So Sad

This poor little bunny was found in the pumpkin patch a few weekends ago. It was handed in with the hope that the family would return for it. It obviously was a well loved bunny and I can't imagine the child not being upset at its loss. However, no one has come back. I have it under the counter just in case.

I had a blue plush dog with floppy ears as a kid. I plucked off almost all its fluff but wouldn't part with it. It even accompanied me to England when I was 8 to see my grandfather, uncle and cousins. I have seen lots of kids come to the farm totting their favourite companion. Cute really. I wish someone would come and get sad bunny.

Kaylee Liked It Too

As you might notice, my shorts are wet. Got hit by a wave while playing! Kaylee thought this was a great scent treat - loads of dead water birds. A dead and rotting heron, merganzers, cormorants, seagulls and a black duck. This beach is also covered with zebra mussels. Although Lake Erie is not a long drive from our Ancaster home, it is a far cry from Lake Huron. Next time I'll take the time to head to Grand Bend!

Eerie at Lake Erie!

I had the day off today and am grateful. It was to go up to 26C today so I decide it was too nice a day to hang around doing house and garden chores. We packed a lunch and headed to Lake Erie for a walk on the beach. It was very nice listening to the waves and walking in the sunshine by the water. What a great Indian summer we've had over the past few days. It wasn't easy getting to the beach, however. Rock Point Conservation area is closed for "controlled limited waterfowl hunting" and Low Sands had it's gates shut. I guess the season is supposed to be over but I like walking on the beach anytime. Looking forward to going to Southampton the first weekend in Nov and having a long walk on that terrific beach.

First Glitch

Got a call today that the van we wanted was not available! Shoot. However, we did business with another company and got another one but it is manual and not automatic. We've both driven standards here and abroad on the "wrong" side of the road, so we'll adapt. While working through our agent with another agent, it was suggested we book the ferry from Wellington to Picton now as there are limited spaces for campers and they are popular at that time of year. So, we have requested bookings going from the north island to the south and back so we won't have to worry. We have also decided to spend most of our time on the south island. Hope we made the right decision.

Not your Holiday Inn

Linda and I have spent some time thinking about how to get around New Zealand. We thought about buses, but wanted more freedom. A car and hostels were an option, but many of the comments I've read on the web say the best way is by campervan. Our agent helped us out and we got a very good deal on a camper. We booked it today!
Here's a peak at our home from Feb 6 - Mar 15, 2008!
http://www.britz.co.nz/new-zealand-rv-hire

Fall Fun

20,000 pumpkins! The children loved running around and picking the one they wanted to take home. It actually was a fun day out so I can see why Lindley's do this. It was a zoo on Monday because it was the first good weather day. We failed the maze - kept going in circles - but again it was fun.

Today Linda and I went to a travel agent and we booked our next adventure. We leave for New Zealand on Jan 29/08! We stop for a few days in Fiji en route and then to Auckland. We'll be gone for a little over 7 weeks. Excited??? You bet! Now I must start some serious research on where we want to go once we are there. Suggestions???

This is Thanksgiving?

Isn't this silly! Oct 8, 2007 and record breaking temp. After going to Lindleys Farm and doing the corn maze and picking pumpkins with my family, we came back to the house for a swim. We were hot and it was wonderful. I don't imagine we'll do this every year but this fall has been so strange and so warm. I turned the heater off today so I guess that's the end. The cover goes on on Friday. Linda thinks I'll still swim before that seeing as I used to think Lake Huron was warm enough. Maybe!

Great Gals

A van arrived at the market on Tues from an old age home. A few older women were accompanied by two younger ones and they came to get mums to decorate their place for fall. They carefully selected 8. One older woman requested an apple - she decided on a Courtland. I didn't charge her for one apple! She said it was the first apple she'd had in 3 years. I asked why and she didn't really know. They serve apple sauce but no apples. But, she is one of the few who actually still has her own teeth! I hope she enjoyed the Courtland! I think I'll floss today.

Retailing and Trying to Make a Living with a Farm

Private business and farming is such a crap shoot. What people will buy and what they want is amazing. Urbanites really have no idea about fresh food and seasons. I guess being able to import stuff from Mexico, Argentina, southern US, etc has really messed up people's understanding of fresh. People are surprized that pickling cukes and dill aren't available (duh) and why isn't there fresh corn? I find it hard not to laugh at times. However, there is the amazing spontaneous purchase of Halloween decorations and fall decorations that really adds up. Bales of straw, corn stalks, gourds galore, mini pumpkins, huge pumpkins, pampas grass all are making their way to dining rooms and front yards near by.

School tours have also started. There will be literally hundreds of preschoolers, JK, SK and early grades going through here for the next few weeks. The fall activities started last weekend as well: hayrides, cornmaze, zipline, rubber duck races, haunted house, pumpkin toss and stuff. It is very interesting watching parents and children. Some are spoiled to no end and sometimes I wonder why they had children. There was one woman in with a preschool tour last week and the side benefit is that adults will buy other stuff and kids will want cookies. The woman was effusive with me about decorating the house for the fall and was absolutely horrid to her two kids. I wanted to ask her how making a cute house was going to make for happy children with whom she was so nasty. Maybe near the end of my term here I'll make the leap. Nothing to loose then! Hey, it's only $10 an hour anyway. And yes, I'm definately in favour of making the minimum wage $10 - I don't know how people make ends meet and it's hard work!