Canada Day Dinner with Family

The Ridge

On Friday, July 1^st the forecast was pretty unsettling. Both in the sky and in our thoughts. It was supposed to be light morning showers and then an 83% chance of precipitation with thunder storms in the afternoon. Blech! That’s how it started. By 9 am, (after a bit of a fretful evening thinking about it), Bill looked at the radar and it was going to clear up by 1. Yay!

Waiting for company after a busy
morning

The day just got brighter from there on in. I went to town to clean the Mat and loaded the last smaller pieces of wood in the back of Ptooties, with the seats folded down. Just the sheet of plywood is left for Bill to pick up and that should clear everything out for Jamie that he asked about. 😊 I feel better about that, we’d told him we’d get it this week. We will burn it in our pit.

Bill dozed in the chair beside me

Bill waited until about 10 and when the sprinkles of rain stopped, he went out and did the weed trimming down the lane. He also did around our seating area up here and on the berm along the fence line. It looks so nice when it’s done and I know he was happy to get at it. Then we got cleaned up, showered, rested etc. Inside, I boiled potatoes for salad and when they turned out too well done, mashed them instead of cutting them up.

Then we were ready

From now on, that is the way all my potato salads will be made! It is so much easier than all that cutting. 😊 I got a snack tray ready with cukes, grape tomatoes, cheese, grapes as well as a shrimp tray and hickory sticks and Cheeto snacks. Yes, probably more than was necessary but we were consuming alcohol so it was important to have snacks.

I can't wait until Gracie gets here!

Carol, Brian and Gracie arrived first, around 2:30 and Gibbs cared about nothing else for a while. ♥ He met Gracie last year, same time, same place and they have both grown up a lot since then. It was just fun to watch them chase, jump, roll and play over each other. A couple of times when Brian let her loose with her long leash in tow (for easy catching), she wandered too far and wouldn’t come when called. Boy, they are like two peas in a pod! So many similar habits!

Then she arrived
She's a Wheaton Terrier
but a mini version, I think

Liz and Bruce came just as we started getting our snacks. Because of the dogs and the wind, I left everything inside on the island (but forgot a picture). The rest of the afternoon was very enjoyable, stories that the 3 sibs and 2 in-laws shared about Stratford. They’ve all lived there for a long time. I don’t know enough about the town or the present or former buildings so I was able to just listen and be happy. 😊 It was a beautiful afternoon and we were thankful for the wind up here.

They were adorable waiting for a treat

Adorable together resting

And even in their play

Bill started grilling shortly after 6. Angus burgers and Smokies and I prepped the Caesar salad and set everything up on the island again. We filled our plates and moved outside to the picnic table to eat. For dessert, it was an assortment of New York style cheesecakes and they were delicious! Of course, some of us had 2 pieces! I can’t refuse cheesecake at any time and we haven’t had it in a while.

Liz and Bruce

Bill and Brian (and Gracie's butt)

Carol

My plate of food

The dessert tray after a few got their pieces

Before they left, I think it was around 8 or so, I got my tripod and took our traditional group picture. It will be fun to look back on and that’s exactly what I did instead of writing my blog last night. 

Happy Canada Day from the Richard's clan
There are McNall's and Schmidt's in here too ♥♥

This was another awesome Canada Day up here on The Ridge.

The start of the sunset

And the finish
Good night!
Happy Birthday, Canada!

Thank you for dropping by!