Summerfest Fonthill 2011

On Saturday I went to the Pelham Street Fair. At the Fair the temperature was 32 degrees C.


When I was there I got to paint on a big wall that you could draw on.

At the fair there were many activities. My favorite activity was the TOY STORY 3 jungle gym. Another activity was the fire house. At the fire house the fireman gave each kid a hose. You had to make the windows spin and land on the window. On the other side of the window was a fire.

There were a lot of people at the fair. The people were looking at the stands and some people were talking and eating and also drinking.


Mayor Dave was at the fair with his wife and he was dancing the Zumba.

If they put it on again I would totally do it again.

Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Right after school ended Olivia and I flew out to Saskatchewan to visit my 92 year old aunt Maria and my two cousins – Larisa who lives in Rosetown and Irene in Saskatoon. 

We spent 4 great days in Rosetown catching up on family news, sifting through ancient family history, drinking coffee and re-connecting. 

There is something special to be able to talk to people who knew your parents and knew you when you were small and fill in blanks that otherwise would go unanswered. At 92- Auntie Maria looks just the same as I remember her..30, 40 and 50 years ago!!

Olivia spent her days swimming at the community pool- which had warm water and a heated hot tub area.. so she could stay in virtually all afternoon without freezing! She made a new friend named Preston.

We even went to mass on Sunday morning with my aunt so the priest could bless Olivia. Before leaving Rosetown we went to visit the Alex Ositis Foundation Wall at the hospital. Alex was my godfather and a well-loved and respected surgeon in town. The Foundation established in his name buys much needed specialized equipment that the tiny Rosetown hospital would not otherwise have.

On our way back we stopped to see Irene and Doug in Saskatoon and caught up with their lives. They spend a lot of time travelling around the world often searching for ancient Russian Orthodox churches to give Irene the inspiration for creating her own icons. We had a lovely lunch in a local bookstore where just a few months before Doug Schmeiser had done readings from his new book - A Settling of Accounts. Check the weblink to Indigo...  http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/A-Settling-of-Accounts-Douglas-Schmeiser/9780888873842-item.html?ikwid=schmeiser&ikwsec=Home

Rosetown is in the heart of the prairies and the flat farmland stretches for hundreds of miles in every direction, as far as the eye can see. The sky is enormous with majestic fluffy clouds on sunny days and a menacing darkness before rainfall. 


We enjoyed our trip and hope to visit again next summer and perhaps take a road trip up to northern Saskatchewan to visit Lake Waskesiu where elk wander the streets and peer into lodge window as well as Lac La Ronge provincial park which is even further north and is world renowned for its fishing. No more rock bass for Miss O.. some of these fish weigh more than she does!

My very first airplane trip ever was to Saskatchewan- with my mother when I was five..more than 50 years ago.. so I hope to put those two pictures together as soon as I find the box with the old photos!

Here are some facts about Rosetown.

·         Declared a Town in 1911.

·         Town named after James and Ann Rose.

·         Population of 2,277 (according to the 2006 Census) with 1,114 houses

·         Over 5,000 vehicles pass through the community every day.

·         One of only two areas in the province to grow canary seed.

·         Approximately 50 clubs and organizations.

·         2006 Communities in Bloom National winners in their population category.

·         Rose Trail is a seven km walking trail throughout the town.

·         Six parks with diverse landscapes and activities.

·         Hosts the largest men's curling bonspiel under one roof - Rosebowl.

·         Six Hutterite colonies in the west central area

Niagara Showcase Dinner

It is Saturday afternoon and we are expecting guests from Burlington..Mike has finished cutting the grass, eliminating some bothersome giant wasps from the patio and I have spent the last couple of days just thinking what would be a nice Niagara showcase dinner that would highlight the best of living in wine country.

Everyone knows about the wineries and the tender fruit.. but we also have some great veggies and some interesting meat and poultry options.. from organic chicken to wild (?) boar sausage and pheasant breast..and of course berries.

If you have been before, you may remember that we have a very special butcher.. who is particularly well known for his spectacular sausages.. some 30+ different varieties.. . everything from seasonal strawberry and pork sausage to our all time favorite sundried tomato, maybe some apple cinnamon or turkey cranberry.. add some sliced AAA striploin steak for those who don’t like sausage. So now the shopping trip for supplies.

The Country Corner is a totally non-descript place.. in fact when I first moved down here I must have driven by it a dozen times before I ever ventured in.. thinking it was like a 7 Eleven or other convenience store..but once inside I discovered a miniature Pusateri’sJ

http://www.countrycornermarket.ca/

Next time I’ll tell you about the produce options and the search for the perfect tomato..:)

Ice wine, and things that go bump in the night.

Living where we do in Niagara we often try new wines from local wineries. While we don't have a large temperature controlled wine cellar we do usually have anywhere from 12 to 20 bottles in our room temperature wine rack. 

Ilze likes her white wine really cold and for a quick chilling of a bottle will place it in the freezer for a few minutes. Yesterday we had friends over for a BBQ and so a quick chill was in order before opening the second bottle of white wine.

Last night I awoke to a loud bang in the kitchen and went to investigate. Finally, I found the source of the bang! You guessed it. The wine had been forgotten in the freezer and had almost completely frozen. The force of the ice blew the cork out of the bottle! Thank goodness for corks or the glass bottle would have shattered if it had a screw top.

Ice wine anyone?!!

Angel's Gate

Today was one of those those days that I can say I was living in the moment... I was supposed to meet a colleague for lunch halfway between our two offices. ..unlike TO where it was a question of walking a few blocks this way or that... in Niagara this means  pick a spot anywhere along a 100 mile stretch of road..

Today’s rendez vous location was Angel’s Gate Winery... near Beamsville.

I had never been there so was not sure what to expect. I don’t particularly like all the Niagara wines.. but  the restaurants are another matter..the ambiance is what makes it.. driving past the symmetrically perfect rows of vines.. sitting on a patio overlooking the vineyards- or sipping your wine right in amongst the vines.. there are many lovely restaurants associated with the 50+ wineries in this area... and it was our intent to sample them all now that we live here.

What was unique about the menu at Angel’s Gate- was the concept of the platter.. each selection was intended for two people.

Just as I was contemplating the choices a server rushed up to tell me my lunch date had been stranded on the Burlington skyway for the past 45 minutes and could not make it.. what to do? Stay and sample a platter or leave it for another day....

The decision was made for me when I learned that the platters could be split in half.. so I ordered a glass of Chardonnay and enjoyed a lovely summer luncheon  with a spectacular view of vineyards and Lake Ontario in the distance.

My selection The Bench Tour- included barbecued lamb with a mint pesto; a slice of Lake Erie Pickerel on a tomato coulis, and some amazing heirloom tomatoes in a mild vinaigrette topped with emerald green sprouts. An excellent choice!

 http://www.angelsgatewinery.com/terrace.html

I would definitely recommend this spot for lunch on a clear day.

Squirrels!!

The local squirrels here on the Niagara Escarpment are so lovely to look at, but SO destructive! 
Our neighbour  recently had over $2,000 worth of damage to his Mercedes SUV perpetrated by squirrels getting into the engine area under the hood. I hope this is not going to happen to me.

Well, yesterday I saw one under my new car, up on its hind legs, trying to get at something around the engine! Seems they are partial to electrical wiring.

Where can I buy a gun?!!