Happier New Year...

 

.

.

.

Remembering Eleanor's

 My 'artsy' pic for today goes back to 2009. Eleanor's was the best place in London for 'frys'. I remember when the original Eleanor's was located on the main street in Exeter. She constructed this fine building (if you can call it that) when they relocated to London in about 2005. Eleanor's husband Terry (looked a bit like Popeye) served up the tasty and generous portions of golden delight. They used real peanut oil, not canola as some other booths do. The potatoes were aged and sweet as they should be. None better, they had a real following in the Byron area. The booth was a always a favorite stopping point for us when we weren't eating fries under the bridge in Sarnia/Point Edward.

Click on the pic to enlarge it.

Somehow I came across a comment in the local paper from one Cathy Atkinson that replied to my email about the disappearance of the Eleanor's structure. Here's the emails:

On Sat, 4/11/09, Carroll's Mailbox <email address removed> wrote:

From: Carroll's Mailbox <email address removed>

Subject: Did You Find Eleanor's???

To: Cathy A. email address removed

Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 2:34 PM

I would really appreciate it if you could let me know where Eleanor's went. If some other reader tells you, could I please get on your list of "Notifyees". Many years ago I used to stop in Exeter when the Eleanor's wagon was up there. I was thrilled when I found it had moved to Byron. I know from talking with the cook, "Terry" that he and Eleanor lived up somewhere around Denfield. I agree with you that Terry had the best fries and that's saying a lot since we have a condo in Sarnia near the famous fry wagons near the Bluewater Bridge. I feel Mackies fries in Port Stanley has gone down hill a bit lately.  I have a web domain called frywagon.com that I have never used. Maybe I should open a web page where fry enthusiasts can post their best choices for fries. I could start with Eleanor's!  Alas, I fear it is gone for good.

Many thanks. I was just saying to my wife yesterday as we drove through Byron, "I wonder where Eleanor's went. Now I know. They will be missed.

Thanks again for the email

Tim Carroll

--- On Thu, 5/7/09, cathy atkinson <email address removed> wrote:

From: cathy atkinson <email address removed>

Subject: Fwd: Eleanor's Fries

To: Tim C email address removed

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009, 9:12 AM

here is a note from Eleanor herself....

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: TERRY TAYLOR <email address removed>

Date: Wed, May 6, 2009 at 11:02 PM

Subject: Eleanor's Fries

To: Cathy A email address removed

A friend gave me the notice that you put in the LFP on april 11th. I am Eleanor and my husband Terry operated the chip wagon for many years. When the landlady asked us to vacate our spot at Cornell's because she was going to build on the site (by the way have you seen her lovely new house-which does not exist) we looked for another spot in London but everywhere we tried to set up the city informed us that the site was not zoned for a chip wagon. We even had a "rent free" spot but could not go there. Eventually we gave up and closed the business and retired. Of course the city could not tell us where we would be allowed to set up.

We really miss all of our wonderful customers and we see many of them when we are out shopping or at a restaurant or even at social events. Thank you for your letter to the paper and I am sorry I did not see it sooner to answer.

Eleanor & Terry

A White Christmas.

There was no snow in sight for the past week or so. Everything was green and then. Just when we thought it would be a 'Green Christmas'...

Here's a stylized version but maybe there's no improvement on Mother Nature?

.

.

.

Santa's A Real Charmer!

My good friend Donna hasn't been naughty all year so she expects something special from the jolly old elf.

Santa promised to bring Cheryl anything she wants.

Wow! Santa has very good taste! Louise loves Christmas.

Of course Holly is ALWAYS good so she is one of Santa's favorites.

Deb takes the cake! Merry Christmas to all

Don't forget Santa's devoted helpers.

.

.

Christmas Cards...

 

.

.

.

A Christmas Ad

 This animated gif came in an email from one of my favorite old stores, Princess Auto:

Don't you love it? All part of Christmas.

.

.

.

Merry Christmas!

 I composed this from a picture on a Jigsaw Puzzle box. Hope you enjoy the message.

.

.

.

Seasons Greetings!

In early December 2010 there was 'Snowmageddon' a huge snowstorm here. Wendy and I went to Victoria Park after the storm and I snapped a pic of my favorite bar, Joe Kool's from across Richmond Street. I used that picture to create this yuletide scene with a "one horse open sleigh", what else?

.

.

.

Our Award Winning Daughter...

Today Erin is receiving an award from Lambton Wildlife for her 'significant contribution' and dedication to Lambton County habitats. Good work Erin! Congratulations! We are very proud of you.

Erin Carroll 

Congratulations! Lambton Wildlife has selected you as the 2020 Conservation Award recipient. This award acknowledges the significant local contribution made by you that has a beneficial effect on the environment. We chose you based on your dedication to Lambton County habitats, particularly aquatic ecosystems and the work you have done on both public education and in the field.

2020-12-17 10:10:52

.

.

.

Me

 

.

.

.

Worst day so far Friday

Please don't let up. We can beat this but we need to stay careful!

COVID killed 3,309 people in one day in the US on the most lethal day of the pandemic so far, while a record 232k new cases are recorded. Over 70,000,000 cases worldwide.

The weekly death rate is higher than any other disease:

,

,

,

2020 Was Not The ONLY Bad Year.

A lot happened last year (2019) at about this time:

We had to cancel our Caribbean cruise due to Wendy's eye surgery. (Thank goodness we discovered the problem before embarkation)

Our good cruising friends John and Cheryl and Mark and Louise embarked on their cruise, only to have it abruptly cancelled a week later due to 'mechanical problems'. They had to wait in Florida for their return flights.

Back in Toronto, while they were gone, Cheryl's beloved dog Magic passed away on December 9th.

.

.

.

Eighteen Years Ago I had Prostate Cancer.

And I'm still celebrating! December 6, 2002 was the day I had my prostatectomy. I still get a PSA blood test every year but the levels are negligible so it would appear that so far I beat it.

 If you are a male over 50 please get a PSA test with your annual check-up. It could save your life!

.

.

.

Wendy Made Some Hermit Cookies From 1956

 Our niece Sarah emailed from Cape Town South Africa that she would like her Grandma's (actually from Grandma's sister Dorothy) recipe for Hermit cookies. What a coincidence - Wendy was eating one...

Sarah,

Funny I was just having one right now. (made yesterday) Here's the recipe:

Hermit cookies original - Aunt Dorothy July 4th 1956
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar or 1 cup white sugar
3 eggs well beaten
2 1/2 cups sifted flour all purpose
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup seedless raisins

Cream shortening and sugar - add beaten eggs
Sift 2 cup flour with baking soda and spices and add to first mixture. Add raisins and nuts with rest of flour drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet.

I added a little olive oil because I didn't have enough shortening and it worked out real well. I also added extra spice.

Enjoy....

Virtual Hugs

Aunt Wendy

What If We Moved Everything To B.C.?

Just my imagination. I can dream can't I? 

So I'm sitting here thinking what's the attraction of living in an idyllic spot in the mountains with a spectacular view? Even if Elon Musk could guarantee a perfect internet connection and Netflix for all. Even if we had enough acreage to sustain ourselves with heating firewood and self-sufficient food and water in our remote location. Even if we had a way of heating our swimming pool because we can't swim in our cold, beautiful, glacier-fed private lake providing us with drinkable water with a waterfall generating our electricity.

Even then, what would be the difference really? We already have a good, safe and reliable supply of heat, food, water and electricity, home entertainment options and internet. We have a heated (in the summer) pool, and the option to go for drives and change our scenery. 

Even in our remote, imaginary mountain getaway we wouldn't likely see any other people for most of the time so with all the COVID restrictions we have blocking our social interaction here, the only real difference is the view. To address that problem, I created this composition which I will use to pacify my inner yearning to get away from it all. There really is no need to get away - it feels like we're already there!

My 'Artsy' pic for today is a composite of our back yard with mountains placed across the frozen lake (golf course). Mountains from AllMacWallpaper.

.

.

.

A Winter Wonderland Of Snow. Welcome To Canada!

 The next-door neighbours were out enjoying the snow in our back yard.

It's always exciting and beautiful when it first comes down. The novelty usually wears off when you have to shovel it though.

.

.

.

It Snowed Again Today!

 

Good thing Wendy got her Christmas lights up on Friday!

.

.

.

More Stimulus, That'll Solve Our Problems!

 My 'Artsy' pic for today. Keep On Pumping Pretty Boy!

"More Stimulus! - We Need More Stimulus!"

.

.

.

"More Stimulus! - We Need More Stimulus!"

 My 'artsy' pic for today: The Melt-down Of The USA 

"More Stimulus! - We Need More Stimulus!"

.

.

.

Second Snow, Same As The First?

 This is the view from my bedroom window this morning

Quite pretty actually. Below is looking from the family room.

As is usually the case, streamers off Lake Huron cause most of our heavy snow as moisture is picked up by winds blowing across the lake.

Probably a good day to make some hamburger buns.

.

.

.

More 'Grave' Humour.

I posted this on my blog a couple of years ago but since we're on the subject of humourous tombstones...

"Little Guest House or Little House Guest?" Your choice!

Do you think the gravediggers had a sense of humour? 

Wait there's more...

Here's another posting from 5 years ago when we still had our cat named Dash.

A Classic Who Done It?

We were at the Woodland Cemetery and I had to get another picture of this rather unique tombstone. The misty, cold, ambiance seemed to add to the eerie  gloominess of the place.

"Who Killed Batman?" Click to enlarge.

To spice it up a bit, I added some familiar personalities Joker, Penguin, Dash the Cat; Robin, and The Riddler. Dash loves the cemetery because there are "No Dogs Allowed".

Did you know Batman's first name was Tom?

.
.
.

A Walk Through Woodland Cemetery Five Years Ago

We sometimes drive through the cemetery where some of our family members reside. There are often friendly deer that pose for pictures. I don't know why I shot these particular tombstones, but I was going through some of my old photos and came across it. Then it dawned on me...

Are you ready?...

 

I discovered - Rosa was really Mrs. Sippi!

Mississippi, get it? Sorry!

CLICK HERE to actually read about Charles A Sippi and Rosa (Bagge) Sippi.

.

A Fine Fall Day.

 

 .

My Art From 2017.

Is this the BIG day?  Is it "Goodbye #45"?

  

Well, I guess this picture is current again but I think these fires will burn for a long time yet.

.

The CFPL TV Tower. (against a dark sky)

A view from our kitchen window out across the golf course. We don't often see it lit up by the morning sun against a dark sky.

 When constructed in the early 1950's this tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Commonwealth.

The TV station is now all but closed but this monument to television still watches over us like big brother. Read about this fascinating history of the place where I used to work over 50 years ago. CLICK HERE. Ironically, now I live closer than when I worked there and had to commute every day.

.

Wintery Weather - Just A Taste Of What's To Come.

Streamers off the lake usually mean some snow if the temperature is below freezing. We were spared the 4 to 6 inches forecast but it's an omen of what's to follow.

.

Benz's Favorite Spot By The Fire. A True 'Lap Cat'

For some reason Benz loves to lie on Wendy's laptop computer so we disabled the original keyboard so he wouldn't play havoc with the keys and placed another keyboard in front.

I think the computer gives off just the right amount of heat so Benz comes here almost every day, especially if Wendy tries to use the computer. He's become very possessive of this old laptop that used to belong to Erin.

I dug out my old Panasonic DMC-LX3 camera, an undisputed winner for taking 'low light' shots and with a little manipulation in Photoshop, here's the result. 

.

Happy Halloween?

Sorry Benz.  He loves Halloween.

Looks like we'll be 'locked down' for a COVID Halloween. We moved the Jack O'Lanterns to the back yard so as not to look like we're open and we'll turn the lights off so it looks like no one is home. How sad is that?

.

"Bimbo Biden", My 'Artoon' For Today

 

 .

Oh! Oh! Our First Snow!

Don't panic! It didn't stay on the ground but I'm afraid it does foreshadow the weeks and months ahead.

At least snow ends the outdoor yard work. Ha ha! Time to get the snowblower ready with new oil, new gas etc.

From "'Fall, leaves, fall'" by Emily Jane Brontë:

    I shall smile when wreaths of snow
    Blossom where the rose should grow;

 .

Just For Fun Lucy

Sometimes you find a picture that isn't even square, but has potential for some fun improvements. This isn't a big problem for Photoshop since the program allows you to skew it back to its original shape. I found a picture of a card for sale on eBay and decided to play around with it:

Vintage Lucille Ball I Love Lucy Postcard 5" X 7" California Here We Come (Aired January 10, 1955) 

Using 'perspective' and 'skew' in 'Transform mode' I forced it square again and with layer masks and 'levels' I removed some annoying camera glare.

Although I continued on, and turned the old classic into a sort of movie poster pic. It's okay but I think sometimes old black and whites are best left as black and whites.  What do you think?

.