August 1, 2006 We're Here!

Well hello dear family and friends,

It's been a while since my last posting but the time has certainly flown by quickly. It seems that all I've done since March break is plan, pack, organize, unpack - all to orchestrate this move to Ottawa and now we are finally here: it's time to rest and enjoy the place.

The move was amazingly easy (not at all like last time which was definitely the move from Hell) but as with any relocation - the house is in a state of major unheaval. Pictures leaning against walls, boxes in corners, the garage and basement are full to brimming. The first project for Pete is to create some sort of storage mezzanine in the garage to put tools and seasonal stuff, just to get them off the floor so we can bring in the vans when the weather gets colder.

The second job is to put up storage shelves in the basement. There were lots of shelves there when we put in our offer and we assumed they would stay with the house - Not! However, we did inherit a basement beer fridge so Pete's happy!

You should see him out on the tractor. I have never seen him so happy to cut the grass. He moves lickety split practically doing three sixties on two wheels, he takes corners like a madman - it's been a long while since he had a "toy" like that to play with.

I am having fun playing with my composter - what? Can't I have a sense of humus? And unpacking of course. We have enjoyed setting up our new office: sharing office and computer space for the first time ever will certainly be an interesting thing. I have threatened to organize his paperwork and he might just hire me to do it. He says he needs a real estate assistant and I guess I'm up for the job!

Anyhow, we have had a blast entertaining the grandkids and all of them are looking forward to setting up their "room". Syd is over the top that she gets a TV in her room and is thrilled with all the picture books that I have brought from my classroom. The boys are more keen on playing hide and seek and enjoying the nature trails but are already pressing for their first "sleep over". We have had a quote already on putting in a pool but Pete wants to do it himself - with Steve's help and equipment to excavate (secretly I know Pete is hoping to use the equipment himself!). I expect that will wait until the spring since we are currently living off one income - I could really get used to this stay at home concept :-D

We are living very close to nature here. Everyday there are more reminders that we are simply sharing this space and are not really owners of the land. Pete has been dive bombed by a cloud of locusts or grasshoppers, we are apparently smack in the middle of a huge ant population (yesterday they kicked us out of the kitchen to eat because apparently the kitchen table zone belongs to them) and on Saturday we were forced to find another place for the outdoor chairs because the grass was alive with hordes of ants moving eggs from one farm to another. We have been visited by rabbits, raccoons, and thousands of dragonflies (eating the apparently billions of mosquitos! go guys go!!). While eating outside last night we were entertained by the most amazing air show - mosquitos, dragonflies and barn swallows dipping, diving, and soaring over the back lawn, a ballet of different proportions for sure. We shared out Sunday dinner with a host of chickadees, nut hatches, finches, and sparrows (swallows?) that were also enjoying dinner out of the two bird feeders beside the table. Sydney could hardly focus on her "juicy ribs" because the bird watching was so distracting. I really need to unpack my bird book.

Every morning we are visited by a group of crows. Each day there are a different number of them. I remembered when I was little my grandmother used to recite a poem about counting crows. I looked it up on the interent and printed it off to put on the fridge. This morning four crows flew in. Four means "a boy". Don't get excited, I'm not pregnant. But I am babysitting Liam who is home from daycare with a fever. I wonder what tomorrow's crow message will be??

Anyway, being at home will give me more time to update the blog on a regular basis. Hope everyone is well and coping with the heat OK. With the humidex, it's 45 outside. A good day to hide in the basement.

Stay cool and stay well,
hugs from Ottawa,
Deb