Friday, August 30, 2024

Let the Weekend Begin! Company!

The Ridge

On Friday, Aug. 30th Bill and I both had to go to work. I left at 7:10 and he left about 5 minutes later. Today, it wasn’t fog that made it difficult to see traffic coming at the corner……….it was that big ball of sun! Even Bill said later that it was bigger and brighter than he’s seen yet. 😉 Wow!

Good morning!

I was alone at the Mat until my Newfie customer came in with his laundry. He told me he is going in for hip surgery this morning at 11 yet here he was, walking down to do his laundry. He was more cleaned up, hair cut and beard trim, than I’ve ever seen him. I wished him good luck when I left. He’s on his own so I hope he has a friend close enough to help him at home.

Two Moonflowers in two different gardens

This is a first on this new baby plant

I drove down to the Esso and bought our sheet of 10 garbage tags. Goodness! Everything is going up. I got them for $25 ($2.50 each) and tomorrow that will increase to $3.50 each! We’ve got enough for the rest of this year and a start on next spring too. I was home before 9 and at 10, I went back into town with M for his errands. We dropped off a stereo system at Robin’s sale and on the way home picked up a dozen cobs of fresh corn.

Across the pond as I drove out the first time

look how bright that sun is at the end
of our road. It was bigger at the highway,
I couldnt see to get a picture.

Our fuel prices. This is the price in Durham.
In Hanover, they are switched. I got Regular for $1.47
and Diesel was $1.53
Strange but lucky for me!

Our friends, Ken and Kim, arrived at 1:20 and Gibbs and I were waiting for them. 😊 We haven’t seen them since this past winter so it will be a fun catch up, as always. Once they got set up and after a bit of chit chat, we all went in to have lunch. I had a half banana and yogourt when I got home from town so just had a slice of toasted sour dough with pb and cukes again. It was good and then we all met outside on our patio.

Interesting how just a few leaves change
ahead of the others.

The Journey pulls up the lane

Ken stopped here to unhook their tow vehicle

Catching up in the shade

Bill got home shortly after 2:30 and joined us. Happy hour ensued, we haven’t one since Duncan and Patty were here. 😉 At 6:15 we were chased indoors because of a light rainfall that the awnings didn’t protect us from. 

With these dark clouds off to the north,
we had a few spatters of rain

More coming later tonight.
It was a warm day when the sun was out.
25C/81F

I was planning on grilled burgers which got changed to weiners and beans. Hardly a suitable replacement but it worked and filled us with a piece of toast on the side. We cleaned up dishes and relaxed for the evening.

Doesn't look like a burger.
Doesn't taste like a burger.
But it was still a passable meal and filled us.
Good night!

It was a good day and wonderful to see our friends. Lots of laughs so this will be fun. I took the suggestion from a commentor to watch The Beekeeper. Wow! Nothing like hitting close to home! We've been scammed before and this released a lot of anger from that situation. ♥  

Thank you for your visit too.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Cleaning Things Up

The Ridge

On Thursday, Aug. 29th I woke up around 6:30 and was happy to realize that I had no time constrictions on my today. Bill, however, was already downstairs getting ready for his day of work. It isn’t overly strenuous work that he’s doing right now, although it is steady and he’s happy about that. 😊 Put it this way, he reeeaaallly looks forward to the weekends again.


Good morning!
Only about 4 more blooms to go.

I dropped back off to sleep and woke again at 7:15 and got up. When Bill left, Gibbs and I sat while I played my online games and finished my tea. Then I got down on the floor for the few exercises I partake in. I’m not as dedicated as I could/should be but at least every ‘other’ day, I make the effort. Then I vacuumed (or did I do that first?) upstairs and down with our D.D. (Dirt Devil).

This is the funniest thing.
No one can say dogs aren't smart.
He's hiding from the mower.

And here too.
Does he think I can't see him or just that the bad
old mower can't get him? 💖💖
I laugh every day at him.

Next, I wanted to cut grass. I didn’t cut it as short last week because there wasn’t a lot of rain in the forecast so today it was looking shaggy. Time for a haircut. Darn it all, the mower battery must not have been fully charged when we unplugged it as it only cut half of my area before moaning and groaning to a full halt.  

All tidied up here, irises cut back for the next two seasons

So, I plugged it back in and set to work cutting back the irises around the Bunky. They are so bunched in there that maybe in the spring, I’ll dig some up. Maybe.

This is a garden that will change appearance
in the spring but the mint gave off a lovely smell
while I worked around it.

I almost pulled this Purslaine until I realized what it is

A nice bunch of it here, maybe enough to fry some up

I wondered what this viny plant around the bike pedal was
Google says it is an invasive clover
but in this flower bed, I don't mind it.

There were a couple of other small gardens up here that needed some weeding so I crawled around at ground level and cleaned those up too. I messaged my sisters when I saw how many Moonflower babies were in that 2 ½’ garden, I knew they didn’t have any luck with theirs this year and mine were crazy! At least on average, 1 bloom a day since they started. I’ll dig some up just before we meet for ‘ladyfest’.

I sent this picture to my sisters
and they all jumped at the offer to take some.

Gibbs and I walked down the lane before lunch and put a card in the mailbox for an upcoming birthday and then I ate. Toasted sour dough bread with peanut butter and cucumber, oh my! Some of you are grossing out likely, but I love it and toasted made it even better. 😊 We all have our specialties, right? 

Lunch was so good. 

Next, I went back to the mower and was able to finish cutting the lawn before she died again. I hope I don’t need to buy a new battery in the spring.

a walk to the mailbox before lunch

I was done playing in the dirt so I moved on to the Weber Q. I’m not into the whole ‘clean the bbq’ thing (at all!) so I just emptied the grease tray from underneath and cleaned the table. It’s something! 

All cleaned (well, kind of) for another month or so.

Then we came inside so I could have my shower. It was 2:30. With that done, I was getting my tea made to take outside with my book when Bill surprised by arriving home early. They’d been drywalling and had to wait for the mud to dry before moving ahead.

Mrs. Hummer had a visitor todday but I couldn't
catch them together. I never see two at the same time here.

They were being discreet, I guess.

He hopped on the riding mower and Gibbs and I started a fire in the pit to burn two more delivery boxes. It beats putting them in the recycle bin. I burned a few smaller pieces from our wood pile and sat comfortably with my book and pooch beside me. 😉 Bill finished all but the laneway and the front field when he needed a break so came in for a snooze while I made supper.


Then she rested and posed for me.

Tonight was simple, omelets on toast aka toasted westerns was on the menu. I had bread at noon so opted for mine on the plate with some fresh garden tomatoes and pickles. I sent him back out instead of doing the dishes with me and I cleaned those up before making his egg salad sandwich for tomorrow. I used to hate the fuss of boiling the eggs, hoping they turned out and were easy to peel. With Madame IP, there is no guess work and they peel perfect every time. She’s a keeper!

Gibbs and I enjoyed the fire

While Bill cut the grass on the berm


Watching the fire and Billl

Last night I began watching a new series called American Rust, just one episode. It seems pretty good but when Bill asked me what it was about, I had a hard time explaining it. Maybe after a couple more I’ll be able to answer him. 😉 A suggestion by a commentor sounds interesting so I think tonight I’ll check out The Beekeeper. I’ve zipped past it on Prime, not knowing what it would be like. A recommendation makes it an easier decision.

It was nice for a change.

This has been a cloudy day, until supper time when the sun broke through for a bit The temperature reached 21C/70F and it was perfect for working outdoors. We’ll be hotter tomorrow, back in the mid to high 20’s, low 80’s (F) and it will be a different kind of busy. Working in the morning but expecting company to arrive at some point for the weekend. Yay! We are looking forward to seeing them again.

It was nice to see a late sun rather than
no sun at all. 
Good night!

I hope you’ve enjoyed your day as much as I have.

Thank you for stopping by.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

A Run Off my Feet Day, By Choice

The Ridge

On Wednesday, Aug. 28th while bank accounts zinged for many senior citizens, ha ha, I slept like a log. I slept REALLY well. Our Canada pensions went in the bank overnight so much banking would be taking place throughout the day all over the country. 😊 It’s payday!

This Moonflower fought to greet the day.


As did the Dahlias beside her.

Bill was downstairs getting ready for work and Gibbs and I slept on until after 6:30. I knew I had to get up to go to work as well, but was dragging my heels – for no reason other than the comfort factor right there in bed. Remember, this is a time that I set for myself, it is by choice that I go in so early. Sandy doesn’t care what time I clean the Mat.

Thick as pea soup, right Daddy? 😍


I'm glad he has his lights on or I might have missed him

Clear now, I can go.

It was drizzly at 7 when I left and yet all I could think was ‘the storm missed us, we’re safe for another day’. 😊 The gravel was lightly wet except under the vehicles, and as I approached the highway, fog had moved in quite heavily. It was a challenge to see vehicles through the blanket. Luckily, lights are standard on all cars!

Yes, it is becoming obvious that fall
is approaching.
Can't deny its beauty.

No one was at the Mat the whole time so I went about my duties. It was an hour and a half today with the big dryers to clean ($3.45 in my pocket) and a mess with the garbage. The boss buys cheap garbage bags so when customers cram them full with old clothes and blankets, they rip when I try to remove them. Anyway, it took me longer dealing with those things.

Black Beauty left a funny shape in the lot.
Quite curvy, I might add. 😁

I stopped at Battery Pro/Water Store to fill our jug and then returned home around 9. M needed me to run him around today so at 9:30 I picked him up and took care of that part of my day. I made a bank stop first thing to get Bill and I some cash out for spending. Although not much, we like to have some in our wallets for small purchases. I was back from M’s errands at 11;30 and warmed up some lunch.

After dropping M at his house,
in a corner beside his shop, these Petunias
are flourishing. He just tossed them there a few years ago
from his containers. 
There is a lot of fertilizer that was in the boxes and they love it.

Today, the last 3 keto pancakes and the last 2 slices of roast beef. Not a great blend but they filled me and emptied a couple of fridge dishes. At 1, I drove to Hanover to pick Donna up and we searched for the garage sale we found on Saturday to no avail. Oh well. We stopped by Bill’s work site to see the house and the job they’re doing. Nice!

Gotta love the farmers until at rush hour,
the busiest time on a two-lane highway they slow
everyone down. I'm a patient person, as a rule, but this was
ridiculous.

A quick stop at Independent Grocers before dropping Donna back at home. It is nice spending time with her. We don’t solve the world’s problems; we just have fun together. I made a stop for fuel in Hanover and then Walmart for an ink tank, birthday card and some Omega 3 capsules. It was the worst drive ever! I (a long line of us) got behind a large piece of farm machinery. He was too wide for one lane so rode on the shoulder of the road. Didn’t help. No one could pass him with all off the traffic coming our way.

What should have taken me 20 minutes, took an hour. Our plans to go to Costco tonight was canceled because I was so late getting home. We had leftover scalloped potatoes from the freezer, mixed vegetables from a can (not bad, actually) and pork riblets. It was easy, filling and we topped it off with a dish of Chapman’s Premium French Vanilla ice cream. Better still because it was $3.99!

Supper was pretty good.

We cleaned up the pots, started the dishwasher and by now Bill had our new battery charger connected and running. It was waiting on the step for me when I got home at noon. Fast service, he ordered it Monday afternoon! It has been a dull, cooler day, as expected but a relief from the past few days and my plants got watered! We only reached a high of 16C/64F today, no sunshine. 

Ice cream for dessert with 1/2 banana
was great!
Good night!

I enjoyed the busy day and will sure sleep well again tonight. 

Thank you for the visit.

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Relief on its Way, Birthday, Lazy Day

The Ridge

On Tuesday, Aug. 27th we woke to another hot day. 29C/84F on the horizon and it was already 20C/68F when we got up at 7. This morning when Bill checked our batteries, they were right up where we’d expect them to be after being plugged in overnight. Strange what was happening on Sunday night that ‘fried’ the charger. Oh well, with a new one on the way this week, we’re just fine. 😉

Slowly but surely,
my Sedum is blushing

Bill left for the job site at 7;30 and Gibbs and I just hung out inside. I planned to vacuum today but I realized at the end of the day that I neglected to do that. Woops! I did some exercises and we went outside for a bit until the temperature got too ridiculous, even in the shade.

The brush pile is massive this summer.

However, I did dress in long sleeves and pants and picked up all the brush behind the cargo trailer. The brush pile is so high already that it was a challenge doing the ‘up and over’. I managed and came in to do a bit more clothes purging. Two more drawers produced a few tops and I added them to the Bunky bags. All that is left is my jewelry box and I can always find something to donate. 😉

Not much more, but a few things
that won't be missed.

I made my coffee later than usual so didn’t feel hungry enough for much other than half a banana and some yogourt. Leaving Gibbs indoors where it was somewhat cooler, I put my markers and rocks away for the time being and got a puzzle out to start. That turned into a big disappointment, finding out that 160 pieces were missing.

It's a cute picture so I was disappointed.

What you see in the centre is the bulk of border pieces.
The puzzle is 19" x 28" you tell me.
I should have quit right there and then.

No, not me! I just wanted to do some puzzling.
I got this far and it all went into the garbage.

I knew I was in trouble when there weren’t enough border pieces but stubborn as I am, persisted until I got bored with it. It’s in the garbage now. It was a yard sale purchase for 50¢ so no real loss except my time. Bill was home just before 5 and after catching up, he relaxed in his recliner with Gibbs and I started my blog. I did figure out how to fix the phone camera issue so hopefully that won’t happen again. If it does, you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll forget how to fix it! LOL

I had a few shoestring fries and they were nice for a change.

Fish and chips for supper, easy and tasty. Bill had rain 30 minutes away today but not up here. Now we are getting severe thunderstorm watches coming across our phones. It’s the wind we hate so we’ll pay attention and may need to pay Robin a visit this evening. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me too, with a few things on the go and the weather will feel more like late spring again. Strange.


Other than some rain, it would be nice if the 
storms just past us by. 

Last night, I watched a movie called The Timekeeper. It was entertaining and reminded me of Deliverance. Not sure what I’ll find tonight, I’ve saved a few in my 'Favourites' on Prime. Today, is my big sister, Gayle's, birthday so I can't forget to send wishes out to her. 

Looks like 6 candles on that cake.👀
Hmmm.
Happy Birthday!💗

Good night to everyone else!

Thank you for taking the time to see what we’re up to.