When we retired 8.5 years ago (where did the time go?), Rudy’s goal was to never experience another snowy winter. Well, other than a Christmas Market river cruise where the snow was mostly fake, we’ve managed to avoid the blustery, cold harshness of Canadian winters by migrating to Florida. However, our Floridian counterparts are the opposite. Their summers are uncomfortably hot, humid and dry (with intermittent downpours that increase as the season wanes). They would like to skip their summer like we do winter.

This summer we hosted Florida friends on two occasions as they escaped the intense heat. There’s a lot to do in our area in the summer once you get past the black flies in May/June. These tiny pests show up for a week or so and terrorize spring campers. At the coastline we are lucky enough to avoid the plague mostly. The summer’s first couple of visitors arrived in July. The perfect weather of summer. Warm and sunny. The bay isn’t totally warm yet, but lots of folks are brave enough to dip in.

When planning a visit we consider a number of factors: weather, likes/dislikes of our guests, and activity level. Some guests like to roost and since we live on the waters edge, it’s a great place to sit and enjoy the views and gentle lapping of the lake waters. Evenings are especially nice as the sunset skies and bright stars mingled with shimmering water are the perfect backdrop for a libation. Or two.

Our friends (Rudy calls them the Texans as that’s where they called home before Florida) enjoy activities like fishing, pickleball and mingling with food and drink. So we did just that!

There are a few fishing charters in our area and we booked Collingwood Adventures for an afternoon of fishing. Kevin, the Captain, has all of his gear ready: poles, rods, down riggers, floaters, nets … there’s a ton of stuff. And he explains that we are going about a mile off shore where he knows there’s fish. The water is fairly rough even though the sun is perfect. We set out in search of the big one. Our friend Steve (aka Shorty) knows the drill. He’s a sport fisherman and gets the set ups involved; he watches the lines like a hawk. At the merest jiggle, he is on his feet ready to reel them in. After two that got away (feisty little buggers) he lands one in the boat. We will have something for dinner after all!!

We maximized the sunset with an ice cream at Sunset Park.

One of our favourite places to go in the area is Coffin Ridge Winery

The winery is perched on the escarpment overlooking Georgian Bay and Owen Sound. The views are stunning and on Sundays they offer vineyard ghost tours. Our group of 4 joined guide Barb on a stroll through the vines and eventually made our way to a clearing. It was a hot sunny day and we were grateful to get into a shady spot for some wine tastings. while we sipped, Barb read excerpts from a book and told us eerie tales and urban legends from the area. Who knew such a sleepy town could have such a wicked past??

Another great spot for cocktails in the fresh air is Spy Cider House and Distillery It sits high up on the eastern side of the Beaver Valley overlooking fields and apple orchards. There’s often live musical entertainment you can enjoy while sipping refreshments named after spy movies. A clever take on the double meaning of an apple variety and a covert agent.

The visit was short and sweet. Miss Mellie is a stickler for the three day rule. You know … smelly fish and all that. lol.

Later in the summer we had the second round of north meets South. Our friends flew in from Florida and it happened to be at the same time as Rudy’s sister’s 80th birthday. So we made it a party time visit.

We started with an evening at the Beacon; it’s a dive bar in Wasaga Beach that features a live band called the Freakin Band on Wednesday nights. We call it Freakin at the Beacon. decent food and a bit of dancing.

The following day we head out of town coffee at the newest cafe in the Beaver Valley Kimberley Social House After a quick fix we continue to pick a birthday bouquet and tour the flower farm at Twig and Brindelle The highlight of the flower farm, in addition to the gorgeous blooms, was the rogue grasshopper who flew up our friends pants and caused a stir!

After the flower farm and the grasshopper under control, we continue west to Lake Huron. It’s a windy September day and the beach is deserted. Summer folk are long gone and kids are back in school.

There’s a newish hotel in town (Sauble Beach) and they offer rooftop dining. The sun was shining but it was cool and windy.

We are taking a sightseeing cruise in Georgian Bay where the views of the escarpment are spectacular.

And a little walk through town to see the shops.

Another great visit in the books.

Hard to believe fall is here and we will be migrating again soon!

The story goes like this ….

Towards the end of the Civil War and Sherman and his troops were burning southern cities in their wake. When the 70K (or so) men advanced on Savannah Georgia after leaving Atlanta in ashes, the mayor of Savannah rode out to meet Sherman outside of the city and made him a proposal: all their military stores, 25,000 bales of cotton and leave Savannah intact. So the deal was made just before Christmas in 1864, Savannah survived and President Lincoln got a hefty Christmas gift!

When we decided to visit Savannah on our way back to Canada from Florida (making up for a previously planned trip that was thwarted by Covid) we had a lot of input from friends who had been previously. We loved the John Jakes books and the infamous Gone With the Wind, so it was exciting to finally check it out IRL. In real life.

Without knowing that it was cool to be a NOG (north of Gaston) I booked us into a small inn called The Gastonian. Apparently anything north of Gaston St is considered Jacksonville. Tongue in cheek of course. The inn is a lovely repurposed mansion (of which there are many) which offers accommodations and breakfast. They also offer an afternoon refreshment of wines, iced teas and finger foods. The courtyard is an enchanting grotto of lush greenery and a babbling water feature. Look up the wedding photos on the site to get an idea. My photos don’t do it justice.

We drove from Florida directly to the Historic Savannah Theatre for a matinee performance of Grease. We arrived earlier than planned so we braced ourselves in the heat (95F) and walked.

On our walk we discovered a quaint coffee shop, book shop (where I purchased the famous book recommended by my friend Annaliese: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) and some beautiful scenery.

The theatre is one of the oldest in North America and is a community hub for live performances. The interior is as you would expect with heavy velvet curtains and seating. It’s intimate with only 14 rows plus balcony. It’s located in the heart of the old town on Bull St (the central main road) and across from Chippewa Square where Forest Gump famously sat on a bench with his chocolates.

From there we checked into our accommodations which were lovely and cool. We were quite pooped after a full day and were happy to sip wine and chill.

The next morning after breakfast (quiche and grits) we had a couple of tours planned. One on a trolley to get a full overview of the area and a walking tour to get personal and up close.

Savannah is named after the river it’s on which is a few miles inland from the ocean. It was and still is one of the busiest ports in the US. Back in the day it was a trading hub and of course pirates. It was a preplanned colonial city built on the inspiration of James Oglethorpe and there are numerous references to the name throughout the city. He planned the city on a grid around 4 squares (now park like green space); there are now 22 squares in the city and each has a monument.

There are three distinct areas of the city: colonial (grand mansions), antebellum (southern charm) and Victorian (gingerbread). While many cities after wars (revolutionary and civil) rebuilt in modern designs of the day, Savannah was largely intact (except for fire damage) and decided to keep its historical structures and buildings. Rather than rebuild they refurbished.

The tours were very informative and the walking tour was full of information. A bit overwhelming actually. There’s famous inventors such as Eli Lily, performing artists such as Johnny Mercer (whose family home is infamous in the book and movie), ghosts due to the way bodies were buried, tragic wars, yellow fever, fires and new buildings and developments built on top of graveyards, the founder of the Girl Scouts. Whew. It’s a lot to absorb in a few hours.

However, we did manage to sneak in an ice cream at the famous Leopold’s where line ups can be blocks long!!

And we imbibed at The Perry Lane Hotel rooftop patio. A wonderful respite from walking in the heat!

So many more photos and facts and interesting information…. It’s worthy of a redo and another blog post!

Until next time!! XO

My father in law used to say: “ when your number’s up …”. Sadly, my dad’s number came up on May 24 2026 at just before 8 pm. Boy. Am I going to miss him!

Being in shock is a weird feeling. Your world is tilting and you have zero balance. You feel “off”. It’s impossible to describe and I’m sure everyone who’s been there has a version of their own. But in my off state, my mind has wandered to far away places and ideas.

For example, I called my dad every day (with very few exceptions) and over the past couple of years he’s been able to FaceTime which has been great. Prior to that it was on his land line. The same phone number we had growing up. A number as old as me! 2713435. Just like that there will be no more calls and that number will be recycled. It’s a crazy thought. I’m reminded of it every night. Thanks to my sister for making the effort to ease my pain… we’ve been texting nightly. Chelsey Melsey. It was the greeting I used so my dad would immediately know it was me. I think he knew anyway; our ritual was mutually satisfying.

Keeping with the theme of numbers, 318 is legendary in our family. It was our family street number for many decades. Over the years it also became the code word for poop. Let me explain, my mom used to (over) feed our cats and dogs. Living on a farm they got lots of exercise, but the day after my mom was on food patrol, their poops were humongous! We started referring to them as a 318. Some of our friends, bemused by the expression, now use it in their lingo. Mostly 318 was a base camp for life. We grew up there and when my parents downsized it was bittersweet. When the place was all cleaned out for the new owners, my sister suggested we go back one last time. I couldn’t do it. My memories of 318 are abundant and mostly awesome. So seeing it stripped bare and empty was too much; I’m going to remember it the way it always was.

My dad spent his entire (almost) adult working career at FAG Bearings in Stratford. He loved his job and often brought it home in the way of stories. Many of the stories were about the employees; their trials and tribulations mostly. I think my dad got a good first hand account of human nature in all of its forms. Tales were told at the dinner table (which for many years was lunchtime due to school and factory breaks) and in the car rides. My dad would drive and talk. Say hello to 6203

The bearing business is, as we were taught, a very complex industry involving intricately designed products that were made according to specs of the buyer. A major buyer is the auto industry. 6203 was such a prolific topic in our “lessons” that it was adopted as many of the PIN numbers that would be required in more modern times. If anyone ever had access to dad’s credit card, tv remote etc. all could be easily tapped into with the iconic 6203. Of course there were many other bearings we learned about such as water pump, aircraft and white room precision bearings, but it was the 6203 that was the highlight.

Another coincidental number is 55. My mom and dad met in a small town, Oberkochen, in West Germany after WWII. They met at a dancing school where they had other partners. But my dad set his sights on my mom and that was that. Both of their families lived in houses on different streets and the house number? 55.

There are other numbers of significance in our household: 50, 90 and 120. These are the melding values in Canasta (a card game that was a staple in our life). My dad loved games of all kinds, but Canasta was the one he taught us all. My parents used to play weekly with the next door neighbours. Although it was fun and social, it could also become contentious when my mother (in private to my dad … and us) accused my dad’s partner (the neighbours wife) of cheating. While the cheating scandal never saw the light of day, it is the urban legend that she (the cheatress) sat on useful cards and snuck them out as needed. It makes me smile to this day thinking about how my mom wanted desperately for my dad to take her side and he laughed it off. It’s just a game for fun he would say while my my mom fumed.

In February we all celebrate a day dedicated to love. Valentines Day ♥️ is a special day in our family for a different reason. It’s my dad’s birthday. Our very own valentine was born February 14 1932. He lived 94 wonderful years. And he had a zest for life and adventure and his curiosity was infectious. Whether it was changing a washer on the sink tap or designing parts for his beloved tractor, his curiosity and passion for fixing, helping and teaching was appreciated by all.

I’m definitely going to miss my dad in so many ways. But my memories of him are so vivid and profound they give me emotional comfort.

My dad promised me that he would find all of my pets in heaven. He’s never broken a promise so I know he’s taking care of them and watching over us here. Until we meet again. XO

Today was our final day in Edinburgh. We head back to Canada tomorrow. It’s bittersweet. It’s been a great adventure, but I need to see my dad in person. My sissy has been holding down the fort and I’m overdue. So today we max out!

We started the day with breakfast. The waitress took our orders. There was a great display of continental items and a self serve coffee brew station. Another waiter delivers the orders but it seems mine has been forgotten. Yikes! Rather annoying …

After breakfast Rudy and I head off for the hop on bus. I would like to attend church and Rudy has offered to accompany me! Yeah! I chose a church to attend just outside of the Old Town as I found a “Somerville” grave reference in line. As it happens, the same church was a stop on the bus tour. Perfect!

Canongate Kirk is a lovely ancient Scottish Anglican Church with a massive graveyard behind. It’s the church where Princess Ann remarried after the Church of England refused her due to divorcing.

We were a bit disappointed not to find the Somervilles, but the service and experience were great. After the service we hop back on the bus. In a fluke, it’s the same driver who dropped us off. He asked if we’d prayed for him and we assured him we had.

It was another sunny day but I noticed the street was wet. Apparently it had rained while we attended the service. And looking around we could see a strange, ominous cloud pattern. Yuck. Our first time of nasty weather. Maybe.

In the past we have used “with locals” (it’s an app where you can hire a private local tour guide) and have a tour booked with Monica at 1:30 pm. Since we are early, we hop off the bus and find a pub. Of course!

We hop back on and get to our meeting point at Waterloo Place. Our friends are meeting us there too.

Monica is there promptly at the meeting time and we set out on foot.

It was here that our guide Monica told us a funny story about the royals. She prefaced it by saying she from someone who heard from someone…. Queen Elizabeth was offered the keys to the palace of Holyrood as a gesture of friendship by the Scots and she politely declined saying how the Scots were taking such good care of it and she would always enjoy visiting as a guest. After her death, King Charles and Camilla came to visit and the same offer of the key was extended to them. Charles deferred to Camilla who accepted and opened her purse. Her purse was jammed full of gin and cigarettes leaving no room for the key so she was, regretfully (tongue in cheek) forced to decline the key.

What a grand adventure! So long Scotland. It’s been a slice 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿♥️💋

Today we say goodbye to Islay. But not before checking out a few more places. There’s a ton of distilleries on the island; we chose a couple in Port Ellen the next town over from Bowmore.

First stop: the post office in Port Ellen. Rudy mails my postcards for me.

First stop: Lagavulin

Next stop: Ardbeg

We enjoyed our wee drams and carried on to a historical church and cross believed to be circa 1200’s! The Kildalton is a beautiful and serene setting for a reminder of the deep religious roots in the area.

After a short stroll around the ruins and cemetery we head to the ferry in Port Askaig Our ferry will take us back to the mainland. We have time for a pint and some crisps at the local hotel.

Our destination on the mainland is our accommodations for the night: Loch Lomond Arms Hotel

A bit of a late arrival. But here we are.

Sweet dreams 😴

The mission for today was ultra relaxation for me and a windy golf game for Rudy. The sun was shining but it was super windy and chilly.

Rudy started out early so I lingered and had a relaxing bath before heading to breakfast before they closed. I had a nice plate of eggs Benedict and a latte before heading out for a walk to the beach. The barista laughed when I told him I was hoping to see Rudy on my walk. He said the course is huge! Your chances are very slim. Oh well ….

So I put on my gear and headed out into the wind. Wouldn’t you know after the first dune, there was Rudy. He was hitting an expert chip shot onto the green. I wasn’t fast enough to catch the pro chip, but I did manage to film the epic putt!

The walk to the beach was about 15 min but I battled the wind both ways. The beach is a 7 plus mile stretch of white sand and rugged backdrop. It’s wild and gorgeous. The grasses blow in the dunes and the waves crash violently into the shore. It’s desolate. Eerie, calming and beautiful. I’m so busy looking at the masterpiece in front of me I’m startled when I hear/feel a crunch underfoot: I’ve crushed a snail! Ugh. There are lots of them on the path. Poor fella.

Back at the Machrie I order a bottle of wine and plant myself in the lounge in front of the huge floor to ceiling window hoping that I will catch another glimpse of the golfers. I was not disappointed; they rode up in their cart and putted right in front of me. The sun’s glare was intense so pictures were dodgy. But Rudy looked up to see me waving at him.

Shortly after that he joined me in the lounge to share my wine. But not until he had a pint and tallied his score at the bar!

We lounged until dinner time and met another group of golfers from Whitby Ontario. Go figure. They had spent the 4 days previous at St Andrew’s. Nice.

After dinner we night cap in the lounge and then head for bed. 💤

Today we spent a relaxing day roaming the area. After another delicious breakfast we head out to discover Jura.

Jura is another island directly north of Islay. It is reachable only by ferry. Our drive to the ferry port is about 30 minutes. It’s a non reserved crossing with multiple trips on the schedule. The ferry ride is about 7 min total. However it’s the loading process that was interesting. We had to back on to the ferry which simply pulls up onto shore. There is no “dock” so the entire time if backing on, the boat is bobbing in the rough water.

Once on board, jammed in like sardines by the ferry workers, we begin the choppy journey to the isle of Jura. There is only one road on the island and travels from the ferry port to almost the northern tip. George Orwell completed his famous 1984 novel here. Deer outnumber humans although we didn’t see any.

We head to the distillery for a wee dram tasting. Our host Graham at the distillery has Canadian connections in Mississauga and Oakville. Go figure. He tells us about his whisky with pride and we savour our samples in the quaint tasting room/shop.

Back on Islay we head to the Bowmore Hotel where we have lunch.

During lunch I talked to my dad. He seemed interested in the lunch menu but I could only show him our mostly devoured plates. I shared the steak pie with Rudy and it was delicious.

After lunch we head back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon and evening.

Tomorrow is our final day in Islay. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

As I’m recollecting the day, Rudy is snoozing. It was a super early start! Our ferry was scheduled to leave at 10 am; boarding by 9:30 am. It’s a 2 hour drive from our hotel – you do the math. And, to boot, I have a built in alarm when I have to get up early (everyone knows I’m not a morning person!) so I wake up ultra early – before the alarm – and then I’m up.

It’s a cold rainy morning. Figures. We gather our belongings and pick up the “breakfast to go” prepared by the hotel – four brown paper bags filled with goodies. And we set off for another ferry. Today we are heading to Islay which is pronounced: eye-la

The drive to the ferry is wet, windy and gorgeous. The views around every corner are stunning. Then the sun pops out!

We land on Islay and head for our lunch spot across the island.

The fish and chips were the best yet! The secret (according to the owner Andy) is beef tallow for frying oil. So yummy!! 😋

Off onto our respite place for the next 3 nights; rather looking forward to unpacking and not repacking in 12 hours! The Machrie Hotel in Port Ellen is a grand white structure amidst the dunes and the links. Rudy will be golfing here and it’s a mega course ranked in the top 75 in the world! The modern aesthetic combined with the untamed surroundings of the coastline make for a divergent impression.

Sweet dreams 😴

What a whirlwind! The day started with a sunny wake up call and breakfast of poached eggs. For some reason everyone here understands what poached hard means so I’m loving the eggs! At breakfast we meet a couple from California who are also on a driving holiday. They are enjoying the scenery and the challenging roads, too. We shared a few mutual moments.

Since the sun is out we thought we’d try to see Old Man of Storr again; our view was obscured by weather on the first attempt. The volcanic rock (basalt) has created some interesting features.

Now we are off to the southern tip of the Isle of Skye. We are booked on the ferry at 2 pm. So there’s time for a hike to The Fairy Pools Again this is interesting rock formations that have created grottos and water falls from the mountain runoff. The water is crystal clear but icy cold. However it doesn’t stop a few brave souls from taking a plunge. Brrr.

Back on the road the scenery is beautiful huge rocky landscape, sheep grazing, pristine waters and unique foliage.

At the ferry we are loaded up quickly for a short jaunt to the mainland. We hit the road again with one destination in mind (in my case anyway): the viaduct featured in Harry Potter!

From there we have to book it to reach our destination for dinner in Oban. While scenic, the road is busy, lots of construction and very winding. It’s been a long day on the road. Finally we arrive at dinner 30 min late and they gave our table away. Luckily the manager squeezed us in. It’s remarkable how busy everything is here!

Our accommodations for the night are at Knipoch Country House Hotel which is 15 past Oban. It would have been nice to check Oban out a bit more but time was limited. The hotel is part of a group of properties all country homes. This one was a hunting lodge and had been carefully updated to host guests overnight. They allow dogs and it was nice to meet a few!

We enjoy a wee dram and then hit the hay! I’m pooped long driving day. And tomorrow our wake up call is super early!

Slainte!