What a difference a week makes!

The photo I shared on Wednesday is of the lilies in the front flower bed. When C bought the house back in the fall of 2023, I had noticed three lilies in the bed, but there was no sign of the them in 2024. I planted a few ground covers, including a dead nettle from the house in town, and two varieties of bugleweed. My goal was to make the bed low maintenance. If you recall I moved the rocks around last fall (I found a bazillion of them in the back yard). Well, apparently moving those rocks provided an opportunity for the lilies to make another appearance. I'm thinking that the rocks would have warmed earlier in the sun. In any event, they have also multiplied. I'm looking forward to seeing them bloom - I have no idea what colour they might be.

It's been a full week with some work and some fun (and more of the latter to come). On Sunday, I had the refuse removal fellow come and he took away fence boards, the plywood and 2x4's that were the wall and work bench that I removed from the garage last fall, and some old metal pieces and other odds and ends we found in the area between the fence and the back of the garage. One old gate we weren't able to remove because a tree had grown through the wire and we would have needed to cut it apart or taken the tree down. This is one of those horrible Lombardy poplars that have a narrow trunk and grow very tall. This one has a trunk about 3 inches in diameter and is at least 16 feet tall.  Can you imagine how long that has been there? I'll leave it for now, and since the fence won't extend across the back of the garage, we'll be able to take care of it later...maybe next spring.

Monday was more weeding. I did a run to the garden center with my handy gift cards and picked up grass seed. Initially I had thought I'd just seed micro clover, but have decided to do a mix of grass and clover. I also picked up a seed spreader, with the hopes of getting a more even looking lawn at some point. 

On Tuesday, D and Eli were in the city for a couple of doctor's appointments. We were hoping that the neurologist would agree that Eli can stop taking the seizure meds as he's been seizure free for nearly 15 months, and his recent EEG was clear. However, Dr. I. wants Eli to see the pediatric neurologist as he specializes in adults, primarily stroke victims. He also suggested Eli's brain is still developing, and he's uncertain what impact discontinuing the meds would have. Eli's been on the waiting list for the pediatric neurologist for more than a year. D had contacted their office last fall and was told to wait 12 months and try again. (I should note that he wasn't considered to be a priority because he hadn't had a seizure after his hospitalization.)

Before their next appointment, an eye exam by another specialist, they met me at the McDonald's in the east end of the city near the Costco. We made a quick trip to Dollarama (in the same area), before enjoying our lunch. It was so great to see them both, and I got a couple of amazing hugs from my special boy. I was able to send back the groceries and other items I've gathered up for her, which is nice, as I'll have less to take with me in a few weeks. 

When I arrived home, I discovered the utility company rep had been out to mark the underground utilities. I had originally assumed the skid steer company had made the request, but it was actually the fence company. I learned this when Kevin called to say he'd be by Thursday morning to complete the skidsteer work in the back yard. 

Stitch and chat was Wednesday afternoon. It was an easy morning, with a bit of housework, before I headed out before lunch. It's been a long time since I've gone for a walk in the old neighbourhood and decided it was time. I ought to have taken my Canon with me but here are a few photos from my cellphone.

I was shocked to see that many of the trees that lined the pond had been removed in the last year or so.

Not only did they provide some shade for the geese and ducks who nest here, but the blackbirds would often be found singing their hearts out atop the trees.

At the other end of the pond, the trees were still in place, as you can see the pair of mallards enjoying the shade. 

On the right, I was able to catch a Canada goose landing on the water. It was so bright, I didn't always capture the photo I was wanting!

Like this photo below there are two families of ducks. Mama duck on the left was leading her brood out of the drainage area into the creek, while the second mama on the right (who I didn't see at first) appeared to be marshalling the troops. 

And, of course, I couldn't leave without a photo of the younger goslings!

Early Thursday morning, about 8:15 a.m., I heard noise in the backyard. I went out to check, assuming it would be Kevin the skidsteer guy, but instead finding Garrett, the fence guy. He and his worker were taking down the last of the fence and gates. He'd had a call from Kevin so came over to get some help removing the fence posts. Kevin arrived minutes later and used the skidsteer to lift the posts out of their holes. We had thought they might be cemented in, but in actuality several of them were dug at least three feet in. No wonder my con C, wasn't able to remove them! The skidsteer did the job in seconds. 

Once the fence was removed, Kevin went to work. Here's the before and after:

This was taken on Sunday after I'd done much of the weeding but before the fence was taken down.

It's difficult to tell in these photos but Kevin moved the dirt higher at the front of the yard by the house to ensure that the rain moves towards the alley. (I put the drain pipe back after the photo was taken). He also filled in a dip between the back yard and the alley. We didn't have to bring any additional dirt into the yard, it's just been moved around. I am beyond thrilled with the work.

Garrett and his helper/Dad arrived on Friday morning to start the process of replacing the fence. First off was digging the postholes. They were able to use some of the older holes but needed to dig a few news ones for reasons not known to me. The materials were delivered mid-afternoon with the exception of the fence boards. Garrett was back just before 5 p.m. to set the posts. I went out to talk to him because I was certain there wasn't enough material - he explained that there weren't enough fence boards, more are expected to arrive later this week. He finished up the posts before heading home for the day and said he might be back Saturday to finish the supporting rails. 

I'm actually hoping he takes the day off. We are currently under a weather advisory due to the smoke that has blown in from the fires in Northern Saskatchewan. By noon'ish on Friday, the smoke had settled in and the view towards the highway looked like this: 

It's only expected to get worse through Saturday. As a result outdoor activities are not recommended. No yardwork for me, instead I am heading to Manitou Beach to meet my friend S for two nights. (I'm hoping the smoke will have passed through there, though the mineral pools are indoors.) We're staying in the resort Saturday and then joining two more ladies in a resort owned small apartment across the street for Sunday night. The apartment has a kitchenette, a 2 bed bedroom, and an outdoor area with a BBQ. Meals have already been planned for Sunday and the other women will bring the groceries; we'll share the cost. Although we can't check into our room until 4 p.m. today, we're meeting earlier in the afternoon as we'll have access to the pools. S was told that we'll be able to get into the apartment as early as noon. I'm looking forward to relaxing and hanging out with the group. I'm more than ready for a break!

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

Some things end, and the future is near

Yes, the landscaping work is complete - at least the part I had to pay for. Over on the other side of the yard, where the trees were removed, I've got some work to do to keep the weeds down. The bird feeder was on the stump of an old evergreen, and of course, birds and squirrels aren't particularly tidy. I've been pulling weeds, and using a herbicide in an effort to do away with as much as I can. The landscaper wasn't able to get the stump grinder into the back yard because of the limited width of the space between the sunroom and the fence. As a result, one of the tree stumps is beginning to show new growth. One night, when I couldn't sleep, I did a bit of research and discovered the most cost effective and relatively easy way to kill the tree is to drill holes in the stump, add Epsom salts and a bit of water, and cover with a tarp.

I thought the recent heat would also help, so picked up the Epsom salts and spent a half hour or so one morning using my drill to put as many holes into the stump as I could. After a few days, I can already see that the stump is beginning to erode/decay from the outside. The articles I read said it takes about a month for the tree to completely die. I'll keep an eye on it, and I may try digging a little more around the stump - if I can borrow and axe from my brother, I may be able to remove more of it in a couple of weeks.

Our heat advisory lasted about three days, which wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It cooled off considerably into Wednesday morning, and I woke to 10C (50F). It did reach 28C (82F) by noon but a morning of the cooler weather was very nice.

Wednesday was also the day we said good-bye to Chris. The service was held at the funeral home, and there were a good number of people in attendance. Her sons both spoke briefly and a cousin gave the eulogy. There was an opportunity for others to share memories at one point and a few people did. One who did surprised me, as she has only known Chris for four weeks, since Chris started her temporary job at a local company. It was clear that Chris had been well-liked (not a surprise) and had integrated easily into the office. I spoke to her after the service and she said, that unlike some temps, Chris was willing to take on any task - she told her co-workers she wanted to be the temp that they would want to keep. She said they would have been thrilled had she stayed on and were as shocked as the rest of us at her sudden passing.

I did not go to the podium - I had provided some memories to the family, and some of my comments were included in the eulogy. The service did provide some relief, for lack of a better term, for me. Seeing the photo of her next to the urn reinforced the fact I'll never see her face again, hear her laugh, or share a hug. Until that moment, it hadn't really felt real - I'd even said to my son, "I almost think when we get to the funeral home, Chris will pop out and say, ha, ha I got you." 

I did have a few minutes to talk to her sons after the service and offered my help to J, her eldest (he didn't sound too enthusiastic so I'll leave him alone). It sounds like he is going to be the one who is shouldering much of the burden of dealing with his mom's property. I do know his uncle K is the executor of the estate so hopefully those family members will be supportive too. But, I'm not optimistic as they were separated at the service, with her sons and ex-husand, his wife and daughter on one side of the aisle, while her brother, his family, several cousins and aunts and uncles were on the other side. There is nothing I can do - if in fact, that split was deliberate but seeing it made me feel sad.

Stitch and chat was a welcome event later that day. There were three of us again, S, B, and I.  B brought a cross-stitching project to show us. Her adult children gave it to her a couple of years ago for Christmas. The pattern book is 63 pages in length and the finished project will be nearly 22" by 22". It's enormous and will be simply stunning when complete. I did a search and was able to find a photo. Isn't it spectacular? There are sooo many color changes, so it's not something I would ever tackle.

She was working on her tooth fairy pillows, while S was working on her scarf, and I had a mitten on the needles. Our conversation covered the various projects they are working on at home (quilts for charity), current news, and of course, the weather. I apparently wasn't paying enough attention to my knitting, as when I picked it up that evening, I discovered I'd added two additional stitches so had to frog it back a few rows. I did complete it that evening. I confirmed the count, and this mitten is the first of the 12th pair since the beginning of June. I'm getting there.

Thursday, was "pay day" or rather the day my pensions are deposited to my account. I did some on-line banking in the morning, and updated my spreadsheets, before heading out to pick up cat litter. The last Thursday of the month is senior's day at the pet store where I purchase the cat litter, and I get a 10% discount. It isn't a lot, but over a year, it's basically like getting a free bag of cat litter. I also stopped at a couple of grocery stores and picked up some fresh veg and fruit, and a couple of other items. The best bargain was B.C. fresh cherries at $1.99 a pound, marked down from $8.99 a pound (though I do think the grocery chain marks products up before they mark them down). On the other hand, potatoes are up in price again, five pounds for $6.99. It wasn't long ago when the regular price was $4.99. Seeing the recent announcement of Loblaw quarterly earnings has me steaming mad. No one can tell me there isn't price gouging happening under the guise of inflation and increased costs. But I'm sure their shareholders are happy.

Outside it reached a high of 25C (77F) so I took a page from Patsy, and spent the afternoon out in the yard reading. Housework and knitting could wait. I'm reading another book by Jodi Piccoult titled "Change of Heart. The story of a family tragedy: a father and his daughter are murdered while the mother is expecting their second child. This child, a daughter is born with a heart condition and needs a heart transplant. The convicted killer, on death row, offers his and testing proves he is a match. The blurb on the book asks: "Could you grant your enemy's dying wish in order to hold on to the last light of hope in your own life?" It's an interesting read, and of course, there is more than meets the eye in this story. 

On Friday, I woke to an overcast sky and chilly morning. The evening prior, I'd decided I'd spend some time outdoors dead-heading flowers, giving my petunias a haircut, and collecting the sun-ripened tomatoes. It was only 12C (54F) and felt much cooler when I went out to the bin with the cat litter. Pivot! The day was spent on Ancestry and housework. 

I received an e-mail from my real estate agent advising the most recent house in my neighbour sold in one day (and it needs work), for just below asking. That means NO open house...could I be as lucky? We've agreed to meet on the 8th of August to prepare the listing. That gives me a little more time to do more cleaning/sorting/organizing and yard work. I'll be sending my son out this weekend to ensure the eavestroughs are clear of debris. 

This morning, it was even cooler (6C/43F) when I woke, but has warmed up several degrees since then. The sun is shining, and we're expecting a high of 24C/75F. I'll putter around inside for another hour or so, and then head outdoors to get some yard work done. This afternoon and evening, there are baseball and football to watch.

Here's my harvest from the containers this week. When I moved the plants in front of the fence, I dropped a few green tomatoes so brought them in to ripen indoors. But the already red ones had ripened on the vine. I'll be enjoying them later today. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Getting a few things done

To start, I'd like to say thank you to everyone for your kind comments on my recent posts about the camping trip to my home town. Eli may be a bit young still, to remember much about this trip, but hopefully the photos will be reminders of the fun we had, and the family history we shared. 

Back at home, Monday was a write-off, as I still wasn't feeling up to par. Whatever this bug was that started in my sinuses and moved into my chest, it isn't about to let go easily. Every day I've been feeling some better, but it continues to linger and the nights are the worst. Thankfully, last night was much better.

The fridge was looking a bit bare, and the cat food cupboard equally so, and I had an errand to run for D, so Tuesday I had to go out. I made sure I masked up for the sake of others because I didn't want to pass this on if I could help it.  

I also had the water rental heater company out to do a service on the equipment. While I thought they'd done a change of the anode rod in January, a quick review of the copies of the work orders indicate they had not. According to my real estate agent, it's one of those things that home inspectors check and some buyers assume if one minor thing isn't done, then the maintenance of the property is lacking. Since my water heater is a rental, there was no cost to me, but interestingly enough I was informed this is the last rod they will change out unless, or until, the heater leaks. According to the technician, the company did a survey and discovered that it didn't matter whether the rod was changed regularly or not, the impact of our horrible water was the same. I can't quite wrap my head around it but no matter, hopefully it won't be an issue for me. 

Other things have been happening around here too. Here's what I came home to!

I had received a text from the Ch on Thursday to let me know that the sod was in and the patio blocks on the side of the sunroom had been installed. Of course, he wanted to be paid too. :)  I sent him a partial payment, and withheld a portion of the total cost as the work isn't yet complete. The edging between the grass and rock needs to be done, the boards are to be replaced on the shed, and the steps built. He mentioned that the latter would be done in a couple of weeks when the sod is well-established. 

My son kept it watered during my absence, and I took over on Sunday evening. I've been watering twice a day, as the day-time temperatures haven't been too high. Here's a photo I took last night. While I can still see the edges between the pieces of sod, it's looking pretty good.  

Saku has given it his stamp of approval. He enjoys the taste of green grass, though has a tendency to discard it if he eats to much. As long as I don't let him injest too much, it's all good. 

The gravel area under the tree is still a work in progress. I'd like to put a chair out there for reading, and will move the bird bath, the mower and small wheelbarrow, but for now it looks far better than it did.

I've been keeping busy indoors as well. I've decided there is a gremlin living in my house as little things keep breaking and need to be fixed. While I was away, the pump on Saku's water fountain quit working, my bedside lamp broke (that I can blame on the cat), and since then, the interior door handle to the garage has suddenly gone wonky. The first two were dealt with easily by ordering through Amazon. Saku is happy to have his water readily available again. I'd been putting water in the bathroom sink for him, because he has a bad habit of tipping bowls. The lamp I purchased was on sale, and is far better than my last one, as it has a plug-in for the cell phone charger. 

I had planned to call the lock company anyway, as I need to have the front door handle replaced. It has a lock on it, and recently we had an issue where my son was locked out temporarily while I was away (not this trip). Now, it appears that both handles may need to be replaced. I've sent photos to the company and they'll send out replacements with the technician. I'm hoping the one to the garage can simply be repaired. The appointment was originally booked for Friday afternoon, but due to the length of another job, it had to be moved to Monday.

The darned smoke from the forest fires returned Thursday, and got worse on Friday. I've had to keep the windows closed, as it seemed to be irritating my cough. I did spend some time outside while I watered the sod, and the rest of the containers. My tomatoes are doing so well - I foresee a bumper crop. I have one small green pepper and two wee (less than gherkin size) cucumbers on the vine. But it's my marigolds I that I grew from seed that are impressive.

Both are a good three feet tall, and the blooms on the plants are entirely different from the other. It seems to me, one set were grown from seeds I collected from last year's plants, the other from seeds I purchased. 

And then there is this petunia that seems to be losing/changing it's colors. The plant has mostly flowers that are white with purple stripes, but these blooms (and a few others) have changed to purple with white stripe or mostly purple. 

It's a cool day today, with a high expected of only 22C (72F). I'm planning to spend the day watching sports, baseball and football, knitting, and working on Ancestry. Sounds boring to mosts I'm sure, but I enjoy my quiet weekends.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Expect the unexpected

 On Monday, I tried to phone the landscaper and when he didn't answer, I left a message asking him to call. I explained I needed a more definitive date for a start of the job, and I asked him to call me back that day. Then I waited. Color me surprised when at about 1 p.m. a truck and trailer arrived. The landscaper and his helper, a young woman, hopped out of the truck. I met them as they started through the front yard and the three of us walked to the back yard. I confirmed the work that was to be completed and left them to it. 

Of course, I couldn't help but peek out the back door to see what they were doing, and I discovered her working away, using the drill to remove the deck boards from the portion of the deck that was to be removed, while he kept watch. The next time I looked out, they were gone and I spotted them, out the front window, sitting on the trailer having a drink of water. After their ten minute break, they moved some tools around to the back, and took a number of branches from the large tree that is being removed down. After dumping those into the trailer, they left. All told, they were here about an hour. I sent a text to my brother, "At this rate, they'll be done in a month." His response, "Which month, October?"

The photos I posted on Wednesday were taken Monday evening. I'm not surprised that some commentors didn't realize any work had been completed.

Tuesday, the young woman (Cass) showed up on her own about 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning. I knew she would be late as she'd told me the day prior, she has a child she drives to school in the morning, but I had hoped she would arrive earlier. Over the course of the day, she had questions and we had a chance to chat. It turns out she and Ch (the landscaper) are a couple. They had been together for some time, the relationship broke down, and they just recently got back together. Part of what precipated her return was Ch's health issues. Apparently, he had a heart attack a couple of months ago and isn't able to do much of the work any longer. Hence, she's pretty much on her own. I will tell you, she can out work and out-muscle many of the men I know. Although she left early (to pick up child after school), she had added bracing to the existing lower deck, had removed the joists for the deck being removed, added the board that will be used as a connection for the steps she'll build (after returning and replacing the piece Ch had erroneously measured), and hauled all of the debris out to the front. Later that evening, she and Ch arrived with the trailer to remove those items.

Wednesday, they both arrived, again late but for a good reason. They work with a bobcat operator on some jobs and the bobcat had lost all of its transmission oil all over the street. That spill had to be properly cleaned up, and that took a bit of time. Cass spent her time digging out the posts from the site where the deck had been removed, digging out roots, and moving rock around, while Ch took down the remainder of the tree. By late afternoon, he'd used a rototiller to dig up the old sod. He explained that his regular equipment just wouldn't fit through the space between the house and the fence, so everything else would have to be done by hand. I also learned, (who knew) that the old sod will be used a a filler under the new sod. I'm not sure I'm thrilled with this because there are weeds that I'm certain will make their presence known sooner rather than later. 

By Thursday morning, I'd figured there would likely be another delay so I ran some errands, and did a bit of yardwork. Sure enough, Cass showed up around 10:30 or 11:00. I'm not entirely sure the reason, but she said Ch was dealing with the bobcat issue again that morning and would be by later. She tackled the portion of a chain link fence that had been left behind by the previous owner - I assume it had once been part of a dog run. It was cemented in, so she had to dig and then use a sledge hammer to break up the concrete before she could remove the poles. In addition, she tackled more tree roots and the wood borders that had kept the rock and grass from encroaching on each other's area. She had moved all the debris by the time Ch arrived (about 2:30 or 3), and together they loaded those items into the trailer.

Ch took this load, and left to pick up some more rock. Meantime Cass continued to work, installing a short piece of railing on the deck and raking the old sod. Ch wasn't long, and then they brought the new rock into the back yard. I was busy in the house, prepping dinner so I didn't get outside until 5 p.m. when they were preparing to leave for the day. Ch told me that they'd be back Friday with the new dirt that will build up the yard, the sod will be ordered on Monday and delivered next Thursday. Hopefully we don't have a lot of rain between tomorrow and next week as I suspect it will be a mud pit back there.

In any event, this is how things looked on Thursday evening.

The mower and wheelbarrow are temporarily housed here, and I have other ideas for this corner. The telephone companies box is beside the tree, which I kept in order to hide the box.  I foresee a chair and small table where one could read in the shade. Or maybe I'll just put the bird bath there with a couple of containers. The tree that held the bird feeder is gone, and since I hope not to be here this winter, that's okay.

The railing piece that was added is behind the towering tomatoes (and marigolds) on the right had side. This spring there was a fair amount of heaving due to the amount of water draining through the yard, and several boards came loose as that portion of the deck was pushed up by several inches. Cass will replace those and build the steps, one for either side of the deck next week. 

John asked about the little shed on Wednesday. I have to assume that it was used by the previous owners as a play house for their children/daycare children. When we moved in there was a rug inside and there a few toys left out in the yard. This was many years before Eli and all of that was tossed. When I removed the large shed, that I used for storage of garden tools and supplies, I moved everything into this small shed. I should mention, I have to duck to get in the door (I'm 5'2") though the height inside is decent and there is even a small loft.

There is a bird house on the front of it that my brother built and installed. This year there is a family of wrens living in it and we can hear the babies chirping. The adults have been coming and going feeding them, except when the power tools are being used. Perhaps it is a good thing that the larger equipment couldn't be brought into the yard.

Although somewhat disappointed, I wasn't entirely surprised when they didn't show at all on Friday. Since Monday is a statutory holiday for most people, I'm not really expected to see them until Tuesday. (Canada Day, July 1 falls on Saturday). It's probably just as well as we had storm blow through on Friday evening, bringing about a 1/4 inch of rain. Enough to make the backyard a sodden mess, and of course, after I'd watered the front flower bed earlier in the day.

Today is Canada Day, the 156th birthday of this country that my great-great grandparents emigrated to prior to confederation. It seems fitting to spend part of the day on Ancestry, searching for more information on family members. I won't be attending any of the local activities, I will watch some of the news programs for the performances in Ottawa. Of course there are baseball and football games to watch too. The forecast suggests more thunderstorms are likely today, with a high temperature of 32C (90F) and humidity creating the perfect conditions. Mother Nature's fireworks!

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian readers. Do enjoy your day, however you decide to spend it. Have a great week ahead everyone.