WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2013

Sue and Wayne are excited that Grandsons Gavin and Kyle arrive Saturday for a week's visit!!! 

Meanwhile, it's a sunny day with a high of  25C forecast. Sue and Julie are grocery shopping for dock party supplies as Kurian's are hosting Friday's gathering. 

Mark is grooming the Scotties today, pedicures and baths. 

Robbie getting his nails done. :-)

Sue and Julie shopped at the Wholesale Club ... nothing wholesale there!  What a come-on. We were not impressed. No Frills is better than that place. 

Robbie the Bruce, après bath. 

Sue and Wayne had Macy at the Kenora vet then picked up pizzas for dinner. Later, we played Mexican Dominoes, which Sue won!  It was a good day!

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013

Last night, about 11, we gathered on the outermost dock to watch the Perseid meteor shower. Around 15 "shooting stars" were seen in 45 minutes!  

Tonight it's "Pasta Tuesday" night at Boston Pizza!!!  We discussed alternate plans, but so Wayne and Mark might finish the dang shed, we've opted for a "cheap" date night. Nothing fancy; but delicious. 

Nearly ready for the roof. What a job!  Nothing fit easily with this kit!

The new "Man Cave" is coming along!

Scary scaffolding ... Wayne on the ladder!

Finally finished !!!  I think the guys will be celebrating tonight. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013

O Canada, glorious and free ... It's a beautiful sunny start to this day!  

Mark and Wayne are hard at work this morning assembling Sue's new shed. The original idea of a wood storage area morphed into a full fledged project. Ha. So while they are busy with that, let me tell you about a local celebrity we met while fishing. 

Kenora's own, Mike Richards, is a hockey star. He played, at an early age, with the Kenora Minor Hockey league before being drafted in 2001.  

Mark and Julie were fishing just around the bay from Chippy's Hollow where Mark caught this big walleye. 

There's a lovely cottage high on a rocky ledge that Julie admired. Anyway, a fishing boat came near us while we were in the Crestliner ... "Hey, are you catching anything here?" said Mike. Of course, Mark and Julie, not being familiar with local celebrities just chatted him up like any fellow fisherman. He was very nice ... had a kayak strapped to his fishing boat, and later returned in his kayak and talked to us again. 

Mike Richards in front of Husky the Muskie in downtown Kenora. A homegrown hero and all around good guy. 

Tonight, a large meteor shower is expected!  Our plans are for dinner, Cribbage and meteor watching at 11. Lets see if we can stay awake that late!!!  LOL

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2013

Good Sunday morning y'all. Let's start the day with a hilarious photobomb ... Mooo-ve. 

Truly, a laughing cow!!!

Since its Sunday, and we do things religiously on Sunday ... the four of us are off to breakfast at Yesterdays. 

Meanwhile, the bunny came for birdseed (???) and chased away the squirrel !!!  What a menagerie. LOL

Shoppers Drug Mart had a big sale today that included two $10 gift cards!!!  We're in. Sue, Julie and Mark stocked up on necessities. 

It's a beautiful afternoon, about 24C and Wayne and Mark are back to the shed construction. 

All smiles ... for the camera!  Haha. Bet there's some cussing going on though. 

The only salvaged piece of the former building on this site. Yes, it is!! 

Happy hour was had on the glider swing, dockside. Misty rain blew in on a NW wind and sent us scattering. Bear's Lair is hosting dinner tonight of cabbage rolls, perogies and sausages. Ukrainian style!

Julie walked the Scotties toward Joanne's and saw a large red doe watching them.  She leapt into the brush, turned and watched again. The dogs were unnerved and had trouble focusing on their business. The rain began in earnest and we turned back to Chippy's Hollow. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2013

The dock party was fun ... lots of good food and many laughs. Donna and Dennis invited everyone in for more to eat at 9 ... and the wine was flowing freely. 

Mark's "old" circus joke was a party hit as evidenced by Wayne's laughter. 

Today, Wayne and Mark are building a shed!  No swearing yet!  It's a beautiful 24C and sunny. I'm certain they'd rather be fishing in the Tahoe. 

Mark, aka Fashionista, ready for tree removal yesterday!  

Sue and Julie escaped paradise for awhile by going to Kenora Mall. It wasn't too exciting, but they both bought something. Of course!

The dinner plans tonight are homemade meatballs, marinara sauce and bow tie pasta with Italian bread. It sure smells great right now!!!

Progress on the shed ... and happy hour is fast approaching. 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2013

Yesterday, Mark and Julie drove to Winnipeg to have lunch with Gregg Tawns. It was a good visit ... Mark took Foxy for a walk ... and we had a Subway lunch.  Gregg is recovering from 3 weeks in hospital for pneumonia. Yikes!

On the TransCanada Highway, Mark spotted a doe with two fawns waiting to cross the highway ... We stopped and she cautiously took her kids across right in front of us!!!  Why didn't I get a picture. Duh. 

A few miles further along, we came across a large American bald eagle feasting on road kill with a flock of buzzards!!!  We've never seen that before. Strange. They were obviously getting along by sharing a meal. 

After lunch we drove to Ludwick's Catering in Bird's Hill for cabbage rolls, Wayne's order.  It was nice to see their handmade goods really being handmade!!!  There were half a dozen women rolling perogies. :-)  

Then, we bought a dining set for Chippy's Hollow!  

Of course, it rained on the way home with furniture in back of the truck!!!  Mark drove fast enough that the rain blew over the truck bed. LOL

Once the dining set was in the cottage, Mark helped me finish our new storage center. It was quite a bargain, on sale, at Canadian Tire. 

Meanwhile, Sue and Wayne went to a dinner party at Joyce and Jim Gauthier's cottage.  Apparently it was a good evening!!!  

Today, Mark and Wayne are clearing an area of an old building and dead trees!  This looks like trouble to me. Haha. 

It's "Dock Party" night at Donna and Denis Wallace's cottage ... a chilly evening forecast. Perfect for Kenora dinner jackets and hot toddies. :-)

 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2013

May 10th, 1973 was an explosive day in Kenora!  At 2:30 on a Friday afternoon, a balaclava clad man entered the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce with a handgun, a rifle and dynamite strapped to his chest. He was 5'8" tall, about 145 lb. with a red beard. The robber handed a note to the bank manager and demanded money and a getaway truck. Hostages were held for 90 frightening minutes. 

An off duty policeman, Don Milliard, offered to be the getaway driver. The photo above, from the Daily Miner and News, shows the bandit following his hostage out of the bank door. 

The above photo, from the Daily Miner and News, shows Constable Milliard opening the getaway truck door.

The detonation device, known as a "deadman's switch", was held between the robber's front teeth.

Constable Milliard saw his chance, dropped to the ground, as a fellow police sharpshooter shot the robber. What happened next shocked the hundreds of  bystanders. The dynamite exploded, blowing out windows along the street and covering buildings with pieces of the robber!!!  Constable Milliard survived the blast, likely saved by the knapsack of money strapped to his back. 

To this day, the robber's identity is unknown. DNA evidence is available should a lead come to light.