Saturday, July 24, 2010

Algonquins Moving


  This piece of art shows Algonquins canoeing. Captured before our house fire it sat on our living room coffee table years back. On Monday it will come back to us from the fire damage restoration. So will the table but not the sofas. We are living in a temporary rental home since March 2008. Our own fire damaged house sits and waits for reconstruction because we are faced with many exteral conflicts. To date the fire marshall has not released the outcome of the cause. That impacts everything we try to do. The property is insured but even that has been held up. Let us move on. 
  The bronze depicted here was bought from Rob Knox, the artist brother of a client who was influential in re-viving an old Ontario brewery, the Algonquin Brewery. It made it's beer from some old family recipe in Formosa where there was a great supply of natural spring water. Once in production, it was available where ever beer was sold in Ontario. The statue is a replica of the logo that was used for the brand. Some time later in the 90's a fellow by the name of Jim Brickman decided to create a microbrewery in Ontario. He bought the rights and the brewery under the heading of Brisk brewery. Thus the Algonquins have moved on. It happens when there is consolidation. I don't like beer but I love the statue and the history Kleinste Motte. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Wasps Constructing

Click on pic to enlarge the site.
On a recent walk I discovered this wasp home. I was intrigued by their lack of interest in my presence. They were too busy with their home construction. Unfortunately I have no idea what type of wasp I have captured. Not enough of their body is visible. Perhaps one of you will be able to figure it out? What do you think Kleinste Motte?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Wishes

Buddy's wishes came true, a chocolate fudge cake, a card and a gift. It's his happy day! The numerals of his age are the reversal of his birth year. Can you guess how old he is Kleinste Motte?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Not so much SKIN


Today it's going is another very warm humid day but Buddy remains cheerful. After a quick cool bath with various moisturizing oils Buddy sits for an hour applying some more skin products. Sometimes he will do this twice daily. Why? He has PSORIASIS, an skin condition the has no known cure. He has it on 80% of his body. Although we are stuck with a huge mess the fills the three stick vacuums daily and we must clean a lot , we dare not complain. He suffers the direct discomfort of his overactive skin production that has him itching and at times complaining of pain when it gets too cracked. Rather we admire his willingness to deal with it and smile too. He has had this disorder for 9 years. He hasn't given up hope his good skin will reappear. HOPE!!!
Tomorrow he will have his birthday. He hopes to have a party and he knows someone will give him a present, maybe a 3D movie. He is hoping to have another great birthday Kleinste Motte.

PS. If you know of any solutions for psoriasis we'd love to hear from you.
     That might become the best birthday present ever.



Monday, July 12, 2010

Wild Life at the Pond

Here are my very first Rebel pix. They are so crisp and clear. The camera is awesome. Click on  these beauties to enlarge and enjoy their splendour.


There were many others which I will try to put into a slide show an. How do I label them? Lots to learn.










Have you heard about the dangerous giant hogweed that is spreading in USA and Canada? It can cause very serious health issues. (Not pictured here.)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

A Shampoo

It's pouring so I thought I'd share a rainy day tale.
Are you aware that Buddy gets along well with his pets? When he was little he put us through some interesting experiences. He was eight years old and our blonde spaniel was one. They tolerated each other until this happened.
Saturday morning it was unusually quiet in the house. Mr.K. and I felt so lucky. We stayed in bed longer to enjoyed this luxury. When it remained quiet we began to wonder. Reluctantly I left the cosy bed to check up on Buddy. As I opened the door to his room I was greeted cheerfully,
"Hi Mom. Look at what I'm doing."
He had a proud grin on his face. My motherly instinct kicked in. Concerned.
My eyes glanced around the room. His bright red carpet had changed colour. Black. Lots of black! 
"What was it?" I wondered. It smelled odd. Then I saw our dog. Our blonde spaniel was now black. Buddy was holding a paint brush and on the floor was a cake of black smelly old paint. Tempera paint.
"Do you like my new doggie? He can't get dirty any more," a voice uttered excitedly. Had I commented on how quickly our puppy got dirty? Hmmmm. I looked around the room.  The pup was rolling on the rug to clean himself. He wasn't impressed with his new coat. We were surprised that Buddy had been able to keep everything so quiet. Now our relaxing morning was redefined. The dog needed a bath and so did Buddy. After that was done we had to shampoo the rug. Both of us toiled for several hours. It was hard work. Our extra rest was quickly depleted yet we remained amused by Buddy's logic and colour choice. And we learned to be leery of very quiet moments Kleinste Motte.

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Rebel

Just after midnight the family gathered around the bed carrying a platter of pineapple pieces decorated with birthday candles lit for the occasion. Card and gift at hand they began the traditional birthday chant. I smiled, blew out the candles and we all ate some of the fruit. I received hugs 'n kisses, the card and the gift. Wrapped in a pretty blue bag, green tissue ruffles enhanced by pretty colourful ribbon trimmings it was heavy for it's size.  I opened the card full of good wishes first. Then I parted the tissue in the bag to discover a shiny  camera box. A dream? Yes! The gift of a Canon Rebel t1 DSLR camera along with a 16 gig SD card , a filter for bright sunlight and a carry case. Awesome!! All of us sat on my bed opening all the little packages that came in the box, talking and laughing as we put the things together. The battery has been put on it's first charge. Here's hoping I'll be able to learn a few of the skills required to take focused, attractive pictures like those on my new blogging friends' posts. Rebel 'n me! I pray that my altered vision and crocked arthritic fingers will not hinder my efforts. Rebel. I've aged but no matter how old I get I have dreams. Rebel. And it's so rewarding when others are willing to share a little time with me, respecting and humouring me along the way. Thank you. I'm a  happy rebel at 64 with a new Rebel, Kleinste Motte. 
P.S. This picture was taken at the pond before the Rebel. 

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Willow Beach

When an appointment was cancelled on July 5th we decided to take advantage of our time together. My  kids and I agreed that an afternoon at Willow Beach on Lake Simcoe would be a great way to beat the heat. We put on bathing suits under our shorts,  found sunscreen, hats, beach towels, chairs, drinks and snacks and climbed into the SUV. The youngest was this day's driver. Ipod set to favourite tunes and we were off. From our home to it's a 45 minute lovely drive through the countryside to the sandy beach. It's a popular place because once in the water you can walk out quite a ways without any sudden drops.
The very hot air convinced us to splash into the water almost immediately. We amused ourselves with frisbee games right in the lake. Buddy is an excellent player. He's also a mighty good swimmer. We returned home happy and in time for a tasty BBQ prepared by Mr.K. The heat wave will carry on for four more days. We'll stay cool with fond memories of that time at the beach and a bit of AC Kleinste Motte.