Summer in Beaver Dam

Well summer is in full swing which means frequent lawn mowing and as there are about 4 acres of grass to cut the ride on mower is a great way to do this. Murphy is always keen to be involved with all we do so this day she kept Ross company.

Also at this time of the year large quanties of locally grown berries are readily available. Some of our friends go and pick their own berries and Debbie and George who are keen fruit pickers gave us several punnets of the sweetest strawberries and bluberries. Next were the rasberries which have a pleasant tarteness about them. With all the strawberries we had it was time to do some cooking so you will see Bev in the kitchen after a days baking and in the process of bagging and freeezing her 120 strawberry muffins.

Summertime is also a good time to make the recipes we had been promising to do all year so a couple of weeks ago we made Paella for the very first time. Of course dessert is always a welcome addition to any meal and below is another of Debbie's great creations. A fresh fruit flan made from the delicious seasonal fruits of this area. Needless to say a good Australian red was required to accompany it.

As we did not have a Paella pan we had to improvise with a large saucepan. The flavours were great and we will certainly be making this dish again.

Summertime has also provided the opportunity to spend time with our lovely friends and below is a photo of Suzanne at the Baby Shower we had a home last week. Suzanne and James will welcome their first baby in early September. While the ladies of the area got together with Suzanne, Ross and the boys took James to the local pub for dinner. Following which the boys returned home so we continued on with the good times.

Spirited on by our Paella effort we made some Pho last weekend and it turned out very well. As we had been speaking about this recipe ever since we arrived in Canada to Debbie and George, we invited them over to sample this dish. It was enjoyed by all.

Well this may provide you with a sample of what is like here at this time of the year. There is lots to do and see. It is also a great time to enjoy the outdoors and to spend fun time with good friends.

On Wednesday we are travelling to Bangor, Maine for a few days and in August we are planning a trip to Ottawa.

So until our next update stay happy safe and well.

Love Bev and Ross

Canada Day 2010

The time is just flying by and on 1 July we celebrated our second Canada Day since our arrival. Again it was spent with our lovely friends and this year it was our opportunity to have our friends at our place for the event. In the spirit of the day Murphy dressed for the occasion as you can see from her neck scarf. She was so anxious to get the party started she only had eyes for the door and was so excited to see everyone arrive.




Fortunately it was a sunny day so we enjoyed our time together sitting in the sun room. Looking from the left of the photo below is Doug and Cathy Pyne, Suzanne Cooper, George and Debbie Proctor and Ross.



Bev and Murphy feature in the photo below. We decided to have a very easy lunch so we tried a new burger recipe known as Argentinean burgers with Chimichurri sauce. These burgers are served with sliced avocado, red onion and tomatoes. Yes, they were both tasty and spicy and we all enjoyed a different burger. We also had sausages and hot dogs. This was followed by a fruit platter with a cinnamon/maple dip. This is Bev's cousin Jill's recipe and was accompanied by a carrot and walnut cake.

We flew the Canadian flag from the back deck and before our friends left for their homes we took the opportunity to capture a moment in the day. As you will see from the following 2 photos below we are still all smiling.

Canada is now in its 143 rd year and we feel very privileged to be in this lovely country and to have such nice friends who have made us feel so welcome.

Best wishes to all and come for a visit if you get the opportunity as our time is Canada is going so quickly.

Love Bev and Ross