Go-Go-Go and I Don’t Mean Dancing Boots!

The Ridge

On Friday, Apr. 30^th, it was go-go-go from 6:30 am until 4 pm. I hadn’t planned on the day being as long as all that (shouldn’t Fridays be short?) but it was yet it was mostly all good. It didn’t start out so good. Bill got up and noticed that his sock, which he lays beside his night table, was soaking wet. ?? Inside the little cupboard, the carpet was also soaked. ☹

Small cupboard, big sloppy wet carpet

Now what? He emptied things from the cupboard, checked the pipes and hoses in the hall closet which are there for a washer. The good news is that it wasn’t from a leak in the ceiling, slide or wall. It was one of the hoses that was leaking. Why it was turned on, obviously it was an accident, is a mystery but an easy fix. He went out and turned it tightly off and was able to head off to work. I put a towel on the floor to begin soaking up the water. Yeuch!

A couple of minutes after Bill left, I also pulled out to go to Durham to clean. The Mat was in pretty good condition with only one regular customer in doing her laundry. I was out of there by 8:30 and home to make a thermos of coffee and have some yogourt. I was at M’s for 9 and had my instructions on what my job would be for the morning. M had running around to do so I didn’t see much of him as I went about taping and papering the upper cab and box of the Ford. 

By noon, it was so close to being done that he asked if I minded staying an extra hour to finish it for him. He was hoping to paint the black (bottom gravel guard section all the way around the truck) tomorrow and then the red box on Sunday. The cab will not be painted.

My book turned out really nice 😃
I'm glad I made it

At 1, after payment, I drove home. The wind outside brought in flakes of snow a few times this morning and it was bitter cold at 4C/40F feeling much colder. I had some lunch and then drove to Hanover to satisfy our grocery list. Shop, in other words. Walmart was crazy busy, not surprising for a Friday afternoon. There was a lineup of 6 other shoppers ahead of me so we stood outside in the cold wind for about 10 minutes at the most.

Once inside, I was glad I was there to get most of our shopping after standing out there! I felt for people who had to wait in line for just one or two items. It really didn’t take me long and I was through the self-checkout and driving across to Shopper’s Drug Mart for greeting cards. May is a busy month for birthdays, not to mention Mother’s Day. ☹ Ah, I’ll be missing that hug this year.

When I drove up the lane, I noticed Black Beauty was parked beside the Suite. Bill said he was home by 2:30, an hour ahead of me. I unloaded groceries and Bill and I each had a parcel from UPS to open. Yay! My book arrived! 😊 Also, we got our new gps so Bill was in charge of that. It’s fish and chips for supper so we watched tv until it was time to get it ready.

The flag, hard to see here, didn't get a break all day
but the sky did at least

Today is our b-i-l, Gerry’s birthday. Bill spoke to him earlier and I made sure to send a birthday greeting as well. We won’t be going out for supper this year as we usually do with our siblings so will have to celebrate when we can get together. 

Happy Birthday, Gerry!

Supper was delicious even though it was simple. I’d picked up a Strawberry cream cake off the ‘Quick sale’ rack at Walmart so we had a piece of that with some Jello. Well, our runny Jello.

I have to admit that some days being a senior really hampers certain things I do. When I bought creamer last time, I meant to buy 35% whipping cream as well as 10% half & half. I just realized today that I’d bought 18% instead of 35%. Now I understand why the ice cream didn’t thicken and why the cream in the creamy Jello didn’t mix well. Duh! It was either a blonde moment or a senior moment and I’ve learned to pay more attention to the names on the cartons, not the colour of the containers.

I think maybe we could make smoothies out of the Jello 😁😜

After dishes, we relaxed for the evening and rocked and rolled for the rest of the evening in the strong winds. They are supposed to calm down through the night. The sun came out for a while around suppertime and the sky started clearing by 7. That means another cold night but once more we look forward to warmer days. I guess we won’t be riding for a while. This has been a full day and we’ll sleep well tonight!

This is how the evening went
The flag still flaps

Good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

Quieter and Not as Much Fun ToDay 😊

The Ridge

On Thursday, Apr. 29^th it was a very calm dull looking day. The whole area looked quenched from rains. I don’t know how much precipitation fell overnight, I was sleeping and didn’t hear a thing. I did wake up a few times but easily dropped off again until we got up this morning. Bill was off to work at 7 and I was downstairs to give my ‘Easy Rider’ a hug before he left.

The rw blackbirds liked the bread

Now that the news is out, I can write about it. A few family and friends around here knew but we have bit our tongues so as not to jinx anything. We are both just tickled PINK with our new toy, as Bill calls it. Chris was sad to say goodbye to his beautiful bike, he has had ‘her’ for 20 years, giving it the new paint job and special features. He looked after it and so will Bill. At least they will see it again, since family bought it. I have a feeling today just isn't going to be as fun as yesterday was! 😏

No wind but pretty dull looking

I’m anxious for that first ride even though I’m sure I’ll have a chilly one because I’m not willing to wait for a hot day! Today, I had nothing on my plate other than baking a bit for some ‘allowed’ desserts. I need more groceries (tomorrow) before I can make certain things but I have Jell-o in the fridge and custard now in Madame IP. The ice cream is delicious too but I need to stock up on 35% cream so I can make a bigger batch. 😊 I haven’t tasted the strawberry yet.

3 ingredient peanut butter cookies

I had my tea and went online to an open auction at Rockford. Oh my, some very cool things there! I put quite a few on my ‘watch’ list and even bid on a few items. That was 33 pages of fun! Who was it looking for cups and saucers?? All kinds of the tea cup variety. It is a damp day and not expected to change all day so I’m sure I’ll get my book finished and I can sit indoors and watch nature.

I still say we have the best site in the lot! 😁

The Lady's Mantle hold onto those drops of rain
like a princess holds onto her diamonds

The geese are active, Father Goose chasing unwanted geese from the nesting Mother. I had some crusts of bread so broke those up and tossed them to the grass out front. It didn’t take long for the blackbirds and Jays to clean them up. If I ate more bread, I would eat them myself. I love a toasted crust w/peanut butter but this way the birds get the treats. According to my tracking #, I should receive a couple of UPS shipments between today and tomorrow so I’m anxiously watching for those.

Father Goose sits beside Mother Goose on her nest
He is actually swallowing water here

The front west pond is frequented often by geese

It was shortly after 12 noon that I had some lunch, corned beef, salmon, brie cheese, cucumbers with peanut butter and a clementine. Surprisingly filling and should tie me over until my afternoon creamy tea. My custard was long ago done so it was cooling. With the countertop free, I made some peanut butter cookies. Keto, of course, but another new recipe with only 3 ingredients. This will be interesting. 😊

I think this is the Father on this side of the pond
Looks like he got into a scuffle and has a crooked feather

I walked out to the Bunky and brought in my motorcycle helmet and pulled our goggles and my chaps out of the cupboard. Along with my new jacket. Yes, remember the purchases I touched on over the winter? This is what we were doing. Ordering and buying motorcycle gear since we’d sold everything we had 9 years ago. We couldn’t hang onto things that might only be a dream. We got good money for our leather jackets, chaps, helmets and my boots.

The turbines weren't moving at all today

I wanted to try things on. The chaps I got at the Mission Store auction a few weeks ago and I’m pleased that they fit better now than they did when I bought them. No, I haven’t lost any weight, I just didn’t have them on properly!! Sounds funny but I had them twisted so they felt tight on my legs. Duh, I’ve been blonde for too long! Anyway, I’m pleased with everything. Most of the cookies were in the oven with a few left to roll and bake.

Still some daffodils hanging on through this strange
weather and the periwinkle flowers are adding some purple

It is almost 1:30 and I haven’t sat with my book once! If the mail lady stops, I’ll walk to the mail box but otherwise, I’ll sit tight inside where it is dry. The air looks a bit misty although a moderate 9C/50F. I’m sure glad yesterday was the day we picked to bring the Yamaha home. I wonder if she will get a name too? The last batch of cookies was finished by 2:30 and that was when I perched myself into my chair. We haven’t had much rain at all, even the fine mist seems to have dissipated.

I mentioned in another post how the birds are killing my primrose that
I planted under the bird feeder
They may pull through but I may have to move them

That all changed by 4 pm it started heavier. I had walked to check the mail box and the temperature felt considerably cooler. It’s the dampness that we feel on this kind of day. Whether it rains or not, it is in the air. Bill was home by 4:30 and I started supper shortly after 5. It was another one of those ‘what to do with ground beef’ meals. Bill calls them ‘pussy muck’ and when I told him that’s what we were having, he said ‘good, we haven’t that for a while!’ 😊 Funny guy.

These are at the other end and aren't bothered by 
them at all

I threw ground beef, onions, garlic and spices in Madame IP. Then I added marinara sauce, cheese, beef broth and elbow macaroni. It took no time at all to cook and it was ready. I cooked vegetables on the stove for me and warmed up the leftover brown beans for Bill. He loved it and had 2 helpings. I’d made some dessert but we didn’t really need anything. I did, however, offer Bill a couple of homemade peanut butter cookies. They’re quite good but without flour, they don’t hold together too well, so I keep them in the fridge.

Homemade Hamburger Helper in Madame IP
aka 'pussy muck' 😂

After dishes, we finished watching the news and settled in for the night. I have a busy day tomorrow so wanted to finish this post tonight. I hope this finds you well and that you enjoyed your day. I have to admit that it was a good one here too. No UPS delivery, so hopefully 2 tomorrow.

A memory of our first spring home and my plans for
a vegetable garden takes 'shape'
Apr. 29, 2017

Same day, I had a little Supervisor
watching my every move
Gosh, I miss this little guy and the way he'd sit with me in the sun

Good night, everyone!

Thank you for your visit.

A Drive to Woodstock, Early Birthday Gift and a Wee Mystery

The Ridge

On Wednesday, Apr. 28^th Bill and I were up before the birds at 6:15. We washed and got dressed for the day. A busy one but a good one. We left the house at 7 to clean the Mat in town and left Durham after fueling up at 8:15. Today, Bill was off work and we were taking an easy drive to my daughter’s house outside of Woodstock.

We knew threats of storms were a possibility
so kept an eye on the sky
It got better as we moved to the east

Bill had something to pick up and I had an early ‘kind of birthday’ gift for her. Bridgette works at Regency Fireplace Products in Guelph BUT right now she is working from home, as many others are because of the lockdown. When we arrived, she was in the midst of a call with her boss but managed to snag a hug. No one will tell me that I can’t hug my daughter when I see her. 😊 When your child holds their arms out to you………nope, can’t resist.

We had a bit of running around in Woodstock so I hid her gift in the sunroom while she was busy and took care of that. Almost 2 hours later, we returned and finished up what we went there to do. If it sounds like I’m being a bit secretive, it is true but it is Bill’s story to tell, not mine. Before we left, I placed a large poster board that I’d bought at an auction on their couch. I got the reaction that I was looking for. 😊

I almost missed this cute little paradise
for summer fun along the highway

Bridgette loves and always has loved Jim Morrison of the rock band, The Doors. When I saw this come up, I had to bid, and bid and bid once more to win it for her. It isn’t really a birthday present, she was going to get it anyway but her birthday is just around the corner so why not? I got another excited hug for that and I have no doubt she’ll find room in their home for him. Chris won’t mind. Teehee. We said our goodbyes and drove the 2-hour distance home.

Bridgette's favourite musician

We stopped in Hanover for another errand and a late lunch at A & W, during which I saw Donna walk by on her way to the drug store. That was purely coincidental so we chatted briefly before we were headed to Durham. One more stop in Durham and as I was driving on Baptist Church Road, M called to see if I could work a few hours on Friday morning. Yay! Sure can!

Her daffodils are a lovely welcome

The country road they live on

We’d eaten a big lunch at 2:30 so won’t need supper. I blended the Jell-o and cream cheese mixture so we could have that for dessert later if we wanted to. Bill made us a cup of tea and we relaxed together. I did get my pictures downloaded and my blog written so that was a start. Around 6:30, we wanted a nibble so had some toast with peanut butter and/or apple butter. I had a piece of each and then for dessert I had some homemade ice cream. 😊

An interesting bridge 

A beautiful old church in Woodstock

I made it Keto chocolate ice cream and keto strawberry ice cream yesterday. I included a picture of the ingredients in a Mason jar in Tuesday’s post. It turned out great so I am happy to share it with you in case you’d like to try it. Many of us are ice cream lovers. The recipe says to make it in a Mason jar, of which I only had one empty one but next time, I’ll make it in a bowl with my hand mixer.

I love these little plants in Bridgette's garden
She called them 'Whoville' plants and explained them
as a variety of peony

1 cup of 35% heavy cream, 1 tbsp cocoa, 3 tbsp powdered sweetener of choice, dash of vanilla. Shake for 5 minutes until cream begins thickening. (mine never did so I put it in the freezer anyway for 3 hours. Yummy.

For the strawberry ice cream: 1 cup 35% heavy cream, ½ oz (I used 1 tbsp) crushed freeze dried strawberries, 3 tbsp sweetener, dash of vanilla. Shake and freeze for 3 to 5 hours. You won’t regret it. After the second day in the freezer you have to let it sit for 15 min. to scoop it. 😊 You’re welcome!

Clifford is pretty with the old style lamp posts
lightening up the main street

A & W Uncle Cheddar Bacon Burger

Bill packed his lunch and then we did dishes before working on blogs again. I’m hoping he is writing one tonight, to fill in the blanks from today. This was a wonderful day that couldn’t have gone any better. We had rain and stormy skies here, a couple of times apparently, while we had nothing in the part of southwestern Ontario where we spent the day. Temperatures reached 18C/68F and humidity was high.

a closer look at the recipe ingredients
Before and After below

Good night!

You can read between the lines by checking out Bill's blog here

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

Getting Better all the Time

The Ridge

On Tuesday, Apr. 27^th, it was a cloudy morning up until about 10:30 when the sun started to poke through the clouds. It was slow coming and, in any direction I looked, the sky still showed light filmy whiteness. After Bill was off to work, I had my tea. The winds were ridiculous first thing but had calmed considerably by noon.

A light ripple on the pond

I had an appointment with Black Beauty to take her for some regular truck stuff so didn’t want to get too involved in anything and forget. It was weird seeing Bill leave with Ptooties at 7. 😊 This will be our first service call with the new owners at the shop that used to be Pletsch’s. I need to start calling them by their name. Grey-Bruce Fleet. So far, in dealings with Kate in the office, we are quite impressed, now to see how well they do.

Gerry had to stop for a turtle crossing the lane on the weekend
It was the day after I hung the sign. I guess they can read!

The air temp was nearing 10C/50F so I took the ladder around to the back of the Suite and washed the window. It was really dirty. I should have waited as I’m attending a virtual online Norwex party that my sister is hosting on Friday. I’ve heard great reviews about the window cloths where no solution is needed, just water, but I can’t stand looking out at all the fly specs from inside and out. I will still order some cloths for next time. Apparently, they guarantee no streaks and that would be great in the vehicles too.

Taking a walk around the property
Bill's Hangar

I didn’t stop with one window, moving the ladder around to the reachable ones and then did inside too. Much better and that sun shining through them will soon warm our home up. We should reach a high of 18C/67F; that will depend on the sun. With the windows done, I had a nibble and oh-oh, my hand found the bathroom scissors – again. My hair is really beginning to bug me; this half blonde, half silvery mess so the trick is to trim it as well as spend time outside in the sun. 😊

I'm still hopeful for the rhubarb

It took me a while to get it straight and who knows if it is? Hard to do when you’re alone but after wetting it, I was pretty satisfied with today’s attempt. It feels funny, off my neck and I find it quite noticeable. Bill, on the other hand, may not see a difference. He’s not good at those things until I point them out but I do believe he is not alone in that. Many men are the same, aren’t they? With that done, I got changed so I would be ready to leave at 12:30.

The area below where the bird feeder hangs
The birds are killing the 3 primrose plants in this corner
as they root for seeds so I moved Terry the Turtle to sit in 
this corner

I’m always early, I think I’ve mentioned that (bad? good? habit) before. I never mean for it to put pressure on the hosts or the appointment-ee (?) but there I was sitting at GBF at 12:45. And I drove the speed limit or slightly under. I knew I’d be early. At 10 minutes before my appointment, I walked in, masked. There was room for 2 (3 chairs) in the waiting room so Kate and I greeted each other and I made myself comfortable.

This is a better picture of my dianthus

Of course, I’d taken my book so I was easily entertained while Kate and Jeff went about their service business. Once B.B. was in and an hour had passed, I got up to peek at their dogs, sleeping in her office. Beautiful 8 & 9 yr. old lab and lab cross. Not a peep out of either of them. She said they had a rambunctious day yesterday so were sleeping it off. 😊

sitting in the waiting room

We had a nice chat for about 15 minutes and I went back to my book. I saw B.B. being driven out at 2:20 and I paid the bill and left. It wasn’t as pricey as expected so that is always a nice surprise. We’ll definitely continue to give this new business OUR business. I stopped in Durham to fill our RO water bottle and drove home. I hadn’t really eaten other than nibbling on a nut bar in the waiting room so I was ready for a cup of creamy tea.

There was no mail today, odd, since Bill expected a parcel yesterday. We have a few things on order (me, mostly) but when things don’t show up on time, it makes you wonder why the delay. As long as they don’t need signatures upon arrival, no need to worry. It is hard to guarantee that we will be here when they come without an exact date. Tomorrow, we will not be around so she will hopefully leave the small parcel in the mailbox if she has it.

If it works, I'll pass it along

I didn’t get around to making any desserts so at 3:30, I boiled the kettle and at least began making some creamy Jell-o and got that in the fridge. A new Keto recipe was worth trying as well but I won’t report on that until I know if it is any good or not. Then, I can pass the recipe along, or not. Fingers crossed! 👌 I caught up on my blog while waiting for Bill to come home. We had planned on moving some gravel from the shelter (still haven’t got to that!) but it depends on what he feels like when he gets home.

The possibility of rain could also make that decision for us if he doesn’t. We are in for a few wet, warm days by the sounds of it. I unplugged from power earlier, when the sun came out, but will soon be plugging in. The sun is gone and not likely to return on this day. ☹ Bill showed up at 4:30 and we relaxed together a bit before supper.

Gosh, I enjoyed these chops too!

Fried pork chops with broccoli and brown beans for supper. That was pretty easy and it filled us up. After dishes we went out to move some gravel but almost as soon as we got outside, the rain started. No more will be happening tonight, I guess. The sky to the south looked quite dark and threatening and thunder storms are predicted all around us. If you live in Ontario, you probably are under similar warnings or watches.

And the sun prepares to depart for the night
The few spatters of rain didn't last long

Tonight, we’ll be watching a new episode of NCIS and who knows what after that. I have a good book to read so I will be entertained for as long as my eyes stay open. This was a good day with a little of this and a little of that. I hope you can say the same.

Good night!

Thank you for your visit.