Welcome to Our Web Page
When this web page began more than twenty years ago, it described most of the activities of our whole family. Now that most of our children have flown the coop, it is mostly about what Ann and I (Dave) have been up to. I update it most weekends. We save all the messages over the past year in an Archive along with links to what we were doing ten and twenty years ago.
You can click on the pictures above to get a bit more information about each of us.
Monday October 13
Happy Thanksgiving!
A farm on Early Rd.
Ann and I have spent the last couple of weeks in the Ottawa area. We left the Wednesday before last driving as far as Montmagny where we checked into the Econolodge then had dinner at Bistro au Coin du Monde. The next day we continued on to Ottawa stopping at the Big Stop in Saint-Hyacinthe where the merchandise in the corner store is about 90% jigsaw puzzles (we bought some). We got set up at Julia's then went over to Morgan's to look after his cats since he was away in Quebec City for work. We ordered some Indian food from Indian Affair Takeout — just around the corner — and kept Rex and Echo company for a while before returning to Julia's.
On Friday, while Julia was working, Ann and I rode our bikes over to Morgan's to feed the cats, then rode up the Rideau River as far as the Rideau River Footbridge, crossed over to Carleton and had lunch at the Broadside Café. We then rode back down the river to Rideau Hall and along the Ottawa River as far as the Ottawa River Lookout before returning to Julia's up the Aviation Pathway. It was a lovely day and very nice way to get a bit of exercise after being in the car for a couple of days.
On Saturday, the three of picked up Morgan, who had returned the day before, and drove to Grounded Scratch Kitchen in Westboro for brunch with our nephew and nieces John, Lizz and Jamilah along with John's girlfriend Darian and Lizz's fiancé Mike whom we hadn't met before. Afterwards most of us went for a walk in Hampton Park with a stop at a picnic bench for some baklava that Morgan had brought back from Quebec City.
On Sunday morning, Ann went to the morning service at Parkdale United Church where one of the student ministers at her church back in Dartmouth is now a parishioner. She met us back at Morgan's — Julia and I biked there — where he made us all crêpes for lunch.
On Monday morning, Ann and I packed up and decamped to Renfrew. Since the kids were in school and Ben and Katy were working, we simply unloaded our things and went on a ride, first to Ottawa Valley Coffee to fortify ourselves and then to Calabogie where we had lunch at the Redneck Bistro. It was another lovely day and this is my favourite ride in the area: some road, some forested trails, two beautiful lakes and, at this time of year, trees ablaze with colour, though they were quite muted this year in comparison with years past, a result of the dry summer weather according to the experts. We arrived back at the house just as Andrew and Alex were getting off the school bus.
On Tuesday, Ann and I drove to Bracebridge to see my brother Simon, stopping for lunch at the Wattle & Daub Cafe in Bancroft. In the late afternoon the three of us went to Gravenhurst to see our niece Nicky and our grand-nephews Blake and Arlo. We managed to complete a Hallowe'en-themed jigsaw puzzle before we left for dinner at The Old Station in Bracebridge.
The following morning Simon made us breakfast, we went for a walk with Stella (his dog) and went to visit Linda at The Pines. She seems quite happy there and is doing as well as can be expected for someone with advanced dementia. After a stop at Cedar Canoe Books we drove back to Renfrew, this time via Huntsville and Hwy 60 through Algonquin Park.
Andrew watches Alex open a present.
Thursday was Alex's fourth birthday. We had a special birthday breakfast at which he opened his presents from Ann and me (a ukulele and a Lego set) but not from Katy and Ben since Ben had had to go into Ottawa early for work. After the kids were off to school, Ann, Katy and I walked down to the Bonnechere Bakery where we enjoyed coffee and treats. After lunch, Ann and I went on a short ride out the Millennium Trail, up Lochwinnoch and Early Rds, and back via the Algonquin Trail. At his birthday dinner, Alex opened more presents, this time from Ben and Katy and his Aunt Alice.
On Friday, we drove to Ottawa to pick up Morgan and then to Perth where we met Katy, Andrew and Alex (the kids had a day off school for a Professional Development Day) for lunch at Subway. We then all drove to Titchborn to visit with Nick and Annette for the afternoon. Ann went with Katy, Andrew and Alex on the direct route back to Renfrew while Morgan and I returned via Ottawa where we picked up Julia and Morgan fed Rex and Echo.
We have all spent the Thanksgiving weekend relaxing, playing games, completing another Hallowe'en-themed jigsaw puzzle (a larger one this time) and watching the Batman Lego Movie, though there was also a fair amount of food preparation involved. I cut up and steamed a pumpkin on Saturday and made some of it into pumpkin muffins, I also made an apple pie and, on Sunday morning, a pumpkin pie. Ben spent most of Sunday afternoon roasting a turkey and preparing the stuffing and vegetables to go with it so we all enjoyed a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner. Katy drove Morgan back to Ottawa afterwards.
This morning we hiked along the Bonnechere River Trail (very hilly!) before returning for more relaxation and leftovers. Tomorrow morning Ann Julia and I will begin the long drive back home.