Purple Gravy... & Roofing tiles... & @*&ty coyotes!

Most of you probably know that I'm not a great cook, but I am trying... well I did my O Level Home Economics & got a 'B', but that was quite a few years ago...However...! As we are now trying to be Eco friendly/living the 'Good Life' I am making meals for Ian & trying to make best use of all the food with little waste... Well, an American couple who were staying at their holiday home & left a few days ago, dropped off their left over, but still usable food for us... which included a purple cabbage... hmmmn now I've never cooked purple cabbage before - so (as my Internet was not working!)
I guessed it must be the same as the regular green cabbage & boiled it
up in the same way - I made Ian some gravy, using the water from the
purple cabbage... & ended up with purple gravy!!!!!!!!!!! (have you ever
seen the film Bridget Jone's diary where she makes blue soup!!!!!!!!!
- still he did eat it politely!)

We've also been very busy replacing the roof tiles on the back kitchen & back room - yes just the 2 of us - how romantic! Stripping off the tar tiles was the hardest & pulling out all the tacks. Ian did a brill job of laying ice sheets, waterproof membrane thingy & then the felt tiles- me I was the 'gofer' - hauling up the packs of tiles bit by bit... & I hate heights! 2.5 days to complete - what a team!

Oh - forgot to mention that we both passed our Canadian driving tests - yahoo. The examiner was a very small Frenchman (with attitude) - who forgot which centre he should have been in on Tues 14th & ended up in Port Hawksbury - an hours drive away! Not to be put off, as we'd psyched ourselves up for the test - we hung around the Baddeck centre until he turned up & could fit us in - however his main concern seemed to be that he needed to eat at lunchtime - never mind having cocked several people's day up!! Anyway I went first & thought 'hey that wasn't bad' - until the lecture at the end of the 10 minute test... which lasted 15 minutes - longer than the test. He said he was being generous passing me (I've only been driving for 26 years!) as I failed to do sufficient shoulder checks... he seemed to think that we should be shoulder checking both ways at ALL junctions - even single lane ones! Anyway I passed which was a relief. Then Frenchie went for his much touted lunch - so I took Ian on the course & told him where I 'went wrong'. So armed with all that info - he couldn't fail... His head was on a spring & he did shoulder checks galore... he too had a 10 minute test... & then had the SAME 15 minute lecture! The man is obsessed!! & obviously has his speech set up for every test, pass or fail... funny or what! Anyway we are up & running & have our lovely driving licences which are also ID cards -so we have landed!

'Pooh Crossroads' is very busy at the moment...

& the coyotes were like howling banshees last night!

I'm kinda getting used to it now...

We've also found HUGE Moose hoof prints + smaller hoof prints in the meadow - we assume this is a mummy & baby.

We will be clearing out some undergrowth to make a footprint pad (Ian called it summat bushcrafty, but I can't remember what it was!) so that any animals that walk over it should make clear imprints & we can see what is around - clever hey...

Ian's 'gone fishin' with Chuck - so he's in his element - & I'll make him a nice brown stew for his tea! We are preparing for that great British event 'Bonfire night' & I've stacked a huge bonny with old trees we've cut, that were too close to the house. Not many locals know the Guy Fawkes story - but I don't think we'll be burning any effigies - its a bit gruesome! We do have on order 2 large firework 'cakes' & we'll have hot dogs, soup, jacket spuds & beer - & as it'll be dark it doesn't really matter what colour they come in! Oh - I'm hoping to make Cream of Tomato Soup - anyone got any good recipies??

Still waiting for our container... I only have 2 pieces of sheet music for my beautiful piano so can't wait for more to turn up (neither can Bob Erik & Ian!!)

Bob has a sore ear - too much swimming & getting water in his lugholes (or is it my piano playing?!!). Anyway he's got drops so he's OK...

Congrats to Abi & Nic on their news - expecting again! (Have a dog its more fun & cheaper!!) & Congrats to Ange & Andy on their engagement! happy birthdays to Aunty May (25th), The Lovley Lynne (27th) & Kimbo (28th)

Love to all - post a comment if you feel like it! Don't be scared...

The H-Js