July 14, 2005
Moving
Over the next week I will be moving my blog to a new server - hopefully it won't be too bumpy of a ride. I have signed up with 2mhost.
I am not a visually creative person - anyone have a lead on some nice not-too-expensive or free movable type templates? Send me suggestions at tellier at doctorblues.com
Posted by songdawg at 05:46 PM | My Life
Future Dawghouse
Hello folks! I am moving my blog to a new server. Soon I will be bringing my old blog entries over. For now if you would like to see them visit my old home at: http://www.doctorblues.com/Toby/
Posted by songdawg at 05:33 PM | Comments (0) | My Life
July 12, 2005
Carol!
Carol came to Etown - got to visit with her for a quick dinner at Wild Tangerine and a ride to the airport. I hope someday we live in the same city again.
All you dog lovers - send lots of good thoughts to Carol's dog Koel who is recovering from a ruptured disc. He's out of surgery and doing OK but still has a long road to feeling 100% ahead of him.
I am going to open up the comments so that you can send Carol and Koel a message if you would like. (Cross fingers no spammers will do their nasty comment spam thing).
UPDATE: OK - looks like the comments are not functioning - I will look into it this weekend when I get a chance.
Posted by songdawg at 08:18 PM | Comments (0) | My Life
Hostas
Can't believe how big the hostas are getting.
Posted by songdawg at 08:13 PM | My Life
July 09, 2005
Elliot Lake Entry #6
My Grandmaman Georgette Marcotte has become an amazing artist. Here she is with a set of dishes she created. I also brought home a bunch of watercolour and ink cards that she made. The painting on the wall is also one of hers.
The guy in the graduate cap is my cousin Anthony who had graduated from high school the day before.
My aunt Denise and Grandmaman helped me created this basket of roses to place at my paternal grandfather's grave. At his funeral I remember that inside his casket was pinned a pink(?) rose for every child and grandchild.
I also went to my high school reunion at Jeunesse Nord in Blind River. I wanted to reconnect with a few of my girlfriends - here's Chantal and Louise. It was so good to see you guys! Louise is as warm and open hearted as I remember - thanks for the wonderful reception - you look really happy. Unfortunately Nathalie wasn't there - hopefully everything in her life is going well. I will be seeing Chantal again soon at the Calgary Folk Fest at the end of the month.
The morning before we left a bunch of us met at Peachy's for breakfast.
Marshall, my Mom and I packed up the car and drove the Barrie. It was the night of the Live 8 concert but since we didn't have tickets we went out to a local restaurant called the Mandarin which has the biggest, freshest buffet I have ever since. It was amazingly great food - perfect way to unwind. After we went back to our hotel rooms and watched the Live 8 concert footage. Then for some unexplained reason we had to stay up and watch the Karate Kid - I didn't want the vacation to end. The next day we flew back to Edmonton from Torornto.
It's great to be away but always great to be home too.
Posted by songdawg at 10:02 AM | My Life
Elliot Lake Entry #5
The best part for me of our visit was just hanging out with family. We had such good food the whole week - I know I have gained at least five pounds. Marshall and I are really glad we went.
My uncle Guy and cousine Vicky drove up from Ottawa on this hot looking bike. Here he is after cleaning all the bugs out of his teeth. Bugs mmmmm.
Here's my uncle Guy being the bartender.
The lime wedges are cut too big.
Squeeeeeze.
My Mom, Lyne, Vicky and Denise. This is about the time the singing started. My Mom and Aunts sang all these french pop songs from when they were teenagers. It was great to listen to.
Marshall, Guy and Grandpapa. This is right before Marshall gets tricked into going for another beer run in the house.
Mon oncle Ron
Denise
Ghislaine
Lyne
Marshall coaches Guy on his first guitar chords. I have a great movie clip of us around the campfire. Marshall was playing guitar and Guy was improvising the blues - his song was great - he (drunkenly) sang to us all about the new love in his life. What a howl.
My uncle Ricky arrived the campfire night with Cathy his wife and their two kids Anthony and Megan. No pics cause it was too dark. Anthony brought his guitar and Megan has a great voice so maybe next time they will have learned a few more songs. Missing from the bunch were my cousins Aaron, Andre and Franky. Hopefully we will see you soon!
Posted by songdawg at 09:32 AM | My Life
July 06, 2005
Elliot Lake Entry #4
Then we went to the Fire Lookout where on a clear day you can see for miles (Hey Prairie dwellers - stop laughing - it's Ontario - it's not flat there :)
Town of Elliot Lake on a very humid day
Matante Lyne and Mom
Three generations
Matante Denise
Three sisters (Ghislaine, Denise and Lyne) and Mom (my Grandmaman)
Posted by songdawg at 09:20 PM | My Life
Elliot Lake Entry #3
On one of the days of our visit we were taken on a little tour of the town.
Drove by the church where I was baptised and where I had my first communion.
Visited Romeo the Cockatoo at Deby's Pet Store.
Drove by the house where I first lived.
Drove by the house where my Grandmere and Grandpere Tellier lived. It used look a lot better. They loved gardening and had such beautiful roses.
We later lived a couple of houses up the street from them - I was very lucky to live so close to both sets of grandparents.
Here is where my Grandmaman and Grandpere Marcotte lived - just one street over.
They had a huge yard that overlooked a forest of Maple trees. They had an outdoor cooking spot setup where in the spring we would make maple syrup. I loved dripping it on the snow then taking a stick and winding it up to make a maple popsicle. So good.
We also visited the cemetary where some of my relatives were buried.
Leo - my Grandmaman Marcotte's brother.
My paternal grandfather - he passed away when I was 7.
My great-grandparents.
Posted by songdawg at 09:03 PM | My Life
July 04, 2005
Elliot Lake Entry #2
In Alberta, selling alcohol is privatized but in Ontario to get your favourite brew you just head on down to The Beer Store.
Hanging out at my Aunt Lyne and Uncle Ron's house. Here's my Grandmaman, cousin Melanie and Grandpere.
Ma tante Denise and ma tante Lyne.
Mon oncle Ron, Grandmaman and Melanie.
Marshall hanging back and soaking up the vacation vibe.
Cass - the busiest dog ever - checking out the passersby.
Melanie is a massage therapist in Elliot Lake. I haven't seen her in so long - not since she was a kid. Here I am getting my toes done for Canada Day.
Oh Canada
Grandmaman and Grandpere. Grandpere had a stroke 1.5 years ago but is doing really well.
Going for a swim in Elliot Lake.
Mom and Mel
Posted by songdawg at 11:06 AM | My Life
Elliot Lake Entry #1
Marshall and I are back from Northern Ontario where we visited some of my family. We had a great time and over the next few days I will try to post pictures up.
We left Edmonton in the morning and landed in Toronto in the afternoon where we transferred to the plane that would take us to Sudbury where my mom and my Aunt Denise would pick us up.
Marshall hates flying and almost turned back when he saw how tiny the plane was.
Lots of big hugs from my Mom, Denise and uncle Norm when they picked us up. We hopped into their car and went to Swiss Chalet for dinner. Then we headed to their place in Espanola. Here's the Sudbury Superstack and surrounding slag. Nice huh.
The next day we got up and headed off to Elliot Lake (Norm stayed to work- he works in the town paper mill - he later joined us in Elliot Lake).
Along the Trans-Canada highway there are tourist stops that sell a strange mix of handcrafted native art and moccasins and Canadian tourist gifts - we stopped at the Serpent River Trading Post for a bit.
This is a picture of downtown Elliot Lake taken from outside our hotel room in the Algo Centre. This is the town I was born in and lived in until the end of the third grade.
It was great to go back and see family - some that I haven't seen in 15 years.