Space - the final frontier...

Space...that's what we're looking for and, for the Beynon family, space will come in the form of a garage.

Right now we have a carport.  The carport has served us well over the years but despite our best efforts to weatherize part of it for the winter, it remains chiefly a three season structure.  A couple of canvas dividers work in a pinch, but it's still damn cold and damned drafty out there, even during the mildest of winters.

We've talked about extra space for a couple of years now and we've bandied about several ideas.  Here's the one we've decided to work with:

This is rough sketch.  What we want is space inside of one car, a workshop area that can store bikes and sleds at the front and gardening stuff at the back with a workshop in the middle.  We also want an office that will have a futon or a Murphy bed for when we have guests.

Here's a preliminary floor plan:

We met with a construction guy (just happens to be called Dave) who lives in town and has done work locally.  A couple of years ago he built what has become known in these parts as "The Garage Mahal "  I have spoken to the folks who had the Garage Mahal built and they sang Dave's praises.  We went over our ideas and spoke about permits, timing etc.  The ball is in Dave's court for the next few days.  It promises to be exciting times around here as we move forward.

I'll keep you posted on developments.

Goodbye 2011

Well, Christmas has come and gone and from all accounts here in the Beynon household it was a good one.  There was one absence that was deeply felt and throughout the day I found myself looking to the empty chair where my mother has sat in Christmases past.   It was an odd feeling setting only four places at the dinner table this year.

After Christmas, we loaded into the car and drove seven hours north to spend some time with my wife's side of the family.  The kids and the dog are such good travelers.  The weather co-operated and we found ourselves in the far north just in time for a brutal flash freeze.  Our drive back was favoured with fine weather, too.  We arrived home last night to a few inches of snow and the obligatory persons of snow soon took shape in our front yard.

And here we are, hours before the New Year.  Tonight it looks as if the kids and I will be heading out to celebrate the turn of the calendar without my wife.  She's resting upstairs in the hopes that she'll be well enough to accompany us this evening.

No resolutions.  I make mine later in January on my birthday. It has been a strange year.  There have been triumphs and tragedy.  That is, I suppose, as it should be.

I wish you all the best in the new year and I hope that something interesting and wonderful is waiting for all of us on the other side.  Be nice to each other and I'll be back in 2012.

Santa Comes Early to the Fergus Library

Despite the lack of snow, Christmas is alive and well in my little slice of the world.  The streets are decorated, the houses are covered in lights and our local library is full of festive activities.









As I've stated elsewhere in this blog, there are very few things to which it is almost impossible to say no.  Being asked to help St Nick out during the holidays is one of them.  Santa is a very busy guy, especially around this time of year, so when the Fergus Library asked me if I could stand in for Santa this year, I didn't even have to think about it.

The answer to that particular question must always be "YES".









I would like to pass along my personal note of thanks to the staff at the Fergus Library for inviting me in to help out Santa.  If you have never had the opportunity, I suggest you try it.  There are worse ways to spend an hour than seeing the wonder and magic in the eyes of little children.