Not a Shirker but Maybe a Shrieker

The Ridge

So, on Thursday, June 30^th, not only was it the last day of the month but it was also FRIDAY for a lot of you and us. Especially those of us in the working field, either by necessity or happenstance. 😊 Bill was off to meet Billy at Mike’s in Mildmay while Gibbs and I were fortunate to take it easy for a couple of hours after getting up at 6:45.

First blue jay in a long time

And a couple more moonflowers

I think I heard it rain at some point early morning but were not sure. My first job at hand is not really a job but I make it one. That’s finishing my blog post from yesterday. Last night, I was ready to throw my laptop when it didn’t want to connect nor let me bring pictures over so I had to close it and walk away for its own safety. This morning wasn’t a whole lot quicker to start but finally I was able to get ‘er done.

Because this will be a show truck,
when the box doesn't come out perfectly,
we do it again
The tailgate is now sanded again

I changed into work gear and took Gibbs down the lane and the road for a short distance before turning back. I’m still finding holes in the driveway and still evidence that the skunks are having a heyday with turtle eggs. Buggers! ☹ M had texted and asked me to bring my knee pads (which I always have) as I would be working in the bed of the Chev again. ??? Okay, but I thought he was painting it yesterday. Puzzling.

The rest of the truck covered from the paint spray

Until I got there. There was a bit of a mishap and it needs to repainted again. Don’t ask, it was a fluke, but it needs some heavier sanding in spots and just ‘dusting’ up in others for the new paint to stick. Crap! I can grumble to myself all I want but it’s a job that needs to be done. I don’t shirk my ‘duty’ when I’m asked and the money is forthcoming so I set to work on the tailgate. Let’s just say that I was happy to leave when my 3 hours was up. 😊

Peek-a-boo!

I'd guess-timate him to be 36"

Back home, I had lunch and then Gibbs and I went out to cut grass. As I stepped up to go into the storage shed, a garter snake made his appearance at my feet! Usually, I’m not a shrieker but when that little gapher slithered up through the cement block at the step, I admit that I shrieked! I quickly realized what it was and that it wasn’t harmful to me so held back from any other noises. 😂

Perfect way to keep the heat at bay

Gibbs wanted no part of it today

I sometimes use a sharp noise like that to get Gibbs’ attention when he’s not listening or coming. It works. I didn’t want him coming and getting involved with Mr. Garter. I managed to get my mower out and cut the grass. It was hot so I’d changed into my bathing suit and donned my sunhat while I cut. Such a sight! I had something to slip on close by just in case someone other than Bill came up the lane. They didn’t and I finished within 45 minutes.

No disappointment here

After putting things away, I added some rain water to the pool and sat with my feet in it in the partial shade. Gibbs didn’t want anything to do with it today but instead continued to run around and have fun. He was pretty good the whole time I cut the lawn and didn’t go too far but it was 3:30 and time to come in for a cup of tea. When it felt hotter inside than outside, I’d opened windows today, we sat outside in the shade and waited for ‘Daddy’. ♥

The corral hill looks better without the
weeds surrounding it 💓

Bill looked hot and tired when he came home so I suggested he not worry about trimming today. He rested, grilled our loaded burgers for supper and went out to trim. 😊 He’s hard to tie down but once he started, he felt better, obviously. I went in to the Bunky and faced the difficult puzzle that has been there for too long already but I’m a fool and won’t give up on it.

Gibbs' look when I said
"Are you chewing your rope?"

I managed quite a few pieces tonight while Gibbs, on his rope, watched for wherever Bill went. The breeze was so nice and he was quite cool. When Bill finished, we came in at 9 and he put The Big Chill movie on. What a hoot! I’m not sure I can stay up until it’s over at 11 but I’ll try. I have to clean in the morning and tonight I’m going to pray for a dry day tomorrow! 😊

Good night!

This was another good day. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

Working Wednesday, Banking It

The Ridge

It’s Wednesday, June 29^th and the month is drawing to a close. Hard to believe, those 29 days have zipped by! For those who wished the crazy spring weather would settle down, I guess they got their wish. It did and now it’s crazy summer weather. I think I read in someone’s blog that the forecasters are predicting the same for the next 3 months. Up, down, up and down again. Maybe that’s a good thing instead of constant up, up and up?

Oh, puppy dogs.
They can be so comfortable in the
strangest postitions! 💟

Enough weather talk. After Bill left, I had some cereal and followed my routine. That meant going in to clean the Mat. It was empty, so I was finished with no delays. There was one visitor, just checking out the bulletin board and we discussed the long weekend. I haven’t mentioned it, yet, but this is Durham’s 150^th homecoming weekend. It’s a big to-do with a lot of things going on. I’m not sure if we’ll take part in anything but we can if we want to! 😊

Lunch was okay, not my #1
choice usually

I stopped at the bank and deposited some cash into our Travel account. It feels good to be able to contribute to our winter journey. Back home, I changed into ‘auto body clothes’ (old jeans and shirt) and at 9:30 drove to M’s. I’m never completely sure what I’ll be doing but since it was raining when we got up this morning and ‘iffy’ all morning, I wasn’t surprised that I needed to touch up a few spots on the Chev inside the shop. Next, M needed me to cover everything except the inside of the box so he could paint it. N0t sure if that would happen after I left or later on.

We had dullness for a lot of the day
but it turned out pretty nice

Brian, M and Mike, the truck’s owner, lifted the new hood into place. Mike is a big guy, tall and husky, and even he had trouble holding it in place while they bolted it down. Ha! I was relieved of that duty, thank goodness, because I told him I would not be doing it again after the last fiasco! 😊 Apparently, he heard me loud and clear and didn’t even ask today. HaHa

Not a lot of pictures today
so let's jump right into supper
Chicken thighs, veggies and mac & cheese

I left at 12:30 and came home for lunch. Leftover salad from last night fit the bill but I had to add some cold meat to make it more filling. Salad just doesn’t do it for me without hard-boiled eggs or meat. I changed once more into ‘going out’ clothes and drove to Hanover. I was going to check out the butchers at Varney for meat for Friday but not knowing what they have, I decided there were more options in Hanover.

Clouds do make for a pretty painted sky
Looking to the north

M needed a couple of errands run for him and was going to ask me to do them tomorrow morning but since I would be in Hanover today, I offered. He doesn’t need to pay me for fuel and my time that way, seems fair and he was grateful. I did those things first and then stopped at Giant Tiger. I’d checked the flyer and they had a lot of things on sale that we could take advantage of. That was about $100 and then I went to Walmart for another $100. It made sense to buy what we needed for everyday too.

A pretty sunset

It was after 3 when I made my way home. The sun was coming out quite nicely by now and it was a pleasant day after all. Not sure when the rain will return but we’re hoping they are wrong about the weather on Canada Day. Figures that would be the biggest chance of precipitation. Bill got home at 5:15 and we discussed supper, which I’d already ‘half’ planned. We could wait a bit so he went out to cut the front field.

Bill went to cut the lawn and
Gibbs watched for signs of him from his perch
Funny how selfies turn the surroundings around
This is backwards

I’d been chatting with our buddies, Pat and Rob, and the chance of us getting together was getting slimmer and slimmer. They’ve been so busy, as we have, so when we were eating and they texted about popping out for a short visit, we of course said ‘yes, please come!’ We cleaned up from supper and Bill had his lunch made by the time they drove up in their pretty white Ford 4 X 4. 😊

One more sunset photo for the heck of it
My laptop was so slow last night, 
nothing would open.
Hence the delayed post

We all sat outside and caught up as best we could after what seems like too long. Gibbs was Gibbs and had fun outside too. The mosquitos were coming out and after they left Bill went to cut the back field while Gibbs and I came inside. Tomorrow afternoon, it will be my turn to cut some lawn. This has been a great day topped off with a visit (& hugs) from our good friends. ♥

I found a gorgeous sunset from June 29, 2017
Much prettier, eh?
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by.

A Dizzy Start, Doesn’t Look Like Rain

The Ridge

On Tuesday, June 28^th Bill was up at his normal time and when I opened my eyes at 6:30, the reflection of our time on the ceiling was blurry. ☹ Oh-oh. I waited until 6:45 and got up to go the bathroom and say goodbye to Bill. I wasn’t planning on an early rising since I didn’t have to clean today but when I felt dizzy and a bit nauseous, Bill gave me my water and I agreed to go back to bed.

Strange angle but he's looking up at me
and the camera
Nurse Gibbs

I didn’t drink a lot yesterday; when the weather is cooler, I tend to not need it as much. I drank a fair bit and Nurse Gibbs and I went back to sleep until closer to 8 o’clock. I felt a bit better so made a cup of tea and sat in our recliner. Gibbs kept a close eye on me. 😊 Food was the furthest thing from my mind and I was debating whether to call M about canceling work for the day. What to do, what to do. I knew he was anxious to get the Sierra close to completion this week.

While I was working, Dale from
West Grey Service and Parts
stopped in with a delivery
Love the truck!! (we didn't do it)

At 9, Gibbs and I went out for a walk down the lane and I felt pretty close to 100% so drove around the corner at 9:25. I could always come home if I needed to. I worked on the truck outside and it was a much better day out there! I could comfortably work in my t-shirt. I started by papering around the 3 key areas so M could prime them. If it sits outside in the rain, they will rust.

The doors only have been sanded
we don't plan on painting the whole truck
just touching up spots

The orange arrows show the spots to be primed first

The time went quickly again and at 12:30 I was on my way home. I made huge progress and all 4 doors are ready for some dents to be filled and primed. I had some lunch and changed into my bathing suit. Gibbs’ bed and my lounge chair came out of the Bunky. Time to relax. I had my book and while the munchkin found shade under the picnic table and my chair, I read. The sun felt great, turns out that 23C/73F is the perfect temperature with just the perfect breeze too. ♥

Gibbs like the shade, I like the sun
We make a great team 💓

I let him off the rope tether around 3:30 and while I watered the garden and my potted plants, he ran around like a fool. It’s almost like he says ‘Wheeeee!”, he’s so happy. He got tired out and hot enough that when I mentioned going in the house, he was right behind me. 😊 Bill was later tonight because he made a stop at Canadian Tire for a purchase we’ve talked about for a while and it was on sale. I’m happy and you’ll soon see what it is.

Half the time I couldn't see him
because he was behind or under my chair

Inside, he was doing a lot of puffing
trying to cool down

At 6, I started frying the leftover potatoes and made a garden salad. There was beef stroganoff leftover too that I reheated and it all made a filling, tasty meal. After dishes were loaded and Bill’s lunch made, he drove Black Beauty to town to fill her up for me. I need to do some running around tomorrow after work and she was getting pretty low after the trip to London. Government pensions are in so she’ll get topped right up. Cha-ching!

The peonies are dropping
their petals but I couldn't throw them out
because the scent was still with them
I bagged them and put them in the freezer
Don't ask me why

This has been a beautiful day, if only every day could be exactly like this. They’ve (weather people) been forecasting rain since Sunday and tonight is supposed to be the night. However, they’ve changed it to 5 am so we’ll just wait and see. It would be nice to have the gardens and plants watered naturally but get it over with before Friday. 😊

A good supper
Good night!

Thank you for your visit. Your comments are always welcome.

Jumping Right Back Into It, Then There's Gibbs

The Ridge

On Monday, June 27^th it was like we stepped into another dimension. One where it was the early days of spring. Good grief! From having the a/c on yesterday to needing long pants, socks and shoes again this morning. It was 12C/55F when we got up. Bill was up before 6 getting ready as he had to drive to Mildmay for 7:30. It’s about 40 minutes. Ptooties will be his transportation for a few days at least. 😊

I remembered to look for Moonflowers ♥

I was up and out the door shortly after 7 and went directly to Foodland for bread and then The Water Store to fill a bottle. Oh! That reminds me that the bottle is still in Black Beauty! (lightbulb) The Mat wasn’t too bad and there were 3 customers in and out while I was there for my hour. Back home, I drank the ‘to-go’ cup of tea that I left sitting on the kitchen counter and had some cereal.

These are the kind of touch ups
the Sierra needs

This one on the back passenger door
has been sanded

For an hour Gibbs and I sat together, cuddling, until it was time for a quick walk outside for him and then I left for M’s around the corner. I thought I would be working on the Datsun but no, another client had brought their 2014 GMC Sierra pick up for a few touch-up jobs. They seem like small jobs but when you have to sand the spots, prime them and THEN paint the whole doors, it’s not so small. It is quick work, put it that way and M says ‘easy money’. 😊

Breakfast quesadilla
I have leftovers for tomorrow

We should be able to get it done in a few days. He’s coming on Wednesday or Thursday, I think, to see how we’re coming along. It’s a beautiful truck. The unfortunate thing is that the 2 bays were full with the ’91 Chev and the ’82 Datsun so I had to work on it outside. I’ve been spoiled with the heat we’ve had so I wasn’t dressed for it. However, I’d rather it be cool like this than with the humidity.

You haven't seen the Gibbs pose
for a while
Here he is ♥

I borrowed one of M’s plaid hoodies and set to work. I managed to accomplish a lot without once checking the time. Before I knew it, two doors on river’s side were almost done and he said it was 12:30, time to go. Time really flew today so I must remember not to look at my watch next time. 😉 I like the 3 hour shifts so glad that is what he’s going with these days. I left and came home to the little bum, who is always happy to see Bill and I.

Supper

With my shower done, I planned supper and rearranged the canned goods cupboard. It got really bounced around from our trip to London. It always does when we travel so it’s nothing new. There are a couple more cupboards that need to be straightened but that’s for another day. I’m expecting a Norwex parcel to arrive today, I’ve had 2 notices saying so, but when we walked to the mailbox, Bill got his parcel instead. Hmm. Maybe mine comes Fedex or something else, can’t recall from previous shipments.

Rule: no Gibbs at the table until we're done eating

Well, we're done eating but dishes 
weren't removed

Bill came home just before 5 and we relaxed until it was time for supper. Tonight, we had beef stroganoff with corn on the cob. It was delicious and very filling. No dessert for me! We loaded the dishwasher; Bill made his lunch and that was our day. The sun came out around 6:45 and that was the nicest it has been all day. We reached a high of 15C/59F which felt colder than that because of the winds.

Oh-oh, Daddy says, we're going to be
in a blog tonight. 💕
Good night!

This has been a good day. Thank you for stopping by.

A No-Nonsense Kind of Day

The Ridge

On Sunday, June 26^th, Bill and I had already decided that we weren’t going to get involved in anything too strenuous. How’s that for planning? Ha! Well, to start off, it was 8:00 when we woke up. Gibbs had been out at 6, which I didn’t even hear, but we all went back to sleep. After a busy week consumed by keeping time on this, that and the other thing, it felt great to not have to do anything at any given hour. I didn’t put my watch on. 😊

This morning, I forgot to look at my
Moonflower so missed the blooms
There are more to come so I hope I remember
in the mornings to come

Of course, there were a few things that I wanted to do but they were small jobs. It was cloudy but surprisingly (or not) the weather man was wrong. The rain that was forecasted yesterday for this morning didn’t happen and even though it was later to happen around 4, the sun was out by then and it was lovely. Mind you, it was very humid, enough that we closed windows and turned the a/c on to 23C/74F.

The fencing is in place. If the ground wasn't so
rocky, the posts would be standing straighter
but it will work and I can step over it to do what I need to do

We went up and finished putting the chicken wire around my garden and then I watered all of my plants and filled the bird feeders. Vegetables and flowers. Gibbs ran around with me, sticking pretty close to where I was, so a good little boy this morning. Bill had a small piece of counter top that we got from the Mat so I lent a hand with attaching it to the Hangar as an outside shelf. After the a/c was on, I vacuumed the Suite. It was so dirty! ☹

Gibbs was quite happy indoors too

Lastly, I went up the berm, with Gibbs, stepped into my garden (over the 2’ fence) and planted my 4 egg plants. They look healthy but I hit so many rocks when I dug that I’m wondering if they will produce anything. All I can do is try. Next year, I’ll get Bill to use the tiller again for me. Gibbs was confused as to why he couldn’t get in there with me but it worked perfectly for me. I gave them all a good watering.

Look at the colours of these pieces

We had something to eat around noon, just toast and jam. Bill went to the Hangar and I took Gibbs out to the Bunky where I worked on that darn puzzle!! Man, is it ever a hard one! The colours of the pieces are different than what the picture is and they are all quite similar. Oh well. I like challenges, right? Haha. Gibbs was on his rope and behaved so well, that I rewarded him a few times with his favourite little treat bites. 😊

Then look at the picture on the cover
Maybe it's me but tmany look to be in the
same colour palette

For supper, at 6, Bill grilled Italian sausages and we had them in buns with some Black Cherry ice cream for dessert. This was an excellent day. Just the right amount of work, to keep us moving. I feel rested and ready to start another week. It will be a short work week for both of us with Friday being Canada Day and a fun day with Bill’s siblings. ♥

Now that's a long sausage! It was very good.
Good night!

Thank you for your visit! I hope your weekend was just as enjoyable.

An Update on Friday’s Party and Back Home Again

The Ridge (lots of photos, sorry)

So, still on Friday, June24th, you know we arrived at the residence of Kirk and Kate (Catherine) safely and were set up behind the barn. Perfect spot for our big rig, especially with a nosy barking security dog inside. 😊 We were dressed for the party by5:30 but waited, appropriately until around 6 before we walked up front to their backyard.

Gibbs took Mom on a morning walk
New smells!

Looking back to the farm. A couple of other rv's
are visible now, small ones

We did take our chairs, just in case they were needed. With 84 guests expected and who knew how many others didn’t respond until last minute, it was good to have somewhere to sit. I wore one of the little summer dresses that I bought at Giant Tiger for $11 each and it was the perfect choice. The sun had disappeared from the yard, blocked by their house and the mature trees around the property, but it was still quite warm.

A peek at the party location ♥

Bar set up under one canopy
Food under the other

Really, the perfect party atmosphere. It was beautiful, all the set up. I indulged in a drink that I’m not that familiar with but when the bartender suggested a gin and tonic as being a light summer refresher I said ‘yes!’ It was perfect. Not too heavy and it went down smoothly. So smooth that before the night was over, I’d emptied 3 (or was it 4?) glasses of it. 😊

the Guest of Honour
who just happens to live here too

One of the nicest guys you'll ever meet
His sister bought him the signs and glasses 😂

Kate, Kirk's wife and host of the party
Looks like she's singing and she really
was 'singing Kirk's praises'. 💖💖

My favourite picture of the night
Aren't they adorable?
Listening to Kirk's brother and business partner, Andy

Kirk, Kate, his sister, Nancy and hubby

Andy, his brother and a priceless t-shirt gift

Another speech from Roger, former
General Manager and he hired Bill in 2016/17

‘Dinner’ was a tad confusing since it wasn’t sit-down, but you ate as the caterers brought food around. We didn’t realize this until later and almost wished we’d partaken more, thinking they were appetizers. It all was delicious and we actually did have enough to eat in the long run. The music started around 9 and the DJ knew exactly how to keep the crowd on the dance floor. I haven’t danced that much since – well, what seems forever!

We liked how they marked the grass for parking 
Smart!

The garage set up for the DJ and dancing

We had a ball, cutting a rug (even though it was cement floor in the garage), reacquainting ourselves with co-workers of Bill’s and friends. It made us miss the RV shows in particular, the ones we used to volunteer at in London and Toronto. 

Kirk on the left, getting it 'down!'

My second favourite picture of
the host couple
Too bad it is blurred

Bottom line, it was a great time and a wonderful tribute to Kirk who as worked as part owner, with his brother, in his father’s business for over 30 years. Currently, he is still driving for them, delivering the odd rv for them. Hard to cut the ties.

Andy and the ladies encouraged Ben
for his Michael Jackson routine

Who doesn't love Sister Sledge's We are family!?
I joined but wanted a picture first of the ladies

PatHartley took our picture for us

It was 12:30 when Bill and I took our chairs back to the Suite. Of course, the little guy wanted to play after sleeping all that time, but we were ready for bed. Three hours of steady dancing (for me) does that to an old gal! ♥ The morning came too quickly and at 7 we were on the move again. Gibbs and I walked down the road a way and then Bill and I went up to the garage to meet a few others, who stayed overnight as well, for breakfast. Kate had croissants, fruit and coffee. 😊

Kate sent peonies home with a few of us

It was 9 when we pulled out and headed home. Another uneventful drive but with much less traffic this time. That was nice. We were pulling in the lane just before 12 noon.

His backup skills are A-1 in my book
This took a few tries to get it exactly right
but I'm still blown away!

Back in place again

At home, Bill backed the Suite into our perfectly ‘manufactured’ spot beside the steps and on the boards. Perfection is required, although he says it still isn’t perfect, and he does it better than anyone I know. ♥ We had some lunch and I took the sorted laundry into town and cleaned while washing our clothes.

My sweetie pie looks great on Jazz

By the time I had them hanging, I was feeling quite tired and hot so we all relaxed inside in the cool Suite for about half hour. Bill had taken Gibbs over to the Acreage to get a bladder of water while I was gone. It was the perfect day for a bike ride so we hopped on and drove to Paisley. The Paisley Common is the restaurant across the street from the home we stayed in during winter 20/21 and that’s where we went for supper. 😊 Lovely!

Our window view of the winter home space
we rented

Tastefully decorated upstairs too

The second floor is now finished and we chose to eat upstairs since we hadn’t seen it yet. I wish James had been working but he was upstairs with the kids in their newly renovated apartment. We wouldn’t disturb him on his day off but his wife, Ranna, was in the kitchen. I had a chicken quesadilla with a Caesar salad on the side and Bill had fish and chips. Yum, both were delicious! We stuck to ‘virgin’ drinks today, Zero Coke and lemonade.

Yum

Another great ride back home and it was great not to have to make supper. Yay!  Donna and Gerry were having a fire and so we rested for about 20 minutes before we all went to the Acreage. It was still very warm, 24C/75F at 8 so not too many layers were necessary. Gibbs entertained, as he does, and got into his usual nonsense, as he does, but it was a nice fire for a couple of hours.

They had a vision and have successfully met it
We sat at the window with the lights for supper

The day temperature reached 32C/89F and we were grateful to have the a/c running. Even up in the bedroom for bed, we turned that one on and the main level off. That bit of relief to fall asleep was helpful since there was no breeze to speak of for opening windows. 

Wonderful night for a ride

We’ve had 2, 3 actually, busy days and it sure feels like summer is here. There is lawn work to do but with company coming on Friday, we’ll wait until mid-week to take care of that. This was a great couple of days!

Good night!

Thank you for popping by!