The Keaveney Un-Thanksgiving

 This past Thanksgiving, was, to say the least, unusual. As I had hurt my ankle, I was unable to prepare the Turkey and Fixins. The weekend forecast was for unbelievably warm temps, so we decided to head for the cottage.
The rest of the family was to arrive on the Sunday,and bring the meal with them.  That was just fine with me!!

From left to right...daughter Erika, son Ryan, Ryan's girlfriend Anna, my son-in-law Jeff, and my daughter Lissa

Thanksgiving on the sun porch....how fabulous!

dig in  and enjoy!!

Luckily for us there was a full moon that night

Lissa and Jeff with their dog Lola.  and Greg with his fire poker!

And the flames grew higher

Obviously too much wine for the old lady!!! and check out those flourescent toes!!

A lovely sunset to end a perfect day

Although we didn't have any turkey, it was a very memorable Thanksgiving, none the less. We will always remember the Thanksgiving at the Lake, and Mom with the "air boot" on her foot!!

Cock-a doodle- dooooo!

 Often when we drive home from the cottage, my husband takes an "alternate" route. Instead of the usual boring QEW drive,he will take the back roads, which takes us through small towns,  like Smithville and St. Annes. On Sunday, we took such a route, and discovered this small gathering of Roosters and Hens.

This particular Rooster,seemed to be the "Head" Rooster...if there is such a thing!!

 

 

 

He was very handsome indeed!!

When he spotted me from the car window,he started to crow!!

Almost as if he were calling all the other Roosters to follow him

This guy ran for cover!!

And quickly hid behind this tiny Hen House!!

 Another fun drive home from the lake....you never know who  or what you will run into!!!

The Incredible Christmas Cactus From Bud To Bloom

 I have 4-5 Christmas Cacti, that I have had for several years. They are an extremely easy plant to grow, and reward with " out of this world" blooms. Mine always bloom twice a year,and not always at Christmas!! My Mom had a few when she used to winter in sunny Florida, and they called them Easter cactus.

. I have white ones, pink ones, and the most beautiful peachy coloured ones. 

Such a fantastic bloom....

beautiful!!

Almost looks like a writers quill...ready to be dipped into the inkwell...

Mine choose to bloom at "whatever time" they feel like it. I noticed one in particular, that started showing some "buds" around the beginning of October. I have tried to capture some photos as it has progressed over the last month. This particular one is the pink one....I am sure the others will follow soon.




Hope you all enjoy the flower show.....it will certainly be the subject of most of my blogs...that is what I love to do.......and I want to share with you....

Chilly November Saturday

 When the days get chilly, my mind wanders ( no surprises here) to the steamy days of summer, and the  colorful displays of the flowers. Nothing can cheer you up, like looking at some beautiful photos of garden flowers. Not that I am complaining about the weather yet...(could be warmer)....but wanted to share some flowers with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do....     :o)

beautiful hot pink Cosmos

Perennial Rose of Sharon always offers beautiful blooms

I have had this Clivia for over 7 years,and it finally bloomed this summer! Glorious!!

Purple Cone Flower

Perennial sweet Pea still blooming into late October. The Hummingbirds love these!!

And the seed pods are plentiful

Hydrangea is always a favorite....even in the winter with snow on it

Love the purple African Daisies

The Yellow Irises came with the cottage,and they are plentiful

Yellow columbine is beautiful

Even the flowering Weigelias have lovely blooms

And soft buds

Spirea Bridal Wreath is a real show stopper every spring

I hope these flowers add some light to your day.........I know they always brighten mine.
                                         Enjoy my friends!

Yesterday At The Lake

 We decided yesterday,  as it was supposed to be gorgeous day, that we would take a drive to the cottage, and do some yard work.
On the way, we stopped at our favorite fish and chip shop in Beamsville,for a double order of fries. The Asian lady who runs the place, is most pleasant,and offers up a HUGE cardboard box, loaded with fresh, hot, salty, malty vinegary fries. Delish!!! Next trip, I will take a pic, so you can enjoy them as well!   :o)

the view down the walkway always makes me feel welcome

The colors are still so vibrant...from the soft pinks

to the saucy reds

to the creamy hot pink

still looking green and lush

me!!!! with a face full of sun

A bright, shiny, sticky Chestnut branch bud,ready for next spring

Foot prints on the beach

waves gently lapping on the shore

Greg catching up on the local news...the monthly farm report!!!

The last of  the summer tomatoes

the happy couple,relaxing in the sun after  the chores were all done

sharing a laugh

Hope you enjoyed "yesterday at the lake" as much as we did.

We have a house guest

We are cat sitting again!! my son is away in New York City for a series of seminars, and we have "Buddy" for a week. He usually comes when Ryan is away ,as it is easier for us to have him here. He usually hides under the couch for a while, and then slowly joins in, and thoroughly amuses us with his antics.

he first visited when our Kramer was still with us...Buddy is the small one

....click on any photo to enlarge

as you can see, they were almost identical

Kramer had "toy envy" whenever Buddy visited!

Taffy...... ahhhhh Taffy....used to hiss at Buddy ..... and Kramer for that matter....even though they co-habitated for 17 years

this is how Buddy looked in 2007...always with his little buddy by his side!!

And this is how he looked yesterday!!!

    

LARGE!!!!!

All kidding aside,we enjoy having him as a guest....My daughters each have 3 cats,so I go to them to feed and keep company. Look forward to further "cat" posts,as we have them coming out our ears!!!!