You Just Never Know........

The Ridge

Bill and Gibbs were up at or shortly after 5:30 on Tuesday, July 14th. I think I was in the throes of a dream but could hear Gibbs chewing on his yak cheese bone beside me. Bill was getting ready for work and came in to say goodbye around 6:30.

Good morning!
Last night's sky was a pretty one.,

He loaded Jazz and off they went down the lane. I had no scheduled time slot today so just relaxed for a while, did my stretches and got up. The duvet was on the floor at the bottom of the bed where I tucked it when I crawled in last night. It was another 10:30 night for Bill next door.

We won't need that duvet tonight either so it can stay right there. I was going to have me tea here at home and then go to Hanover for groceries but decided to get moving early. I took my tea, slipped on my summer dress and left Gibbs in charge. I was on the road by 7:30.

It isn't Quartzsite, but
it's pretty. The red dot says
goodnight over the Ridge.

Traffic was light on the way and when I pulled into both Independent Grocers for yogourt and when I pulled into the Walmart parking lot 10 minutes later, there were maybe 10 vehicles. Independent doesn't open until 8 so there were 4 of us waiting.

My list for W wasn't as long as usual, no real meat to purchase and that kept the bill down too. I did need to get our printer ink tanks (ouch!$$) but was expecting that. I wear my barefoot/earth shoes pretty much everywhere and they are my favourite.

Funny guy. I let him out
around 9 after it had cooled down a bit.
He goes piddle and then lays on
the grass - not looking at me.
I had no choice tonight but to 
wait him out. 
🥰

However, when I sit outside, I slip them off so my feet aren't white at the bottom of tanned legs. Yes, I'm vain. When I saw my sister-in-law, Liz, wearing not uncomfortable sandals like what I have, but the old-fashioned flip flops from my teen years. Yes! I wanted a pair and found some for $5.

This morning, I count 5
Moonflowers.

Surprisingly, they slip on easy and STAY on until I want to take them off. Thanks Liz! Back in Durham, I stopped at Home Hardware to get the 5 gallon can of ceiling paint shaken for Bill. I asked for help and young Bentley came out and carried it in for me. Here is where the chance meeting took place.

Because one day, they'll be done,
I wanted a close up.
Such a pretty flower to brighten
my day.

While we waited for Kelly (whom I didn't know before today) at the paint booth to shake the paint, she and I struck up a conversation. She flipped over my sunflower earrings. When she discovered that I made them, she started asking questions. What is your website? Are you on Etsy? I want some!

Our morning sky has been
interesting lately.

I didn't have one of my cards (I didn't need to pay for anything so my purse was in the car) so I gave her my email address and told her I would be in the parking lot on Sunday. I'm so pleased when things like that happen. You just never know. Whether she shows up is neither here nor there, it's a contact. 😃

I found this interesting.
Walmart had this bird seed.
Apparently it is spicy. The squirrels
and probably chipmunks don't like it.
Isn't it odd that birds don'd mind it?
🤔

When I got home, I watered my vegetables again and then decided there would be no more outside work today. By 10, it was already 31C/87F so I believe that to be a wise decision. Unfortunately, Bill and Billy are building a fence at their job. Mike did tell them to be wise and stop when they needed to.

She asked if I had daisy earrings.
I didn't. Now I do.
Finicky, detailed but fun!

I was so excited about meeting Kelly that I came home and set up my table again. I wasn't going to make many more earrings but now she has given me incentive. I'm going to focus on flowers rather than just designs. Everyone loves flowers, right? 🤭

I made my tea at 3:30 and started my blog after finishing 2 pair. Bill was home around 4 and although we'd planned to go into Durham and cut grass for Robin's 'soon to be' bnb right away, we pushed that until after supper. Hoping for a wee bit more shade in the area.

Supper was spaghetti and meatballs cooked by Madame IP. One dish meals, nothing like it on a busy night. I had spaghetti squash with mine but a few noodles got mixed in when I dished it out. It was a very good meal.

Yummy.

I cleaned up the dishes, Bill loaded the dishwasher and at 6:15, we drove into town. We took my battery mower and picked up one of Robin's gas mowers. Bill did the back of the property and I did the front and side until my battery died. We definitely need new ones. 😕

We stopped at Robin's home and Bill started her mower for me and he hopped on the rider. At least we were working in the shade at her place and I was quite comfortable cutting her front and side lawns here too. 

Oh my! Our babies have all
grown up! Soon they'll be leaving.

I ran out of gas both with the mower and my body so just waited until Bill finished up. No trimming tonight, it's too hot and it really isn't bad at either spot. She's home tomorrow and we probably didn't need to cut it but she asked and we said yes. She likes her place to look neat.

They look just like Mom and Dad
now only an inch or so smaller.

Back home, we each hopped in a vehicle and after greeting our good little watch pup, drove next door. I knew I'd get eaten alive but it was the perfect time to water Dot's gardens. I slipped on my windbreaker but they still were a nuisance! Egads!

That sun never rested today
at all.

Bill stayed to do some cutting in that he didn't get at last night. Everready batteries, if that is what he's running on - I recommend them. They last forever. 💕 I came home and worked on my post. Gibbs is happy, one of us is home again.

This was a 'too' hot day but we can do nothing about it so will get through it with the tools that we have. The Suite is cool. He is working in a/c and we can open windows tonight again for sleeping. I did get the birds fed this morning so they are happy but I do believe the Orioles have left me now. 😟

With no clouds, it didn't get
any more spectacular than this.
Good night!

A long post again, and very few pictures. It was a good day.

Thank you for stopping by.

Summer Ramps Up

 The Ridge

On Monday, July 13th, things fell back into place of a work routine for Bill. He was up early, I was sound asleep so can't verify what time, but downstairs when I heard Gibbs bark. Bill had gone to get Jazz out of the shelter and bring her back to the patio.

Good morning!
3 more and still more buds to bloom.

His challenge today was to attach our bigger, hard shell cooler in my seat. The soft shell ones don't keep his drinks and yogourt cold enough throughout the day. He managed just fine and will be able to save a bit on fuel by riding the bike this week. 

Very few clouds in the sky
making it look like the sun is hiding.

Looks like no rain now until Saturday, so I will go up after supper and water my vegetables. Day to day that forecast changes so we count on nothing until the actual day before. 🤭 It was about 7:10 when I left for town, dropping the garbage in the green bin at the road on my way out.

Just one customer today and other than dropped dryer sheets and kleenex bits, the Mat wasn't too bad. I could have done the big dryers today but will wait until Wednesday to take care of that. Following normal routine, I found my dime 'from Daddy'. 💕 

I did stop at Rethreads before leaving town and found a few craft things but most importantly, a pair of identical 'crocs' to Bill's that have holes poking through the bottom. $3 and that will get him through the summer.

This Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth was
camouflaged so well, when I was dead-
heading my petunias, I picked it up,
thinking it was a leaf.
It looks like a stealth bomber, no?

I wanted to do some trimming this morning and since last time, I cut my left arm enough to need bandages, I put a long sleeve shirt on and went out. The area behind the outhouse is horrible, the vine that strangles everything was not the only thing taking over.

I did the best I could cleaning up those invaders and tossed them in the brush pile. Before I finished, the '*&%@!!+*' loppers we just bought at Princess Auto in Owen Sound last week broke. This is the 2nd time I've used them and not on anything bigger than 1" thickness! The handle wouldn't stay on.,

Our robin is nesting now.
'DO NOT DISTURB'

They are the extendable ones so maybe that is the problem. We've thrown 3 pair of loppers out this spring already. 😡 Frustrated and already hot, when Bill and I messaged a bit later, he said go to Home Hardware and ask Josh for a good pair.

These should do the trick!

I had lunch and a coffee and decided to take him up on it. Josh was helpful as always and set me up with a pair of very sturdy Fiskars. I could tell looking at them that they would last and for  ceonly $40, I was pleased. The crappy ones were $25 on sale, money which we just threw away basically.

Back home, I redressed in the long sleeves, hat and gloves and walked down the lane with my wagon. A cedar tree on the outside of our fence had really low branches that make it impossible for Bill to trim under it so I started there. 

Gibbs was content to stay inside.
Oh my goodness, my heart melts
seeing him in this position.
💖😍

I know fall is the time to prune but the trees are of no sentimental or otherwise value to the property if by chance they don't survive my hacking. It looked better and these Fiskars are my new friend! We'll need to keep them sharp when the time comes.

First, the cedar trees lower
branches. They were dragging 
near the ground.
Bill is right, it is getting tall,
close to the hydro lines.

In the front field there was another tree, no idea of its variety, so it got a good trim so Bill could ride the mower under and around it without losing an eye. It offers nice shade so with the breeze early this afternoon, I was cool enough. 

Then to the one in the front
field.
Now he won't hit his head.

My arms couldn't reach them all but I did my best and it is a big improvement. Then I realized my water was still in the fridge. 🤔 So, with a wagon full from the evergreen, I just left the trimmings where they lay and started back. But wait...........!

Along the east fenceline along the end of the lane, that vine had me pulling and hacking some more. You know the routine, talking to yourself. 'Just this one bunch while I'm here'. Yah, well, another 30 minutes later and I'd made some difference but not a lot.

This tree got a haircut
and a cleanup around its
base too.

I had to stop for the day so pulled the wagon up to the pile and just left it for another day. There's at least 2 loads still to bring up. I had left Gibbs indoors where it was cool and he would be much more comfortable so sat outside in the shade until my body temp dropped to normal.

This area frustrates the heck out of
me. I can't get to where the small 'trunks ?'
meet the ground it is so congested.
I did my best and pulled much
of the vine away.
Another day, I'll do the next fence post.
The fence along there has never been good
but it would still be nice to see it.

When I came in, I wasn't going out again until after supper. I read, sitting with Gibbs, had my tea and waited for Bill. Gibbs heard Jazz first and had his little 'Daddy's home, Daddy's home' fit so I let him out to greet him. 🥰 He rested, Gibbs tried and I read.

We had a grilled supper. He had a double bacon cheeseburger and I had a smoked sausage on a bun with one on the side. Lunch today was a bologna, cheese, lettuce wrap and it was better than the fish one I had last Friday. 🤭 

It's a hot day and a few more still on the way looking to be the very same. Bill went to the neighbour's to do another coat of primer. He was happy to finish one coat in 2 rooms last evening. I didn't see him until 10:30. 

Supper was good.

Supper was delicious. Bill made his lunch and drove back over in Ptooties for a second coat and to do the cutting in. We had a high of  28.33C/83F with 73% humidty so quite warm. 

When I went up to water my
plants, Gibbs stopped in
Goose the Spruce's shade.
I was almost too late for a couple
of my tomato plants!!
I gave them a good soaking
and will go in the morning to
repeat and I'll check next door too.

I'm still waiting to hear from the Lion's club member who is looking after the Harvest Vendor Show. Do I have a table or not? My friend has not heard either so I'm calling in the morning. Maybe I'm being impatient but I'm a newbie!

So far. Aren't they lovely?
Good night!

It's been a great day. Thank you for your visit.