Wordless Wednesday

 

A cool but entertaining week

Who turned down the thermostat? From the highs of 32C/90F to a week where 19C/66F was the best we could do, I went through a bit of weather shock. I even put on socks in the morning (at 10C/50F I felt the need). BTW, if you haven't noticed, I'm rarely happy with the weather...it's a Saskatchewan thing. Eli had his second week of swimming lessons, but spent more time out of the pool than in. 

We did get out on Monday to do some yardwork. D took care of tree branches that were overhanging the front sidewalk and the garage out back, as well as cutting out a smaller elm tree that was growing among the roses. I'd got some of the branches of the elm tree last week but the trunk was too big around for my clippers. To assist I hauled branches to the brush pile - we'll have all of it hauled away in the next couple of weeks along with the bags of yard waste from my weeding efforts. D also cleaned gutters on the garage and on one side of the house. Our ladder is only 6 feet tall (picked up at a garage sale) and the house gutters are difficult to get to - we'll have to keep our eyes open for an 8 foot stepladder. She did a great job and we didn't have to pay someone to do the work!

As a result I didn't make it into the thrift store on Monday for the cleaning day. Next week for sure! With the cooler weather I've been spending more time indoors; I've caught up on my budget spreadsheets, updated a document of personal information, and spent a lot of time on Ancestry. I thought I was getting close to reviewing all of the hints available, but every time I'd re-open the program there would be more. I'm not liking the changes they've made though - they've made the review of hints more onerous and there are some hints that are so clearly incorrect...I'll bet money more AI is "helping" with the collection. 

Wednesday, the city showed up in the morning to (finally) clear the empty lots across the street.  We had contacted the commissionaire in the spring about the height of the grass and weeds, but nothing was done until now. It took a good 90 minutes for the fellow on the mower to knock it all down and run over it a couple more times to mulch it. Meanwhile another worker used the weedwhacker to edge the sidewalk, and removed some low branches on the trees. The after and before photos below will give you and idea of how tall the grass and weeds had gotten.  

Later I attended Knit and Natter in the evening. When I arrived the part-time librarian S and a 9 year old boy were waiting for me. They asked if I could teach them to crochet or knit. Oh my, I'm not much of a teacher but we all tried. N (the boy) couldn't get a handle on how to hold the crochet hook, but we got him started on a pair of knitting needles. I showed him a simple way of casting on which he managed well enough (just 10 stitches). He struggled with the first knit row, so I knit it for him demonstrating the technique. I was impressed as he was able to carry on for four or five rows. He did add a few extra stitches and dropped one or two, but for a first attempt he did great. S picked up the crochet hook and made a chain but gave up when she started the single crochet row. She watched a few videos on her phone while we chatted and I kept an eye on N's progress. 

Thursday evening the landlord next door (not the fence landlord) arrived to start the clean-up of the property. (I'll call her GL - short for good landlord). If you recall the tenant left in May and the landlord went through the proper channels to officially evict him by the end of June. GL told D she had then gone through the authorities to determine what could be done with the possessions he left behind. The provinicial authority has given her permission to get rid of things. She and D went into the house, and it was clear he had taken only items that were useful to him and left pretty much everything that were the children's including their beds, toys, and much of their clothing. There was also a nearly full pantry of food! Yet we never saw him bring more than a few bags of food into the house. It turns out that almost everything in the house was donated to the family. The deacon of the Catholic church was by as well, and has agreed to to pick up and storee some of the more useful items to pass on to other needy families in the community.

I suspect it will take GL a few weeks to clear out the trash and other items from the house. She has another tenant who will be moving in when the property is ready. We're told she, the new tenant, is quiet and respectful and very clean. D and I are both looking forward to meeting her.

On the other hand, the rental unit on the other side has been interesting for different reasons. The original renters, two elderly people, seem to be running some sort of a short term transistion home. Neither R or K actually live there, instead there have been two different family groups in the last six months or so. It started with the son, then his three children and is now a family of four, parents and two children. At the end of the school year, the first group of children left with someone we assume is their mother. The son disappeared shortly thereafter and now this new family has moved in. R shows up on a weekly basis with groceries. Not sure what is happening there but the LND has already said he doesn't care who lives there so long as the rent is paid on time.

Garden update: I've continued to water every evening, though this week it's much less frequent and less volume. Picking included peas, cucumbers and more lettuce. The latter is amazing me, I cut it one day and it seems to fill in the next. The corn is showing tassles but still no silk. Hopefully I'll see signs of ears soon. The potato plants are starting to die back, so I expect I'll be harvesting those by the end of the month. Tomatoes continue to fill out but have yet to start ripening.

I've written notes in my gardening journal about the successes and failures (thus far) so that I can plan better for next year. Radish and peppers will be grown in containers, with the goal of keeping both in more shaded areas. The cucumbers have nearly outgrown their trellis (as did the peas) so I'll be looking for better and taller supports. I've also made a list of annuals to purchase next year...and that includes gerbera daisies! 

Today we're off to a community an hour away. They are having a parade and a town wide garage sale. We know Eli will enjoy the parade, and D and I are hopeful we'll find some treasures. This is the community that has a swimming pool with a lazy river as well as waterslides. Hopefully we'll be able to make a stop there as well. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Goodbye July

Another week (and a month) has flown by - where does the time go? It wasn't even a particularly busy week for me. When the weather wasn't steaming hot, I managed to get a bit of weeding done. The garden looks decent ...for the moment, and the front yard and new perennial bed were cleared too. Harvesting was limited to picking peas, a cucumber, and pulling the broccoli plants. I'm sad about the latter, but will try again next year.

I did my last Tuesday shift at the thrift store this week. There is no a/c in the old school building and even with the fans running, we were all sweating buckets in no time. Normally Saskatchewan is known for "dry" heat, but this year the humidity is very high and most of us are feeling it. It was 95% one morning, which explains why the baskets of pansies I have in the shade of the tree out front have not needed watering. 

The first few days were extremely hot (for us), with temperatures over 32C/89F and with the humidity felt like it was five or more degrees hotter. As a result, I spent time indoors in the heat of the day venturing out to water in the evenings, or weed in the early mornings. The dratted mosquitos are out in full force too, but I'm seeing more dragonflies. 

D and Eli went to NTO both Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and his afternoon activity on Tuesday was actually held here in town at the local arcade. Lots of fun! He had his library program on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and the latter coincided with the afternoon Knit and Natter. A woman who hadn't met joined me, she had attended in the winter months when I was away, but has returned after having a hip replacement earlier this year. 

On Friday morning, D and I tackled the garage. As it no longer holds a vehicle (door is too low for her SUV), it has become a dumping ground for some things that were once in my garden shed; camping supplies, Eli's outdoor toys, the lawn mower, and other tools, as well as the new freezer. I had purchased a couple of plastic shelving units on sale at Walmart a few weeks ago. They are a good 6 feet tall, and certainly helped to get things off the garage floor, and make space. We have another shelf to put up, since we plan to go through things in storage in the basement too, and will remove some containers to the garage. It's a good idea - not only to get rid of excess items, but I've bought more things that will end up in my garden shed over winter so there isn't room for what once was stored there.

Garden update: As you saw on Wednesday, the day lilies have begun to open. I had a memory pop up from two years ago on FB that indicated they first opened on the same date! I'll have to keep track for next year.

I cut back the peonies and the lilies in amongst those plants these lilies are starting to bloom.

In the original perennial bed, the clematis I recently planted is blooming. It barely has any leaves but the flowers are coming.

Clearly it is happy and I'm hoping it will over winter well. I'll be sure to cover the roots with leaves to provide some protection. It is hardy to our climate and should be fine.

Here is a chuckle for you. One of these things is not like the other! 

Last year we had tomatoes growing in containers near that bed. I suspect I may have tossed a small tomato iinto the bed, and I've just recently noticed it growing. It's unlikely it will fruit but I'll leave it.

Speaking of tomatoes, one of my plants in the raised bed is proving to be prolific. I counted 15 tomatoes on this one plant, with more flowers still blooming. The other two tomato plants have seven or eight. The cucumber is coming along too, and I've found four more wee cukes. And the corn is showing signs of tassles though no ears as yet. 

 

Out front the Gerbera daisy appears to love the heat and is proving to me, I can grow them successfully (though I likely have little to do with it).

Behind it is a container with geranium, curly glass, and another annual which name I can never recall. Those plants are doing well, but not as great as the Gerbera.

Finally, here is a photo of the front yard after I finished weeding and cutting back of the peonies and rose bushes. The latter seem to be waning though there were a few more recent blooms coming on. (I still need to do some painting but that needs to wait until the plants die back.)

Today we're planning to visit a few garage sales in the morning and I expect D and Eli will visit the pool. I'll hang out with the cats and work on my cross-stitch. The weeding in the back yard can wait. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Friday Funny

 

Wordless Wednesday