The heat is on!

The past weekend was stupid hot (for us at least), so while I did go out and water, the rest of the day(s) were spent indoors. Thankfully, the mini heat wave ended overnight and Monday morning was perfect. I got outdoors and finished weeding the rock areas. I also got the rest of the plants in the ground. The patio lilies were split in three and planted in the new perennial bed. That bed still has lots of weeds, but I'll work on it later and add some mulch. 

The lilac bush took some digging. I'm putting it up in the "ugly" area that was xeriscaped, so that meant I needed to remove a portion of the rocks, cut back the weed barrier (which as you know is pretty much useless after a few years), and dig a hole for the bush. It is a bit of a shaded area, so likely will be a little stunted, but at some point the neighbour's tree will come down. 

I had planned to plant the raspberry bushes behind the garden shed, but there is a pile of crusher dust that needs to be moved around onto the parking area (also gravel/weeds), so temporarily they have been planted beyond the garden fence next to the compost bin. They are small enough now, that I can move them again at some point in time. Like the lilac, this required removing rock and weed barrier cloth before digging the holes. I did discover that the soil back there has a lot of sand in it, so added some of the lovely compost the add some nutrients. If memory serves, the raspberries on our farm when I was young didn't seem to mind poor soil conditions. We'll see how it goes.

The garden grew by leaps and bounds with the heat, with the exception of the green peppers. I've already made a note to plant these in containers next year. The radishes bolted, so I pulled those, but the lettuce is now ready for picking. The corn is catching up to the potatoes which are blooming like mad, the peas have pods, and the tomatoes are putting out fruit. Lots of flowers but no cucumbers yet, hopefully they aren't all male flowers. We've harvested cilantro and basil and the oregano is ready too. 

The gerbera daisy, a plant I've never had much luck with is doing beautifully. It has four flowers on it and more buds. I've got a sunflower too, that is budding again, and the roses which we cut back last fall have decided they are very happy. You'll have to use your imagination but the perfume from them is lovely.

Tuesday D and Eli were off to NTO early, and I did a bit of puttering in the yard before heading to the thrift store. This week, I spent time in both the store and the sorting area. We actually got through everything that had been dropped off since the past Thursday. Woohoo! The store wasn't as busy as it had been the past Tuesday, which apparently was a stellar day with over $700 in sales. Knowing that most items average $2, that's a lot of items that left the store. D had asked me to keep an eye out for clothing for her friend S's daughters. I was able to fill two resusable grocery bags with jeans, legging, tees, a couple dresses, a hoodie and a rain jacket for them for just $15. Everything was a size up from their current sizing, so should help outfit them for the next year.

Back at home, I packed for my week away at my son's in the city. I didn't need to take a lot as I have clothing there, but wanted a couple of things to work on (knitting/cross stitch), a book, and my laptop. I knew I'd have lots of other things to do but wanted options. I left home shortly after 8 a.m. and arrived in Regina about 10, after encountering some construction on the secondary highway. The construction crews are creating passing lanes to improve safety. 

My first stop was Costco, where I picked up a life vest for Eli, some groceries and a Ninja Flip combination toaster oven and air fryer. It was a good price (better than Amazon!), and will allow us to free up some counter space in the kitchen as both those appliances take up a fair amount of room and are used frequently. Then it was off to Michaels to get some stitching thread. I've decided this year to make cross-stitch ornaments for family members, rather than crocheting. We'll see how far I get with that!

At the house I dropped off a few groceries, had a chat with B (who was working from home), and checked the fridge. I was surprised and pleased to see she had gotten some items that I enjoy eating (whole wheat bread rather than white, yogurt, and some extra veg). I did run out again though to pick up some Deep Woods Off and a couple of packages of deli meat. C arrived home about 4:30 p.m. and we sat and had a good chat. 

Thursday morning, I tackled the job I had planned to do while I was here. If you recall, just over a year ago, I planted the back yard with a mixture of grass seed and clover. My son, who I love dearly, is not a outdoor person, and failed to get back there to mow last year and this year. As a result, it is jungle back there...with tall weeds and loads of clover. There are places where the grass is doing well, and has gone to seed. This is the before, the second photo is after a couple of hours pulling and digging weeds and using the mower. 

Friday dawned quite warm with the temperature expected to reach 30C/86F, so I needed to be out early to get as much done as I could. I was in the backyard by 8:30 a.m. and within minutes my progress came to a halt. I'm using an old electric mower that I bought about 15 years ago or so...and I accidently ran over the cord. Shoot! Off I went to get a new cord, and since I was out to pick up a few groceries I needed for dinner that evening, and some cat litter B asked me to pick up. I was back at the house by 9:15 a.m. and within 90 minutes and a lot of hard work, I had the rest of it cleared. I've informed my son that he needs to mow regularly, and spend a bit of time EVERY day to keep the weeds at bay. 

Today, I'm taking a break, and probably Sunday too. The temperatures are rising again, it reached 28C/83F on Friday, and we're expecting temperatures of at least 30C/84F both Saturday and Sunday. I've pulled some yarn from my stash under the stairs and am working on a blanket in the cool of the a/c. I've a book to read if I need a break.

I do have plans for today, as friends I met in Yuma live less than an hour away and I've been invited to lunch. Another friend in the same community works at the Farmer's Market selling her baking on Saturdays, so my plan is to leave mid-morning and hopefully catch up with her. It's been awhile since I've chatted with her, and I know very well that I'll find something sweet for dessert. K and I worked together years ago, at a financial institution and though we don't see each other often we keep track of one another through Facebook.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

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!

Preparing for Winter

Regarding Wednesday's photo: I always knew one could trap a cat in a box, I hadn't realized it would work on a kid too. :)

Monday started off cool, so after Eli was dropped at school, D and I started in on the end of fall yard-work. The last of the tomatoes were picked. Reminder to self - we only need 2 containers, not the 5! we planted this year. After my initial worries that we weren't going to see any fruit, the plants went crazy. I'd estimate we had at least ten pounds of cherry tomatoes, probably more. I had put away the majority of decor items, but D found a few I had missed. I also cleared out all of the containers. We had quit watering and everything was dying back. D mowed the yard, mulching the leaves, cut back the regular lilies, and did some weeding. We loaded my wooden chair and table, the bird bath, the solar lights, and a couple of the folding chairs into the shed. By the time D went to pick up Eli, I was ready for a break.\

The rest of the afternoon was spent in my bedroom starting the process of packing. For what you ask? You'll need to read a little further before I share. 

Tuesday started cool, but heated up quickly. I decided that the rest of the yardwork could wait and suggested to D that we head to the NTO (next town over) for a bit of retail therapy. We dropped off some donations at the thrift store and then went in to use my senior's discount. D did exceptionally well. She found a pair of Kombi gloves for Eli, regularly sold at Sportchek for $40-50. She picked up this pair, another pair of mitts, three pieces of clothing for Eli, a large bag of crayons*, and two bags of assorted toys for a total of $50 including the tax. I found a few items to and spent about $20. 

From there we headed over to Walmart for some groceries, and I also found the batting for the quilt flimsy. Now I just need to find the material for the backing. I have a tub of material that I purchased when Fabricland in the east end of Regina closed many years ago (I was still working!), and I'm almost certain there will be something I can use in there.

It reached a high of 30C/86F, so yardwork was out of the question in the afternoon. D and Eli did additional school work, while I relaxed and did a bit of knitting.

I didn't want to get out of bed Wednesday morning, dreading what was coming in the afternoon. D drove me into NTO to the dentist mid-afternoon. It wasn't a pleasant experience though it could have been worse. For some unknown reason the freezing wasn't taking, and after numerous needles my gums were pincushions. I finally decided not to tell them that I could still feel the area around the tooth and after much digging and pulling the tooth was finally out.

With a couple of extra strength Advil I was able to sleep a restless sleep, up several times during the night. My best sleep came between 4 and 6:30 a.m. By this point the pain was lessened to the gums and my jaw. The dentist gripped it with one hand while using the other to extract the tooth. I would describe the pain as feeling like someone had punched me in the face several times. 

D and I got back to the yardwork on Thursday morning. She finished the mowing, while I cleared up the stalks from the lilies and asparagus that I will use to cover the strawberries and asparagus in the garden bed. I also went out to the front and cut or pulled the stalks of lilies - the peonies I will leave until the spring. Outdoor toys were sorted, with a number of items ending up in a garbage bags and the bins were stacked against the shed. In the garage we removed a lower shelf and packed camping gear in the shed. We did not empty the rain barrels as we're expecting rain this weekend. The rain barrels keep the water from ending up in the basement. These will be taken care of next week.

While D and Eli went to an event in the evening, I headed to the library to Knit and Natter. There were three of us, plus the librarian. I've finished the back, left and front sides, so I started the sleeves for Eli's sweater while I was there. I'm knitting both on the same needles - that way there shouldn't be an extra row added in when I'm counting increases and decreases. At least I hope so!

I slept better that night but at one point woke in extreme pain. I was dreaming that I was waiting for the pain med to kick in, waking to realize that I hadn't yet taken said med. For pain control, I'm alternating Tylenol and Advil, and have added salt water rinses several times a day to the routine. There seemed to be a bit of swelling in the night but an ice cube wrapped in a face cloth helped with that. My next appointment (filling) is Tuesday so I'm hoping by then this side of my mouth will be healed up.

Friday was a quiet day, we had rain so no outdoor work. In the morning, D and I partially put together a new climbing apparatus for Eli, and after school she took him to the local arcade for some fun. I've been watching curling (Pointsbet Invitational), catching up on blog reading and knitting. Today will look much the same for me. I'm hoping to finish Eli's sweater before I head out on the 14th so I've got my work cut out for me. 

About the packing, initially I'm off to Regina for a couple of weeks to help my son with his yard prep for winter, have plans to visit with several friends, and maybe (not likely) paint my bedroom. Then I'm off to Yuma, Arizona for most of the winter. As regular readers will know I spent a couple of months there last winter and enjoyed myself immensely. What you won't know is I arranged with one of the Co-op members to purchase an RV this fall. The unit is permanently parked on a site, has water, electricity and internet connections. I do need to learn to use the propane stove and furnace, but I'll have lots of help with that. There is also an outdoor living area with a gazebo. The two thing it is lacking are a regular toilet and a shed for laundry. I'll be having a proper toilet installed this fall/winter, but the laundry shed will need to wait. There is a laundromat nearby and one of the regular visitors has offered to do my laundry in exchange for rides. We'll see, I'm happy to give her rides on occasion, but doing a couple of loads at the laundromat doesn't bother me.

I'll be flying home in early December to spend time with C, D and Eli, and then fly back in early January. The plan is to be back in Canada by the end of March, weather depending. I've been working on a plan for driving and will go over it with my friends, K and J, who have made the drive many times when I'm in Regina. 

I'm looking forward to missing most of the winter weather and meeting friends who were so welcoming last year. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Fun and games

We did something I've never done before last Sunday - we visited a corn maze! About a half hour from town, on an acreage, a family has created an incredible wedding venue. Almost directly across the road is this old stone church. The property has a large parking lot and several buildings including a hall for a reception and dance floor, a commercial kitchen and a gift shop, as well as an outdoor tent that can be used for receptions or dances. Out behind these buildings is a small cabin, which I assume is for the newly married couple as well as a fire pit with a good number of chairs.

In the fall, when the wedding season has slowed down, they open up a corn field they planted earlier in the year, and bring in a bouncy castle and small petting zoo, set up a corn kernel pit (like a ball pit but with corn kernels), and offer snacks and drinks at their canteen. The price of entrance was $10 per person, and except for the pony rides and the canteen everything else was included. 

There are two exits to the maze depending on whether one takes the "short" cut or the longer version. Eli took the lead and as it turned out he choose the latter path. I think we were in the maze just under a half hour. The walk back to main area was another ten minutes or so! We all enjoyed it, it was a first for all of us. We ran into several people D and Eli knew, and he enjoyed petting the rabbits and feeding the goats, as well as climbing and sliding on the combine bouncy castle. 

Monday saw me heading to the next town over to the dentist. I had a couple of teeth giving me some grief and it was time to have them checked out. Yes, it has been some time since I went to the dentist. I have a very unhealthy fear of dentists stemming to incidents that have happened from the time I was a young child into adulthood. The last one, at a time when I could ill afford to see the dentist (single mom, two kids, low paying job), the dentist completed an extraction and then took the time to lecture me about dental health and my responsibilities. When he left the room, I was in tears and a dental tech came in and held me as I sobbed. Suffice to say I did not go back to the dentist for many years. In fact, I usually have to be in some pain before I make an appointment. 

I've had two appointments now, the first a check-up where x-rays were taken and the dentist looked at all of my teeth. No pain relief after that first appointment. However I was able to get an appointment on Wednesday where two of my teeth were filled. I'm due to return next week and the week following for an extraction and another filling. This dentist has recommended more work, but I'm about at my tolerance limit.

Back at home, I got work done in the yard in preparation for winter. I put a generic version of Roundup on the weeds that have grown up in the area where the old evergreen stood. I don't plan to plant in that space until the fence is replaced next year so any residue should be gone by then. After a couple of days I dug up the majority of the weeds. I'm sure there are others hiding in the soil and it will need clearing again in the spring but for now it is good enough.

In the garden bed I dug out about 1/2 of the strawberries. While we've been getting a handful of berries every few days in the last few weeks, we couldn't get to the plants nearest the fence and thistle and other weeds were filling in spaces. I've kept the plants at the front of the bed and plan to make a narrow path down the middle to allow access to both sides. It will give me an opportunity to grow other vegetables that I simply don't have room for now.

Speaking of plants, the photos of the various mushrooms were all from our yard. Most are simply the Inky Caps variety which truly do spread black "ink" when left to their own devices. My patio has a large black splotch left behind. The colourful mushroom, Google tells me, is a ringless honey mushroom. This one tends to grow on wood fences or trees. It's definitely quite pretty.

Knit and Natter saw four of us joining the librarians for a productive time and a good visit. I've started a sweater for Eli, and worked on the back piece. Since then I've started the left front and hope to have it and the right front done this weekend. That's a fair amount of knitting (for me), but there is curling to watch! I've cancelled my Sportsnet app as the recent price increase was more than I was willing to pay. I learned about a new channel on the Roku Channel, the Rock Channel that is specifically dedicated to curling. The last television I bought is a Roku TV, and these channels are free...at least for now anyway. I'm a happy girl! 

This weekend I'll fit in yardwork around the curling draw. It is time to finish clearing out the containers, disconnect the garden hose, empty the rain barrels, and put away the solar lights. I'll be heading into the city in mid-October for a couple of weeks, and I don't want to leave all of the work to my daughter. 

The local thrift store is having a sale at the school gymnasium to clear out their storage area so we'll head out for that. I met the manager of the store a couple of weeks ago, and they're hoping to move into another area of school (currently they are in a classroom area) this year. They definitely need more space. I also learned they need volunteers during the summer, so I think I'll look into that in the spring. Not only to be helpful, but for a bit more selfish purpose of meeting more people.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

P.S. An update on my brother and his running: To celebrate the fall equinox he ran 80 kilometers/50 miles over 24 hours. He set up a loop of 5 kilometers and ran it 16 times. Not for me but good on him.

 

Another week bites the dust/mud

I'm not sure where this week went, I think because Monday was a holiday in the province, so I probably thought it was Sunday, though in reality everyday is Friday since I retired. (Confused yet, I know I was!)

Eli had his day camp on Tuesday and Thursday. Library program was Wednesday and a real live pirate came to visit! I wasn't there, but that's what I was told, and when an eight year old tells you there was a real live pirate, he must be right. Also, he and D went to the community center on Friday for a special event put on by the library and the Science Center (located in Regina). The center sent two individuals to do a short science camp. Eli was in his element - he's a math and science kid!

Earlier in the week, he and I stopped in at the pet store. This little girl tabby, named Tila (pronounced Tee-la) was evacuated from Northern Saskatchewan due to the forest fires. She is 5 months old, spayed, vaccinated and ready for a forever home. Eli likes to visit the kittens/cats at the pet store and he would happily bring them all home. However, that is not happening, but we'll continue to hope Tila finds her "furever" home soon.

As you can probably tell from Wednesday's photo, the cats are starting to tolerate one another. Saku does not appreciate the other two getting in his space on the bed, and there was one incident of him lashing out at Stanley when he (Stanley) jumped up and woke him (Saku). No blood was shed. Both Spencer and Stanley have used Saku's litter box, and in turn, he has used their box in the porch. Saku has been in the basement a time or two, but I don't believe he's used either of the boxes down there. In any event, we are able to allow the three to be out and about in the house without a lot of supervision when we are there. However, we're not quite ready to leave them on their own when we're out of the house. I sincerely doubt we'll ever find the three of them snuggled in a kitty pile on a bed, but tolerance within certain limits is appreciated.

This is a fairly frequent occurrence when Eli, Stanley, and Saku join me in the evening. (My comforter was in the wash, so D lent me one - it was too warm for me)

Breaking news! We got a bit of rain on Monday evening and overnight. One rain barrel was about two thirds full, the other about half full. Another gift to be appreciated as I was able to water the tomatoes from the rain barrel. Speaking of rain, I'm including a video my brother sent me. He's got a wacky sense of humour!

He has since made the necessary repairs and figures the railing will withhold his weight, next time. :)

Speaking of a wacky sense of humour, Eli hollered at me one evening and told me the toilet was smoking. I assumed he'd done some sort of experiment and went to check to see what was happening. This is what I found. What a kid!

Besides the driving, I've got more work done in the yard. I've been watching You-Tube videos in the evening, various ones, and some of my favorites are garden clean-ups. It's like watching Hoarders, as it either spurs to do more outdoor work, or makes me feel like our yard isn't that terrible. :) I was watching one from Britain and noticed the worker using a grabber rake and happened to mention it to D. I wasn't able to find it locally or even on Amazon, though there were leaf grabber scoops/claws, but I wanted this tool. She found it on Temu, ordered it, and it was here in just a week or ten days. I've told her it is my Christmas gift. I used it to clear up piles of pine cones and needles on the far side of the house. I would grab a rake full, dump it in a bin and when that was full, pour it into a yard waste bag. It cleaned things up so nicely, far better than I could have by hand, and far less strain on my back. 

I've been envying Patsy's tent gazebo for some time, and I had earned Amazon gift cards by doing surveys. I decided I'd use these to purchase my own. The instructions for set up were pretty minimal and there were a few (more than a few) blue words said by D and me as we set it up. But eventually we got it right and it's simply marvelous. I take my tea out in the morning and after Stanley has had his time on the lawn, we settle into the tent. Both D and Eli have also spent time with me there. When the heat is on, it provides shade, and with a breeze coming through, I'm in my own little piece of heaven.

I take my breaks from yard-work in it too. I've managed to cut back most of the creeping juniper. I fill up a tub, then cut up the pieces and bag it. Between the juniper and the pine cones and other debris, I'm up to five bags of yard waste. I suspect there will be a couple more bags yet to come.

Friday afternoon, the storm finally reached us, and we had nearly 5 centimeters/2 inches in less than two hours. We had water in the basement again, and after clearing out the soft items, Eli's couch, mats, a mattress, and bedding, D used the shop vac to start cleaning up the excess water. My bad, as I didn't think we needed to clean the gutters this spring, though apparently we did. It also came down hard and fast and I don't think, even if clean, the eavestroughs would have kept up. In any event, that job has been added to the "find someone to do the job" list. Just to highlight how much rain we received, the town posted on FB asking everyone to stay off the streets so crews could clear the drains! 

I did reach out to the tree trimmer guy this week as well, and he'll be by on Monday to give us a quote for removing an evergreen, a tall cedar and cut back branches that over hang the power lines. There is always something that needs doing around here!

More rain is in the forecast for the rest of the weekend too, so I'll have to do stuff inside rather than out. Good thing there is baseball and football to watch! I've finished one toque/beanie, have another on the needles, and I'd like to either do a bit of sewing or perhaps crocheting. No worries, I'll keep myself amused. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!

We're home!

We arrived back in Regina late on July 2, spent the night at my son's and then drove back to town the following day. I plan to post updates of our trip, and have the first blog almost ready to post - so be prepared to take a trip back in time. :) 

Yesterday, I dealt with the "math" related to the trip and paid off the credit card. It was easier to use my credit card for the majority of the expenditures and then split the cost between us when we returned. We did very well with the costs related to our accommodations, averaging about $225 a night. With the exception of one hotel, all had a continental breakfast available, so saved us on one meal a day. We didn't skimp on meals out, frequently having lunch at sit-down restaurants, though we usually brought something back to the hotel for evenings. 

Our rental vehicle was a 2024 Toyota Camry hybrid. I've never driven a hybrid or electric vehicle before and was very impressed with the fuel efficiency. In total we (I) drove about 1400 kms/880 miles.  I wouldn't want to drive this particular vehicle again though as the front end seemed so low to the ground in comparison to my SUV! Fuel prices ranged between $1.43 to $1.45 a litre, so the savings from the hybrid were appreciated. 

More on the rests of the trip in near future.

Things have been busy since we arrived home, unpacking, laundry, along with some yardwork. It is amazing how much things have grown in ten days or so. The tomatoes aren't yet flowering but the plants that were about 5-6 inches tall are now close to 18 inches in height. I guess some rain and heat will do that to them. 

I need to weed the flower and garden beds. The peas have flowered and are producing pods, though I think they'll need to be watered regularly to ensure we get a good harvest from them. The poor wee carrots and onions are up but almost overwhelmed by the weeds. The latter need to go, and I'll thin the vegetables this weekend. The lettuce that Eli planted at school is also doing well and we should be able to start using it soon. 

The peonies need to be trimmed too, as they seem to be close to finishing flowering, lots of spent flowers! I'm sorry we missed most of it. However the salvia is blooming and the holly hocks won't be far behind. My containers of annuals are doing exceptionally well too.

I was pleased to see how well the clover and grass is doing in the city. (No photo). There are areas that need to be re-seeded especially near the high spots by the neighbour's fence - I suspect the rains were washed to lower areas. And the weeds are doing well too. My son should be able to start mowing back there in another few weeks, and that will hopefully keep the weeds from going to seed. If/when I get this yard tidied up, I may head into the city for a few days to do a bit more work there.

If you've been reading my blog for a long time, you may recall that each of the properties my daughter and son purchased has had lilies growing in the yard. Lilies were my mom's favorite flowers (along with red carnations), and mom collected and grew many Asiatic lilies in her flower beds at home. Finding lilies has always been a sign that we're in the right place. When C and I visited the property he later purchased, we noticed three struggling lilies in the front flower bed. Last summer they were nowhere to be found, but this spring they reappeared. I had moved the rocks in the bed, and I suspect this may have created the needed microclimate, with the rocks heating up in the sun. All this to say, that the first bloom opened the day that we arrived back in the city. I had no idea the colour and it was pleasant surprise to find a white lily.

We'll be hanging around the house this weekend, as the town is expected 60 (!) baseball teams to attend a tournament here. I plan to spend a good amount of time out in the yard, D has a list of chores to complete as well, and Eli...he's happy to be home and have access to all the fun stuff here. 

And our newest addition to the household is my cat Saku, who was living in the city at my son's. However, the new roommate came with five cats, and we figured it would be easier to acclimate him to two others here. He did well on the trip home, occasionally reminding us he was in his crate in the back seat. He has seen Stanley and Spencer through the glass doors, and hissed a couple of times but otherwise ignored them. We won't be introducing them in person for awhile yet. The other two seem curious but aren't upset about the newbie. He's my lap cat and cuddle buddy, and I'm happy to have him with me again.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Update from my brother, a new fence, and more weeding

The name of the game this week was yardwork, and lots of it! We had some rain over the weekend - they even got some up north). Garrett had stopped in with his dad the previous Thursday and the two had put up the rails for the fence boards. He said he was expecting delivery on Friday and planned to work Saturday and Sunday. The weather wasn't conducive on Saturday, but he arrived early afternoon on Sunday, along with his nephew, and the two of them had the fence and gates completed in just over two hours!

Here's a before and after:

The before photo was taken about a year ago after I had cleared out various railroad ties, rebar and other assorted junk.

Ta da! We were so impressed with the work this fellow did and would recommend his services. We really appreciated that he capped the fence and the reinforced the gates. I asked and he provided a special type of latch and we are able to lock it from the inside. (I should note the fence on the right was installed by the next door neighbour before C bought the house).

What isn't in these photos is the other gate and fence between the back patio (in front of the garage) that encloses the entire back yard area. The fence is tall enough that C can play with Sage back there and not worry about her scaling the fence and escaping. Plus it just looks terrific!

I spent an hour or so last week digging out the Lily of the Valley that was growing next the garage. It was there when we moved in, and when reminded that it can be toxic to dogs, I decided it needed to come out. The photo on Wednesday were simply three of the items that I found when I was digging. Not pictured included a hockey puck, a rubber connection for something or other, and a few screws and nails. 

On Monday I turned my attention to prepping the back yard for grass/clover seed. I'd watched a few Y-tube videos to get an idea of what needed to be done. I raked up much of the loose debris (small pieces of branches, some wood, and rock) before using a heavy rake to scratch up the surface. The rain we'd had on the weekend had some spots quite wet, but other areas were hard and dry so it took a bit of time. I also got around behind the garage - no fence there anymore and took down several small Lombardy poplars. One had fallen over in the wind on Saturday night, just hanging on by one root. Another I was able to push over! The remaining three or four trees I cut down. The debris is piled up behind the garage and I'll leave it there to dry before having it hauled away, likely in the fall.

On Tuesday, I followed up on the remaining trees by drilling into the trunks with my drill and spraying Round-up in to the holes. I'm told several applications will kill the tree and I should be able to remove them more easily. (I see more digging in my future). The former owners had also allowed a tree of some sort to grow between the sidewalk blocks. After cutting it to the ground, I gave it the same treatment. I have no intention of lifting those blocks (24"X24") to get at the roots, so I'm hoping this will eliminate any future regrowth.

After I'd mowed the front lawn, I went back over the back yard with my heavy rake, watered the entire area down, and used a seeder to spread the seeds. I quickly realized I did not have enough grass and clover, so I cleaned up and went to the greenhouse for more seed. Back at the house I finished off the seeding and spread some lawn soil on the areas where I hadn't been able to loosen the soil to my liking. Another watering and I was done with the backyard.

We have an area in the front lawn where the city dug up the water main (perhaps - it happened before C bought), where the grass is patchy. I spread a bag of lawn soil, spread the remaining grass seed (with some clover mixed in), and gave it a good watering too. As I've told my son, it's likely we'll continue to see patches there, and in the backyard, and he can add clover seed as I've another full bag of seed to be used. According to the information I've read/watched, the clover will be the first to come up, in about 4-7 days, the grass is slower to germinate but will start filling in over the next 6-8 weeks. I've warned C too, that his water bill is going to be high for the next while. Hopefully less than I think though as there is more rain in our forecast. 

I was able to text with my brother early in the week, and he said things are slightly improved, but they are still concerned as the rising temperatures can change things very quickly. Here is a video he sent me, of his drive into La Ronge. 

I told him "I probably would have turned around, NO, I would have turned around". 

I was ready for a break and took the day off on Wednesday, except for watering the back yard a few times. I spent part of the morning organizing clothing for our trip to Halifax, and starting the packing process. We're planning to use one checked bag for clothing, and the second will hold Eli's booster seat, and other items that I have no knowledge of, but my daughter does. Later a quick trip to the thrift store netted me two pairs of shorts for Eli and a set of vintage salt and pepper shakers. Then it was off to Stitch and Chat at the library. 

Thursday was weeding day. Our neighbours to the south is useless too busy to take care of their side yard. As a result there are weeds of various sorts, including grass, creeping bellflower, thistles, etc. It is an eyesore and I was tired of looking at it. I took out all of the grass, thistle, bellflower, and wee elm saplings, but left the yellow flowering weeds. They are kind of pretty and I figured I'd leave something for them to do. Before and after photos are below, and I continued along the fence line (not shown) to get rid of the grass that has grown under the fence and next to our driveway. 

You can see I've left the newspaper, cardboard and stepping stones/rocks as well. I'm nice, just not that nice.

Friday was a quiet day, as it rained a bit which was nice, but not enough for the newly seeded back yard. I've been watering three times a day for around 5 minutes at a time to keep the soil relatively moist. In addition, I did some housework, laundry and vacuuming, and ran out to get a few groceries. It felt cool outdoors so when I returned I stayed in, and watched Y-tube videos of places we'll be visiting in Nova Scotia. Just 10 more sleeps!

Today, I'm planning to do a bit more weeding - I'm almost done everything I want to do outdoors. There is baseball and hockey to watch in the afternoon and evening. It should be a relatively easy, relaxing day!

Have a wonderful week ahead, everyone!

Preparation and the final countdown

First off, the Wednesday photo was a shot of the city crew in the process of replacing the sidewalk across the street. There are 5 workers (one behind the two standing), two with shovels, the hidden one cutting up the sidewalk to the condo, and the two guys standing there. I assume one of the standing guys was the driver of the truck...the other a supervisor?

It was a busy week leading up to today. I like to think I'm prepared for travelling, but there are other things that needed to be done before I leave the house this afternoon. 

We had cool weather through the weekend and into Monday, but it did warm up enough on Sunday afternoon enough for my son to clean out the eavestroughs on the house. As he pulled out the gunk, he dropped it below onto the front deck and the back patio. I followed along behind with a broom and dust pan and garbage bag. Most of the accumulation was at the ends of the eavestrough, especially at the downspout. In fact, he asked for his toilet auger to clear the downspouts! I'm thinking it has been awhile since the job was done. I brought the hose and he ran water through each eavestrough so we could confirm the water was flowing well. (And yes, I'm aware he bought this place last November and this is the first time he's cleaned the gutters.)

Seemingly overnight., the trees across the street have turned yellow

On Thursday I picked up a few grocery items for my son, and for the cat too. We were running low on wet cat food, and I bought eggs, some sandwich meat, and a loaf of bread for C. Breakfast for dinner is something C will make for himself, as well as grilled sandwiches. He actually is quite adept at cooking, but tends to do that when he has more time. I remember the days of coming home from work and being tired and not wanting to cook a big meal.

I also got the weeding finished in the backyard! With the rain we received, the ground was easier to turn with the pitchfork. It was tiring work, even so, and I'm glad to have it done for a couple of weeks. I'm certain some will come back though the area I'd finished early in the month has stayed mostly clear, just a few weeds that needed to be removed. The hard part are the tree roots - those suckers go far and deep. I've run into a couple that will require me to dig down as far as I can and then use an axe to remove as much of the stump as possible. That will be left until I return from my trip.

That pile of brick and blocks by the wall were dug up as I cleared the weeds. You'll note I never posted a before picture...take my word for it was bad. The soil in pretty much the entire backyard was dug up and turned over.

The other big news this week is the neighbour next door with the big dogs is planning to build a fence this weekend. He came over to talk to C, one evening, and discussed his plans. Those plans changed slightly but he let us know, and I'm looking forward to knowing the two dogs are contained. They are large dogs, and clearly not well trained. The couple bring them out on leashes, but if I happen to be in the back they lunge towards me, and the wife, especially, doesn't seem to have great control. She manages, but I suspect the dogs could get away from her if they really wanted to. We had planned to put up a fence anyway but were waiting until next spring. Now, it should be complete by the end of the weekend. Fingers crossed, though I won't be here to see it.

Packing is done, with the last few items tossed in the bag this morning. That includes the phone charger because, if you were with me last March, it caused some issues when I forgot mine at home. Amazon did come through, but barely. I was asked in an early post about concerns of Covid on the ship. It's a possibility, as it is on an airplane, in a mall, at a concert, or anywhere that people congregate in large groups. I prepare as best I can, wearing an N95 mask on my flights, washing my hands frequently, and avoiding touching my face. I take cold/flu meds with me just in case as well as a couple of testing kits. The bigger issue on many ships is Norovirus which spreads due to improper washing of one's hands (or lack thereof), transfer through shared use of serving utensils in the buffet, and door handles and stairwell banisters. It frustrates me to see people enter the buffet and bypass both the sinks and hand sanitizers that are provided. While I do use the buffet, I tend to take my meal outside the open air tables, even on cooler mornings, and I only rarely take an elevator to avoid the hordes who fill them. Better, that I use the stairs and the reason that I book a cabin on a floor about midway between the upper and lower decks. Hey, I don't want to climb eight to ten flights of stairs unless I absolutely have to! I've been cruising since 2011 and I've yet to contract any illness, knock wood. There is a medical facility onboard too, that I hope never to use.

My son is dropping me off at the airport this afternoon for my first flight to Calgary. I have almost 3 hours layover there before the flight to Seattle. Without delays I should be at my hotel by 9:30 p.m. local time. I've pre-arranged transportation to the port from the pier, and should be picked up about 8:45 a.m. the next morning. I've been warned that traffic is quite congested due to the time of day, as well as on-going construction. Boarding won't start until 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. - I might be a bit early, or maybe I'll be just on time. :) A few of us on the FB group have arranged to meet in one of the main dining rooms for lunch. It will be nice to meet some fellow passengers, at least two that are also sailing solo. Plus it ensures we avoid that darned buffet that is absolute zoo on the first day. 

Assuming I'll be able to access free WiFi at the various ports, I may post a few phone photos. Regular posts will begin again in a couple of weeks. 

Take care everyone!

Who will stop the rain?

Time is getting away from me and the end of June is closing in. Of course, the weather isn't cooperating (still) and I'm not getting into the yard to do the work I want to complete before I head out of the city at the end of the month. We've had more rain and cool temperatures. The weather forecasts keep called for warmer weather a few days ahead and then...the forecast changes and we're getting more rain. I ought not to complain because I know there are areas in both Canada and the United States that are suffering from the heat. 

In any event, I've been spending more time indoors, knitting, doing housework, and watching sports. I've completed two kitchen towels, seven dishcloths and have nearly completed a baby sweater. This is from the yarn I purchased at V.V. a couple of weeks ago. I still have more to work through. The crochet project I started was frogged as I did not like it, so I went back to knitting.

On Monday, I had an appointment to meet with the lawyer in the morning to sign off on the paperwork for the old house. Check one more item off the to-do list. I picked up groceries on my way home, almost all sale items so the old pocketbook took a smaller hit than it might have. I spent the afternoon on the phone - first calling the utility companies to advise of the change in ownership effective June 28. For one I left a message, the second I was able to speak to someone on the phone and it was dealt with efficiently. However, the third was a bit annoying. I wasn't able to get through on the phone so used the "chat" feature. It's a feature alright. I provided my information and what I was trying to do. Well, the person on the other end of the chat couldn't seem to understand that we had already moved (and set up service at the new house). I simply wanted to know who should do the final meter read and when at the old house. After some back and forth, we finally got on the same page and I got the necessary instructions. But not before she requested the new owner's name and telephone number. I finally referred her to the buyer's agent.

I also made a few calls for my son. The fence in the backyard has been leaning for some time. With the high winds we've experienced, the back fence was leaning even further into the alley. He went back to see if he could prop it up; he could not, so he gave it a push towards the back yard and it went right over, it was so rotten. Again, I met with mixed success - I sent one e-mail and left two messages. Only one got back to me that day and we arranged to meet on Tuesday to go over the scope of the work.

My brother was in the city on Tuesday morning and dropped by for tea and to drop off a big bag of fresh rhubarb from their garden. Not long after he left, the fence guy called to say he was on his way. We walked around the yard as I showed the work that needed to be done. The old fence runs across the back of the garage and needs to be removed. Eventually, C would like to add a garage door to the back of the building to allow for alley access. We'll also add a fence on the west side of the house - currently, there is a short chicken wire fence. Those neighbours (renters) have dogs and we'd like to put something a little sturdier to ensure they stay in their own yard. There is a metal gate to be removed mid-way up the driveway, and a gate to be repaired between the patio and the back yard. 

The quote was received on Wednesday morning, and C and I decided it was a bit high so I made a couple more attempts to find a contractor. I did let the fellow know that we were expecting another quote or two and received a text back saying "I could possibly work down the price a little for you on my end..." Hmmm, does that mean he overpriced the quote hoping I'd not look any further? 

It was raining heavily all morning so I ought to have stayed home and done housework. But, instead I dropped off a donation at V.V. My friend S had given me a box of yarn from her mother's stash last week. I'd sorted it on the weekend and had a large bag of yarn I know I would never use. S's mom passed away in 2021 and S has been holding onto this yarn since then so she was glad to be rid of it. I asked how I could say thank you and she suggested I make mittens for her 5 grandchildren. I made sure to keep the yarn I can use for that project. 

Anyway back to V.V., I found four lovely plates made in Portugal for just over $5. D has limited dishware and most of it plastic. These are a pretty teal colour, one of her favorites, so I know she'll appreciate the addition. I will too, because I dislike eating off plastic! 

We finally had a nice day on Thursday, though we'd had another soaking rain overnight. It was a quiet day spent knitting. I had thought I might be able to get outside on Friday morning, but awoke again to more puddles. Another fencing contractor stopped by to quote on the work. He seemed confused by the scope of the work, and based on his comments, I don't think he really wants the job. I've still not heard back from three other contractors - I understand they are very busy but a courtesy call would have been nice.

The morning had warmed up before the contractor arrived, so I had spent some time cleaning my car of debris, vacuuming and wiping down the dash and console, as well as the doors. The mats needed cleaning too, so I pulled them out and planned to use the little green machine on them once they were vacuumed. That didn't get done so it's a task for today. Assuming it doesn't rain, that is.

The contractor showed up, and once he left, I went to the front yard to do some weeding in the round bed. The weeds are certainly loving all this rain. The ground is saturated, making it a muddy mess to dig in, but the weeds are definitely easier to remove. I went around back and cleaned up the pile of yard waste in the back yard and filled up the green bin. 

We've had more rain overnight, so yard work will be out of the question, at least for the morning. The sun is shining at the moment, and the radar seems to suggest the rain and thunderstorms will miss us. I've got a few errands to run, then it will be home to watch baseball and football, knit, and maybe, just maybe, spend some time in the back yard. I leave for town next weekend and plan to be there for two months. I'll leave instructions with C to at least spray back there on occasion.

I'll leave you with a photo D sent me of the peonies out front. I'm hoping I'll see some blooming when I return.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Wacky weather, yard work, and seeing results

The weather has not been cooperating, so there has been little outdoor work accomplished here in the city. Call me a wimp, but when the overnight temperatures are just above freezing, my desire to start digging in the dirt is limited - at least until later in the day, if and when the sun returns.

I had a lovely, quiet weekend and I'll admit to spending much of it curled up on the couch, with our cat Saku, watching television and taking the occasional nap. The photos from Wednesday were taken out the front window with my cellphone of the crows' nest across the street. (I left my Canon behind so it wasn't very clear to those who read the post what you were seeing). The pair clearly have young ones in the nest, as they continuously seemed to be bringing food. Their efforts were entertaining to watch.

Too, there was baseball and hockey to watch. The Blue Jays team is having an up and down season with some great games and some not really poor showings as well. I've definitely learned that pitching has an incredible impact on winning or losing. The Edmonton Oilers are on to the next series after winning game 7 in Vancouver against the Canucks earlier this week. I hadn't watched hockey much this year, and the last two games of this series were quite enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'll continue to watch should our sole Canadian team bow out at some point though. It helps to know a little about some of the players for me to keep my interest.

I took my car into Midas Muffler on Tuesday and left it at the shop overnight. I really hated driving it any distance when it was so very nosy. Since the shop was downtown, I decided to deal with some banking while I was there. My first stop was the Royal Bank where I have a small RRSP (I believe that would be an 401(K) or an IRA in the US). The funds represented my vested pension contributions from a former employer and were locked in until I turned 65. Assuming, that the lock would be lifted automatically, I had asked my financial advisor to request a transfer to my RRSP at the investment company. RBC refused on the basis that the funds were locked in.

So, I went to the bank to find out what was going on. Well, it turns out that the lock isn't lifted until I complete some paper work. Of course, I couldn't do that during my visit that day. Instead, I had to book an appointment for Thursday to meet with the bank employee to open a PRIF so that the RRSP funds can be transferred to that, and then I will be able to withdraw the funds and transfer them to an account of my choice. Just for fun, the last step will require a second visit, though I did confirm that I can do that by telephone rather than in person. Confused yet? I know I am. It all seems like a bureaucratic boondoggle. 

Then it was off to CIBC, my primary institution to do some every day banking, and finally, I stopped at the Bank of Montreal to deposit some funds into an account I have there. (All of the banks are within a block of each other). There is no CIBC in town where I live with my daughter and grandson. To obtain cash, I would e-transfer funds to my daughter and she would withdraw the money at her bank. Now, I'll be able to access my funds at the local branch.

In some ways it would make sense to transfer everything to the Bank of Montreal, but I have several direct deposits and withdrawals set up for my primary account, and changing that situation would be more of a hassle than it is worth. Transferring a bit of money each month to the BMO, may just help keep my cash spending in check. I guess we'll see.

Wednesday was a quiet day, waiting to hear back from Midas. Mid-afternoon I had the call the car was ready, so I took the bus downtown to pick it up. It sounds so much better. I stopped at Safeway on the way home to pick up a few groceries. I'd bought a few things last Friday, but only as much as I could carry walking the 1/2 hour home from the store. We've been eating out of the fridge and freezer and the options were getting quite limited. The freezer is now full and the veg crisper has great options for salads.

My bank appointment was scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. Before hand, I went to Walmart to pick up a few things and did a wander through their garden centre. I was looking for a ground cover to plant in the rock bed out front. There are a few lilies in the bed (about 3 from what we could tell last fall), and the rest is weeds. There wasn't anything there, so I continued my travels, checking garden centres at various other stores. Eventually I found a couple of bugleweed at an okay price at ? They should do well, and though it will take a few years, should help to fill in the bed.

After I finished weeding on Friday

The RBC appointment took nearly 45 minutes - just to fill out two forms and one letter of direction. It can take up to 3 weeks for the funds to be transferred from the RRSP to the RIF, and once that is complete, I'll be able to complete the paperwork to have it transferred to my CIBC account.  

After my banking was complete, I ran out to Costco for a few bulk items, and on the way home I stopped at Value Village. All of their summer clothing was 50% off and other clothing items were 30% off. I found another hooded jacket and two pairs of capris for a mere $12! Back at home I started digging in the dirt. It took me an hour to weed a small part of the bed.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the yard. I did run to Canadian Tire to get a leaf rake and a present for my son; a whipper snipper/line trimmer. I mowed for him last weekend but the edges need to be trimmed. Now that he is a homeowner, he has to learn how to care for this stuff too. I tried to convince him to buy a condo last fall but he was set on a house. He may be regretting that decision soon. At the house, I cleared out the front bed of weeds and added four bugleweed plants. They should, in a number of years, fill up the bed. There is another bed in front of the living room window that needs weeding, but I left that for today (maybe). 

I also spent a few hours out in the back yard, pulling up landscape fabric and landscaping timbers, digging out rebar, and carrying rocks and bricks. It's a mess back there. I plan on cleaning up the leaves and other debris, digging up weeds (as best I can), and then I'll find someone to rototill the yard. I foresee doing lots of raking and moving the dirt around to level it. I've got some plans to discuss with my son before I start seeding the microclover. 

The bricks are in a separate pile opposite to this pile of junk. I'm planning to move the rocks around to the front bed, where I'll try to create an actual rock garden. 

Speaking of gardens, D sent me a photo yesterday of the alyssum. It is huge! She says the peonies have gotten tall enough to hide the solar lights I'd put in the front flower bed. 

I'll get to see it all for myself later this upcoming week. Our realtor and his photographer will be out to initiate the listing on the old house. The painting is complete, D has finished the cleaning, and the remaining few items have been removed to the new house. Hooray! 

Today, I plan to spend some time out in the yard again. More weeding, and my son will use his new toy to clean up the edges of the lawn and along the fence line. We'll also pull out the last of landscape timbers that was covered in several inches of soil. If it hadn't been for the rebar I saw sticking out of the ground, I might not have realized it was there. 

We're forecast to reach a high of 17C (63F) with sunny skies, so it will be a lovely day for it. It's only 2C (36F) as I'm finishing this post but this is supposed to be the last of the cooler weather. More reasonable night time lows of 8-10C (46-50F) are expected for the foreseeable future. 

Have a great week ahead everyone!