The weekend is here.  The rain that we got on Wednesday was not enough to make a difference but better than none.  The weather forecast has changed for the weekend now just sun for five or six more days.  Now I'm not complaining about the sun it's great and I love the heat but we do need some rain.

And the internet saga continues.  I have now put a sign on the front door explaining the internet charges.  $5.00 fee if you do not purchase a meal.  Free internet is available at the Maynooth library and McDonald's in Bancroft.  Fairly easy to understand.  This should clear everything up.  The last straw was Monday night at when a man came in with his computer and ordered a coffee.  He must have been here before because he seemed to know the drill but I didn't recognize him.  I made a fresh pot of coffee, poured him one and after an hour he got up to leave and said, "I want to pay for my coffee."  I said, "The internet is $5.00 I'll buy your coffee and then had to through out the rest of the pot because nobody else had coffee that night.  However  Professor Internet Stealer  showed up, walked in the front door, read the sign, spun around and left faster than I've ever seen anybody move. So I guess that is another chapter in the book of life.

Needless to say the fire ban is still in effect and there is still some water left in the lake for frolicking.

The Cullens are playing this Saturday 6:30 til 9:30.  They always sound great. So come on out and join us since you can't have a campfire. I wonder if the fire ban has got more people to drag out the old Monopoly or Scrabble games?

Have a great weekend
Cheers
Nancy

Whew.  The heat wave continues, or maybe this is what summer should be.  Although we do need rain badly.  It is so dry it's scary.  I was pooper scooping the back yard yesterday which I do with a leaf rake and a snow shovel (he's a big dog) and every time I raked in the dodo there was as much dead grass as poop.  Soon there will be no grass at all just sand.  I do wonder why it is that the weeds can flourish and the grass still grows up the patio stones in a drought.  Even with the rain predicted this week most days are only a 30 percent chance.  As I am constantly pointing out that means a 70 percent chance it won't rain.

The fire ban is still in effect but I guess that goes without saying.  There are still those that think the rules are not for them and they can burn anyway. 

Now on to my rant for the week.  As most of you know I offer the internet for customer use.  It is not free there is a small charge for it which I do not always charge especially if you eat. But some people are just tightwads and cheapskates and try to steal the internet for free.  Some even come in and want to use it for free like its McDonald's or something.  Anyway there is a guy on Mink Lake.  I'm told he is a university prof but I don't know for sure.  Sometimes he would come into the diner and pay for a beer, sit for 2-3 hours and use the internet all for $4.00.  So now we see him over at the fire hall sitting in his car, seat back, all comfy using my internet  because the signal will reach that far.  He was there so long one day the Fire Captain pulled in to ask if everything was okay and would he move away from the fire doors.  His reply was I'm just checking my e-mail (for and hour and a half) and if I go into the restaurant she will charge me.  Seriously does he not know he is in a small town and this will get back to me in a nano second.  This man probably makes more in six months that I make in two years and he won't cough up 5 bucks for the internet when he is getting paid to work at the cottage!!!!!  So now when I see him over there I just unplug the modem to disconnect the internet.  It's really funny to watch him walk around the parking lot trying to find the signal.  Well he can just go to the library in Maynooth where it is free and spend the five dollars on gas.  He is not welcome here. I  have people that eat here on a regular basis that offer to pay for internet yet he has never eaten here and still wants to use it for free.  I found a guy sitting so close to the front door last week that he wouldn't have had to get out of his car to open the diner door.  I unplugged it on him too.  I guess because his buddy was in in the morning and got the password he thought he had a free pass.  Princess cranky pants has emerged again!!!  Mwhaaaaa

The market on Saturdays is still going strong and baked goods are also available at Sherry's just on the way out of Maynooth.  That great little store Firefox has re-opened across the road in a larger building the one that was an antique shop.

Well come on up on the weekend the water's great.  I can't believe that the summer is almost over.  Someone should tell the deer flies so they will go away. July is flying by.  Before you know it it will be the opening of the exhibition and Labor Day weekend.  Sob, sob.

Back next week
Cheers
Nancy

It's been so long since my last post I'd be surprised if anyone is even following any more.  Oh well here goes anyway. 

The heat continues with no rain for such a long time.  I can't walk across the backyard in bare feet because the grass is so prickly.  It's like walking on a bed of nails.  A total fire ban came into effect this week just one day after a guy on Graphite Rd went home after the weekend and his bonfire restarted up and burned up 35-40 acres of bush.  Mostly his I think. It's amazing how naive or just stupid people are when it comes to fires.  The MNR had been flying over looking for fires and spotted it and put the call in.

I have noticed this year that there is an unusually large number of geese staying around.  There were never geese that stayed here before.  There is a group of 30-35.  That means 60 next year and 130 the year after that.  The beaches will start looking like Marie Curtis Park and all the others on the shores of Lake Ontario.  Cottagers will be ankle deep in goose poop soon.  Many have already roped off their shorelines to try to keep them off the lawns. What is the answer to this (other than don't feed them like the guy next door to me).
I can hear the tree huggers gasping already at the thoughts of what might happen.  Oh did  I say that in my outside voice?

The summer is starting to shape up nicely.  Lots of summer people are back.  If I had a nickle for every travel trailer that drove by the place in a day I wouldn't have to charge for food.  Algonquin Park must be really busy. 

We were really lucky with the black flies this year.  They weren't bad at all.  Now the deer flies that's a different story.  I was ATVing a week or so ago and if you stopped man were they friendly.  I seems they can even fly about 25-30 mph because it's hard to shake them.  I took the dog for a walk last night and it was the first time walking that they were not bothering me.  So maybe they will be gone shortly also.

If you are up for a week or so the concerts in Millennium Park are really good this year.  Every Wednesday at 7:00.  Also the music has started again at the diner.  We have the Cullens back now that Rick and Kevin are both living in the area.  They are quite good and bring back memories of the old Tavern days.6:30-9:30 on Saturday nights.

 The farmers market in Maynooth is still doing well but  Sherry that owned Sherries For Service has reopened a little market with baked goods and other stuff. So drop in when you are in Maynooth  I think is is just Saturdays also.

I can't think of anything else.  Everything that I would have said seems like such old news now.  Most of which I can't even remember now.

I will try to be back sooner the next time so come up to the cottage and do something that I can share with the class. 

Have a great weekend.
Cheers
Nancy