The heat is on!

Most mornings this week saw me outdoors working on the garden beds, and attempting to rearrange the rocks in the flower bed. I managed to get most of the vegetables planted on Sunday, in both raised beds and the original garden bed. In the raised beds, I've got tomatoes, basil, peppers (green and jalepeno), oregano broccoli, cucumber, lettuce, radish, red and green onion. In the larger garden bed, I have peas, carrots, potatoes, and corn. The orginal asparagu s and the chives I'd planted last year are doing well. It appears I may have missed a few strawberries as I'm seeing some evidence some made it through. I'll leave them if they aren't in the midst of the other plants. 

The containers were planted on Monday - or at least most of them - I may have bought a few more plants since then. If you've been around for a number of years, you'll know that I have a bad habit of having more containers than I originally intend. As of this writing there are four containers out front, and seven in the back yard. Several of these are hanging containers, two I purchased and the others I planted with annuals I'd purchased last week.

On Monday, the Landlord Next Door's construction guy (Matthew) stopped by to measure the fence. When I'd talked to LND, he hadn't wanted to commit to the quote I'd received as he "didn't know the guy". Matthew is well known here and in fact, we've used him for other smaller jobs. I just didn't realize he was set up to do larger construction jobs. It turns out he is, and later that afternoon, he returned with a comprehensive quote that is much more detailed and definitely higher in price. It was clear to me he's prepared to do the work and has the resources so I'd be quite happy to go forward with the work. However, when I contacted LND he advised he would be talking to a realtor on Wednesday to determine whether replacing the fence would be beneficial in a possible sale. Hell yes! In any event, he is supposed to contact me this weekend to advise whether he's prepared to share the cost. If he doesn't, this neighbour may feel the need to point out the condition of the fence to anyone I see viewing the property. 

I spent part of Wednesday morning, digging more rocks out of the flower bed. I'm trying the move them out of the way for the fence removal and replacement. I think I mentioned last week, I'd discovered a concrete border covered by dirt and rocks. More of the border was uncovered, and I'm hoping to locate several of the rocks within that border.  Others have been moved to an area to the west of the garage. I'm not certain what we'll do with them but they're out of the way there.

Some afternoons were spent relaxing in the backyard. The area near the firepit is shaded by the tree by mid-afternoon. It's a great place to sit and read, and listen to the birds. While I've not seen many (except for the prolific robins and grackles), the Merlin app tells me there are Northern wren, chipping sparrow, goldfinch, and several others visiting the neighbourhood. Meanwhile, I'm reading Malice by Lisa Jackson, the story of a former LAPD detective Rick Bentz, his dead ex-wife, and a serial killer determined to torment Bentz. 

The temperatures were decent through to Thursday, cool in the morning with highs around 27C/80F in the afternoon. But that changed that morning, when we woke to 20C/68F, and the mercury climbed to 34C/93F. I went out to water early in the morning, and then again in the evening, and spent the rest of the day indoors. I had been weeding in the peony bed the day before and when I was out watering, I could swear they had grown at least 3-4 inches in one day! On Wednesday the plants still had a bit of a purple hue, but were now totally green. The buds are showing, and I expect we may see the flowers next week.

Our air-conditioning unit frequently throughout the day, and continued to do so on Friday. It didn't get quite as warm, a few degrees cooler, but with winds gusting to 60 km/h (about 38 mph). The plastic Adirondack chairs were blown about, while the garden and containers dried out quickly. I watered well twice, once in the morning and then again in the evening. 

It is Tourism week here in town, and D and Eli made it to three of the events. The Heritage museum tea, the Library open house, and the old Rail Station tour. I went along to the latter event, and found it quite interesting. The building was set to be demolished but with some CN rail funding they were able to start the restoration of the latter. Thus far, they've repaired the roof, added insulation, and created two lovely foyers. The fellow who did our tour suggested it could take $1 or 2 million to finish it. I suspect it won't be done in my lifetime. 

The weather is expected to improve, that is cool down over the next week with rain in the forecast. I'll be happy for both! The yard work continues, with the weeds doing their best to overrun parts of it. We'll be planting a few things tomorrow, including a couple of mint plants (peppermint and spearmint) in a container, as well as an apple seed that I was able to germinate. I doubt anything will come of the latter, but Eli was curious as to what would happen if we planted apple seeds. 

Have a great week ahead everyone! I hope the weather is fair and the temperatures to your liking.

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! 

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! 

Sea Days and Los Angeles

Cruisers tend to either love or hate sea days. I'm of the latter group, as I enjoy a good day (or days) at sea. The ship's crew offer lots of activities: trivia, competitions (crew vs. passengers), line dancing, Zumba, movies on the giant screens by the pool, pool games, and so on and so forth. Of course, there is time also to read, craft, chat with fellow passengers, use the hot tub or pools, and relax and watch the ocean.

My sea days are quite routine. I take my time in the morning, enjoy my breakfast on the aft deck, take a walk on the promenade deck, meet with the knitting group, find a quiet area to read, attend trivia a couple of times during the day, and later meet the solos group for dinner. Oh, there is lunch in there someplace too. I will avoid the buffet, as there are a couple of places near the pool which tend to be less busy. On the Majestic we had the noodle bar and the hamburger/hotdog stand. When the ship is next in dry dock, the noodle bar will change to pizza. That's unfortunate as the noodle bar provided something not available on other ships. The food there was hot, fresh and tasty. 

The next three photos were taken during my morning walk, one sea day, on the Promenade deck. When I first started my walk, there was blue sky, but as time passed the fog came creeping in, until we were socked in. Note this occurred over approximately 30-40 minutes.

Later that evening, the fog closed in even further, and I could barely see water looking down from my balcony. The ship continued to sound the foghorn every 90-120 seconds throughout the night. With the balcony door closed, the sound did not disturb my sleep. 

The fog continued as we made our way into the San Pedro, the port of Los Angeles.

Looking back towards the sea, I wondered what the day would bring. The fog did burn off eventually, and the day was sunny and warm, with high humidity. 

While we were in port, the ship underwent some maintenance. This was on the bridge, where the captain and his crew do their work, ensuring we are safe as we sail. 

I've never done a bridge tour, but have been told it is very interesting. As far as riding the basket of this machine to reach the base of the bridge would never be on my bucket list of things to do.

I did not disembark in Los Angeles, but did spend a good amount of the day on my balcony, at least until the music concert was well underway. 

To the far left of this photo are several tents where the concert was being held. Across the road from the ship was the line-up of people waiting to enter the grounds for a punk rock festival. I'm sure they enjoyed the show, but it wasn't my preference for entertainment. 

I was not alone on the ship that day, as a lot of the passengers chose to stay on-board. Talking to others at dinner that night who did excursions in the city, I heard stories of the length of time spent in traffic both leaving and returning to the ship. No thanks!

Next up - San Diego, the Zoo!

Time flies by

Another week has ticked by, and I'll be back to the city in just over two weeks. I've definitely gotten into a routine/rhythm here with Eli and his mom. She is always up early and I tend to follow here between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. After my first cup of tea and a bit of time on the computer, I get dressed, make my second cup of tea and head outdoors with Stanley, the cat. He gets tucked into the catio, while I sit in my chair to drink my tea - both of us listening to the birds around us. I'll putter around, watering containers, deadheading the lilies and other flowers, and picking lettuce or herbs. Often my brother will call while I'm outdoors and we'll chat for 15 or 20 minutes. After an hour, the cat and I will head back indoors where he goes for the first of his many daily naps, and I do a bit of housework before I head to my bedroom to watch television or read, knit or crochet, or update my spreadsheets or work on Ancestry. It's a wonderful way to start my day.

On Sunday, Eli and I went to the park so his mom could have an afternoon nap. The photos on Wednesday are his descent from the tree and the highest point he reached. He would have gone higher but G'ma was terrified he'd fall. There were only a few children at the park, all much younger than he, so we stayed for only 45 minutes. I pushed him on the swing, he ran through the spray pad, and slid backwards down the slide. Crazy kid.

Monday was his second to last day camp session. It was pajama day, and I assumed they'd stay indoors but that wasn't the case as they were out on the playground when his mom picked him up.  I stayed behind to do a bit of housework that is easier to do when they are out of the house, ran a couple of errands, and enjoyed the quiet. I spent most of the afternoon working on Ancestry, and was excited to find information on my maternal grandmother's youngest sister (she was 5 years younger than my mom), and her family. 

Tuesday was just a regular day with nothing to write about while Wednesday was Eli's last day camp session. I drove them as I wanted to pick up some inexpensive containers for overwintering the geraniums and ivies. There are lilies too growing into the lawn, so I want to dig those out and take them to the city for my son's yard. Shhh...don't tell him. I'm not supposed to plant anything there but it will help improve the appearance of the back yard and hopefully choke out some weeds!

My sweet peas have finally bloomed. They were supposed to be a mix of colours but for the most part are red and dark pink. Oh, they bring back lovely memories of my mom and her humongous gardens. She always had a row of sweet peas. I plan to put them in the ground earlier next year and hopefully have blooms by July.

This week I pulled the peas as they were dying back. I found a few pods of dried up peas. I've kept them and we'll try planting them next spring. I don't know if they will be viable but it is worth a try.

There is a story about these geraniums. D had attempted to over winter two plants from last year, along with a pair of ivies that I had brought from the old house. One of the geraniums died, and the second did well, until we planted it in the outdoor container this spring. It seemed to die back, I'm suspecting from shock, but we kept it because there was a bit of green. I bought the white geranium and added it to the same container. It took several weeks but the red ones have made a comeback! We're going to try to overwinter these again. 

Thursday was quiet, with D and Eli heading to the pool in the afternoon. I finished off the last of the mittens and got them in the mail on Friday. I've started working on a crocheted lapghan, but will pick up the knitting needles again, as I want to make more mittens for Eli's school. 

The smoke from the forest fires rolled in again, so outdoor time is limited. By the time I came indoors that morning, my throat was sore. When D and Eli decided to go to the pool that afternoon, I stayed behind at the house and took a short nap. The Riders played that evening, and I wanted to stay awake through the entire game - I only made it throught the 3rd quarter of the Thursday night game. :)

Another photo of the tiger lilies in the side yard. These plants get very little direct sun, so they are nearly 4 1/2 feet tall. The blooms are just incredible and this photo doesn't do them justice.

Today, I've nothing much on the agenda - more sitting in the back yard with the cat in the early morning. It should be cool enough to get some weeding done too. Baseball and football to watch, while I work on my crocheting. And, of course, having more time with my grandson. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Sea Days Mar 10 & 11

 

The first two days of the cruise we were at sea, sailing towards St. Kitts. 

I was up relatively early on the first morning and captured a few photos of the sunrise. It was cloudy that morning, so definitely not anything spectacular and it was well above the horizon before much of the sun showed itself.

One of our fellow passengers had planned a meet-up for the solos at 10:30 but no one else showed. I did have the Cruise Critic meet-up and that was much better attended. I know 75 had signed up for it, but I don't think there were more than 40 in the room. 

The officers in attendance gave a short bio of themselves (the greet part) and opened the floor for questions. Mostly they are generic and simple questions, but the first one was asking about the shareholder dividends and when the company might start paying them again. I thought the officer did a good job of explaining dividends will be provided again when the cruise line is profitable without saying those words. The cruise industry was virtually shut down during the pandemic and it has been a slow build-up since. I should note, I don't earn shares in Princess so have no skin in the game - it just seems to be common sense to me.

After lunch, I took a walk on Deck 7 (Promenade) taking some wake photos including the one at the top. It was quite windy so I settled in to read but found myself nodding off so headed to my stateroom for a short nap. At 3 p.m. I attended the first (and my last) enrichment talk about the Bermuda Triangle. It wasn't the subject but the presenter that delivered the talk was worse than some of my university professors. Rambling off topic, skipping through slides, and not offering opportunities for questions were just a few of the annoyances. 

Later, I attended the solo's meet-up in the Adagio. We all went off in different directions for dinner, but I did run into the pub crawl group later in the evening. They were on their second stop and headed for the third. Linnae, one of the solos decided to leave the pub crawl and go with me to the comedian's show in Club Fusion. Robbie Printz was voted Princess Entertainer of the year this past year and did not disappoint. In fact, I went to the show again the next night too.

Our second sea day, I visited with the Knitter's and Knatters group, though I hadn't brought a project with me. It was the first time I had run into some one from a former cruise. Denise from Ontario had been on the Alaskan cruise in May 2022 as well. I also spent time at the Terrace pool and on the Promenade deck reading. Trivia was held at 4 p.m. in the Explorer's Lounge, and while I did not join a group, I tried answering the questions on my own. I stuck around for the Future Cruise director's discussion of tips to earn on-board credit. I quickly discovered it was mostly an up-sell event.

After the solo meet-up, another solo, Marilyn and I went to one of the main dining rooms for dinner. Other than one guest who never shut up, it was a wonderful meal. She even answered questions directed to her husband, though I did manage to ask one that he responded to so I know he was capable of speech.

I don't often take photos of my meals, but this Mahi-mahi was amazing.

Sunset that evening was spectacular!

I ended the night at the comedy show with a couple of Cruise Critic members I'd met earlier. Back at my stateroom I had an unfortunate discovery - I'd been charging my Kobo and somehow it had factory reset itself. Who am I kidding, I probably touched something I ought not to have but it was a bummer as I was in the middle of a good book.

This photo is of the job my steward did to cover up the motion light in the closet area. It kept it from turning on, most of the time, though at random times of the night it would still light up. 

I know there are people who dislike sea days, I'm not one of them. I do enjoy being able to relax and do as little or as much as I like to do. 

Next up - St. Kitts

Burning a hole in my pocket

Life slowed down somewhat this week. Most everything I want or need has been unpacked - though I still can't find my tea canister. No worries, I still have boxes of tea so I'm not going without. 

My son had Monday off as a statutory holiday for Remembrance Day, and because his bi-weekly earned day off is usually Monday, he had Tuesday off as well. That meant four days off for him, and quiet mornings for me - since I spoil him and let him sleep late. Monday, though he had to be up by 10:30 as my brother's friend, P was stopping by to check the garage door for us. The fellow who had leased the garage from the owners had mentioned it was tricky - tap three times to open it and twice to close it. That didn't work for me nor my son. After he had retired, P got into refurbishing garage door openers as well as installation. In fact, back in 2010 he replaced the old garage door opener at the previous property I'd owned. 

The one sensor wasn't working properly, but he got that going in short order, then did a few adjustments to the machine. That seemed to make things worse, so he took it apart and realized he had made the turn to the opposite direction he intended. About 20 minutes and $40 later, the door is functioning as it should. P mentioned the opener is very old, but a top of the line brand. He figures it should last the winter at least, and agreed he'd be back in the spring to replace it, if we chose to do so.  Since he's closed down his business, it's nice to know he'd do that for us. I did tell him, my brother R owed him a coffee. :)  

Oh, before I forget, Wednesday's photo is courtesy of R. He was out hunting elk but the wily creatures kept approaching him from the wrong direction or after hunting hours ended due to the sun setting. While he'd like to get his elk, he truly enjoys being out in the blind enjoying the sounds and sights of the natural world around him. I'm too soft hearted to like the idea of hunting, but I do appreciate the photographs.

Wednesday, C was back to work, and I went shopping! Nothing really exciting, some groceries and a few household items. I did make a stop by the thrift stores too finding a lamp at Value Village, a sheet and a pair of pajamas at Salvation Army. When I was moving the furniture in the living room, I manage to break one of my lamps. Eventually, I'll replace the pair in the living room, but the one I bought will be used in the basement. It had no shade, but I was able to use the one from the broken lamp. 

I also stopped in at my former esthetician's shop to purchase mascara for D. I missed L, as she wasn't working in the morning but I was able to make the purchase. One little boy got into his mother's make-up last week and wasted a whole lot of mascara. She had given him permission to play with the eyeshadow but neglected to expressly tell him not to use the mascara. Apparently he drew pictures on the tub with it. (Are you laughing...I was.)

Later, I met S at Stitch and Chat. I'd actually got some knitting done this weekend and was close to finishing the toque I've been working on. I didn't get it done that afternoon but have finished it since. We meet at the library, so I dropped off the book club novel, "Lethal White" by Robert Galbraith. I hadn't realized the author was the nom de plume of J. K. Rowling, or I likely wouldn't have read the book. She's made some controversial comments about the transgender community, and when challenged about those remarks she doubled down on her comments. In any event, I read the book and wasn't impressed. BTW, I've never read the Harry Potter books and if this novel was a sample of her writing, I won't be reading any more in the future.

I won't be attending next week's book club as D and Eli will be in town. He has an appointment for autism testing with a psychologist and a student intern. The appointment is over a four hour period, and I sure hope they give him a number of breaks. I'm expecting the two of them to arrive at the house mid-afternoon and they will overnight here before heading home in the morning.

More shopping was accomplished on Thursday as well, but not necessarily as I had planned. I want a new laptop as the one I currently use has a very limited memory. I do have an external hard drive but find it annoying to have to retrieve photos and documents. Yes, I know there is a cloud thingy too and some of the photos are saved there - at least the ones since I purchased this laptop, BUT I have no idea how to retrieve those items from the cloud. I didn't get a password or any kind of program to access, it saves the photos automatically but I also save to the computer and back-up the folders to my external hard drive. My concern is: what happens to the stuff in the cloud if this computer were to crash? Some things are just too important to me to lose access.

I went to the Staples store near my house and had a laptop selected, but they had none in stock. According to the tech, there was one in stock in the store on the other side of the city. Off I trundled to buy it there...except that didn't happen. The laptop on the shelf was not exactly the same as the one at the north store; it had half the memory/storage of the one I wanted, yet it was listed at the same price. I tried to get some assistance, even phoning the store directly after I'd ask a nearby stock clerk to call someone. The phone was never answered, and the automated voice told me to call back later. I waited a few more minutes, then walked out of the store. Back at home I ordered it online for delivery next week.

Since it's been a very spendy week, it was time to stay home on Friday. I did a few chores and tackled some heavy duty cleaning. D has my rug cleaner so I used the small green machine on the worst of the carpet in the basement. Upstairs I cleaned the louvers in the pantry and linen closet doors, washed the walls in the back landing and scrubbed doors. I'm slowly making my way around the house. Once the cleaning is complete, there will be some minor repairs and painting needed, most of which I can do over time.

Today, I've got nothing on the schedule. There are several curling events going on, I may find something streaming to watch. I'll likely do some knitting, to finish off the toque I've been working on for several weeks, and then turn my attention to another UFO, a sweater I started in the spring and barely started. It is Grey Cup weekend (Canadian football championship) but I won't be watching as I don't have access to the game. I've set up the Christmas tree and started a jigsaw puzzle. As I said to my daughter, I'm just puttering. A quiet weekend sounds good to me...as next week will be busy.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Huatulco, Mexico

As I mentioned in the last post, I did not have an excursion booked in this port - so there are fewer photos to share. I had never been to this port before and decided I would explore the port area, and knew there was a beach right off the pier.

I was awake about 5:30 that morning thinking I'd get up before we docked and perhaps catch the sunrise. Instead I thought 10 more minutes, and when I awoke next it was 6:40 a.m. and the ship was pulling into dock. When I checked the bridge cam, it appeared to be raining, so I decided to take it slow that morning. 

After a leisurely breakfast, again out on the deck, because if it has been raining, it had stopped by then. I headed up with my camera to take some photos of the port.

Even early in the morning, there were people relaxing on the beach.

This was shortly before the gangways were open for passengers to leave the ship. There is security at the end of the pier to ensure only passengers and crew of the cruise ships can walk the pier. There were local drivers with small golf carts assisting some passengers.

Off the pier was a marina which was busy the entire day. Catamarans and fishing boats were the first to head out to sea. If/when I return I'll look into a catamaran cruise around the area. Up on the hill is obviously a resort. They must have incredible views!

Several brown pelicans were waiting patiently for their breakfast. 

There were several restaurants and bars along the beach. The one on the left is where I had my lunch later that day.

I stopped at the stateroom to drop off my camera, and pick up my knitting and headed to Crooners bar for the Knitters and Knatters group. Interesting note - it wasn't unusual to see people grabbing their first drink of the day at 9:30 a.m - usually a Mimosa but occasionally a Margarita or other mixed drink. I assume these were passengers who had purchased the beverage package that allows up to 12 drinks per day - I guess trying to get their money's worth. 

There were four of us there that morning. Two weren't planning to leave the ship, one had an excursion booked for the afternoon, and I had decided to wait until the crowds leaving the ship that morning were well on their way. About 10:45 I left the group and headed back to the stateroom to drop the knitting, and to pick-up my wallet for the walk into town. I had already decided I would have a meal there at one of the cafes.

I ran into three of the solos/singles on the pier. Two of them had been off the ship by 8:30 and were heading back on-board after a little browsing in the shops. I think the other had an excursion. I wandered around a bit, but really had no shopping in mind. The vendors weren't as vocal and grabby as they had been in Colombia and I did go into a couple of interesting looking shops. 

There was nothing I couldn't live without so I carried on to look at the church. I've since learned that the Chapel of Santa Cruz is a popular wedding destination because of its location and views of the ocean and beach. There wasn't a wedding going on but there were many people wandering in and through the building. Hence, I only took a photo of part of the church.

I was walking past a cafe when a young man offered me a menu. I took it, and asked about WiFi - he assured me they had it and I agreed to take a table. As I entered the restaurant it was clear it was a local favorite as there were many families enjoying a meal there too. To start, I ordered a local beer, and later a plate of fish tacos. 

With WiFi, I was able to have a chat with D for twenty minutes while I waited for my food and watched the people around me. This is when I learned about Lady Spencer's arrival. I didn't hurry my meal as there were lots of tables and it was cool in the shade. 

Then it was time for a walk along the beach, and to get my feet in the Pacific ocean. It was quite busy with lots of families, so I didn't stay long. I was back onboard ship by 1 p.m. I spent the afternoon reading and taking more photos.

Across from the ship there were a number of resorts up on the hill. 

This is probably my favorite of the bunch. To the right there was one that is under construction and looked almost abandoned.

Further down the shoreline closer to the entrance from the ocean to the port was this group. I assume these are local families out for a day at the beach. 

This photo made me laugh. A pair of fishermen were clearly cleaning their catch and tossing bits into the water. That brown spot you see in the center by the boat is a brown pelican diving into the water to get a bite.

I did stay out for sail-away, and then headed back to my stateroom to clean up for the evening.  It was a laid back, quiet day on the Island Princess. I quite enjoyed my visit into the port area, and can see myself visiting again in the future. (I don't often say that about Mexican ports).

Funny thing, a couple of days later I received a message from a friend from grade school. She, her mother, and sister were in Huatulco when I was there and had seen the ship come in. Had she realized I was on board we would have gotten together for a visit. 

Next up - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Week 10 - Babies!

You'll never guess what I did on Thursday.  Really, you won't.  I finally had the tires changed over on the car from winter to summer tires.  I certainly haven't needed the winter tires for quite some time, but it just never seemed convenient to make the appointment.  No, I lie, I kept forgetting to make the phone call.  Is that pandemic brain or just getting old?  I finally had to set a reminder on my phone to get the call made.

It was absolutely gorgeous morning, 14C (57F) by 6:30 a.m - I was grateful for a good day for walking!  After loading the tires in the car and driving to the shop I arrived just shortly before my appointment of 9 a.m.  Things were quite different from previous appointments.  I called into the store to let them know I was there.  They asked me to leave the keys in the car and they would be out to move into the shop shortly.  There was no request that I pre-approve the work order, basically just drop and go.  

I walked home, about 15-20 minute walk, taking the opportunity to walk by the pond.  And look what I found, babies!!  These were the only goslings I saw, though there were a number of pairs of geese on and near the pond.  I'm thinking the population will explode in the next few days.  Sorry for the quality of the photo, I didn't want to get too close, and I zoomed in with my cell phone.

Later I walked back to the shop to pick up the car, and again noticed a big difference.  I phoned the store, and a few minutes later, the attendant came to the door which was blocked by a large cart.  He opened the door, standing on the other side of the cart and handed me my invoice, my car keys, and the credit card machine.  I wasn't asked to sign to acknowledge the completion of the work.  I did notice too, that the business had put out two chairs for customers on the side walk - spaced two meters apart.  There were a couple waiting - despite the nice weather I'm glad I live close enough to walk and didn't have to wait outside the store.

After a stop at the Co-op for a few groceries that I hadn't been able to find earlier this week, I headed home to relax and enjoy the day.  Of course, I did find other things to do.  I did some pruning on a couple of trees and put out some solar lights.  A friend called and we had a nice chat.  Oh, that reminds me, my cruise was finally cancelled!  Not that this was unexpected, but the fact that the cruise line waited so long before doing so was a bit of a head shaker.  I would have been flying out to London in just over two weeks.  I've chatted with my travel agent and decided to go with the future cruise credit (125% of the original cost) for the time being.  This option allows me to re-book by the end of December 2021 for cruises up to the end of April 2022.  In addition, I have the option of requesting a full refund of what I paid, no later than December 2020.  My plan is to wait until the fall, see how things are looking, and I expect I'll probably request the refund then.  But, if by some miracle it appears a vaccine is going to available earlier than anticipated, I may book a cruse in late 2021 or early 2022.  My only other option was called "lift and shift", basically the same cruise next year, though a few weeks earlier (May 28, 2021). I'm pretty certain I won't be wanting to cruise by then so discarded that option immediately.

Friday was a quiet day, nothing really to write about.  I spent a fair amount of time out on the deck or in the sun room, reading or knitting.  It wasn't a particularly sunny day, and the skies kept threatening rain, although we actually didn't get any. While watching old football (CFL) games in the evening I  finished the back of the tank top I've been knitting.

On Saturday I woke up feeling energetic.  By 7:30 I had cleaned off the top of my cabinets and put down newspaper.  I saw this on Cheapchick's blog and thought, what a great idea. The next time I go to clean, I'll just bundles up the paper and start with fresh.  After my morning coffee, I decided I needed a walk.  The sun was shining, the temperature was a lovely 14C (57F) so off I went, camera in hand.

I knew I wanted to walk down by the pond, but decided I'd take the long way around heading west and then south to the park and the bridge before turning back north to Riverbend.  Most of the trees along the path were not there a couple of weeks ago.  Once they mature I'm sure they'll provide shade on the path.

I stopped to take a photo on the bridge.  I know it's only temporary but it's sad to see the lack of reeds and even more so, the lack of water in the creek.  I'm not sure why the water level is so low. Further up the pathway it was even worse.  

I stayed off the footpath and walked alongside the creek watching for black birds.  Although I saw a few flying there were none near the water, nor in the trees nearby.  Or at least, not that I could see though I heard their song.

 I walked over to the pond and was rewarded with a multitude of goslings and their parents.  The first group were obviously the oldest as they're already starting to lose their baby feathers!  There was woman with two dogs walking towards us, so the whole family took off towards the water.  They didn't go in though, just settled down in the grass by the pond.

I believe this is a pair of wigeons - they were feeding in the reeds.

This little guy was just so cute. It came marching across the grass towards me as if on a mission.  "Get out here lady with that darned camera!"  Or maybe it spotted something good to eat!

Here, the parent seemed to be hustling the little ones along.  If only I spoke goose...though I sure understand when they hiss!

At the end of the pond, there were a number of geese...but no babies!  Maybe later.

I'm off to the "out" as Eli calls it, to spend some time in the sun, water the containers, fill the bird bath, and generally enjoy the day.

Hope everyone is doing well.  Have a great week!