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.

A Day off for Me Too!

The Ridge

On Tuesday, July 28th Bill and I woke up around 6:30 - Gibbs too. Actually, the little bum was awake earlier and crawled up to our pillows. *hint, hint* 'I'm awake guys, are you getting up?' 

Good morning!
2 1/2 more.
One more that didn't fully open.
🤔

Last night, I felt like I was awake more than asleep but I know that is not true. I went up to bed around 10 or so, very tired. I know I dropped off right away w/ear plugs in because Bill had a movie on downstairs. When Bill came up.....whenever, Gibbs hopped up onto the bed and began burying his rawhide bone.

We really do straighten these quilts
- a lot.
I think it is a game of
'can you guess where my bone is?'

Good grief!! He wouldn't settle down; Bill came close to tossing it on the floor, but that woke me up. Then there I was. Staring at the ceiling, the window, Bill, tossing and turning and doing it all over again. I don't remember when I last looked at the clock but then slept solid until Gibbs moved up.

I had no where to be today, and all Bill had going on was to dump our black tank, re-measure for our stove and go next door to finish the 2nd coat of painting. It was around 10:30 when he went, so as not to wake Dot up. She is a late sleeper. I sat at my craft table determined to finish Robin's plaque.

Yup, there it is.
He isn't eating it, just
carrying it around, burying it,
digging it up and repeat.
He wants to take it outside but
we ixnay that idea!

When Bill messaged about making him a sandwich and taking it over at noon, I made one for both of us and we sat together to eat. Dot was gone for the day and Gord, of course, was working. We had a nice chit chat, talking about everything that's ahead of us. Our own little 'date'. 🥰

The sky was such that we had clouds to start the day, then sunshine and when the power went out in the area, I turned the inverter on and unplugged us. The sun was doing the job for us. It came back on while we were having lunch. I managed to finish the project, quite tickled with the result.

Trying to come up with something
appropriate and looking vintage
was the challenge.

Last night, Robin showed us her two air bnbs, the detached one called the Carriage House, and it is quite special, even though not finished yet. I hope she likes this addition. The big house bnb doesn't have a name yet, but she'll come up with a good one.

These daisies make me smile.
It's like 'HELLO!'
I love their cheeriness.

I couldn't decide on supper, the freezer is getting sparse except for the same thing we've been eating. 🤷‍♀️ I'm not a meal creator like a lot of you, so I'm grateful for my easy-going hubby. He doesn't mind repeat meals. I pulled sausage out and added 'meat' to tomorrow's grocery list. Payday.

Then there are the
Echinacea. They have a long
preparation period, stalks slowly reaching
upwards. Always totally worth it
with their own endearing smiles.

Over the last few days, my screen tent has taken a beating. Between excited little Gibbs not picking up his feet when Daddy comes home and the wind, the tears are just getting bigger and bigger. I decided to just take it down and say goodbye to it. I got a few summers out of it. Bill cut the grass that was in that area.

When I moved the tent, the grass
was noticeably longer in that area.
Now it is cut again.

Bill was back home at 4, got as much done as his arms could handle. Not much left. We had flags to put out so went out together to do that and I saw our geese families flying all around. So nice to see the big babies flying! It's like a practice because they went around and around our area a few times.

And shyer, my Dahlias are
starting to show their faces.
Only one so far.

We had air fried sausages for supper. I cooked 2 potatoes to share and we both had a kale salad. It was all very good. The air outside had cooled off considerably since this morning when it felt humid. No real rain expected but it is a possibility overnight to bring us a wonderful day tomorrow.

I guess I could have just dirtied
one plate but the dishwasher
will run regardless.

There were a few pots to wash by hand but Bill loaded the dishwasher with the rest. This was a good day.

Things have sure changed!
This was July 28, 2017, my first
summer garden harvest. Ever since,
I haven't been able to grow onions.
Maybe I'll try again next spring.
Good night!

Thank you popping around!

A Couple of Jobs Today

The Ridge

It was a noise that fit right into whatever I was dreaming when Bill's phone alarm went off at 6 am on Monday, July 27th. Woops! It was downstairs but he forgot to shut it off. No worries, I wanted to be up and moving by 6:30 anyway. 

Good morning!
Not surprising, I'm behind posting.
🤭
This is Sunday night, while I watered my
vegetables. Gibbs sat on the well-manicured
berm and looked to the west, waiting for me.

I did my stretches alone this morning, Gibbs had gone out with Bill while I finished them. Robin had picked up a bunch of supplies for the bnb and was going to bring them over last night to load into Ptooties but I said I could stop in at 7 on my way into town.

What was he looking at?
Why, the beautiful sun as it said
goodbye to us.

Through a haze and on the left,
our window screen.

I did that, and the boot of my suv was full when I pulled out of her lane. I'm happy she stocked up because we were getting low on a lot of things. All except for the Jeep lady, the Mat was empty. She sits in her vehicle while waiting for the cycles but she is very nice.

5 Moonflowers, still
surprising the heck out of me.

I finished up by washing the floors and drove home. We were under a cloudy sky but that sun was sure trying to break through. On the way home, I stopped on Baptist Church Road and cut some Queen Anne's Lace and Black-eyed Susans. The Susans are so bright, calling out to me.🤭

That kind of weather day where you
just don't know........

Bill was off at 7:15, no, not to work but to Hanover for Black Beauty's oil change. That's always an expensive endeavour but we knew what we were getting in for when we bought her so it's no surprise when we go. We are very happy with this auto shop and we made appointments for her yellow sticker check and Ptooties' oil change in the coming month or so.

Our sunrise was not looking a lot
different than the sunset last night.

Robin asked yesterday if I could clean today, she was headed to Barrie with her 'bonnet passengers'. I was waiting for the word from her of an early guest departure, but that didn't happen so at 10:30, I headed over to Williamsford. Sometimes they don't notify her. As long as they are gone by 11, that's all I care! 

From the Mat, here is the West Grey
staff watering the town planters.
No wonder they are always so 
healthy looking. 

I drove a little further when she asked me about wild flowers for the bedroom vase. Hmm, too bad I didn't know sooner. I went through town and found some Sweet Peas that were still healthy and more QAL. I should be able to make a bouquet out of these! Then I found some Tiger Lilies too.

I think they look quite lovely,
and Robin approved.

After I unloaded Ptooties, stripped the beds, threw dirty laundry in the machine to wash, emptied the dehumidifier, put the supplies away, I was already worn out! Ha ha, not really but I was moving the whole time, nibbling on my cheese and yogourt as I went.

As I drove to my spot at home,
I was being watched - carefully.
We enter slowly and do a wide swoop
around the area so as not to disturb.

It was 1 pm when I finished up dry & wet Swifting the floors. The bathroom floor was the worst so it definitely needed a washing. She also had picked up some new dishes to replace the set that had the odd chipped plate, so that took more time than usual. I put 2 1/2 hours on my docket today!

Gibbs was at the door to go out
but has to lay down and roll in the
grass before taking care of
business.
Yes, that is my Hibiscus. Luckily,
his aim is terrible with those
short legs.

When I returned home, I saw that Bill was at the neighbours, as expected. That meant he was painting the first coat on the last two rooms in the basement. D & G are very pleased with the job he is doing and have wondered if he'd do upstairs. 🤔 He'll have to get more info first and then decide.

Here in the Suite he removed the 2 drawers under our stove top, the first step (or second since I've already emptied them) to getting our new oven installed. He should be done painting (for now) tomorrow afternoon and then focus on our install. 🤞 

We were in a bit of a hurry to finish
before Robin's call so no bacon
tonight.
These were delicious! I need
to take a pix of the box.
(and cooked to perfection, juicy!)

Our friends who are (being positive) coming this week had a bit of an unexpected delay so we are just waiting to hear how things are going etc. We are very hopeful that it works out that they can still come as planned. I put their reservation sign out in the hopes that my positivity helps. 🤭😉 

It worked! Our guests are
coming on Wednesday!
👏

Bill was home before 5 from next door and had a snooze. I was working on Robin's project and then started supper at 5:30. Bill grilled cheeseburgers and we were eating by 6. Robin messaged that she was on her way home from Barrie. She'd asked if we could help her pick up a free hutch tonight.

She drove their pickup to Hanover and Bill helped her load it in the back of the truck. She loves the period pieces and it shows in all of the homes she renovates and decorates. On our way out of town, she treated Bill and I to an ice cream sundae at McD's. I was craving ice cream so enjoyed it!

Chocolate, of course.

On the way home, we dropped the hutch off and took a tour through two of her next bnb projects That girl has a lot of ideas! We were home by 9:45, but too tired to finish this blog post. I'm off tomorrow so it will be done in the morning.

Before our evening started, we got the good news that our campout guests are coming on Wednesday! Yay, we are looking forward to seeing them. It has been a few months since we got together. Let the good times (& good weather) continue!

Drawers are out and the
roller brackets today.

This has been a very good day, with some cash earned, some rain fell and we helped out a good friend. It got very hot and humid today even though it only got to 25C/77F on a thermometer. It did cool down nicely late afternoon so we turned the a/c off and opened windows.

Memory from 7 years ago today.
2019, a visit with Mom.
💖
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by!