Moon over Trenton

Pink moon in a darkening evening blue sky

These pictures are taken from inside my car...

...as I was driving past the spot where the Trent River
and the Bay of Quinte meet

The beauty of living in Trenton is revealed to us every day. Today it was the moon which took my breath away. I was simply on my way to Metro to buy pomegranates when I was struck by the fluffy pink full moon, hovering over the Bay of Quinte.

I used the 10X magnification capacity of my camera

to bring the moon closer

My drive to the supermarket is always enjoyable since Metro is near the shores of the bay. I like to take the back roads so I can see the water, no matter what time of year it is.

My blog's masthead picture is taken just a few feet from the same spot where I photographed the moon tonight.

It was a quiet moon with no wolves (or even dogs) howling at it!

Fred

Fred the cat followed Hanno home one day just before Halloween in 2005. I looked for ads in the paper and on bulletin boards around Trenton to try to find his owner, but there were none. Nobody wanted him back. He was obviously well cared for but extremely hungry when he came to us.

I kept him outside for a day or two (probably only one day, knowing myself) - it was a balmy October - so he wouldn't get used to us, and fed him, but he really wanted in. So in he came and made himself right at home.

The friendliest cat I'd ever met was Fred! He wasn't Fred then. I named him Ingver, Estonian for Ginger, after Ginger Rogers, and called him by the diminutive, Ingi. Two months later, while we were all gathered around our Christmas tree to open presents on Christmas Eve, Laine - who's crazy for cats (she's had a few of her own for years) and always wanted one growing up - was rubbing his belly and said 'Whoa! Ingi's a HE!' Silly me, I had never investigated before naming him.

That's how he became Fred Astaire. 

End of the Thread

End of the Thread

Brighton, just 13 minutes from my house in Trenton, is my favorite place to go for some charm and nostalgia. Old time friendliness and a lovely Main Street make me feel at home.

Residential streets streaming off Main Street offer well-groomed properties and some really pretty houses. Driving in and out of Brighton's streets is a feel-good activity.

My first stop is End of the Thread, a coffee/soup/sandwich bar and antique emporium. the atmosphere at End of the Thread is always welcoming and jovial, the customers and owners nice people to be around, the ambience eclectic.

Customers enjoying their meal at one of the antique tables

Coffee drinkers sit around any antique table they choose - all furniture in the store is there to both buy and sit at.

Montreal bagels are brought in from Toronto's St. Urbain Bagel and kept in a freezer. For awhile I always bought 2 sleeves when I visited: poppy seed for me, sesame seed for the rest of the family! 

The chalkboard menu

It's the only place I know in my vicinity where you can get Montreal bagels. You can also get a bagel and cream cheese for eating instore. The long wooden counter lining the front window is a great place to perch atop an old-time soda shop stool and watch the people strolling by.

Yummm.....hot soup!

Besides good coffee, End of the Thread offers chili daily and fantastic soup! Every day it's a different soup, from beef/mushroom/spinach to butternut squash to chicken curry. 

The first soup I ever had was so delicious I returned the next 4 days for a soup fix. One of those days, they were sold out! I was told I could phone ahead to reserve as much soup as I wanted, as it goes fast. Good tip. 

Next time I decide at the last minute to drive to Brighton, I'll call them and order 5 soups! A hearty serving, accompanied by homemade rosemary bread, costs $4.95.

Ordering and chatting

View from the front of the store

Walmart

We're on the edge of our seats here in Trenton as we await the opening of the supermarket extension being brought to fruition at our local Walmart.

I really am looking forward to it. Walmart is closer to us than the Metro (formerly A&P) where we do the major portion of our food shopping. I shopped at the Walmart supermarket in Belleville, also a recent addition, a couple of days ago and enjoyed it. Lots of fresh local produce and good prices.

This afternoon I ran in for a quick purchase, which turned into 3 items as I picked up a thermal cup for the car, on sale, and a small towel for our powder room. The towel was also on sale, for $2. Shopping at our Walmart is always pleasant - wide aisles, nice people, speedy checkout, well-kept store - and today was no exception. In fact, the cashier came up to me and invited me to check out in her aisle, so I breezed right through.

Inspecting my receipt, I saw the towel had rung up as $3. So, I stepped into the returns aisle instead of going out the door to my car. There were four people ahead of me, adding time to my in-store experience, but I was determined to right the mistake, even if it was only for a measly dollar. After all, the only reason I picked up the towel was because it was marked down.

Once I got my dollar and 13 cents back, I was finally off and running again. A 30 second purchase turned into an 8 minute wait to have Walmart's data entry error fixed, immediately after. Ironic, eh?