Time to Spring Forward

 Time to turn the clocks forward once more. Does that mean that Spring is here? In my house, I have to start this task early.

First.... wind and adjust the clock the living room.

Mantel clock by Ingraham Co, Bristol, Connecticut, U.S.A.  c. 1890

 This one keeps time perfectly, and strikes on the hour. It's not in the greatest condition, and some of the numbers on the paper dial have disappeared.

Regulator School clock, possibly from 1940s.

Next stop..... the entrance hall.

 This Regulator school clock isn't completely original and has been assembled from parts from various school clocks. But it works although it's a little quirky. If I wind it up too tight, it dings until it runs out of steam. I've heard it ding 56 times! I don't keep count any more when it goes bezerk.

Many years ago OlderSon and YoungerSon were wrestling and knocked the clock off the wall and it fell into a thousand pieces.... well, maybe not quite a thousand, but a lot! I'm amazed that we got it back together and it's always worked.

Long Case clock with painted dial c.1850

Now to the hallway. This is William. I blogged about him and his maker's history previously here.

William is a long case clock in a polished mahogany case, more often known as a Grandfather Clock. He was built by Willam Rippon in South Shields, County Durham, England around 1850, hence his name... William.

When I moved, he wasn't working properly, but a clock repairing friend had a look at William's innards, gave him a few squirts of oil and some kind words, and he seems to be completely recovered.

Cast iron mantel clock c.1910

And now to the kitchen.....

This clock is very heavy, and is made of cast iron by the New Haven Clock Company, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.. It keeps good time when it's wound up, but won't keep going for more than a day. The face and the bezel are loose and I think I have to take this one for some TLC at the clock hospital.

It strikes both the hour and the half hour and has a lovely full throaty sound that resonates in the cast iron case..

Mantel Clock by Sessions Clock Co, Forestville, Connectict, U.S.A. c.1890

The Sessions clock is on the mantel in the family room. It keeps good time, and strikes the hour with a loud "DONG!" and the half hour with a musical high pitched "DING!" All these antique clocks came from auctions or yard sales and I'm rather fond of them. They should all strike at the same time, but that never happens, they all run on their own time. This is not a quiet house at the top of the hour!

If anyone comes to stay, I have to stop them (the clocks, that is)... the ticking and striking drives guests wild! But I don't even hear them any more. 

 One more clock to adjust, but this one doesn't need to be wound up. My retirement gift to remind me of my years spent working at the local natural gas distribution company. As if I could forget!!!!

Clock or gas meter.... you decide!

Well.... that's the clocks adjusted. Now I'm heading to adjust the time on the coffee maker, the microwave, the DVD player, the stove, the 3 bedside clock radios, my watch, the car..... it's never ending!! Time marches on.

Hilary has awarded me POTW! Thanks so much, Hilary. What a lovely surprise.

Bath Time

It's 16C outside today, blue sky and sunshine. That's almost 61F in old money. Even though we've enjoyed a mild and relatively snow free winter so far, today is the first day that looks and feels remotely like spring.
And when the sun shines, my thoughts go to....... the Car Wash!

 I should have taken a "before" picture. Poor Bluebottle was filthy. He was looking very sad and uncared for. But he's all shiny now.... until the next bad weather day.

St. David's Day

St. Andrew represents Scotland, St. George (famous for slaying the dragon) stands up for England, St. Patrick of course is always associated with Ireland (and shamrocks and green beer) and St. David is the patron saint of Wales.
St. David doesn't get a lot of publicity these days.

Happy St. David's Day to everyone out there with Welsh ancestry. Wear a leek or a daff in your hat with pride!

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant!

Dragon Trouble

Mummy:  So, Callum, what kind of cake would you like for your FOURTH birthday?
Callum:  I want a Dragon!
Mummy:  A dragon! Are you sure?
Callum:  Yes, I want a really big green dragon and I want him to be very very scary and breathing fire out of his nose and I want him next to a police car.
Mummy:  Next to a police car?
Callum:  Yes, standing next to a police car and breathing fire on the police car and I want his tail to have broken the police car window and the policeman is trying to arrest the dragon.
Mummy (hoping he'll forget):  Oh my goodness. That would be quite a birthday cake!

But he didn't forget.

The chocolate spike at the end of the dragon's tail had shattered the police car's back window, as requested, but Callum ate it before he got to the party.

The Equestrienne did a fantastic job, right?

Scaredy Cat... er, I mean Dog

I took Tessa the DoodleDog walking along the snowy trails of York Regional Forest this morning. The sun was shining , the sky was blue and the snow was sparkling, it was gorgeous.
We hadn't gone far when a sleigh pulled by two big draught horses pulled out of a side trail, sleigh bells jingling and the horses snorting steam .
Tessa stopped in her tracks, made a couple of half-hearted woofs, then turned tail and ran for her life!

This photo is borrowed from the internet, but shows exactly what Tessa saw coming towards her. VERY SCARY!

I called her but no, she decided she wasn't going anywhere near that scary apparition.
The sleigh driver told me to hop into the sleigh and he'd take me to get her, but when we got to a fork in the trail, Tessa headed right, and the sleigh driver headed left, hoping she would follow, but of course, she didn't.
I knew that both trails led back to the parking area, and I thought she might have gone back to the car, but no luck.
I said goodbye to the sleigh driver, patted the horses, and headed down the trail where I had last seen her, calling her name all the way, and feeling pretty silly.
By this time I was starting to get worried and had visions of trudging along the snowy trails all day looking for a panicking Golden Doodle. And even worse, going home without her and explaining to YoungerSon and The Bride that I'd lost their beloved dog.
When I got close to the place we had first encountered the sleigh, she bounded out of the trees, tongue lolling and totally out of breath. Sensible dog.... she had gone back to where she last saw me. Thank goodness!!
She stuck very close to me for the rest of the walk.
Well, at least I got a horsedrawn sleighride complete with jingle bells through the forest.... I don't have the opportunity to enjoy that very often!

The Bench

What do an American gymnast, an Australian sheepshearer and a Canadian figureskater have in common? Don't know? They are the unlikely Co-Artistic Directors of the innovative and entertaining Motus O Dance Theatre, based right here in our small town. Their energetic style is best described as part dance, part theatre, and part triathlon. I am very lucky to count them among my friends.

An Auction and Spaghetti

Well.... so much for my resolution of blog posting every couple of days through January. I only made it to 13 posts, and my record for February has been even worse so far.

I've been spending money again.... well, not very much money. I went to an auction sale and came home with this lovely little child's rocking chair. The cushion isn't very exciting, so I'll be making a nice new one, now that my faithful Singer sewing machine (purchased in 1967)  has been repaired. Oh, I didn't tell you that it was broken? It was making very unhappy noises, and suddenly produced a loud "Clunk!" and seized up. Well, after working diligently for 45 years without any major maintenance, I'm not really surprised.

Another Family Spaghetti Dinner took place in the local Community Hall this week. A couple of young families band together every few weeks and produce a magnificent spaghetti dinner for the amazing price of $1.00 per person. This is the fifth time they have done this.

On the menu: Spaghetti with tomato & meat sauce, mixed salad and a choice of salad dressing, buttered bread, lots of different desserts including cupcakes, rice krispie squares, brownies, cookies, and then coffee, tea or lemonade to wash it all down.

And if that's not enough to fill you up, you're welcome to go for a second helping!

Just put your money in the donation box, nobody checks the amount you're putting in. I should think most people put in more than $1.00, I certainly do. Long tables are set up and you just sit down next to whoever's already there and start chatting. There might be a neighbour sitting there, or a newcomer to town, it's a great way to make new friends. The money goes to the local Food Bank, with just enough left over to buy the ingredients for the next Family Spaghetti Dinner!