Saturday, 29 November 2014

KELLY PUTS THE GARDEN TO BED…AND THE FIRST SNOWFALL PROVIDES THE BLANKET

The Hanging Baskets, which provided so much Summer Colour…..
 have gone limp, so Kelly takes them down.

This Rose, which gave us hundreds of flowers
for Summer Bouquets
has been cut back to its Winter Shape.

The straw which held up the Witch at Halloween
now covers the dahlias to keep them dry when it rains.

The windsocks and hammocks
have gone to the Garden Bodega to join the lawnmower for the winter.

The Garden Bones are now visible.
And Allen casts a long shadow as he snaps a shot
 of the greenery along the driveway.

Saturday, 8 November 2014

AUTUMN COMES TO THE RIVER

Fall creeps up on the river gradually; each day the light on the water is different.
Cora captures it beautifully!
Leaves around the Duck Inn start to change colour.
Mushrooms have sprung up everywhere....these are in our parking area.
Cora added the quarter to give an idea of how much the rain has plumped them up!
 And here's a selection growing in nearby fields.
 
                                 Cora has put the Halloween decorations away; 
we hope that we can remember where they are in time for next year!
                                                Flocks of birds block the sun!
The Canada Geese that have been dining on 
farmer’s crops all summer have headed south...
Just in time to be replaced by the Snow Geese from Wrangel Island in Russia, 
who overwinter at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary and many nearby fields.
Where the resident Sandhill Cranes entertain birders with their antics.
Mornings are misty as the rowing teams practise and entertain the swans.
And Willow’s coat has grown in, making her a Happy Cat who has her tail back!


Tuesday, 7 October 2014

IF IT’S OCTOBER, CORA IS IN CHARGE AT THE DUCK INN

EVERY FALL, WE TRY TO GET AWAY FOR A MONTH,
LEAVING CORA AT THE HELM OF THE DUCK INN.
Years ago, when we first met her, Cora was known to her grateful clients, whose lives she kept in order, by many different names. To some she was “The White Tornado”, to others “The Whirling Dervish”. We dubbed her “The Keeper of the Temple” and still think of her as “The Angel of the House” She has mellowed since those early days, and no longer moves at the speed of sound! 
One of her favourite pastimes now is stretching out with a good book!
She still multitasks better than anyone we know, especially when she’s in charge at the Duck Inn. Here she is in the office, answering the phone and updating bookings.

Her faithful assistant, Willow, checks emails for her
 and keeps the reservation book warm.

Cora's view from the office windows includes some of the 
largest spiders on the river.
These stained glass birds
And an occasional rainbow.

This year, as a special viewing treat, several levels of Government 
came together and finally dredged the river, 
fulfilling a long ago promise to keep the secondary channels open.
Each morning, the dredge started filling this empty barge.
The scoop went down.
And came up, full of river silt. 
Several of our deck chairs have blown into the river over the years, 
but we didn't see any dangling from the jaws.
At the end of the day, the loaded barge was towed out to the 
dumping grounds in the ocean.
Cora has had a ring side seat for this rare event! 
She was sorry to see the barge move up river and anchor
 in front of someone else's house!

Saturday, 20 September 2014

SKETCHES FROM OUR GUESTS

One of our guests recently emailed me to ask if I could send her a copy of a sketch she did several years ago during a stay at the Duck Inn. While I was looking for it, I realized that there are dozens of sketches in our Guest Books and thought a few of them might make an interesting post.
Some of you know that we have had our share of dealings with Canada’s National Animal, The Beaver! A few years ago, a family tried to take up residence in the barge on which our house floats. After a season of unsuccessful attempts to scare them away, we finally hired an Australian diver and his team to go underwater and sheath the barge in stainless steel mesh. Now they cannot get in, and when we see them swimming by trailing building materials, we know that they are exploring other places to stay. Luckily, they are not able to invade the Duck Inn as they can’t reach it! 

 A guest who had been here several times and heard all the 
beaver tales left this whimsical pencil sketch for us.

Many people have sketched the river….we supply pastels, crayons, pencils and paints with the sketch books, so the books contain quite a variety. 
Here are a few.

Ducks, of course, are always fair game for sketches by kids and adults too.


 
This heron was captured too

 Bits of Whimsy


A Few Flowers


 A Pencil Sketch of the Ramp Garden

And a WEDDING

Sometimes guests leave sketches on our Welcome Boards....usually we don't get a chance to capture them before they're erased...but Cora caught this Fall 2015 one!