paisley

The First Crossing

Paisley — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:20:58 +0000

the outfit for channel crossing. (for those who worry: keep in mind, the channel isn’t deeper than my waist at any point … I know this b/c I kept hitting my paddleboard paddle on the bottom all summer!) The brown string leads to the ice-pickers that my dad makes to pull myself out if I go in.

And I finally got brave enough to do it. (second try on the second day. I chickened out first time around)

The rest of these pictures are from looking at the ice/playing on smooth smooth L Superior ice (note, water only 15 cm deep under ice!) It was lovely!

The sun trying VERY hard to penetrate the clouds!

I walked down to the mouth of the Goulais River and sat on a log looking around:I took this picture out over the mouth of the Goulais River …

I didn’t realize at the time I was taking this picture that the night before a snowmobiler had gone missing here. It turns out that he had thought the ice was solid enough in the mouth of the river right here and gone out on it. He fell through with his machine. He was found the same evening I took this picture. In fact, Rob came home while I was out walking and was very worried because there were several police cars and ambulances on our road. (I’ll leave a note saying where I’ve gone next time!) The man was way out in the bay, almost where Goulais Bay meets Whitefish Bay, and found by helicopter. He was very young, and a well known man about town. It is so sad to think that while I was sitting here enjoying this lovely spot his family was looking for him. I’ve noticed that there hasn’t been even one snowmobile going by since, not even on the solidly frozen, and shallow channel, whereas we had a constant flow of them prior. I guess everyone is so shocked and sad that they aren’t willing/wanting/able to get back out there. I’m even a little gun shy now about walking across the channel.

Lake Superior is wonderful, but unforgiving in many ways. My thoughts are with that gentleman and his family right now …

Not to be a whiner … BUT

Paisley — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:14:03 +0000

After being given hope today by one sunshine appearing in the next week’s weather forecast this is now the picture. Good grief … someone SEND SOME SUN HERE FAST!!!!

(please?)

Tonight

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tue

It’s going to be a bright, bright sunshiny day?

Paisley — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:25:32 +0000

this is the picture on tomorrow’s weather forecast. I cannot remember the last time this picture was on the forecast as it has been cloudy, or mostly cloudy here for weeks. Actually, it’s months now. I am SO excited. I’m going to be outside ALL DAY if it is truly all sun all day. Pics to come if it’s nice. If not, pics of the inside of my down comforter as I pout on the couch instead!

Woof

Paisley — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:38:55 +0000

this is Ben. I’m meeting him tomorrow. There’s a good chance his new home will be our house. I already love him! I’ll tell you more once I know more.

Catch Up # 1 – The most beautiful New Years Eve Day …

Paisley — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:03:30 +0000

the sun has come out on one significant occasion in my recent memory. Here it is. It was a lovely lovely day to go for a walk!

Ottawa

Paisley — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:41:39 +0000

I’m signed up. Hopefully this will be incentive to get running!

Year/Année	Lastname/Nom	Firstname/Prénom	Race/Course	Bib Number	Pledge
2012	Trusdale	Paisley	Ottawa 10K

Merry Christmas!

Paisley — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:44:35 +0000

Well, the 25th is here. My lovely colleague sent me hom early last night, so I was tucked into bed by 0100 early on Christmas Morning. Rob got up at 0500 and went off to work and now I’m here waiting for him to come home at 1500 or so. We’ll have an hour here together and then I’ll head to work and leave him to his own devices for the afternoon and evening. This will be the last year we ever spend like this … we’ve learned our lessons about the subtle ins and outs of scheduling and even if we work again it will not be opposite shifts like this.

SO … I’m feeling a little blue, but here’s a list of good things to cheer me up:

1. Just talked to Dad and got to wish him a Merry Christmas!

2. Gonna talk to Mom at 1300!

3. Rob’s coming home soon …

4. I have very nice colleagues (both MD, nurses, ward clerks etc etc) and we are all bringing food for a feast tonight at work

5. The people I love are healthy and happy today

6. We have a home, and enough money, and food, and health, and live in one of the best countries in the world, and I’m sitting on a comfy couch watching the snow fall behind my $5 Christmas tree.

7. I woke up to snow today!

Ok … that was a good exercise. I’m happy now. I’m going to go put on “walt disney Christmas” on our record player!

Here are a few pics:

tree before decorating and presents

and tree after!

Snowy Christmas … it’s VERY hard to take a picture of falling snow …

you can kinda see the snow in this one!

And this is my Christmas Morning view! Not too shabby!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Love, Paisley

Christmas Eve

Paisley — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 16:02:45 +0000

It’s snowing a little here today. I think we might get a ‘white-ish’ Christmas this year after all, which would be nice. Rob’s at work, and I’m here at home waiting for my shift tonight. We have a record player now, inspired by Uncle Dave’s record collection which we raided earlier this fall. One of the records we have is the London Symphony playing Christmas carols so I’m sitting in the basement right now with a cup of coffee listening to the rich, lovely sound of the music coming from the record player. I put the tree up this morning (if you wait until the 23rd of Dec to get your tree it only costs $5 instead of $50 – that’s a procrastinators tip for you!) and while we haven’t decorated it yet I did put the lights on and it looks very pretty. I’m feeling a very tiny bit of Christmas Spirit, which is miles ahead of where I was a day ago, so I’m feeling encouraged.

It’s nippy out today, which is great, so the snow that falls might stay put.

Will take some pics of the tree for you for tomorrow. I’m wishing you a Merry Christmas Eve – and to my loved ones – wish I was with you …

Love,

Paisley

what matters most about Dec 23?

Paisley — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:48:12 +0000

What matters most to ME is that it is my Grandpa’s Birthday! He doesn’t look at computers very much, so hopefully someone who is computer savy near him will show him this … But even if he doesn’t see this I’d like to say I have an AWESOME Grandpa and he is turning (I believe this is correct) 95 years young today. I’ve been lucky to have 32.5 years of an hilarious, kind, supportive, loving and always present Grandpa, and today I want him and everyone else to know I’m thinking of him as he celebrates 95 trips around the sun. Here’s a few of my favourite pics of the two of us when I was little.

I love you Grandpa! Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Paisley — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:41:14 +0000

I’m alone over most of Christmas due to our schedule this year. Rob and I are working basically opposite shifts, and will see little of each other, which means when I’m home I’m on my own, and the same for him. It’s kinda sad … but I’m trying not to be swallowed up by pitty and instead find good things. I’ll spend Christmas with YOU through my blog instead!

Here’s a little update of the last little while. The weather is non-snowy, and grey. Grey grey grey. No sunbeams to lie in. Just grey. Here’s some examples:

both were taken in the middle of the day. not at night, or twilight, as they appear!

We did have a brief burst of sunshine today. It allowed me to update you on the river freeze up. There is about a 3 inch strip still open …

Neat, isn’t it?

Here’s a picture of the Eaton Centre when I was there the other day.

It is not a place for the agorophobic! BUT I stayed and bought jeans, a shirt, another shirt and only required one resuscitation with eggnog latte to make it through! Had a lovely visit with dear friends, and then off to Wpg for a family Christmas, which was great too.

Now we’re back, and just trying to get over our work slog over Christmas before enjoying more family here over new years!! Yay!!!

Also, I found a yarn shop:

50% alpaca 50% wool. Oh boy. My needles are twitching to get into it!

Happy Christmas Eve Eve …