Glorious Summer

We are at our cabin near Sault Ste. Marie and enjoying a wonderful stretch of weather. The weekend is predicted to be rainy but we've had good working weather this week.

Every year when we arrive near the end of May we find the yard and gardens have a big head start on us. The grass grows very fast here because it is damp and needs to be cut more than once a week. The flower gardens are always overrun with weeds. So all week we have been working and trying to get things under control. The yard is coming nicely but the flower beds have a ways to go.

The boats are a delight to us again and we take time to watch and note each one. The ship below is the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Griffon. It passed up bound yesterday. I wonder if they are bringing it to the Soo because the US Coast Guard from here sent a large group of men and boats down to work with the oil spill in the Gulf.

This boat is Federal Miramichi. She is headed down bound probably for Montreal because she sails out of there.
Canada geese are a real problem here every year. Chasing them away seems to be the only method we've found to keep them away. Every morning they arrive noisily very early. This time of year they have babies with them so they are skittish and easy to chase. As the babies get older, the geese become bolder and then refuse to be chased or come right back. If we didn't go out and chase them away, they will come right into our yard and next to the cabin. I hear from the neighbors that the geese had been enjoying our yard until we got here.

If you know any way to keep geese away, please let us know. Our large river front encourages them to come. It is too long to put string out to stop theme. We keep it mowed and it seems to invite the geese to stop here.