Saying Goodbye

to the cottage - to the canoe, the boat, the bikes, the humming birds, the chipmunks, the trees, the water, the garden, and to the neighbours and Judy's cousin Cindy and her Paul (who have a place down the road), to Mark and Gabriele, his kids and to Cura the dog (they all stayed on for a couple more days).

Our last few days were busy, with lots of people around and lots of last minute things to be done. We will all miss our time up there.

Makaila can ride a bike!!

Just before we headed up to the cottage for our last week I walked across the road and bought a bike at a garage sale - talk about luck! It was exactly what I had been hoping for. 20 dollars later it was in the car and we were on our way.

Once we got to the cottage Kaila and Ty were out practising and they did so for the next couple of days. Then upon my insistance we took the pedals off the bike and she had a go at scooting along. I have always wanted to get a Like Bike and we looked at them before we got here, but they are expensive. This worked in the same way.

Over the next couple of days she was less than enthusiastic, and refused to get on her bike. But on Thursday I convinced her to give it a go and it was really nice, I walked and she pushed herself along getting a feel for it. We headed out again Friday too, she now thought it was fun and could push herself along lifting her feet off the ground.

Today Mark was trying to help us pack up and kindly put the pedals back on her bike - both she and I were disappointed. Ty convinced her to give it a go with the pedals to both our amazement she rode along on her own!!! We couldn't believe it!!!

I can't believe how proud I felt as I watched her ride up and down the road - unassisted. And she was so proud of herself too. She went out with Ty, then with me and finally when she went out with cousin Kaylee she could even take off on her own.


It feels like such a huge milestone - I just wish I knew how to upload the video that I took!

A final boat trip to get some holey rocks

Kieran is often sedated by the bumby ride.

And generally sleeps anywhere!

Always work to be done

The humming birds are loving our new bee-bombs!

Just a couple days left

before we leave the cottage and head back to Waterloo, then home to Sweden on Tuesday.

So many thoughts are running through my head, memories, frustrations, sadness and, well, a whole lot of other stuff.

After 6 weeks in Canada I long for my own family- especially for my mum, I long for some space with my man and my children and I long for some time alone with my man - another time perhaps, another lifetime......

It is all down hill from here, the cleaning up, packing up, and then the packing to go home, the last minute things that need to be done, the good-byes, and the sadness from those who struggle most when we leave. Then the unpacking and the quietness of our little home. I have to deal with the car, a wasps nest and where to put everything once we get it unpacked. Then to make some phone calls to friends to try and pick up the pieces, pick up where we left of over 6 weeks earlier. Ty will highly stressed every inch of the way. Once at home he will want to work before he starts back at school, less than a week after we get home. I will have two kids to keep busy, to get back in to a routine, to help re-connect with their daily life. My work will have to wait.

I will take home all my "nice" clothes, nicely folded, as they were when I put them in the suitcase back in June. No get-away to Toronto, no day on our own in Elora, not even an evening meal on our own in some little restaurant. One day I will learn to get my expectations in line with my reality - and save myself a whole lot of heartache and frustration.

But until all that starts we have one more full day here at the cottage, here's hoping it is a nice one and I can put all my thoughts aside and enjoy it. I will really miss the cottage, we all will!

Bob & Ev came to visit

Bob is an old family friend and someone we have seen a lot of over the years. Makaila was out on the property watching Paul and Bob at work even before she could walk. It was great to see him and Ev and the kids loved every minute of their day at the cottage - the photos will explain why.

Hiding with them in their cubby house and discussing lost teeth and all sorts of other things.

The cubby house built from the vines that daddy and Mark pulled off the trees. They cut down the vines - I built the cubby.

Discussing the riding of her new bicycle. The little miss now puts her hands on her hips to make a point!

A dangerous kind of ride but one that was lots and lots of fun!

Teaching a hysterical Kieran to march - he laughed so hard all the way up and back on the road.

Our Chipmunk

Photos courtesy of Julie.

On the road again

The Bruce Caves

A lovely wander through the forest on Sunday took us to the caves nestled in the face of the escarpment, across the bay from the cottage. The kids had a great time climbing and exploring the caves, crevices and pathways along the foot of the escarpment.






After leaving the caves we headed off along the www.artistsaroundthesound.org tour and while we only visited 3 places I would love to visit them all!!

Gleason Brook Pottery

While out on our Sunday drive to look at the caves we stopped in at Timothy Smith’s studio just a stone’s throw away. The buildings and gardens were magnificent as was his work which we went inside to look at. We could easily have picked up a couple of items but know we already have a lot to take home. Instead we stood outside chatting to Timothy himself and two of his three teenagers.

Lovely man, as were his children (not to mention the dog that happily fetched the ball for the kids) and although he does not have a website you might find some of his work on www.osartistsco-op.com – well worth a visit if you are in the area!! We will be back another year to make some purchases if not this).


Next on our list was Don Dubois’s studio – some magnificent pieces and we could easily spent some money there too but it will have to wait until we have the mansion in which to display them (ha ha!!).

Rural Rootz

Our last stop for the day took more from us than we expected – both time and money, but it was a great stop. We stood for at least an hour and chatted to the man of the house, Tom, while he showed us around the products in the store, their little pieces of interest and their garden.

Having discussed our garden needs at the cottage we came away with four new plants, 2 bat boxes (bats can eat 500 mosquitoes an hour) and some hemp mosquito repellent. In the meantime we tasted a whole lot of flowers from his garden, drank sunshine tea and learnt a whole lot more about a whole lot of things.
http://www.ruralrootz.com/

Always work to be done

Things to be fixed, painted, put up, cut down or chopped up. Very entertaining for the little ones - to watch or help.

Cousin Julie came to visit

The kids loved her last year and she was a roaring success again this year! When Kieran found out that she was going home Sunday he told her he didn’t want her to leave.

She came up Thursday, in time to see her ma and pa on their last night with us, and although the weather wasn’t the greatest while she was here she managed to spend her time either playing with the kids or helping Ty paint the bird feeder (she says he was working on it almost the entire time she was here!!) Ok, so we all managed to hang out and do a fair bit of talking too…..

We spent so much time together last year while caring for Farfar (Ty’s dad) that we all became close. Julie will always hold a special place in our hearts, now we just need to find her a Swedish man so we really can kidnap her and take her home with us….