Hot Enough for Ya? A Sister Visit, Storm Reaction

The Ridge

On Tuesday, June 29^th, we are almost touching the tail of the month. Like Gibbs chases his own tail, we too are anxiously reaching for June’s, indicating another step forward in unleashing the famed ‘Ontario Lockdown’. Enough already, just get on with it! I want to eat in a restaurant! I want large gatherings again.

Bill hooked up the trailer

Gibbs watches Daddy leave for work

Bill slept through his alarm but not by much, a few minutes, I think. Gibbs took him around the yard and then extended the morning walk up the berm and down again. I credit his patience, Bill’s. 😊 He brought Gibbs up with my permission onto the bed at 6:15. Changes in the little guy are noticeable every week. We went out to say goodbye to ‘Daddy’ as he hooked up the cargo trailer to Black Beauty today. They were meeting close to Hanover to work at the cottage on the lake.

The Meaford pizza shop wasn’t finished but other things were going on there that they needed to wait for. He left around 7ish and I fed Gibbs his breakfast early. Once he’d been out, he went in his crate so I could go into town to do my little job. I was alone today so puttered around at my own speed with no need for a ‘Covid’ mask and no distractions. I left the place in good condition with a wet floor and headed home by 8:30.

I like how the primrose flowers close overnight

The Coneflower is ready to pop

The heat was already moving in with a force so I closed the two windows when I got in so the a/c could do its thing. I took my tea outside with Gibbs and it was around 9:00 that Donna texted asking if I was up for a visit. Of course! We haven’t seen each other for a couple of weeks and that is rare, so she took the time to come for a couple of hours. We caught up on things and got a chuckle out of Gibbs digging for China. Goodness, that little boy makes a mess trying to find cooler ground! 😊

digging in the dirt for a cool spot to lay
Look at that dark stripe down his back

When Donna was ready to leave, she said “We’ll have to do this again” and I agree. She couldn’t get over how big Gibbs is after 2 weeks absence. I chatted on text with our buddy, Pat, as well who is currently at their ‘island retreat’ in northern Ontario. We try and keep in touch every couple or three days and it is always good to hear how they are doing. We came inside where it was cooler and I made a coffee and a grilled breakfast wrap of meat, cheese, onion and bacon.

An interesting dandelion??
First stage

Stage 2

My favourite, stage 3

Last night, I finished my Glynis Peters book and it was so good. I’m sure my sister, Gayle, will enjoy it as I did so I’ll keep it for sharing with her. I checked online to see where one of my deliveries were and almost expected it to arrive today by Canada Post. It was after 1:30 so I’m assuming not but since it was in Kitchener, most likely tomorrow. Also, tomorrow I will be receiving my large FedEx parcel from Norwex. Yay! 😊 Cathy’s and Pat’s orders will be in that parcel as well.

My beautiful sister, Donna visits

Kim and I had been talking about our last daughter’s wedding in November when they were here so I wanted to pull out the dress I’d picked up. Second hand, of course, always second hand if possible. I wanted to consider what else I would need with it so I can keep my eyes open over the next few shopping trips. I’m pleased with it, a lot, but will watch for decent shoes and a hand clutch to match. Gosh, remember those heels we used to wear? They look great but after a few hours they had to come off!

See ya, sis!

Satisfied with that, I started a new book. This one by Louise Penny called A Great Reckoning with characters I’ve read before. It got me hooked right away so I read a couple of chapters to get a good start. I’d also pulled my ‘never-ending’ cross stitch out from under the bed yesterday and decided to work on that for a bit. See Kim, how you inspire me? I know I need an upgrade in glasses so we’ll see how far along I get today.

A confused sky this morning
but a pretty one

As it turned out, I got along quite well! I’m doing a lot of ad-libbing with my picture, no one will know and already there are too many errors to count. I’m working in an area of flowers and shrubbery so it is acceptable. Says me! 😉 Bill came home around 4, which was nice, and he brought the trailer back with him. They will be working in Meaford tomorrow so it is closer and B B doesn’t have to work as hard pulling it as Mike’s F150 does.

Inspired by our weekend conversation
I got my cross stitch (needlepoint) out

One of the first things Bill said was “I need you to cut my hair again”. It was a hot, humid day (the hottest here yet) and when he got out of the truck without his shirt on, I knew that it was a hot day working. Thankfully not a lot of sun so he wasn’t burnt. I was intent to continue on my cross-stitch so did that for about half hour and then we went upstairs to the bathroom to Patsy’s Barbershop. LOL Once more, we did a pretty good job and the customer was more than happy.

Hopefully it will look like this when we're done

I started supper after cleaning up and Bill went out to put the lawn chairs under the cap of the Suite. Rain was coming according to Donna in Hanover.  Rather than fry the farmer’s sausage in a fry pan as they were, I wanted to shorten the cook time. That meant cutting the 3 links into small chunks. They cooked faster that way and I added cut up pepper, green onions, bacon and mushrooms. It looked good so I was thrilled when it tasted just as good. 😊

A storm passed to the north
before we got hit

Gibbs gets a tummy brush

On the side, I made a Caesar salad for me and boiled a sliced potato for Bill. It would give him some leftovers to fry up for another night. Supper was good and while Bill finished the last of his pecan pie, I had a better for me Cheesecake with homemade raspberry sauce. The rain had pushed through bringing thunder and some lightning while we ate and we were happy to see that it didn’t bother Gibbs at all. Storms were never a bother to Clemson either. Yay!

For being thrown together with a little of this and a little of that,
it was very good!

After dishes, I took Gibbs for a walk before his supper and Bill made his lunch for tomorrow. I had a call today from Home Hardware that my kiddie’s pool is ready for pick up so I’ll see if it will fit in Ptooties in the morning. This was a great day, made much better with a visit from Donna.

The rain was heavy for about 20 minutes
and then cleared out with nary a breeze
The greenery and gardens are lapping it up
Good night!

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

Goodbye Friends! Another Gloomy Day, Daddy

The Ridge

When I woke up on Monday, June 28^th, I could hear Bill at the bottom of the bed but couldn’t figure what he was doing. Something didn’t seem right as usually when he is up there getting dressed, Gibbs has been up, out and already up on the bed with me. Because I was still sleeping when he got up, he was putting his freshly washed clothes away (I think he forgot yesterday) and our good little pup was laying on the floor beside him. Wow, that’s a first!

Bill getting ready to leave

I stirred and said he could lift him up. Gibbs has strong legs but they are too short right now for him to jump up on the bed. We doubt it will be long though unless we get a new mattress which will be 11”thick! We came downstairs and I made my tea while Bill finished getting ready for Billy to come and pick him and the cargo trailer up. It was another dull morning but mild so I opened windows. It could get humid later and I’ll turn the a/c on if I need to.

Gibbs and I watch

From the steps

Ken and Bill chatted outside until it was time for him to go to work and it wasn’t until 9:30ish that I saw Ken outside starting to pack up the Weber and chairs. They are the type of company we never get tired of. They aren’t ‘in your face’ kind of people, most rv’ers aren’t, and they have their own ‘home’ and we each respect each other’s privacy. It has been wonderful having them here for a few days and it is sad to see them pull out.

There were some pretty dark skies to the north

The Coneflower is getting tall, just waiting for the blooms

So far, the Evening Primrose are
my favourite

When they left, Gibbs and I sat on the step for a while and a bunny rabbit came hopping out of the corral up the hill. He soon stopped quick enough when he saw Gibbs with me. Ha! I don’t have lettuce in my garden so I wasn’t too concerned but he turned and hi-tailed it back the way he’d come anyway. I asked Kim to let me know when they arrived home and after they left thought I should have asked if they wanted to dump tanks. Duh! Sorry guys!

On your mark.........

Get set...........

and so long, guys!

I didn’t have anything pressing on the agenda today so I sat and called the Health line to try and get my second vaccine shot booked. Our appointments are Sept. 1^st but if we can get it earlier and over with, we want to do that. I didn’t have any luck, my ‘wait’ patience is only so long on the phone and when Bill called and said he got through but they were only offering locations in Collingwood, (45 km) I hung up. We’ll stick to our September booking if that was our only choice. Time for my shower and I refrained from trimming my hair when it was wet although it was on my mind.

While watching them pull out, Mr. Bunny Rabbit
hopped out of the corral

Inside, I made myself a coffee and sat with my book. It is quite good and while Gibbs is distracted with an old slipper, I was relaxed. 😊 Over the past few rainy days, the little guy has not had his usual outside time and I can tell he misses it. So between yesterday and today, during the dry spells, he gets out on the rope leash at the step. He loves sitting on the step, just watching. Chippy(s) run back and forth feeding on the felled bird seed and the birds intrigue Gibbs as well, as do butterflies and dragonflies.

If you back to the last picture of the Journey pulling out,
you might see him in that picture too

He is like ‘our child’ so I keep a regular watch on him and he is getting better at not getting tangled under the step. This makes Momma’s job easier too. I read a few chapters and when I brought him inside, he slept at my feet while I reheated some quiche for lunch. Since the microwave is out of commission, I sliced it thinly and used butter in my small fry pan. That worked like a charm, going back to the old ways like what Nancy talked about in her last post. At 12:30, Kim texted that they made it home safely. 

There were brief periods of sun as it filtered its rays through the dominant clouds but still nice to see. Everything is so green up here, broken up only by the brightness of my yellow Evening Primrose. I so love this ‘new to me’ perennial and when they spread, I will be transplanting some to different areas that need the colour and the fullness, like the Corral Hill garden. 😊

Fried quiche

Each time Gibbs and I went out, it seemed less clouds were in the sky and the temperature rose by a degree or two. It wasn’t a pleasant day to be out doing anything although the sun was sure nice. With the wet ground, weeds would pull easily BUT I just couldn’t get serious about that chore. Bill and Billy pulled in the lane around 5:15, so a later night, and dropped the cargo trailer up where the Journey was parked. It’s our most popular site. 😊

Supper was good

We sat inside until it was time to start supper, giving Bill a bit of a rest before we ate. I brought in the Fry Daddy and got out Rosy for the shrimp. We were eating by 6:30. I requested only a few fries and had some broccoli with my meal. Bill had a lot of fries so wasn’t hungry for dessert. I had some pecan pie with my homemade whipped cream. It was rich, delicious but rich and I should have passed too.

Too much richness but i still enjoyed my last piece

After dishes, Gibbs had his normal run of in and out but it was so hot, I kept a closer eye on him than usual. He sat on the step for the most part but also went under it into the shade. Thus, getting himself tangled. I didn’t do much on this Monday but it was a pleasant day. Sad to see friends leave but we’ll see them again in August for our campout. Plus others, we all hope!

One of my favourite pictures of Daddy
with my daughter and little sister
this would be at Point Farms Provincial Park, Goderich
in 1975

Today, I remember the loss of my Dad, 26 years ago. He was a gentle soul who passed too young in his 71st year and regularly crosses my mind. I sense him in many things I do and I'm rewarded with the feeling that he is with me as I move ahead and make choices in my life. So many things I wish I could share with him in person, I think he'd be proud. 💕💕💕

Aren't memories wonderful?
Good night!

Thank you for your visit.

Best of the Bunch, Laundry Day, Sunny Happy Hour

The Ridge

Sunday, June 27^th was laundry day so when we got up around 7:30, I sorted clothes and left for town before 8. Two loads worked while I cleaned. Bill and Gibbs hopped in Black Beauty and headed over to the Acreage to fill the water bladder. I was back by 9:30 and Bill, Ken and Gibbs were outside on the patio. Kim joined them within minutes. I had dried the clothes at the Mat since the weather was so ‘iffy’. I was quite hot and sweaty when I left that hot building!

Obviously, I didn't get any early pictures taken today

I made a cup of tea and joined the group. Raindrops really ran the show this weekend and this morning was a good display of that. We were in and out and in and out. The humidity was playing havoc too so Bill turned the a/c on first thing and it was on all day. Bill and Ken worked on a couple of things together and when my phone suddenly died, Ken did a soft reboot for me, giving it life again. Yay! The phone is a lifeline for us who only have a wifi hot spot through our Samsung. 😊

But, the afternoon WAS the better part of the day

We didn’t want to be indoors when the day turned out so nice so an hour or so before Happy Hour, we gathered outside in the shade. As the sun moved, so did we, first Kim and Bill and then me. Ken braved the heat. This would be our last Happy Hour this visit so we made the best of it and covered a lot of subjects, again. My gnawing stomach had me suggesting we get supper started at 6 so we parted ways and Bill lit the Weber Q.

Gibbs has been quite excited this weekend with our company
but he finally crashed under Kim's chair

It was burger night on the menu so while he grilled, I got a Caesar salad ready inside. The sky looked lovely ‘for the moment’ BUT off to the west, it was dark and to the east it was a mixture of both blue and dark gray with a little white in the mix. We’d hoped to clean up after our meals and meet outside for a bit more evening chatter. By the time I was ready to go out, everyone was running for cover. The sky just broke loose in a downpour.

Even with the nice sun, the sky wasn't letting go of the clouds
completely

It made for some pretty pictures
These look to the southeast over the berm

time to barbecue

I tried to take Gibbs out for a piddle after his supper in the rain but before I got down the steps, he put the brakes on and we both got soaked. No way was he going any further in that. 

A tasty supper, Bill had pecan pie for dessert
I was too full after my Happy Hour Caesar cocktail!

Despite my umbrella and rain coat, I had to use my bath towel to dry off and change clothes completely. Bill did the same with the little furry wet dog. 😉 Oh well, it doesn’t hurt us. I hoped he could hold his piddle but the way he ran around playing with us, I thought an accident could happen at any point.

My meagre garden is doing awesome
Even the rhubarb looks healthy

Baby tomatoes! 🍅

This was a great day and the evening was looking quite unpredictable again. I took a walk up to the garden and snapped a few pictures to post. There are actually tomatoes on my plants now so the garden is certainly appreciating the rains.

Across the pond to the north

Looking westerly
Good night from the Wilsons and the Richards
on the Ridge

Thank you for popping in.

 

More of the Same, A Drive to Harriston, A Sad Memory

The Ridge

On Saturday, June 26^th, we slept in. After Bill took Gibbs out, they crawled back into bed and we didn’t get up until almost 8. It was breakfast time for a little someone! It felt good to just take it slow this morning. We had our morning brew together and witnessed some rain and steady cloudy skies out the windows. What a dull day from start to finish.

This view just got greener throughout
the day

We discussed the day’s agenda and Bill had some toast and jam for his breakfast and when I remembered that I couldn’t warm up my quiche, I actually had (as the commercial says) Bressert. Dessert for breakfast. I had a piece of my cheesecake, all good ingredients in there. I made a coffee and we walked over to the Journey. Yesterday, we were talking about microwave/convection ovens as well as rv mattresses so we wanted to share with Kim and Ken what we’d learned.

I love this set of two pictures
sitting on Daddy's shoulder  looking out at the rain

💓💕

This morning, Bill called CanAm and got some prices on both. We need the oven more than the mattress so placed an order with Martin. He is always very helpful and today was no different. 😊 We asked K & K if they would like to join us for a drive to McPhail’s RV of Harriston. It was going to be a rainy day anyway so we had some cheese and crackers and met at the car within 20 minutes. Bill had taken Gibbs for a nice walk and he stayed in the crate, looking after the house.

We started Happy Hour here

The drive was nice, taking a route through Neustadt and Clifford, but the stop at McPhail’s was kind of pointless. All rv’s were locked, because of Covid, (If I hear that excuse too many more times, I’ll lose it!!) and Ken wasn’t able to get any answers to his queries. We turned around and headed back home by way of Hwy #6. The sky had tried a few times to let sunshine through but it just didn’t happen. It was comfortable in the car with the a/c on since it was so humid.

It was a nice surprise to hear from Suzie

Back home, we agreed to meet at 3 for Happy Hour and went our separate ways. It was spitting lightly just when I thought we could sit outside but Bill put the awnings out and we moved the chairs onto the patio. When the rains got heavier, we had to fold them up and move indoors. I had the a/c on in the Suite too, for some reason I was really feeling the heat today! LOL I’m way past ‘that’ stage!!

I was pleased to see a Rose breasted grosbeak

We were surprised while sitting with our drinks when Suzie called on F aceTime. Well, in a round about way but that is how we ended up chatting on Ken’s phone. It was nice to see and hear her voice. She knew from my postings that we would all be together by 3:30. Are we predictable, or what? 😊 Great chat and we will keep our fingers crossed to see her in August at our Ridge campout.

Bill snapped a picture of Ken barbecuing
next door
Of course, the rain started AFTER he got the Weber out and lit
It has been that kind of day

When 6 o’clock rolled around, it was time to say goodbye and get supper started. Madame IP cooked pork ribs and a potato for Bill. I had 2 cobs of corn to cook on the stove. I’d hoped to brown the ribs with sweet and sour sauce for 5 minutes but even though Bill lit the Weber, it had blown out before I got out there. I wasn’t about to wait so we ate them as they were. And supper was delicious. A small piece of pecan pie (for me) with whipped cream topped off the meal.

ribs and corn, yummy meal

After dishes, Gibbs wanted to sit outside on the step and since it wasn’t raining, we let him keep an eye on the Ridge. He loves watching the chipmunks and birds and I love watching him watch them. 😉 It’s Saturday night, Bill’s nights for movies so we watched some until the new one came on at 9. Whether I can stay up for the whole thing, will be determined. For now, I can say it has been a good day again, in the rain.

Pecan pie and whipped cream
Not good at all!!! 
(my fingers are crossed behind my back)

We had tornado warnings on our phones during H.H. today and they were in the area close to my sister, Gayle. When I texted to see if they were okay, they hadn’t been affected at all so I was relieved. These pop-up storms can be scary even though pretty rare up here. I hope you didn’t have any scares in your area.

It was 2 years ago today that Kim and Ken were
preparing to leave after a week's visit in 2019
It was also the day we had to put our sweet little Clemson down
It would have been fun to see him and Gibbs together 💓🐕🐕
Good night

Thank you for your visit!