Zavikon Island
The owners of these Islands are the only people allowed by both Canadian and US officials to cross the border without clearing customs. Their house is in Canada while their 'deck' in the US. The border runs between both islands.
Sarah House
Well, it's official. Our health care insurance company finally relented and agreed to allow us to finish Janice's cancer treatments in France when we return there for the winter. Meanwhile, she has finished her Chemo treatments and has begun her radiation schedule consisting of treatments 5 days per week for the next 6 weeks.
Janice found the 2 hour drive each way to the hospital was too fatiguing to commute daily and opted to stay at the Sarah house near the hospital. The Sarah house is like a beautiful and elegant Ronald McDonald house for grown ups. A former nunnery, it has about 10 bedrooms, 2 fully equipped and stocked kitchens, 2 large living rooms, 2 laundry rooms, a formal dining room, an office, a screened sitting room and landscaped grounds.
The Sarah house
I am staying with her for the first week but the plan is for us to drive down on Mondays and for Janice to spend Tuesdays and Wednesdays on her own. I will return on Thursday, spend the night there and return home with her after her treatment on Friday for the week end.
As great as the place is, it is a house of sadness. We got to talking to one guest whose husband had renal failure and had no insurance. Another had his 20 something son in the hospital. The kid had fallen asleep at the wheel, drove off the road and nearly decapitated himself on a piece of farm equipment. Someone's child was in the hospital burn unit and would be there for months. When asked why she was staying at the house, Janice said she was being treated for cancer. After an awkward silence, someone said "Oh..." You could see by the expression on their faces they were thinking "Is that ALL?" It's all relative.
The Sarah houseI am staying with her for the first week but the plan is for us to drive down on Mondays and for Janice to spend Tuesdays and Wednesdays on her own. I will return on Thursday, spend the night there and return home with her after her treatment on Friday for the week end.
As great as the place is, it is a house of sadness. We got to talking to one guest whose husband had renal failure and had no insurance. Another had his 20 something son in the hospital. The kid had fallen asleep at the wheel, drove off the road and nearly decapitated himself on a piece of farm equipment. Someone's child was in the hospital burn unit and would be there for months. When asked why she was staying at the house, Janice said she was being treated for cancer. After an awkward silence, someone said "Oh..." You could see by the expression on their faces they were thinking "Is that ALL?" It's all relative.
We have visitors!
Christine and Matyas
This month we had our niece Christine and her friend Matyas from Montreal spend a couple of days with us. It had been some time since Christine was here, so many changes were to be seen. As with all visitors, we made the rounds of some of the Islands to give them a sample of what there is to see in the area, then ate, drank, and we were generally merry.
Kami and Alyssa
Then, daughter Kami and friend Alyssa spent a few days with us while returning from attending the US Open tennis tournament in New York City. Kami makes kid number 4 of 5 to finally get to see what mom and dad have been raving about for years. We hope to have daughter Amy's family out here at some point also.
Hurry Pop! You are not getting any younger...
Christine and MatyasThis month we had our niece Christine and her friend Matyas from Montreal spend a couple of days with us. It had been some time since Christine was here, so many changes were to be seen. As with all visitors, we made the rounds of some of the Islands to give them a sample of what there is to see in the area, then ate, drank, and we were generally merry.
Kami and AlyssaThen, daughter Kami and friend Alyssa spent a few days with us while returning from attending the US Open tennis tournament in New York City. Kami makes kid number 4 of 5 to finally get to see what mom and dad have been raving about for years. We hope to have daughter Amy's family out here at some point also.
Hurry Pop! You are not getting any younger...
This months project
Shortly after we bought the property a number of years ago, we decided to enlarge our dock area. The rules regarding permitted building on the river were becoming more restrictive all the time and we feared that by the time we could afford to get around to it we would no longer be allowed. So, with that in mind, we went ahead and hired a marine contractor to bring his barge over and drive the steel pilings on the shore of our island. (What, you thought I could do EVERYTHING myself?)
Before...Even though the steel rusted to a 'natural' brown color, it was still an eyesore at the very front of the island that we had to live with for several summers. Too many priorities, too little moolah. Well, with Janice having a rough go of chemo # 6, I stayed home with her for a spell and decided to put this 8' X 20' (3 X 7 meters) baby to rest. This is now our lounging about area, as opposed to the business part of the dock for our boats and visitor docking. A plus will be that it will allow a place for the jet ski that we don't want but that Janice surely feels that we desperately need. Surely.
During....
It is not an easy life we leadThe Challenger...
is a challenge.
is a challenge.
Neighbors like this make me look badUp until chemo #6, I was on quite a roll last month, getting the electrical done on the plane. Another week of dedicated work and I think I might be able to call it a wrap. Then, onto covering the fuselage. It seems counter intuitive to be building a plane from the inside out. It makes a lot of sense though when you realize how small it is and how much easier it is to reach through the structure to run wires, control cables and such.
The more I am crawling in and out of the innards, the more I am seeing that you don't so much 'get into' this plane as much as 'put-it-on' . There is enough of room for two but...that's it, folks!
I am not even in the air yet and
already they are out to get me!
The more I am crawling in and out of the innards, the more I am seeing that you don't so much 'get into' this plane as much as 'put-it-on' . There is enough of room for two but...that's it, folks!
The Starfire Aviation Division (AKA the 'skunk works') has been operating out of a storage facility at an undisclosed location for the past two summers. This year, the owners commissioned an artist to paint three sides of the building with a 14 ' X 200 ' ( 5 X 65 meter) long mural to illustrate the history of their business.
A close up of a portion of the mural above is seen below. The artist wanted to paint a plane towing a banner but had no model to work from. Spying me through an opened door, she stopped by to ask if she could sketch my project and paint it for posterity. The result is seen here.
A close up of a portion of the mural above is seen below. The artist wanted to paint a plane towing a banner but had no model to work from. Spying me through an opened door, she stopped by to ask if she could sketch my project and paint it for posterity. The result is seen here.
Now for the bad news
I am not even in the air yet andalready they are out to get me!
