A Day Late - keeping busy

The first peony bloom!

The weather continues to be erratic, with rain almost every day, but in small amounts. We had sunshine too, and I've spent some time outdoors, doing chores, and reading in my downtime. At this point the planting is done, now I need to catch with the weeds.

Our first piece of business on Monday was purchasing an upright freezer from our local hardware store. D has been suggesting it for some time and we arranged with Matt to pick it up and deliver to us. It will stay in the garage (which is insulated) and keep most of our meat and frozen vegetables. With our meal planning we'll bring in what we need for the week to keep in the fridge freezer, while the basement freezer keeps bread products, frozen pizza (Eli's favorite ones), french fries, perogies, etc. It's a bit of an experiment for now but when we filled it on Friday, we discovered I do NOT need to buy meat for some time.

I did my shift at the thrift store on Tuesday. As predicted we received and continue to get donations from the community wide garage sales. In addition one family is clearing out their mother's house and lots of treasures were found among the donations. One was a vintage Carnival glass small sugar bowl. It was set aside fo the woman who prices the more precious items. It would be worth more had it come with the creamer. We'll either sell it in the store or she'll post it on-line. There were also button containers (did your mom have a button jar?), with some really unique buttons, as well as homemade ones as well. I remember my mom making the matching buttons with material from an outfit. I did come home with a pair of wide leg palazzo pants for my daughter, but otherwise resisted the urge to shop...at least for a couple of days.

Wednesday, we had an appointment at the local credit union to open accounts for Eli and I. His mom wants to encourage him to start saving; she'd held onto the money he received for his birthday for the deposit. In my case, there is no branch of my usual institution, so I had opened an account at the local Bank of Montreal when I first moved here. I used it primarily to retrieve cash from the ATM, but they are closing as of Friday this week. Just a note: if I had withdrawn from my regular account at another institution there is a fee of $3-4. So, I closed that account and opened one at the credit union. That will allow me to access cash at the ATM with no fee. At some point, I'll start moving things from my current institution to the credit union, but that will take time as I have regular deposits and withdrawals that will need to changed. 

On Thursday, I went shopping at the thrift store - my feet are always tired after my shift. I found a number of items, though I messed up on the sizing of two of them so they will be returned as donations. Even so, I spent less than $15 for 5 pieces of clothing, one of which was a pretty top to match the palazzo pants I bought for my daughter. I noted that the sorting room wasn't as full as it had been when I left on Tuesday but the racks are full again. There may be another "sale" in the near future. 

One of the women from the thrift store mentioned that Canadian Tire had there annuals reduced in price. Can't pass up a sale, right? I picked another four six packs and a Gerbera daisy. I've never had much look with the daisy, but will give it a try - at $4.99 for the plant I won't be out much if it doesn't survive. 

On Friday, D and I visited a pair of garage sales, where she picked up some new baby clothes for her friend S. My big splurge was another puzzle and a piece of metal art for the yard. I was looking for a plant stand to put up in front of the house but D convinced me a bench would be better. Home Hardware had one for sale so I gave in a purchased it.

On Saturday, I put the bench together, and got the new plants into their pots. I'm now up to seventeen containers, although three of those are perennials that will go into the raised flower bed in the back yard. At the moment that project is on hold until the fence is complete. The next project will see me recaulking the windows and painting the trim in the front of the house.

On a happy note, I finally heard from LND and the fence is a go with Matt. The actual work won't start until July. Matt works full-time for the fire department and is busy with ball season with his daughter. We're also having him do a bit a reno in the basement to remove a wall behind the furnace. The water leak has made it's way to that area in the past and we'd like to have better access to that area.

We've done everything we can to mitigate the leak. I added the rain guards to the window wells. I did dig down and discovered that the wood window frame is rotten. There is a plan to replace windows in a few years so the basement windows to that list. D managed to get the sealant applied to the wall this week, and while we've had rain we haven't seen any evidence in the a basement. There was an area in the back where water was standing. So I've added soil and sloped it away from the foundation. I'll need to let it settle and add more as needed. But fingers crossed, that issue is managed for the time being.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Running around, time is running short

Another week in the books, and it's just about a month before I start my journey north to home. Or maybe not home. I'm toying with the idea of visiting cousins just across the border in British Columbia before I head back to Saskatchewan. I haven't seen them since 2019, I think. Since our last visit, the last remaining uncle (G), my cousin's father has passed away and they moved from the island to the Okanagan valley. What it will come down to is the weather and road conditions. 

There was another big storm this week at home. It started Tuesday evening and snowed throughout the night and the following day. D said we got about 30 cms (12 inches) of snow in total. She was out snow blowing several times during the day. 

Meanwhile, after our wee bit of rain last week, we had big winds on Monday evening. I had to move things into the gazebo and close it up as stuff was blowing around. About midnight, I got up out of bed and took down a piece of metal art I have hanging on the side of the unit. It was banging so hard, there was no way I could get to sleep. 

This was the week of the chairs. Did I mention this in my last post? I don't think so, but hopefully you'll bear with me if I did. We are looking replacement cushions or chairs for some older folding chairs and attached cushions. One of our residents, A had taken the old cushion to an upholsterer to get a quote on replacing/recovering the cushions. We were quoted $30 a cushion. M did some research and found some chairs, but these were quite costly, $60 plus per chair. Plus they were only available on-line and had no local storefront. She asked me to do some research and order samples if I found anything.  

I did just that, and received an e-mail on Saturday that the chairs were available for pick-up at Dome Hepot (spelling incorrect on purpose). When I arrived at the store, there was only one box, not three as indicated in the e-mail. I won't bore you with all the details but that's 90 minutes I won't get back. I did, however chat with a lovely young woman, named Miriam who asked me to return to the store on Monday afternoon. (She had Sunday off). 

I did, and again there was only one chair there but she had somehow determined the other two were expected to arrive by the Wednesday. Just in time for our coffee hour on Thursday, hooray. However, she called me on Monday evening to say the other two chairs had arrived. An even bigger hooray!

Here's the chairs set up at coffee hour on Thursday. The two fabric in blue and burgundy, and the vinyl are the new chair options. The brown one with a pad are the old chairs, and the white holds the new upholstered pad.   After allowing those who chose to test them out and to vote for their favourite, the burgundy fabric chair won out. I returned the others and ordered replacements for the old brown chairs and the new ones will be here by the end of this month.

After picking up the chairs, I returned to the park, dropped those off at the clubhouse and returned home to do my outdoor chores. The tile patio was filthy, not only from the mixture of the rain and dust. Besides giving it all a good sweep, I used a mop and bucket to wash the tile. It felt good to be out in the fresh air and the patio area looked good when I finished (temporary I know!) I also did my spray painting - the planter and a plastic Adirondack chair that was a dark green. I ran out of spray paint before finishing the chair and had to pick up another can that afternoon. 

The photograph I posted on Wednesday was taken at the Landing, a local restaurant where a group of us had brunch on Saturday after our garage sale forays. These were Tecoma stans (Yellow bells/yellow trumpet flower) and I was impressed with the profusion of blooms on the bushes. So impressed, that I decided that I needed some colour out front of my unit. When I was at Dome Hepot, I wandered through the garden center and found a couple of plants that were marked down - it appeared they hadn't been watered for a bit, and I decided I'd see what I could do with them. Earlier last week, I had found a planter at one of the thrift and with a bit of spray paint, revived it too. The plant stand was a buy at the garage sale ($3). 

The yellow flowering plant is a Ranuculus, which I've learned, has corms. Before I leave, I'll dig up the plant and tuck the corms away to replant in the fall. I don't if they'll survive the heat in the storage area, but I'll try. The white flowering plant is an alyssum. It won't survive but I'm okay with that - it just makes me happy to have some flowering plants in my yard.

Also on Wednesday we had clouds roll in for most of the day, and mid-afternoon heavy winds again. While the clouds look threatening we didn't see a drop of rain.

Thursday, our Canadian women's hockey team were in the gold medal game against the USA on Thursday mid-day. I watched at home the first two periods, and then wandered down to another unit to watch the end of the game. Canada led for most of the game, just 1-0 before the USA tied up the game with only a little over two minutes in regulation time. Off to overtime we went and four minutes in the USA were able to score and win gold. It was a sad moment, but when one considers the USA beat Canada 5-0 in their first game of the tournament, our women put on a heroic effort.

Men's hockey grabbed my attention on Friday. Our Canadian men played Finland in the semi-final, while the USA played Slovakia. Finland led 2-0 at the end of the first period, but Canada came back and tied up the game. It looked like we would be going into overtime when Canada scored with just 35 seconds left in regulation time! Off to the gold medal game, which I believe is being played on Sunday morning. I watched a bit of the USA-Slovakia game and called it after the first when the USA was leading 5-0. Slovakia did come back with a couple of goals, but the USA was the winner with a score of 6-2. 

That finally brings me to the update on my knee. As I tell everyone, it is still there. Progress is continuing gradually and some days, I feel a bit defeated. I have to remind myself that when this first happened I couldn't even bear weight on that leg/foot. Also, I haven't been taking pain killers at all, and while there are times the leg and knee ache like the dickens, I can tolerate it...or more correctly, I choose to tolerate it. The good news is: I was able to walk short distances late in the week without the brace. 

Today, we're having our Heritage dinner this evening. This morning, I'll be putting together my homemade mac and cheese. We decided rather than having everyone bring something from the country/countries of our origins, we would bring food that our families enjoyed through the years. It was one of my favourites as a child, and my children's faves as well. I know there will perogies, Caesar salad, chicken biryani, and a number of surprises. We always put out a sign up sheet and question marks often end up on the sheet. One bachelor wrote, "whatever H tells me to". Actually, I think she makes it and gives it to him to bring. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Did I say spring? Maybe now!

Mother Nature clearly decided to hit re-set on spring this week. On Sunday, while the kiddo was out Easter Egg hunting, the temperature was a balmy 6C (43F) and the yard was clear.

By Tuesday evening, the snow was back in earnest. The photo I posted on Wednesday showed the boughs of the poor evergreen tree in the side yard weighed down with the snow. The backyard looked like this:

Over 36 hours we had nearly 10 inches of snow! Eli had day camp in the next door community on Wednesday and Thursday (Easter break). We waited until noon the first day to determine whether we'd drive in. D heard from the group leader who said their community hadn't received nearly as much snow, our roads were clearing, and after shovelling around and behind my vehicle we were able to get down the alley. We were a bit late the first day, as we were stopped by a train. D and I spent our time shopping, the first day at the Dollar store to pick up storage for our new shelving unit, and for groceries on the second day. Nothing exciting jumped into our cart.

Thursday morning, Eli and I spent some time outside. I had asked him if he wanted to make a snowman with me. The snow we got was heavy and wet, perfect for rolling. He had said yes, but when he brought out several other toys, he decided to play in the snow and left me to build. When I finished, I brought out a chair and enjoyed the sun while he played.  

Friday, I ran to the grocery stores here in town for a few groceries that were on sale, or unavailable at our last stop. D discovered we'd gotten water in the basement - with that amount of snow and how fast it melted, it wasn't a surprise. If you recall we had flooding last June in the basement. This was nowhere near as bad - it was mostly in the laundry room area (which has a cement floor). She was able to use the shop vac to clear up any standing water. We will need to buy new extensions for the downspouts as a couple of them have sprung leaks. I had checked for them last week at the Home Hardware, but they only had brown, ours are white. 

It has been quite a quiet week. There was housework accomplished, some sports watching, and I spent a fair amount of time working on ancestry. A distant cousin popped up in a story from 1939, in Pennsylvania, as the wife of a man who had been arrested for the murder of a two year old child. Based on the newspaper articles I was able to locate, the couple were separated, he was living with another woman, a single mother with a young daughter. He became jealous of the child (perhaps because she looked like her father, or because of the attention paid to her), and began physically abusing her. When the couple took her to the hospital where she would die a few days later, he was arrested and admitted to the abuse. I won't get into that, but the newspaper articles were quite explicit and no child should ever experience the torture he put her through. What really made me angry was, although sentenced to a life sentence, the governor commuted his sentence just 12 years later! He remarried a few years later and died in 1986. The mother was indicted as an accessory to murder, but I could not locate what happened in her case, other than she was expecting a child in prison, who died shortly after birth. I certainly went down a rabbit hole on this particular story. 

Meanwhile his wife, my distant cousin returned to Canada and re-married. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find much information about her son (by her first husband) but did locate her obituary. It is noted that he predeceased her and I found information to support that fact. 

Our snow has disappeared quickly, with the temperature reaching 14C/57F on Friday afternoon. It will be even warmer this weekend! I hope to get outside to clear out the shed and work in the raised flower bed. The snow certainly interrupted that work! I also need to transplant several pepper plants and some herbs. The window sill is already full, with tomatoes and herbs so it needs to warm up so the older plants can go out to the front porch. I do know, I won't be planting anything outdoors until mid-May at the earliest. We have a short growing season here.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, I hope you're enjoying sunshine and warm temps. Have a great week ahead everyone!

Picking up the pace

 After a couple of week's break, it was time to pick up the paint brush again. But first, I needed more paint. Monday, I headed to Home Depot to get paint for the basement, for the front door, and waterproof sealant for the fence that was put in last year. I had a bit of a scare when I couldn't find the paint chip for the natural gray that I was using. It took a bit of scouring the pamphlets but I found it. While I was at the store, I stopped in at the garden center and picked up a few more annuals (petunias) and a perennial Astilbe for the front bed. I also wanted some annuals for the front flower bed to fill in a bit, but couldn't find what I was looking for there. These need to be shade tolerant as the bed doesn't get much sun as it faces north. I made a stop at Rona, but they didn't have nicotiana (tobacco plant) either, but I picked up three white New Guinea impatience. Back at home I got the plants into the ground or containers. 

The next day, I pulled out my painting clothes and set to work on the exterior of the house. I cleaned the casings around the front door and the garage. I already had this paint, as I had done the window and door casings on the exterior of the house last year but hadn't made my way around to the front. The weather was perfect for it and the paint dried in short order. Next up was the front door. As you can see I've gone with yellow - it was already a lighter shade but I wanted something slightly bolder. The first two coats were brushed on, and on Wednesday I rolled on a third coat. It is such a sunny color and makes me smile each time I open the door. The screen door got a good cleaning as did the windows and I've since hung the wreath and put down a new door mat to make it even more welcoming. First impressions, right?

My brother dropped by mid-week to drop off this display case for Eli's hot wheel cars. R has started making rustic wooden furniture - he plans to start up a business once he retires. D had sent him a photo of something similar as something he could make and sell. She didn't intend for him to make one for Eli but he did anyway. It's made from an old bicycle tire and some leftover pieces of wood he ripped down and stained to make the shelves. R mentioned that he learned a couple of things that he would do differently on the next ones. I think it's wonderful and it should be something that sells. He just needs to find some more old tires.

Thursday I had to run out to do an errand for D, and I needed cat litter so I took the opportunity to visit a couple more stores. Now that fuel prices are over $2 a liter here I'm more conscious of my mileage so made a circuit that brought me back around to home. After my stop for D, I headed to Dollarama - nothing too exciting but Eli will have a new Hot Wheel car for his display (and to play with I'm sure). Next up was the cat litter - is anyone else finding it difficult to find certain brands? I use Fresh for Life, available only at Pet Valu. Normally I would buy a bag or two, but they only had one pail of it. At least I got my 10% senior discount as the pails are more expensive than the bags.

On the way over to Michaels I stopped in at Winners. It's been months since I was in the store, and I was not impressed. I did find a mat for the front door that wasn't a horrid price, but even their clearance items seemed to be much more expensive. At Michaels I found letters for my welcome sign that I've been thinking about for a year or better. I'm hoping to get those painted and affixed to the board this weekend or early next week. 

We had cool weather and some intermittent rain during the week, so didn't make it out to the back to work on the fence until Friday. I did get some very much needed weeding done though both in the front yard and the back. I spent about two hours working on the fence before lunch and I'm probably half finished at this point. I won't have enough of the wood sealer to complete the rest of the fence and gates, so will need to pick up another container. However, my neighbour has been in contact with the fencing company as one of the posts that was installed (just) last summer is leaning and needs to be reinforced. So I'll wait until they've done the work before I proceed on that portion of the fence. I do have enough to do the rest of the back fence and the gates and thought I might get this done over the next few days. However, the weather isn't cooperating, we've got rain and thunder showers forecast for the next four days. 

As a result, today is going to be a quiet day. I've got the first of a double header for the Toronto Blue Jays on the television, while I continue knitting my sweater. Later, our Saskatchewan Roughriders will be on the field. I'll enjoy the games and appreciate the rain as I won't need to water. The potatoes as you can see are doing well. 

Have a good week ahead everyone!

Happy 4th of July to those who are celebrating in the USA.

The sun shines in Ketchikan, Alaska

 Before we arrive in Ketchikan I'll share a couple of photos from our sea on May 8. I started my day early and was thrilled to see we were sailing into a rainbow - a good omen for this trip!

We weren't alone on the ocean, though I'm not referring to the ship in the photo. 

I attended the naturalist lecture later that morning - Mark Harris told us that one can tell the difference between the humpback whale and a grey whale by their spouts. A humpback whale's spout looks like a spout, while a grey whale look more mushroom shaped. Hence I believe this was a humpback...but of course, I could be wrong. I saw spouts almost daily and even a couple of breaches!

On to Ketchikan. 

We were in Ketchikan on May 9 and 19. Both days were sunny and mild. Known as the rain capital of Alaska, I've visited the community three times and each time the sun was shining. A local told me at the burger stand that I must have brought it with me. I can't make that claim as our ship's captain informed us on every sunny day that he was responsible. (If it was overcast or rainy it was the cruise director's fault.) :)

On our first stop, our ship was parked right downtown and across from the Ketchikan sign. From there it was a short walk to the Christmas store (I bought nothing though I did look), and to Creek Street. Creek Street is infamous as Ketchikan's red light district and one of the properties, Dolly's house is now a museum. I've visited there years ago, and it's an interesting place to see. Creek Street is so named as Ketchikan Creek runs alongside. Behind the buildings is a winding pathway named Married Man's Way, a trail used by patrons to avoid being seen out front.

I thought I had taken a photo from the ship of Creek Street, but I did not. Instead you get a photo of Ketchikan Creek. There was a sign that indicated that salmon do spawn in this creek but it was too early in the year for that activity.

I did a wander about the downtown area and ended up at the Pioneer Cafe for lunch. No salmon in the creek, but I had a great homemade salmon burger for lunch. Delicious!

When I left home on May 6, I had noticed my Jacob's Ladder and bergenia's were just beginning to spring forth. In Ketchikan I found blooms!

After my lunch and a bit more walking I headed back to the ship, to the Wakeview bar for the rest of the afternoon. Just to give you an idea of how big the ship is, this is a photo I snapped on my walk back.

There was more entertainment to be found. The Coast Guard pulled over a small boat with it's lights and sirens and an officer went on board the smaller vessel. It wasn't long before the boat was on its way, so I presume all was well.

There were many float planes taking off and landing. For those who don't know, my first full time employment when I left high school (many, many moons ago), was as a dispatcher and bookkeeper for a charter air service in Northern Saskatchewan. I've never lost my love of listening for and watching float planes. This appears to be a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, a true workhorse of the north. 

In addition there was a squadron of helicopters nearby. I believe some of my fellow passengers took a flight on a helicopter in order to land on the Misty Fjord. Sorry, not sorry, I won't fly in a helicopter...ever. A fixed wing plane can usually glide to a landing spot (search Gimli Glider), while a helicopter becomes a piano when the rotor stops. I know they are flown safely every day but I simply cannot convince myself.

On a happier note, on our return trip to Ketchikan we were parked at the other end of town, basically next door to the float planes. I did laundry that morning before heading off the ship - I knew the laundry would be busy our last day at sea. I spent some time on the decks watching the dock crew tie up the ship. They use massive ropes for this purpose - it takes three guys and a winch to bring the ropes up. 

Look who sailed in shortly after we arrived. It's the Holland America Koningsdam we'd seen in Vancouver. I seem to recall they were in another port one other day but otherwise their itinerary was different than ours.

We off boarded from a lower deck and had a ramp to climb. This photo was taken from the ramp. Those posts are starting to look a little worn for wear from my perspective. :)

My goal that day was simply to do a walk around that area, and go to the Dairy Queen for lunch. Several of the crew members had told me that it was the best place in town for a hamburger - I just had to give it a try. There was a bit of a line-up when I arrived at 11:30, and it was a half hour wait before I got my order. As the cashier said, "we aren't making fast food here, we're making good food". Look at the size of that burger - no fries required! Like every good burger it was messy. I enjoyed my meal sitting on a bench on the dock, people watching.

While I waited at the burger joint, I noticed these ferns growing out of the rock wall at the back of the property. Again, at home my ferns were just barely out of the ground.

Back on board ship, I headed once again to the Wakeview bar. I'm sure you are sensing a trend here. This was the afternoon I was bound and determined to get another photo of an eagle. Unfortunately my zoom just couldn't do the job as they circled high overhead. Frustrated, I had put my camera away and was reading when someone hollered eagle. I looked up to see the bird flying just a few feet away from the ship! Did it fly by again? Of course not. 

This tug was pulling these large barges with freight cars down the channel. At one point it moved from the side to the the front (as shown here). I assume it has to do with the depth of the water. Amazing that something that small can manage that kind of load.

If you have a cool $9.2 million available this yacht can be yours. Another couple told me they'd talked to someone at a bar in town who said the price had recently been reduced. 

Though I didn't do anything special in Ketchikan, I definitely enjoyed our time there. There were people and airplanes to watch, a few elusive eagles, and great food. I even did a little shopping on the last day, picking up a photo album for those that I'll print and a t-shirt for Eli.

And that eagle photo I wanted? Well, as we sailed away from Ketchikan, I finally spotted another one. I've cropped the photo because so it isn't the best, but you can see the bird on the pole.

Next up - Juneau, Alaska

Week 10,5 - Digging the dirt

Sunday brought wicked winds our way, so I spent much of the day indoors.  I wasn't unhappy to do so as every Sunday TSN replays past curling matches.  Some of them I remember well, others I've forgotten who won or lost.  There were three draws televised, one mid-morning and the other two starting late afternoon.  It meant I could do a few things between the draws, so I took care of cleaning and tidying the sun room.

I removed the towels I use to cover the cushions, and along with the rug in front of the door (not shown), I threw a load of laundry in the machine.  While these were being washed, I swept the floors, and vacuumed the rugs, and wiped down the tables and the radio stand (behind the recliner).  It was dusty out there!  I do keep the windows open for the breeze on nice days - apparently I need to dust more often.  When I went to take the load out of the dryer, I showed my son the lint that was captured....it was thick and I'd pretty sure most of it was cat hair!

On days when the weather outside isn't conducive to sitting outdoors this room is a blessing.  Not only do the cats love to nap out there, I enjoy sitting in my chair or (if Sasha is napping on it) the love seat.  With a book, and cup of coffee or water, and the radio softly playing in the background, I can enjoy watching the birds out the window and just simply relax.

Despite the continued winds, I did not relax on Monday.  There were bedding plants to be potted up.

I have a routine, I start out front where the planters will be seen from the street, then the front patio and front flower bed, before heading around to the back yard to take of the deck planters.  Generally the few leftover plants (I always seem to buy more than I need) end up in a small bed on the west side of the yard near the fence.

For my benefit, more than yours, here are a few photos. 

I have two tall planters out in front of the big spruce tree, and a shorter round one.  As I've mentioned, instead of filling the planter with several bedding plants I buy a 10" container, and just plop them in.  There is a small ivy in the one corner, which will trail over the edge.  Depending on the year I sometimes end up with a mass of ivy, others not so much.  The round container has yellow wave petunias in it. These are quite small right now but by the end of summer will have filled in the container.  

In this patio container (I have two) is a new to me plant, a Kalanchoe or Widow's Thrill.   It's actually a succulent and usually a houseplant so we'll see how it does out in the container.  It has dark green waxy leaves.  The lime green sedum is to it's left, and I've added a white bacopa and a purple calibrachoa (million bells).  I expect the calibrachoa will spread and flow over the edge of the container, as will the bacopa, though to a lesser degree.  This area gets several hours of sunshine but is sheltered from the winds.

In a sheltered spot that gets little sun, I hung this container.  I've planted it with two fuschias, a bacopa and a shade loving ivy.  I'm not sure how the ivy will do - isn't that part of the joy of gardening, waiting to see how things turn out?  Normally, I'd purchase a larger pot of fuschia, well established, but this year I wasn't going to go to several garden centres to find it.  Again it is a bit of an experiment but if these thrive I'm sure I'll do the same next year.

My front flower bed is just beginning to show signs of life.  I had cut back the Bergenia quite agressively and it is beginning to bloom.  There is a Jacob's ladder that is up about three inches, but most of the green you see are the annuals and perennials I planted this spring.

This container is one of three that sit on my back deck.  I went with seed geraniums as no one had larger ones for some odd reason.  The geranium is supposed to be pale pink, and I've added in a variegated calibrachoa (purple with yellow centers) and the lime creeping jenny.  These containers get sun from mid-morning to late afternoon.  The deck is on the east side of sun room so by that time the sun is in the west.  In July and August it is nice to have that shade!

I quite enjoy sitting out here on a sunny day with a book and cold drink. On rainy days I sit up on the upper tier as it has an overhang. Once I had finished planting what I could (more on that later), I sat out for an hour or so.  The sun kept disappearing behind the clouds but peeked out enough so that it was lovely and warm.

I pulled these deck planters out of storage this year as without the shed I wanted something of interest on the lower deck.  There are two of them, planted with four multi-colored stock, and a verbena, one pink and one purple. These will get full day sun so I expect I'll be watering them frequently.  I'm going to keep an eye out for an inexpensive plant stand or even a shoe rack to lift these off the deck.

In the gravel patch, I put out these clay pots with gazanias (African daisies).  I'm not sure what color they'll be, I'm assuming yellows and reds.  These don't actually fit my theme of pinks and purples but I love the flowers and this year could not find the pink ones.  This area gets the full day sun too, and I expect they'll do well in the heat.  I'm not sure what I've done with all my garden critters - I could only find one (a duck), so I brought these birds that normally I keep on top of my china cabinet.  In addition, I moved the bird bath to this side of the trees.  I'll be able to see it from both the sun room and the deck.  The robins have been enjoying it immensely but not since I've moved it.  We'll see if they figure out where it went to (about 3 feet away).

On Tuesday, I woke to sunny skies and 12C. We were in for a beautiful day.  It was also grocery and laundry day.  I headed out early so I could get home to spend time in the yard.  I stopped first at Home Depot to pick up some grass seed and fertilizer.  A few more plants may have found their way into my cart. :)  I picked up two variegated lamium and a sweet Woodruff, perennials for my front flower bed.  Next up was our local Co-op for groceries.  I asked the clerk as I was checking out, if the store was busier now than before the pandemic?  She agreed - it used to be that I'd find a half dozen vehicles in the lot, these days it's at least 3 to 4 times that many.  I wasn't able to find the containers I wanted at HD, so I ran into the garden centre at Walmart, where I found what I needed.  Last stop was Pet Valu for cat litter.  I use a brand Fresh for Life that is only available there.  It's the best I've found for keeping odor at bay and clumps well.  

At home I got the groceries put away and started the laundry, cleaned the cat litter, did a few dishes and then it was time to head outdoors.  My first task was to finish potting up the remaining bedding plants and to plant the perennials.  I have two hanging baskets, each with a calibrachoa, a verbena, and a bacopa.  One is hanging in the back yard, the other out front.

I pretty much spent the rest of the day relaxing on the deck, occasionally going in to change the load of laundry or get a cup of water.  It is this time of year, that makes me wonder if I truly want to move away from here.  

Today, I was up early, it was overcast and already 15C (60F).  The forecast is a high of 27C (80F) and isolated thundershowers later today so I decided I'd spend as much time as I could outdoors.  After I chatted with D, as I do every morning, I headed outdoors.  The spruce tree in back is shedding needles and the coverings from what I believe will be the new batch of cones.  My deck was covered with these, so I got busy with the broom.  I kept going and swept up the sidewalk around the house and the patio.  I had a bag of debris so took my grabber and picked up the cones that had fallen as well.  I certainly didn't get them all but made a good start.

I was so excited this morning to find that my radish are starting to come up! I've got a shoot of an onion too.  The peas and lettuce in the other containers are yet to show.  

I spent a bit more time puttering, spreading some more grass seed and fertilizer, and raking before watering the lawn. Then it was time to relax! The sun has made an appearance, so I grabbed my water, my book, and sunscreen before I settled in to my chair.  

I've just popped in the house as the clouds are back. The weather radar would suggest that rain is on the way, but it appears to be a couple of hours out. I decided I'd take a few minutes to finish this post, as it's already far too long. If you've made it this far, I'm impressed!  I'm heading back outdoors to read and relax.  Besides the bird song, I made this little fountain from a pump from an old cat fountain, a glass bowl that was chipped, and couple of handful of rocks from the gravel patch.  While it doesn't block the sounds from the neighbouring yards, it does provide something else to hear in the background.

Take care everyone, stay well, and I hope the weather has brought spring to your homes as well!

Sunshine...makes me happy!

A happier post for a change!  No the house hasn't sold but I've put that aside for now because I think I can safely say that spring is finally here to stay.  We've had temps in range of 17-20C (60's F) for the last few days and the forecast suggests this trend will continue.  While overnight temps are down, it's still staying above freezing and no frost in the forecast.  Hooray for warmer weather!

I picked up my plants a week or ten days ago (I can't keep track of time without some reference point) and I've been dragging them in and out of the garage at night ever since.  Last night I left them out and everything looked great this morning so I spent

Out in front I planted petunias in the taller containers; these were in containers at Walmart for less than $10 so I grabbed two.  Initially I thought I might be able to split them but they were so root bound in the original containers that I just plunked them into these. 

They give an instant hit of color and fill most of the container.  I like to have something that appears like it's been there for awhile.  

The front container has the leftovers. :)  There is an osteospermum (purple), a pansy, a lobelia, and a coleus.  I know the latter prefer part sun, and this area tends to get sun morning and late afternoon/evening because of the evergreen so hopefully it will do well there.

The front flower bed is primarily perennials.  I added the hanging plant a couple of weeks ago.  It's a fuschia that I got at Costco for $15 and one of my favorite plants.  

In the silver container back by the thermometer are pansies.  I normally put impatiens in this spot but no one seems to have them this year.  It doesn't get a lot of sun (which pansies prefer) but I'll try them here and if I need to move the container I will.  

In the garden the columbine is beginning to grow, the hostas and ferns are just starting to poke through the ground, the dianthus and bell flower are up and have lots of new growth.  And then there is the perennial I bought last year, the name of which I can't recall.  It's doing fabulously and if I ever figure out what it is I'll show you.  The heartleaf bergenia is pushing stalks of flowers.  This is another favorite as it blooms early in the spring.

This the front patio and flower bed from the perspective of the neighbour's path to the rear of the house.

In the containers are osteospermum, along with coleous and lobelia.  I've stayed with just a few varieties and few containers this year because I won't be able to take everything with me (assuming the house sells).  

Out on the back deck, I've got just three containers! Normally there would be a dozen or more.  These have white and pink geraniums, a lobelia and a trailing ivy.

I'm so happy to finally be able to get my hands in the dirt (though my esthetician may not be so happy when she sees my nails next week).  Getting a bit of color in my world is uplifting too!

******
Thanks for the comments on my previous post.  I got rid of the old cat litter boxes, bought new tubs and got a new brand of cat litter, "Fresh for Life" that seems to be working really well.  It's dark in color, clumps well, and is truly dust free.  Keeping these clean, with a diffuser in the room, seems to be keeping any odor down...though I haven't had the opportunity to test it out with any new viewers or company.  

Have a great week everyone!

Oak Alley Plantation

We were up early on day three in New Orleans; the breakfast room was open at 7:30 and we were there to get something to eat before our walk over to Canal Street and the car rental place.  We arrived a few minutes early and waited outside, but in short order the paperwork was complete and we were on the road to our first stop, Oak Alley Plantation.  J was our driver for the day, K was the navigator, and I simply relaxed in the back seat and enjoyed the drive.  

The weather reports indicated there was dense fog, but there wasn't much in New Orleans.  As we drove further out of the city, it became much more noticeable.  At first it could be seen as we travelled on the interstate in the distance, but as we came off the interstate and onto the secondary highway it was quite dense, though we still had decent visibility.  

We arrived at Oak Alley shortly after it opened to the public. Since we were among the first visitors it was quiet and made photo taking that much better.  

"Oak Alley Plantation is a historic plantation located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in the community of Vacherie, St. James Parish, Louisiana, U.S. Oak Alley is named for its distinguishing visual feature, an alley (French allée) or canopied path, created by a double row of southern live oak trees about 800 feet (240 meters) long, planted in the early 18th century — long before the present house was built. The allée or tree avenue runs between the home and the River. The property was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture and landscaping, and for the agricultural innovation of grafting pecan trees, performed there in 1846–47 by an enslaved gardener." - Wikipedia

The view from just inside the grounds - these are the slave cabins and the restaurant.  We had originally planned to stop there for lunch but none of us were particularly hungry so we moved on the second plantation.  (I'll save that post for tomorrow as these will be photo heavy posts).

With the exception of the house, most of the buildings are replicates of the original.  It makes sense as it is unlikely the buildings would have survived over 150 years or more.  

To the left, you'll catch a glimpse of the house, to the right is one of the slave cabins, and oh...the oak trees.  In the foreground on the right are crape myrtle trees.  As it is winter these are totally bare, and they almost appear to be stripped of their bark as well.  

 Despite winter, the flowers were still blooming.  I should know what these are but I'm not certain.












The flower bed also contained this lovely fern.  I believe it is an asparagus fern.  I must admit, when I see the flowers and greenery, I'm envious!

We did a self-guided tour of the outbuildings and gardens as there was signage throughout.  First up were the slave cabins.  As you can see the building looks practically brand new, and I suspect it wasn't this comfortable when the slaves lived there. 

I believe the signage indicate that up to five people would live in this small area.  Each room was outfitted with the one chair and a bed.

As small as the cabins may have bin, this is a laundry kettle!  Can you imagine how many loads of laundry that would have held?  No rinse and spin either.

The view of the slave cabins from the rear of the buildings.  As you can see, these are "duplexes", sharing a chimney for heating and cooking on both sides.

After a wander around this area, we headed up towards the house to take a tour of the property.

This view is looking towards the car park.  Check out how low the branches grow. These would be great fun for an adventurous child (or adult!)  The branches were wrapped by vines of some sort.

This is the side view of the house from the lawns.  We made our way around to the front of the house to meet one of the guides who would provide the tour through the house.  (Spoiler alert, we were not permitted to take photos inside)

Before the tour started we waited on the front portico enjoying the view of Oak Alley, the namesake of the plantation.

The fog rolled in from the levee and the oak trees captured it in their branches.  It was slightly eerie, but such a peaceful sight.  

The front door was beautifully for Christmas, as was the interior.

Building began on the original mansion in 1836 and it was completed in 1839 entirely through the use of enslaved labor.  I'd estimate the ceilings on the main floor were at least 11-12 feet.  

"In 1925 the property was acquired by Andrew Stewart as a gift to his wife, Josephine, who commissioned architect Richard Koch to supervise extensive restoration and modernize the house. Josephine Stewart left the historic house and grounds to the Oak Alley Foundation when she died in 1972, which opened them to the public." - Wikipedia.  Some of these renovations including the conversion of closets to indoor bathrooms.  We were able to view a few rooms on the main floor, the upper hallway and two of the bedrooms.  The second bedroom was Josephine Stewart's bedroom after the death of her husband.  I particularly liked it because she obviously liked the color purple!

We were also able to go out on the balcony at the back of the house looking towards the slave quarters.  I thought I had a photo but cannot locate it, thinking back there were several people in the group and I probably gave up trying to get the view.

From there we made our way to the Sugarmill Theater to watch a short video on sugar cane planting and harvesting.  I read this building was once a garage.  

Also on site was a replica of a Civil war commander's tent. 

Although the property was not damaged in the Civil War, it was impacted economically and it was no longer viable.  The plantation was then sold by original family (surname Roman) to the second owner John Armstrong for $32,800.  We were told that he never lived there and he sold a half-interest to a business partner the following year.  The property changed hands many times before the Stewarts purchased it in 1925.

We took some time to visit the family graveyard as well which was beyond the main house closer to the current entrance to the property.  Both Andrew and Josephine are buried there.

A view of the rear of the house after our tour of the property.  K is coming towards me...I don't think she knew I took the photo of her.  It had warmed up nicely by this point, and we didn't need our jackets that were necessary just a couple hours earlier.

One last look at Oak Alley, this time after our house tour, and after the fog had lifted.  This was taken mid-point of the path, again looking toward the road and the levee beyond.  By this time, the grounds were getting busy with other guests.

This is where I'll end the post, as I have as many (or possibly more) photos of the second plantation we visited that day.  The two were so different, Oak Alley's history was much about the families that lived there, while Laura Plantation focused not only the family but on the slaves that lived there.  No matter the perspective I enjoyed the visit to both.