Bob and I replacing bolts on the wind vane, some were rusting!

My brother arrived a few days ago and we are getting ready to depart for Nfld. we are waiting on two items I feel are essential for sailing in northern climates.  The first is our Epirb, or emergency beacon which will tell the rescuers where we are if we have to abandon ship or get into really bad trouble. The second is our propane heater.  We capped the heater in Trinidad as we were occasionally getting water down the flue and it was unnecessary.  When we capped it we had a solid stainless steel piece made to fit on the outside of the deck.  It seems that when we took the original with the hole in it in to have a template made, it never found it's way back to the boat, so we ware having another manufactured.  Barry's sister has sent us an Iceberg finding site for Nfld.   www.icebergfinder.com. and I feel that anytime there are icebergs in the vicinity a heater of some sort is an essential sailing tool!! The weather looks good for a Friday departure but unless the repair gods smile on us today we won't leave until Sunday or Monday.  

Jennifer and Leeland doing soccer drills. 

Meanwhile attendance at the twice weekly soccer and baseball practices is required by our grandsons and gladly complied with by their grandparents.  Great Uncle Bob was requested to join in at the participatory soccer skills that Leeland, the five year old is involved in.  The occasional practice spontaneously breaks out on the lawn with either Grannie or Grandpa pitching and William remembering to keep his elbow up as he pastes the rubber ball out of the park.   We had to adjust home base several times because he was hitting them across the road and Grandpa objected to having to scrabble around under the evergreens when an erratically thrown ball got passed the catcher.

Putting the finishing touches on the garden at the office. 

The boys came to help us put the finishing touches on quadrangle garden at Jen's office.  It is quite the transformation.  Jen's own yard is gorgeous as well.  I am going to go out and take a few pics so you can enjoy the beauty which surrounds 1103 Westmount Road.  

The main house, with beds on either side of a flagstone pathway, hanging baskets and annuals in rectangular planters.

A close up of the bed in front of the house, I love the contrast of the foliage.  

A bench on the side of the home that was built for Mark's parents, clematis and white roses in bloom.

A newer bed around the tree just at the front of the property, to the left of the driveway. 

Each year she adds to the yard, the other day Mark and Jen went and got a truck load of mulch and we shoveled it off the back of the truck.  Jen laid down landscaping material on the far side of the grannie flat and covered it in mulch in preparation for planting next year.