now I'm off to take the munchkins to school which is always another adventure.

A new job for Art

For the last couple of months Art has been working steadily on our own house. The poor guy has had little time for himself but yesterday that began to change. Art got himself another side job working for a man to manage his properties. Basically a handy man and contractor to oversee work. He loves this job and I'm glad that he can finally do what he likes to do after his main boring one is over. It also meant that I could get more cleaning done at home which is always a bonus!

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Construction, Snow, Pumpkins, Cats and Birthday.

Last week was absolutely nuts. We have been working at every opprotunity to get things done around here and it just ended up being crazy. We mortared and grouted. We nailed and hammered and we did more than a little plumbing. But the house looks great and surprisingly we didn't fight. Not that we usually do as we plod along during our renos and finishings but I'm told this is rare. I read an article recently that said if you are married and planning to do a reno on a large scale it could be similar to tenting beside railroad tracks. In other words you tend to get very annoyed with each other. Not with Art. We seem to have a system. I get a tool and hand it to him and he uses said tool. I clean and chatter and he fixes stuff. Occasionally, I am involved with a task which is usually painting, mudding, taping or anything to do with insulating. This seems to works for us and usually involves both a lot of frustration and laughter. This week was no exception and we had lots of both but got mainly everything accomplished which we set out to do.

On Monday evening Art came home with the news that it was going to snow on 20cm on Tuesday evening. I didn't believe him and thought he was pulling my leg. That is until I heard it on the radio for myself Tuesday morning. I even wondered for a moment if Art could be in cahoots with the radio forcaster. :) By Tuesday evening we did get quite the storm blowing snow and causing blackouts everywhere. It even fried something in this computer which is the reason in my delay for writing. On Wednesday morning I was driving very carefully on unplowed roads with four kids in my mini-van to school. It was more than a bit stressful. Snow before November is unheard of in Ottawa. Not to mention that I didn't yet have the snow tires on my van. Somehow we made it through. The next hurdle was a friend of ours who is moving to a newly built home and recently sold her other home. She was storing her stuff in our basement until she moves to the new place in April. So last Thursday I was cleaning out the basement and preparing for all the men who were coming to help. In the end a good time was had by all and the stuff is now all safely tucked in the corner of our basement.

Friday of course was Halloween. I found two of the largest pumpkins at a local grocery store to carve. I hulled them out and got them carved into some scary faces for all the little gremlins coming to trick or treat. After we had about eight trick or treaters at 8pm Art informed me we were going out. So we closed down everything and we hit the road. We pulled up at a house not far from here and Art told me he had a surprise for me. When we went in I found the couple inside holding the cutest cat. We soon found out after we took him home that he was very skittish and were forced to take him back as he was not eating but at least for a brief time we had our own pet. On Saturday, Art turned 32. We spent the day continuing to tidy up and relaxing around here. We pretty much gorged ourselves on chocolate, chips and pop until we decided to go out for dinner in the evening. We had a fantastic day!!! On Sunday Art and I had two of our friends over where we rocked the world playing Guitar hero. It was a great ending to the weekend!

When will it end???

Okay, I think I've been a good sport about this but my life has really become the show "From the ground up." My home is always under some sort of construction. It really never ends. When one project is finished Art finds another that we need to do. It's true I love the finished product. Most recently the deck being finished and the tiles being put up in the shower and back splashes installed. But the sawdust seasoning that is added to every bit of food is way over done in this house. I hate stepping on yet another ardox nail. The never ending piles of lumber have got to go and the compressor which always ends up in my path should be banished to the basement. I'm sure someday when I look back I'll miss it and wish we could do it all over again but not right now. For now we must yet again get another project completed and tomorrow I may even get my wish to get rid of all the lumber and the sawdust upstairs.

An ode to Roy

Okay, so I know I should be apologizing profusely for letting the blog slide but really and truly I was not able to keep up working two jobs. So with that out of the way I will continue my ode to Roy....

Most people I know when they want a new pet either go to the a shelter or a pet store to bring home the new member of the family. Roy on the other hand our very large mutt who is a mixture of husky, lab and who knows what else was somewhat inherited when we bought the property. No he was not a term or conditon to buy but when we first rolled up to look at our land he and another dog, Abbey decided we were partially responsible for them. So it began with our two new pets. Roy was the first to really make himself known. This was when we started to clear the land for the house. I sitting down on a log getting ready to serve lunch alfresco made the mistake of putting my hat down. Roy decided that this was a new toy and ran off with it. This was his habit as he likes to steal hats, recycling or whatever he can sink his teeth into. Abbey on the other hand was contented to be petted and looked much like the "The littlest Hobo" on CBC. She just came around every day for her attention and possibly a treat.

I soon discovered that Roy and Abbey were known by everyone on the road. Everyone stopped for them when driving past for a quick pat or until they decided to get out of the way. I'm sure they both thought that they owned the road too because they would literally make neighbours stop their vehicles sometimes only moving when honked at. Even then they did so at their own pace. They were always petted by neighbours and children on walks and really had full run of the road. Maybe because they were on our property first they felt as if they had more claim to us than anyone else. During excavation Roy made himself at home peering at the CAT digging a hole narrowly missing his demise many times. During construction Roy jumped on top of whatever we were building and sat and watched us or more often than not ran off with a wood scrap. If we managed to leave the door open during the insulating part of the the house he maded himself at home on whatever floor we were working on. He and Abbey slowly but surely became ours.

The favourite story is when we hired a seedy looking bunch to install our trusses. Roy did not see us and decided not to let them on the property until we were there. Roy had his teeth bared toward these poor carpenters until we arrived a few minutes later. They didn't like him much after that. Over the last couple of years Roy and Abbey spend just as much time at our home as their own. They actually belong to the neighbours across the street who feed them and house them at night. They sit in the sun or make beds of our leaves here each day. They come running when we drive down the street or take walks with us wherever we go forsaking any other they may be walking with. To this day if someone who Roy does not like comes unto the property without us he will protect. That's whey when we found out that our neighbours are selling their house and Roy and Abbey will be moving to Kingston sometime in the next few months we were somewhat taken aback. They were taking our pets with them. Our beloved and frankly free animals will no longer roam our property or our road. It will be a sad day to see them leave.