What a beautiful weekend. The nice sunny weather is still here. The full moon was great. And there were a lot of people around considering it is the weekend after a long weekend.

I'm sure by now that everyone is back into the old routine of school and work. And the kids are settled for another school year. So--How much did it cost you every time you opened the backpack this week!!!!! If I recall correctly the first few weeks of school are just as expensive as Christmas.

It is nice to see the ATVers back again now that summer is over. The bear hunters have all gone home except for one or two. And I have a warm a fuzzy story about one.

Marty is quite a character. We have a lot of fun with him. Well last night he was on his way back to Mckenzie Lake where he is staying when he ran out of gas. He carries extra fuel with him because the gas gauge in his truck is broken. It was already dark about 8:30. He said that in a short span of five minutes two cars heading in the opposite direction stopped to see if he needed any help. He was so impressed that people would stop so quickly to offer help. Being from New Jersey maybe that doesn't happen too often, well it wouldn't happen in Toronto that quickly either. I guess this really is a nice neighbourhood that we live in.

It is very sad to report that the owner of the Blue Moon Retreat, Pat Hickey passed away suddenly on Friday from a heart attack. I know that a lot of people that follow the blog stay there when sledding and ATVing. I'm sure that he will be missed.

I have decided to have an ATV run next spring at the end of April or beginning of May depending on how quickly the snow goes away. I will put up further information when the time comes closer.

Well that's it for now.
Back again soon. Have a great September

Cheers
Nancy

Another long weekend has hit.  Where has the summer gone.  We will all be a year older before we know it and the snow will be flying soon.

Here are my signs that fall is just around the corner.

1)  The bear hunters have arrived and are wandering in and out all day just like the kids did when they were bored.  They are a nice bunch of people and we all enjoy them. 

2)  That nice family from London that have a cottage on Mink Lake that come in for breakfast all the time have packed up and gone home early again this year because of commitments at home.  :(  Go Michigan.  Did you get rained out?

3)  The cats have started training for their favorite sport;  unrolling the toilet paper.  An activity that usually only takes place in the winter when they are in the house more often and get bored.  Well it was a change from the critters that have been left on the back step.

My daughter went out hunting this year and got her first bear on the first day of the humt which was a good thing because her attention span is as short as her mother's and she was only going out one time.  Her husband has still not got his but he has been helping out Jim B with his group of hunters this year and is enjoying himself anyway.

It looks like Maynooth Madness was a success again this year.  It is a great day with a lot of participation from such a small town.

Blogger has changed it's format fixing something that wasn't broken so I will see if this works when I publish.  Why oh why do you have to keep meddling with things.  It's bad enought that I am breaking in a new computer and operating system.  Thsi old dog is getting tired of having to learn new tricks.

Well that's it for now.
Cheers
Nancy

The long weekend is long gone :( and you can tell that August is sailing by. The nights are getting cooler, the bugs are almost gone and it is starting to get dark a little earlier. Summer must be drawing to a close I have already received two Sears Fall Sale catalogs. That isn't as annoying as receiving the big fall catalog at the end of June!! That was just depressing.

What a beautiful summer so far. Even the last couple of rainy days have been welcomed. Maybe not so much today. It is coming down pretty hard right now.

A strang thing happened on Monday of the long weekend. There was a fire call for a bush fire on the Madawaska Rd. The trucks went out, eventually nine of them driving all over the country side looking for the fire. However there was no fire. The wind had shifted and the forest fires way up north had sent the smoke and smog down this way. There were a number of people having difficulty breathing etc. When Pat B arrived home from the weekend away she could smell something burning at her house. She checked all over and nothing was wrong. I was told by a number of people that there was a dull haze over all the lakes for the afternoon.

And that was about all of the excitement for the weekend. I think that it was so hot nobody wanted to move too far or fast.

Not much else to report now. It has been pretty quiet this week. Here's hoping that something exciting happens this weekend.

I have a dinner invite to Jim and Connie's this weekend. So we should be up to some shenanagans there. Funny how she just knew that when I offered to "make" dessert that I would be visiting the farmers market on Saturday. Hmmmm.

Hope to see you soon.
Cheers
Nancy

It's almost the long weekend. Yee Haw!! It looks like the weather will hold out again. Even the rain this week was a welcome relief. It didn't spoil a whole day just little bits here and there. The temperature is not so hot and the grass is looking a little green now.

Lots of people traveling around. The highway is really busy as are the stores in town but the lakes are pretty quiet. The lake is so warm, the swimming is great.

There was a theft at the trailer park this week. Amy was telling me yesterday that someone opened up one of the worm containers and stole nine worms. Seriously 9 worms!!! She wondered why there was some dirt and a worm on the bottom of the bait fridge. Upon investigation she noticed the half empty container. CSI will not be called in to check the pockets of the Lake St Peter residents or visitors. I would not like to be doing the load of laundry with that shirt in it. Some people will take anything. She probably would have given the person the whole tub if they has asked her. So don't worry about your beer fridge just keep an eye on your worms.

Now for my touching story. I'm sure some of you are familiar with the Cardiology Clinic and the infamous Dr. Hughes in Peterborough. Well I had to have some tests run and then the follow up visit. So after four trips to Peterborough (some tests taking less than five minutes) my final visit for results was due. Arriving 10 minutes early and checking in I was told that Dr. Pompass Ass was running 40 minutes late. Shocking! So after more than an hours wait I finally got sent in to see the big man on campus. Without even looking up I am told "sit there, I'll be with you in a minute". Then in the next breath he yells "You have perfume on. Get out of here." I didn't have perfume on but non the less I steped out of his very large office and he continued to shout "I said out further-get out. We will figure out how to deal with this later. Out further." I couldn't believe what just happened. I was stunned, so I left his office, went out to the waiting room and said to my daughter is a rather dramatic fashion. I am told that I smell and I must leave the office. I'm not sure how far he wants me to go but I figure the car would be far enough. Let's go home.

So I left Dr. Pompass Ass's office without ever getting the test results and frankly I will croak from a heart attack before I ever step foot back there again. There are lots of really great cardiologists around that treat their patients with kindness and respect. This egomaniac is rude, condescending and ignorant. I have since heard dozens of incidents with him and it makes me feel better to know that I am not alone.

The only thing that I can think of that would have had a scent was the fabric softener that my clothes were rinsed in. So anyone that is that sensitive should live in a bubble and work in a lab away from the public.

There now I feel better. (Big sigh)

We will be having music on Saturday and Sunday evening this weekend. So come on out and join us for dinner or just a drink and some rousing conversation.

I'd better get back to work. I'm making a pot of Broccoli and Cheddar soup and soup waits for no woman.

Hope to see you on the weekend.
Cheers
Nancy

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since my last posting. The summer is flying by.

After a long old winter with no spring man are we in the thick of it now. The first two weeks on July were really busy. Almost like everyone just got tired of staying home. But with the rain every day and the bugs so bad it's no wonder.

Now this heat is perfect. I'm not sure just what for but I still love it. The black flies are all but gone. The mosquitoes are bad some day and not others. Who knows why I just enjoy the days they are not bad.

Now on to fun and frolics. A large group of us had the best day last Saturday. We got on anything that would float and some were quite unique (pictures to follow when my daughter shows up) and floated down the Papineau Creak. Now this activity is highly recommended if you want a really good day outside. Some stopped at Baragar's Road. Others quit at the house on the highway that you can see the creek from but six dough heads went all the way to Ryan's Bridge on highway 127. We didn't finish until 7:00. It was a great day. Two punctured floats (Duct tape for repairs) and one tip over. No injuries or mishaps at all and Brian and Jim were with us. And the best part was when the deer came out of the bush and crossed the creek right in front of us. Scared the heck out of Val who was squating in the bush-he he he.

Here is a question that makes me shake my head. I know that some higher end resturants close during the afternoon to prepare for dinner. But when you walk into a place with a bright red and blue open sign on and people sitting at a table eating, why would you ask "Are you open". My sarcasim gets the better of me every time and I reply "You got in didn't you". Now I know I should be more patient but it just hurts sometimes to think that these people are out driving around.

Well that's it for now. It has been quite this week compared to the previous two. I'm hoping this hot weather makes everyone want to head up north.

See you soon.
Cheers
Nancy

Summer may have started last Tuesday at 1:15 pm but for me summer started about 10:00 the Monday night before when I took the dog out for a tour around the back yard and saw my first fire fly of the summer. What a neat sight. The next night there were dozens out.

I only know about Tuesday night because we were awakened by the blood curling screech of the big cat that has been prowling around. The general consensuses is that it is a links or a bob-cat.
That would also explain why there are no more wild turkeys around this spring. I was told that a turkey would be a good snack for one of those critters. I'm sure the hunters would have cleaned up some of them but not all.

Another half-assed rainy weekend that ended beautifully just when everyone had to go home has passed. Let's hope for better days ahead for the long weekend. This year being a true long Canada Day weekend should be busy all round.

Not much excitement around the village last week, so there is not much to report.

I have purchased some new products. A natural insect repellant, sunburn and bite relief and a stop itch and sting poultice. All of the products can be used by children and pets. The bug repellant is good for all types of flies including deer & horse flies. So if the little buggers are driving you crazy you know where to go for relief and I don't mean to the beer fridge!!!

Sorry that I don't have anything more exciting to report, no touching stories or bone head plays. Maybe there is something to be said for some quiet time. I'm not sure what would be said-but there must be something.

Hope to see you all one the long weekend. We are open Friday for your dining pleasure.

Cheers
Nancy

It's beginning to look a lot like summer. What a great weekend. You couldn't ask for better weather. You could ask that there were less bugs but you can't have everything.

I tried to do a black fly report on the deck last week and I only got through 1/2 a glass of wine before I was driven back into the house. Another day I tried with my tea in the morning. Same deal.

These few hot days and dare I say no rain for two days may have killed a few off.

It's nice to see the cottagers back finally. There seem to be a few more each week. Keep on coming.

I now have a supply of the mosquito patches. ($6.99 for a box of 5). They claim to repel flying insects and the only know side effect is no hangovers. I don't quite understand the logic but who am I to judge. So living life "on the edge" as I do ( hee hee hee) I thought I'd try one last night. At 6:00 it seemed like a good idea to have a bonfire after work so I applied a patch thinking that I would send the little biters far away. Well by the time 10:30 rolled around a fire didn't seem like such a good idea, vegging on the couch having a drink sounded better. So alas no fire, but yipeee no hangover either after a few drinks.

In the I can't believe it worked department. Last week I had to go to Peterborough. On the way down I stopped at the Ultramar for fuel. When I went to lift the lever that releases the gas tank door it was ceased. Pulling up on it felt like I would break it. What's a girl to do. Usually that gas station has a dozen cars and trucks at it. But on Tuesday NOOOOOOO. Just me and the little gal that works there. So I put on my thinking cap went into the store and bought a can on Coke. I poured it over the lever kind of tossing it to the back (note to self remove floor mat first next time), gave it a couple of jiggles and lo and behold the lever was loosened and the little door popped right open. Now if a can of coke can work that quickly on a rusty old lever just imagine what it does to you stomach. No broken car parts, no call to CAA, just a $1.00 can of coke and the cay was saved.

The farmers market in Maynooth continues to be a success again this year. Lots of good home made breads, jams, fresh fruit and veggys and all kinds of other stuff. Stop in when you are up for the weekend It's open from 8 am till 1 pm every Saturday and the community centre parking lot.

Also there was a guy in here last week that sells amplifiers for folks that don't have cell service at the cottage. He has hooked a couple up on Mink Lake where there is no service. So that you can not only have cell service but you could have high speed internet also with the stick thingy. I have his number at the diner if this is of interest to anyone. He claims to be a whiz at all things computer and web related bla, bla, bla. At this point my eyes just started to glaze over and I only saw lips moving, but if it works why not.

Well that's all the news that's fit to print for now. I have had two staff off again this weekend and I'm pooped so I am off to the South Algonquin Cookhouse for dinner tonight. Charlie Foster thinks that we both needed a night off from cooking. So off the four of us will go.

Hope to see you all real soon.
Cheers
Nancy

Holy Mackerel! What a storm that was. It didn't last long but it sure did come down. The temperature dropped 13 degrees in fifteen minutes.

The hydro is out all over except for the diner of course. Mink Lake, Lake St. Peter and Boulter Lake have all been out since 2:00 on Wednesday and no guarantee of return until Saturday or Sunday possibly. Now that may change. I'll update if it does. So if you are coming up this weekend bring lots of ice (or buy it at the diner) and gas for the generator.

It's amazing how silly people get when the lights go off. You would think it was the end of the world. Now I must say it is good for business. I did quite a few dinners last night and more breakfasts than normal. But explain this-if your hydro is out and you can't cook why would you phone and order salads and veggy wraps for take out. I would think that you could handle this without power. Oh well!

Now for the good news. Oh wait there isn't any. The black flies are still thick so are the mosquitos and they are now joined by the deer flies. 'Tis the season I guess.

The home and cottage show is on this weekend in Bancroft at the arena. Usually not a bad event.

Here's a shout out to Jim and Connie. Lisa and I and the dogs went for a swim at your place on Tuesday. Well I didn't swim but the dogs did. It was great after such a hot day, thanks a lot.

Well that's it for now.
Cheers
Nancy

Here's what northern girls do for fun.

Would you believe she works at the bank???

Pat Bekkers our cook when she is not in her clean white outfit.

Mrs. Butwell let out on the loose. Who was running the hardware store?

Pat again. A good time was had by all.

WOW! I can't believe it's been a month since I last updated. I think of it often and then I sit down until the feeling passes. Before you know it another week has gone by.

Well the snow is finally gone. The beavers have every creek and puddle dammed up keeping the lakes high. The black flies are looking for more tourists and the mosquitoes are the size of a Partridge. So all is still the same and spring will arrive any day soon.

Let's see now what has happened in the last month. The girls from the diner and a few others went on an overnight ATV trip to Barry's Bay. We had a great time. One mechanical breakdown and one personal break down. But all ended well and a good time was had by all. Pat B is nearly healed and only took one day off work. What a trouper.

Our annual paddle down the creek was cut short this year because of the weather. You would think that by now we would all be used to playing in the rain. None the less we all had a great time and for the first time I did not end up in the water. It's sad when you get soaked through and you didn't even flip your canoe. Others were not so lucky!!!

For the most part it has been pretty quiet around town. It is nice to see some of the braver summer people back. Maybe if it ever stops raining the rest will come out.

There seem to be a number of new places being built this year. More people retiring and moving north. Yea!!

The new Foodland is now open and 24 hours a day for the summer anyway. How nice to have a real grocery store to shop in. It is such a treat. Bakery, deli and fresh produce just like you have in the city. Not the stuff left on the truck at the end of the day. You can even buy some of those products that are hard to pronounce and you wouldn't know what to do with them if you got them home anyway. Oh what a sheltered life I lead.

I am not able to start the black fly report from the deck yet for two reasons: 1) The Black Flies are too bad, 2) IT NEVER STOPS RAINING!!! I am however still in training in the wine department so when the time is right I will be able to step up to the plate. I'm just not sure where to put the patio furniture this year. Since last summer we have acquired a Labrador Retriever that is now almost two years old. I'm sure he will be as good at getting tangled in the furniture on the deck as he is clearing the glasses off the coffee table.

The biggest news so far this year is the sale of the trailer park on Lake St. Peter. Orioles Nest has changed hands after many years of ownership by the Scott family. Many changes are coming so it will be exciting to see what they have planned. Good luck to the new owners. I wish them well.

Well another Friday night is here and Kelly the evening cook is off this weekend so I'm the best you'll get in the kitchen this week. If you are up take your chances and drop in for a meal.

Hope to see you soon.
Cheers
Nancy