Keeping busy or not

 I'm tired.  It's Friday morning as I start writing this post and my tiredness is mostly due to a busy day yesterday and interrupted sleep last night.  More on that later.

Monday was a statutory holiday here in Canada, my son had the day off, it was cool and rainy and I didn't accomplish much of anything.  I guess even when you're retired you can take a holiday. :) Tuesday morning I had my bi-annual eye appointment.  I knew I'd need a new prescription because I was having some difficulty seeing distances in particular, and felt that I was using one eye more than the other.  Well it turns out I was correct, except the eye I thought was being used more wasn't, but it was the one that had the most change.  Perhaps it was the strain of using it was making me feel that way.  The other eye also had changed prescription.  It was an expensive outing - I was able to find a less expensive pair of frames, but the lenses cost a pretty penny.  My health insurance doesn't cover much but at least I did get about 25% of the costs back. 

Wednesday was another quiet day, still cool and wet so I puttered around in the house.  The door frame in the sunroom got its final sanding and coat of paint.  It's amazing how much nicer things look with a coat of fresh paint.  I also took out the old linoleum under the kitchen sink and replaced it with some peel and stick tile.  It looks fresh and clean under there now too.  

Thursday was a busy day.  D and Eli came into the city for his 4 year check-up with the doctor.  They arrived at 7:15 a.m.!  D said, Eli woke up at 5 and said let's go to Grandma's.  That's pretty much what they did - I think she was just as excited to visit as well - they haven't been here since Christmas.  We visited for a bit, before she headed off to do a bit of early shopping while Eli and I planted some of the annuals. He's a pretty good hole digger. :)  He soon got bored with that, and headed to the back yard where his outdoors toys were in a bin.  I would do a bit of planting, then go check on him or he'd show up to tell me something important like: Mr. Ant is his friend. When I finished in the front, I moved the rest of the annuals to the back yard.  I dumped the bird bath as it was looking pretty gross after the rain and the debris from the trees, cleaned it up and moved it to a more open area (still near the trees).  Eli helped me fill it with clean water.  

D arrived home about that time and we decided a walk to the pond was in order.  She was concerned that Eli couldn't/wouldn't walk that far but he was a real trooper, most often running ahead of us.  Here are some of the photos from that walk:

There were several blackbirds chasing a crow.  I'm assuming it had ventured too close to their nesting area. 

The first baby ducks I've seen this year, and it was the only batch of ducklings at the pond.

A gaggle of goslings.  There were eight of them with the parents.  I think it is the same group I posted last week.

The pelicans were busy grooming themselves or napping. 

And here is proof, there is a muskrat using the pond!  I had seen it last fall, but across the pond and at a distance that I wasn't able to clearly see it.  This time it came swimming towards us and it dived under the cat tail reeds at the edge.  I wonder if there is a pair or if this is a loner.  It would be fun to see baby muskrats too. 

On the way back to the house we stopped in at the little park about a block away.  Eli played for a few minutes but he was thirsty and wanted to get back to G'ma's.  He did oblige my request for a photo opportunity.  I even got a wee bit of a smile. :)  He's getting so big.

Back at home, and after lunch, I was able to get the rest of the planting in the back complete.  I could have used a nap, but there was no rest for this weary G'ma.  We played in my car - Eli drove me to Tim Hortons and McDonalds, and we played hide and seek (he hid in the car, I would pretend to look all over before I'd find him).  

When my son arrived home, about 4:30, Eli's attention turned to Uncle C.  The two of them ran and chased each other upstairs and down, and there were lots of giggles - they have such a good time together.  They stopped briefly for dinner before the "c'mon Uncle C" started up again.  When D put Eli in the bath, C said to me, "maybe I can get 20 minutes of quiet time".  Yep, that little guy tires us all out and eventually tires himself out too.  By 7 p.m. he was yawning, so his mom tucked him into bed and he was out like a light less than five minutes later.  

Unfortunately his mother is having issues with her sleep, finding it difficult to get to sleep or stay asleep, so is up and down many times in the night.  As a result my sleep was disrupted too as I'm so accustomed to a quiet house.  I think I finally gave up on sleep about 3:30 when she had a shower.  I stayed in bed until 4:30 when I heard Eli up as well.  I knew there would be no sleeping after that. 

They headed home shortly after 9 a.m., as D had arranged the day prior for Eli's check-up to be done by telephone later in the day.  We measured and weighed him in advance of the call.  At 4 years old, he is 42  lbs. (19kg) and 41.5 inches (105 cm) tall.  I have no idea is where this puts him on a growth chart... no matter, I think he's just perfect the way he is.

I did get a nap in later in the afternoon as well - it was much needed.  When I woke up, I headed outdoors and finished planting the last of the annuals in the front flower bed.  I also took the opportunity to move around a couple of the perennials. Whether I've left that too late, and may lose them, I don't know but I guess in a few days I'll know for sure.

This morning started out sunny, but the clouds have been coming and going as the wind is a-blowing. After my morning tea and breakfast in the sun room,  I've been out to mow the lawn, mulch the flower bed, and pull a few weeds.  Since the neighbour's are in their yard across the back with their two small children, my plan is to head for the patio out front to read.  Funny, I haven't read much over the winter, but I've finished two books in the last couple of weeks and am well into my third.  The library opened this week to in-person visits so I'll have to stop by at some point.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 

Whee....what a ride!

 I think I've mentioned before that Saskatchewan weather can be variable and this week definitely proved that statement.  Sunday through Tuesday were absolutely gorgeous, with high temps reaching 30C (86F) plus!  I spent as much time as possible outdoors.  The yard work slowed down from last week as I decided against planting the annuals due to the potential forecast of snow for Thursday and Friday.  Yes, you read that right, the weather folks were suggesting we might have snow. In fact, several areas of Saskatchewan did get snow - we lucked out here in the city.  But just for fun, we had a thunderstorm blow through on Tuesday evening.  Not much rain in it, at least here, but lots of thunder.

The weather forecasters weren't entirely correct. We didn't get snow, and the rain that was expected to start at midnight on Wednesday didn't arrive until 8 a.m. on Thursday.  It got even colder overnight Thursday into Friday, but again we missed the worst of it, with no snow or much freezing rain. The small town my daughter lives in wasn't as lucky.  She sent me this photo - her spruce tree in front of the house sustained some serious damage as did the trees across the street and in the next door neighbour's yard.  While we were chatting she heard and saw more branches falling.  

This photo is of the cedar in her back yard that was covered in ice. Later in the day, the community declared a state of emergency as much of the town was without power.  Luckily D and Eli were in the portion that didn't lose power.

For most of the week, I kept the annuals out on the patio and the tomatoes and peppers on the back deck to harden them off for planting sometime next week.  It helps not to have to drag them in and out of the garage but that had to be done for the nights when the temperature fell below freezing.  The garage is well-insulated and I brought the veg into the house.  I had to run an errand for D on Friday morning, and the car registered a temperature of 12C (54F) so they were safe.

Besides the weather there were a few other things happening this week:

My neighbour and his father-in-law finished putting up the new back fence on the weekend. (My contribution was financial).  The yards don't match up, so the fence on the right is the part the first neighbour put up, the one on the left is the new fence.  I bought a piece of garden art at Walmart a couple of weeks ago and hung it this week.  It reminds me what is to come in the weeks ahead.

Now, of course, the rest of the fence looks ratty. I chatted with my east side neighbour's G and D through the sunroom window, and we've decided to replace that fence as well.  I'll probably do the west side as well depending on the estimated cost. 

On Monday, I drove my son to the vaccination center.  Good thing I did because he misunderstood where it was located and would have ended up in a far different place.  He had a bit of a sore arm, but otherwise no side effects.  The province health authority has put out a tentative schedule of when we might expect to get our second doses - as of now, it looks like I should be eligible the week of June 7.  However, that is considering only Pfizer and Moderna does, but since my first dose was Astra Zeneca, they may open it up to us earlier.  In any event, I expect it will be just a few weeks before I'm fully vaccinated.  I guess that is one of the benefits of living in a province that isn't densely populated.  Though I wish we had better access to direct flights from here.  

Oh yes, I haven't shared this with you yet.  I've booked a cruise.....in January 2023!  It's a full transit through the Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles with five ports along the way.  

I had been researching cruises for a little while but wasn't prepared to pull the trigger just yet - definitely not in 2021 and likely not in 2022. But this one has been on my bucket list for some time and when it showed with a very reasonable price, I dithered for a minute or two and called my travel agent.  It is the first leg of the world cruise (111 days) but until I win a lottery I'll just be doing the first 14 days.  

L put a hold on the cabin for my (an interior) before she called for my credit card information. Imagine my joy to learn that the price she was quoted was a few hundred dollars less than the mock booking I'd done.  Better still while we were chatting, she mentioned the insurance I'd purchased for the U.K. cruise that had to be cancelled. I told her I assumed that insurance would have lapsed.  She checked into it for me and learned it couldn't be transferred as the cruises were on different cruise lines...but I was eligible for a refund and it covered two thirds of my deposit.  Bonus!

Back to this week, though I spent a fair amount of time outdoors, mostly reading and enjoying the beautiful weather, I did get extra work done inside. The house windows that I didn't replace because they look into the sunroom, were looking pretty dirty and the frames needed a paint touch-up.  When the sunroom was put on (prior to my purchase) the screen door was removed but the holes left by the hinges and so on weren't filled.  To be honest I didn't notice when I bought the house - I was just thrilled with the existence of the sunroom. It was far past time for the holes to be filled in and the door frame needed painting too.  I did wood filler and window cleaning on Monday, sanded the door frame and painted the window frames on Tuesday, then did the first coat on the door frame the next day.  I want add a bit more wood filler in a few places so when it warms up again, I'll finish the job.  

Then I decided I was tired of all the old blinds remaining in the house.  I had asked the crew to remove the old ones on the windows that were replaced.  So I unlatched the rest - in some cases they needed a little extra encouragement - and took them down.  Oh my, they were dusty!  They all went in the bin and I likely won't replace them.  The sunroom blocks the direct sunlight reaching the kitchen and I like the fact there is more light coming in.  In fact, I have no plans to put anything on the big bay window either.  The big spruce in front provides sufficient privacy from the street and I don't mind being able to see who is coming up the front sidewalk.

On Wednesday, after a few regular household chores, I headed out for a walk.  It was 13C (55F), a whole lot cooler than it had been, and when the wind was in my face it felt even cooler.  But it was still a beautiful day for a walk!

The geese were feeding by the pond.

The ducks were enjoying the sun.  While the male mallard's head color is striking, I actually prefer the markings on the female.  She's so pretty!

Mom and Dad goose were bringing the babies to the shore.  They've already grown so much in just a week!

The cormorant was back in its preferred spot. By the end of last summer there were five of them.  I wonder if the pair is back and will raise another brood.  

This is a photo of the pond from the west side of the pond.  I think most of the photos I've taken of it were from the opposite side.  It would be wonderful to live in one of the less expensive condos on the right side of this photo.  If money were no issue the large condo on the left (lightest color), is up for sale, listed at for just under $2M.  Yeah...even I won the lottery I wouldn't pay that much for it!

On the cool and rainy days, I also had the opportunity to watch some curling.  The World's mixed doubles curling is being held in Aberdeen, Scotland. Our Canadian team has done well and won their qualifying round for the finals.  That game was aired at 3 a.m. my time - I did not get up to watch it, even I'm not that much of a die-hard fan - instead I PVR'ed it and watched when the alarm cat went off at 6 a.m. I'm currently watching the semi-final between Norway and Sweden, which will be followed by Canada and Scotland.  Go Canada go!

We're on the upswing of temperatures today and no rain is forecast so I'm hoping to get out for a walk at some point.  And maybe, just maybe play in the dirt tomorrow. 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

All the livelong day

It's amazing how much I can accomplish when the curling (is nearly) finished and the weather is down right beautiful.  We've had a week of plus 20C days and I've been making the most of them.

Monday I had a long list of things to do in the yard, but first I needed to head out to pick up top soil and potting soil.  My first stop was a bust - our nearby Canadian Tire store has an outdoor lot where one can purchase the products.  Every year in the past several, I've gone to that area, told the worker what I needed, he/she gave me a note with the items listed, I'd walk into the store to the cashier, pay for them and go back and have the items loaded in my trunk.  Not this year, he couldn't give me a note and the cashier told me she couldn't sell one of the products I wanted, as it was available in store.  I asked where, grabbed a cart and went to the aisle she indicated, only to find there was none.  So I left the cart, went back to the cashier and said, I'd be purchasing my supplies elsewhere. 

It got better after that.  I found larger bags of the potting soil at a price less than CT, along with top soil and mulch at another store and just for fun, three new containers.  I think the latter must have been last year's stock because they were very inexpensive. I also picked up a ground cover, Japanese Spurge for the front flower bed that is meant for shade. Belatedly I have learned it is invasive but I think I'll leave it be as it is contained within the flower bed, with the house on one side and a sidewalk on the other.  

Back at home, with the car unloaded, I got busy in the yard.  In addition to raking and picking up debris, I scrubbed the deck and the chairs and tables, cleaned out the shed and reorganized it, and pulled out the containers that I store in it over winter.  In the front yard, I swept the patio (again), as well as the driveway before settling in to read for over an hour before C got home from work. 

Tuesday, I didn't get started early, as I had a phone appointment with my doctor.  I had a biopsy three weeks ago, and she called to give me the results; I was thrilled to learn that the samples were benign.  I'd not said anything to anyone, not even my children, as I wanted to know more first.  After that call, I headed out to pick up groceries, but of course, I had to stop in at a couple of garden centers first.  I was able to find some pansies and a bleeding heart. 

Back at home, with groceries put away, I headed back outdoors.  All of the containers, with the exception of the three on the deck, were tidied up with debris removed and a bit of extra potting soil added. The new containers were also filled, and I got the pansies and bleeding heart planted and watered in. (I simply forgot about the ones on the deck.)

Normally I only leave the house once a week, and you would think I would have had enough of being out and about, but Wednesday I had to run some errands for my daughter.  It didn't take much time and I was home in less than an hour.  The sky was looking like rain so I did some computer work, hoping it would clear.  When it neither rained nor cleared, I decided to get outside anyway.  I planted various seeds, peas, radish, lettuce, and sweet peas in a couple of containers.  The last of the containers were tidied up and four plastic grocery bags were filled with pine cones and needles from the spruce in the back yard.  I still have another bag's worth to pick up but it was beginning to thunder so I decided I ought to head back indoors.

Sadly, I had to do housework then. :( The basement, stairs,  front hall and living room were vacuumed, garbage gathered and taken out to the bin, and supper started.  When I finished those chores I was happy to see the sky was clearing up, so I took my book out to relax on the patio. I had about a half hour before the sun hid behind a cloud.  

By Thursday I just couldn't wait any longer to purchase the plants.  I kept telling myself to wait another week but then realized I'd need to harden them off anyway sooo I might as well get them then. Our forecast is for daytime temperatures ranges from 20-30C (68-80F) and nighttime temps of 4-13C (40-55F) over the next two weeks. The coldest night is expected about May 24 (the Monday of a long weekend here) when I'd be planting anyway.  And the forecast that far out is usually wrong.  At least that's how I'm rationalizing my decision.

This year I went with a list based on the purchases I made last year. Since I have three new containers, I knew I'd need to buy a little more.  

In this mass of plants are geranium, petunias, wave petunias, verbena, bacopa, ivy, creeping Jenny, marigolds, lantana, calibrochoa, curly grass, nicotiana, and I suspect a couple of other things I've forgotten. The fuschia has been potted up in a hanging basket.  I'll carry these in and out of the garage for the next few days before I get them into the containers or front flower bed.  I did buy another hosta (black pot in the background) and got it planted as well.  

When I had all of this out of the car, I sat on the sidewalk and sorted them out according to the location of the containers I expect to plant them in.  I discovered I had a few extra plants, but I still need two more hanging baskets.  I'll use these extras to fill those once I buy the containers. 

Friday, I went out again to pick up the two hanging pots, a couple of six-packs of impatiens, and a can of paint. This is the most I've been out for over a year, and since most of it was shopping outdoors and I was masked, I felt quite comfortable.  There was queue at Home Depot at the paint counter - I guess everyone is busy doing home projects.  I'm going to paint the exterior door frames with a similar color as it is now.  The color I chose was Havana coffee, a rich dark brown.  I may still paint the front door a different color but that can wait for now.

Today, I've been puttering - potato salad made for dinner, picked up pine cones in the front and side yard (they never end), raked the grass and put down some additional top soil, fertilizer and seed in the dead patches, and watered it well.  My back yard neighbour has taken down the fence and is out there putting up the new one.  I'm staying out of his way and have the curtains drawn in the sunroom so he doesn't feel he's being spied on. It's overcast and gray, and while it looks like it could rain, there is none in the forecast.  I'm sure he'll appreciate if it holds off until tonight.

That pretty much sums up the week.  Lots of yard work and outdoor time, which I so enjoy, and enough housework the inside doesn't look a total disaster.  I'll probably start planting early Monday morning - we're due for some real heat on Monday and Tuesday (30C/86F plus!) - I'll move them to larger containers, water them well and watch them grow. 

Have a great weekend everyone! Hope you all get a chance to enjoy some time outdoors.

Come walk with me

This will a photo heavy post so I'll put it up early this week rather than waiting until Saturday.

Between curling games on Sunday, I took myself out for a walk.  It was a beautiful morning, about 13C (55F) in the sunshine. I hadn't walked outside for over a week and I was eager to spend some time outdoors.  I wasn't sure how my back would feel so told my son I'd go the short way round but once I was out there, I didn't.

As I walked through the little park at the end of the block I noticed several children in their masks playing in the playground.  They were running around and climbing on the equipment and just having a good time.  I smiled as I walked past to hear the sounds of happy children.

A short distance beyond the playground the path takes a slight turn out of the trees and into an open park area with just a few trees. The park is bordered by houses on one side and a church parking lot on the other.  Here I found the hares.  Does the first one not have a look of "don't you dare come any closer" on it's face?

As I leave this park, I turn right and head for the crosswalk to enter another park which shares it's space with a school and several condo units.  Today the city had a crew digging up the street at the crosswalk to my left. I was glad to be walking away from the noise.

This park is large, and the path curves around an open are past the condos where I often see hares (not today), then a series of townhouses on the left, followed by several houses on the right before reaching a point where the path comes to a T.  As I passed the houses to my right, I spotted a robin bobbing around in the grass. It flew into a tree as I took out the camera.

When I went to put the camera away, I spotted movement in an evergreen a few meters away.  I saw the flip of the tail and knew there was a squirrel in there so I waited for it to makes it's move. It went bounding through the grass and stopped once to check something out.  

This is my favorite shot of the squirrel - it's just flying through the grass!  It's definitely not Hoover since this one is much thinner.

I took the path to the left at the intersection to reach the creek and was disappointed to see the water level is so low there were no ducks about.  I decided to venture across the bridge and take the unpaved path on the other side of the creek back to the street.  I'm glad I did.

Someone obviously brought the chair down to watch the creek, and I thought it was funny.  (Small things, small minds?)  As I walking closer I heard a sound of a bird that I didn't recognize and I wandered about this area to find the source.  Of course, the bird stopped calling but then started again. It took me a minute or so before I looked up, way up the pole and spotted this bird.

I had no luck identifying it on my own so I sent the photo to my brother.  He advised it is a flicker, either a Northern or a Yellow Thatched flicker, as those are the two we see here.  It's the first time I've seen or heard it in the park, and I'm hopeful it will stay for awhile.

I continued my walk along the creek, keeping an eye out for gopher holes - I could hear them calling to one another as I passed by, but none were brave enough to show themselves.  Further along the creek I did find a few ducks and a marbled Godwit! There were a pair of Godwits last year, and I'm hopeful they'll nest here again this year.

You can see how very shallow the water is.  I'm hoping we'll get some rain in the next week or two, so that the level comes up.

This is the marbled Godwit.  I took several photos and this is the best of the lot.  I was afraid to get too close as it would have flown away.

From the end of the creek, I turned right to reach the crosswalk, crossed the street and walked the half block to the pond.  And guess what?

Babies!!!  I was a bit surprised to see two families with young ones already.  It's been pretty cold at night with temperatures below freezing.  

Just beyond the geese was another bird I didn't think I'd seen before.  

I had to send the photos to my brother for help identifying it.  He informed me it is an Avocet.  It has a unique curved beak. 

There were lots of ducks and several geese at the pond. 

Most of the ducks were paired off and napping in the grass/weeds along the edge of the pond. It won't be long before there will be baby ducks too.

As I walked along the path beside the pond (to my left, condos to my right) I spotted a small bird flitting along into the small trees.  Every time I would get close, it would dash off to the next one. Finally, I was able to move slowly enough that it stopped long enough for a couple of photos.

I would not have been able to identify it, had it not turned it's back to me.

It is a yellow-rumped Warbler! I don't think I have ever seen one here previously - or perhaps I wasn't paying attention.  I had seen on another blog recently so this was a nice surprise.   

By this point, I'd been out walking and stopping and taking photographs for nearly an hour; it was time to head for home.  The path past the pond brings me back to the residential area where I live. A right turn, then a left and a couple of blocks in, I  cut through one of the bays and back into the first park. Most of the children were gone, I assume to their homes for lunch.  Great idea, and I did the same.

Hope you enjoyed the virtual walk!  Have a good day everyone.

Ups and downs and turn-around

 Well, this week sure had it's share of disappointments  but eventually things turned around.  On Sunday it was announced that the World Curling broadcasts would be postponed (and later cancelled) as four cases of Covid-19 were detected in the broadcast crews. Initially it was only going to be for a day or so, but as additional cases were detected, up to seven on Tuesday, there was another announcement that no further games would be aired until Friday afternoon. As it turned they were able to get back to the arena by Friday morning and all of the draws, not only those with Canada as a participant, were aired. 

In the meantime, Curling Canada provided updates on Twitter of the Canadian games and I was able to catch the live scoring on the World Curling website but it was a poor substitute.  But, I do understand the need to keep the athletes, officials, and all of the broadcast crew safe. I should note that the broadcast crews stay in a separate hotel and except for the camera crew, who maintain an appropriate distance, there is no physical interaction between the players and on-ice crew with the broadcasters. All interviews are done virtually and it seems to be working as no athlete or official has been infected. Since the return to television, the camera crew hasn't been permitted on-ice so we're getting some different looks. All good!

So, with no curling for much of the week, I thought I'd tackle some bigger projects; spend my time decluttering in the house, working in the yard and setting up containers for planting in a few weeks.  But also on Sunday, as I was putting down the bowl of cat food for Saku, I twisted and popped something in my left hip.  The pain radiated through the muscles down my leg and into my lower back.  It actually took my breath away it hurt so bad.  I spent the next 24 hours in significant pain, using Advil as an anti-inflammatory and extra strength Voltaren for the muscle pain. Monday was a write-off, as I was in a fog most of the day and I couldn't concentrate on anything.  That evening I laid down on the bed on my stomach and did a few stretching exercises.  One of them, what I would call a frog kick (if you've done the breast stroke in swimming you'll know what I mean), resulted in another pop and the pain immediately went from a 8 to a 4 out of 10.  What a relief!

I did get my grocery shopping done on Tuesday but getting in and out of the car was quite painful. Each day the muscle pain was reduced and I was able to do a bit of housework on Wednesday including laundry, sweeping and vacuuming.  

By Thursday, I was feeling some better.  The afternoon was lovely with a temperature of 16C (61F) so after lunch I headed outdoors.  No point in just sitting around and I figured I'd just stop doing something if it hurt.  An hour later I had: the back lawn raked and debris picked up, cleaned and filled the bird bath,  swept the front patio and used my grabber to pick up pine cones, and got the front flower bed tidied.  There are few green shoots starting to show but I can't recall what it is.  I'll have to find my garden book and check my diagram.

By Friday, just in time for the re-start of the curling, my hip/back was almost back to normal.  Getting up and moving from a sitting position, especially if I've sat for an extended time does cause some discomfort but I can live with that! It just means I must get up between ends and walk a little bit.  Canada was in the first draw of the day and won their game handily.  They've had an up and down week too, and needed a win by Switzerland in the afternoon to make the play-offs. Switzerland started off by scoring two points in the first end and continued to run over their competition. So Canada is in the playoffs and have a spot in the Olympics.  Phew!

Some other good news to share, my daughter was able to book an appointment for her vaccination as she was eligible as of Tuesday.  She was able to book on-line before the site crashed temporarily.  Today, she got a call from a friend who works at the local hospital - they had some extra doses so she headed down to the clinic and was able to get her first vaccine!  My son is eligible as of today, but there are no appointments available in the city and the local pharmacies are only providing wait lists. Hopefully later this week.

There are three draws today of curling, Canada is currently on the ice with Sweden.  A win and they make the semi-finals, a loss and they are out.  The two teams have played each other a few times in the past couple of weeks and the games are always tight. I'm not making any kind of prediction.

Since I didn't get out walking this week, I'll share a photo of my cat Saku.  I was able to open the sunroom in the afternoons.  Thursday, it was quite warm out there - I had one of the windows open and the fan running.  The photo was taken after he'd had his supper. I'm not sure if he's simply cooling off his belly or if he ate too much!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Busy, and a little dizzy

 It's Friday so that means the Worlds women's curling starts today.  I'm both happy and sad, as this will be the last event until next fall, but will be cheering for our Canadian team (Einarson).  Only the Canadian games will be televised, but World Curling has their own Youtube so I'll catch other games there.  

It's been a busy and full week up until now and am looking forward to some downtime as I plop my butt on the couch to watch.  On the past weekend, one of the arms on my glasses fell off.  Thankfully I have second pair that are primarily meant for computer work so I wasn't totally lost without them.  I assumed I'd lost a screw and called the optometrist's office to confirm I could come in and have the glasses repaired on Tuesday.  Since I was going out I decided I'd do my weekly grocery shop then too.

When I arrived at the business, I was asked to put a medical mask over top the mask I was wearing and filled out a slip with my name, time of visit, and contact information (for contact tracing, if necessary). The technician took one look at the frames and told me it wasn't simply a screw missing.  (Insert jokes here). Since I bought the glasses several years ago, she didn't think they had any of the same in stock, but suggested she would check with other locations and call me back.  

I puttered off to do my grocery shopping and back home to put things away.  She called later in the afternoon to let me know there were none available across Canada. My options were to wait until I have my next appointment on May 25 to get new frames and lenses or to purchase new frames that these lenses could be ground down to fit into.  While I am due for my check-up and may end up with a new prescription, I wasn't about to wait as the computer glasses aren't good for distances.  I asked her to check for two or three options that the lenses would fit into and made arrangements to visit the next morning to decide. 

Then I went back to staining the casings around the bedroom and living room windows.  Not my bedroom windows, the crew was able to use the old ones.  No, these would the spare room bedrooms and those windows were replaced in 2010.  Yeah, I've procrastinated for a long time.  I finished the first coat but have held off on the second because climbing the step ladder has ensured I discovered muscles I'd forgotten I had.  Wednesday was a very sore day!

Regardless of the aches and pains I had an appointment that morning to get the snow tires changed out on my car. Just for fun, Mother Nature pranked me by sending down snow for about 15 minutes that morning, big fat flakes of it.  It didn't last though. On Friday we reached a high of 26C (79F), and it's 20C (68F) today at just after noon. 

From the tire shop I walked over to the mall and the optometrist's office.  They had three pairs ready for me to look at.  The first my lenses would have popped right in, but they were a funky green color and I didn't like the way they looked on - just too dark.  The second pair was perfect, but I tried the third on just in to be sure.  Nope, it was the second pair.  They're similar to my original pair, just slightly smaller.  Even better they were less expensive.  I had a wait of about 50 minutes before the glasses would be ready so I walked the mall instead of walking home.  It's about a 20 minute walk to the mall, so I'd have had to turn around and come back anyway. By the time my glasses were ready and properly fitted, the car was ready too.  Perfect timing!

I spent the rest of Wednesday and Thursday on housework.  The entire house was vacuumed, more floors were washed and the bathrooms were scrubbed.  During my breaks (and there were several) I caught up on some more programs I missed in the last couple of weeks.  It was also a day of phone calls, I had a good chat with my friend S, my brother R, and several calls from my daughter.  While I chatting with R I was in the sun room watching the birds feed.  There were at least a dozen birds feeding at one point, until another visitor showed up. 

She/he stood and stared at me for several minutes and only turned around to leave when I went to the door.  What a pretty cat, and based on the quality of it's coat, it's well taken care of...except for being allowed to roam.

Before I settled in to watch curling, I got a pasta salad and a mac & cheese casserole ready.  Later I grilled burgers for dinner to go along with the salad.  The mac & cheese will get eaten along with leftover sausage from Thursday night today.  It's one of my son's favorite meals - I never have to worry about leftovers!

This morning I was up at with the cat alarm (5:45 a.m.).  With the daylight showing up earlier, even with the bedroom curtains drawn, Sasha believes that breakfast should come early.  That's okay, it's nice to get my day off to an early start.  I fed the birds, put away clean dishes, caught up on the news and had a cup of tea before D called for her morning chat.  When we were done, I decided to enjoy my second cup of tea in the sunroom.  Easily distracted, I moved the furniture and cat beds, vacuumed and dusted the room, replaced a couple of the striped towels that were dirty, replaced the furniture and cat beds and sat down to a cold cup of tea.  

The towels are now whizzing around the washing machine, I've watched one draw, and waiting for the second to start.  There are few things I need to do (on the computer) beforehand, so I'll take my lunch and laptop to the sunroom after I post this.  

Have a great week ahead everyone!