The hallway is officially finished! (the walls anyway). I spent the morning touching up with a tiny brush and then removing paint from the wood trim. There is a product rather aptly named "Oops!" that comes in a spray can and removes paint smudges. Wouldn't it be nice if there were a mega spray can like that to fix all the little "Oops!" moments of our lives!

It works fairly well and I will say that not ALL the paint smudges were mine. Some have been there for many, many, many years. Coupled with a scraper and some steel wool I think I made a pretty good job of it.

Between coats of pink paint this past weekend the old hound and I have been delving into the mysteries of the BBQ. The universe really was on our side as every time we were ready to grill the skies cleared and the rain stopped. We tried whole trout, ribs, vegetable skewers, burgers and sausages. Unlike most normal people we are unable to cook just one type of food at a time. It's much more exciting to juggle many types of food with their differing textures and cooking times.

Everything tasted great and provided great fuel and incentive for the hard work inside.

Don't let the picture fool you, the old hound was the chef this weekend!

YUMMY!  Next weekend, weather permitting - Salmon on a Cedar Plank or Chicken Souvlaki (or maybe both! )

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel, not a destination."

So many people spend so much time searching for happiness and waiting for happiness that they forget to just be happy. They forget to live in the moment, to be happy in the here and now. They say "I'll be happy when....", and sometimes that when never arrives.

In searching my heart lately I find that I am happy. That is not to say that I am not beset by annoyances and frustrations. That is not to say that I don't get tired and overwhelmed. In spite of everything, or maybe it's because of everything that is going on around me, I feel quite simply - happy.

It's a quiet, calm, peaceful kind of happiness that doesn't jump up and down and demand to be noticed. It just sits there in the background of my life filling in the colours of my heart like a canvas waiting to be painted.

I am glad it's there, because at times I have been feeling something else - OVERWHELMED!  Not to a dangerous, toxic degree, but in the odd moment it will all creep up behind me and WHAM! smack me upside of the head. This is, in all honesty, a much bigger job than even I could have imagined. In a way I have bitten off more than I can chew so in order to manage I have to spit some out, rearrange what's left on the plate and just take smaller mouthfuls.

My one fear is that if I become too overwhelmed this will no longer be fun. It will become a drag, a chore, a weight around my neck. I never want this to stop being a labour of love. I never want it to stop being fun. Things can go wrong, (and they do!), things can break (and they have!), things can be frustrating in the extreme (and they sometimes are!), but at the end of the day I don't regret buying this big, old, crumbling (in parts!), cracked, creaking house.

I suppose what I didn't anticipate was the sheer enormity of just maintaining a house and property this size. Just the basics of housework and chores and yardwork. Dusting and cleaning a small bungalow and an apartment were simple. This is not. Especially with all the debris generated from repairs and renovations. At times I feel like I am living in a war zone and just have to clear away one space and have it neat and tidy, even though I know I'm going to mess it all up again the next day. Sometimes I just need to see a part of the house looking "normal".

One giant leap has been the painting of the hallway. I believe it came out magnificently considering it was my first attempt at painting and the condition of the walls. The old hound was, as always, a great help. (The fact that he has the strength of ten men often comes in handy).The colour I chose (with the help of the old hound  ) is called Pink Cliff by Debbie Travis. It took two coats of heavy duty primer and two coats of paint, but now it looks wonderful. No longer is the entranceway a dark, forboding, grim portal of doom. Now it is a cheerful, bright, welcoming space. It will look spectacular once the floor tiles are put down. (I am waiting for the oil furnace and tank to be installed before I do that). Never having tiled before, I anticipate some challenges, but it will be a good learning experience and a good stretching of my creative muscles.

Speaking of oil furnaces and tanks I finally got off the procrastination train and called Thermoshell. A very nice young man who looked about twelve (lately all young men look about twelve to me!) came and checked out my situation. No real surprises, I do need a new tank and furnace and some work done to the chimney. One kind of funny aside was that when he was inspecting the present furnace I was becoming quite alarmed because I could smell oil. I had never been able to smell oil in the basement before. It was on the tip of my tongue to mention it, but I am so glad that I didn't....I finally worked it out when we came upstairs that the oil smell was coming from HIM! He was saturated in it! Another funny thing was he apologized for not wearing his uniform, but said he had just been out to lunch with his wife - he hadn't even been working today - but the state of his hands were so black and grimey that he left little marks all over the paperwork!! It reminded me of my Uncle Malcom who was a car mechanic. No matter how much my aunt made him wash his hands they were always imbedded with oil. Anyhow, five thousand dollars later I will have a new furnace and tank next Monday. Hopefully my insurance company will be happy now!! It seems like alot, but a more efficient, reliable furnace is something I would be needing down the road anyway. (I did enquire about central air, but at another two thousand or so I'll forgo that luxury this year!!)

When things do get too hot around here this summer I can always head to THE BEACH!

A mere five minute drive and I arrive at Lakeview Park. There is a lovely beach, park area, pier and walking paths.

I went for a walk along the beach the other morning and it was beautiful. Quiet and peaceful and very soothing to feel the sand between your bare toes.

It wasn't very busy on that weekday morning. A few people reading their papers and some kids out with their moms or caregivers, the odd jogger (I always think joggers are odd!)

I am truly blessed to be living so near to such a lovely spot. Maybe now I'll even learn to swim!!

KING OF THE GRILL!

It's official, the old hound is King of the Grill! We had a lovely long weekend of pure BBQ bliss. Turkey/chipotle sausages, catfish, baked potatoes, corn, ribs and fantastic salmon filets. For someone who has never bbq'd before he has taken to it like a fish to water.

The weather was not hot, but at least the rain held off so we could spend some time outside. Tushybaby stopped by Saturday morning for some coffee and conversation which was very nice. Some other visitors who came for a suprise visit were an evening grosbeak:

and a hummingbird attracted by my pear tree blossoms:

(I did not take these pictures, but will start bringing my camera outside when I sit and have my coffee in hopes of capturing some shots.)

The old hound helped me paint the front entrance way (walls and ceiling) with primer. It was our first attempt and I think we did an admirable job. (despite the fact that we seem to be wearing an inordinate amount on various body parts).   The areas we patched with plaster and sanded are almost invisable. I think my technique will improve with practice as it did with the hardwood floors. The walls are plaster, not drywall and very old so there are bound to be imperfections. I believe that adds to the character of the home. There are also alot of deep nicotine stains as the previous owners were very heavy smokers.

It was nice to spend 3 days at "home". Romantic wood fire and soft music in the evenings with an old hound has quite spoiled me! I feel quite refreshed now returning to work, but am impatient to get painting the rest of the place. Even with only the primer on the walls it brightens it up remarkably.

My fridge appears to be on the verge of being on the blink. Water is collecting under the crisper at an alarming rate. I "googled" it on the internet and have found a possible solution. Hopefully this will work and save me some cash. They recommend filling a turkey baster with hot water and shooting it through the defrost area to clear any blockages. They also say a pipe cleaning may work. Appliances are not my strong point, but I will give it a try.

My other option is to just buy a new fridge, stove, dishwasher. (dishwasher isn't filling with water ). It seems like a big expense, but all of the appliances are old and more or less on their last legs. The stove top gets extremely hot and the enamel is wearing away and both it and the fridge are at least 15 years old. That tells me that sooner or later I'll need new ones. The question is - sooner or later?

Tempus Fugit -

My oh my how time flies..........................

It has been one month since I moved into "the manor".  Unbelievable on so many levels!!

I am actually here creating my dream home....and some of it is actually working and falling into place !!

On one hand this year is flying by. It is already May! On the other hand time gets kind of skewed here. It seems as if I have been here forever (in a good way). It feels right, it feels like home.

Looking back on this last month I realized just how much I have accomplished. Very little of it is visible at this point, a new visitor to this home would find it fairly decrepit, but Mulberry Manor and Me know what's been done. I truly believe this house has a soul and a heart. I feel more and more protected and safe here as time goes on.

I haven't set myself any agenda or timeline for any projects because they just wouldn't work. New areas requiring attention keep popping up and I just keep on trying to reset my priorities as situations arise. (and reset and reset..... ).

Nothing has actually gone in the order that I projected prior to moving in. That is okay but I am now going to share a very secret misslill irony filled fact with everyone. After all the stressing and worrying and whining about my oil furnace and tank.......I still haven't called the oil company to have it looked at!!  This was going to be the very first thing to do, on the very day I moved in, top priority level stuff!!I did have a letter saying that the insurance company was going to set up an inspection, but haven't yet heard back - thank goodness!

I haven't been procrastinating (well, maybe a little). My logic was and is that I need to have a clear path to the furnace so I had to unpack first. The irony of it all is that prior to my move this was the number one bane of my life. This oil business was complete anathema to me. Now I feel quite sanguine about the whole thing. If the inspector comes and sees it, he tells me to replace it. What a 180 degree (or is it 360?) turn! I probably took five years off my life worrying about that damn tank and here I am living quite happily with it. I really do have to listen to my own advice more often and start trusting in the universe more!!

Happy Anniversary To Me!!

Being misslill is never easy, .....but often fun! Two very misslill situations happened today, so the universe is unfolding as it should.

Number One: misslill is going to mow her lawn. Independent woman that she is, she needs no help from mere men to do this task. Out comes the mower, she primes the beast, pulls the cord and.......nothing. The cord is tricky and hard to pull so she tries again. Pull, YANK....nothing.   Tries a few choice words along with the pull-yank method....nothing. Tries some really really choice words she learned from her patients at work.....nothing.   Takes a peek in the gas tank.......empty!!  After filling up the tank I did manage to get the damn thing started - it is hard to do - pull-yank sputter sputter and the lawn is now mowed!! This is extremely good exercise and could probably help me to lose ten pounds except that after I finish mowing I'm so hungry I eat enough to gain twenty!!

Number Two: misslill gets the card in the mail to phone in her water meter reading. This is a first for her, but riding the peak of confidence from mowing the lawn she is convinced that this task will be a piece of cake. She heads down to the bowels of the basement. She locates the water meter so nicely labeled by the home inspector so many months ago. She notes the numbers on the card........but wait. There is a problem. It is supposed to have five digits and she is reading eight. Undaunted she calls it in anyway, but feeling a little unsettled decided to call the customer service number provided just to be sure. After a brief embarassing interlude of searching for the one piece of paper with her phone number on it (not yet memorized) the kind lady on the other end of the line is ready, willing and able to help. misslill explains her dilemma. Kind lady reads a number to misslill and asks if this was the water meter reading she received. Astounded by her apparent psychic powers misslill says "why, yes it was". Kind lady asks misslill to go downstairs and approach the water meter. She does this, with some trepidation, not knowing what to expect. Kind lady asks misslill to lift up the lid of the water meter and read the numbers underneath!! misslill had taken a reading of the serial number conveniently located on top of the meter!! Oh well!!  Being the kind lady that she was, the kind lady said misslill was neither the first nor probably the last to do this. She took the reading and all was well.

At least both tales had a happy ending!! Believe it or not they actually let me be in charge of a nursing unit!!

    The patio lights went together without incident and I have taken great care to place them properly. Tushybaby informs me that when her mother installed them their backyard looked like something akin to an airport landing strip! I have myself aimed for a more casual, freestyle ambiance with my solar powered malibu lights and therefore don't expect any lear jets to be dropping in anytime soon.

My backyard patio set is now in place all ready for the long weekend. The old hound and I conquered yet another "assembly required" task and got the table put together on Monday. I shopped around and found a nice tan coloured cast iron umbrella base and put it up today. That makes the wine cabinet, the BBQ, the lawnmower and the table that we have assembled together. Not bad for an old hound mewzisshun and a nurse!

 I am about ready to dip into the primer and start painting. That is exciting! Choosing colours for the walls has been a more daunting and difficult task than I would have thought. All my original choices have flown out the window, but I think I am on the right track now. Some colours are nice, but to sit in a whole room of it would be overwhelming or jarring to the senses.

 Dandelions are running rampant all over my lawn both front and back, but I am working on it!! The apple tree is in blossom and pear tree number one isn't far behind.Lots of mystery plants are popping out of the ground. I can now decide what to put in the front garden as it is all cleared and ready for planting.

As I complete one task there is always another one waiting in the wings for me. It is an ongoing process that never ends, but a labour of love that I do willingly. The end result will make it all worthwhile and I am enjoying the journey along the way.

"Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward, bend to the winds of  heaven, and learn tranquility."

Dedication to Richard St. Barbe Baker, Father Of The Trees

While nestled in my upstairs window seat it feels like you are in the trees!

Sowing the seed,

my hand is one with the earth.

Wanting the seed to grow,

my mind is one with the light.

Hoeing the crop,

my hands are one with the rain.

Having cared for the plants,

my mind is one with the air.

Hungry and trusting,

my mind is one with the earth.

Eating the fruit,

my body is one with the earth.

Wendell Berry

Whenever I have feel in need of regaining balance and inner peace I look to nature. Water and trees in particular have always called to my heart. I am now blessed in that I live mere minutes away from Lake Ontario and am very close to Lake Scugog and other beautiful bodies of water. I am also blessed in that I am now surrounded by trees.

Because this is an older neighbourhood there are trees everywhere. Not skinny little sticks awaiting adulthood, but mature, wise, thick, gnarled old trees full of history and life.

In my own particular yard I have 6 trees, five of which are blossoming and fruit bearing. Not only do I get to enjoy the company of these trees, I also get to enjoy their fragrant springtime bouquet and later in the season the "fruits" of their labour.

Here is the "secret garden" looking toward the back of my home. My yard is cut in two parts. One is patio, grape vines and rockery, the other fruit trees, berries and grass. This is the first pear tree.

Here is the second pear tree at the very back of my yard.

the "rockery". the mulberry tree and crabapple tree are alongside it. birdfeeders along the fence.

the grape trellis and the secret garden gate. my three concrete birds stand guard.

"Emmett" also stands guard, and a little friend in the white flowers behind him.

Tending a garden is a true labour of love. I have placed my "gargoyles" and hung my bird feeders. I have started to clear away the debris left by the previous season. Tulips and paper-whites and daffodils are thriving. Berry canes are turning green and sprouting leaves. A sensation of growth and life is running rampant. Today is cool and the wind is blowing off the lake. I can have a cup of coffee and step outside into all this beauty, the care of which has been placed into my hands and feel tranquil and truly blessed.

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime..
An angel appeared and said,
"Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart-and she will do everything with only two hands."
The angel was astounded at the requirements.
"Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."
But I won't," the Lord protested.
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days."
The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
"But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish." "Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate."
The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.  I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride."
The angel was impressed.  "You are a genius, Lord.  You thought of everything!  Woman is truly amazing."
And she is!  Women have strengths that amaze men.  They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.  They sing when they want to cry.  They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.  They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.  They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.  They go without so their family can have.  They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.  They love unconditionally.  They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.  They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.  They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.  The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.  They bring joy, hope and love.  They have compassion and ideals.  They give moral support to their family and friends.  Women have vital things to say and everything to give.  HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

I shamelessly lifted this from OnMyWay2Paradise's blog (thank you from the internet bandito)  because I feel it is important to recognize just how special we are!! 

Giving Thanks, A Mystery Garden and Slaying the Dragon

When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf

Wendell Berry

Right now when people ask me how I am feeling I really have only one answer. One true answer anyway. I feel incredibly thankful. Yes, I'm tired and worried and busy and a million other things, but above all that I feel....thankful.

Inside of me is a calmness that is still and sure. It's as if I am on the right path now and on my way. To where? I don't know, but I'm on my way. Despite all the work that needs to be done and all the little daily disasters and mini catastrophes that seem to happen on a regular basis I feel truly happy and truly blessed.

I am starting to sleep better, waking up confused and frightened much less often. I don't feel as nervous going to bed, in fact I feel quite peaceful. I feel like I am home.

When I think of the world around me I realize just how lucky I am. Lucky to be able to buy a home. Lucky to be able to use my hands, my brain, my "wits" to repair and decorate it. Lucky to be able to earn my own way in the world and have a roof over my head and generous amounts of food on my table. Lucky to have friends and family to share my life with and to share their lives with me.

Amid all the chaos and crumbling I have moments of pure serenity. I believe that for the first time in my life I feel truly happy. It's not that everything is perfect and hunky-dory, because it isn't....but it doesn't have to be. This happiness is coming from within and doesn't depend on anything or anyone, it just is. I cannot recall ever feeling like this before. Usually I considered the state of happiness as an external force - something nice happens to you and you are happy. Something bad happens and  you are sad. This is different. Despite or along with bad things happening, I remain happy. Not ridiculously grinning and endlessly pollyanna annoyingly cheerful (that could never be me! ) but innately peaceful and content.A quiet sense of joy.

"Watching gardners label their plants

I vow with all beings

to practice the old horticulture

and let the plants identify me."

Robert Aitken

My garden is springing to life. I recognize some things, daffodils, tulips etc., but all in all this is going to be a mystery garden. It appears to know what it is doing so I won't interfere too much!

The old hound and I managed to slay one of my imaginary dragons this weekend! I have had an inordinate fear of lawn mowers. The purchase of, putting together of and operation of a lawn mower has been stressing me out no end.

I bought a bright red gas powered lawn mower made by the Tecumseh lawn mower company. (I love that name!) To put it together was quite a chore, but together we managed to do it. I cannot emphasize enough my dismay at the state of directions that are put in these boxes of large items in many pieces that mere humans are supposed to be able to assemble. They are not clear and the diagrams abysmal. (and I am not just saying that!!) By monday afternoon the beast was under our control and my lawn is now no longer distressing my neighbours. (One old fellow did ask if I wanted a recipe for dandelion wine!).  The lawn mower was a symbolic hurdle for me. It was something that I had built into a larger fear/problem than it actually was, but in my mind it was huge. Now the red beast resides in my shed, tamed and ready to do my bidding! Thanks old hound for the help, you really are my knight in shining armour!

We also tackled another domestic icon this weekend (gluttons for punishment that we are!) The old hound bought a lovely BBQ which also came in a large box and consisted of many pieces. A few things started out backwards and we did have one screw left over, but at the end of the day.....IT WORKS. Just one word of advice, don't ask someone to push the ignition switch while your finger is on the wire!! It's a rather shocking experience!

The old hound is now King of the Grill. We have made bruschetta, chicken, baked potatoes, turkey sausages, pork sausages and burgers from scratch. All in two days!! I look forward to many great meals to come this summer!

I also had the added treat of hearing both the old hound and his brother play guitar this weekend. He brought a twelve string over and Saturday night and with a nice wood fire going in the living room I had the luxury of live music. On Sunday afternoon his brother came over and also did some strumming. Can it possibly get any better than this?

It has been two weeks since my big move. In some ways it feels like mere days, in other ways like years!!

Nothing really went as I had planned, but I had expected that. This is something so totally new and foreign to me that I have had to let go of my usual "plan for every contingency" ways and just immerse myself in the experience and go with the flow.

Moving day was as hectic and gut wrenching as I expected. It poured with rain the entire time. High drama moment when my box spring wouldn't go up the stairs. Horrors of not having a bed after a week of sleeping on an air mattress! Had to actually sign a paper allowing them to "damage" the walls and ceiling. Chuckled when house was so solid only a little tidge of plaster came down!

In two weeks I have learned more and worked harder than I have ever done in my life. Each time I thought I had everything under control the universe let me know it had other ideas!

The first stumbling block was of course all the garbage left in the house by the previous owners. Precious days were lost just loading it all into the garage, and I will now have the added expense of hiring a dumpster to get rid of it all.

The second block was the sheer filth in this place. We are talking years and years of ground in dirt and grime that I am still struggling with.

Physical limitations slowed me down. My hands became badly inflamed from the repetitive scrubbing and tearing down of empty boxes. The chemicals I was using also irritated my skin. I came to understand and sympathize with the annoying lady in the aspirin commercial who says in her monotone voice: My wrists are on fire. Asperin however was not quite strong enough for me. Mega doses of ibuprofin have just about done the trick.

Enough Whining!! On the plus side.....WOW!

I have learned how to use a power sander. I have learned how to use an electric drill. Early in my move both my front and back door locks disintegrated. New locks will have to wait so I built up the wood with plastic wood and made them secure. I installed chain bolts on both doors. None of my windows on the main floor had locks so I learned how to install those. Until this time I had never even picked up a screwdriver.

I have learned how to fix a fireplace damper. I have learned how to use a woodburning fireplace (and it looks fantastic, I love it!). I have learned how to remove wallpaper using a paper tiger and "Dif".  I have learned how to mix and use cement, how to plaster walls and how to repair holes in the ceiling. I have learned about using every cleaning product known to man and then some. I have learned how to fall off a ladder and not break your neck!  

Most of all, I think I have learned to be more flexible and to be more open to changes in situation. I have learned to trust in my ability to learn and master (or at least kind of master!) new skills. I have learned to depend on myself instead of always expecting "the husband"  or someone else to take care of it.

I have conquered and am still conquering my fears. Fears of the unexpected, fears of being alone. I am actually coping and doing a fine job! I am stretching myself physically and mentally in ways I have never tried before. In this huge behemoth of a house I am making progress. It is looking and feeling like home. Each step brings it closer to my vision.

Another plus is the fact that this house seems to be bringing my parents and myself closer together again. We are talking and they have been over twice to visit. They are coming over on Thursday for coffee. It is a start and a positive move for all of us.

I of course have not done all of this completely by myself. I rely heavily on the support and ego stroking of my friends.  It helps when the overwhelmings creep in and start to take over. The old hound has been indispensable in helping with things that require the strength of ten men as opposed to one woman and in offering his love and support. He also has extremely good taste and a real artistic flair - but we wont tell him so or he'll get too full of himself!

There is of course miles and miles to go. My next concerns are varied. I need a lawnmower - something I know nothing about. I have never mowed a lawn in my life. I have huge amounts of debris to get rid of. My walls and ceilings are to be sanded and washed in preparation for (hooray!!) painting. I have purchased the tiles for my front hall and will install them after the floor is scrubbed and levelled. (Thank you old hound for helping me choose them, they are beautiful).  I am learning about plumbing in preparation for repairing the downstairs toilet.

Am I tired? Yes. Would I change anything? No. I am happier now than I have ever been in my life. There is something about this house that speaks to me. I feel at peace here. Sunday evening relaxing on the couch with the old hound, a beautiful wood fire burning and soft music playing -  I felt complete serenity - and that was with a bomb sitting on the kitchen floor!!  

I also feel very proud of myself in what I have accomplished and in what I intend to accomplish. One year ago I would have claimed that I didn't have a handy bone in my body. Artistic maybe, but handy - no. Now I refute that claim.

I downloaded some pictures this morning taken a few weeks ago of the house and am simply blown away by the progress. It wouldn't be noticable to someone seeing the house for the first time, but having been here from the beginning I find it remarkable.

It is exhausting, but the most satisfying thing I have ever done. I am glad in a way that I have to do all the work myself because at the end of it all this house will have my heart and soul and the work of my hands throughout it. It will truly have earned the title: Home Sweet Home!!

Bombs Away!!

It all started innocently enough....I had bought a house that happened to have two woodburning stoves. One for heat located in the garage/workshop, and one solid cast iron behemouth cookstove in the basement.

Under no circumstances would my house insurance cover me unless they were both removed, immediately - if not sooner.

Luckily, my friend Sheila's husband Mike is a hunter who was more than happy to take them off my hands for use up north.

Mike and two of his friends arrived and set to work. The smaller woodstove came out quickly but with a suprise......Hidden behind it was a two foot long M84 missile!!!!

(a picture of "my bomb")

I could just imagine my insurance agent's face when I told her that I had managed to get rid of the woodstoves, but now had a bomb!! And she thought an oil furnace was bad enough!

I have to admit I was at a loss with regards as what to do with it. On one hand, I reasoned, it had been stuffed behind that woodstove for god knows how many years without going off. This led me to believe that it wasn't about to suddenly explode, sending me and my friends to kingdom come - Welcome To Oshawa!

On the other hand it's not really the sort of thing you can just toss into the recycling bin either. It felt heavy, not hollow and had a "sloshing" sound when moved about. Obviously someone had to be informed, I just wasn't sure about who or when.

Hoping to avoid a potentially "explosive" situation I placed it under the porch while the gentlemen finished moving the other much bigger and heavier woodstove from the basement. This was a major time consuming endeavour.

By the time this was finished I was tired, dirty and expecting the old hound for dinner. It was getting late and I decided to put off calling anyone about it that evening, but didn't feel comfortable leaving it outside. I instead did misslill's version of the logical thing and brought it into the kitchen.

I wasn't sure if any neighbourhood kids had seen us waving it about earlier and felt that if it was going to go boom it wouldn't make much difference where it was, judging by the size of it!!

The old hound arrived for dinner and handled the news that we were dining in the presence of high explosives with his usual good humour and aplomb. He took my photo with it so I could have a keepsake of my latest "adventure".

The next morning I bit the bullet (pardon the pun!) and called the non emergency number for the Durham Region Police. I explained the situation to the operator who transferred me to communications where I repeated my sorry tale. They asked me the size, shape, etc and informed me that a policeman would be over shortly to deal with the situation.

A very polite and absolutely enormous young man in uniform soon arrived on my doorstep. He came through to the kitchen and took a look at the offending warhead sitting on my kitchen floor.

He pointed out that it still had an intact firing pin in its base where the propeller was located and showed us another example of one on one of his bullets. This made him suspect that it was live and should not be moved. (I didn't mention the fact that I had been carrying it around a fair bit the day before!!) He reassured us that it wouldn't just "blow up" while it was sitting there, that it would have to be struck from behind in order to detonate.

The officer then told us that the bomb squad (!!) would be called and would remove the bomb. Until they arrived however, the police would have to remain on the premises.           

Now I had already been concerned about calling the police and having them parked in my driveway for (what I felt was) an inordinate amount of time. Having just moved into the neighbourhood I was only too aware of what the neighbours would probably think.......Criminals!!

With the bomb squad landing on my doorstep it would be even worse.....Terrorists!!

Not long after the bomb squad arrived and examined the torpedo shaped object, gingerly prodding it and eventually picking it up. Apparantly there had been alot of munitions factories and training grounds for soldiers during the war in this area and bombs like this had been dug up before. He surmised that a previous owner of the house had found this one and not being the concerned citizen that I am (I said that, not him  ) had just stashed it away, only to be discovered years and years later. He felt it was in remarkably good shape despite the exposure to extreme heat from the woodstove. It would be "seized" and the military would destroy it. (Really, they didn't have to seize it, they were welcome to the damn thing!)

They did a search of the basement and garage/shed area and said if I were to come across anything else during my renovations to not touch it and to give them a call. I assured them that I would.

So now  my house is woodstove free and (hopefully) bomb free....I can only wonder What's Next for misslill??

some info on "my" bomb: note the part at the end about dropping on it's fin end. Thank goodness I didn't have an "oops" moment and drop the damn thing!!

81mm Mortar Ammunition And Fuzes

Gary's U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide

DESCRIPTION

Each cartridge has fins around the tail to stabilize it in flight and to cause it to strike fuze-end first. The propelling charge consists of an ignition cartridge and removable propellant increments. The ignition cartridge (with primer) is fitted into the base of the fin shaft. The removable increments are fitted onto or around the shaft, depending on their type.

• The cartridge is dropped down the barrel, fin-end first.
  
  
  
• The ignition cartridge strikes the firing pin and detonates, which causes a flash that passes through the radial holes in the shaft.
  
  
  
• The propellant increments are ignited, which produce rapidly expanding gases that force the cartridge from the barrel.
  
  
  
• The obturating ring ensures equal muzzle velocities in hot or cold barrels by keeping all the gases in the barrel until the cartridge has fired.
  
  
  
• When fired, the cartridge carries the ignition cartridge with it, leaving the mortar ready for the next cartridge.

The floating firing pin located within the primer has approximately 1/16 of an inch to move around. This may cause the firing pin to ignite the charges if the cartridge is dropped on the fin end.