Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Winnie the Pooh
Ever wonder how Winnie the Pooh became linked to Winnipeg? There is more information on our website at www.rivergateinn.com. Click on the link near the top right of the page. It explains the history of Winnie the Pooh as told by Peter Dennis, a prominent actor. Get all the information about Winnie-the-Pooh! at www.poohcorner.com
Garage Sale
Well, for the first time since we have owned the River Gate Inn, we participated in the Armstrong's point neighbourhood garage sale. We were convinced with the downpour we had on Saturday that no one would come. Boy were we wrong! It was a flurry of activity and it was something to see. I guess Winnipeggers love a good garage sale. Sunday the weather cleared up and we had a number of people stop by on their bikes. This weekend coincided with Doors Open. This is the first year we decided not to participate in Doors Open and it was mostly due to the change in dates conflicting with guest reservations. I think the idea is to keep the date of the garage sale and Doors open on the same weekend next year - two weeks after mothers day.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Spring is in the air!
Springtime sees lots of activity around the Inn as the grounds get brought up to snuff, flowers are planted and outdoor projects really start to take shape - are simply start! The big project this spring has actually been something that was started last spring. The 30'X7' limstone sitting area that we undertook last summer is getting a lot of time recently. That whole part of the yard has been the focus of attention with lots of new flowers and bushes as well as the patio work. This area became a reclamation project after one of the huge basswood trees had to be taken down (it was creaking all the time and since it was HOLLOW we wisely put it to rest). It left a big void in that part of the yard but the upside is a lot more sunshine coming in means a great area to enjoy...the limestone patio. Both Michelle and I are looking forward to the time when the patio is finished and we can enjoy the afternoon sun with a cold beverage. Oh did I mention the addition to the deck...coming soon!
Catch up time...
Whoa how time flies here at the Inn during the Spring...so much has happened here since I last posted - let me see if I can recall some of it!
First, the ice dams were playing havoc with the water levels - we had 3 and 4 foot increases and decreases a couple of times and all within hours. A neat thing to witness. We had huge sheets of ice and massive chunks of ice floating down the river. The power of mother nature sure showed when the river was high as the ice ripped off some of the low hanging very big limbs - like a twig. Incredible.
The changing levels of water and the ice created some problems for the beavers that seem to show up every spring and pop in and out throughout the summer. I didn't see them in pairs like previous years but I saw them so frequently that I am sure there were more than one of them.
Once the ice moved on...the waterfowl was heavily in abundance. Canada geese, loons, ducks, and the odd Swan were making nests on the other side of the river mostly. Really good for viewing. We had some close up looks at a couple of loons as they were making themselves comfortable in our pool! I think I scared them so much they haven't returned there since.
Lots of woodpeckers this spring as well. Maybe I never paid as much attention to them in the past but they have been all over the place this spring. I think the bird feeders may have something to do with it.
There's always lots to see here at the River Gate Inn.
First, the ice dams were playing havoc with the water levels - we had 3 and 4 foot increases and decreases a couple of times and all within hours. A neat thing to witness. We had huge sheets of ice and massive chunks of ice floating down the river. The power of mother nature sure showed when the river was high as the ice ripped off some of the low hanging very big limbs - like a twig. Incredible.
The changing levels of water and the ice created some problems for the beavers that seem to show up every spring and pop in and out throughout the summer. I didn't see them in pairs like previous years but I saw them so frequently that I am sure there were more than one of them.
Once the ice moved on...the waterfowl was heavily in abundance. Canada geese, loons, ducks, and the odd Swan were making nests on the other side of the river mostly. Really good for viewing. We had some close up looks at a couple of loons as they were making themselves comfortable in our pool! I think I scared them so much they haven't returned there since.
Lots of woodpeckers this spring as well. Maybe I never paid as much attention to them in the past but they have been all over the place this spring. I think the bird feeders may have something to do with it.
There's always lots to see here at the River Gate Inn.