We moved in!

I'm a little late posting this blog...we've been a tad busy this week. Well, we did it!  We now live in Huntsville!  Everything with the move went well.  The movers arrived at our Mississauga house on Wednesday at 9:30 and the house contents were loaded by 3:30 pm.  Russell and I worked really hard until the very last minute.  As much as we were ahead of the game from a packing perspective, there were a lot of last minute things to do.  After saying goodbye to our neighbours, we both drove to Huntsville in our respective cars.  We arrived at 6 pm and went straight to our house.  It was in a state of chaos.  Matt and his crew worked until 1:30 am to get it ready for the movers. They arrived at 9:00 am on Thursday morning and were done by 12:30.

By Friday night, everything was put away and it actually looked like we had been living in that house forever.  We put our feet up at 8 pm, sat on our deck and had a glass of wine.  It was a nice feeling to finally be in our house.  We slept well for the first time in a long time.

It is a beautiful house and we love everything about it.  It is spacious,  rustic in an elegant way and the view is spectacular. The furniture that we bought fits very nicely in the house.  The light fixtures are beautiful. There is still some work that needs to be done, which should be completed in a few weeks.  Our TV and sound system are not hooked up yet, this will probably happen in a week or so. The landscaping is also well under way and Cooper's dog run is almost ready.  The split cedar rail fence that we put up for his space is truly a work of art.  It blends in very nicely with the surroundings and looks as if it has always been there. It even includes a fire pit. Natural Images is the landscaping company we chose for this work and they are doing an amazing job.

Although the physical move went well, we had to deal with two issues:  the first one being with Rogers Cable.  We had been assured that we would be able to keep the same email address using the Rogers Rocket Hub but Rogers Cable decided to cancel our email account.  So, we find ourselves with having to create a new email address and notify not only friends and family but also the various suppliers that we use to pay bills.  The second issue that we had to deal with was with Bell Canada.  We were given our new phone number back in June.  Friday morning we found out that someone cancelled that phone number and gave it to someone else.  This is after we notified everyone of our new number.  Not only did they cancel the number, they only installed the line yesterday at 4 pm.  This is after Russell spent many hours on the phone, on hold, with Bell.  The frustrating part of all this is that we took care of these two issues well in advance to make sure that there would be no problem.  Rogers Cable and Bell Canada are the most incompetent organizations when it comes to customer satisfaction.  So, if some of you have sent Russell or I emails since last Wednesday, we were not able to get them as our email addresses no longer exist. We will advise of our new email address once we have it, hopefully sometime this week.  The same goes for the phone number.

Other than that, we spent the better part of the past few days unpacking, cleaning, organizing the house and restocking the fridge.  I am getting used to driving around Huntsville.  On that note, yesterday, as I was driving to Loblaws, which is about 10 minutes from our house, I was stopped by a police RIDE check. I have been driving all my life, in big cities, and never once had to stop due to a RIDE program. Go figure, my first ever RIDE check had to be in Huntsville!  It goes without saying that I passed the check. 

On Friday morning, we went to Happy Tails, which is the day care that we will use for Cooper when we need to.  It is a great place for dogs and has 12 dog parks, three of them for small dogs. It has a very good reputation.  

 Today, we picked up Cooper at Nathan and Darlah's.  We made the decision on Friday to pick him up today instead of yesterday.  This gave us a chance to finish getting the house organized. He had a great time at their house while we were busy making his new house ready.  We really missed our little guy though. We left Huntsville at 8 am this morning so that we could pick him up as early as possible.  He was so excited to see us, and so were we.  He slept on my lap all the way home.  When we got home, he sniffed around and slowly made himself comfortable in his new surroundings. He is a bit confused and that is to be expected. We had his favorite toys all lined up and his water bowl was filled. He quickly found our bed and his favorite couch.  He should sleep well tonight as he is quite tired from spending four days running around with his other doggie friends.  He will love this house, lots of space for him to run around and for us to play retrieve.  

So, life in Huntsville has begun.  The weather has been great, the days are quite hot and the nights are cool.  Perfect for sleeping. I attach a few pictures of Cooper and I in his dog run taken a few hours ago.  

Anne and Cooper with Lake Vernon in the background.

Split rail cedar fence and river rock....

Cooper wants some marsh mellows for the fire pit!

That's it for this week's blog.  Our lives are back to normal.  We will start exploring Huntsville and enjoy our new house.

A new chapter is about to begin......

One year ago today, we met with Matt and Ali in Washago and signed off on the permit application for the construction of our log home.  On Thursday, July 26, we will move into our new home.  It's hard to believe that the time has come for us to begin this new chapter of our lives.  We are very much looking forward to it.  We are anxious and excited.  It is for real, we are moving this week!

This past week was crazy busy.  Russell went to Huntsville twice to deliver more lights and a bath tub. I continued packing and made very good progress. The fridge and pantry are virtually empty, our closets are empty except for a few pieces of clothing that we will need this week, the garage is organized and lined up with boxes.  Russell made a trip to the Recycling Center and dropped a lot of items.

I had my physical on Wednesday and all is good.  Cooper had his on Thursday and he is a healthy doggie.  He weights 17.6 pounds and Dr. Chris thinks that his weight is perfect.  He got his rabbies booster shot and didn't flinch when the vet poked him with the needle.  We go back this coming Tuesday for his parvo shot and that will be it.  Our vet referred us to the Algonquin Animal Hospital, which is about 15 minutes away from our new house.

On Wednesday, we had lunch with George and Marietta.  They now live in Geneva and were in Canada for a week's vacation.  It was nice to see them again.  Wednesday night, the buyers of our house came by to take a look at their soon to be new house before they move in. They will move into a house that will be spotless!

Thursday, we did more packing.  We ordered Swiss Chalet for dinner, our last order from Mississauga . The delivery man wished us the best.  We don't order that often but often enough for the delivery man to know us :-)

Yesterday, we spent a good part of the day running errands.  We went to Taps to buy some bathroom accessories.  We took Cooper with us.  The sales people were so friendly with him.  One sales associate even gave him a piece of cheese.  What a treat that was for the Coop!  He was so good and patient while we were choosing our accessories.  Another sales associate even commented that it was the first time that she was seeing a Havanese in its true glory.  She was referring to his coat. She couldn't believe how nice and soft it was.  That is was 20 minutes a day will do to a dog's coat.  When we got home, we had lunch then Russell went to Sherway Gardens and Home Depot. While at Sherway, he went to Holts to pick up his four Issey Miyake deodorants that I had ordered (yes, he is precious).  I then went to Square One to stock up on Bath & Body Works products.  I also stocked up on food and toys for Cooper.  It may sound like we are moving to the middle of nowhere and will not be able to find anything....that is not the case although I do not believe that we will find Issey Miyake products in Huntsville!

Speaking of products, a while ago I blogged that we could no longer find the soaps that we used to buy in Toronto.  Well, it turns out that we discovered Soapstones, made in Huntsville.  Those soaps are actually sold in some stores in Mississauga but we will be able to buy them in Huntsville.  They are beautiful soaps.

Back to yesterday.  After we ran our errands, we sat on the back porch and put our feet up.  That is when I had a meltdown.  I knew it was a matter of time before it would hit me, so it felt good to release some emotions that had been building.  We are both emotionally tired.  This project has been a long one, stressful at times, and now we are near the end.  It's all coming together and it's all good.

I would be remiss if I didn't give an update on our log home.  Matt and his crew are working around the clock to make sure it is ready for Thursday.  Russell was impressed with what he saw last week.  Light fixtures are being installed, the last coat of stain was being put on our floors yesterday, our counter top is installed, appliances were delivered and will be installed tomorrow. The landscaping is also progressing very nicely.  I haven't been up in a few weeks so I am looking forward to seeing the end product on Thursday.

This is my last blog from Mississauga.  I look forward to blogging from Huntsville and hope to do it more often.  Every day will bring something knew, at least for the first little while, no doubt about it.

So, this is it.  Today is a special day, not only because it is my last blog from this house, but because I am one year younger!  Russell gave me a birthday card with words that, I swear, could have been written by him.  He has a way to choose cards that always make me cry but this one was very special.  I love him for it.

Anne and the Coop...packed and ready to roll !

Have a great Sunday everyone. The Veuve Cliquot is on ice, Huntsville, here we come!

Ten more sleeps....

Happy Sunday everyone!  Another hot day to enjoy, although it looks like we may get some much needed rain.  I bet we will fondly remember these hot days during the middle of the winter in Huntsville!

Wow!  This past week was very productive for all.  On the log home front, lots happened.  The front and back porches were secured by Muskoka Wild Life Control.  The ground loop for the lightning protection system was installed by Simpson Lightening Protection. More trim work took place.  The deck is almost done.  The landscaping starts tomorrow.  Good old Ma Bell was supposed to bring the telephone line from the hydro/telephone pole to our house.  After Russell spent over 2 hours on the phone with Bell, and after Bell sent three technicians on three separate days to try and get the work done.....well guess what?  The work is still not done.  No need to say more about this...we will bring the telephone line off of the pole to our house by ourselves!

As for us, we got a lot of packing and cleaning done. I am quite happy with what we accomplished.  Russell and I made a list of things to do and everything on that list got crossed off except for two items. Not bad! We now have quite a few boxes lined up in each room but overall our house looks quite organized. I believe we are well ahead of the game. On Monday, my dad and brother came to pick up the sofa and arm chairs I gave my brother.  It was a quick round trip but it was nice to see them.  I made greek food for dinner which was enjoyed by all.

On Tuesday, we visited with Deb and Brian of everGreen Cast Stone to finalized the colour of our countertop.  It will truly be beautiful.  I attach a picture of Deb hard at work in her shop working on our countertop.

Russell had his physical on Wednesday and he got a clean bill of health.  Thursday, I had an ART treatment for my thumbs and this was my last treatment until after we move to Huntsville.  The thumbs are no better and I am seriously used to not using my thumbs.  As I told the ART therapist, this feels like the new "normal".  Of course, she did not like that comment but it is what it is for now anyway.

On Friday, we got more packing done and waited for the delivery of Russell's claw foot bath tub.  Yesterday, we took Cooper to the groomer's and had a well deserved lunch out.  Last night, we had some good friends over for dinner.  This was a last minute get together and often those are the best.  Russell smoked a side of salmon on his Big Green Egg.  It was delicious.  Cooper behaved as usual, however, he showed us his agility side by jumping on the patio table (about three feet high) from a standstill position. This agility stunt was certainly not encouraged and it came out of nowhere.  We hope it is not repeated.  We did not allow him to jump down from the table but picked him up and put him down on the ground.  Little rascal.....

Speaking of Cooper, he is doing fine but we can tell that he senses that something is going on.  We are busier than normal around the house and are not able to give him the same amount of attention.  It is also harder for him to nap properly during the day given our comings and goings and the constant noise of the tape gun!  But he is a good sport and a good doggie.  We made the decision to leave him with Nathan and Darlah for three nights instead of two when we move.  Although we dread the thought of being away from him for so long, it will be best as it will give us more time to get our new house organized and, as importantly, get his new domain ready for his arrival, both inside and outside.

This coming week will be very busy, being our last full week in Mississauga.  Russell is renting another van tomorrow and will deliver the bath tub as well as the outdoor light fixtures to our new home.  He will go back on Friday to deliver the balance of the lights and sconces, which will arrive on Wednesday. He will also meet with the hot tub installer who will give him instructions on how to work the hot tub and also do the final finishing installation woodwork around the tub.  We hope to be able to use it soon after we move in. Our appliances are also being delivered on Friday.

I have my physical on Wednesday and we will also have lunch with a former colleague of mine.  Looking forward to it.  Cooper has his physical and booster vaccines on Thursday.

Deb hard at work on the countertop.

everGreen Cast Stone workshop.

John Davidson hard at work laying granite in the Muskoka room....awesome!

Deck with wildlife control mesh...ready for landscaping!

Is this the mechanical room or the innards of a distillery?

So, on that note, I wish you all a good week ahead.  My next blog will be the last one from Mississauga.  It will be a special one.  Enjoy the latest pictures.

Seventeen more sleeps.....

Well, this is it.  The countdown has officially begun in the Duncan household.  No joke about it, no more "let's start tomorrow", no more "we have time".  Time is no longer a luxury when it comes to packing our house.  I know because I started packing this past week.  Although I made good progress, there is still lots and lots to pack in between doing other things.  It takes even longer to pack if it is done in a very orderly fashion (those who know me well know what I mean).  As I pack, I dispose of little things that I know we will not need.  It's amazing how quickly you can fill a bag full of nik-naks.  I also clean up as I go along so that on move day, once the truck is loaded, we can just lock the door and leave.  All this has been happening despite my trigger thumbs.  Those thumbs of mine are the same, actually the right thumb is now as bad as the left, but I am getting used to managing without them.  If I use my thumbs by mistake, believe me, I feel it!

What else did we do last week?  Russell went to Huntsville on Wednesday to drop off the foyer chandelier and the ceiling fans.  We took Cooper to Nathan and Darlah's on Thursday for an overnight boarding.  This gave us an opportunity to run some errands and get more packing done.  We got new towels for our bathrooms, new bathroom accessories, we also finally bought Russell's belated birthday gift, a telescope.  This is something that Russell has always wanted, especially now since we will have the perfect sky to watch the stars and planets.  On Thursday night, we had dinner with some former colleagues of mine.  It was really nice to see them again.  We hope they will accept our invitation to come and visit us in Huntsville :-)

While we were busy running errands, Cooper was having a grand old time with his furry friends.  He went swimming and really enjoyed it.  He played non stop and tired everyone out.  When we picked him up on Friday afternoon, he was really happy to see us and was licking us all over.  Nathan and Darlah are such nice people and they take such good care of, not only their own dogs, but the dogs that come and visit them.  Cooper will go back to their place for two nights when we move.  He can hardly wait to go swimming again!

Yesterday, we picked up some of our interior and exterior lights.  We are still waiting for some sconces to arrive probably this week.  We will need to take those lights to Huntsville next week. While we are at home this weekend, some work is being done on our property, specifically, we have Muskoka Wild Life Control securing under deck of both the front and back porches. This will eliminate any potential criters from building a little "den" under our porches.

So, it's been a busy week and this coming week will be as busy.  We start off the week by having my father and brother over tomorrow and they will stay the night.  They are coming up from Montreal to pick up a couch and two arm chairs that I am giving my brother. This furniture will be replaced by our new Muskoka room furniture which is being delivered tomorrow morning.  We can't wait to see it.  Patricia, our interior decorator, helped us choose the furniture and fabrics.

This week, we also have a bunch of appointments such as a physical for Russell, ART treatments for my thumbs, the soap dispenser of our dishwasher will be fixed, and of course more packing will take place. Cooper and I will have our respective physicals the week after.  We want to get that stuff out of the way before we move.

Last but not least, the progress on our house continues at a fast pace.  Matt and his crew are doing a great job to ensure that all is done by our move date.  I attach a few pictures that Matt sent us on Friday.  You can see for yourself that things are coming along very nicely. I also include a picture of the chimney, which is a work of art!

I am writing this blog outside, sitting on our back porch.  It is a beautiful Sunday morning and, for a change, there is no humidity.  Cooper is snoozing after playing "catch me" with Russell in the backyard.  Russell is reading the news on line and looking for a set tub for our mud room.  We need to get one soon so that we can use it to bathe Cooper once we move.

Those are my news for this week.  I think today will be a day of relaxation and no packing. I need to give my hands and thumbs a rest.... We may go for a walk by the lake.  Then again, I may pack a box or two.  I seem to be on a roll now.

Really taking shape now.....

This deck is smooth enough to dance on.....all 40 feet of it.

Awesome chimney and stone work by John Davidson Masonary.

Cooper doing his version of the breast stroke.

Cooper in drip dry mode!

Have a great week everyone!  The forecast for the whole week appears to be quite nice.  Despite the extreme heat and humidity, I think we've had a nice summer so far.

Happy Canada Day!

July 1, 2012,  Canada Day, beautiful Sunday morning, the sun is shining and ... we are moving to Huntsville this month!

This past week just flew by.  We went to Huntsville on Monday to meet with our landscaper and review the landscape proposal.  It will be rustic and practical.  We will have a fenced in dog run for Cooper, a fire pit, some retainer walls and will have some deer-resistent plants.  The work will commence in two weeks and should be finished in time for our move in.  We noticed lots of progress while we were there.  The kitchen cabinets and sink were being installed and the template for the counter tops were being made.  There is lots going on at the moment and it's hard to list it all. I attach a few pictures that we took.

On Tuesday, we took delivery of our dining chairs.  They are simply beautiful and very comfortable.  We should be getting our sunroom furniture by end of next week as well as the various lighting fixtures.  Russell will be going to Huntsville on Wednesday to deliver the foyer chandelier.  It is so big that we will have to rent a van. While he is in Huntsville, I will attempt to start packing.  This brings me to my thumb problem....it appears that I have trigger thumb in both hands.  The active release treatments  (ART) that I have been getting are helping a little bit but I know now that this problem will not go away any time soon.  So, until we move, I will keep getting a few treatments each week in the hopes that I will regain some mobility and strength in the thumbs, enough to get me by.  Once in Huntsville, I will have to deal with this issue, unless the Muskoka air clears it up....which it just might do!

This week will be another busy week, one of four weeks left before we move.  On Thursday, we will take Cooper to Nathan and Darlah's home for a one night boarding.  This will give us a chance to get a few things done in the house as well as run some errands that are better done without Cooper.  We are also having dinner with some former colleagues of mine on Thursday night.  It will be nice to see them again. On Friday, before we pick up Cooper, we will have our last hair cuts in Toronto.   I have been seeing the same hairdresser, Linda,  for over 20 years now, and Russell has been seeing her for the past 7 years. As much as we could continue getting our hair cuts in Toronto, it is simply not practical from Huntsville.  Our Huntsville move will bring many changes to our lives and getting a new hairdresser is one of them.  As the saying goes, change is good.  I look forward to blogging about those changes once we are settled in!

Farm style apron sink (36inches wide) installed in cabinetry....the window is 7 feet wide.

Anne and Cooper in the great room by the fireplace as seen from the kitchen.

Muskoka room....taking shape!

That's about it for this week's blog.  I wish you all a safe Canada Day.  Enjoy the beautiful weather.