Treasures, trash, and tremors

This was a purchase from last week's garage sale foray. It's hanging on the wall in my dinette area.

It was another busy week, and definitely a productive one. I had met with M, the secretary of the social committee on Sunday and she had provided the funds collected and the bills paid during the month of December. I did a bit of work on the spreadsheet I created and realized I needed more info than she had given me. I reached out to the former treasurer and she came for a visit in the evening to go over some things and we realized the M had what I needed but for some unknown reason had held onto it. Well, I could speculate but I won't.

We (social committee) had a meeting on Monday at the bank to revise the signing authorities. What a process! T and I had to provide personal information and our ID's which was fine, and the board had provided a copy of the resolution allowing us to be on the bank account. That was fine, but the time it took for the clerk and her manager to review the documentation was lengthy. It did give us time to consider options for future events but seriously, the time they spent on their review seemed excessive. Then we learned that the board would need to complete another document with their signatures before everything would be implemented. Another trip to the bank is in my future.

I also met with E that morning to look to see what paint they purchased a couple of years for the pool. It was supposed to be done then but the fellow who was to organize did a bit of painting on his own and then walked away from it. The paint they purchased then can't be used so we'll be purchasing more... and this time the job will get done!

I've starting working on the cushions for the gazebo chairs, and picked up spay paint for the plastic Adirondack chair. At happy hour, S and I made plans to visit Michaels on Tuesday afternoon*. I needed white thread to sew the cushions closed and wanted to pick up a couple more knitting needles. I have a project started but not ready to share just yet, let's see how it goes.

Tuesday I did some necessary clean up of the gazebo in early morning. The wind had knocked over the table and my pot of succulents was smashed on the floor. I don't recall the words I used, but there definitely some things said out loud. Later I picked up another pot at Walmart - a plastic one - and I repotted them. One of them lost a few pieces but otherwise were no worse for wear. I'm going to research what I can do with the pieces of the pot - a mosaic of some sort perhaps? It was so pretty, I hate to toss it away.

About 10 a.m. I met with a couple of the guys next door to help clear the hoarder's sheds. OMG, you would not believe the stuff we pulled out of the first shed (and the second on the following day). Tools including a circular saw, two or three routers, a drill press, a table saw, several other types of saws, as well as a jack hammer. There were smaller tools too, along with several tool boxes, kitchen appliances, a 3 speed bike, and sundry other items. There was even a vintage ice cream maker! The entire shed was full and packed to the rafters. We sorted and cleared pretty much everything and took several loads to the garbage and recycling. 

We started on the second shed on Wednesday mid-morning. It was smaller than the first but filled entirely as well. Fun things we found included an old knob metal detector, a smaller ice cream maker, an old office chair, a humidifier, a foot spa, a propane tank cover, more tools - a band saw, I think, and the list went on. We threw out a number of items as well. Since it was a smaller shed, we were finished our clean-up before noon, and packed anything with any value in the sheds. The rest was sorted on the table or to one side. Besides the one fellow and I, we were joined by three other women. Two didn't have masks so I told them to stay out of the sheds, and they had the task of wiping down things as we brought things out and sorting. 

Overnight I experienced something I've never felt before. About 3 a.m. I was awaken by the feeling of the unit moving and I could hear the metal of the shed below the bedroom rattling below me. Initially I thought it was due to wind, but realized that the I couldn't hear the ornament I have on the front of the until banging. It didn't last long and I fell back to sleep. When I woke in the morning, I initially thought I'd dreamt it. Just out of curiousity I asked Google if we'd had a earthquake, and yes, there was a 4.4 earthquake at Holtsville about 50 miles away. At coffee hour, our oldest resident P reminded us that if the earthquake was more severe, we should get out of our trailers. She, however, acknowledged that she hadn't thought to do that at the time. The rest of the group seem to have slept through it.  

The sale of the salvaged items will be held on Saturday at the same time as the park garage sale. However, we'll have to keep it separate as a portion of the proceeds will be credited to the family of the former owner. 

We finished in time for me to clean myself up before Canasta in the afternoon. We played guys vs. gals and by the end of the game we were down 65 points from the guys team. We won last week, so next week will be the rubber match. Unless of course, the guys win and then we'll go best out of five. :p

I managed to fill Thursday as well, with coffee hour in the morning, a stop at the bank to make a deposit, and a run a few stores for coffee and event supplies. We are having a chili sale and bake sale to be held concurrent with the planned garage sale. Catching up on the social committee spreadsheet and reconciling the cash took up a little time too. But all is straightened out and up to date. I expect I'll be giving an update at the AGM in early February.

Friday afternoon, we prepared for the garage sales. Tables were set up across from the club house for items that ere donated by individuals in the park. L gave us direction in the pricing of items and we organized the tables by category. Stepladders with a pole between them were used to hold the clothing....and there was a lot of those items. I didn't think to take a picture until the evening, but you can see how filled the area is. We even sold several things that afternoon. :)

At Charlie's D uncovered the table and set out some of the items on the driveway, but the large tools and other items were left in the sheds. We do a "pre-sale" for the park residents, and they were able to walk through the sheds. We didn't have a lot of interest that evening, but I suspect today will be a different story.

I'll admit I'm not looking forward to a day outdoors at the sale. H has agreed to let us borrow a table with an umbrella, and I'll have my gazebo available for anyone who wants to get out of the sun for a bit. Our forecasted high is 80F/27C and while the early morning will start out cool, the heat will be on by 10 a.m. There is no natural shade but I'll make sure I have on sunscreen, my hat and shades and take a break when I can. Wish us luck!

*I cleaned up after lunch and went to Michaels with S and then forgot to buy the thread. :p I finally picked it up on Friday when I went to buy plastic bags for the bake sale items. I even managed to sew the seat cushions up before lunch!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Celebrations, holiday preparations, and garage sales.

The Grey Cup came home to Saskatchewan on Monday. There were some nail-biting moments in the game on Sunday but the green and white prevailed! My nephew joined the party at the Green Mile after the game and this photo (which I lifted from the internet) shows the fans who made their way from their homes, restaurants and bars, to the corner of Albert and Victoria streets for the celebration. The Grey Cup was on display at Mosaic Stadium on Monday afternoon, and a parade was held on Tuesday. This was the first win in 12 years for the team, and only the 5th in the history of the Riders.

Meanwhile my week started out quietly. I had done laundry Sunday afternoon and left it out overnight to dry, so just had to fold and put things away. I did some knitting too, working on another coffee mug sleeve. I'd finished the pickles the previous morning - they turned out pretty darn cute! (If I do say myself.) I have gold thread at home that I will add so they will hang from the Christmas tree. These are small gifts for my niece and nephew. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to make an ornament of some sort each year. 

We had more rain again overnight Monday, and Tuesday was overcast and cool. I'm having some electrical issues, potentially related to the rain. Every time we get rain, the outdoor fridge trips the breaker to the outlet. It doesn't affect anything in the trailer but is a nuisance. After some wrong assumptions, it was determined that pushing the button on the GFI re-set it. But when I woke on Tuesday morning (having plugged in the fridge overnight), not only was the outdoor plug impacted but the one next to the stove. And somehow or another, the dinette lights decided to give up the ghost too. Initially, J and I thought it was due to burnt out bulbs, but trying one that we knew was working proved that theory wrong. 

I've left the fridge unplugged, and won't use it until J's husband G arrives in December. He is an electrician by trade and knows this unit well as they lived in it for several years before they bought their park model. I won't be here when he arrives, as I'll be in Saskatchewan for Christmas, but will leave a set of keys with J. 

Wednesday J and I got together to play cribbage canasta. Another couple who usually play, D&T had arrived Tuesday evening and were busy opening up their unit, buying groceries, etc. so weren't available to play. Beginner's luck, I won the first game but she, more than handily, won the next two. I learned a lot about the strategy of the game, as well as the how to count the points. That was something I never learned last winter. I likely won't be able to keep up with the regulars but at least I have a better idea now.

Pat (our 97 year old matriarch) and I were responsible for coffee hour on Thursday. We set up the hall after Happy Hour the day prior, readying coffee pots, tea kettle, toasters, etc. Earlier in the day, I had gone to the local Food City to order the pastries. Some people enjoy the goodies, while others make themselves toast with jam and peanut butter provided. In the morning, I went to Food City to pick up the pastries, then to the clubhouse to start the large urn of coffee.  We were expecting about 20 participants and ended up with just 13.

After coffee, three of us stayed behind to decorate the hall for Thanksgiving. There aren't a whole lot of decorations for the walls; most are meant to be put out on the tables. Since we'll be using the space for Happy Hour - it was too hot and now with the cooler and wet weather the mosquitos are out in force - we left the table decor to be put out on Thanksgiving morning. There were a whole pile of fake flowers and sprigs, so I put together a vase to display somewhere in the hall. 

Friday morning was another busy one, as J, L and I went to a nearby park for their garage sales. By the way I used my air fryer that I picked up at last weeks garage sales for the first time. It worked wonderfully, but I'll not use it indoors again. It heats up and gets quite hot to the touch. Hence it will have to wait until the electrical outlet is working properly. I have sufficient methods of cooking that it isn't necessary though I do like the way an air fryer cooks various types of meat. The BBQ will do for now.

It was raining off and on when we left and though the park with the sales had a lot of standing water, we managed okay until just after 9 a.m. At the last place we stopped, the rain came down in buckets and we, all three, were soaked by the time we made it across the street to the van. With that, we decided to head to the "Landing", a local restaurant for breakfast. The food was delicious and the prices very reasonable. Since it was quiet we sat for quite a while after we were done eating and simply visited. 

Our final stop before heading to the park was a placed called Green Trees Grocery Outlet. It has heavily discounted packaged items, generally the boxes and cans are slightly damaged and can't (or won't) be sold at a regular grocery store. They also bring in frozen meat and dairy, and fresh produce. The store even has some sundry items as well as beauty and health products. Just to give you an idea of pricing, L picked up a 10 pound bag of potatoes for $2.99. I found Twinings Earl Grey tea for $3 for 50 tea bags. J picked up a box full of stuff, as she found a couple of cockroaches in her park model and had to toss out her pantry items. 

So what did I find at the garage sales? My best buy was a small hand painted plate for 50 cents. In Canadian dollars it is worth about $40. I would have purchased it anyway, because it is so pretty. I found a couple more cushions for the couch, and a small drop leaf table. The latter needs to be sanded down and painted, and I'll use it in the gazebo to eat meals on occasion. That is, of course, if it ever stops raining! 

Today, I have nothing planned except to stay indoors, out of the continuing rain, to work on the coffee mug sleeves. D has added one more to the list, so I'll need to make seven more. Each one takes me about an afternoon. Since I'm leaving for home on the 4th of December, that leaves less than two weeks to finish these. I should know the pattern well by then. There will be college football to watch and if I'm lucky, I may be able to watch some of the Canadian Olympic curling trials. You-tube may have some streaming, but I'm not entirely sure.

Have a wonderful week ahead everyone! 

Painting, a birthday, and more windy weather

I think I'm going to need a vacation when I get home from this vacation. It has been another full week of fun and a bit of work.

Our garage sale visits on Saturday were productive, with a number of useful items purchased by J and L. I picked up a mug to leave at the clubhouse for coffee/tea - coffee hour is on Thursdays and I always forget to bring a mug with me, and a cross stitch magazine. I spent a whopping $1.50. The RV park we visited had 1200 lots, two clubhouses, five pools, several hot tubs, as well as pickle ball, tennis and shuffleboard courts. Far too big for me, and the monthly lease costs are approximately $800 USD per month. Too rich for my blood.

In comparison, the park I am in has 59 lots, a clubhouse and a 15 man hot tub. It is a mix of park models, house trailers, and RV's. As a Co-op, and with few amenities, the lot lease is only $125 US per month. That includes cable television, WiFi, and water. I should note the water is not potable. There are many places to buy water. I walk about 4-5 blocks to Desert Water, where I can refill two of my gallon jugs for a mere 50 cents. Walmart and Food City sell these for about $1.50 each. I go through about 3/4's of a gallon each day, more if I'm doing much cooking.

This weekend, many of the residents were busy with painting the perimeter fence. I helped some on Friday, took the day off on Saturday, and then jumped in on Sunday to paint the fence at three lots. I finished the second coat of the third fence on Monday morning. There are some residents who chose not to do the work themselves, so the park will be charging them a fee for the work. The last lot that I finished on Tuesday morning, was one of the latter. On the other hand, there were several people in their 80's out there putting in more than their fair share of work. My painting partner on Sunday turned 79 this week. As a renter, I wasn't expected to help but I know everyone was eager to get it finished. Those who weren't able to paint provided supplies for lunch every day, and it was prepped and put it out for the workers at the clubhouse. 

Tuesday was thrifting day, with L and A. We hit up three thrift stores, where I found a couple of pieces of clothing, another set of knitting needles and a book of crocheted dishcloth patterns. One can never have enough patterns, right? Then we headed off to the mall, where I picked up my first Christmas gift. It is a pretty pink purse for my daughter. We had lunch at In and Out burger, a restaurant I've never been too. It was good and very reasonably priced. The Wednesday photos were from that trip. I certainly know where I need to go if I should need any bathroom aids as I age! The tree was in the The Palms mall area; an oleander, which I've learned is toxic, but so pretty!

The wind picked up that day and there was a lot of sand in the air. Happy hour was held in the enclosed area beside the clubhouse, and even there the wind felt cool. It was noisy overnight, as there are items hanging on the side of the park model that bang. It had calmed down slightly overnight, but I decided to forgo my walk in the morning, and caught up on some housework. I'd vacuumed the prior morning, so washed the floors. I also put together a casserole from leftovers in the fridge. Time is ticking down, and I want to use up as much as possible. 

By Thursday, the wind had died down, but it was cloudy and cooler, just 17C (63F) at noon. I went to the clubhouse for coffee (in my case tea) and goodies in the morning. There were sign up sheets circulated for the Heritage dinner (Feb 22 - I was already signed up), for the women's luncheon (Feb 26), and St. Patrick's Day (I won't be here for that.) In fact, I have less than two weeks remaining here! Time does fly when one is having fun. That evening, I went to dinner at Olive Garden with the birthday gal L, and her husband G, and their park neighbour D. L and D were both nurses and worked together in their community in British Columbia.

I've spent the afternoons stitching on my cross-stitch project. I think I started it a couple of years ago, and I've a long way to go. 

I'm also reading a John Sanford novel, Bad Blood. If you've read his novels, it is about one of his characters, Virgil Flowers, an agent of the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and his investigation into several murders in a small rural area in Minnesota.

Friday was a quiet day, with nothing major on the agenda. After a walk to Desert Water, I worked on my jigsaw puzzle, did some stitching, and finished my book. It appears I will not be able to watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts curling, as it is only being broadcast in Canada (boo!) I have to keep an eye on the scores on-line and watch the news for highlights.

I have no plans for the weekend and I'm ready for a quiet couple of days. Perhaps time will slow down a bit, and my last two weeks will last longer. A girl can hope, right?

Have a great week ahead everyone!

More fun in the sun

Goodness, I've been here for over two weeks already! The weather has been quite cool in the early morning, as low as 2C/36F one day, but generally around 6-7C/42-44F. Have I mentioned the furnace in this unit doesn't function? I do have two small electric heaters and when I wake up, I turn both on and climb back into bed for a bit. Usually I talk with my daughter, check the weather and the news before I get dressed for the day. A half hour usually is enough to warm it enough to be comfortable. 

I had planned to go to Art in the Park at the Gateway Park on Sunday but didn't realize the buses didn't run on Sundays. :( I almost wished I hadn't stayed home to watch curling on Saturday...almost. The entrance fee was a mere $1, with vendors and artists showcasing their work. I'm disappointed I missed it. On Monday, however, I planned to do nothing...and as I said to someone at Happy Hour, I think I got half of it done. 

L & S and I went out thrifting again on Tuesday (Senior's day). This time we went to Goodwill (I misspoke last post) and the Humane Society thrift store. I wanted a sweater for the cooler times of the day and lucked out. I found a pullover, as well as a pair of capris, and a new nightgown with pockets! At the Humane Society, I got a book and 1000 piece puzzle for just $1.50. I'll leave these latter items behind when I head home. 

L had suggested we go for lunch at the Black Bear Diner (Yuma Palms mall for any who are familiar). The food and the company was great! The portions were large and delicious. I had a crispy chicken wrap with a side salad, taking half the wrap home for dinner that evening. But S's Cobb salad was the star - it was so large that she ate about a 1/3 of it and took the rest home in two boxes for dinner for her and her husband. If you ever in Yuma, I highly recommend this restaurant. In addition to the great food, the prices were reasonable, and the service was good.

On Tuesday evening, I ran out outside to attempt to capture the full moon. It's definitely not a great photo!

I made up for a quiet Monday, when I did some shopping on Wednesday. First, I walked down to the water store to pick up a couple of one gallon jugs of drinking water. On my return, I washed the floors in the park model before walking to Walmart for some groceries. The backpack, I picked up in Bismarck in November, fits the water jugs perfectly. I had run out of some basics, milk, butter, and cheese and needed a few other items. Everything fit well in the bag and it makes it much easier to carry. It is a bit odd to get groceries in plastic bags, and lots of them, as the cashiers rarely put more than a few items in each. I'm using the bags as garbage bags - I may switch to self check-out to reduce the number of bags I use.

Wednesday afternoon was Canasta. Don't ask me how, but my partner and I won the game. It was a long game, nearly 90 minutes, partially because I don't understand the strategy and we likely could have won sooner, had I not messed up. I've learned that they are playing with a hybrid of rules, as each player brought something different to the game.

The Grand Slam of Curling event is being live streamed, as I discovered, so Thursday morning started off with a game while I enjoyed my breakfast. after that was over, I decided to try to find the canal walking paths , but was stymied to find a road closure that I wasn't certain I should go around. Apparently, I should have as that would have been the quickest route. In any event, I gave up and decided to treat myself to an iced coffee and a sausage McMuffin at McDonald's (another further 15 minute walk). 

My landlady, C, came over for a visit in the afternoon. Just to prove I'm multi-talented, I was able to chat with her, keep an eye on a curling game, and crochet. No, no I couldn't - as it turned out I'd made a mistake with the pattern. :) During dinner, I watched another match and started the dish cloth over again.

I glanced up at one point and saw this incredible sunset. It was cloudy for part of the day, and the colours were simply amazing.

Friday, the park's social club was holding their annual garage sale. I donated the dish cloths I'd made as I figure I'm benefiting from the activities provided while I'm here. Several of us met around 10 in the morning to organize the items for the sale. Ranging from furniture, to kitchen items, to blankets, sheets and pillow, to golf balls and golf clubs, a range of games and books, both men and women's clothing, and soooo much more. There is something for everyone (except small children).

The rest of the day was spent watching the Grand Slam of Curling, though I did take a break for Happy Hour. I'm working on the new puzzle as well, and started yet another dish cloth. Didn't like the pattern of the one I started the day prior. 

Today, I won't be attending the garage sale - I haven't room to bring things back. I'm told the early birds will start showing up about 7 a.m. (sale starts at 8). I'm hoping to avoid the traffic, and instead, I'll try fit in a walk between curling games, and enjoy the sunshine.

Have a great week ahead, everyone! 

Delayed again, but a good week all round

The week started off well, as spending time with my friend C is always a lot of fun - lots of laughter ensues. We hit a dozen or more garage sales on Sunday and didn't buy a single garage. It's always helpful when a block has several houses participating. My best deal was an almost brand new Black and Decker toaster for $5. I have a toaster oven, but my son doesn't like using it. This toaster is meant for him, though I did use test it out and it works great. I did not buy any yarn, though I was tempted more than once. I had told C before we started, not to let me buy any just in case, but I behaved myself.

Monday morning, I had a text from the landscaper. We'd had a heavy rain (again) the night before and he advised he was going to be delayed for a few days. At least he let me know. I can't remember what I did for the rest of the day, though I pretty certain it involved a jigsaw puzzle, some knitting, and a baseball game. I did manage to pull some items for my garage sale as well.

The following morning, I had to run out to do an errand for my daughter. And of course, since it was Tuesday, and I was out anyway, I decided to hit up the thrift stores. Except I was too early, so I went to the Dollar store first where I picked up a couple of items for use on our camping trip before heading back to Value Village. There I found a 16 quart Coleman cooler for $3.85 after my seniors discount and taxes. I also found a large bag of Lego for Eli. It's one of his favorite activities, so now he'll have some to play with when he visits here. I talked to D, and all of the baby/toddler toys have been set aside for the garage sale.

We had more showers overnight, but just a wee bit of rain in the gauge on Wednesday morning. As you saw in the photo, the tomatoes are starting to develop. These are starts I seeded earlier in the spring. I'm happy they are doing so well. I noticed I have buds on my peppers as well, and though it continues to flower, the sole cucumber isn't growing at all. It was an experiment to see what would happen so I'm not too concerned. 

Wednesday was also stitch and chat. Just S and I were there. She had her first cataract surgery about 3 weeks ago, and the second a week or 10 days later. Now she needs new glasses but couldn't get an appointment with her optometrist until mid-July. As a result she didn't get a whole lot of stitching done, but we had a good chat. I had started a mitten before I left home, and came close to finishing it. 

We needed a few groceries so I took care of that on Thursday. I picked up a decent sized watermelon at Co-op for less than $5. When I mentioned it to my son that evening, he told me he doesn't like watermelon! I know my daughter doesn't care for it either - they both say they don't think it has much flavor and dislike the texture. I've already eaten half of the melon so it won't last long.  

On Friday morning, I drove out to my brother's to pick up the camping mats. We sat and had tea on the veranda before we took a walk around the yard. There were a number of birds to be seen and occasionally just heard as we visited. A Cat bird was calling, a western King bird flew by several times, an Oriole went to the feeder in the front yard, and a purple Martin made an appearance. (I can thank R for identifying each of them for me.) I got photos of none of these, but did capture a shot of the hummingbird visiting the feeder hanging on the veranda.

After a couple of cups of a tea and a chat, I prepared to head home. Before I left, we went out to the garage/shop where R had built a couple of Adirondack chairs. He took careful measurements of the chair they own, made patterns out of rough lumber, and used these to cut the pieces of the chair. One of the chairs was created using old cabinet doors and the second from lumber salvaged from a friend's tear-down of an old porch. The first is quite lightweight but still solid. The second is heavy and he plans to gift it to his friend.

From there we headed out to the garden their friend M planted. She lives in the city and R or his daughter L water it for her. They don't weed it though, and it appears a lot didn't germinate. She's planning to re-seed next week as she is staying at the farm for two weeks while the family is off on their Iceland adventures. On our way to the garden, R spotted this frog. I could not see it in the grass until he pointed it out. 

It certainly is camouflaged well in the grass. When we walked back to the house, it didn't even move.

Back at home I finished the jigsaw puzzle I'd bought at a garage sale on the weekend. I purchased it because it referenced 100 chickens and a worm on the box; both C and I looked over the picture on the box, but neither of us could find the worm...so I had to buy it to try to find the darned worm. I did not count the chickens, nor was I able to find the worm either. Even though it is missing three pieces, I've told C I'm giving it to her and she can hunt for it.

I never heard another word from the landscaper. I'll give him the weekend, and then I plan to phone him on Monday morning to (hopefully) get a straight answer as to when I can expect him here. I realize it isn't a large job but still I want it done, and done soon.

There was some housework completed this week, though I must admit to slacking off somewhat. The major task was replacing the paper on top of the kitchen cabinets. I learned this hack from another blogger, who sadly isn't with us anymore, and it sure helps to keep the dust off the top of the cabinets. With all the drywall dust it was a much needed task.

Instead, I spent more time on Ancestry. The 1931 census records are now available and the hints are populating. I haven't had much luck with close family members (yet) as the detailed information is slowing being added to the database. I can search by location rather than name - but specifically with my great-grandparents, I'm not certain where they were living. I turned my attention to earlier members of the family and was excited to find a newspaper notice for my 3X great grandmother's death. Published in December, 1886, in Scotland, it provided the date of her death. 

It also provides a clue as to the occupation of my 3X great-grandfather. I've learned that a carrier regularly delivered goods between towns and villages. 

I also located in a Canadian newspaper a notice of my great-grandparents marriage in 1889. Mary Adamson was my great-grandfather's maternal grandmother. His paternal side of the family continues to be a mystery.

Today is going to be another restful day. I'll putter on Ancestry to see what else I might find, there is football and baseball to watch, and I'll continue my mitten knitting. I've got the first mitt of a fourth pair on the needles. There are "mom burgers" thawing in refridgerator for tonight's dinner, and I've got pasta cooking on the stove for a salad. I hop you are all enjoying the start of your weekend too.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Going up and growing up

 It has been a hot one this week.  Our temperatures started rising on Tuesday reaching 30C/86F plus and have continued to stay high, even overnight for the rest of this week.  The highest temp was reached on Thursday at 36C/97F.  Those are July temperatures around here!  By Sunday we'll be back to more normal temperatures in the 22-25C/71-77F range.  I won't lie, I'm looking forward to it.  These few days the house has not cooled down overnight and I've had to run the a/c to keep it reasonably cool.

As a result, I spent more time indoors than out this week.  Outside chores were dealt with early in the morning, I would have my tea out on the back deck or front patio, and then head back inside.  The indoor chores have been ticked off my list, some of which have been neglected for some time.  Good thing, as I expect most of next week I'll be heading back outdoors.

I did get out for a walk early on Tuesday morning.  Here are a few of the photos from that walk:

I had walked over and beyond the creek to take the dirt path back to main road.  Most people stay on the pavement and it was fairly busy at the time - this let me stay out of their way.

Check out the photo bomber in the back.  I cropped this photo as I hadn't seen the gopher when I took the picture of the hare and didn't see it until I got home and was reviewing the shots.  It's funny because I kept hearing them call to one another as I walked - there are lots of gophers holes on that side of the creek and I kept wishing I'd catch sight of one.  Little did I know I already had. :)

The creek water is still quite low but there were a few ducks and geese about.  This one was new to me and after a check of the ducks of Saskatchewan, I believe it is a blue winged teal. The blue is supposedly in the color of the head, though the lighting wasn't right to check, but this duck does has the distinctive white band on the head, black bill and speckled belly.  There was a female nesting down the creek a ways, that likely was it's mate but I didn't want to disturb her so passed on by.

The avocet was busy feeding along the edge of the creek. They are such pretty birds! It's likely that the mate was nearby but, if so, she was well hidden. Nor did I see the marbled godwit this time, perhaps they've found another spot to nest this year. 

I didn't get many photos at the pond because it was pretty quiet.  (The white blob in the grass at the far side is the single pelican).  I only saw the one family of geese, these ones were older than the group from last week.  I have to assume the others were on the far end of the pond or in the grass somewhere.  While I was walking there was a man checking around the trees, for what I'm not certain, but I was worried he was looking for nests.  There were reports last year someone was destroying nests and this year there have been far fewer goslings than I remember in the past.  I know geese make a mess but that is just cruel! I stuck around and tried to keep on eye on what he was up to but was never close enough to confirm what his purpose was. 

On Friday morning, I hazarded the heat to go out to a few garage sales.  The rules are: all items must be outside the garage on the driveway and masking is recommended.  Well, there seemed to be a lot of people who were not following the rules.  At the one sale, I did go into the garage because the folks running it were outside of the garage and I was the only one inside.  However, I was the only one with a mask on there and at most of the sales I dropped into.  I picked up two shirts, a pair of jeans, and a hoodie for Eli for $12.  The first few items will fit this fall, the last not for a year or two.  That was all I was able to find - while there were some lovely items, there was nothing I really needed.  I did stop at the Salvation Army store too, and had better luck there finding a few books for myself, a pair of Keen's sandals for Eli for $4, and a cute little decorative watering can. I have a plan for the latter that I'll show you later. On the way home I stopped at a couple of garden centers for some lawn soil, more grass seed, a couple of small basil plants to add to my tomato containers, another pack of impatiens and some alyssum.  I lost a couple of impatiens - to the heat maybe, damaged during transplant, likely.  

This morning, I got the new plants transplanted and the containers watered, and washed windows in the screen door and garage door before I sat down with my tea and my book.  For not having read for much of year, I've finished three books in the past few weeks! Two of them I enjoyed a great deal, the third I wish I'd passed on.  But I kept thinking the story would get better, it didn't, and the ending just left the reader hanging.   

It's heating up outdoors so I'm inside with a few things to accomplish this morning before I settle in with another book or maybe my crocheting.  Before I came in, I wandered the yard and took a few photos.

The front flower bed is almost completely in the shade, just gets a brief bit of sun late in the day. My hostas are starting to come up (the new one is quite large), and the annuals will fill in some spots.  My ferns are going crazy though - I've got seven now and they are making their way across the bed.  The Canadian flag banner is there, as I attempt to keep the birds from hitting the window.  I've had a few bounce off the window but so far no deaths this year in the front.  Sigh, the back sun room is another story.

Out in front, I've stuck to my habit of filling the two tall containers with the contents of hanging baskets I've purchased.  I've added an ivy to each as well.  The round pot contains the petunias, and this year I added a trailing verbena.

Looking onto the patio from the driveway.  The neighbour's vine is filling in and soon I'll only hear the noise of the a/c as it runs. It's a lovely private area where I sit to read in the morning. 

I fell in love with these speckled petunias.  They are in containers off the patio, along with verbena, curly grass, calibrochoa, and another plant, whose name I can't recall.  When the planter fills in, I'll be sure to share a photo.

In the back yard on the lower deck, where it gets the most sun, I have my vegetable containers. The clay pots have peppers, along with marigolds and lantana, while two of the square containers have tomatoes, basil, and marigolds.  The center container has radishes and peas.  The peas are tall enough now to start winding their way up the trellis.  Out of sight to the right is a container of lettuce with sweet peas.  The latter are taking their time, but I'm hopeful they'll filling the trellis on that side as well.

These are the three new pots this year, and they are in the area where the shed once stood.  I've been moving them around as I'm digging up the gravel in this space. The bricks in back I'd pulled up from one area of the yard and plan to get rid of as I want to put in more grass...it's a process.

These are the deck planters.  They get sun early morning, and then most of the afternoon. (I have a large spruce in the back that shades the deck mid-morning  and the sun room shades it later in the day.  The calibrochoa are already growing like made, as are the creeping jenny.  

Finally, one last photo that makes me smile.  The pansies are just outside the front door. They are the first plants I put in this year, and their sunny little faces always make me happy.

It's been a good week, especially for the garden.  A little rain would be nice and there may be some in the forecast later in this upcoming week.  In the meantime I'm enjoying my time outdoors when I can, and catching up on inside chores when it's just too warm for me.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Three G's - Grandchild, garage sale, and garden

Goodness, time has a way of slipping by on me. I couldn't tell you exactly what has happened over the last couple of weeks but I know I've been busy.

I took this week off work to do my planting and to prepare for a garage sale this weekend.  All that STUFF that was piled high has been sorted and priced with the hopes that the thundering hordes of deal seeking shoppers will find my home in the maze of suburban streets (thank goodness for GPS).  Did I ever tell you, when we first moved here in 2010, I told the realtor I drove around in circles until I found it?

My daughter came by to help out on Thursday evening, bringing the cutest baby in the world with her. (Nah, I'm not the least bit biased).

This smile just melts my heart.  Eli loves to giggle and coo, he's reaching for items and grasping, and loves anything with lights and sound.  

D says he is starting to sleep 5-6 hours at night, which means he's down to one feed at night.  She says that's often just a couple of ounces, a diaper change, and he's back to sleep.  I keep telling her, she's a lucky girl as he is such a good baby.   

Anyway, back to the garage sale... we opened the garage door at 6:30 on Thursday evening.  By 8:30 I had sold absolutely nothing, though had met several of my neighbours out for their evening walks.  I went to bed that evening with high hopes for a better day on Friday.  The morning was mostly chilly so I told my daughter I'd manage on my own.  Most of the morning consisted of the stay-at-home neighbours stopping by on their morning walks.  I've lived here for almost 7 years and this is the first time I've met many of them, maybe I ought to have had a garage sale early on?

My friend K stopped by about 11:30 a.m., by which point I'd earned a $1.  With her arrival things started to pick up though we managed to have a good visit between patrons.  She was kind enough to run out and pick us up some lunch which we enjoyed on the patio.  K left about 2:30 to do her volunteer bar-tending stint at a local senior's residence while I was dealing with, gasp!, several customers.

I closed down just after 5 p.m, with $85 in my pocket.  Most of the items I sold were priced at $5 or less, so I felt pretty good.  I might have done better if I stayed open a little later but I was feeling wind burnt and ready for the Friday night dinner with friends.  Saturday didn't bring much more business, and I ended at 3 p.m. with another $7. Definitely not worth the effort, but as I told a few people, it gave me an excuse to sit outdoors in the sun and fresh air to read a book.  After closing, I packed everything up to send over to my daughter's place later this week.  She and J will hold a yard sale next weekend.  With any luck they'll get rid of most of it - whatever is left is off to Community Living.  AND then I'll do the final purge, I've got some electronics and cardboard to go to recycling and a few items that don't fit into the waste bin so I'll need to call for a haul away.  

The rest of the week was spent gardening, doing a bit of housework (only when I couldn't find something to do outside or if it was cool/raining).  

I took these photos early this morning, so the sun hasn't made its way around from the east.  In the back are several planters containing sunpatience, petunias, and in the container on the deck fence are the leftovers, some petunia, salvia, and geranium.  I always end with one container that is a mishmash.

Not in the photo are the three containers of geranium, dichondra, and verbena, and one of impatience and pink coleus on the upper deck, a hanging basket of verbena and petunias, and one of pansies and pink coleus over by the shed on the right.

In the front flower bed, I have a container of impatience (ext to the sunflower thermometer), a hanging basket of fuschia, and interspersed among the perennials are several nicotiana.  I found a variety this year of pinks, my favorite is the pale pink below.

I love how they provide a fragrance in the evening and if this plant is any indication, they'll provide lots of blooms.

Not pictured are the three containers of sunpatience, salvia and brachycome to the right of the patio, a hanging basket of petunia and verbena and a planter of snapdragons and salvia close in front of the patio table (these block the view from the driveway.)

My patio is one of my favorite spots in the yard  I'm tucked behind the evergreen in front, which provides great privacy.  It gets sunny later in the afternoon and evening, so also provides a cooler spot to sit in the summer.  K and I enjoyed our lunch the other day sitting here.

Out in the front yard, I went lazy again this year, and used two hanging planters I purchased to fill the tall black containers.  There were petunias, calibrocha, and trailing verbena, and I added a ivy to each to trail down the side  

The other container has wave petunias, some pink and some striped pink.  By the end of summer the pot should be overfilled, but I like the look.

I managed to keep my containers to only 21 this year.  Hooray!  We had a bit of a frost scare last week but it looks like that worry is finally past.  I hadn't bothered to cover anything, survival of the fittest and all that, but lost nothing.  

I've really enjoyed this past ten days away from the office.  I've accomplished a fair amount, but had lots of time to rest and relax as well.  I've read a book from cover to cover this week, had some great cuddles with the cats, hung out with the grandson (and daughter), and simply recharged.  I'm sure tomorrow will be a shock to the system. Oh well, I'll survive as there are only 111 days until my next vacation.  :)

Have marvelous week everyone!