Ik kann nie goed Hollandse scriven maar jullie kann hier sein onze mam and pap thuis in the kuiken bej onze grote kachel. Zei denken over verhuisen naa ein ouders woning in het durp van Eganville maar nie dese jaar. Alse zei allebei goed bleijven, willen zei noch eine ander jaar op die boederij wohnen.... alles hier is goed...and onze Martien's vee is weer hier in het veldt. Groeten an allemaal in the familie in Holland van onze allemaal.

A clear November afternoon at Dad's farm. . Our family moved here in 1963...shortly before Martien was born...and shortly before JFK was assassinated...I remember going to visit the Verheyens to watch the funeral on television. Isiah Scully drove us kids here in his half-ton on that moving day...Tommy Dunnigan followed with the cattle truck with our cows bawling on the back and the cats in a burlap sack...the kitchen stove was on the back of Dad's truck and Tony & Esther helped us move. It was an exciting and yet, unnerving day...

Life on the farm seems more normal now that Martien's purebred Charolais are back. A farm without cows is no farm at all!! Dad likes to go out and check on the cattle and Ma said that she knows exactly which cow and calf are in which pen in the barn....and Martien comes to check on his cattle so there's more activity happening around the farm.

Opa and Oma now often talk about the past. Here Dad is recalling how he was able to make one phone call during the three years and four months that he was in Indonesia. He called Riek and they were able to talk for three minutes.

I asked Dad if he has a pension from his years in the Dutch army and he says he doesn't. That doesn't seem very fair...he says it's because the Dutch government wants to ignore the fact that they were suppressing colonial uprisings...probably true.

Oma says that there's nothing to do now. All her life she has worked...cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, raising seven children. Now, at 83 years old, she feels tired and doesn't want to work anymore...but what else is there to fill her days. She thinks maybe she and Opa would be fine at Fairfields sometime in the future...they would have a two bedroom apartment and take some of their own furniture. Oma enjoys the idea of being able to go to the dining room and just have some supper without having to cook every evening.

Thursday afternoon in November, visiting Oma and Opa. They're having a discussion about perhaps moving into Fairfields Senior's Home sometime in the future. Not this year, but maybe next winter. Opa says that winter was better when he was still farming....chores to do, wood to bring in, snow to move. Oma agrees. This winter they will have an outdoor furnace if the boys get it installed in time. However, the old kitchen stove will stay where it is...it has been part of the Zomers family for over fifty years.

Hunting dog relaxes

Jo-Jo the hunting dog relaxes in the camp after a hard day chasing deer. Soon it will all be over for another year...the men go back to work...the children go back to school.

We had a delicious dinner of moose meatballs, rice and lots of pies...and lots of wine and beer of course...It was a very rainy evening so Oma and Opa didn't want to come out...they stayed home and we brought them some leftovers to eat. Very unusual for Tom and Joanne to get out to a family event...but we made it for this one!!!

You can see that over the years the Grattan Boys Hunt Camp has been very successful in getting their fair share of deer!

family party in the hunt camp

we are having a dinner for all the kids in the hunt camp. It's a family tradition that has gone on for years. Benji shot a deer this year with his bow and arrow and Michelle also shot a deer for the first time.

Another view of Chris and Mary.

This is Joanne, the oldest daughter and the author, editor and founder of this blog. Joanne lives in Wilno with Tom where they own The Wilno Station Inn. You can read more about their inn at wilnostationinn.blogspot.com/ or look them up at wilnostation.com.

In the winter you can find them in southern Spain, enjoying the sunshine. In spring, summer and fall, you can find them cooking, cleaning, gardening,serving and otherwise engaged in innkeeping.

Johanna kann nog ein kleine bitje Hollandse sprechen an lesen maar nicht so goed scriven. Het is verschrichlich!!

This is Henrietta, otherwise known as Donnie's "lovely busty companion". What more can we say!!!!

Zomers sisters have lunch at Yet's house

While most of the men are in the hunt camp, the Zomers sisters get together at Henrietta's house for lunch on a foggy November day. Chris has the day off from her job as a relocation consultant for the military because it is Remembrance Day in Canada. Mary has to leave for work shortly...she is cooking at Fairfield's seniors home. Because she has to leave first, we'll have a chance to gossip about her after she is gone. Nasty girllls!

The guests of honor...Ome Piet and Tante Diny. Amazing how much Ome Piet looks like Dad.

Henriette, Barb, Martien and Oma

This is our sister Henrietta (in white), Martien's wife Barbara, Martien and Oma. Opa is not paying attention.

Henrietta lives in a cute log house with her husband Donnie and two sons Brandon and Chance.

Martien and Barb recently sold their dairy farm near Cobden and are renting a place before they build a new house, probably near a golf course, so Martien can play golf before breakfast (and lunch and dinner.)

This is our brother Tony. He's the oldest son in the family. He builds houses for a living. He is married to Carolyn and they have two children, Kirk and Diana. He also became a grandfather shortly after Ome Piet and Tante Diny were here. Kirk and Candace's daughter is named Kaydence and they live on the McGrath Road, very near Oma and Opa. Tony and Carolyn live near Lake Dore and in 2006 Diana completed college and is now a teacher.

Ome Piet, Tony and Bert

In the summer of 2005, Ome Piet and Tante Diny Zomers came for a month long visit to Canada. It was planned as a surprise for our father, Harry and we managed to keep the secret right up to the last minute. We all had a wonderful time and Ome Piet and Tante Diny stayed with Bert and Donna. Near the end of their visit, most of the family got together for a dinner to celebrate. These pictures were taken at that dinner.

Zomers boys and friends