♪ RunAround Patsy♫, Busy Day Making up for Yesterday

The Ridge

So, it was Tuesday, June 30^th, last day of this month and I knew what I had to do. Bill and I were up together around 6:30. I’d had a dream-filled sleep at one point and seemed restless a lot too. Bill said the same thing. He had to actually wake me from a dream where I yelled. I thanked him, apologized for waking him and as I curled back into the pillow, I almost giggled. It was clear as a bell, the dream and how I debated in it whether I could scream.

At 6:30 I was out for my morning walk and a different view of the sunrise

Back to this morning. Bill went in for his shower and since it was so early, I slipped out for my walk. I’m glad I went early as it was already in the mid to high teens. Celsius. 

The fence garden down by the road looks better

Looking from the road

When I returned, I made my tea in a to-go coffee mug and soon after Bill left for work at 7:30, I drove to Hanover. I had quite a list, with 4 stops planned. I went in order of their location along the north side of highway 4. North? I don’t know, my right-hand side.

a great morning for a warm walk
My hair has sure taken a lighter shade in the sun

There were a couple of ‘should’a’ moments as far as picking something up at one store when I discovered the next store didn’t have what they’d advertised, but other than that, I didn’t do too badly. So, Walmart, Dollarama, Giant Tiger and Independent (which wasn’t in the plans but turned to be a necessity without backtracking). Lastly, in Hanover, was M & M’s for our meat. We’re going to try their Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignons for our guests.

A wrap today for a change
tuna, cottage cheese, cukes, cheese, egg

It was after 11 when I left the city and drove to Durham’s Liquor Store with the next list. Bill needed his rum and we wanted to top up on wine. I’m finding staff at all of the stores I visited are very friendly and accommodating. No masks, at this point, are required, still optional, so I didn’t wear the one I carry with me. 

5 of the 7 receipts I came home with today

I took a peek in the second hand store, Going Once, Going Twice, on Main Street, Durham. I hadn’t been in there since they re-opened. I like the owner, a very nice lady. I’m glad I stopped because there on the dvd shelf was the movie I have been looking for! What a deal!

Bill and I love this movie and maybe now
Ken and Kim can borrow it
:)

One more stop at the Crazy Dollar to get a small Canada flag for our mailbox. Bingo! No one else had them but I knew he did. He didn’t recognize me from the Laundromat until I told him as I was leaving. He is quite the chatterer and I remembered that from my days in there cleaning. 

A couple of my purchases, garden gloves and
a window bird feeder
Let's see Chippy get on this one!
I just have to find the best spot for it

Finally, back home. There is only one thing I had NO/ZERO/NADA success with and that was Caesar salad mix. I’m not going to make it up from scratch so might have to pop in to Foodland later when the parking lot isn’t so full. Either that, or just potato salad will have to suffice.

At the Crazy Dollar, I found the flag Bill wanted

I unloaded everything and gathered the receipts together. That was a costly adventure but all worth it and planned for. I put everything away and then at 1, made a coffee and a wrap for my lunch. That was a nice change. I’m keeping the blinds drawn today, Bill suggested that with windows open, it made more sense when there is a breeze. Hopefully, it doesn’t backfire. We know we have the a/c for sleeping if necessary.

My biggest surprise of the day!!!
Carmelita has returned to celebrat Canada Day with us tomorrow

Tomorrow will be a different story. Company coming so we’ll keep the Suite closed up and let the a/c flow down from the bedroom. It needs to be comfortable in here just in case this is where we have to eat for one reason or another. 

Second surprise of the day was finding 4 rose buds on our bush
I've pampered it for 4 years since we brought it from our London home
Finally

The afternoon was a busy one too. I watered the hanging flowers and the vegetable garden. I trimmed the lower branches off Goose the Spruce and 3 other little pines on the east hill seen out our back window. It will be easier for Bill to trim and looks better.

The garden is looking good
I'll pick some lettuce this week
although the green onions are a disappointment

Next, I sanded the metal of the bench that I saved from the B of E years ago. It was destined for the dump and I asked my supervisor if I could have it. It wasn’t really black to begin with, more of a bronze rustic look but it needed some paint. We have a few cans of rust proof black spray paint so that is what I used to spruce it up. It looks better but I only did the rusty parts right now and will do the rest on another day.

Goose the Spruce is sure stretching up there!
Now Bill can reach under the weed trimmer

We have had a couple of those long body pillows from back in the day when they were popular. Last summer, I split one in two for some outdoor chairs but I couldn’t locate the other one. After searching in the rafters of the Bunky, I came to the conclusion that it must be in our couch bed. That is the one that belongs on this bench. When I finished, I was hot and sweaty as I sat in the shaded King chairs. Bill came up the drive within 10 minutes just after 3.

The back and seat looks much better now

They finished their job and he was done for the day and for tomorrow as well. Beyond that, we’ll see when Mike needs him. Bill sat with me for a while, enjoying the breeze over in that corner of our lawn and then we got out the dining tent that I’d bought from Mitch’s garage sale last summer. It hasn’t been up yet! When we opened it, we realized that it had never been opened. It was the easiest tent we’ve ever put up and it’s huge! It will be great tomorrow for some shade and bug free for eating. Yay!

Look at the size of this screen tent!

We came inside, both feeling tired from the work and the heat of the day. Bill dozed and I watched NCIS. For supper, I reheated the hamburger ‘goulash’ in Madame IP while cooking carrots and mixed veggies on top in tin foil. Within 15 minutes, we were eating. I felt hungry so I’d started at 5:30 for a change. During the cooking, I peeled potatoes to cook for tomorrow’s salad and started them in the instant pot right away.

After supper, I brought the dish with the leftover ice cream cake (Father’s Day) in from the bunky freezer. It was pretty frosty but when we tasted it, it was still yummy. There is still a fair bit left so I cut it and transferred it into our Chapman’s container in our freezer. There was just a bit of Black Cherry in the bottom so this would keep it frozen perfectly! I’m not just a pretty face! There were a lot of dishes as I didn’t get them done today.

a messy but delicious supper plate

When they were cleaned up, Bill drove over to the Acreage to get water. We were pretty low again. My potatoes were done so I moved them into the fridge to cool off. I’ll cut them up in the morning. 

The potatoes cook so easy in Madame IP
They are cooling in the fridge tonight

There was, by this time, a lovely breeze outside and it slipped in through the open windows throughout the evening. Should be good for sleeping tonight too. A wonderful day!

For the ladies
No offense to the guys!
Good night, I'm outta here!

Thank you for stopping in!

A No-Nothing Kind of Day

The Ridge

I’m surprised that it was such a nice night sleeping as with windows open, there sure wasn’t much air filtering in. I know I slept well regardless. Bill was up on Monday, June 29^th with the alarm (or before it?) and I followed around 6:30. I left for work first, just before 7 and that turned out to be a good thing. I got down Baptist Church Road and realized that my water bottle was sitting at home. Bill was working at Mount Forest today so would be going right by the Mat and dropped it off soon after. 

Looks comfy, doesn't it?
It would have been at 8 degrees cooler

That was great as I would need it in there this morning. It was going to be a hot, humid day but the Suite was quite comfortable, I assume from when the clouds covered the sun, which was often. After the Mat was cleaned, I headed straight home for my tea which I enjoyed while reading some blogs. There was really nothing on my agenda for the rest of the day since it was too hot to be digging in the garden.

Pretty sky today

I took my book out, determined to finish it today, and alternatively sat on my lounge chair in the sun and then in the shade. Romeo came to visit only once to get a few peanuts before playing shy again. I guess he just wasn’t too hungry. In case you’ve wondered, Carmelita has left us, no sign of her for about a week now. I’m sad but as long as she’s okay, that is nature for you. She graced us with her presence for about 3 weeks running so we were lucky.

Since I didn’t walk or do anything outside, I have few pictures to share today.  After moving inside around 12:30, I made my lunch plate and double-checked my list for tomorrow. See, I don’t feel too bad about a lazy day as I have a couple of busy ones coming up. A few places to go to pick up what we need for Wednesday and that is tiring in itself. But that starts tomorrow.

Pond reflections, you could stand on your head and get a similar picture
Any volunteers?

At 2:30, I closed things up, pulled blinds and turned the bedroom a/c on. At least if Bill comes home and needs a cool place to nap, he can go up there if the main area is too warm. 27C/81F is no cool day! Taking no chances on the meat we want to serve, I called M & M’s in Hanover to check their stock. We should be fine if I hit them up in the morning, they have a fair bit. 😊 The rest of the day was pretty quiet too. 

This was a favourite meal Mom used to make
I used to make for my kids
and I still occasionally make when I've run out of ground beef ideas

I walked down to the mailbox around 3:30 and got a reminder of the weeds along the lilies and geraniums down there. I’ve been talking about getting down to them but even though I didn’t have my gloves, I cleaned it up as best I could. Then I got the mail and walked back up to sit back down. I managed to finish my book and then updated the info on Goodreads. I checked out the book cupboard and chose a Michael Connelly for the next one. Quicker read with not so much concentration. But, I really did enjoy the Clockmaker's Daughter.

There was 45 minutes waiting for turtles today
that we'll never get back LOL
But we love them around so don't want to risk hurting them

Bill texted at 10 to 5 telling me he was stuck in the laneway, waiting for a turtle. She was in the middle either digging or laying. Watching her, you can’t tell what the movements are. So patiently he waited 30 minutes and then she moved and so did he. Inside, we had supper around 6. Hamburger gravy with vegetables cooked on the stove and potatoes done in Madame IP.  It was good and we have enough leftovers for tomorrow.

She's waiting for me to pass

After dishes, we hopped in Ptooties and went into town for fuel. I’ll be taking the car tomorrow and could have done it then but I’ve got a lot of stops already and Bill offered. 😊 The air is still and as we drive back in the lane, there she is again. 

The holes sure seem big enough for eggs

In the middle. We waited 15 minutes and she moved on. I got out to check the locations and found about 4 holes, empty, all in a row. Aaah, the poor things, they have a hard time finding a nesting spot.

It's pretty incredible, isn't it?
This is only 4 of the many down our lane.

Up at the Suite, I did my post and watched some tv. Bill went to the Hangar for a while and by 10, I was calling it a night. This was a very lazy day for me.

And Chippy says goodnight while eating a peanut

And for all you cat lovers..........

Thanks for your visit!

A New Day, A New Venture, New Neighbours

The Ridge

Sunday, June 28^th once more (3 days in a row!) we had no real need to get up early. No need for an alarm and it was nice. So, this is retirement! Ha ha, I know, we’ve been ‘retired’ for 4 years and what do we do but go find outside work. Well, yes, this is true and we teased Donna and Gerry for doing that after they retired. Now, we’re doing the same thing. Anyway, it is what it is and if $$ wasn’t such a big deal right now, we wouldn’t be doing it.

The clouds were interesting last night after I posted my blog

I wanted to go for my walk this morning but with the heavy white fog all over the land, that wasn’t to be the case. Bill came downstairs for his coffee and I got into a nice hot shower. It was around 9 when the fog lifted yet still no sun yet to speak of. 

A very foggy morning

I could feel the heat of the day arriving and our thermometer was reading 16C/61F when I headed out the door and down the road. I wore my rain slicker as the air felt very damp.

Took a while for it to burn off and then there was so much dew
Bill had to wait to cut the lawn

As I passed Mitch’s (Elvis) house, I heard him call out. “You need to walk faster!” Hah! My pace was pretty good already so I retorted that it was too hot and this was as fast as I get. 

And then it started to burn away

I was rewarded this morning for walking this way and at this particular time. There were no deer in the field (a way over there) but up ahead on the crest of the hill just past Turbine Lane, there he was. He/She was standing perfectly still, looking right at me. So, I stopped.

Can you see him? He's just looking at me here
I can't include the video, I have too many pictures

With only my phone, I snapped a still picture and knowing it would soon cross the road, hit the Video button and recorded the next moment. Aah, so pretty! As I approached that area, I searched aimlessly, with my eyes only, down into the forest of trees. I knew it would have to be a pretty strong poker hand of luck to see him and I didn’t have it. But, I was still thrilled to have seen it cross safely. Within a minute, a vehicle came my way where he’d been. Maybe that is what spooked him.

I love when the turbines are hidden in the sky

It's like an awakening for them too

After hitting my mile marker on my Fitbit, I turned back and headed for home. Feeling quite happy. No achy muscles or joints this morning and it felt great to stretch my legs. There is a tree down from a previous storm, I think I wrote about it a few weeks ago. It is still there, laying across a portion of the crop. I wanted to get a sideview photo of it so cut into the field at the farmer’s entrance.

The tree is definitely dead now!
Mitch said he was going over to cut it up

Again, the voice from Mitch’s place. “Why are you cutting through the field?” He was just trying to get my attention. When I turned around Mitch was waving me back to his place. I like Mitch, he chats a lot sometimes and his language always consists of a few expletives but not every other word so I wandered back. We chatted for about 20 minutes and I knew Bill was busy cutting lawn so wouldn’t miss me. In the course of our conversation, I was offered a job. No kidding!

Bill was cutting the front field when I walked by
Later he put his hat on (!) and took his shirt off to cut
the back field and our area

Back and forth about what it would entail and how much I expected to be paid etc. etc. I left there with an extra skip in my step. So close to home, simple meaningful jobs to help him with deadheading his many petunias, cleaning out his 2 ‘taxi’ service vehicles and maybe even taping for the paint jobs after his car repairs. All things that he’ll guide me on (other than the flowers of course) but as many hours as I’d like and at a  good fee. Yay!

The geese weren't too bothered by him in 'their' playground
until I walked in and then they moved

It isn’t as if I was looking for more work but helping him helps us and I can walk to work. I’ve yet to see if Jamie needs me after Tuesday so this is a nice backup. I’ll go and chat with Mitch again on Thursday or Friday to get started. Things happen for a reason, don’t they? If it doesn’t pan out, or after doing it for a bit if I don’t think it’s for me, I’ll tell him and move on but I'm feeling positive about it.

Inside, this morning I made some of our Keto custard
I wanted to try it in my silicone muffin cups to see
if they would come out when turned upside down

It was tricky setting them up in Madame IP
but they cooked well
Unfortunately, they still don't come out of the cups
So much for that idea but they still taste good!

Back home, I was happy to share my news with Bill and he was fully supportive. The sun had pushed its way through the clouds and was giving us a gorgeous Sunday. Bill had finished cutting most of the grass when I called him in for lunch at noon. Bacon and eggs for him and a plate of my fatty stuff for me. It was very filling and I offered to clean up dishes while he went out to finish the cutting. When I came out to the patio to read, he suggested we walk over to meet the new neighbours.

Sitting at the table, i had pretty little visitor

She was curious about my bookmark

A young couple with 5 children between the ages of 20 (she lives elsewhere) and 4 and 2 beautiful Golden Doodles. There was definitely one cat at least still inside. They were a pleasure to meet. The Dad was attempting to cut down a tree in a very awkward spot at the back of the house so Bill offered his chain saw. After maybe 15 minutes, we said goodbye and Bill went back over. Long story short, after the saw wouldn’t start, once it did back home he slipped back over and cut it down while they were in town.

Who knew butterflies could read?

I’m glad we did that, it is nice to know and feel comfortable with the people who live around you. With that done, Bill levelled the ground under our bird bath (finally, we’ve talked about it a few times) and then he went to the Hangar.

I wanted to get our Bocce Ball set out in case
we felt ambitious on Canada Day

 I filled the small bird feeder and the finch feeder and hope the birds can make it last. I don’t have much wild seed left and want to fill them on Wednesday before company comes. It is always fun to watch the variety of birds who frequent them.

This isn't the right area to play, not long enough, but I was testing the balls
and my right arm :)

The sun is hot, it is a summery 25C/77F but lovely in the shade with the breezes. Nice to be up on the Ridge today! I sat with my book, part sun, part shade. I heard, then saw, our neighbours return to find the tree cut down and wasn’t surprised at all when a few minutes later, Dad,  rode over on their Cub Cadet with son #1 and son #2  in the wagon on the back. We knew they were coming just to say thank you. That was nice too.

Dad and his sons on their way home

I texted Donna and Gerry around 4 and told them they were late for Happy Hour. They popped over for an afternoon visit around 4:30 and stayed until 6:30 before supper.  It has been a while since they’ve come over to just sit and visit and it was really nice. After they said goodbye, Bill lit the Weber and grilled our Italian sausage. Bill will try his split in a hot dog bun (since that is all I have) and I will have mine on the plate with our leftover veggies.

While supper cooked, we had another visitor

She was up here when Donna and I were sitting together too
and came back
I think she knew that I didn't get a picture the first time

It tasted great and was filling. The rest of the night was just relaxing. Bill decided not to make his lunch for tomorrow until morning so we enjoyed a quiet evening. 

A reader asked me why the lilac flower was called
Google says it is a 'tufted Vetch'
It's quite pretty

We are in for some great weather over the coming week and that will be nice. Lawns are trimmed and cut so other than some grocery shopping this week, it will be business as usual. This was a wonderful day with a few new ventures.

Simple supper but a tasty one
We do long for a true farmer's sausage some day
Hope you had a good day!
Good night!

Now, a good friend sent me an email with many senior quotes
I decided to try and remember to share one each day
Some are crack up belly roll laughs

Thank you for taking the time to see what we’re up to!