First Snowfall 2009

Our new snow clearing contractor made quick work of the walks after the first snowfall. He has also positioned sandboxes throughout the Grove, you'll see them beside the path in several locations.

Christmas Cocktails

The WG Christmas Cocktail party is the highlight of the social calendar each year. The evening is about tasty treats, entertainment, fellowship and dancing. Wait there are pictures....

That Time of Year Again

Christmas decorating was followed by homemade pizza (thanks to Diane). There were plenty of munchies, games and fellowship. Most importantly, the room has been decorated for the holiday season.

November Fish Fry

Did you miss the fish fry? Capacity crowd, lots of everything, wonderful evening. Thank you Mike Mundell Surf and Turf.

Lost Shingles

A gust of very high wind blew through WG toppling trees and lifting a number of shingles from at least three homes this fall. This raises the question, what to do when you lose shingles? What's on your roof now probably came from Atkinson Home Hardware on Development Drive, the manufacturer is BP and the colour is likely Oakwood.

Oakwood may appear will appear a little darker than your current shingles, due to UV fading, but this may be the closest match you'll get.

When you've had shingles lifted, you normally need to act quickly to avoid water leaks into your home. EK Energy responded to the above emergency and worked quickly to avoid further damage. You can try calling them, or look in your phone book for shinglers. A bundle of shingles is less than $40, and you may consider having some stored in your basement just in case you need them. EK's website has been added to our Handy Links for future reference.

Depending on your insurance deductible, replacing a few shingles is probably something you'll need to be prepared to deal with yourself.

Hunting The Skunk Polecat

Walnut Grove hosted the second annual Skit Night on November 13, and there were plenty of laughs. Pierre from Trois-Riviere was played by Colleen Hepburn who rang up a full ten on the laugh metre. The evening was put together by Mary Smith and featured about nine aspiring actors from the community.

Ready For Winter

It is Sunday, November 8 and the temperature is 13 degrees Celsius. Don and Celine Shepherdson know this can't last, so some of the vulnerable in the CC garden are getting some winter protection added. Celine heads up the Gardening Committee, and if you enjoyed the flowers and plant life in our community this summer, it is the volunteers of this committee you need to thank.

Stew Ladies

Five delicious stews set the stage for a great Happy Hour evening, November 6. Stew night has replaced Hamburger Friday until it gets warm enough to get the BBQ out again. If you missed this evening, keep tuned because another is planned after the New Year. An evening out with your friends, good conversation, good food, and all for $2.

Halloween Party

There were certainly lots of laughs and plenty of excellent costumes. Click on the image below to see Picasa album. If you see images you like, you can download from Picasa.

There's a Treasure Under The Rainbow

Furnace Maintenance

Winter is coming, and (aside from regular filter replacement) if your furnace needs attention, and who should you call?

Some people believe in annual inspections, and this could save you money down the road and possible furnace failure when it's cold outside. Expect to pay around $100. This inspection involves cleaning and testing.

There are plenty of furnace service companies around, so you have choices. GT probably installed your system, and their sticker should be on the side of your furnace. Getting to know your service company is considered a good idea; if your furnace fails, and you need emergency service and parts in sub zero temperatures, you want someone to hear your voice when you call.

That's it For This Year

Sadly, that's it for Hamburger Fridays for this season. The tools have been put away. There were 33 people at the last evening proving the popularity of George's cooking. At least that's the way George sees it.

Here's the good news. Starting in November (first happy hour of the month), stew will replace hamburgers, and there will be at least three choices at the first one on November 6. Prices are reasonable and you pay at the door. If you're not bringing stew it's okay to bring other treats, just like you normally would. If you have nothing to offer, come anyway, everyone is welcome.

Octoberfest is History For This Year

That's it for another year, the Walnut Grove Oktoberfest sit down is complete and over. Oktoberfest celebrants everywhere should know this popular event was not overlooked or forgotten here in the Grove. The lights went out late.

Pat O'Neil and her committee, supported by Joe DeSousa Catering put together a fun night for a miserly $15 per person. Oktoberfest sausage, was the main course, but there were a number of salads and of course plenty of desserts.

Herb Salter donated one of his wood turnings, which was won by Judy Inglis.

If you missed this event then get to happy hour on Friday night. There are leftovers to share (including some sausages).

The Privileged Planet

What is our significance
within the grand scheme of the universe?

The fact that our atmosphere is clear; that our moon is just the right size and distance from Earth, and that its gravity stabilizes the Earth’s rotation; that our position in our galaxy is just so; that our sun is its precise mass and composition: all of these factors (and many more), are not only necessary for Earth’s habitability; they also have been surprisingly crucial for scientists to measure and make discoveries about the universe.

If you missed the recent showing of The Privileged Planet (hosted by Ed and Carolyn Plett) at our Community Centre, and have heard and are interested in this book written by Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards you can learn more by following this link: http://www.privilegedplanet.com/.

Why is Sharon Smiling?

Bingo has become a popular diversion on Friday night happy hours. There are two games, normally a full-card and then a game where you sit down if you have the number called. It doesn't take long to decide a winner, and it is all pure luck and a lot of fun. Sharon Gow knows something about luck, she won both games last week and then the final game this week. It costs one dollar to play both games and the prize is a bottle of wine. The small profit goes to help fund social activities.

Happy Hour August 28

People are back from the cottage and vacation, and Friday night happy hours are getting busy again. Everyone is welcome. Things get started around 4:30 pm. Bring your own bottle and something to share. There's a collection dish and your 50 cents goes to help social activities. The last happy hour in August amounted to a full meal as there were salads and pork that was left over from the roast earlier in the week. There was also a home-made pea soup. All together it amounted to a good time with plenty of food to enjoy.

WG First BBQ Pig Roast

A beautiful summer evening and a full-house. Special recognition to Don and Celine Shepherdson who organized this event, and thanks to all the people who helped.

Special thanks to Greenlees Quality Meats for their efforts in cooking and butchering of the meat, and the preparation of the salads.

Click on slideshow below for full-screen slideshow and pictures that can be downloaded.

August 09 Corn Boil

Winter Grounds Committee

Is it that time already? The time has come to start thinking about walkway snow removal, and the cleanup committee includes: Lois Tilden Lambe; Mons Haarbosch; Glenn Outhwaite; Judy Inglis; Ann Kavanaugh; Lorne Palmateer; Ron Shaw; and, Marsha Esford.

Sounds of Summer

Who knows more about WG lawns than Harold Cumpson? Every year the equipment seems to get larger and the sound quieter. This is the latest. The fine cut this machine provides eliminates the need for bagging, saving time, and providing mulch for the lawn.

Double Winners

Bingo is a regular part of Friday night Happy Hour. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you both win, as in this example where Glen and Bev Bracken both won in the same night.

Hamburger BBQ

This was the first, it was a wonderful evening - warm sun, good food, friends, and lots of laughs:

Plenty of Volunteers

Recently, the Community Association called for volunteers to help steer the winter snow clearing of pathways initiative. As of noon August 5, there were at six volunteers, which appeared to make property manager John Shaver and Association president, Ed Plett very happy. Together, with the Board of Directors, the committee, and property manager will determine how the job is to be approached, and who should be hired to do it. They'll also help monitor how things go.

Blog Links

On the right side bar you will find a number of handy links. Click on one to see how they work. For example, check the garbage pickup schedule and it will quickly appear. To return to the blog use your browser return key (arrow).

How To Search

It doesn't take too long for blogs to grow, and this is where a search tool comes in handy. Look in the top left corner for the search window. If you want to see past posts that involve John Shaver simply type in Shaver, or manager. All posts with John's name will appear. If you wanted to find information on the pig roast, type pig. To return to where you were, use the blog archive menu on the right side bar.

BBQ Hamburger Friday

BBQ Hamburgers will be available September, 4 at Happy Hour for just $2. Bring your regular treats, this is an optional add-on, just in case you're still hungry. The small profit from hamburger sales will go to support social committee activities. This is planned as a once-a-month activity (first Friday of the month), until it gets too cold. Come and meet your neighbours.

Canada Day Celebration

Pictured (seated), Jessie and Garry McFee, George Hepburn and Herb Salter.

About sixty people were out for Canada Day celebrations at the Community Centre this year. Ann Kavanagh sent along a couple of pictures, so I've posted them here for everyone to see. If you have Walnut Grove pictures you would like to see published here on the blog, please send them along.

Jean Hutchings chaired this event, and she's pictured above (on the right) with Cam Inglis, and Phyllis Langridge. Phyllis is a past-president of the Community Association.

What's a Blog? - Video

Here's a link to a short video on blogging. Have a look, especially the part about commenting. Commenting is why blogs are different from websites. Blogs expect to hear comments, websites rarely do. In bogging others see your comments and sometimes that results in them also posting a comment. Blogging is something like having a conversation with many people having a say.

How To Comment

If you wish to comment on an article in this blog, simply click on the headline of the item you wish to comment on, and then follow the directions. Comments are moderated and will appear later. If you don't have a Google or other affiliation use anonymous when prompted.

Wally Satov Places Second in Competition

Chartwell Retirement Homes held its annual Kingston Senior Star Competition on June 26th. There were a total of 10 senior men and women competing... mostly singers. Walnut Grove's own Walter Satov took Second Place for 2009 playing, Malaguena and Saint Louis Blues on his chromatic harmonica.

Chartwell holds this competition in 70 cities across Canada in Appreciation of Seniors. Wally says he is pleased with his award, but is already planning which tunes he might play in next year's competition in hopes of being awarded the coveted First Place position.

Pictured here with Wally is John Storms, First Place winner of last year's Kingston Senior Star and he took Second Place on a National basis. John encouraged Wally to enter the competition this year. John and Wally entertained for Walnut Grove residents on two occasions.

Poker Anyone?

If you're interested in low-stakes poker, there is a game every Tuesday at the Community Centre. George Hepburn, or Garry McFee are happy to supply details. Games start at 7 pm.

Looking to Purchase

We have been looking into the possibility of re-locating from Ottawa to Kingston. We like the characteristics of your community very much. Our interest would be particularly focused on a detached home with double car garage on a cul de sac.

If you are planning on selling, and want the email address for these folks check the bulletin board in the Community Centre, or call Cam Inglis.

What's a Staw Poll?

Carol Faires wasn't sure exactly what a staw vote (poll) is, so she searched to find the meaning on the Internet. The is how Wikipedia defines it.

A straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide important interactive dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation. In meetings subject to rules of order, impromptu straw polls often are taken to see if there is enough support for an idea to devote more meeting time to it, and (when not a secret ballot) for the attendees to see who is on which side of a question. However, Robert's Rules of Order prohibits straw polls, calling them "meaningless and dilatory." Among political bodies, straw polls often are scheduled for events at which many people interested in the polling question can be expected to vote. Sometimes polls conducted without ordinary voting controls in place (i.e., on an honour system, such as in online polls) are also called "straw polls".

The idiom may allude to a straw (thin plant stalk) held up to see in what direction the wind blows, in this case, the wind of group opinion. Other possible origins include allusion to the insignificance of straw as in "straw man".

Contact John Shaver

The Shavers (Walnut Grove Property Managers), make it easy to reach them by providing an answering service that pages them. They return the call once they've been paged. Here is the number 613 541-1190.

The answering service is so good at what they do that you may think you're talking to Shaver's office. Maybe a secretary. When you call, give the operator your phone number and a short explanation of why you're calling. The answering service will page John and Sharon, and they call you back. Be patient, they will call.

What's A Blog?

Everyone has heard the word, but many are unsure what a blog is. Here's a short explanation.

Think of a blog just like you would a web page, only information is arranged differently. Message are normally short and you leave comments to anything you see. Others can read the comments and comment on the comments. Very democratic. Once you open the blog bookmark it like you would any other website and check back when you think there is something interesting to read.

Blogging is fun and educational. If you have information to share you might consider starting your own. They're free and there are lots of providers. This one is hosted on Google. Google blogs are known as blogspots. To get to this blogspot you would enter this address in your browser address window: http://www.walnutgrovekingston.blogspot.com.

If you follow a number of blogs you might consider signing up for a reader. They're free too. Instead of going to all the blogs you follow you go only to your reader and all the blogs are displayed in one place. I follow many blogs, I use a reader.

This blogspot is not owned or run by the Walnut Grove Community Association or its officials. The Walnut Grove Kingston website is not owned by the Walnut Grove Community Association or its officials. These are independent publications that speak for themselves, in the same way that Kingston This Week is not owned and run by the City of Kingston.

If you have items for this blog please email cinglis@kos.net.

Fruit Flyer Catcher

The lowly fruit fly is a menace in our house at this time of year, and until now there appeared to be no defense. This has changed. A jar with plastic food wrap stretched across the top gets the job done nicely. The wrap is held in place with the rubber band, and you punch a few very small holes in the top with a fork or other sharp object. Put some cherries or other food the flies like in the jar, and you're done. The flies will find their way in, they will have difficulty finding their way out. Thanks to Judy for finding this on the Internet.

Pig Roast Sold Out

Wednesday, August 26, starting at 5:30 pm.

Call Celine at 547-5354 to register.

The pig will roast all afternoon and you're invited to stop by and see the process. Weather permitting, you may want to sit outside, so bring a garden chair.

As usual, BYOB

July BBQ

What's this all about? Ken Baker former BBQ staff cook from previous year stops by to offer some tips to George Hepburn (apprentice) and Garry McFee (senior cook) at this year's July BBQ.

In all, 64 Grovers made it over for happy hour and hamburgers. It was a beautiful evening and many sat outside under the new canopy.

Committee members included: Colleen Hepburn, Colleen McLane, Gail Curtis, Jessie McFee and Judy Inglis. Armand Peltier handled setup and MC duties.

Thanks again to Herb Salter (Herb's website is here) for one of his bowl turnings, which was one of the door prizes.

You can find pictures here of the evening by clicking here.

Welcome

This is the new web destination for Kingston Walnut Grove people. The intention is to have a place to post pictures, stories and other items of interest where others can comment and leave messages. Let's see how it works.