What a Great Day, Weekend Visitors, Birthday Celebration

The Ridge

On Friday, Apr. 29^th I woke up feeling somewhat renewed after a much better night’s sleep. No more sore throat, yay! I felt great. Gibbs and I went for a walk to the corner and back, what a beautiful morning! It was forecasted to be a full sun day and we love the sound of that. ♥

Our morning walk

Bottom right is Mother Goose on a nest 💕

I made a ‘to-go’ tea and after sorting laundry, drove into the Mat. I can’t say I was pleased, the floors were in need of a sweeping. That’s no fault on anyone but the users, it could have been cleaned as late as yesterday afternoon. I did our two loads and brought them home to hang. That felt good, using our clothesline again. It looked like most of the clothes were mine!

Gibbs helps me bring branches up from the laneway
Bottom right: the stone shack across the road in the cow pasture

With the laundry hanging, Bill was trimming branches and trees along the fence line and then he and Gibbs went to the Acreage to get a bladder of water. We have company coming this afternoon with their trailer and Bill wanted to have water for them if they needed it. I set to work emptying the Bunky. Darn, I should have taken a picture of the ‘stuff’ around the perimeter. Our fridge shelf unit, desk and the futon were the only things I didn't move out, I just shifted them to sweep under them.

company arrives!

I’m getting excited about the changes we’re making, turning it into (as Bill called it) a ‘She-Shed’. 😊 I managed to get rid of a few things, adding them to the SUV trunk with the clothes. Every time I open the hatch, Gibbs jumps up in there. He found his stuffed doggie that I'd taken away when he was younger. By 2, I had my 'cave' swept out and started loading things back in. We have a few things to sell and I’ll get pictures over the next few days. Bill had a fire going in our pit so between us, we kept it going for most of the day.

I'm so happy, Mom!

Gibbs discovers how close he can get to the pond
without getting wet

At 3:30, our company arrived. We met Duncan and Patty at CanAm last November. We were all spending the night in their parking lot before crossing the border the next morning. 😊 We clicked. They are new full-timers, on their boat in the winter and in their Airstream in the summer. What a great life! Bill helped get them set up with electricity. They had topped up with water before they came so didn’t need ours. We’ll use it so that wasn't a wasted trip.

He pulled the eyes out first (which I found)
and he can cart it around until the stuffing starts coming out

We chatted for an hour, showing them around the property. At 4:30 Bill and I said goodbye to finish getting ready for a birthday dinner. We’d showered earlier so we wouldn’t be pressured. We met family and friends at Tommy D’s to celebrate Gerry’s 70^th birthday, which is tomorrow. Donna arranged a nice private little gathering and there were 13 of us in attendance. Gerry liked his card and gifts, the latter related to golf, which he and Donna play in the summer. 😊

The daffodils are finally happy enough to finish blooming
I only have a few so was happy to see their bright faces
The futon with 2 mattresses will be sold
Bottom right: Gibbs finds shade while I hang clothes

It was a good meal although the waitress forgot our drinks, which we all thought was odd. I think everyone is short-staffed. Bill and I enjoyed our thick Pina Coladas, sucking on the straws for that delightful smooth taste of the islands. 😃 He had ½ rack of ribs and fries and I had chicken fettuccini with garlic toast. Mine could have been hotter but it was still good. Desserts came with the meals so we splurged. We said goodbye to everyone around 8 and made our way home. It was a really nice evening.

It was a nice meal out with great company

Happy Birthday, Gerry!
Left side: b-i-l Bill, my Bill, cousin Harvey, b-i-l John, niece Joanne, 
nephew-in-law? Ted
Right side: friend Mike, sister Donna, birthday boy, Gerry, sister Gayle,
cousin-i-l Jennifer, my chair, sister Cathy.
It wasn't a total surprise but some of the guests were 💖

We sat with the tv on but I couldn’t stay up long and just barely managed to finish today’s post. We worked hard today and the drinks on top of that, had me ready for an early night. 😊 What a great day!

                                               didn't mean this to be a video but it is our

                                                    company's set up. First time for an 

                                                        Airstream on the Ridge! 💗

                                                                       Good night!

Thank you for stopping by! We hope to get a good visit with our friends tomorrow.

A Gorgeous But Cool Day!

The Ridge

On Thursday, Apr. 28^th I woke up from a rough night. I didn’t sleep well, having gone to bed last night with a sore throat. I had it on Wednesday when I woke up so spent the day gargling with salt water and it seemed to have abated by 10:30. Not so. Why is it when it hurts to swallow, I just keep swallowing. It wasn’t until I got up at 3 and rinsed my mouth out a few times that I was able to drop off, a few times at least.

It was pretty frosty this morning
Even the most shallow edges of the pond were layered in ice
King of the Hill ?

We were all up at 7:15 to greet the day. I gargled again and my throat felt a bit better. It was bright outside with full sun embracing the sky. It didn’t look like much wind and of course, Gibbs was anxious for his walk. I put on my heavy fleece coat and opened the door. I tucked his leash and treats in my pocket. 😊 At the end of the lane, I put it on and we walked to the west. We didn’t get very far and he stopped walking.

I do love pond pictures with the sun reflection

No encouragement helped but when I asked if he wanted to go home, he turned around and headed back to the laneway. What a goof! I took the leash off and after checking out the geese in the pond, he beelined up the lane. He wastes no time at all running up the stoop to the door ahead of me. Bill had made his coffee so I made my tea. It sure is nice to have the Keurig even though there is some adjusting to get a full cup.

My 2nd hand shoes were bought a few years ago
and this morning the soul is falling apart
Time to retire them

If this is a cold, I knew the saying ‘stuff a cold, starve a fever’ so I made myself a bowl of hot oatmeal with dried cranberries. It was good and hit the spot. We went outside with Gibbs and as we worked in the Bunky, he ran around the place. Not too far and always running back to see if we needed his help with anything.

I don't like the cold of frost but it makes for
lovely pictures

😊 We’re feeling more confident every day that he won’t run far but haven’t had the experience when a vehicle comes up the driveway – yet.

Our peony bush in the berm garden is
sprouting leaves 

Tiger lilies and Evening primrose up on the berm

Bill installed a bar in the Bunky for the clothes we store out there for the winter and then he removed the inside door. It was an added feature in 2016 when we changed it from a storage shed to a place for guests and storage, but the door has seen better days. It was falling apart and becoming more annoying than worth it. We haven’t had overnight guests in there for at least 3 years now so want to change it up, more for our own use. My use.

A strong rack for our heavy coats

Bill removed the inside door and I took what
I could apart and removed the small nails
Stay tuned for the next step

We came inside at noon and made a sandwich for lunch. Then we took a drive into Hanover. We needed to pick up some greeting cards and a small gift for Gerry. His birthday dinner is tomorrow night and it’s a special one. We want to take something for him. We stopped at Walmart for some milk, while in town, these trips are going to become fewer and fewer and more combined now that the price of fuel is so ridiculous. Diesel jumped .15¢ overnight. ☹

The grader make a few trips down North Line

Back at home, we were all ready for a snooze. I knew I was tired after that restless night and know I dropped off for at least 30 minutes. Bill was gone within 5 minutes of laying down, he’d worked harder than me this morning. We had a cup of tea together when we got up at 4 and then for supper, we had burgers rather than the leftover spaghetti. Was I surprised when Bill found one of my very favourite movies on tv!

This morning, I noticed ice from the drain pipe
into our water barrel
No, the whole pipe was not frozen, just a couple of inches
from the bottom

Bridges of Madison County never disappoints us, no matter how many times we’ve watched it together. ♥ Tonight was no different. It brings back wonderful memories of our holiday in 2011 to visit the town of Winterset and the Roseman Bridge. 

A normal evening sunset about to happen

This has been a beautiful day, temperatures reached 8C/46F. One more cool night and then we’re on the upward climb, back to spring. 😊

Our own memories on Roseman Bridge in 
Winterset, Iowa
Good night!

Thank you for coming by! Your comments are always appreciated.

Snow Has Fallen on our Home Base – Blech!!

The Ridge

On Wednesday, Apr. 27^th I woke up at 5:40 with a heavy (25 lbs) weight on my curled-up legs. Ooompf! It was going to be difficult to move, hence waking Gibbs, hence waking Bill, so I laid awake with my mind filling with all kinds of things. By 6:10, I knew I was wide awake and wouldn’t be dropping off again so took a chance and shifted my legs a bit. Gibbs didn’t seem affected so that was good. 😊

This is what we drove home from town in
and yet luckily it didn't amount to much

At 6:30, it was time to move and wake the family. When Bill took Gibbs out, I got up and made my side of the bed. When he came in, he wasn’t going to back to bed either so I finished with the bed. No walk today, the ground was white and that just discouraged me. There wasn’t a lot of snow, just on the grass which meant it wouldn’t last too long. With more expected today, I doubted I’d get out with Gibbs at all.

Gibbs isn't sure about this stuff
but since it's here, he may as well eat it
while Mom is cleaning the steps off

We had our coffee and tea around 7:30 and Gibbs had his breakfast. We got cleaned up around 9 and headed into town for a couple of stops. Fuel for Black Beauty which was a huge shock, almost $200! One more trip to MacGregor’s Fashion Store where I found one funky little gift for someone and wished the owners Farewell and Good Luck. They are closing Saturday and moving to the East coast of Canada at the end of June.

It wasn't so much the snow as the bitter cold air
that today brought us

We stopped at Home Hardware and picked up a few odds and ends for repairs and alterations around the home front. Enough spent today! LOL Back home, each time Bill went out to do something or retrieve something from the Hangar (we have food in his fridge down there too), Gibbs bounded out with him. He races around, kind of following him, but not really, until it’s time to come in and he’s right behind him at the door. ♥

We had lunch at noon and Bill took Black Beauty, full of ‘gold’, to Hanover to help Gerry transport his 3-wheel electric bike to a repair shop. He uses it at the Acreage to cart wood from front to back. After he left, I went to work on more cupboards down here on the main level. Bit by bit, it’s getting cleaned and by the time the nice weather is here, it will be finished. That’s the plan, at least!

A delicious 'winter' meal in the spring

Gibbs was at a loss for a lot of the afternoon that his Daddy was out. He was very good but sat on chairs at the windows and upstairs on the bed where he could see out those windows a lot. I was busy emptying more cupboards but finally after he helped me lug things (crock pot, small roasting pan and stock pots) out to the Bunky, he settled on my lap while I read in between watching a Country Music history program.

My Daddy's is home again 💕

Bill came in around 4:30, I think, and the little guy couldn’t get enough of him. I imagine this is what our days at home, while Bill works, will look like for a while. 😊 Still cleaning up things in the fridge, we had spaghetti using some of the cooked ground beef that I bagged up many days ago. That seems like forever ago and yet we’ve only been home for a week. Supper was quite yummy, if I do say so myself and there are some leftovers that again fit in the small fridge.

The sun made an appearance late in the day

We loaded and turned the dishwasher on before I worked on my blog and Bill sat watching NCIS reruns. The snow from last night has melted and we’re now looking at greening grass again. We didn’t see the robins today, the ones Gibbs has been watching intently for a few days. They are probably as shocked as we are. Thankfully, after tonight, the temperatures do start rising again. 😊

Well now, isn't that pretty?
Good night!

This was another good day, just a few cupboards and drawers left to go through. Thank you for stopping around.

No Such Thing as a Slow Day Right Now 😊, Family Birthday

The Ridge

On Tuesday, Apr. 26^th we slept in until 7:30 or a bit beyond. That was nice. It wasn’t raining so Gibbs and I went for our walk. We went down the lane, leash on, down North Line, left onto Baptist Church Road as far as M’s house and auto shop before turning back. It was chilly, only 4C/39F, but on our way back the sun popped out for a few minutes and it felt quite warm on my face. As we turned into the lane, the school bus went by and I put his leash back on. 

It wasn't raining but from running in the ditches
Gibbs came home with wet paws and chinny-chin hair 💓

The sun didn’t last, it was gone by the time we finished our morning drinks but we weren’t expecting it at all today. We’ll have to snuggle tonight, only -5C/23F! So the question is: “What are we going to do today?“ It won’t be anything outside, at least not for me. The Suite cleaning is still only in the beginning stages so that’s where I’ll be! The bedroom is almost done and Bill offered to do the bathroom medicine and lower cabinet if I’d do the towel cupboard. 😊 Good trade off.

It was a picturesque morning walk

But hard to know what that sky was producing

Then he puttered outside a bit, the trailer needed a bit of levelling to settle the bathroom door and he had some water still in the bladder to transfer to our fresh water tank. He measured an area in the Bunky for coat racks before coming in for lunch. I worked on the one pantry just inside our door where I keep all my baking staples, cereal and dried fruits. It involves emptying everything from the cupboards to wipe shelves down.

At one point, I thought Gibbs was going to join these two

After an omelette with some apple (still cleaning things up), Bill and Gibbs went up for a snooze. I was surprised but Gibbs laid behind him and didn’t move the whole time. He had a bird’s eye view of what I was doing downstairs until he fell asleep. ♥ 

Lunch

It was a good time to climb up on the couch and empty our ‘seasonal/games’ cupboard and I’m happy to finally get at that mess. Bill doesn’t play but one or two games up there but I won’t get rid of the Scrabble and Rumnikub game.

Looks like he's hiding his face from the camera
Enough Paparazzi!

Next was the ‘Memory’ cupboard with the photos we’ve kept in albums. I get distracted in this cupboard because I love looking at our wedding, cruise and vacation pictures. However, I refrained from doing that today. 😊 Lastly, while Bill was down in the Hangar, I got the vacuum out and now all the floors are clean too for a few days.

I made a tea when I was finished and had a couple of Bill’s Nutter Butters. Gibbs sat beside me with one of his peanut butter cookies. It wasn’t long when he came up from the Hangar and did the same. For supper, we had air fried chicken thighs with a nice coating on them, making them crispy. It has been a dull day but we conserved on propane heat because we’ve been working and creating our own. 😊

A little rearranging when things got put back
gives it a fresh new look

The meal was great with corn and some Stove Top Stuffing, which we haven’t had for a while. A bit of leftover stuffing went into a container that actually fits in our little fridge. We loaded the dishwasher and watched the recorded American Idol from last night. Bill set up the PVR to also record tonight’s This is Us because I have one to watch from last week. Where did the week go?

Supper

This was a good day and we’ve got at least a couple more ahead of us. When I went out with Gibbs at 7:15, it was snowing. Blech! I hope it doesn’t amount to much. 

The cute picture of the day
I was loading purged items into Ptooties
Gibbs thought I was going somewhere and
jumped into each open door 💕💕

This morning, before the day got away from us, we called my sister-in-law, Bill's younger sister, Carol. It's her birthday. No age reveal but she's younger than both of us. She got lucky to hear the Happy Birthday rendition as it's never been sung before. We're not ready for American Idol yet but we got the response we wanted. 💖

Happy Birthday, Carol! 

Good night!

Thank you for your visit. Your comments are always appreciated. Thank you for those too!

The Switch Over to Winter

The Ridge

On Monday, Apr. 25^th we woke to a damp morning. We were all up by 7:30, Bill earlier as he wanted to get the garbage and recycle bins down the lane. We don’t remember what time the collectors come. It’s every 2 weeks so we don’t want to miss today’s pick up. 😊 It looked like it could rain anytime so Gibbs and I missed out on our walk.

When I went to pick Bill up down the road
Father Goose was fully in charge of the laneway
He's a big boy!

We made our tea and coffee and then Bill called down the road to Northline Repair about getting either new or sharpened blades on his riding mower. He rode it down right away and decided to get a whole service check on things. I picked him up so it could be left for them. Back home, we realized it was another semi-mild day but then the rain started before he was able to get much done.

We took a skip into town to drop off our Income Tax paperwork with Tim. Then we topped up Ptooties.  Yeuch! $2.03/litre at the Pioneer station in town. That works out to $7.71/US gallon in Canadian $$’s. I’ve soon got enough points to get my .07¢ off and that will help a bit! No happy dance though!

Different folk have different forms of
entertainment
this little guy is mine 💓💓💓
His Daddy is outside, but I didn't need to tell you that!

Bill wanted to work on the water pump, it still needs some tinkering/finessing, so we can count on it when we need it. I left him to it and headed upstairs to our closet, the start of the thorough dusting, cleaning, purging. 😊 I got q garbage bag full and haven’t even looked under the bed yet! I’m sure there are things under there to get rid of.

Our late afternoon looked like this
Notice Bill's 'pillow'

We were originally planning on dinner out with 3 sisters but decided with the expenses we’ve got in the near future to stay put tonight. More meals out are already in the works in our future. I was pleased to see Jamie, my Mat boss, for a visit this afternoon. He’s had a rough winter trying to get things straightened around with the laundromat plus his normal routine.

Chili on toasted buns
No more chili left - yay!

We had a nice chat, the three of us and the bottom line is that it is still up in the air about me working for him this summer. There is a ‘tentative’ sale that is in the works but nothing sounds too definite. He says that business has been slow since he opened April 1^st and unless revenue picks up, he may not be able to offer me my position back. ☹ I totally understand and support whatever he needs to do. I gave him a bit of a hard time about me being fine ‘out on the street’. Ha ha.

The rain has been pretty steady all day but so fine that it would only make you wet in a slow process if you were outside in it. Luckily, Gibbs slept a lot, not needing for us to take him out too much. On days like this, we use the leash so we can get him back indoors relatively quickly. I’ve already had my shower for the day!

This is what the day looked like
The geese enjoyed the pond
We got to 16C/61F today
without sun!

We sat with our books and since I had one container of homemade chili left, that’s what we had for supper. We recorded American Idol tonight and watched 9-1-1 and 9-1-1 Lone Star. NCIS was not a new one but still one we missed so we recorded it as well for another night. This was another one of those dreary days but good days for doing things inside.

I borrowed these pictures from 2 years ago
I haven't yet walked down Baptist Church Road this way

Tomorrow, is the re-start of winter, with a high of 2- 8C/35 – 48F over the next 3 days. Overnight in the below freezing digits. Yeuch! We know it won’t last long so that is our focus. 😉

But soon! 😀
Good night all!

Thank you for popping by!