25 X 36

25 years ago today I took possession of 36 Wineva Avenue in Toronto. I never aspired to home ownership, I had no idea about the real estate market, I had no experience as a landlord, I was only marginally solvent for a mortgage! But I had rented at 39 Wineva and loved the idea of living half-a-block from the beach. I had bid $5000 over the asking price on Sept. 18 (just before going to Michigan for the wedding of my nephew John to Shawn). In the property frenzy of that time, I had never even seen the inside of the place ---- take it or leave it!

So it was all a fluke. I got to work putting in a basement apartment (no permit) and then dividing up the top floor (ditto) after gutting the whole space. A learning curve with the steepness and challenge of Mount Everest. I was the worst combination ---- a first-time amateur who didn't know what he didn't know. There were flaws. mistakes, and a few injuries. But it worked out as a place to live and the rentals are my main income source. (The experiences I have had with dozens of tenants in 25 years is a whole other book.)

So these are pictures of pictures, way before digital and internet. I miss the place and the city, 4 years now after moving out. It has gotten a bit worn and shabby on the outside, embarrassing me when I see the neighbours.  So the next 25 years might include being back there and starting over. Book your visits now at www.youcanstayat36ifyouhelpwiththework.com!

WALKING WITH SANDY

We were hit pretty hard by hurricane/tropical storm Sandy. Yesterday was my much delayed follow-up appointment with my heart surgeon ---- 8 weeks after the fact! He thought my healing and recovery have been "perfect"; is that word overused?? It was great to have my impressions confirmed and it may be the last time I see him. But we had to drive through three hours of Early Sandy rain and howling crosswinds. Even the Mennonite horse carts were down to no frills.

We followed up a Kitchener Kijiji ad and  got a great deal on a treadmill while we were there. But the ride home in the dark was a white-knuckler in the rain so hard it looked like sheets. Even worse, we got home and the power was off in the whole region. Our primitive security pack was a fluorescent flashlight from Pat's dad (circa 1980), the backpack burner that I've carried for decades, a mini freebie radio (batteries borrowed from a tv remote), and bowls of water gleaned from our faucets! Even I thought it was scraping the barrel.

So first thing this morning we went to town to get our first-ever generator. Dozens of fellow darksters had beaten us to the punch and Pat had to stand guard over the last one on the shelves! This blog is being written with power supplied by the generator we have named "Sandy" --- the power may be off for days. And I can do my rehab walks indoors, watching the whitecaps while whistling whatever.

UNDRAMATIC

Nothing much dramatic this week, although there was progress in a lot of things. I was at the Toronto rehab clinic Monday to meet my Trainer/Coach Kalinka --- we walked a mile on the indoor track for baseline measurements. Also had a session with the Dietitian about our food choices. Turns out we've been eating mostly healthy anyway. The key is to limit salt and trans fats, then have everything else in moderation. Now I do my exercise program at home and report in once a week. Very handy for my needs this winter.

Otherwise, the early week sunrises are now giving way to the threats of Hurricane Sandy. We have strong winds and a lot of rain. The birds continue to put on a show of numbers ---- where there used to be 1 or 2 evening grosbeaks (grey and yellow), this year there's 30! Even the little goldfinches arrive in flocks of 40 or 50, very hungry. Pat used the warm/sunny Thursday to put away the pond plants. Some got transplanted to the bog, some got brushcuts down to the water level.

Remember my 1962 Honda Cub motorbike in the shop since last May?? The mechanic and I finally gave up trying to hook up the Chinese motor I got in the States. Converting from 6 volts to 12 volts was one thing, but the original primitive Japanese wiring just wouldn't match up with China's latest, plus other complications. My bike is back at home but I haven't given up. Next spring ---- back to the future with an old motor!!

ENDING AND BEGINNING

Autumn is ending quickly, the sun so low it lights up the horizon like a yellow smear. The rare Sharp Shinned Hawk spent a day picking off songbirds near our feeder, before continuing to South Carolina for the winter. The Japanese Maple is at maximum red, like the rising sun on the Japanese flag (coincidence??). Tardy strawberries struggle to ripen, like students cramming the night before deadline. To balance those endings, new bulbs go into the ground ---- their pictures will be in this blog next April!

But a Beginning is the big news this week. On a daytrip to Toronto, we happened to see schoolkids at a track meet. A good omen, because we then went to the Toronto Rehab Institute to start my cardio-rehab program! Yes, after a frustrating and impatient 8 weeks I had found a really accommodating, flexible, cheery, top notch team to work with. First they took some baseline measures --- for instance 109 of my 191 pounds body weight are water!! Not crucial, but very interesting, no? Then over to the "Stress Test" where I'm wired to a bike for heart ratios, etc. I was prepared to pedal and sweat til I dropped but apparently I'm already fit enough that I barely had time to pose before they were satisfied. Next week I get my individualized program ---- bring it on!

Back at home, the cardio system got a workout by dragging leaves and hauling rocks. (The rules say no heavy furniture but nothing about 100 pound rocks!!)

2 SHOWS, NO FARMERS PLEASE

Yesterday Pat put on quite a show, finally presenting a seminar after agonizing and prepping it for weeks now. It was a standing-room-only Master Gardener event at a local hall. Topic was how to manage hot dry summers in your garden. Appreciative audience and many requests to repeat it to other groups. (Can I be a Roadie??)

So today we took a much-needed break, a drive through the countryside to the picturesque town of St. Jacobs. It's probably THE major Mennonite centre in Canada. The horse and buggies are everywhere, especially in the church yard on Sundays like today. But the town itself is a quaint walkabout with old mills converted to shops and grand mansions by the river. Where else can you see corn stalks converted to brooms, with blown glass orbs sprinkling rainbows on the floor?

Best surprise of the day, though, was the great acting at the 384-seat local theatre. We saw a performance of Sleuth, the classic British whodunnit with a twist. It's a two-man show and those guys must be exhausted by the final curtain ---- demanding physical posturing layered on witty puns and bombast. Like two prancing Mick Jaggers doing Shakespeare!

But we had to get out of town quick after the show. We both have farming in our heritage and we were in a non-farmer parking spot!!

HAPPY 100th MOM

There has been so much rain, wind, and cold lately that our ultra-steep driveway gets covered with slippery icy fallen leaves. It has to be raked daily --- or should we open the world's first bobsleigh run for cars??

My mother would have been 100 today. Firstborn of a stern Byelorussian farmer, Sophie Chmill would endure a harsh life of illiteracy, abuse, and fearful dislocation first to Glaslyn Saskatchewan and then Windsor Ontario. She showed us that even menial labour has dignity. That wisdom and determination can take you as far as education. And that there is nothing as fierce, selfless and devoted as a mother's love. Although my mom passed away in 1984, she guides me every day.

So it was a wonderful coincidence this morning that multi-generations just happened to gather at breakfast on Sophie's day. A sister, niece, son, and two granddaughters marveled at the timing. I just figure it's mom telling our small family to get closer. Thanks for everything, mom. I love you.

Now, help us blow out the candles --- one for every 100 years!

SCARY FAIRIES, COLOURS, AND THANKSGIVING

A Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Canada? Today we had heavy rain, winds, sunshine, and hail (only the size of BB's). Oh, and frost is predicted overnight....

Friday had been forecast as the only full-sun day of the weekend, so we drove around to soak up the beauty of the counties. Meaford was in full Invasion of (hundreds of) Scarecrows. This year's theme is Fairy Tales so the streets and parks  hosted Snow White, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and many other classics. Very creative, very colourful and even the crows had too much fun to be scared.

But the leaves were even more colourful. In some valleys the colours were past their peak and in fact some of the best were just up the road from our house! Did you know the famous American conservationist John Muir spent many months wandering in nearby Beaver Valley? The unspoiled forests and streams inspired him to spend his life promoting their protection back in his own country.

But the main event today was giving thanks. Only yesterday Pat's brother-in-law was transferred back to a local hospital and out of intensive care.  These pictures of the hastily-arranged family dinner are fuzzy but the thanksgiving and relief are very clear.