Bats, Fashion, Food, and Bugs

 

To bring July 2016 to a fitting end here are a few odds and ends in our RV life in Ontario.

 

First, the bat part. We now have a new creature to add to the guests on our patio here in Barrie. This brown bat zinged by and came to rest on our patio umbrella as I ran quickly to get the camera. All I could get was this barely in focus shot and it was looking away ... so not great photography but still a neat sight in the broad daylight.

 

OK, then the fashion part. As I explained earlier this year we had to settle for our new roof a/c units to be white as the black ones were not in stock and would have been about $200 more anyway.

So with a couple of cans of flat black paint ... not nearly $200 worth, the new now fashionably chic plastic covers were transformed ... making a neat headgear ... sure more blockhead jokes, eh.

These things are only about 8 pounds each so up they went to the roof of the Flying Scotsman.

They're attached with just 4 screws each (the old Carrier ones had at least 20) and were back in place in just minutes and now again matched our black and tan theme.

The food part came on Saturday when we again went the hour drive over to Mrs. Mitchell's restaurant in Violet Hill. We went once last summer so decided to show off the fantastic food and atmosphere to Morgan and Jeanette before they leave for the east for a bit.

We were not disappointed as the fare was perfect again and both couples shared the awesome Ruben sandwich and all had bowls of their specialty mushroom soup. Rounded out with some good wine and great weather the old schoolhouse was again a real treat and worth the drive over ... and the fellow below couldn't agree more.

Then, last but not least, for all of you who call the northland home for some part of the year ...

 

... this bite may be harmful to your health!

Water War

 

As we had a week of 90 degree humid temps the KOA decided it was time for the water wagon. With Jim piloting the tractor in his rain gear complete with shower cap and snorkel the kids from the camping section of the park assault the ol' folks in the back of the place. Below is neighbor Morgan dueling with the super soaker armed invaders.

 

And then as the crowd passed our place the blogger in his finest combat stance ... remnants of three water balloons are at my feet but I held my ground.

Absolutely soaked and I don't think I bothered them in the slightest ...

... next time a longer hose and higher volume spray, eh!

 

Good fun for all both young and old.

The perfect “Tiny Kitchen”

 

With all the emphasis on the “tiny homes” today, there are those of us who have been living less than large for a long time in the RV world and we have learned what really works and what isn’t quite so efficient. 

In the picture below you have what we found to be the best mix of appliances after almost 10 years of compact living and this is all you need for pretty comprehensive culinary experiments.

 

 
At the top of the picture is the microwave/convection oven. It can act as a normal micro but also can act as a full scale conventional oven to roast a turkey or ham. This thing should also be mandatory for any home that isn’t on wheels.

Then there is a toaster oven to do the quick broiling that the micro really can’t. We also have a toaster for those bagels and English muffins or toast. Sometimes you can find both of these features in one unit but the separate ones do each function better and take up less space. And to round out that row is a coffee maker. What is unique about this one is that it has an internal 12 cup carafe which in the tossing and tumbling RV world prevents the old external glass ones from flying across the room.

The last item is the induction stove top burner; also a must have for any kitchen, small or not; precise cooking temps without heat or mess. This one is portable so that it can be used on any surface of the place for those larger preparations.

That’s it, all for less than about $1000. What about the standard propane cook top? Ours is still brand new and rarely has been used; if we had our way it would be removed and a two burner induction one installed permanently.  In addition the original gas oven was already removed and replaced with a cupboard for more space.

Port Huron Stop

 

On our monthly run over to the US to get the allergy shot we decided to just go by car and stay at a hotel in Port Huron as we hadn't done that before. We drove the uneventful 300 miles and got the shot Mt. Clemens and then came back to the Doubletree Inn just under the Blue Water Bridge.

 

The view below is from the front of the hotel and the view of the river and bridge are really neat. Just to the left in the picture is the restaurant we ate in later that night.

 

Also right in front of the hotel by the river is this historic train station which occupies the former site where Thomas A. Edison lived as a boy and started his experimentation. The sign gives a pretty good description of his younger years and how he paid for some of the chemicals and equipment as a boy.

Here is the statue of young "Al" with his box of confections to sell on the train to Detroit.

Speaking of confections we ate that evening in the Freighter's Eatery and Tap Room which is attached to the hotel. In front of Jo-Anne is their wild mushroom truffle mac and cheese. This thing had Portobello, crimini, and button mushers, with a five cheese blend, cheddar bread crumbs, and a fried parmesan wedge ... wow ... oh yeah, it also had some macaroni in there to keep it all together.

For my snack I had their salmon with shrimp. The shrimp were grilled in garlic and the whole thing was covered with asparagus, melted jack cheese, and a lobster sauce, over a bed of Traverse City cherry rice. And we watched the sun set and highlight the bridge and the boats on the river.

The next morning after a leisurely free breakfast in the same restaurant we packed up and came home.

Along the way this is the typical scene for western Ontario with the mustard or rape seed hurting your eyes with its color and the always present wind turbines which will keep Canada totally independent of any need for power in the future.

Birthday Girl

 

Just after the 4th of July we celebrated our niece Danielle's birthday by going up to the little town of Gravenhurst, about 45 miles north of Barrie. We picked up Rick and headed north to Lake Muskoka and the famous century old steamships that ply the spectacular lake and cottage region.

 

We met Dani and Tyler at a new place called The Old Mill right on the main street of Gravenhurst. This place is a small buffet place that serves brunch items for a pretty low price. It was all you could eat for the senior rate (us old guys) of $7.95 CDN which was a little over six dollars US.

The most unique item were eggs Benedict not usually found in the buffet line. They were excellent! And I was sworn to secrecy as to the total number of eggs Benny we all consumed before giving Dani her birthday presents, below.

The restaurant is right on the quaint main street just to the left of where I got this shot of the old post office. It's unusual to have a free standing post office today as most of the Shopper's drug stores now have a postal service right in the store ... a pretty efficient way to do business.

A super day was had by all and we headed back to Barrie to nap off the substantial breakfast; with Tyler and Dani going back to their home in Bracebridge.