Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Checking In


Apologies for what is basically a drive-by blog post. What it lacks in substance will be made up for in length. (Groan and continue reading or cut your losses now.)

Having just spent slightly over two weeks at the cottage where rainy days FAR OUTNUMBERED sunny ones, I’m only back in TO this week before heading north again. If you’ve missed my in-depth, scintillating comments, take heart. I plan to visit all my regular reads while also attempting to complete my massive Back in Toronto Before I Go Away Again To Do List.

Highlights of My Cottage Time

Had a lovely birthday party and, yes, I did jump off the dock in celebration and a picture was taken. However, my a** is hanging out of my bathing suit so no picture is being posted of that.

Saw a deer grazing just behind the cottage. I was very brave and ventured out to take some pictures. The pictures are just awful. Again, no posting.

While walking through the forest between our cottages, my sister interrupted two chipmunks engaging in chipmunk pleasure (a euphemism - I consider this to be a PG rated blog). Not sure who was more surprised – all three of them scurried away. I’ve always considered chipmunks to be noisy little critters. I also thought they were simply frolicking when I heard them rustling in the leaves. Who knew?

I only spotted one loon this summer which makes me very sad and also explains the lack of loon calls – which I love and missed. What happened to his partner? I’m hoping by the time I return he’s found another mate. (That would make one of us – this particular loonie (me) has yet to join the “looking for love in all the wrong places” club.)

Got some writing done during those rainy days (yeah!) – also received some legal papers for my review and comments which I have yet to complete.

Our trips into the local town and the garbage dump were (are) always a pleasure for me. Fashion-wise, I have found my niche. I fit right in. I must confess my cottage wardrobe is appalling - ancient, ratty but very comfortable.

Basically it was a quiet, pleasurable time away with the added bonus of being surrounded by family and friends.

I received some blog comments, emails and calls regarding my absence - which really wasn’t very long - but my next one will be. Since my internet connection has improved by approximately 95%, I may attempt to blog while I’m away this time. However, the monthly cost of the new internet connection gadget I’m using is based on byte usage and I suspect uploading blogs uses a fair bit of bytes. (I like that – “bit of bytes.”) I’m waiting for the first bill to see the damage incurred by my limited usage during those past few weeks. While I certainly enjoy blogging, I’d have to really love it to pay for the privilege of reading each of your blogs.

So if you don’t hear from me, don’t think of me as gone – think of me as being in a better place…

P.S. Wedding this Friday! My eldest sister’s eldest son. Time marches on. And there will be dancing! I wonder if I’ll be able to dance in my new shoes? They are big girl shoes – with heels. Hell, I’ll dance in bare feet if need be.

Enjoy your summer!

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thought of you and others trying to relax at the cottage... it was quite cold and rainy!

The Guy Who Writes This said...

Welcome kind of back. You were missed and will be again.

Any whip-or-wills up there?

Sherry said...

Ah, dancing in your big girl shoes...remember to pull up your big girl panties while you are dancing...if your butt fell out of your bathing suit, anything's possible!!

Sounds like you've been having a wonderful time even with all the rain (wtf?!?! It's supposed to be SUMMER!!).

As for your lack of loonie love life and the loon being lonely, might I suggest you hover in the woods with the chipmunks...seems like that's where all the action is!!!

Enjoy your respite from city life!!!

Reeny's Ramblin' said...

Put on your cha cha shoes! I could go for some dancing right about now.

I would take a cold and rainy cottage anyday over a cold and rainy city..

Nice to see you around:)

laughingwolf said...

a temp wb, beth...

is that the old muskoka trip you make? or somewhere similar, like gravenhurst?

have fun, regardless... and do dance every chance you get! ;) lol

Cheryl said...

Ditto what the Guy Who Writes This Said - welcome back temporarily and you were and will be missed.

I read the whole post, btw! Despite your warning. The phrase chipmunk pleasure is now stuck in my memory for good.

Beth said...

zhu:
May my next venture north be accompanied by sunshine!

guy:
To be honest, I have no idea if I've ever seen or heard a whip-or-will. But I did hear a wolf howling across the lake! Scary indeed.

sherry lee:
Oh, dear, lord, are you suggesting I need to take some lessons from those cheeky little chipmunks?! ;)

reeny:
May there be dancing and toe-tappin' on your special day.
Enjoy it.

laughing wolf:
About 20 minutes from Bracebridge - near Dorset.
And I do do dance - every chance I get!

cheryl:
And the visual is stuck in my sister's mind for good!

Laura said...

Dance like a chipmunk. Or maybe a loon in waiting. Enjoy this next part of your summer.

Charlotta-love said...

Dance! And then take off your shoes and dance somemore! I love dancing! Twirl once for me.

The Guy Who Writes This said...

If you hear one you will know it because their call sounds exactly like their name "Whip-or-will"

Gary said...

Nice update! Would you like to live there? OR at least have all summer there?

Sometimes I imagine 'cottage life' as the real life and workday, normal town life as the vacation. I think I could do it.

JR's Thumbprints said...

Time certainly marches on! I've been a little disjointed in my blogging communication, but I hope all is well.

Seraphine said...

a wedding tomorrow- how fun!
it sounds like you had a wonderful time at the cottage. chipmunks and deer and swimming- who cares if it also rained.

Seraphine said...

i hope you took wedding photos today!

Mary-Laure said...

Oh I wish the deer pic had been good, I'm sure it was such a beautiful animal!

~h~ said...

I've never heard a loon call and suspect I am missing out on something wonderful. I could use an escape into the wilderness. Enjoy your time. And thanks for the hilarious bit about the chipmunks.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you are having a great time, even with the rain. Nothing better than being with family and friends, in a beautiful, comfortable cottage. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
XXXX

Casdok said...

Sounds like you have been busy. Hope you managed to dance!

Reeny's Ramblin' said...

Thought that you would find this amusing..

My Mom reads my blog and came across one of your comments to a post I made about wedding plans. You had used the old adage "the devil is in the details'. This is now the title for her wedding spreadsheet.

patricia said...

Oh, I'm so jealous. Sounds like you've been having a lovely, relaxing time, while us Torontonians revel in our stinky garbage. My advice? Stay there as long as you can!!

Hope you had a great birthday. And LOVE that photo!

Barrie said...

Thanks for checking in! My sister arrived from TO this evening. She's ready for some definite summer weather, which SoCal can definitely offer. ;)

Ed & Jeanne said...

Oh sure, sneak in and sneak out like it's summer or something.

Maggie May said...

Lovely to hear from you! I was laughing at the ass hanging out of suit...that's exactly what would happen to me, too.

Bee said...

Hi friend. I hope there will be lots more chirpy wildlife sightings for you this summer. Enjoy your break (and that wedding!) as autumn will come soon enough.

NYD said...

I like it when others are as delinquent as I. It affords me the comfort I need when just plain being human look like a foible.

See ya soon

BrightenedBoy said...

Haha chipmunks.

Congratulations on the wedding of your grandchild. It looks like you had a lot of fun on vacation.

Shari said...

I've been doing that, too. Trying to make up for my absence in the blogosphere with somewhat lengthy posts.

Looks like summer is not the norm for you, too. Hot and cold here.

Relax. Have a fun summer despite the rainy days. Hopefully you'll get more sunny days now.

HUGS

Cheryl said...

Hi Beth, I have a couple of awards for you on my blog (under the July post 'It's done...')

:)