Great Sleep! The Suite Sparkles, A Birthday Wish

The Ridge

When I woke up the second time on Thursday, Aug. 15^th it was 6:15 and Bill was already up. I’d had a great sleep after going to bed after watching Romancing The Stone together, a movie from 1984. Fun to see again.  I rolled over, happy to not have to get up for anything, removed my ear plugs and heard the door. Twice. I figured he’d gone out for something and returned but when I got up he wasn’t downstairs. Without even reading his note, I knew he’d gone to the Acreage to get a bladder full of water.

And I walked while the sun rose

We didn’t need it in our tank but instead it was to wash the Suite. Finally. It was somewhat embarrassing to have it looking so dirty when we had company but they knew that Bill had washed the roof before their arrival and that is what made the worst of the streaks. Anyway, while Bill was gone, I slipped out the door for my walk with my hoody on against the cooler morning air. Down the lane, I realized that I forgot to grab my safety vest but figured I was dressed in white so would be fine.

And yes, we are alone up there on The Ridge

No deer sightings this morning, they would have been clearly visible now that the wheat fields are cut. I returned before Bill and he came up the drive 5 minutes after me. We had our morning drinks together and he went out to begin washing the cap/nose of the fiver. 

Here is where we moved the frame of the cargo shelter
His cargo trailer will fit under there nicely
How appropriate!

I went out and watered the Hibiscus before putting gloves on to empty the small wood pieces into the cargo box. Almost all of the 2 bins fit but what didn’t, can sit beside it and we’ll use that stuff up first.

Bill hard at work

Then, I emptied the half full mulch bag into the individual flower beds and around the trees in our sitting area. I walked up to the garden and picked a lovely green pepper that is probably at its peak for growth. I also pulled a bunch of green onions although the green is gone.

The wood bin is full of kindling

Inside, I prepared to make breakfast while Bill continued to wash around the corner, facing the west in the shade. I wanted to fill a water bottle with our RO water jug so pulled the jug forward a bit to release the cap pressure.

Here is today's woops
Looks pretty bad but it missed the carpet so not so bad

Woops! It connected with a stacked dish of canned tomatoes leftover from last night. Splat! All over the floor in front of the fridge and under the edges of the slide. Breakfast was put on hold while it cleaned it up and reached under the edge with a flat cooking tool and paper towel. This put me in mind of Jo-Ann cleaning up after their maiden trip with food in their fridge. You are not alone, my dear! I finished by giving that area a good washing and then cut some peameal bacon for frying.

Then breakfast happened and I almost ate it before
taking my picture

Bill enjoyed the bacon with eggs while I refried my quesadilla to eat with mine. We did the dishes up and then Bill went out to carry on with the washing. I brought the dining slide in when he gave me the word that he was ready and I settled inside with a b.p. coffee and crosswords. I chatted with Jo-Anne by text for a bit and put the slides out again when Bill was finished. Word is that rain was in Tavistock so with the cloudy skies, Bill carried on around the south side before stopping.

I had an important job inside
Opening and closing the slide-outs

I swept the Suite and replaced the sheets on the bed. Tomorrow, while cleaning, I will throw a wash of linens and sheets in. After sitting down and writing lyrics for Ken, I decided to make some zucchini bread. Not sure how that will go but needed to give it a try. I used a regular recipe but substituted the flour and sugar for almond and Splenda and the lemon zest for orange. Also, instead of baking it in our convection oven, into the inner pot and Madame IP it goes! Why the heck not?

Dirty windows

 Bill finished outside, the whole fiver by the time I was ready to plug us in to power and by the time the rain showers arrived. They didn’t amount to much but a light sprinkling. With the cloudy day, we needed to use some 30-amp power anyway so the timing was perfect. It wouldn’t take much less time to cook in the IP, just less heat in the Suite and a chance to try something new.

My sweaty hard-working hubby hopped in the shower after we got things put away. I only helped with the chairs, recycle bins and my bike but between us, the place was tidy again. Once he finished, it was my turn to shower while the bread baked. With our jobs for the day done, we did our own thing. More crossword time for me and I began to pull the blanket I’d started to crochet a while ago out. Rose helped me understand how to make it better and I’m anxious to try that.

The batter in my greased inner pot

Cover with paper towel and then foil wrap

 We enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon with NCIS reruns and even though we didn’t get any more rain, it was nice to stay put indoors. At 4:30, I made us each a creamy cup of tea and we tasted the cooked zucchini bread. Now, remember that Bill doesn’t like the green veggie so I wasn’t expecting too much. Surprisingly, when the bread was warm, he enjoyed the taste and suggested cheddar cheese on it for next time. Bingo! It sure didn’t take much zucchini so I have more to use up.

Ready to cook for 60 minutes

For supper, I warmed up my leftover cheesy zucchini strips, chili for both of us and cooked our last two corn on the cob. It went down very well. We watched the news, the shocking story of a drunk driver creating mass destruction in the East London Village. Luckily, there were no fatalities and other than a fire fighter who is in critical condition in the hospital, no other serious injuries. The aerial pictures though of the area and 7 destroyed homes are devastating. The evacuees will not soon forget that scary evening.

We cleaned up dishes and then heard light rain on the roof again. My vegetables and flowers will be happy, that’s for sure! This evening, I worked on my blog post and Bill sat across from me, doing the same thing. Then I went to create my masterpiece blanket. 😊 This has been a quiet day but we still managed to get a lot of things done. Bill is pleased that the Suite is sparkling clean now and so am I. I didn’t get pictures but I can see out the windows again!

Leftover chill and zucchini noodles with a side dish of corn on the cob
Yummy
Good night, everyone!
Enjoy the rain!

I hope you’ve had a good day as well. A special Happy Birthday out to our good friend, Charmaine, in Langley, B.C. 

This is the last time we saw these friends all together
and we miss them terribly
Happy Birthday, Charmaine! (beside Bill)
Plans to reunite in April/May 2020 on our way home

We weren’t able to reach her by phone today but our card should have arrived by now.

Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are always appreciated.