Where Did The Time Go??



Let the Retirement Begin!!



I can’t believe it!!  It has been a whole year since I retired from the School District.  I guess it’s true what they say …. Time flies when you’re having fun!!  And it certainly has in our case.  We are loving retirement and we highly recommend it to anyone who is close enough to that magic age and are able to do it.  You won’t regret it!

During this past year, we have seen and done so many things.  We have moved across Canada from one coast to the other, attended parades and festivals, taken in local culture, and purchased our retirement home in PEI.  Ron got the land he wanted, and I got the water view I wanted.  It’s the best of both worlds and we couldn’t be happier.

We have had our downside as well this past year.  Last Fall we lost our beloved Jasper suddenly due to an illness nobody could put their finger on.  That was very difficult on all of us, including Bailey.  Then we put an offer on a house that fell through and the Vendors refused to give us back our $5000.00 deposit.  It took us 10 months and a court case to get it back.  At times it was stressful as nobody likes to go to court, but in the end justice prevailed and a Court Order was made to immediately refund our $5000.00 deposit to us, along with Court Costs.  It felt good to finally close the books on that case.

In reading the last blog I posted, I see that I had left off with power washing and staining of the lower side deck.  I am pleased to announce that ALL of the decks, as well as the front of the house, have now been completed.  It was a LOT of work and it took weeks to complete (due to non co-operating weather) but it was well worth it as it looks beautiful.  Gone is the old, dirty grey, ugly colored wood that we had started with.  Now it is a rich golden colored wood which gives the home a fresh new look.  Well worth all the hard work we did.

This past month Ron had to go to Holland.  His sister hasn’t been well and we thought that he better go and visit her, along with other family members.  The family was very excited to see Ron but at the same time they were disappointed that I couldn’t be there as well.  I had to stay home and look after Bailey.  We didn’t know anyone on the island who could take him for 2 ½ weeks and I refuse to put him in a kennel.  So Bailey and I stayed home and kept each other company.

Ron and I kept in touch on a daily basis through Skype video and phone calls.  Although it is great to be able to keep in touch that way, it’s just not the same as having him home with me.  The bright spot of today’s technology is that through Skype video, I was able to see and talk with the family in Europe and vice versa.  It was a small consolation for not being there.

When Ron returned home from Europe he brought with him gifts from the family for me!  I was shocked at the number of gifts that were sent!  It was like Christmas … only in June!  There were, Belgium chocolates, a ceramic Stella Artois building (I will add it to my Christmas housing scene), a 3 display picture frame with the middle frame displaying a photo of my Great Nephew (love it), Dutch tea towels, Dutch oven mitts (which I really needed as I put a hole in my current pair), Dutch pot holders, a Dutch apron, Dutch napkins, Dutch cookies and treats, vegetable and flower seeds for my garden, 2 special Dutch coffee mugs with ceramic Dutch shoes attached and there was also a present for Bailey!  Talk about being spoiled!!  I felt so loved and missed by my European family.  I really appreciated all that they have done.  They are amazing and I am so lucky to be a part of their family.

I know I have been very lax in keeping up with my blog lately, but I promise you I will be writing more very soon.  Until then …. Life is good … Retirement is better!  J

Dirty, Ugly, Faded Grey Deck

Maybe a little too much sun the day before?

Power Washing the upper side deck

Half way through staining the front of the house.  Bailey is Supervising.

Front of the house towards the side decks

First time on the lawn mower

I think I'm getting the hang of this!

Gifts from my family in Europe!  They really spoiled me!!

Love my Dutch tea towels

Can you say ... Belgium Chocolate?  YUM!!!

Finally! Spring Is Here!!

This week has been full of sunshine.  The weather was still rather cool at the start of the week but by the weekend it had turned HOT!

When the weather turns nice outside, it makes you want to get going on the outdoor projects like planting flowers, doing yard work or staining the decks.  This week made us want to do all those things.  It started with a visit to the garden centre.  We had heard about the garden centre on the radio and decided to check it out.  It wasn’t as big as what we had back in BC but it did give us some ideas as to what we might like to do for the front of the house.  We like low maintenance yards so we thought that putting down small rocks in the front of the house along with some small flowering shrubs would keep out the weeds.  We have black bark mulch in the front at the moment but because it is so windy here, the bark mulch keeps blowing away.  I figured it would take a pretty strong wind to make rocks blow away!  We are just in the planning stage at the moment for that project, but it’s nice to get some ideas until it happens.  We did manage to take away some pretty Viola Pansies for some special planters I have. 

A couple of years ago, on one of my visits to Holland, my two nieces, Heleen and Esther, each gave me a ceramic Dutch shoe as a gift.  I just love them!  They are decorative planters that you hang on your house.  The dainty Viola Pansies fit into them perfectly.  They look very cute against the house and it was the first sign that Spring was arriving.  Just to be on the safe side though, we take them in at night because the temperature still drops quite low at night. 

After staining Ron’s new Adirondack chair, I got the urge to do the deck.  We have several decks on this house.  There’s the front deck that runs the full length of the house, the back deck that’s behind the house, and we have a large 3 level deck on the side of the house.  They all looked old, faded and ugly.  We decided to start with the smallest deck out back.  Ron power washed the deck and then we had to wait 2 days before we could stain it.  He also had to replace a couple of stairs that had rotted away.  We couldn’t believe the change after Ron stained it!  What a difference!  It really got me motivated to do the other decks. 

The next deck we did was the 2 level side deck.  The boards were so white looking Ron said not to power wash it.  Big mistake!  Learn from our mistakes people … always power wash a deck before you stain it!  The stain went on fine but it left the boards dull with dark streaks going through it.  Do you think it was the DIRT that was hidden in the boards that were now rising to the surface?  I think so!  Now a smart person would have stopped and power washed the remainder of the deck but then it would have taken on a different look half way down the deck.  So I continued on with it.  At least it was even.

The next day I decided to power wash the lower side deck.  It was sunny outside but pretty windy and cold.  You would have thought I was dressed for weather that was 20 below but at least I was warm.  The deck was just as white as the upper deck had been but I thought I better give it a try.  What a difference power washing does!  When the wood got wet it really got dark.  Then the power washer lifted the dirt away leaving the wood a nice golden color.  After letting it dry for 2 days we put the stain on and were amazed at the results!  It looks like a brand new deck!  Now we can’t wait to do the rest of the decks!  But first we have to recover from all the work we have done so far.  After all, we are retired and we are supposed to be taking it easy … or so I thought.

While I was staining the deck, I looked up to find our resident fox standing on our property staring back at me.  We have named him Freddy the Fox.  He comes out in the morning and late afternoon to hunt for food.  Freddy seems to have a path he always takes.  He comes onto our property from the road, comes along our driveway then cuts over to the neighbors property, goes around the back of their house and back onto our property and heads up to our shed in the back.  Then he trots off onto somebody else’s property way in the back. 

It is interesting to watch Freddy as he hunts.  He will be trotting along then all of a sudden he will stop, his tail drops and then his ears twitch then go back as if he is listening for something.  Then he will crouch down, wait, then jump straight up in the air and pounce down onto whatever unfortunate creature is below him.  He then tosses what he has caught up in the air like he is playing with it.  Then he eats it and carries on to the next course.  When he has had his fill, he goes back home the same way as he comes.  Freddy comes pretty close to the house so we make sure to pick Bailey up so he doesn’t go charging after him.  The other day when Freddy was doing his rounds, Bailey noticed him and was watching him like a hawk and growling the whole time.  Thank goodness we were holding Bailey at the time.  I would hate to see what would happen if Bailey went after Freddy.  I don’t think Freddy would think to kindly of an uninvited guest at his dinner table.

The weather was actually HOT today!!  I even got a sunburn!  It’s the first day I’ve been able to be in shorts since last summer.  Oh, how I’ve missed that!  After we finished staining the deck, we sat in our new chairs with a well deserved wobbly pop.  It felt good to sit and relax for a while.  It was so nice outside that we decided to have dinner out on our new deck.  It was a perfect way to end the day. 

Planting my first flowers

Dutch Shoe Planters

Back Deck.  Can you see the difference?

Bar Code for Dirt

Staining the 2 level Side Deck without Power Washing it first.

Power Washing

Freddy the Fox catching his dinner

Staining the lower level side deck.  Nice shot eh?

What a difference!

Freddy cruising the property

Just about finished

Our resident fox Freddy

Lower side deck finished

Freddy the fox on his way home

Enjoying the new deck

Relaxing with Bailey

It's been a long hard day!

A Week In Review

Flowers from my children.

This past week has been a busy one.  After the most relaxing birthday ever (read the previous post), it was time to come back to reality.

Just when I thought my birthday couldn’t get any better, on Tuesday I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my wonderful children.  I had spoken to each of them on my birthday so it was a real treat to receive flowers from them a few days later.  It was a large arrangement of orange lilies and yellow daisy like flowers.  I’m not that well versed on the types of flowers … but I do appreciate them!  J

For those who have been following the blog for a long time, you might remember back in October I told you that I broke my tooth.  It was broken so close to the gum line that we decided that the best course of action would be a tooth implant.  It has been a long time but on Wednesday I received my temporary tooth.  Up until then there had been a gap next to my front tooth.  They still have to take impressions to prepare a permanent crown which will happen in about 3 weeks.  Then it will be another 2 weeks before the crown will be ready and I will finally have my smile back.  J 

On Friday I was flossing after dinner and wouldn’t you know it … I caught the temporary tooth with the floss and jarred it loose!  Now I have to go back to the dentist to get it glued back on!

As you read in my last blog, Ron bought me an Adirondack chair for my birthday.  I love it but I’ve caught Ron sitting in MY chair several times this week!  So for an “early” Father’s Day present I got him his own Adirondack chair.  I know that Father’s Day is 2 months away … but I want my chair back!  Lol  This way we can BOTH sit on the deck over looking the water with our morning coffee.  THIS is how we had envisioned our retirement and now it is a reality.  Life is good!

Today was such a nice day.  The sun was shining with a nice breeze blowing.  It was perfect for hanging out the laundry.  Up until now the weather had been too cold to hang clothes on the line.  I’m lucky this property came with a long clothes line.  I love the smell of laundry after it’s been drying in the sun.  It smells so fresh.  As I was hanging the clothes out to dry, Bailey was wandering around the property.  I couldn’t help think that Bailey must really love all the room to roam around.  Actually he doesn’t go too far away.  Even though we have 4 acres, he doesn’t stray too far from home.  If I think he is going too far, all I have to do is say, “come on Bailey, I’m going in the house” and he runs full tilt to the house.  It’s as if to say, “if you’re going in, then I’m going in too!  Wait for me!!” 

Well I don’t know where the week went.  Time seems to just fly by when you’re having fun.  And we ARE having fun!  Be sure to tune in next week for the Huybers Retirement Adventure.  You never know what we will be up to next!  J

My Chair

Hanging the laundry out

Nice long clothes line

Sitting in the front

Bailey doesn't stray too far away from me

Ron's new chair before staining

Ron's chair after staining

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yesterday, April 21^st was my birthday or as my brother called it “Happy Heinz”.  If you think about it you’ll know how old I am.  J 

The day started off as usual with me waking up then going into the office to turn on my computer.  There I found 2 envelopes. There was a beautiful card from Ron and a very cute card from Bailey.  Inside Bailey’s card were 3 scratch lottery tickets (of which I won!).  Ron brought me my morning coffee then he left to meet his Ham Radio buddies for breakfast.  He usually goes for breakfast with them on Sunday’s.  Now most of you would wonder why I didn’t go out for breakfast with him since it was my birthday.  Well, I looked at it as … the day is going to start off with me having my own space.  How perfect was that!  J

When Ron returned home he came into the office, took me by the hand and said “come with me”.  I instantly began to get nervous.  I knew he was up to something.  He said “I know I’m not supposed to spend any money but I couldn’t let your birthday go by without doing something.  So I thought you might like this to go with your morning coffee.”  He then opened the front doors.  I stepped out and saw an adirondack chair!  I’ve always pictured myself sitting on the front porch in one overlooking the view but never thought we would get one.  I was speechless.  He had gone to the breakfast and then went to pick it up.  One of the Hams makes them as a side business and Ron had talked to him about it weeks before.  All we have to do is paint it or stain it to whatever color we want.  We are going to stain it to match the wood from inside the house.

I was very surprised as to how comfortable the chair was.  We had tried sitting in some plastic ones at Canadian Tire but I found them to be too uncomfortable.  I’m a short person and I found that it was very difficult for me to get out of the chair.  Also the back of the chair seemed to be too far back and I always felt that I had to lean my head forward to have a conversation making my neck hurt.  The gentleman who made this chair brings the back a little more forward and the legs a little shorter so it’s easier getting out of it.  He also cuts out 2 half moons out of the bottom board so the back of your legs aren’t pressing against anything.  The chair fit me like a glove.  It was so comfortable.  I’m sure I will be enjoying many a morning coffee while looking out over the water. J

I spent the rest of the day doing what most people say they “wished” they could do for their birthday.  I did NOTHING!  That’s right … nothing!  No work, no laundry, no cleaning the house, nothing.  I received several phone calls during the day from all of my children, my family from BC and also my family in Europe.  I had many many well wishers on Facebook as well.  Thank you all for that.  It was so nice to be remembered.  J

As for my activities for the day … remember I had none.  The only thing I did all day long was catch up on the 50^th Anniversary Marathon of General Hospital … which is the soap opera I watch.  The show has been running for 50 years and to celebrate they ran the 50 best episodes from those years, starting with the very first episode of General Hospital.  I didn’t get to watch it or tape it when it originally aired at the end of March but through the magic of internet and You Tube I was able to see it now.  Throughout the day Ron would check on me to see if I needed anything.  He would bring me food and water while I continued to see episodes I’d never seen before.  I was a happy camper!  It was truly the best birthday ever!!  J

My new chair for the front porch.  I love it!!

Oh What a Beautiful Day!

It's been a long day!

Today was a beautiful sunny day in PEI.  We started the day sitting on our front deck in just a t-shirt.  It was so nice that I decided to have my breakfast while looking at our fantastic view of the water.  We couldn’t get over how the weather had taken a turn … for the good this time.  As we sat on the deck we couldn’t help notice how quiet it was.  You could hear a pin drop.  It reminded us as to why we moved here.  It was so relaxing … until Ron spotted a Red Fox watching us!  We decided to walk down toward where Ron spotted it.  As we got closer the fox popped up from his hiding place and started walking toward us.  I don’t know if he wanted to play or perhaps he thought we had some food for him.  Ron wasn’t going to take any chances and raised his arms over his head and yelled at him to get out of here!  The fox turned and ran away.  I actually felt a little sorry for the fox but on the other hand, we don’t really want him to get into a fight with Bailey.  Since Bailey has had no experience in fighting, I think the fox would win.

Then Ron wanted to take me on a tour of the property.  We started at the road and he explained to me where the property lines were.  They were marked with wooden pegs so it was easy to see.  We walked from one peg to the other.  I kept looking back at where we came from and kept saying “ALL of this is OURS?”  I didn’t realize just how big 4 acres were!  It’s huge!!

At the end of our property tour, we received a phone call from Home Hardware.  The planter boxes I had ordered for my garden were in!  I have a birthday coming up and my wonderful mother had given me an early birthday present of two garden planters (which I had to order) and a dump cart that attaches to our lawn mower.  With the weather being so warm, we decided to go to Summerside immediately and pick up the planters.

Once we arrived home, we put the planter boxes together and placed them out in the yard.  Then we got the lawn mower out with the new dump cart attached.  We had a big pile of dirt at the side of the property that the workers had scraped away when they built the garage last November.  Ron filled up the dump cart and drove it to the other side of the property to where the planter boxes were.  Then we dumped it into the boxes.  The dump cart holds a lot of dirt, but the planter boxes holds a great deal more.  It took four loads of dirt for each of the planter boxes.  Thank goodness we had the dump cart!  If we had to wheel barrow that amount of dirt that distance I’m sure it would have killed us!  Thanks Mom for keeping us alive to live another day.  J

The plants that I have started indoors are growing faster than I imagined.  My tomatoes are growing as well as my chives and peas.  Actually, my peas have taken on a life of their own and have taken off big time!  I had to put some chop sticks in them to help them stay tall.  They were already starting to droop down and wrap themselves around other plants.  When I mentioned that to a sales clerk today she told me that I would be reaping a crop of peas before I could put them in the ground!  And she might be right!

Anyways … I know I asked for some suggestions for my blog in my last post, but I just had to write and tell you what a fantastic day we had today.  Although with all the gardening I’m sure we will be in the hot tub soon!  I can’t wait until it warms up enough that I can plant my indoors plants outside.  They tell me that it won’t be until the first week of June!  I don’t know if I can last THAT long before taking a chance and planting them a bit earlier.  We will just have to see ... so stay tuned! 

Well there's one.

Now where shall we put this one?

This looks like a good spot!

Ron thinks his work is done.  Guess again!

These make good doggie pens.

Backing the dirt in.

This dump cart saved us a lot of work!

Smoothing out the lumps

The day was too much for Bailey

Have to make it perfect.

My plants will have a fabulous view!

Yes honey ... I'm working!

Now what should I plant in this one?

A view from behind the house

Back in the shed.  Good job dump cart!

These are my plants on April 5

These are my plants April 15.  Only 10 days after planting!

My peas are growing fast!

I have already cut some chives and they are only 10 days old!

What’s New?

Where is Spring??  This was taken April 13, 2013.

As I sit down to write another post for the blog, I find that I seem to have a bit of a writers block.  I’m finding it hard to think of something interesting to write about.  I could always write about the weather, but I think that most people are tired of reading about snow.  Yes … I know it is the middle of April … but yesterday and today it has been snowing … again!  At times I think PEI only had nice days when we would come for a visit.  Now that we are living here it’s another story.  But enough about the weather.

For this week’s entry on the blog, I have decided to let my readers suggest topics for the blog.  Maybe there is something you would like to know about in PEI or maybe there is something you would like to see, and if I could, I would take photos of it for you.  Maybe there is something that you would like me to revisit here on PEI.  Is there anything you would like to see or know about? 

So put your thinking caps on and send me an email or post a suggestion at the bottom of this blog.  I will do my best to grant your wishes.  I would love to hear from you!  J