Year in Review

Year in Review. The bane of newspaper reporters everywhere.

Every year at this time, some poor sap in the editorial department gets the inglorious task of writing a summation of every single news story that graced the pages of the Weekly Pickle in the previous year.

Bor-ring.

Obviously just a ploy to fill the Pickle because there is absolutely nothing even vaguely interesting going on during the holidays to report on.

Since I think of this blog as my very own community newspaper, where there are no advertising clients to kiss up to and the only stories in it are of interest to me, and I really can't think of anything else interesting to write about because I was up to late and I'm semi-pickled myself, I might as well do a Year in Review.

It has been a big year for Dave and I. 

We renovated our house in Sundridge, hoping for a quick sale last July.

But the economy fell apart and it's still for sale. Reduced.

We bought a house trailer. Love peeing indoors.

We bought our dream house in Bracebridge. Two mortgages! Yay!

My job was transferred from Huntsville to Bracebridge. Now I have a 6 minute commute. And that's if I drive slow. Yay!

In between all that we found time for family, friends, camping and fishing.

It was a hectic year. But a good one.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my family and friends a wonderful and happy new year, full of good things. I love you all.

 

January 1, 2009

Angus on the 1978 Ski-Doo that Dave fixed up and gave to him and Sam for Christmas. The snowmobile belonged to my late father, once upon a time, and had been gathering dust and hay in my dad's barn for at least 10 years. Dave's a bit of a mechanical wonder and can fix anything.

January 31, 2009

Dave and I finally made the snowmobile trip we had always talked about, from Sundridge to my mom's place in Carnarvon. The trip took us about 8 hours each way, with stops along the way for lunch, gas and sightseeing: this photo was taken at a scenic ice cave near the Dyer Memorial, Huntsville.

February 1, 2009

On the way back to Sundridge from Carnarvon, taking a hot chocolate break. The Saturday trip was bitterly cold. The Sunday return was warm enough to take off your helmet and undo your jacket. What a wonderful weekend we had!

March 1, 2009

One of the biggest things we did this year was renovate the Sundridge house from top to bottom. Our first project was the back room: here's what it looked like "before."

Here's what the back room looked like "after." 

My favourite part of the back room? The built-in bookcases. Big difference, eh? Now why wouldn't anybody want to buy this beautiful house? 

April 19, 2009

Goes to show, you don't need fancy video games and TV. All you need is a puddle and a stick. Gus and Sam play in the back field in Sundridge.

April 19, 2009

Dave grin is wide as he sets up our new house trailer for the first time (in our yard!). We slept in it for a few nights, enjoying our fancy new novelty.

May 2, 2009

Dave and I get all dolled up for the annual Policemen's Ball in Sundridge.

May 11, 2009

Shore lunch, Kiosk, Algonquin Park. Dave, Misty and I stop for a campfire-cheese-sandwich during our annual, completely fabulous, spring fishing trip. I caught my first lake trout ever on this trip. The fishing was phenomenal and the company wonderful. Jenna and Ron and Rambo joined us.

May 16, 2009

Dashing Dave gives me the Trudeau salute during our May 24 weekend trip to Balsam Lake Provincial Park. We were joined by Angus, Sam, Misty, and the Raneys - Richard, Tammy, Emily and Megan. Loved it!

May 16, 2009

Richard and Tammy, relaxing at Balsam. Best thing about camping with the Raneys, other than their great company, is their kids play so well with our kids that we get left in peace.

May 16, 2009

I love this photo of Sam and his "pet" snail.

June 2009

One of my favourite parts of our renovation was the glass backsplash. Love it, love it! The chicken/duck/poultry Scot cookie jar was a shower present my Mom received more than 50 years ago. Love it, too.

June 2009

Our house, new sided by Dave's brother, Max. We listed if for sale at the end of June for $124,00. It's now priced a lot lower. Sigh.

July 5, 2009

Our newly designed living room. New floor, new drywall, new cupboards, new lights, new windows, new siding, new dishwasher... lovely. And it can be yours for $99,999!

July 11, 2009

Killbear Provincial Park. One of our favourite parks. One of my favourite photos. Sam, relaxing on the soft rocks in the foreground; Angus kicking around in the back.

July 11, 2009

Killbear Provincial Park. One of the coolest things about Killbear are the autographed rocks. Over the last several decades, campers have carved their initials, their favourite girls and the most popular beer and rock bands in the granite. The practise is now illegal. But if you visit the park, take a stroll down memory lane and see the autographs. We took this picture because Dave's brother is named Max Webster. No relation to Kim Mitchell.

July 28, 2009

Angus and Sam at Awenda Provincial Park. We spent a week there and it rained every single stinking day. Wouldn't recommend the park. Terrible rocky swimming. No sunlight anywhere in the canopy-covered campgrounds. Reeking toilets. Other than that, it wasn't bad!

July 28, 2009

While at Awenda we visited all my old haunts... my family lived in Midland for eight years when I was a little girl. Above, we paid a visit to Ste. Marie Among the Hurons and Sam went up to the pig paddock for a closer, um, smell. His face is just priceless.

August 1, 2009

Inverhuron Provincial Park. Beautiful park. Beautiful big waves, amazing swimming. We loved this place and plan to go back next summer for a week with the Raneys. I love this photo of the guys setting up... Sam could hardly wait to get his shirt off and the tube on. He hit the waves running.

August 8, 2009

Temagami Provincial Park. Dave and Misty and I spent the weekend fishing. Nice park. Huge lake. No fish. Big red moose.

September 5, 2009

Sam's birthday. He turned nine (my millenium baby). It was a perfect late summer day, blue sky, fluffy clouds, My Mom, my sister Liz, nephew Randy, and the Raneys, Richard, Tammy, Emily and Megan, joined us for a backyard party. Good times.

September 5, 2009

Just had to share this photo of Megan and Molly (my mom's pooch).

October 9, 2009

In May we found out I would be transferred from Huntsville to Bracebridge, which would give me an hour or longer commute in good weather, each way. We decided to move to Bracebridge. A co-worker, Gail Knaus, told me about this place on the Muskoka River. We went to see it in May, fell in love with it, and bought on the spot. We didn't take possession of it until August and were faced with the biggest clean-up of our lives. It was the messiest, smelliest, dirtiest house we had ever seen. I cried, it was so awful. But after much elbow grease, cleaner and paint, it was cute as a button and ready to move into. We made the move in the fall, and haven't regretted it one bit. Here's Dave in front of our little piece of paradise.

October 10, 2009

Thanksgiving at Balsam Lake Provincial Park, with the Raneys, my sister Liz and her husband Don and her kids Hailey and Randy, as well as my mom and Don's mom, Ruth. We cooked a turkey over the campfire and spent all day hanging out, talking and laughing. Dinner was served on picnic tables put together, under glorious sunshine. We have much to be thankful for, most of all, good friends and a great family.

October 11, 2009

My birthday. Megan's birthday. We spent it together (but I didn't get a Barbie). Tammy and Dave arranged a treasure hunt for the kids. Tammy made spaghetti and caesar salad, and had a friend make fancy cupcakes for 'cake'. Each cupcake was one of us in sleeping bags. So cute. Thanks, Tam! You make getting older somewhat more bearable.

October 31, 2009

One of my best friends in the whole world, Martha Perkins, left the Haliburton County Echo after a ridiculous number of years serving that community and winning more awards than anybody, including her, can count. Friends held a going away party for her at the local curling club. It was a night of happiness and sorrow as Martha and Jean-Edouard headed for Vancouver to start brand new lives. I wish them nothing but the best and I miss them terribly.

October 31, 2009

Hallowe'en. Dave took the boys out trick or treating and had some quality spook-kid-guy bonding time.

November 27, 2009

Summer weather was lousy but autumn was beautiful, with warm weather stretching almost into December. On this day we went for a walk down by the bridge and Angus looked so handsome I took his picture. He is growing up so fast. I love his gentlemanly spirit. I love both my kids. I'm so lucky to be their mom.

November 27, 2009

The Redneck Family. Let's get the pellet gun and shoot up a squash. Woo hoo!

November 28, 2009

Dave's 41st birthday. Leah baked him a cake (that's her and him in front of the delicious offering). Leah and Vic and Tammy and Richard and Roger and Lynda came for euchre extravangaza.

December 12, 2009

The mother of all snowstorms! Four feet of snow in three days! Work closed, roads closed, nothing to do but nothing! This was our road. It wasn't plowed for almost a week. Thank goodness for the Jibberty.

December 25, 2009

Christmas with my boys. I was spoiled rotten, and so were they. All was right with the world.