Family

Stepping Up

Next year’s planned job, the stone patio is giving me a bit of grief.  The big issue is that when Hj and I put the gravel dust in place the drop to the East was too large and this began to wash away because of the 1 foot deep drop for the opening at the in-house on the East side (in the image it is the dark place where the boards meet).  I want to put some steps there, not just to keep the dust from washing but also because they will eventually have to go there anyway.   It is early to do this because the dust needs to settle but still getting them in is the only realistic way to keep the dust from spilling way with the rain.  The other problem is that the stones for this are simply too large for me to handle on my own.  So, this was the other job that Hj came down to help me with on the weekend.

We brought in many more wheel barrels full of stone dust and stomped this as firmly as our weight would allow, then the two of us put the large stones in place.  Unless they go out of level, or settle too much, then this will be the last time we ever need to move them.  I am strongly hoping that we put in enough of a buffer that it will be exact, and permanent, because these big rocks are really NOT fun to move!

The two top stones are to be the first edge of the stone patio.

The bottom large stone stair will make a handy place to sit in order to change the catch bucket from the toilet.

Lets hope that they winter well.

***ps: The blue box has kindling in it plus a few pieces behind there too.  It is being picked up by someone who uses it.  Waste not-want not, right?

Categories: Family, Off Grid, Re-Use, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario | 11 Comments

Sunny Honey Bunny

Waking up at Tiny House Ontario is really nice, particularly when the dogs are there and not in a hurry to get out of bed but rather prefer a little cuddle and a tummy rub.  This morning was one such beginning.   Honey Bunny (the red chihuahua) loves to sit in the sun, I often find her chasing sunny spots around as they move throughout the day.  She was so sweet and cuddly this morning.

My husband made a surprise visit down because there are a couple of jobs that require two people’s hands.  I had mentioned this problem, so he drove down with the four dogs just to help me.  Thanks Hj!  We have been doing some work today, but stopped now for a baked potato and to use the internet because we needed to take a quick trip to Rona for some wood and lemon oil.

This photo is the sun coming in from the West – where in the morning it comes through the East.  Still this is, essentially, what I wake up to at THO.

The wonderful painting on the dresser is by Kingston artist Geoff Smith.  I purchased this from him a few months ago and have not yet decided how to frame it.  I loved the bridge, life seems to always be a series of going through things.  The painting seemed to me to be a material visual of this.  How would you frame this one, if it were in your Tiny House?

Categories: Dogs, Family, Friendship, Ontario, Simple living, Tiny House Ontario, View | Tags: , | 2 Comments

This Morning

This morning when I woke at Tiny House Ontario, it was not the forest, but the phone that greeted me.  A call about my computer and then another call to meet my cousin Sandy at the family graveyard.  I had never been there before, because no one seemed to know how to find it, but he had been brought there by my Great Uncle George when he was young and remembered vaguely.  We met there this morning about about 9:00 am.

I won’t share where it is unless you are family and want to know, but I will share that it is a bit of an odyssey to get there.  When we arrived there was just one stone visible and a little marker that says J McC.  Sandy remembered that there were more and had a trowel so we checked under the moss and found that there were a number of bits.  Here is what we found of our ancestors headstones as well as the ruins from the original house, well, barns, outbuildings.

The thread of belonging for this is:  The McConnell’s married into the Hendersons who married into the Comptons, who married into the Rickards, who married into the Morelands.  The former farm is on a Kingston escarpment where the water runs sulfur.

I think that these folks are my great, great, great grandparents – but am not 100% sure, Sandy will look at his notes.  It will be cool to get them up on Ancestry.com because they will not exist there having been buried for the last 40 years or so.

Categories: Family, Kingston, Open your eyes, View | 4 Comments

Standing My Ground

My girlfriend Colleen Murphy was out to visit THO today.  We have not seen one another in a long time, but we stay in touch.  Colleen is a very talented artist and amateur photographer.  It was wonderful to spend the day with my kindred friend.

She took and shared some beautiful photos which I will be posting over the next days.

I am standing here in the sacred grounds, can you find the warrior peaking out of the sun?  This photo is NOT edited in any way at all.

 

 

 

 

Categories: Art, Environmentalism, Family, Forest, Friendship, Magical, Ontario, Open your eyes, Tiny House Ontario | 9 Comments

Sands Mud Bog

I took the day off yesterday.  Spent the day with my dad’s side of the family at the Sands Mud bog, North of Battersea.  Talk about a total hoot!  It is a family/community event that is held every year.  It was the first time that I have been able to make it back and I can tell you that I am not missing it again unless I am too old to get into the back of a truck!  The family and thier community are just so much fun!

Lots of people – a beer or two were enjoyed.  The laughter was as loud as the trucks in the bog.

Sadly, I forgot my camera so I had to steal a couple of pics from my cousin A.  Hope that is groovy with her as a truck tire in the bog.  The John Deere truck is her baby.  She is a dead awesome bogger!   Uncle Steve would be huge proud!  I have to tell you that it makes me really sentimental.  I am thinking that the rainbow that popped up just as the bog ended was more than a little symbolic.

Thanks to my cousin B and C who hosted this brilliant event!  Glad to be invited!

After the mud bogs I went to another family event (Mom’s side).  While there, I mentioned that I had enjoyed a totally awesome day at the mud bogs.  A lady who was there stuck up her nose and said “I don’t see the point, this is a stupid thing to do, it just ruins the soil in the bog, so loud, so futile… blah, blah, blah”.  I was not prepared for anyone to be such an argumentative, negative, arse-pick.   Seriously… with the way that the land is being taken over by housing?  A mud bog does significantly less damage than one single McMansion and I can assure you that this one gave pleasure and a community event for about a hundred or more people… hard for a person as uptight as that to understand laughter and community participation is my guess?

You can’t make everyone happy and I have to say that if I am picking who to have fun with… well you know the answer, I am getting in the truck going to Battersea and I am wearing my rubbers too.

I wonder what the other Tiny Housers did this weekend?

Categories: Family, Friendship, Magical, Off Grid, Ontario, Simple living, View | 1 Comment