August Ends on a Sunny Monday

The Ridge

I was up first, at 6:30, on Monday, Aug. 31^st. Last day of this month and we can’t believe how quickly it went. It was a busy, busy but great month. Recapping, we had a week of friends’ visits, we worked many hours at our jobs, I had fun times with my family, vegetables in the garden came to fruition, some bills got paid off and Bill made great progress with his planes. It’s been a pretty good month!

A blue sky to start the day off right
Coming home from Durham

Leaving Sleeping Beauty in bed, (that's unusual!) I slipped out to go clean the Mat. I was reminded that it was garbage day as I entered Durham but Bill was up and on the ball at home. It was quiet today in the Mat, just one customer came in at the half hour. I had taken my tea which is working out well for me, doing that. Back home, Bill was cutting the ‘front’ lawn area and I sat and read blogs to pass the half hour before 9. I hadn’t got my morning kiss yet so when I was ready to leave for Graceland 2, I walked over to get one before going out the lane.

I love the white fluffies against the blue background

 It was a runaround morning at Mitch’s. First, I drove his Acadia with him to pick up his Lincoln from the repair shop. It needed some minor work to get its safety check done. Then I worked on papering and taping the Ford Edge to get it ready for painting. Mitch was on the go 90% of the time so I worked without a supervisor. With just a few minutes left, together we covered the hood and roof from front to back. It is easier with two than a single person.

And the turn onto Baptist Church Road is an interesting
one - I love it!

Mitch pointed out some papering that I messed up near the hatch so I was lightly chastised and he scooted me off saying he’d fix it. Oh darn! I offered to hang around and do it right but he took partial blame since he wasn’t there to guide me as I went along. I’d never covered a complete car before! I knew he wanted to paint the car this afternoon so I wasn’t able to fix my own mistake.

A couple of the birdfeeders now hang in this tree

Back home, Bill was ‘still’ cutting grass, this time out in the front field. Everything else was done. From the evidence in the sink I could see that he’d had something to eat so I did the same and made myself a coffee. We went into town to FS Co-op to get a propane tank filled. While Bill did that, I ran across to Foodland to get some 4% Cottage cheese since Walmart didn’t have it. I was also looking for my 9% Liberte yogourt but no one seems to have it. 

The property is looking wonderful after a grass cutting

After getting propane, we went to get fuel and from there I walked to Home Hardware. I wanted bird seed to see if they would be hungry and I also found some work gloves. Bill met me in there and we drove home from there. Bill wasn’t done working yet, some day off, eh? He drove over to the Acreage for water and that was when I  followed up on a contact that we were given yesterday for a furnished apartment in Hanover. Sadly, as beautiful as it is, it is out of our price range. Darn! We do have a prospect from another one that we saw and now it is a matter of biding our time to see what happens at the border.

I followed his path to the pond's backside

We dozed in our chairs at some point and then he went out to dump our black tank. Two trips from the Suite to the outhouse took care of that. I got up to go for a walk but got distracted and filled the bird feeders. I don't know if they are looking for food but it is there in case they are. Chippys have been in hiding for quite a while, I only see one every other day if that. If they are around, the seed will bring them back.

Peeking so as not to scare them,
I approached the pond

To find this one lonely turtle who would not be frightened away
I didn't realize the dirty pond could look so pretty!

The weeds growing around the fire pit have finally irked me enough to do something about it. If you were here in August, you saw how the grass grew up from dropped seeds. We actually discussed it. Well, I’m happy to report that it looks much better now. The ground was damp and sandy enough to make it easy. Then I walked down the lane and checked out where Bill cut grass. He goes farther each time as long as the ground is dry. He’d reported a log full of turtles earlier but I only found one lone one this late in the day. It was after 5:30 so we both came up to start supper.

A yummy summer supper

Bill grilled the sausage on the Weber and I cooked corn on the cob inside on the stove. We were eating by 6:30 or so and after cheesecake, had dishes done by 7. Bill returned to the Hangar and I worked on my blog. 

I saw this from up on the hill
and wondered if I'd just missed the sunset

I ran (yup ran) down the lane to capture what I could

And was rewarded

This was a busy day and even though Bill worked at home on his day off, it means the rest of his week and weekend won’t be so hectic. I hope you’ve had a good start to your week and end to the month.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think that Bill lived here
But never fear, only when he is in the dog house does he have to
stay down here overnight. Ha ha
Good night AUGUST!

Thank you for popping in!

Sunny Sunday, Mom, Great Day for a Drive

 The Ridge

We had no need to get up at any specific time on Sunday, Aug. 30^th so after last night’s late movie, we slept in and didn’t get up until almost 7:30. We had our morning brew together and then after reading a few blogs, I went for my walk. By then, it was warmer even though I still needed a light jacket under my safety vest. When I got back it was just after 9.

It is nice to see blue sky

I got washed and spruced up a bit for a reserved visit with Mom. Yes, Donna and I were meeting at Rockwood for a 10:30 half hour visit outside. We were both anxious to see her and yet trying not to expect too much. I haven’t seen her since October so knew this was something I had to do for my own peace of mind. It might sound selfish but because of Mom’s dementia, knew it was more for me than her.

When I returned from my walk, I took some photos
of the only potted plants that are still surviving here

A black caterpillar - hmm we all know what that is supposed to mean
A moon flower blooms, a rain spattered maple leaf and the verbena
comes back to life

We met outside at 10:15 and had our temperatures taken before sitting at the 6’ long table. Our chairs at one end, a single one at the other. When Mom came out, closely monitored by a nurse, I saw an older version of our sweet Mother. No dancing, no laughing, just confusion was displayed as she used her walker to come to the table. I won’t go into a lot of detail; I’ll just say it was very difficult for me, us. Donna tried to get her talking but it didn’t matter. Mom couldn’t respond in any intelligible way.

I wanted/needed to get a picture of Mom today so
although most of them were not to her credit, this one was cute
of her pulling her blanket up over her head
Gosh, I've missed her smile
even toothless!

There was a chilly breeze and we were in the shade under an awning so that didn’t help. She just couldn’t get warm, even with a blanket wrapped around her and over her head. We weren't allowed to approach her, touch her or help with the blanket when it shifted. I don’t think she really opened her eyes enough to know who we were. Unless we can sit close to her at an indoor visit, I won’t/can't do this again. There is no real benefit for me to see her this way and certainly none for her. A curiosity was satisfied and I got to see my Mom after many long months. It’s a tough situation.

A cute one with the nurse bundling her up
They are so good to her

Back home, I reiterated to Bill what the visit was like and then made bacon and eggs for our lunch. He got cleaned up and we headed out for a drive around the countryside. We’d decided to do some scouting in the area for motel prices. It was also a good way to focus on something else, and get my mind off the upsetting visit. We spent an afternoon driving from one small town in the vicinity of 40 miles ending up in Hanover. Once more, it was disappointing. Yet it was also enlightening and overall a worthwhile endeavour.

Lunch was tasty and filling

No results at this point but it is a start. We stopped at Donna and Gerry’s just before leaving Hanover. Ptooties went through a car wash and a fuel fill up then we did some shopping at Walmart. It was only going to be for a few items but I decided to get everything on our list that we could. It meant that we didn’t have to stop in Durham at Foodland on our way home. Once again, no diet pop other than Coke. ☹  Back home, we put our groceries away and I made myself a cup of tea. It was 5 o’clock, supper wouldn’t be for at least an hour.

And by afternoon, the sky was filled with clouds

With mayo in the fridge now, I made up a batch of egg salad for Bill’s lunches, updated today’s post and then sat with him to watch Castaway. We’d decided on a simple supper of toasted (garden) tomato, bacon and cheese sandwiches with corn on the cob. At 6, I started to get them ready and Bill helped make the sandwiches. They were good and the corn definitely had that fresh, local taste. Billy, who Bill works with, texted to say that they wouldn't be working tomorrow so Bill gets the day off. After a busy afternoon that will give him an opportunity to get some work done around here.

Our 'simple' supper was yummy
No dessert was necessary tonight
Good night!

After dishes, Bill went down to the Hangar for a while and I sat to work on my post. Tomorrow starts a busy week again so I wanted to get it done tonight. I downloaded pictures and put an old movie on in the background. We had a good day today, learned a few things and got a better feeling of peace than what we had yesterday. 😊

Thank you for your visit on this nice Sunday.

Weather Change, Bill’s Plans Change, Laundry Done Indoors

The Ridge

On Saturday, Aug. 29^th we were up by 6:30 (one of us much earlier than that) and we sorted laundry and I headed into town around 7. Bill had already decided that his plans were changing. He'd hoped to go to London with his cargo trailer and planes and meet Keith and Ken at the flying field. Unfortunately, the winds were too high for any decent flying and that was if it didn't get rained out. Of course, he was disappointed as he has been looking forward to it all week. 😔

The Mat was empty and didn’t look too dirty but I loaded 2 washers with our clothes and then began cleaning, my usual routine. The floor just needed a sweeping and a quick damp mopping but the toilet was a disaster! I guess that can’t be helped.

The sky looked like this for most of the day

I was out of there by 8:30 with clean and dried clothes. The sky was too threatening that I didn’t even second guess how to dry them. I went through the sweatshirts and tees that were left sitting for a week now and brought what I thought my grown grandsons would wear. If not, I’ll deposit them at V.V. when I go next. I won’t see Taylor and Jake until the 19^th but that’s okay. These seem to be good quality pieces and will be fine for the cool temps.

Back home, I had my tea and Bill worked away on doing the reconciliation on our bank statements. Then he got out the vacuum so we have completed a few jobs by noon hour. Somewhere in the middle there, we had some toast and rhubarb jam. I’d kept it in the freezer for a while as we weren’t eating it fast enough but I love it and the gesture from Rob to give it to us. Toast isn’t something I eat everyday so it lasts me a nice long time.

The tomatoes are ripening quickly now

I finally finished yesterday’s blog post as last night’s early bedtime prevented that. We did get a lot of rain overnight but I didn’t hear it. We both slept well. Checking on Avon’s latest campaign, I ordered some items that I like to stock up on while they are on sale. I’d rather be ahead of the game there and not run short of the products we like. Then it was time to plan for tonight’s supper so I got some ground beef out of the freezer.

The hammock was no match for the wind today

Bill went down to the Hangar for the afternoon. I found it chilly so kept windows closed and worked on a crossword and read inside. Around 3:30 I moved upstairs to the bedroom and turned on the tv. I know I dropped off a couple of times but that was the point of going upstairs. At 5:30 I came down and started to make spaghetti for supper.

I'm sure you can guess what movie we were watching this afternoon

I used Madame IP to sauté the meat, onions and mushrooms before adding the sauce. On top of that, I spread the half noodles before rinsing the jar with ½ cup of water and pouring it over everything. I cooked it for 8 minutes and then separately cooked some spaghetti squash in the microwave. I should have cooked it a bit longer since they were linguini noodles I used. Woops! With an extra few minutes in the oven, Bill was able to enjoy his supper.

After we ate, before dishes, we had a video call with Bill’s youngest daughter, Jess, Matt and little Easton. That little guy is always a charmer and made us laugh with a few words and waves with his hand. Such a sweetie. It was a nice conversation with the kids and after saying goodbye we had some cheesecake and then did the dishes. Bill went back down to the Hangar.

I forgot to get a picture of my spaghetti supper but here is the dessert
with one bite out of it already - Woops!
Good night!

This was a quiet, lazy day but not a very warm one. It got up to 19C/67F but we didn’t get any sun. Good day for me to stay indoors. Sorry, for the lack of pictures. A bit of a boring day up here on the Ridge.

Thank you for stopping in.

 

Fingers Crossed for the Windshield, Working with a New Tool

The Ridge

I got out for my walk at 6:45 on Friday, Aug. 28^th and I needed to wear a jacket and my safety vest. It wasn’t really cold but a damp chill was in the air even though 14C/58F is pleasant. The sun had a difficult time rising through the clouds and there was low lying fog around the area. I walked as far as the horse farm entrances and turned back.

I couldn't decide on the morning walk pictures so you got them all!

The only vehicle I met was Ptooties. Oh! I’d forgotten that I needed the truck today but I’m glad Bill remembered. Good thing he stopped as I’d also forgotten yesterday to take my work stuff out. My gloves, mask and rag to wipe my face when I’m done work. Seriously, before I go very far the dust needs to come off! Ha ha. Quite a sight, I am most days. Back home, I had my tea and phoned Larry from Southgate Auto Glass at 8 as he’d asked me to.

It looks really foggy up ahead but by the time I got there
it was clear as a bell

There goes Ptooties up over the hill to the highway

No answer again so I left a detailed message. Upon arriving at Mitch’s, he asked if I’d heard from Larry. He continued to feel bad that I seem to get a runaround but I told him I’m being positive and we’ll get in touch. After half hour, at 9:30, he called and darn it didn’t he answer right away! LOL So we both spoke to him and I got the word that TODAY for sure it will be done. He is very busy but promised this afternoon sometime.

I brought the TCB Acadia home
After Bill got home, I took a picture
TCB for Elvis' Taking Care of Business, of course

Mitch had me finish sanding a few spots on the old Chevy truck and then moved on to the one that just got dropped off yesterday. It is a 2010 Silverado and there is some detailed sanding around the wheel wells to do. Detailed meaning it needed a smaller sanding tool. Oh-oh, something new. It took me a while to get the hang of this one too but I managed okay with it before using the big sander over the same area to smooth it out for priming.

I drove over to meet Larry and get Black Beauty

Then! I primed. By then, it was 10 to 12 noon, which surprised the heck out of me that the last hour had flown by. Another word of praise about how much I’ve come along since my first days had me feeling proud. Mitch paid me again for a few more hours and I took his Acadia home. When the truck windshield is almost done, I’ll go back and pay Larry to get the truck. It was nice of Mitch to loan me his vehicle, I could have walked home and back.

I had a shower when I got home and once more was pleased with the bathroom scales. With a coffee on the go, I opened windows and made a bowl of soup. We have plans to meet my 2 sisters and their hubbies for supper so hope everything is looked after as far as Black Beauty by then. Bill called at 1:30 to let me know he was on his way home. Nice early day for him, that is great on a Friday. He pulled in the lane at 2:15. 😊 We chatted and talked about the truck progress. Before he had a snooze, he asked if I would cut his hair for him.

Larry cuts the glass where the sticker is

We can either leave it like this or try applying heat to it
Leaving this on the dash will work just fine

So, Patsy’s Salon opened its doors on the patio and I gave him a nice cut. I’m feeling quite comfortable now doing it and I must be gentle at it since he dozed off in the chair. I told him not to do that, as a slight nod of the head might cause unwanted bald spots! As I was in the middle of cutting, Mitch called to say that Larry was working on the windshield and to come over anytime. Perfect! It wasn’t 3 o’clock yet so that was good timing.

This picture is nice but you need to see the next two to see what is going on

Bill went up for a nap and I drove over to Graceland 2 to get some pictures. Mitch and Brian were hard at working on the newer Silverado so I said hi and went to meet Larry. As I determined from the phone, he is a nice guy and is very anal about his work. He hopped around checking this and that and making sure there were no finger marks on the new glass. He couldn’t get the yellow safety sticker off, says he never could in all his 26 years, but as he does every other time, he cut the glass so we can at least put it in a ziplock for on the dash.

I just told them to get along

I said s’long to Mitch and drove home. I’m glad that business is over with and we got a discounted deductible as well and no tax charged because I paid cash. Good deal! Bill was just waking up when I returned so that was a short siesta. We basically just hung out until it was time to go pick Donna and Gerry up at the Acreage for supper. Markdale is 15 minutes from our place so after getting 'gussied up' a bit, we left around 5:30. 

Entering Markdale, a town we never seem to visit
I meant to get a picture of the restaurant but forgot

At Steven’s restaurant you could take out, eat outside or eat inside. John had made reservations for 6 of us and we thought it was very nice of them to choose a location close to us rather than closer to their home. 😊 We wore masks once we entered just to get to our table and when she brought our water, we removed them. The tables inside were also ‘safely’ placed 2 meters apart and it wasn’t long after we sat that the birthday girl and her hubby arrived.

The old fashioned tomato soup
I highly recommend it!

Because they were having wine, Bill and I ordered a rum and diet Coke to celebrate with them and I ordered Chicken Parmesan with veggies after my appetizer. The soup of the day was old fashioned tomato and it was probably the best tomato soup I’ve tasted. With a bit of a bite to it and some tomato chunks and rice, it was filling and delicious! Bill had salad and Halibut and chips. My meal was very good with a chicken breast leftover to bring home but Bill wasn’t so keen on his supper. Sometimes too much batter is used and the type and way they cook their fries can make or break a meal.

the Chicken Parm was very good but I expected it to be stuffed
with mozarella and it was just melted on top

The company was good and I really enjoyed that I didn’t have to plan, cook or do dishes afterwards. It was a good time. We were home by 7:30 after dropping Donna and Gerry off. For some reason the two of us were like zombies and were in bed before 9. Falling asleep in the chair apparently does not equate to sleepiness as by the time I got undressed and under the cover, I couldn’t get comfortable enough to drop off. I lay there for about 30 minutes listening to the wind outside.

It was a warm night though and with my ear plugs in I didn’t hear the rain. We were expecting a lot overnight. This was another good day and now the weekend is upon us.

We're getting back into our routine of the 6 of us celebrating
our birthdays
Next month there will be two more!
good night!

Thank you for your visit.