That Which Cannot Be Said

We started the day with a few little tasks checked off my list, and then headed into town where Carm dropped my off at my parents, while he continued on to his mothers. I had a lovely visit with Mom & Dad, and my brother Graham was there as well. We passed the time visiting and eating home-made chicken soup until Carm returned to pick me up. We had brought the chainsaw with us to take down a tree - I hate the chainsaw... but it made short work of the job.

We headed home where we checked off a few more little tasks off the list. One of the things we did was add a metal bar on an angle across the bottom of the screen door. Our old camper had a piece there, and it made it so easy to control the door going in and out of the camper. It was a good "mod"! I've already used it several times.

I can't forget to mention that I saw a pair of swallows checking out the barn this morning. In past years the barn has been full of swallow nests, and by the end of June I wouldn't be able to walk down there without getting bombarded by anxious parents. Last summer I wrote about watching a bunch of fledglings learn how to fly. This year they just haven't been around. I haven't seen them around since one day in the spring. Where have they all gone? I miss watching their aerial acrobatics and hope they are returning.

Kabira was happy to relax tonight after a warm bath this afternoon. All the dogs got a quick shampoo (baby of course) under the hose this afternoon. When we built the house one of the features that we designed was a laundry tub in the garage with hot and cold water. For bath time we attach the hose to the laundry tub facet for a comfortably warm water wash.

FYI - I'm watching an episode of "Hillbilly Handfishin'" before bed tonight. Yup. Them thar fish are caught by hand... I've never watched before, and now that I have, and the novelty has worn off I'm not likely to ever watch it again!

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo

Patches, I'm Depending on You...

The last few days have been spent planning and packing. Is it possible that I'm doing too much of both? I do have piles of stuff that I've removed from the camper for the trip (hurrah), but on the flip side I have added a few things. Extra sheets and towels seem like a good thing! I have a feeling that I'm packing to have everything that we will need for the whole 5 weeks - no stores required. Or do they have stores in the Wild West? They might even have laundry facilities as well! There will be no "I wish we had.."s!

My lists are getting longer, but more items are checked off - do you think I should remove the checked-off things from the lists or leave them there for a sense of getting things done?

One thing we got done today was installing a latch on the slide-out desk. It has been coming out as we've been driving so this was a MUST DO before the next trip or we risked some serious damage.

Thursday I un-puffed both poodles. They will need another clip just before we go, but they were so long and scruffy that they really couldn't wait another few weeks. What a pain though to have to do it twice :-(

When we got home a few days ago the peonies were finished with pools of petals on the ground. They still had a certain beauty.

You may wonder about my choice of song today : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z3nzjNbra4&feature=youtube_gdata_player http

We opened the pool on Monday, and since then have installed 3 patches. The first one wasn't so bad, just a little v-slit on the bottom. The water was warm and the day was hot when we did that one. Yesterday it was clear that we had another leak... we looked and looked but couldn't see anything very likely. It was raining which made it hard to see through the water so it was a fruitless search. This morning Carm went out to look some more. I joined him, but even with two sets of eyes we couldn't see anything. Oh... what's that over there? Quite some distance from where we were looking (where the ground was wettest), we could see last years patch had failed. Okay - fix. At this point I should mention that it was 21C with the water a bit cooler (69f). I stayed outside the pool, but Carm wasn't so lucky. To make matters worse I had to push him down to the bottom of the pool... and hold him there... with the pool brush/pole.

It soon became apparent that the water was still leaking, and now at an alarming rate. We walked around the pool and there was a spot where the water was pouring on the ground... we peered inside the pool to see a huge gash . Back into the water Carm went. It looks like we have it licked... but with two new holes patched so far this year it could well be the last year for this pool liner. It is 18 years old - a pretty good run for a bit of vinyl.

Speaking of vinyl - Carm got the truck's XM radio enrolled - it will be great for our trip! We'll still have some cd's of music, and of course my mp3 player, but having some different music, not to mention the comedy channels, will help us to pass the hours in the truck. I packed the cards from a trivial pursuits game for some driving fun too. Does anyone have any other ideas of things we can do while driving to keep us alert?

As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.

James Cash Penney

Back down the Laneway - No Shouting!

We got home safe and sound yesterday afternoon - no divorce in the laneway either! It was an almost perfect backup :-) No shouting required!

I'm always amazed when we get home in one piece - there seem to be a million things to do to get the trailer ready for the road... did I remember to close all the windows, pick up the dog water, secure the blinds, put the coffee maker away, ensure all the cupboard doors were shut firmly, lock away the TV, secure the electronics cabinets... well, you get the idea, the list goes on and on. So when we get to our destination and I find everything has survived I feel pleasantly surprised (and relieved).

I think the grass and trees grew at an accelerated rate while we were gone. The place is totally grown over... remember "Day of the Triffids"?

By the time we got everything unloaded I was beat and crashed out on the sofa with the dogs. It wasn't for long though as I could hear Carm crashing up and down the basement stairs and slamming the door going in and out of the garage. He had some energy and started the process for opening the pool. Yes, that's right, we hadn't opened the pool yet! I went out to see what was up. At that point he was using the pool skimmer basket to rescue tadpoles from the top layer of water on the pool cover (how on earth did they get there?). He had everything in hand so I just watched from the deck until it was time to drag off the covers. I was too lazy to even get my camera out. Once the covers were off we could see that the water didn't look too bad, and with all the work he's put into it today the water will look swimable by tomorrow - temp is another matter - it's been filled with water from the well (50F).

Today we had a quick trip into town for lunch with Carm's mom and then my doctor appointment. A quick stop at Costco and we were home by 4. Whew. Trudie dropped by with some hostas that we had rescued from a demolition. Another busy day. I'm exhausted and need a day or two off! But that's not in the cards, at least for the next few days.

I can't end though without mentioning the fun I've been having with Streets & Trips. I downloaded a POI (point of interest) file for unusual Canadian attractions. The only one I looked at so far (that will be on our route), is the statue of the mosquito carrying a man (note to self: pack bug spray). There are 100s of POI files that you can download and import into S&T. I'll be adding the campground file soon. Today I discovered that you can assign a time to a stop - you can even say you'll stay 2 nights in one spot and it re-calculates your trip. I'm in software heaven.

The family reunion t-shirts arrived from Vistaprint today - they look great! It won't be long before we'll be sweltering in black t-shirts along with all the other reunion participants!

The four hardest tasks on earth are neither physical nor intellectual feats, but spiritual ones: To return love for hate; to include the excluded; to forgive without apology, and to be able to say 'I was wrong.'

Author Unknown

Blessings of Old Friends

The photo below is Spike on Carm's side of the bed. You can see the trouble we have with just a queen size bed!

Yesterday Jo Ellen and Don (and teeny tiny poodle Lady) came for the day. We had a great visit - as you know I wasn't feeling all that social, but there are some people that are the right people to be around during those times and they are them (whew - did that grammatically make sense?). Anyway... we had a light lunch, a few glasses of wine, a little visit with Trudie & Leo, and finally some supper.

We were able to sit outside for much of the visit, but we did have to retreat inside during a rain shower.

Don knew I was after MS Streets & Trips, and knew my problem with data so DOWNLOADED IT AND BROUGHT IT DOWN HERE FOR ME. HE EVEN INCLUDED THE GPS DONGLE!!!!! We installed it and everything seemed to work well. As soon as they were out of the gate I raced inside to my computer to see what it was like. It is awesome! It does exactly the things that I wanted software to do. After 1/2 hour I had to drag myself away as I was so tired... but guess what I dreamed about all night ;-) You can probably guess what I'll be doing once I get home today! I love getting new software, and when it does what I want I am in heaven.

Today we pack up and head home. Over the next few weeks we will start working on the list of stuff to do for our Adventure, and fit in another 3 or 4 night trip down to Riverside as well. It will be a busy few weeks.

I got an email and Facebook from Kirsten yesterday - they have had a big storm with flooding, trees down, and electricity out. Luckily their flooding isn't as bad as Alberta - isn't that just a mess. So many people have been affected by the high waters.

Each site has a post with a metal power box mounted on it. There is a little woodpecker that comes along and ratt-att-tatts on the metal lid. I wonder why he does it? Does he just like the sound?

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bierstube - good...

As it turns out, it just took the drive to the Bierstube, with the anticipation of tender, crispy, schnitzel (and maybe a German beer) to turn my mood around :-) The schnitzel was even more tender, and even more crispy tonight. The beer wasn't really cold, but was that special flavour that only a German wheat beer could have. And the company was as fun as ever.

Back at the trailer listening to 70s music again - this time it doesn't seem as depressing ;-)

I hope everyone is safe in Medicine Hat.


Happy Tails!

A Cloud Could Go By

Last night we went to the local theatre with friends Trudie & Leo. It was a blast - the play was so funny people were practically falling off their chairs. Very enjoyable :-)

Other than that, and some visiting, the last few days have been spent quietly at the campsite. Spike has had an upset digestion for the last 2 days - probably due to too much fat on a pork roast I picked up cheap. He ate his supper tonight, and hasn't had a business since this morning, so he must be on the mend - poor wee thing. I might be picking up on his low mood though... I'm tired, draggy, and feeling slightly antisocial. We are going out to the Bierstube with friends tonight though so I'd better get over it fast! I haven't had a low period quite like this for a while, so I guess I was due (really?).

The weather today is slightly cool and overcast with just a few light showers. Not really motivating. A good long walk probably would have perked me up a bit, but with Spike under the weather it was too easy to make excuses.

So... here I lie (on the too narrow rv sofa), listening to the 70s music channel on the satellite... why does it all sound depressing right now?

Thankfully Jo Ellen and Don are coming for a visit tomorrow - that is bound to perk me up :-)

I can be jubilant one moment and pensive the next, and a cloud could go by and make that happen.

Bob Dylan

Hanging Around Bored

Carm was away in the city all day doing stuff with his mom so I just hung around the campsite, taking a few walks, reading, trying to nap, and just generally taking it easy. I created a few more to-do and packing lists for our trip - I'll soon need a list for my lists... I played around with a navigation app that I downloaded. I didn't download the whole of Canada (.5G), settling for a small US state to test with. Our internet data is really limited/expensive, so I'll find a friends house to visit to do the rest of the downloading once we get home. I also want to download a trial copy of Microsoft Streets & Trips as it might help with the trip planning. Again - I'll have to hit up a friend or family member for their internet bandwidth.

I did some other internet surfing, but our connection here is flaky and slow... Even the satellite tv sometimes flakes out...

When I got bored of all that I got out my camera and started taking pictures. I probably took 100 photos of Spike alone (big surprise). Another 50 of the sky through the tree above me, a whole bunch of Bella, and even a few of me and the dogs...

Here are some pretty wildflowers along the water's edge. I didn't notice the reflection of the clouds until I looked at the photo later.

The branches in this tree are interesting against the summer sky.

As always it was difficult to get a good shot of Bella - her black fur easily washes out if I increase the exposure, and if I don't she's just a black blob.



Grace enjoying an afternoon outside.



Bones for supper!



Still playing with my camera - here's a group shot with the timer. I've got to practice Bella & Kabira's stay...

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.

Martin Luther

We have been enjoying our days at Riverside with lots of walking and too much eating. We ended up at the Basket Case for lunch today for club sandwiches again. It was packed so we ended up sharing at table with two older ladies... interesting...

The weather has been sunny but cool.

I kept Spike busy this afternoon doing "find it's" around the park. As was expected he was a star ;-) I must have tired him out though as he is now crashed out in his bed under Grace's cage.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller

Loveliness Arises

I lay in bed last night listening to the rain pour down hard and thought that would be the end of the peonies. I had wished that I had taken another cutting to bring indoors, safe from the pounding rain. As it turns out the blossoms were somewhat protected from the trees above and I was able to save some to bring with us in the camper.

When I woke up, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. We took our time with our coffees and breakfasts but by the time we were starting to get ready to finish loading the camper for todays trip it was raining...

Thank goodness for weather radar - we were able to identify that the rain would pass, at which time we were ready to roll! And here we are now. Blue skies leading into a cold night (forecast high 8C).

Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.

Pedro Calderon de la Barca

Bridge to our Future

It wasn't raining when we got up, but before the morning was done the rain was coming down. I was running around trying to get the camper ready for the next trip as well as getting lunch ready for my Mom & Dad, brother Graham and his two kids, Erik and Juliette. Carm drove into town to have lunch with his mom and help out with a few things around the house. Luckily he made it back here in time for the birthday cake and a short visit.

I got several blurry photos, with just a few turning out okay. As it turns out the photos of Erik and Juliette were some of the ones that didn't turn out. More practice required...

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
Alex Haley

A Sleep over on the Rideau

We had a sleep over last night at Ruth & John's place on Rideau Lake. We've known them since 1996 - they were our first parrot baby parents. Our friendship quickly developed and Ruth became the hand-feeder of all of our parrot babies. There have been times when we haven't seen each other for a while, maybe even more than a year, but always it is like we saw each other yesterday. Some friendships are like that.

Ruth's home is a paradise for birds. Luckily for Grace she is going to stay with them this summer when we take our big trip. It will much much more fun for her to be at the 'lake' with other birds, than spending over 2 weeks in a tiny travel carrier. We will miss her though.

Cato and Bailey have big play gyms that hang from the ceiling, and nicely situated in front of the window overlooking the lake. When it is warm out they have big aviary's at the back of the cottage, and others at the front. All equipped with the most amazing toys. Ruth used to make bird toys to sell in the pet stores, but since she has gotten out of that she sent me home with bags and bags of toy bits, baskets, and bobs to make things for Grace. Some of it would have come in handy last week when she spent so many days stuck in her little carrier with hardly a toy.

Ruth brings the birds out onto the kitchen counter for some bedtime oatmeal every night. Grace was happy to participate.




The dogs were along with us, so with our 3 and their 2 it was a kennel of pooches. Kabira was beside herself - she has very low confidence around other dogs (she's been sent to the vet 3 times by another dog), and she feels she has to protect me and Bella & Spike so she just doesn't settle down. I would hope that with some time she would relax. She is going to be a wreck when she's at the kennel in Calgary. They are all going to be freaked out with that as they have never been kenneled, and only very rarely left with someone else. But I'm jumping ahead of myself.

Spending time at the lake with Ruth and John is never good for the waistline ;-) Ruth is a great cook, and we treat ourselves to a few adult beverages ;-) I had hoped it would help to soften the bed which it did... but alas... the cuckoo clock in the next room made sure we never got more than 1/2 hour of sleep at a time. I'm sure people get used to them...



This morning Bass (fishing) season opened so there were lots of boats on the lake. It was a perfect morning for them.





I can't end the post without another photo of a peony. They are almost in full bloom and will be over soon. I can't get enough of them, and can never pass them by without burying my face in the blooms.




The hay is ready to be cut - they just need the right weather forecast - the farmer needs 3 dry days in a row which are hard to come by this year. Carm was out cutting grass again today. I felt so guilty that I couldn't be out there working hard as well, but I was just totally wiped out from the last few days. I forget now and again that I can't keep up a fast pace for very long. (it was worth it though!)

I am loving my camera...

A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same.

Elbert Hubbard

Photo Phun

I seriously hate plays on words like that, but couldn't resist today (fun/phun)...

Today my friend Dorothy came by to try out her new camera on my slow moving dogs ;-) It was great for me to have her enthusiasm for photography - we will have to get together more often. Do you ever notice how time slips by and before you know it a year has passed before you connect with someone again... that's what has happened with us. (note to self - don't let another year pass...)

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Andersen

Peony Pleasures

Being at home lately has been nothing more than rushing from one task to another getting ready for the next trip, and trying to fit in all the non-camping activities as well. We had a bit of a break yesterday with a day of pouring rain, but still there seemed to be things to do inside the house to keep us busy most of the day.

After a crazy busy day today cleaning the house and doing yardwork, we had friends/neighbors over for a glass of wine and visit. You know when finally you sit down and breath a sigh of relief - that's what our visit was like.

The peonies are bursting into bloom - I've taken a million photos with my new camera :-) I'm sure to never forget what they look like. If only there was a digital smell-o snapshot - they are heavenly.

Carm got the rest of the hay... oh... I mean grass, cut. The stuff he cut the other day already looks due for the lawnmower. As he cut it today I had fantasies of winning the lottery and hiring a gardener or ten. It's not just the grass - the trees are growing like crazy and need branches lopped off. The life force on our property is strong - I wish some of that energy would transfer itself into me...

Happy Tails!

Holy Mosquito Batman!

You've probably guessed that we are safely back home - we got here Saturday afternoon. We must have been tired when we got here as we ended up in a shouting match as we were trying to back the trailer into the laneway. Oh well... it happens. The good thing is that once we got it safely parked all the anger and frustration disappeared and we were both happy again.

It seemed like there was a mountain of laundry to get through, and countless other tasks before we could finally relax. Of course now that we are home with the giant king sized bed (instead of the small queen bed), Spike has taken to sleeping on the floor again!

I was listening to Jennifer Warnes singing "Joan of Arc", written by Leonard Cohen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63D_Fru-vlo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you know Leonard Cohen at all you will know that this is a beautiful piece of poetry. I used to play this album (Famous Blue Raincoat) all those years ago when I was washing the bird room. It seems that everytime this song came on I'd be on my hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. My tears would soon mingle with the wash water as the lyrics touched my heart. Carm calls it dirge music and I guess he might be right. Good though.

"Well then fire, make your body cold, I'm gonna give you mine to hold,"
and saying this she climbed inside to be his one, to be his only bride.
Then deep into his fiery heart he took the dust of Joan of Arc,
and high above all these wedding guests
he hung the ashes of her lovely wedding dress. La...

Cleaning the birdroom was a weekly job that involved lots of water and much scrubbing. It was mindless work that left plenty of time for my mind to wander. Often I'd think about returning to Alberta, my heart home. Invariably I'd end the job depressed and teary. I guess I don't miss that part of having all the birds.

Speaking of birds - we are doing a few fix-ups of Grace's travel carrier. The long hours on the road gave her time to chew an opening almost big enough to get her head out... on Carm's side... he fears for his well-being!

Today I cleaned and vacuumed the truck (I'm getting a bit excited about our trip west). I got some other foam beds for the backseat to try and make it a bit more comfortable for the canines. They'll get to try it out for a short trip this week when we go to visit Ruth and John.

We also installed a "thing" for the back of the trailer that will hold the fence panels. I think it will work well, and will move the rattle to where we can't hear it. We do have a wireless backup camera on order so that we'll be able to see it, and whatever else is behind us.

Oh! We didn't miss the peonies :-) There are one or two that have burst forth, but the majority are still in tight balls. I anticipate bringing a giant bouquet on our next camping trip.

It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is.

Desiderius Erasmus

It was a Very Long Day

We were up bright and early to get the camper ready for its repairs. Grace and the dogs were loaded into the truck by 7:45 and Morry's started work on the trailer soon after that. We took a quick drive into Hanover for some breakfast and COFFEE! Then drove to Walkerton looking for a Petrocan (no luck). We were back at Morry's in time to see the bottom out of the trailer. In fact the bottom stayed out for quite a while as they made the repair, removed the old, wet insulation, and then let the whole works dry.

While we were waiting we wandered through a few other trailers - no sale was made ;-)

Another trip out looking for gas then we were back ready to hitch and hit the road. At 12:53 we started heading east towards home... Along the way to the 401 we pulled into a church parking lot to make some sandwiches (and use the loo & of course walk the dogs). Our timing was perfect to hit the 401 at rush hour. Except the only thing rushing was the fuel gauge towards empty as we ground across Toronto in stop and go traffic. It took us a good hour to hour & 1/2 EXTRA to get past Toronto.

When we finally cleared Toronto and hit the first service station we made a quick stop for coffee and restrooms again. This time we got out the phone and called Rideau Acres (where we just were a day ago) to see if they had any openings. Luck would have it that they did - pouring rain probably cinched us a spot :-/

Finally at just past 7:30 we pulled into the campground, paid our dues and have now settled in for the night. Grace is happily in her cage chowing down, the dogs are flaked out all over the place, and we have just had hot showers (oh, the luxury of a full service site!).

Grace and the dogs were in the truck for about 12 hours today. Grace got out a few times, and had food and special treats throughout the day; the dogs got out several times for a short walk, but no treats. If we make our trek across Canada this summer they will have to learn to potty in strange spots! All in all though, everyone did very well for such a long day stuck in the truck.

Happy Tails!

End of the Rally/Reunion

The last few days at the reunion/rally were fun, with a sightseeing trip into Kingston, a trivia game (guess who won - Carm of course!), and finally cumulating in a catered steak dinner at the club house, followed by a campfire at John and Judy's campsite. The week went by too quickly...

We enjoyed some of the local wildlife.

Our lily grew a little bit.

The days passed quickly.

Thursday came and it was finally it was time to say our goodbyes and get on the road. We got away early in the day and made our way west to Morry's Trailer Sales in Walkerton for some repairs. It isn't any wonder that things in an RV seem to often break down as they are jarred and banged down the roads for miles and miles of earthquakes!

We made it thorough Toronto with no trouble, but missed our exit onto the 410... luckily it didn't take us long to get turned around and back on the right track.

We passed the camels around Arthur (around the same spot that we pass the windmills).

We drove past some horses and buggies.

And now... here we are... hooked up to electricity in the parking lot at Morry's... hardly a beautiful campground setting... and way farther from home than we had hoped. BUT! Our fingers are crossed for a simple repair!

Happy Tails!

Potluck and Golf Day

Yesterday we stuck around the campground, going for a few walks and socializing. I pretty much laid low for much of the day as I had a bad stomach upset all night on Saturday. We didn't make it to the pancake breakfast, but I was feeling hale and hearty by the time supper arrived.

We joined everyone in the campground conference hall (a pretty nice facility) with our dish of Sesame Lime Green Beans in hand. We had an entertaining evening with Judy & John, and Diane & Mike - I like it that we sit with different people each event as it is a better way of getting to know more people. I don't know how long it was... but in what seemed like a flash a groaning table of food was demolished and we were back at the trailer preparing for the campfire.

I stayed out until the mosquitos started gnawing on my ankles then headed back to our villetta for a good nights sleep.

The alarm clock (yes, an alarm clock!) rudely awakened us at 7:30 this morning, giving Carm lots of time to prepare for his golf date with Eric and Leon. I think all together 15 people hit the links this morning, and perhaps later spent a bit of time at the 19th hole ;-)

I took the opportunity to sleep in, walk the dogs (the loose pit bull wasn't there) and then have a party! It was too cold to sit outside, and sitting inside by myself just didn't suit me, so I put on my shoes and started knocking on doors. I stopped when I had a trailer full (6 guests!), then ran back and started brewing coffee. I had a great time and was so glad that I made an effort and just did it.

Diane, Ann, Bob, Carol

Carol, Jim, Christine

Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.

Bil Keane

Dinner Cruise

Friday night was the dinner cruise. Last year was our first time taking it, and although it was fun, it was a little disappointing as the rain poured down and we could barely see outside at all. As you can see from the photo below we were bathed in sunshine - lovely :-)



The "cruise director" was a multi-talented comedian that kept us entertained and pointed out all the attractions along the way.





This is our table (from left to right): Carm, Waylen, Jackie, Ken, Deb, and of course me! They were a fun group. Deb laughed at everything - I like that!




Years ago my parents had a sailboat that they berthed in the 1000 Islands - I have many fond memories of summers spent sailing and camping. I tried to get a shot of the yacht club as we passed by, but the sun was in the wrong direction.



As you can see we were motoring along far faster than any sailboat would travel!


It wasn't just our group on the boat, there were several other people as well, which made for good people watching. I wish I had the nerve to take photos of people as there were some interesting faces. I'd love to hear their stories and find out who they are.

There was even a short time of dancing. Carm and I were some of the first ones on the dance floor, but it wasn't long before it was crowded. This was a bonus for me as I LOVE dancing and don't often get a chance, other than around the house.

Saturday was quiet, with just a trip into Kingston where we picked up a lovely dark burgundy calla lily for the picnic table - the colour coordinates with the trailer's paint job (of course - and yes, matching just might be a kind of insanity! It must be as it is a compulsion that I just can't help. I blame my mother for this gene!).

Thunderstorms rolled in around supper time, confining us to the villetta for our evening meal. We were without power for about an hour, which wasn't a problem - I just finished my cooking on the gas stove!

Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul.

Democritus