A Bit of Work, A Touch of Rest, An Enjoyable First Family Campfire

The Ridge

On Saturday, June 5^th at 12:45 am Bill woke me up in agony. He gets the darnedest leg cramps in the wee hours of the morning. Not often, thank goodness, but they are painful and we have to try numerous things in order to get the muscle to relax so Bill can relax. It isn’t easy and when I think of the charley-horses I use to get, touch wood, I sympathize that I can’t help him much.

clothes on the line and the truck on the hill
while transferring water from the bladder

I’m usually roused from a deep sleep so my actions are probably quite fitful and comical at the beginning. 😊 I first try massaging the area, then offer him some pickle juice (both of which have worked on occasion), and as a last resort, an ice pack wrapped in a towel. This morning, that was what finally gave him relief, eventually after about 15 minutes.

I counted 4 goldfinches taking turns at the feeder
Can you see them all?

We can’t associate them to any particular activity so that makes it hard to avoid them. I gave him suggestions for preventative medicine and we’ll see if that helps. He has already doubled his Magnesium daily dosage. So, we went back to sleep and blessedly, Gibbs slept through the whole thing. I woke up next at 6 and my two boys were up and the bedroom door was closed.

Salvia and celosia

I went to the bathroom and peeked out the window. When I saw them sitting together in the King chairs, I crawled back in bed until 6:30 when I got up and went out with them. It was a very refreshing morning, beautiful. The sun was just beginning to brighten up the Ridge and we walked a bit before coming inside. I felt really achy, all over this morning and that included an odd headache at the crown of my head. Weird.

A view from the opposite end of the new garden
I've planted 3 bulbs (perennials that need to be dug up in fall) where
the stakes are (can't remember what Gayle said they were!)

We each had a morning brew and I took some pain relief and sat it out. By 7:30, I was improved so sorted the 2 small laundry loads and we went to town in Black Beauty. Bill needed to top her up with fuel and he needed to clean the dryer vents on the bigger machines. It was worth his trip as he came home almost $2 richer. 😉 I finished cleaning and we loaded the basket with our clean damp clothes. We got diesel and then one more stop at the hardware before heading home.

My Rose of Sharon never amounts to much
I think it has only flowered one year so a disappointment

Poor Gibbs! I let him out of his crate, put him on his rope leash at the steps and went up to hang the clothes. Bill went out and hopped on the mower to finish cutting the lawns/fields. I checked on the little guy half way through my job and remembered that he hadn’t eaten! It was 10:30. Duh, he has nothing unconditional love for us and we forget to feed him! That reminded me that Clemson never let us forget a meal. Ha ha

The peonies are fading off so I snagged this photo
of the latest one to bloom

Before it got too hot, Gibbs and I went up the hill to plant rhubarb, dahlias and my other annuals in the gardens. The latter went into the shovel scoop with fresh new top soil. Gibbs was pretty good although I had to tie him to trees and posts far enough away from me so I could work easier. He just wants to be close to us as much as possible. Don’tcha love that? When I finished, I put things away and Bill finished soon after with the front field.

That's the rhubarb off in the far corner
and room for cucumbers or zucchini

It was 11:30 and I hopped in the shower, the one I meant to have last night. Boy, that felt great! Gibbs was tuckered out again and slept on the cool tile floor the whole time I was upstairs. 😊 We had bacon and eggs and Bill went up for a nap to catch some of the zzz’s he lost last night. I thought I might doze but did the dishes and then read a few more chapters of my book instead. It is a different story to some extent than what I’m used to but similar as well. Huh?

My two-toned iris has bloomed

We drove over to the Acreage around 2 to get a second bladder full of water. Gibbs and I visited with Donna at the front and Bill went back to the pump. Gerry was busy cutting grass back in their acreage lot and didn’t even know we were there. We weren’t there for a long time but long enough for me to hold Gibbs over the pond water, letting him get his feet wet. I want him not to be afraid of it but also not to love it to pure abandonment!

Typical fast food Saturday night supper

Stewed rhubarb and ice cream - yummy!

Back home, my headache had started again and Bill reported having one as well. We each went out to bring the clothes in, they dried so fast! It is very windy and 29C/84F .  Inside we had a cold drink, more pain relief, and he went to the Hangar when the water tank was full and I wrote in my blog. With that started, I went back to my chair with my book, hoping to drop off for a bit. We were invited to share a ‘first’ family campfire with D & G after supper so wanted to feel better.

Bill relaxing by the fire

Gibbs saw Donna walk away so waited patiently
until she returned

For supper, we used two appliances so had to plug back into power. Rosy did our chicken balls and FryDaddy did our fries. It was a very hot afternoon and just got hotter as the day wore on and the wind died. We have one more Mrs. Yertle digging, preparing to lay eggs so I hope she finishes. I’ll have to mark and cover the spot so the skunks don’t eat them again this year.

he did the same when Gerry left for a bit
He likes to keep the family together

The one from yesterday, has been covered first by Mrs. Y and then with a slate rock, then stones. It was too sad last year to see them all dug up. After dishes, we packed a cooler with drinks for all 3 of us and drove over to the Acreage. Gibbs got his supper early, around 7 and we were out the door by 7:45. Time for an evening out. I remembered Gibbs’ dish, leash and bug spray. Our first fire of the season with them and Gibbs’ first fire ever. 😊

When we got there, Donna, Gerry and our friend, Mike, were all seated around the firepit at the pond. It was a gorgeous evening so difficult to know what to wear. Bill was in shorts and remained that way although I think a couple of mosquitoes found his ankles. I slipped into light long pants and a t-shirt and we each took a jacket. Gibbs was very excited and had to greet everyone, a few times. He paid no attention to the fire, seemingly unaware of it and its dangers so as he wandered on his leash, we all kept a close eye.

Gibbs finally settled down but every time Donna tried to get
a picture, he lifted his head at the sound

It was a relaxing evening. Bill and I each enjoyed a cold drink as did Gerry and Mike. Around 9:30, he finally settled down and came to sit on my lap for the next hour. Good, we were hoping he would do what Clemson used to do and this was positive. Bill and I were both tired and ready for home by 10:30 so we said our goodbyes. It wasn’t long after that we were all tucked in for the night. What a great day and evening!

A memory picture of 6 of us at Ellen and Scott's for dinner
June 5, 2018
Good night!

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