15!

It's difficult for me to believe....but Brittney turned 15 last weekend. We had a family birthday...out for lunch, bowling and home for presents and cake.

Pouch Cove.....First to see the Sun!

We are the most easterly place in North America....making us "First To See The Sun" (our town's motto)

Click to enlarge pic....See the sun just starting to peak?


As the sun is taking longer and longer to rise these days, we are usually up for quite awhile before he (she?) makes his/her daily appearance (although some here would point out....it's been weeks since we've actually seen it shining brightly in the sky lol).

On Saturday morning, we were in luck! We were up at our usual time and just happened to see it as it started to peak over the horizon.

Storm on the Avalon

Wow....we had a doozy of a storm on Wednesday! The worst one by far, since moving here. Reports indicated 60 + mms of rain and winds of over 100 km/h with gusts up to 140 km/h ..... and judging by the looks of the ocean (huge, ugly-looking waves), the swaying trees and the creaking sounds the house was making....I'd say it was at least that much.

It was like that all day long...but for some reason it sounds worse at night after dark. I laid awake in bed listening to the howling wind and the creaking house as I tried to identify exactly what was creaking. Sometimes, it seemed like the windows and other times it seemed like the roof.

The weather network guy said it would subside around midnight....but...I think it went on much longer. I did not sleep too much....hoping the wind would just die down.

Morning finally arrived. As with a lot of storms, the day after was beautiful....not a cloud in the sky...the sun was shining brightly and the sky a beautiful shade of blue. Hard to believe we'd just been through a storm.

I ventured out to check the house. I don't like doing this...nervous of what I may find. All was good though...the house and all of it's parts were still in tact. Strong house we live in. A friend of mine who lives not too far said houses in her area did not fare as well.....shingles and siding off. One person even mentioned there were trampolines in trees....oh my.

Amazingly though....we did not lose power. Areas of St. John's were out for a couple of hours. We did not have any snow either (well maybe a few very wet flakes...but no whitening of the ground)....some parts of NL had 15 cms (and they're welcome to keep it!)

We knew this storm was coming and tried to be prepared. One major concern was our winter's wood supply. There were 7 pickup truck loads (that seems to be how it is measured here) that had been stacked outside all summer, drying quite nicely. Surely all that forecasted rain would not be good for it.

Even though the day before was forecasted to be good weather, Larry wouldn't be able to stack it should he have to work.

What to do?

I was more than a little surprised when Tyler volunteered....see....he hates anything to do with the wood stove (It's his job throughout the winter season to bring in loads of firewood as the wood box gets empty.) He's mentioned, more than once....he will never ever have a wood stove when he gets his own place (although that may change when he sees the difference in cost between wood and all other methods of heat ;))

As it turned out, Larry did not get a call to work, so the two of them started at 7:30 in the morning and worked right through until Tyler had to leave for piano lessons at 12:30. Larry continued on until he had to leave for tutoring. When Tyler returned from piano...he went right back to the woodpile and worked away until 8:30....well after dark. He brought it all in...except for 7 wheelbarrow loads...which Larry finished early Wednesday morning before the storm started. Woohoo!

Kind of a double bonus.....all the winter's wood is in *and* we weathered the storm.

Another one is forecasted for tomorrow though....at least we'll be warm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is the Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend. I am not sure of our plans as of yet, but we will either have a turkey dinner here, or perhaps go out for lunch after church on Sunday. We tried to buy a turkey today....but the smallest they had was 30 lbs....quite a bit for 5 people.

I have a lot of difficulty with all of the major holidays....they are a huge family time but our extended families have always had other plans....which leaves us on our own. I find it difficult to get through the day, while all of our friends around us are getting together with their families. It really magnifies the fact we are not. I feel bad for my children too as they will not have the memories of family holidays. When I think back to my childhood Christmases....they were the best....getting together with family, hanging out and just spending the day together. We've spent quite a few years alone now and one would think it would get easier....but I'm finding it gets more difficult each year. This is why I am verbalizing this here....in hopes it will help me better deal with it. Through my homeopath and a friend who is training to become a homeopath....I am learning emotions and feelings *are* very important....they cannot be dismissed and discarded. They must be dealt with and those that are suppressed.....in the end do us a lot more harm than good. We should not feel bad or guilty about the way we feel. It's what makes us....us. Just because it would not bother someone else, does not mean we should deny it bothers us. We are all different and we really are the sum of everything that happens to us.

Sorry if this sounds like a downer post...I didn't mean for it to be that way. I really wanted to wish all those who are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, A Happy Thanksgiving!