They Weren't Wrong, A Work Day, Friends Leave

The Ridge

On Sunday, Aug. 2nd I woke up in a state that made me feel like the last thing I wanted to do was get up and go to work. 😂 I was in bed last night at my normal time but couldn't drop off until after 1 pm. I wish I knew what that was about but it seemed Bill was in the same boat.

Good morning!
No Moonflowers again.

So, this morning came too soon, that's my bottom line feeling. The laundry was already sorted into 2 loads, thanks to Bill, so I made a tea and got ready to head out. It had been raining off and on throughout the night and the temperture had dropped. 

Gibbs looks tired today too.

Today was forecasted for 100% precipitation and we can't dispute that they were correct - this time. Not many minutes during the day were without it. The Mat was busier in 2 hours today than I ever remember it being. From 1 customer when I arrived to 9 before I locked up.

Two more machines were not spinning clothes as they should and still two had standing water in the bottom. LOL I was helping people get reimbursed for their second washing or drying. Let's just say I was happy to leave. Sandy had left my $$ for July in the office so that was good.

My wipers were intermittent
all the way to town, home and
to Williamsford and home.
That kind of a day.

I was back home shortly after 9 and Bill and I chatted a bit about a possible direction we'll take for this winter's trip.  I was biding my time until Robin messaged about her guests checking out. She asked yesterday if I could clean for her. 

Kim and I had talked yesterday about
Bibles so when I saw this one at
Robin's Blacksmith bnb, I had to
take a picture.
All her books are vintage.

We knew Ken and Kim were pulling out today with the wet day so when I got the word just after 10 that the bnb was empty, we popped over so I could say goodbye before I left. They would be gone by the time I returned. We've had a great 4 days with them and I wished them well on their drive home.

This is another one in
a bedroom. I might have to
borrow it, it was interesting.

The house was in pretty good shape and with 4 guests checking in this afternoon, I made sure things were restocked in the kitchen. Everything was cleaned and I was on my way home at 1 pm. Ken and Kim were pulling out of the Ridge at the same time.

Unfortunately, the heavy rains last
night, washed out our lane again.
This is after Bill raked it.

So, Bill was puttering outside and then went to the Hangar. I felt exhausted so went up to bed right away and slept for an hour with Gibbs. That's what I needed, although I bet I'll sleep well tonight too. 🤭 

The Wilson's left
around 1 pm.

So long friends!
Until next time.

I finished a greeting card for a friend that I'd started and when Bill came in for his snooze, I started supper. Tonight was the perfect night for a pan of lasagna and I was anxious for another oven experience. 

A couple of Dahlias
starting the process.

Bill's Hangar
looks better in sunny weather, right?

We were eating shortly after 6 and with a kale salad on the side, it was a perfect Sunday meal on a Sunday night.  The lasagna was wonderful and Patsy is very happy. 

I'm happy to be
making meals in an
oven again.
No guesswork.

The evening looked exactly like the whole day did albeit a bit darker. We only reached 18.3C/65F today and at that, under the clouds and rain, it felt even cooler. Nevertheless, it was a good day. It wouldn't be a long weekend if the weather wasn't topsy-turvy! 🤣😉

Delicious!
Good night.

Thank you for your visit.

Hanging Out at Home with Friends

The Ridge

On Saturday, Aug. 1st, we welcomed a new month with an overcast morning - which extended into the whole day. It felt like we were granted a relief from the hot sun of yesterday - last month. Would it rain today as was called for?

Good morning!
Let's start with a memory.
Aug. 1st, 2021
A 2 year old Gibbs got in the sprinkler
on purpose!

It was another 'no Moonflower'
morning.

We were all up by 7, me being the last one, of course. Bill and Ken left for the flying field at 7:30 and with the calm to no wind situation, they would have a good morning. I puttered inside, pulling some chicken thighs out for supper and then checking out a Canadian vendor for eyeglasses. Pretty fair prices.

Today, my first picture was
when we drove over to the Acreage.
Told you we were busy chatting!

Around 9ish, I went outside with Gibbs and checked the Moonflowers (none again today) and sat with my book on the patio. It wasn't long and Kim joined me with her book. Let me tell you, our intentions are good, as far as opening and reading, but we get into conversations that have us bookmarking and closing them. 🤭

Just a bit of rain on our way
back home, leaving the wetness
back with Donna & Gerry.

We never have a problem finding things to talk about and today was no exception. I think I managed 3 or 4 pages and we were off again! I love it! I can read when I'm alone. We stayed there until 12:30 when the boys returned home, and we parted ways for lunch.

After lunch, we all hopped into Black Beauty and drove over to the Acreage so I could give Donna her card and birthday gifts (which I forgot to get a picture of) and for Bill to get a bladder of water. We had a little visit as well until the sky threatened rain. 

We drove through a bit on our way home (2:30ish) but the Ridge was dry. Sitting outside for a bit, we were soon chased inside for Happy Hour. It didn't last long, nor amount to much up here. I hope to get more overnight to give the veggies a good watering. 

An inside Happy Hour, haven't had
one of those for a while!

Ken and I checked my garden and I picked the tomatoes that were ready. Aren't those the largest beefsteak tomatoes you've ever seen? 🤭🫣 Not sure what I do wrong but they ripened so fast that Ken said they were done growing. They are cute, even if they won't fill a piece of bread like they're supposed to!

Eat your hearts out!
The 3 odd shaped ones on the left
are Beefsteaks - for real!
🤭🫣

When they went home to start supper, around 5, I prepared the chicken thighs, cut up leftover potatoes for frying and shucked a couple of cobs of corn. We turned the oven on together, it's a bit different AND I haven't used one for 10 years. 

The coated chicken went in at 400°F after a 15 minute preheat. Only one rack in the middle so I tried that tonight rather than moving it down. In exactly 45 minutes, the timer I'd set went off and tested the temperature of the chicken with my thermometer. Perfect!

Bill and I were thrilled that
everything worked as it should.
Phew!

I cooked the corn for 6 minutes, fried the potatoes and we were eating by 6:15. Not bad! All easy peasey. Supper was delicious, although with a sore lower lip (don't ask!), eating it off the cob was tricky! Bill took care of the dishes for me and he went to the Hangar after sorting the laundry. 

Finally, Donna's card.
Only 9 days late.
🤷‍♀️

This was a great day. We did get some rain but not a downpour by any means. Tomorrow is looking like a write off for outdoor activity. We reached a high of 25.56C/78F again today but cooled off nicely by supper time. I hope you've enjoyed your first day of August too.

Yes, you could say she is a
Wise old Owl. 💕
Good night!

Thank you for stopping around. 

Oh What a Day! Birthday Wishes

 The Ridge

It was 6:45 am on Friday, July 31st, last day of this summer month when I heard Bill talking to Gibbs. "We slept in!" I did have to clean the Mat but, as I've mentioned before, it is on my own time schedule. I did my stretches while they went out and then got washed and headed out by 7:15.

Good morning!
No Moonflowers today,
but a cute picture of Kim with
Gibbs close by in the only shade
off the patio. 😍

Bill didn't go flying this morning as he had an appointment with Impact Tire to get 2 new front tires on Black Beauty. Ouch! So, that was more than we expected but we know we are not steered wrong with Jay. The old ones were 3 years old and had 75,000 kms on them. Everything is more expensive.

Gibbs is quite comfortable with
our friends.

Since plans were made for our little get together today, I had stopped at Foodland to buy extra burgers, buns, salad and watermelon. At home, I began pulling things out of the cupboard once I had a final tally of guests. 8 plates, forks, napkins etc. etc. 

I put our round table up near the
Suite, by the bbq.
Condiments, buns, salad and
watermelon!

We didn't  need lunch since we were eating at 2 ish, but because I'd only had some yogourt earlier, I cut myself some cheddar. I love the old cheese and Bill eats the medium. He had a yogourt to tie him over. 

Our first guests arrived around 1, Donna and Gerry and Gayle and John, coming from over an hour away, arrived around 2:30. So our meal was a tad late but Bill had the burgers and sausages ready soon after. 

I had my little tripod set up
but it didn't capture everyone
at the table.

The sun was following us around the patio and we were all squeezing into the shade as much as possible. If we'd thought enough about it, we could have put our sun shade out but.......we didn't. It all works out and we ate around the picnic table, using Ken & Kim's table as an add-on.

John, on the right, was missing
from the previous shot.

Everything was delicious, great job Sweetie! We shared a strawberry cream cake from Walmart to help Ken celebrate his birthday. It was all very good. After clean up, we sat in the shade around the fire pit until our guests said their goodbyes and headed home.

Happy Birthday, Ken!
Cute picture of you two!

Ken, Kim, Bill, Gibbs and I sat out until about 6;30 and called it a night. Seems early, I know but the heat 30.55C/87F really took a toll on us. I heard that G & J got home safely and they, and Donna thanked us for the invitation. I still forgot to give Donna her birthday card!!! 

This guy was really pretty good
in that heat.

We all felt at least one
drop of rain around the same time
and this was above us.
That was it.

We had the Suite closed up all day so it was quite comfortable for the times I was in with prep etc. 

I love this picture.
Gibbs knows Ken will play
ball, (or give him fries) so sits
there and just stares at him with a
wagging tail.
💕
It's like 'Hello, Ken!'
Good night!

What a wonderful day! Thank you for sharing the last day of July with us.

What a Lovely Day! Making Plans

 The Ridge

On Thursday, July 30th I woke from another decent sleep. Bill was up with Gibbs and stayed downstairs. I kept dropping back off to sleep, finally making my move around 7. Gibbs and I did our stretches and got up. Ken and Bill were going flying and it was looking like a perfect day for it.

Good morning!
The boys are off to the field.
They'll be the only ones there,
on a weekday.

I needed to feed the birds and add water to their bird bath from the rain pails so did that. I hadn't seen Kim yet, so got the Dirt Devil out and vacuumed the Suite. We met outside later, sitting with the sun at our backs. It got chilly last night.

One more Moonflower.
Yesterday's was trying to finish
opening too.

Thank you for the comments about our new stove, I'm excited. What's first? Maybe cookies.....or lasagna. Kim and I cover a lot of topics when we sit down together and today was no different. Food is a big topic of discussion which we both can contribute to.

Such a beautiful morning.

She offers some ideas and I share my own insights on what I do. We passed the time until shortly after 11 when I needed my coffee and rejoined her. 

I'm so thrilled that our
lilac is blooming again.
Who knew?

Our books, that we took out to read, weren't touched, not necessary. 🤭 Gibbs found solace under our chairs or in his bed on the shaded patio.

He is in the shade but is still
keeping an eye on us.

We've all talked about a get together with my sister & Gerry, Pat and Suzie but the weather is a big factor. So, some tentative plans were made for Friday, since the weekend weather 'could' be a washout. Bill and Ken returned just around the noon hour and we parted ways for lunch.

First use!

I was encouraged by my chat with Kim so fried 2 eggs with shredded cheese (no meat this time) on our new stove! My favourite thing right now is that it is LEVEL! The old cooktop has never been level, which was a challenge with frying certain things. This is wonderful!

Chef Ken is all set up to
cook supper.

After firming up plans for a barbecue tomorrow, Bill and Ken worked on his big plane down at the Hangar and Kim and Gibbs and I hung out over by the fire pit. In enough sun but also partial shade to be comfortable, we discussed winter plans.

Bill sets the table.
Well, this is really nice!

We got our Happy Hour drinks ready and Bill and Ken joined us. The Wilson's were treating us to a 'promised' fish fry tonight. Last winter when we all bought peanut oil, Ken made the offer so tonight was the night. 

Not giving away any
secrets here, but I've learned
how to deep fry fish today!

I have never deep fried fish so this was a learning experience for Bill and I. With 2 FryDaddy's and 1 GrandPappy fryer, Chef Ken took care of the meal. It was as good as any we've had in a restaurant and now we're spoiled for life. 😉🤣

Oh my! Delicious!
Home cut fries, df haddock,
cole slaw, Ken's mustard pickles.

It was all delicious and Kim and Bill cleaned up. I really did nothing to help...hmm 🫣, so I took the picture. 

Couldn't decide on which one
was better.

Being outside all day is tiring even if you are doing a whole lot of nothing, so when Kim went in to finish clean up (we put the dishes in our dishwasher), we soon after said good night.

Speaking of being tired.
This little guy will sleep well
tonight. 

Such a good day together with a lot of stories and even more laughs. Inside, I watched the sun set behind our trees at 8:35. Perfect ending. Gibbs was very good too, outside with us all for the whole of the day. He will sleep well tonight! We reached a high of 25.56C/78F with varying winds throughout.

Good night!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

And Then it Happened!

The Ridge

On Wednesday, July 29th I woke up shortly after 6 when the boys went out. Wow! That was an excellent sleep! I didn't wake up or move once and had dropped off really quickly after going upstairs.  Bill had the tv on so I put my ear plugs in. I bet I didn't even need them.

Good morning!
Another stalled start.
One good Moonflower and
one half opened. 
🤷‍♀️

The reason? I took 2 Benadryl (like a sleep drug for me) because of all the itching and scratching I've been doing. The mosquitoes are finding me now and possibly either a spider or a big ant from Sunday afternoon. He bit me 4 times right in a row. Bugger!

So, back to today, I hopped in the shower, not in a rush to get into town. First off, I got our water bottle filled at Battery Pro and then returned to the Mat. A couple of customers this morning, and I was finished and out before the last lady was done washing.

Bill got the burner out and installed
a board over the bottom drawer
and under the stove's location.

From there I drove to Impact Tire to deliver a birthday card to Jackie. Her special day was yesterday so I wanted to be sure to get a card to her today. Plus, I was able to purchase our C the A tickets. 

Two heads are better than one,
right?

In Hanover, I stopped first at the Independent for my yogourt, and picked up Bill's as well. I checked out the meat department and came home with a beef roast, steak and chicken thighs. Then I drove back to Walmart and got the rest of the items on our list. I was home before 11.

Yay! It fits and looks great!
Thank you Bill and Ken.
🥰
An added bonus, our ceramic stove
cover closes down over top.

Bill was just finishing with some weed trimming at the front and when he came up, he hopped By into the shower. Our company arrived, pulling into the lane at 11:10 and Ken had no trouble pulling around and backing into their site. 😉

I had the groceries put away except for separating the chicken thighs so went out to greet our guests. While they set up, we had ou r lunch and then Kim and I sat outside together. Ken and Bill were busy installing the new stove/oven! Yay! It probably took them an hour and a half from beginning to end.

Kim, Ken, Bill & Gibbs
our first Happy Hour in a few
months.

When we were called in to inspect, I couldn't have been happier. Now, how do you use an oven again?  🤭🫣 It looks awesome, matching our microwave quite nicely. We met outside for an early start to Happy Hour that extended into a Happy 3 hours. We always do that for our first get together.

We weren't in direct sunlight
so Gibbs was happy to stay
close to us.

We had lots to talk about to catch up on. We eventually got around to doctors and we told them that we called 811 to get registered and on a waiting list for a doctor in the area. I heard it on the radio news that there are some available. That is good news for us since we plan on staying around here.

Sigh* Grandparents again.
🤭
Born Monday, July 27th

Mr. & Mrs. Robin take turns
feeding the babies.

For supper, we had grilled bcburgers and they were delicious. I can't seem to get away from eating the buns, lol. 

Good night!

This was a wonderful day and we are so happy to see our friends again.  We reached a windy high of 23.33C/74F this afternoon, the sun was wonderful.

After supper, the winds died a fair bit and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. That means a normal sunset, nothing to write home about. 😉 I hope you've enjoyed your day!

Thank you for the visit.