Family Dinner and a Hurricane..August 15th

Sunday dawned hot and humid and clear blue skies. There was so much humidity in the air that I am sure you could have taken a bar of soap and had an outside shower without bothering to turn on any taps. Temps are in the mid 30's, but with the humidity it is in the low 40's. Ohhh, to be able to breathe!!

I spent a good portion of the morning doing laundy and making a couple of appetizers to take over to Bob & Diana's to enjoy before dinner. That, plus tidying up around the bus to get ready to travel again. Dale got the outside chores done and the car re-packed and then inside to keep cool. Just too uncomfortable to be outside for any length of time.

On the way over to Bob & Diana's we stopped at the Antique Jewellers im Jordan once again, in the hopes the price of the ring would, miracously, have come down. Nope..no such luck. So..instead of coveting that item, I bought a gold braclet instead!  It is "twisted" and on one end is a dolphin's head and on the other is the dolphin's tail. It is just so unique I couldn't resist.

On to Bob & Diana's and we got a few minutes visit in and a few chores done before the rest of the family arrived. MaryJo & Marty along with Zachary, Aiden; Cailyn and Aunty Verla; followed by Trevor & Jenny with Madelaine and Connor. A house full and the kids/cousins were full to energy and just tired us out watching the kids.

Clockwise from back: Marty, MaryJo, Cailyn, Aiden and Zachary

Jenny with Connor and Trevor with Madelaine

Mollie, resting on the steps

Trevor, Diana & Bob

We had a fabulous dinner. Bob had BBQ'd a sirloin roast and had made a rub for it that was mouthwatering with hidden flavours. Aunty Verla had made an Apple pie and a Cherry Pie and Diana had made a lime/marshmellow salad (for the little kids but it was the big ones who ate it!!); scalloped potatoes with cheese and a peach cobbler. MaryJo/Marty brought a crunchy green salad and Trevor/Jenny brought fresh corn on the cob. Needless to say, once again, the table was groaning and by the end of dinner, so were we all!

All during this week of visiting, Dale had been enjoying Aunty Verla's tea, advising that this was "real tea" and not the "crap" that Arlene makes!! (first time I had heard that he didn't like my green tea!!). So Aunty Verla went out and bought him a box of Tetley Tea and we had the "passing of the tea" from Aunty Verla to Dale.

no explanations necessary!!!

It was so nice to see everyone together for our last night of visiting. We left around 9:00 ish and headed back to the bus. There was a breeze up and now that the sun had gone down, the temperatures were somewhat more tolerable. You could actually sit outside and not melt.

We watched a little TV and then I toddled off to bed around 11:00 and left Dale watching the Fox News. Around 11:50, we heard a crash of thunder and a small pattering of rain and then the sheet lightening started, one after another after another and more thunder rolling by. Then the rain came in torrents, in sheets and the wind came roaring up. It just happened..no warning and it was somewhat nerve wracking. We had no chance to get outside to get the big awning down, you didn't dare go out for fear of being hit by lightening and you would have drowned in the downpour. All we could do was sit helplessly in our tossing bus and hope for the best. The windstorm, thunder and lightning stopped and was over in about 1 1/2 hours and moved off to the north, heading to Toronto. The rains continued for a little time after that.

This morning when we got up, early, to check for damage. The wind had taken the big awning and tore one arm off totally, and twisted one end up to the bus and the canopy was full of water.  Dale got a ladder and went up onto the roof to survey the damage and see what we could do to salvage the awning and put things together so we could travel.   A neighbour came over to help and we got a hose up to the roof, turned water on to get a flow before turning off the tap and gravity, fortunately, took over and we were able to drain most of the water from the awning, before attempting to lower it. We spoke to several neighbours and were told that that had been a hurricane passing throught. Thank you...one experience will last me for the rest of my life!!!

surveying the damage

draining water & trying to not fall off the roof!!tying everything down so we can travel

It took a couple of hours, but finally got everything secured and the bus loaded, breakfast done and we hit the road around 11:30. We drove to Oakvlle, about 1 hour away, to get the generator looked at. (Dale orinally had told me Missassauga so exscuse the confusion).  A few parts need to be ordered and won't be here until Thursday, should we decide to proceed with the repairs. Dale did get the fuel line/filter fixed and after running the generator for a couple of hours, it seemed to be running fine. Still need to do some repairs but it is no longer overheating...so far! 

By now it was after 5:00 p.m., so no point in getting on the freeway, it would be a zoo with all the rush hour traffic. So we relaxed for a little while and then went for a nice drive thru Oakville before going off to find a restaurant to have some dinner. Wound up with fish and chips...too late we remembered that we both don't like Haddock...too soft and rather tasteless. Oh well, at least we didn't have to cook or do dishes.

We are just relaxing at the bus and will head out of here probably within the next hour, around 9:00 p.m. Sun is pretty well down so won't have that in our eyes and traffic should be light(er)!

Till next time....keep well, travel safe.