Coping on our Own, Grass Gets Cut, Tomato Soup, Hummers Happy Too

On Tuesday, Aug. 14^th Bill got up with the sound of the alarm at 5:30. It didn’t fit into my dream so woke me too but once I realized what it was, I drifted off again. After his shower, I woke again and knew he was eating breakfast. Clemson was curled up near me, on top of the sheet but under the lightweight bedspread. I think I must have done that after Bill got up.

Walking with my buddy today

The one thing we had to do together before he left for London was give Clemson his liquid medicine. Short of the straight-jacket, we managed to get it down but feel like real bullies doing it. In bed was a good spot because Clem was still in prone position with his eyes barely open. Bill squirted it into his mouth while I held him still. The vet said it wouldn’t taste too bad but to see our pooch afterwards, shake his head back and forth, I beg to differ!

But this buddy is goofy

Bill was out the door by 6:30 and within minutes, Clemson was patrolling the edge of the bed so I lifted him downstairs and watched him jump up on the couch. I closed the door and tried to go back to sleep. I guess I did because it was 7:30 when I got up and slipped out the door for my walk. Clemson was sound asleep. It was 59F when I left with my windbreaker and at least 65F when I returned with it wrapped around my waist.

It was going to be another hot, humid day so I’m glad I left the a/c on. It didn’t come on after 8 pm last night but by 10:30 it kicked in to keep the Suite to a comfortable 75F. That is 23C for our Canadian readers on the metric system. There was still some morning dew on the grass so I came inside after my walk and made my tea. I sat at the laptop and read to see what our blogger friends are up to.

So, this part of the lawn got cut today

I make no commitments to my friends that I can and will read every day. I try to but sometimes I just don’t get to it. I will promise to pop in every few days to catch up though because I do enjoy your daily writings. Bill contacted me at 8:35 that he had arrived safely. That must have been a good drive as it only took him 2 hours. Hmmm. When I finished my tea, I put my shorts on and my hat and cleared the lawn area of chairs, etc.

Bill had plugged in my lawn mower battery last night so there should be a good charge on it. Starting at 9, you’d think you were well ahead of the heat but no, by the time I finished around the flower garden, bunky and front area, it was 10 and I was done in. The heat was heavy and my back and hair under my hat was wet with it. 

That’s enough for today. Tomorrow morning, I’ll try and start earlier to finish down the corral hill at least. I doubt the trimming will get done until Thursday or Friday.

I was sitting in the shade trying to cool down, admiring the look
of no tall weeds

I had the pertinent blinds pulled down to keep the direct sun out but also put both awnings out for a while. There is a breeze but it is coming from the southwest. I’ll keep an eye on them in case they start flapping. 

My next project was to make tomato soup from my stock pile of fresh tomatoes. Some are getting soft and we can’t eat them fast enough. This was my plan anyway, since last year the soup turned out so good.

fresh tomatoes

The soup will stay good in the freezer for 3 months so I can at least take some of my garden offerings across the border that way. Same with the carrots. I’m hoping that they turn out so I can blanch and freeze them. I washed 2 lbs. or so (about 10 or 12) of tomatoes and quartered them, cutting out the stems and harder core pieces. In oil, I added some green onions and a couple of small carrots, cut up. Once cooked, I added the tomatoes and 5 cups of soup stock.

onions and carrots tenderizing

The only thing I goofed at (again!) was with the 2 bay leaves. It says to break them and add to the pot. I neglected to count the pieces and when it came time to fish them out, I didn’t know when I had them all. With my green onions, the green floating pieces weren’t always bay leaf. Darn! I like jigsaw puzzles, right? So, I pieced what I could find together. Hmm, still missing some so I’m bound to get some bitter taste down the road. Now, I’ve made an addendum to the recipe; “count the pieces of bay leaf”.

Hmm, I'm missing some of the puzzle pieces

I blended the soup after it simmered for 25 minutes, ooh, it smells good! I have about 8 cups of delicious homemade tomato soup to put into freezer containers and plenty more tomatoes on the vine and in the bowl on my counter. 

Nice and creamy tomato soup

Maybe spaghetti sauce is another recipe I can make. I’ll google that too! We don’t eat enough salsa to make that but we do like lasagna and spaghetti. I needed to make some more feed for the hummers. They have been thirsty and plentiful this summer so have to keep them happy. It's in the fridge cooling right now.

Clemson is much better today; the head tilt seems to have diminished to almost non-existent. Even though he isn’t interested in his food, his treats or cheese today again, I managed to slip the ½ pill into a teensy piece that did go into his mouth and didn’t come back out. When he is outside, I let him wander and it is like he’s experiencing a brand-new place. There is still some circling as if something pulls him to the right but he is doing really well.

Clemson follows me to the Ridge Restroom

Once I’ve seen him jump up onto the recliner a few more times, maybe we can open the bedroom door. He loves sleeping up there on the bed shams and pillows but I won’t try that today. It is challenging me, being with him alone. Before I slip outside I need to make sure he is comfortable somewhere. When he jumps on and off the couch and stands at the door,I have to determine if he is just curious about where Bill is or if it is just his disorientation. He doesn’t always want out to piddle.

I like it when he sleeps, I have a bit of freedom

Today his tummy seems upset so he wants me to sit with him. Now that I’ve made what I wanted to make and swept the floors, I’ll give him some of my time while I catch up on my post. Don’t we all want that special attention when we’re feeling out of sorts? Someone to rub our tummy, whisper sweet nothings in our ear? 😊 You get the picture and Clemson wanted it all this afternoon. Before long, we both dozed. That got in the way of me reading my book.

Still a bit confused and walking slowly

Clemson and I went outside and with him on his leash, we walked down the lane. The leash is necessary right now because he tends to want to walk the very edge of the lane. The problem is that the very edge of the lane is also the edge that drops down to the pond. I really had no intention of slipping down to get him if he fell in. He walked pretty good but it is obvious that his tummy is still not settled. Back inside, we sat in my recliner and he finally laid down and slept again.

I turned Bull and NCIS on at 4:30 and sat once more with my book. I chatted back and forth with Rob and Pat about some of our winter plans and with Donna about what they were up to. The good news today is that our 3 girlfriends from London have confirmed definitely to coming on Sept. 8 for the clothing exchange AND staying overnight here at the Ridge. An offer of a lovely fifth wheel will be here on the property for them to sleep in. That will be a fun weekend!

At 5:15 I wondered if Clemson would eat anything so removed the hard food in his dish and cut up a Cesar pack. He seemed interested and yet only ate about 4 small pieces, if that. That was better than nothing but still not going to sustain him for too long. At 5:30, it was time to get my own supper. It isn’t exactly a day for soup but since I’d made it, I was interested in seeing how it tasted. I mixed up a Caesar salad, toasted a small piece of rye bread and warmed up a bowl.

It was actually very good. Success! After cleaning up dishes, I poured some of the hummingbird food into the feeder and tried once more to sit and finish this post. Up and down, in and out, I’m worn out with the little bum. I had a brain wave and put him on a long rope so I could leave him out there for as long as he wanted and I could come back inside.  That worked like a charm and I knew when he was ready to come in. The air outside felt cooler and the breeze was coming in the right direction even though it had calmed down. I pushed the a/c up to 78F and opened the windows until bedtime.

Clemson asking another question
Will you come sit with me?

The rest of the evening went quietly, well, with the same repetitiveness. Bill called around 6 and later, before bed. He has had a busy day, which is always good. Sure beats standing around. I hope you’ve had a pleasant day with whatever you got into.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. It is always nice to hear from you.