Well today is father's day. We got up like usual at 6 am but purposely we pretended it was just a regular day!! We got ready and drove my husband to work, dropped him off and came right back home. We were supposed to pick up one of those kits that make a round stepping stone for the kids to put their hand prints on them and then after it sets paint it. But unfortunately we couldn't find one. So we improvised. My husband loves his PS3 so we got him a new game of the sale rack and my daughter found a shirt he would really like. See my husband hates wearing anything with sleeves and working out in the hot sun all day tends to be worse with heavy shirts. So he likes the Adidas sleeveless sport shirts that has these tiny holes all over to allow ventilation. My daughter found a real cool looking one and was set on buying it. I then came home had the kids wrap the gifts and I got to baking him a marble cake. My husband just loves cake, any cake, but truly prefers chocolate.
I am done baking the cake and I bought both white and chocolate icing, in keeping with the marble theme. Its not just a fathers day celebration...tomorrow as I previously mentioned my husband and I share a birthday, so this cake and gifts also serves as a birthday celebration. He will be working right through and without having to worry about schedules it was better to do it today a Sunday!!
We are also making home made hamburgers and fries which is no real super special dinner but it is his favorite. A small celebration for someone we love so dearly!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Getting the hang of things!!
After a long winter and a very unpredictable spring my husband has returned to work. He has been working now for about three weeks. After spending so much time with him throughout the winter ans spring not having him around has been something that I am still trying to get used to. But I am not the only one, the kids too need some adjusting and it doesn't seem to be going so well for some of us. My daughter seems to be acting out a bit more and has been showing a bit of resentment towards him. Though I doubt very much she really understands what she is feeling. Then there is my 2 year old. He is fine throughout the day but as soon dad comes home he gets whiny and unmanageable. I guess that is his way of showing him that he is just not really happy. Both my kids just adore their dad and not having him around much this summer will definitely take some getting used to. Me on the other hand, don't have that extra support when I am repeating over and over that they are heading towards a time out if they don't behave. I miss having my husband home to talk to or just be with. We went from one extreme to the other. Home all the time to only around for an hour or 2 before heading to bed. Thankfully every 10 days he gets a couple days off. It really makes me wonder how things will be when his boss ends this project here in town and then takes the crew out of town. He won't be able to come home every night like he does now, and likely will spend 2 -3 weeks away at a time. I have a feeling this will be one long summer for everyone involved!!
Either way we look at it I will try to make things extra fun to accommodate for the missing presence. Maybe that way it might just be a little easier on them. I am planning out some fun activities and hopefully everyone, including our van will cooperate.
Today is father's day and He is working, tomorrow both him and I share a day in common, our birthday, and again he too will be working. I am thinking of getting a big cake and dropping it of at his work site so him and all the guys he works with can have a piece. At least that should make the day a little bit special. Well I got a ton of things that need doing today and my kids seems to be fighting over toy dragons :-( the never ending he or she took my toy battle is on. lol..
Either way we look at it I will try to make things extra fun to accommodate for the missing presence. Maybe that way it might just be a little easier on them. I am planning out some fun activities and hopefully everyone, including our van will cooperate.
Today is father's day and He is working, tomorrow both him and I share a day in common, our birthday, and again he too will be working. I am thinking of getting a big cake and dropping it of at his work site so him and all the guys he works with can have a piece. At least that should make the day a little bit special. Well I got a ton of things that need doing today and my kids seems to be fighting over toy dragons :-( the never ending he or she took my toy battle is on. lol..
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Colours??!!
So this week I have a window of only 4 days to get the barn started. My husband already took the exterior walls off the one side of the barn so we can replace them with new wood etc.. I really wanted to leave it natural but to be cost effective I really can't. It would be so great is I could just pop up tree slabs and then stain them. Tree slabs are the left over exterior boards of a tree that are left over after they make lumber, I like the the 6 by 10 feet long pieces, as they look amazing and I guess its a way of recycling. Down south you can get packages of them for nearly nothing, but in a forestry community that is next to impossible. I would be lucky if I could even get a single one for 5 dollars. The cheapest way for me to finish my barn is to actually go with OSB boards all around. So I got this idea. Instead of sinking the money into buying weatherproofing plastic and then more siding, which I actually must admit I hate siding...so instead of sinking another 2000 on those materials, I thought I will put the OSB boards up and then buy a solid stain for the wood. It will waterproof it and provide a bit of colour to the property. But what Colour....one friend tells me I should go hunter green. Every barn up here seems to be that colour, hunter green with a tin roof and white trim all around. I was thinking barn red, with white trim and a black roof, you know... the classic barn look. but then I was looking at solid stain and there are soo many other colours that would look so nice. So I am stumped...what colour would you pick?????
I figured once I get the colour picked out I need to add the trim around to give it a finished and more rounded look. I haven't settled on whether I want actual exterior trim or whether I want to get smaller slabs, stain them white and then put them up. One thing at a a time I suppose.
Thursday is the first day my husband has off, and there is soo much to do before the delivery truck gets here with our wood.
Before we even set foot near the barn the grass all around the buildings need to be cut. Too many black flies and mosquitoes to deal with while outside so a trimmed lawn will keep some of them away. then we have to actually clean the inside of the barn, as my lovely husband has been using it as storage. But not neat storage!!! My husband is notorious for bringing tools and useless things in the house and then leaving it around until I get tired of tripping over it which I usually then leave it next to the garbage can and nicely tell him if he doesn't find a proper spot for it it will have to go in the trash... to my dismay I walked in the barn other day to find that every single thing I have given him in the last 8 months to take out of the house and find a proper home has found a place on the barn floor. and I mean everything. So the clean up will have to be thorough because he piled tools on top of useless items that need to be going to the dump. I have no real clue as to why he keeps everything, but I am thankful he is not overly obsessed with keeping things of no use.
I am excited to start the barn but certainly not looking forward to cleaning up that big mess. :-P
I figured once I get the colour picked out I need to add the trim around to give it a finished and more rounded look. I haven't settled on whether I want actual exterior trim or whether I want to get smaller slabs, stain them white and then put them up. One thing at a a time I suppose.
Thursday is the first day my husband has off, and there is soo much to do before the delivery truck gets here with our wood.
Before we even set foot near the barn the grass all around the buildings need to be cut. Too many black flies and mosquitoes to deal with while outside so a trimmed lawn will keep some of them away. then we have to actually clean the inside of the barn, as my lovely husband has been using it as storage. But not neat storage!!! My husband is notorious for bringing tools and useless things in the house and then leaving it around until I get tired of tripping over it which I usually then leave it next to the garbage can and nicely tell him if he doesn't find a proper spot for it it will have to go in the trash... to my dismay I walked in the barn other day to find that every single thing I have given him in the last 8 months to take out of the house and find a proper home has found a place on the barn floor. and I mean everything. So the clean up will have to be thorough because he piled tools on top of useless items that need to be going to the dump. I have no real clue as to why he keeps everything, but I am thankful he is not overly obsessed with keeping things of no use.
I am excited to start the barn but certainly not looking forward to cleaning up that big mess. :-P
Saturday, June 5, 2010
a wee bit judgemental...maybe!!!!
So I went driving around the back roads around where I live with my friend. There are a lot of different farms and believe it or not most of them aren't being used at all for anything what so ever. However this particular place caught my attention. I will conceal the name of the ranch, so we will name it Runners Ranch just for the sake of having a name. The ranch sits on a 100 acre plot. The barn is huge you could likely fit 6 horses, stacks of bales and feed and what ever farming equipment you might need. The barn however is heavily run down. The roof is super wavy from being weathered and singles are missing in more spots that I can count. Wood boards are missing throughout the outside and at first glance you might even think that it will snap like a toothpick at any given moment. But if I know anything about the barns of northern Ontario I can tell you the structure is perfectly sound and the inside of the barn would make any farmer proud. While the outside sometimes gets heavily neglected the inside is always something to marvel at.
In 2005 prior to me buying this farm which I was heavily advised not to buy it by the realtor himself!! I never really let people tell me what I can or cannot buy with my own money or how to spend my time. Its not that I am super stubborn or anything of the sort, its just that I know what I want. However this realtor begged me to go look at a certain ranch only a few concession roads from my farm, and I told him, no I made up my mind I want this one, I don't need to be confused or become doubtful by looking at another farm. He told me it would be worth my time and the property was only 20,000 more than this farm. I stuck to it and away we went on the paper work. It was long after I moved into the farm that I decided to take a drive around and came across the ranch the realtor wanted me to look at. It was still for sale at that time. It had been clear cut of all threes valuable and and perfectly groomed. the house certainly needed some work on the outside and the barn looked very much the same as it does now. My husband made it a point to even say, maybe we should have looked at it. but 100 acres, what exactly would I do with that?? And If I had a hard time getting television and Internet where I live I certainly would have much more trouble over there.
But anyhow back to the point. as I sat there and marbled at the beauty of the old barn, I saw a slight movement in the tall grass nad my friend pointed to a bright yellow house, which looked to be a dog house for a medium size dog, another movement caught my eye and then I saw bright yellow rope. Attached to that rope a beautiful billy goat. as I looked closer I realized the people who owned the property had tied this goat to a 2 foot rope. It had no room to graze or run around. It looked sad and defeated.
It makes me wonder what type of people could really give such an animal that life sentence. These same people have other animals and I wonder if they too are tied up to a 2 foot rope. Unhappy, only there until they can no longer be used. But maybe I was just being judgemental, I mean I met these people they certainly are nice people!!!
I have never been able not to go above and beyond for my animals so I truly don't understand how some people could not actually place themselves in the spot of their animals. My dogs have tons of room to run around and and a pen they can quickly go to throughout the day. When someone is outside working the dogs are out, free to run and play in the puddles and run through the woods. The only downfall is that we have to separate certain dogs. Like one of the girls can't go out with the boys because she always makes them run away with her and then they are gone for hours on end. Mind you they usually go down to the river for a swim. So she is only let out with our senior dog who never ever takes off.
My chicks, when ready for their coop and pen will have plenty room to spare with a big run right next to the dogs for protection. The guinea pigs have a huge cage we hand build and even the fish and turtle are in over sized tanks.
I guess what I would really like to ask these people is.. one, are you selling your goat, and 2 how would you feel if you were tied up to a 2 foot rope and left like that. ??!!
In 2005 prior to me buying this farm which I was heavily advised not to buy it by the realtor himself!! I never really let people tell me what I can or cannot buy with my own money or how to spend my time. Its not that I am super stubborn or anything of the sort, its just that I know what I want. However this realtor begged me to go look at a certain ranch only a few concession roads from my farm, and I told him, no I made up my mind I want this one, I don't need to be confused or become doubtful by looking at another farm. He told me it would be worth my time and the property was only 20,000 more than this farm. I stuck to it and away we went on the paper work. It was long after I moved into the farm that I decided to take a drive around and came across the ranch the realtor wanted me to look at. It was still for sale at that time. It had been clear cut of all threes valuable and and perfectly groomed. the house certainly needed some work on the outside and the barn looked very much the same as it does now. My husband made it a point to even say, maybe we should have looked at it. but 100 acres, what exactly would I do with that?? And If I had a hard time getting television and Internet where I live I certainly would have much more trouble over there.
But anyhow back to the point. as I sat there and marbled at the beauty of the old barn, I saw a slight movement in the tall grass nad my friend pointed to a bright yellow house, which looked to be a dog house for a medium size dog, another movement caught my eye and then I saw bright yellow rope. Attached to that rope a beautiful billy goat. as I looked closer I realized the people who owned the property had tied this goat to a 2 foot rope. It had no room to graze or run around. It looked sad and defeated.
It makes me wonder what type of people could really give such an animal that life sentence. These same people have other animals and I wonder if they too are tied up to a 2 foot rope. Unhappy, only there until they can no longer be used. But maybe I was just being judgemental, I mean I met these people they certainly are nice people!!!
I have never been able not to go above and beyond for my animals so I truly don't understand how some people could not actually place themselves in the spot of their animals. My dogs have tons of room to run around and and a pen they can quickly go to throughout the day. When someone is outside working the dogs are out, free to run and play in the puddles and run through the woods. The only downfall is that we have to separate certain dogs. Like one of the girls can't go out with the boys because she always makes them run away with her and then they are gone for hours on end. Mind you they usually go down to the river for a swim. So she is only let out with our senior dog who never ever takes off.
My chicks, when ready for their coop and pen will have plenty room to spare with a big run right next to the dogs for protection. The guinea pigs have a huge cage we hand build and even the fish and turtle are in over sized tanks.
I guess what I would really like to ask these people is.. one, are you selling your goat, and 2 how would you feel if you were tied up to a 2 foot rope and left like that. ??!!
Friday, June 4, 2010
yet another set back
Mornings here are usually busy, the dogs need to be let out and fed, the chicks need to be fed and given fresh water, I have to pack lunches for my daughter and my husband and ready them for school/work all in one hours time...did I mention I have a 2 yr old that hates being rushed??
Today looked promising, all went well until about an hour ago when I finally sat down to read the monstrous amounts of emails I receive on a daily basis, mostly all junk mail that I still sort through... check out facebook, nothing real new, but one of the emails caught my attention....subject line SLEEK.
As soon as I saw it I realized something was up. you see a few weeks back I reserved a horse named SLEEK, a thoroughbred cross of 13 years ready to be taken out on the trails, well broke and quite used to other animals. I put down a down deposit so he could be held for me until I could arrange the trailering of the horse and make final accommodations at the stable until my barn was done. As I read on I couldn't really believe how ultimately rude the email sounded. Sorry I sold the horse to someone else it turned out to be in my favour, sorry for your inconvenience, good luck with your barn....what about my down deposit? what type of person takes a down deposit and then sells the horse right from under you? I will tell you who, someone who wants to make a quick buck and doesn't really care if the horse ends up in auction. In a months time maybe 2 that horse will find itself in the meat auction and all thanks to his previous owner who really didn't care enough about him. Sadly this horse gave them 13 of his best years and sadly enough they lost interest in him once they found a faster horse and once they realized training him for trails was taking too much time away from the other horses.
well now I am on the look out for another great trail horse, but somehow feel like none will match Sleek's character and laid back demeanor :-(
In any event on I will go seeking out that horse that will join this family and even maybe a companion so he or she does not get lonely.
Ema
Today looked promising, all went well until about an hour ago when I finally sat down to read the monstrous amounts of emails I receive on a daily basis, mostly all junk mail that I still sort through... check out facebook, nothing real new, but one of the emails caught my attention....subject line SLEEK.
As soon as I saw it I realized something was up. you see a few weeks back I reserved a horse named SLEEK, a thoroughbred cross of 13 years ready to be taken out on the trails, well broke and quite used to other animals. I put down a down deposit so he could be held for me until I could arrange the trailering of the horse and make final accommodations at the stable until my barn was done. As I read on I couldn't really believe how ultimately rude the email sounded. Sorry I sold the horse to someone else it turned out to be in my favour, sorry for your inconvenience, good luck with your barn....what about my down deposit? what type of person takes a down deposit and then sells the horse right from under you? I will tell you who, someone who wants to make a quick buck and doesn't really care if the horse ends up in auction. In a months time maybe 2 that horse will find itself in the meat auction and all thanks to his previous owner who really didn't care enough about him. Sadly this horse gave them 13 of his best years and sadly enough they lost interest in him once they found a faster horse and once they realized training him for trails was taking too much time away from the other horses.
well now I am on the look out for another great trail horse, but somehow feel like none will match Sleek's character and laid back demeanor :-(
In any event on I will go seeking out that horse that will join this family and even maybe a companion so he or she does not get lonely.
Ema
Thursday, June 3, 2010
How time flies!!!
well its been almost 14 months since the last time I logged on to this site. I was just about to delete the whole account but reading my previous post got me hooked right back in.
Fact is life has been super busy around here, with the kids and work and well you know how it is... just life altogether!!!
Not a whole lot has changed since I opened this account, the house got a new paint job and a few small repairs. My husband was laid off so pretty much it all came a stand still for a little while. Winters in northern Ontario are certainly harsh and long!! But all in all we had a pretty good winter this year.
now on to the new....
recently we decided its time to get back on track with what we wan to do around the house so we have started construction on the barn. We will be making room for 2 horse stalls of 10X10 sizes. we have also included an area for the chicken coop in the barn aswell. the run will be outside separated by fence from the dogs and the horse areas. The coop will have an entry door from inside the barn but fenced in order to keep the horse away from the chickens altogether.
We will be removing the ceiling to leave the rafters exposed so it will add height and character. I have spent so much time reading up an the construction and the way things need to be done that I can clearly picture what the barn will look like as soon as it is finished. I want the horse fence to be built using trees but haven't really set my heart on it yet. It is so much easier and faster to just use the Equine fencing but the wood looks incredibly stunning when done correctly.
we also plan on finishing the kitchen and redoing the roofing and basement on the house before the end of summer, not sure where we will fit it in but it will get done.
In other news...recently I befriended one of my kids friends' parents. they seem to genuinely be exactly like my husband and I and we get along famously, our kids are the exact same ages so they all have someone to play with and seem to be entertained for hours on end with very minimal issues.
They too were working on a barn and the chicken coop, green house and house repairs. They also moved up here from a southern town to get away from the city...our kids even go to the same school and it seems our sense of humour and way of thinking go hand in hand.
They needed a hand in working in their barn and had to quickly get it done, when given the reasons it made perfect sense as to why they needed to do a hurry job on their barn and fence, my husband and I volunteered our help in order to get it all done and get their horse home ASAP...as of today it is almost done barn was cleaned out and fence erected, my husband even braved the barn roof to water proof it a bit around the horse stall for the time being. when its done it will look great, its getting there and I know her horse will be quite happy!!
Mid June is my deadline to try to get mine done as I have already picked out and reserved my horse. A magnificent 15. 5 hands high Bay Gelding , He looks so majestic yet so gentle. My friend said that if I don't get my barn done in time I could board my horse there until my barn was done. Which is a super nice thing to do seeing a horse is no small animal. So I am super excited!!
I was going to take riding lessons at a local ranch in town, but I've been hearing a lot of negative things so I am not sure if I want to still take my riding lessons there. I guess what I really don't want is the instructor speaking out of term to me or my daughter and then having to blow my top at her. So I will have to think about this one for sure before I decide about where I want to go for riding lessons.
On a happy note....
my baby chicks arrived yesterday, 20 beautiful and fluffy chicks. soon enough they will be laying more eggs that I can deal with...so good deal for some of my friends that is for sure!!!
well I think I will be back more often, at least now that my husband is working and I will keep updating on the farm as we work on it.
Ema
Fact is life has been super busy around here, with the kids and work and well you know how it is... just life altogether!!!
Not a whole lot has changed since I opened this account, the house got a new paint job and a few small repairs. My husband was laid off so pretty much it all came a stand still for a little while. Winters in northern Ontario are certainly harsh and long!! But all in all we had a pretty good winter this year.
now on to the new....
recently we decided its time to get back on track with what we wan to do around the house so we have started construction on the barn. We will be making room for 2 horse stalls of 10X10 sizes. we have also included an area for the chicken coop in the barn aswell. the run will be outside separated by fence from the dogs and the horse areas. The coop will have an entry door from inside the barn but fenced in order to keep the horse away from the chickens altogether.
We will be removing the ceiling to leave the rafters exposed so it will add height and character. I have spent so much time reading up an the construction and the way things need to be done that I can clearly picture what the barn will look like as soon as it is finished. I want the horse fence to be built using trees but haven't really set my heart on it yet. It is so much easier and faster to just use the Equine fencing but the wood looks incredibly stunning when done correctly.
we also plan on finishing the kitchen and redoing the roofing and basement on the house before the end of summer, not sure where we will fit it in but it will get done.
In other news...recently I befriended one of my kids friends' parents. they seem to genuinely be exactly like my husband and I and we get along famously, our kids are the exact same ages so they all have someone to play with and seem to be entertained for hours on end with very minimal issues.
They too were working on a barn and the chicken coop, green house and house repairs. They also moved up here from a southern town to get away from the city...our kids even go to the same school and it seems our sense of humour and way of thinking go hand in hand.
They needed a hand in working in their barn and had to quickly get it done, when given the reasons it made perfect sense as to why they needed to do a hurry job on their barn and fence, my husband and I volunteered our help in order to get it all done and get their horse home ASAP...as of today it is almost done barn was cleaned out and fence erected, my husband even braved the barn roof to water proof it a bit around the horse stall for the time being. when its done it will look great, its getting there and I know her horse will be quite happy!!
Mid June is my deadline to try to get mine done as I have already picked out and reserved my horse. A magnificent 15. 5 hands high Bay Gelding , He looks so majestic yet so gentle. My friend said that if I don't get my barn done in time I could board my horse there until my barn was done. Which is a super nice thing to do seeing a horse is no small animal. So I am super excited!!
I was going to take riding lessons at a local ranch in town, but I've been hearing a lot of negative things so I am not sure if I want to still take my riding lessons there. I guess what I really don't want is the instructor speaking out of term to me or my daughter and then having to blow my top at her. So I will have to think about this one for sure before I decide about where I want to go for riding lessons.
On a happy note....
my baby chicks arrived yesterday, 20 beautiful and fluffy chicks. soon enough they will be laying more eggs that I can deal with...so good deal for some of my friends that is for sure!!!
well I think I will be back more often, at least now that my husband is working and I will keep updating on the farm as we work on it.
Ema
Sunday, April 12, 2009
My Roots
My name is Ema,
I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada back in 1978, but grew up in a small town in western Spain. Cullera is in the province of Valencia. It is surrounded by the salty seas of the Mediterranean, mountains and vast Orange orchards. Culture in Cullera is everything and everywhere. Men earned their wages either by fishing or working on the orchards. Women tended to mom and pop stores, bakeries, or simply tending to the home and the family. I lived there for 12 years. I learned the ropes of fishing on my great grandfathers fishing boat, I did not get to go often, but the few times I did go I learned to fish, mend nets, touched a baby shark, ate fresh sushi and learned to swim in the ocean. I loved and cherished every single moment. My great grandfather was a terrific, stern but very loving man. I vividly remember the feeling when he would leave on fishing expeditions to the straight to Gibraltar, it was a special time because a week later when he would return he would always have some hand made bracelet or trinket made by some woman in some small village, but the best was the huge loaves of bread and wheels of freshly made cheese he would bring home. Sangria, the sweetest anyone has ever tasted. Memories that will last a lifetime!!
Summers were quite special, even though my siblings and I did have a hard childhood, some things were still great and hard to beat. We spend most of it at the beach, or at our aunts chalet or at the orchard. I still remember the smell the wind carried through the orchards. Or the taste of the salty water, the feeling of being water logged on a hot afternoon and falling asleep on a lawn chair as the waves crashed on the shorelines. The hot nights but cool summer breeze coming in through the windows as we slept, I am quite sure this is my favorite memory, seeing my curtains slow dance in the breeze as I laid in bed waiting to fall asleep. As children we found magic in everything, even if it truly wasn't there.
Our house was situated at the foot of the mountains, the back trails of the mountain a favorite for tourist hikers spanned from the ocean to the very centre of the town. Looking out our kitchen window or even standing on the terrace of our house you could easily see the Grandeur of the castle atop the mountain, where the battle of the Moors against the Christians took place. A real piece of history staring down on the town, a place where Christians laid their virgin Mary to rest in safety after each passing holiday. And where at every Easter the towns people would gather to pray and join in the celebration of our culture. At night seeing the castle all lit up was breathtaking.
Yes, Spain was great, but I longed for more and new places, travel and change, I longed to know my parents, but most of all my father who I had really only met once in 1986, a visit that lasted only a couple weeks and was filled with anxious moments between my parents. But I remember good times, drinking fanta, at a local beach restaurant, flying kites at the beach and visiting zoos.
It was almost Xmas of 1990 when my father asked my grandmother to bring us back to Canada so on December 8Th we took a plane out of Madrid, headed to Windsor Ontario.
We spent the holidays with my father, Xmas was grand, lot of toys, more than we have every seen before, lots of food. My first time seeing snow. It was fabulous. weeks later, my father asked if we wanted to stay and live with him, I stayed and made this my permanent home. My siblings tried it but couldn't adjust. 15 years later I went in search for the perfect small town, that had the feeling of my beloved cullera. I found it here in Northern Ontario, and while I haven't returned to my beloved Spain, to my roots, since 1990, and though I will one day soon, I bought this home and this land with the purpose of bringing out my roots in my homes surroundings.
I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada back in 1978, but grew up in a small town in western Spain. Cullera is in the province of Valencia. It is surrounded by the salty seas of the Mediterranean, mountains and vast Orange orchards. Culture in Cullera is everything and everywhere. Men earned their wages either by fishing or working on the orchards. Women tended to mom and pop stores, bakeries, or simply tending to the home and the family. I lived there for 12 years. I learned the ropes of fishing on my great grandfathers fishing boat, I did not get to go often, but the few times I did go I learned to fish, mend nets, touched a baby shark, ate fresh sushi and learned to swim in the ocean. I loved and cherished every single moment. My great grandfather was a terrific, stern but very loving man. I vividly remember the feeling when he would leave on fishing expeditions to the straight to Gibraltar, it was a special time because a week later when he would return he would always have some hand made bracelet or trinket made by some woman in some small village, but the best was the huge loaves of bread and wheels of freshly made cheese he would bring home. Sangria, the sweetest anyone has ever tasted. Memories that will last a lifetime!!
Summers were quite special, even though my siblings and I did have a hard childhood, some things were still great and hard to beat. We spend most of it at the beach, or at our aunts chalet or at the orchard. I still remember the smell the wind carried through the orchards. Or the taste of the salty water, the feeling of being water logged on a hot afternoon and falling asleep on a lawn chair as the waves crashed on the shorelines. The hot nights but cool summer breeze coming in through the windows as we slept, I am quite sure this is my favorite memory, seeing my curtains slow dance in the breeze as I laid in bed waiting to fall asleep. As children we found magic in everything, even if it truly wasn't there.
Our house was situated at the foot of the mountains, the back trails of the mountain a favorite for tourist hikers spanned from the ocean to the very centre of the town. Looking out our kitchen window or even standing on the terrace of our house you could easily see the Grandeur of the castle atop the mountain, where the battle of the Moors against the Christians took place. A real piece of history staring down on the town, a place where Christians laid their virgin Mary to rest in safety after each passing holiday. And where at every Easter the towns people would gather to pray and join in the celebration of our culture. At night seeing the castle all lit up was breathtaking.
Yes, Spain was great, but I longed for more and new places, travel and change, I longed to know my parents, but most of all my father who I had really only met once in 1986, a visit that lasted only a couple weeks and was filled with anxious moments between my parents. But I remember good times, drinking fanta, at a local beach restaurant, flying kites at the beach and visiting zoos.
It was almost Xmas of 1990 when my father asked my grandmother to bring us back to Canada so on December 8Th we took a plane out of Madrid, headed to Windsor Ontario.
We spent the holidays with my father, Xmas was grand, lot of toys, more than we have every seen before, lots of food. My first time seeing snow. It was fabulous. weeks later, my father asked if we wanted to stay and live with him, I stayed and made this my permanent home. My siblings tried it but couldn't adjust. 15 years later I went in search for the perfect small town, that had the feeling of my beloved cullera. I found it here in Northern Ontario, and while I haven't returned to my beloved Spain, to my roots, since 1990, and though I will one day soon, I bought this home and this land with the purpose of bringing out my roots in my homes surroundings.
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