Countries Visited

I came across this link from one of my friends on Facebook. I thought it was kind of neat and decided to punch in all the countries, states and provinces I have visited. This is something I had talked about doing on a map for a couple of years now. The link is travbuddy.com if you want to do the same.

World Visited

Deer at the Inn?

We have always said that there is quite a bit of wildlife around the Inn - especially for being so close to downtown Winnipeg. Yesterday was a first for the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast though as there were two deer in our front yard! Michelle tried hard to get a good clear picture but they were a little spooked and none turned out. Add them to the list...very cool!

Flowers, Flowers, and Green Thumbs!

This time of year, the River Gate Inn Bed & Breakfast starts to really come alive in the yard. Flowers are blossoming and being planted (hundreds of dollar woth) and every year this seems to be getting to be a bigger event! We seem to find more and more places to put some more colour into our world! Any green thumbs out there who stay with us... certainly offer friendly advice as we make some adjustments to our landscape plans.
Cheers!

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.

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.

Happy Easter

Just a short and warm welcome for anyone reading this around Easter time. The RIver Gate Inn would like to wish everyone a happy and enjoyable Easter.

Spring is here - or is it?

This year has been a topsy-turvey spring as far as weather goes. We had a fantastic week of temperatures 6 or 7 degrees above normal with all the snow melting, the river breaking up and everything proceeding nicely. Then we dropped 7 or 8 degrees BELOW the normal temperatures and back into freezing - even a little snow. That was a few days ago and it seems like we are back on track to welcome in Spring. Now, I know that the spring river levels are a yearly topic but honestly, it has to be around here. There is a yearly concern for flooding and the ice dams around Selkirk this year show how quickly and easily the Red or Assiniboine rivers can flood. The weird temperatures may have provided a saving grace - not including those in Selkirk - as the river seems to be going down now. The odd combination of an early thaw and then back into freezing has given the river time to start flowing but now be overwhelmed with ALL the melting snow as there is still some left. There is an interesting sight though if you go down to the river you will see a full tree long since dead though, floating and wedged up against the ice that has built up as the river turns. It just seems oddly appropriate for this spring.

Garden Path Bed and Breakfast

On our way home from our weekend escape we managed to pop in and see a fantastic B & B in Neepawa, Manitoba. Garden Path Bed & Breakfast is owned and operated by George and Susan Phillips. This is a great Bed & Breakfast with lots of antiques and we were lucky enough to have been surprised with a lunch. Unexpected and fantastic! Quiche, avacodo and pecan salad and fresh baked biscuits! What a treat and a perfect way to set us off to Winnipeg - after a tour of the house of course. The feeling in the whole house is one of warmth and welcome so we can only imagine what it's like staying as guests. At this time of the year you can only imagine the garden in full bloom. Privately covered with trellises, a pond, flowers and an incredible variety of Lillies can only be fantastic in the summer! If you are ever in Neepawa and need a place to stay - consider giving them a call.

Law's Way and the Castle

While staying at Fairmount B & B, our host Susan suggested we ask to see the other B & B's in Minnedosa - Law's Way and The Castle. The Castle is a Queen Ann castle that has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast. Make sure to ask about the tunnel if you are going to view it! Our visit was brief as we caught Darryl and Pat just before dinner and didn't want to impose too much. They graciously showed us around and explained some of the renovation work they had undertaken.
Law's way was quite a treat as we managed to spend some time talking with Maxine and Doug Law, the owners and hosts. The house - which many of the locals know as Doctor Stevenson's (sp?) home, is filled with fantastic woodwork throughout and Doug has spent lots of time making improvements and restoring the Arts and Crafts style home. The finished plans sound spectacular and will only add to the grandeur of the home. There are a number of unique and special features of the home and Doug and Maxine have a great sense of style. Doug is a retired RCMP officer and is an extremely knowledgeable person about restoration and home construction.
Thanks for the time and the great tours.

Weekend Escape - Fairmount B & B!

Well, just to show that we are not hypocrites - Michelle and I had a fantastic weekend getaway staying at the Fairmount Bed and Breakfast in Minnedosa with our houst Susan Proven. We had a fantastic time in Susan's 1914 farm house located just north of Minnedosa. The atmosphere was relaxed and quiet, we had fantastic food prepared by Susan (she even treated us to some of her farm raised lamb for dinner one evening - excellent by the way!). We hope to make it back during the summer for an evening when Susan told us she would prepare some lake trout - raised and caught in her wetland area. We had fresh baked sun dried tomatoe bread along with fresh hot pumpkin muffins, grapefruit, frittata, locally grown rose hip tea and locally grown peppermint tea, fantastic red raspberry jam and gooseberry jam, a wonderful breakfast imported from Newfoundland among other things - all grown and prepared by Susan on her farm. IT WAS EXCELLENT! Michelle and I can imagine the atmosphere during the summer time when the lake has geese and birds in abundance, the sheep are grazing, and the sun is shining. We might head off to Riding Mountain National park after an incredible breakfast, play a round of golf, grab some lunch and head back to relax around the bonfire at night.
The rooms are cozy and Susan has incredible stories about the history of the area, the farm (four generations of Provens have owned the home), and local knowledge. Susan also recommended we check out some of the other B & B's in the area - which we did and that's another story. On our way out we decided we couldn't live without some of the homemade preserves Susan has for sale. Saskatoon berry jam and syrup, both of the jams we had for breakfast, pickles, Green Tomatoe Chow Chow (you need to try it to find out - awesome), and other jams, jellies and surprises. One thing you might want to ask about if you decide to stay there are the wool duvets handcrafted by Susan with the wool from her sheep! What a treat!

Updated Website

Our website has been something of an ongoing project since we took over the River Gate Inn. We are happy to say that there have been some great additions that people are finding helpful. The facts link adds information about Winnipeg, Manitoba and a bit about Canada as well. It was educational for me putting it together and its nice to hear that other people have been enjoying it as well. The latest addition to our website is the link to the story about Winnie-the-Pooh. Many people are aware that Winnie was named after Winnipeg and no one tells the story better than Peter Dennis' version on Pooh-Corner.com! They have graciously allowed us to use a copy of the story to help further preserve the story of Winnie-the-Pooh!

Cheers,
Keith Sanheim

Great day for a skate...

Finally, the cold weather seems to have passed - at least for now - and today is a great day to be in Winnipeg. The temperature is low (-7 I think), the sky is overcast but that helps keep the temperature warmer so it's ok, there is a light snow falling and the river is cleared of snow on the skating path and a new cover of water has just frozen...it's skating time! Some people jog and that's fine for the summer, but the winter is for skating and since the longest skating path in Canada is just behind the River Gate Inn it just seems like the right thing to do.

Das Femme

Here's a further update to the 9 ladies who stayed with us this past weekend for a girlfriends getaway. They are the singing group Das Femme from Brandon, Manitoba and they are excellent. I had the pleasure of hearing them warm up for their event today at one of the local Winnipeg churches. I first thought it was the radio and then once I realized it was our guests I was blown away! It was simply fantastic and I highly recommend that if the opportunity should present itself to hear them sing live, take advantage of it and go! A special treat and one of the reasons we find owning and operating a Bed and Breakfast to be so rewarding. We can't wait for them to come back!

Das Femme

Here's a further update to the 9 ladies who stayed with us this past weekend for a girlfriends getaway. They are the singing group Das Femme from Brandon, Manitoba and they are excellent. I had the pleasure of hearing them warm up for their event today at one of the local Winnipeg churches. I first thought it was the radio and then once I realized it was our guests I was blown away! It was simply fantastic and I highly recommend that if the opportunity should present itself to hear them sing live, take advantage of it and go! A special treat and one of the reasons we find owning and operating a Bed and Breakfast to be so rewarding. We can't wait for them to come back!

Girlfriends Weekend?

This weekend the RGI B and B welcomed a group of nine ladies from Brandon who needed a welcomed getaway. From what I saw, they certainly enjoyed themselves spending time in the games room - a little celebrating went on I think! Since they are all involved with singing, music was part of the evening events. We were happy to have them choose our Inn and hope they come back.

Great Grey Owl

Recently, this past week we saw a Great Grey Owl sitting on one of the trees. This is the provincial bird of Manitoba and apparently quite rare. This is not the first sighting of the Great Grey Owl on our property and we really didn't know how lucky we were until it was pointed out that they are not normally seen in this area by friends of ours. I asked if the beavers, racoons, squirrels, rabbits, piliated woodpeckers and such were also out of place. Apparently, not as rare as the owl. Slowly our guests are educating us on some of the fantatstic things about our home and our location. It never fails to amaze us how much we learn from our guests' knowledge and how willing they are to share it with us.

Skating on the Assiniboine River

The Assiniboine River now is the home to the longest stretch of skating in Canada and we are excited. It extends from the historic Forks all the way to just before the Maryland bridge - around 4.5 kms long! It is well maintained, cleared and flooded with a skate changing station just behind the River Gate Inn at the Hugo Street Docks. In addition to the skating path, there is a walking path that is frequented by joggers, bikers and people walking their dogs! It is a fantastic use of the river during the winter and has been a real hit with some of our guests.