Summer is upon us

and we’ve been enjoying every possible moment at Ulgedook Cottage. We were joined by company on two separate weekends (Andrea and Pete on June 18th; Kevin and Lynn on July 9th), and enjoyed conversations, laughter, and great food.

We welcome any guest at anytime, because the more the merrier. Come join us.

SeaShell

On June 3rd, I bought my first-ever, new-to-me sailboat (Challenger 23') from Rob S. at Shearwater Yacht Club. The boat, named SeaShell, is in excellent condition, and I was very excited with the acquisition. However, the need to deliver boat to Liverpool (140 kms) was overwhelming.

I finally departed on Sunday July 2nd with a sailing friend (John H.), but we motored to Sambro. My father accompanied me for the next two days, and we successfully motored the boat to Liverpool through fog, wind, and heavy seas. Quite the journey, and SeaShell is happy at its new home at Brooklyn Marina.

I look forward to sailing the boat for the first time in the coming weeks.

APB: Spring Missing

It has been nearly two months now since the sun passed northward across the equator, marking the vernal equinox. Despite the fact that March 20th marked the first day of Spring, we have little to show for improvements in weather. Yes, the days are getting longer in terms of daylight. However, weeks of cloud cover and persistent rains have thwarted a great deal of outdoor enjoyment. And this coming Victoria Day long weekend is typically considered strong evidence of the coming of summer in another month. Hopefully the weather will change soon to allow for more outside activies, Until then, we still have lots of tasks to do inside Ulgedook Cottage.

Start of cottage season

Looks like Easter Weekend (April 22-25) may be the start of our cottage season. Weather is good, and the sewer and water can be started up for summer. I certainly look forward to going down to Ulgedook on a regular basis.

"watch and wait"

... a compelling video produced by Susan, reflecting her perspective of coping with my second battle against cancer in 2010... NK/T-Cell, Nasal Type, Lymphoma (look it up).

You can also view this video on YouTube at: "Watch and Wait"

Addendum - May 17, 2012

"Not Me," another video produced by, for which she states:

“The caregiver experience is full of ups and downs when a loved one has a serious and chronic illness. This brief video poem describes some of the frustrations I felt at one point in the health care journey.”

You can also view this video on YouTube at: “Not Me”

Convenient Sleigh Ride

Susan surprised me for Valentine’s with a romantic sleigh ride. And surprisingly, it’s located only about ten minutes from Ulgedook Cottage, in Somerset (just outside Italy Cross).

For our initial tour, there were just the two of us, other than the sleigh driver Glenn Slauenwhite. But we had so much fun that we had another tour the following week, and were joined by nine family and friends.

Great scenery and fellowship made for a great time, which was topped off with a campfire with hotdogs and marshmallows.

If you want a ride of your own, contact Glenn at:
Slauenwhite's Belgians
543-6742
354-6065

The Stars are Shining

The Stars of East Port Medway were shining brightly as the community Christmas tree was decorated this weekend. Thank you to the 33 young and young at heart members of the community who decorated their stars in a bright display of holiday spirit!

p.s. The Stars of East Port Medway tied for second in the Queens County's Annual Community Christmas Tree Competition. As noted on their facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=140049426049863

"The Christmas Spirit is strong in Queens County, and community pride is nearly overwhelming, as an overwhelming 15 trees were decorated by communities for the Annual Community Christmas Tree Competition."

"Tied for second place are the communities of East Port Medway and Kempt. East Port Medway decorated a tree with the theme "The Stars of East Port Medway", and is located at the East Port Medway Community Hall, 1400 Hwy. 331, East Port Medway. The tree was decorated with white, yellow, red and silver wooden stars, which were each personalized by families in the community."

Stars of East Port Medway

"Stars of East Port Medway" is this year’s theme for EPM’s entry in the Annual Community Christmas Tree Competition, sponsored by the Region of Queens Municipality.

Volunteers have cut-out and painted six inch wooden stars, and delivered one to each household with the invitation to further decorate the star to represent the family.

Stars will be returned and hung on this season's tree to represent the strength and brightness of the community.

The tree is on display in front of the Community Hall, and will be lit on Saturday December 4th, following the Christmas Potluck Dinner.

Serene Sunset

We spent a nice long weekend at Ulgedook Cottage this past weekend, and enjoyed unseasonably high temperatures under bright sunshine. Quite the change from the preceding ten days, during which it rained incessantly. Rivers in the area reached flood heights, and will take a while to recede.

Activities this weekend included biking, exploring (always more to scout out), further planning for the Community Christmas Tree, an overnight visit from friends Glennie and Donna, and, of course, breakfast at the TransScotia (no better deal).

Next weekend may be our last before disconnecting the water before it freezes. We’ll continue to come down to visit the wonderful communities in Queens County during the winter, but will need to overnight in motels rather than the comfort of our beloved cottage. My thoughts about closing the cottage for winter are reflected in this sunset photo of Medway Harbour... ending yet serene.

Happy Halloween

We spent Saturday at Ulgedook Cottage, starting with an enjoyable visit with Kerry and Evelyn Chambers... yummy food, LOTS of wine, and engaging conversation. Following dinner, we went to a Halloween Party in Milton, hosted by Brian Fralic and Jamie Stewart. Many partiers, from the ghoulish to the foolish. Susan was a Naughty Nun, and I was the Mindful Monk. A wonderful event... thanks Brian (aka The Mad Hatter) and Jamie (King Kong, carrying caged Ann Darrow; regretfully, no photo).

Church Poem, by Margaret Angus

A special thanks to Margaret Angus, friend and colleague, for crafting a wonderful poem, entitled "The Church." Inspired during a two day writers retreat at Ulgedook Cottage, Margaret has captured the spiritual and communal value of the church. Susan expressed our appreciation to Margaret by saying, "This is lovely. You created pictures of warm and tender memories, capturing the history and meaning of the church from the hearts and minds of those who worshiped there. Thank you for also celebrating it's new place of peace. "

A little history

This little bit of history is compliments of Kathryn Lemieux, a former trustee of the Wesley United Church.

Old(er) Photo

We are flattered to receive an old(er) photo of the church, and will hang it appropriately on the walls of Ulgedook Cottage.

We're not sure of the age of the photo, but evidently since electricity, and before vinyl siding. Upon close examination, you can see the use of decorative shingles to enhance the exterior appearance of the church. And upon very close inspection, you can note that the windows are in need of painting (as they are again).

There's always work to do.

Continued improvements

Since April, we have thoroughly enjoyed our time at Ulgedook Cottage, mostly spent as rest and relaxation. Generally, we have averted work tasks in favor of hedonistic pursuits.

That said, there are a variety of projects that need to be addressed, sooner or later. One deferred task has been painting the floor with new porch and floor paint from Behr. We learned late last year that this paint requires a long time to dry, and we simply have not been away from the cottage long enough to provide adequate dry time between visits.

This past week has given us that chance for an extended absence, so Joel opened the paint cans and applied two coats.

Looks good, hey (the floor... not Joel)?



...and looks best with the furniture replaced.

Hurricane Earl

Yesterday, Hurricane Earl made landfall at Western Head, as a minimal hurricane, producing produced 80–120 km/h winds, and resulted in widespread power outages, fallen trees, and minor coastal flooding.

Pictured below are some of the ravaging wave action following yesterdays blows (no surfing today). Also below, is a shot of Joel taking shelter in Little Harbour, alongside the "Joel Curtiss."