Mother Nature's palette!

We spent a week as tourists!  Well, it's the best way to learn so we can talk with our guests about all the great things to see and do in our area!  And the fall colours were absolutely at their peak, stunning with massive rolling clouds sometimes threatening rain.  Alton Mills was nice to see (good chili!) but the Town of Erin surprised us with its main street of shops and many trails.  We will definitely be going back with the dogs!  We also hiked two trails on Sandy Hills Drive that were very nice. (More to follow in the next post!)

But what I most wanted to share in this post was the brilliant wash of colours in all that we did.  As if the brilliant trees weren't enough, on our drive to Alton Mills along Hwy #18 we passed a canola field, glowing yellow!  This is not our picture but is very similar to what we enjoyed:

 WOW!

And here's a rainbow in a box!  Wellington Fibres on Middlebrook Road just outside of Elora has a great shop right on the farm where you can see the goats in the field.  My sister is needle-felting and shared some of the rovings she bought for her projects.  Wow, what a dazzling selection, thank you again Doris!  If you're into knitting, spinning, weaving or needle-felting, you'll love visiting Wellington Fibres!

Into the Gorge we go!

If anyone ever tells you they're going to quit their job, move and start a new business all at the same time, stop them!  Let me just say that we've certainly been pushed to our limits in many ways and it's only because of teamwork, positive thinking and determination that we've made it through some days.  Water in the basement = check.  Furnace that won't work (although it worked for the inspection!) = check.  Windows painted and glued over with no air conditioning = check.  Broken lawn mower = check.  Movers who beat up our furniture = check (22 damaged items and still finding more, avoid Good 'Ol Boys Moving Company at all costs!)  Wrong headboards sent, the ones we want on back order since July = check.  New fence chipped and scrapped at instillation = check.   The list goes on and on.  It was a blessing that our vacation, booked and paid for last January, was last week and we had a much-needed break in peaceful, dog-friendly Woodhaven Country Lodge.
  On the good side:  friends and family who have shown nothing but support (thank you Rose, Carl, Melanie, Doris), a community that has shown nothing but enthusiasm and glowing anticipation for our venture (wow, Elora, you rock!), a "handyman" that is worth his weight in gold with his care, attention to detail, timeliness and precision (Tim, you're incredible!), a realtor who has gone above and beyond after-sales service in regards to our leaky basement (George, all I can say is thank you!), bookings already for Thanksgiving and Christmas, doggy walks along the Gorge Trail that take my breath away every time, and this list goes on and on too.  
  I feel very blessed... that is when I'm not holding on white-knuckled with both hands and screaming on this roller coaster ride!  : }  
 Here are some photos that were taken when my sister visited, enjoy!  And come see the Gorge for yourself!

Doris and Merlin with Willow in the Irvine River part of the Gorge.  Love that cave!

The view from Lover's Leap.

 This is our Meadow Room, where my sister stayed with her pups.

Merlin in our back/side yard.

Spooky trees are created by the Gorge's merciless cliffs... beautiful!

Down into the Gorge.

 The "Tooth of Time", a stunning little rocky island in the Elora Falls.

Me and my Willow.

      

YUCK!!! Ticks!!!

Disgusted?  YUCK!!!  Willow had two of these things on her!!!  I used a Tick Twister to get them off, which worked very well (thank you, Dodo) and put them in a little jar.  Since one was quite large, I decided to bring them to the vet to ID them... yes, they were Deer Ticks and so I asked my vet to send them to be tested for Lyme disease.  

(This isn't Willow but this is what it looked like.)

And f!{%&*k!!!!  The test came back positive for Lyme!  I'm so upset!  And so disappointed that I didn't spot them sooner!  So now she's on 28 days of antibiotics and should be okay but what a scary thing to go through. 


Here's my Willow.

Where did we pick up the ticks?  We were on vacation in Prince Edward County, Ontario, mostly in and around Picton.  We probably got the ticks near the edge of a forest where there was a lot of deer poop.

 There was a lovely cemetery to walk in... where there was a posted sign:  "Dog lovers:  we have already seen ticks in this area, be aware and check your pets."

   The map below is from 2002 and shows Lyme cases in Ontario and things are only getting worse... it's a given that ticks will become more and more apparent this side of the border, all along the warmest parts... cottage country!

Everyone really has to become aware of this nasty issue and be smart about ticks!!!  Prevention is the only good answer, Lyme is such a terrible debilitating disease if it goes unchecked and becomes a chronic problem.   

Dollirium, sugar skulls and resting in peace in paradise

I am so honored that my Cere the Rat is included in Dollirium's Facebook banner for the current exhibit, "The Home Grown Doll Show".  Please do stop in and see all the AMAZING art, the show ends July 5th!  (I have my eye on a cute little zombie...)

 

And, after mending two shirts I took some time to quill, working on the Day of the Dead skull that I started earlier.  This is how far I got:

Nothing is glued yet, so things are a bit crooked but I think it looks pretty neat!  LOVE working with all these bright, happy colors!

 

Vacation photos?  How about a video?  Here is a mini video I took while standing in the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's cemetery, Angels' Rest.  A stunningly peaceful place, the wind chimes soothed us as we stood and contemplated the souls no longer with us...

 

We survived the Wild West!

We're back!!!  I'm just popping in to say our vacation in Utah was beyond incredible, beyond expectations!  We flew into Las Vegas, spent a few days there to acclimatize, then off to the Wild West!  We had a hotel in Kanab, Utah, and from there our tour guide Tyler took us to Zion National Park, Lake Powell, the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park and a day volunteering at Best Friends Animal Society.  In between we had multiple stops, including Horseshoe Bend and, my favorite, the Toadstools.   

I will post more later, but here are a few pictures.

If you ever want to experience this sort of a trip, do not hesitate to contact Tyler of National Park Tourz.  He made our time in Utah amazing, and touring with a guide is incredibly relaxing with the added benefit of an insider's experience and expertise.  Just awesome!