Bill Gets an Early Start, Walking with Gibbs, Baking

The Ridge

On Saturday, Aug. 7^th, Bill was up at 5 and took Gibbs out for his business. It was early so he brought him back to bed. I knew he was pulling out with the cargo trailer around 6 so had no plans to get up to see him off. He crawled across the bed for a ‘goodbye, I love you, drive safe and have a good day’ kiss. 😊 Jam-packed in other words.

The sky this morning was so pretty
when we left for our walk

We, the lazy bones, didn’t get up until almost 7 but it was more resting than sleeping on my part. It is nice to just cuddle with the little fur baby. I was watching a dog training program last night and understand that it is against ALL training rules (Laws?) to bring your dog into bed with you but too bad, Bill and I say. They are special moments for us as puppy owners and unless it is imperative that Gibbs sleep in his crate (for a personal or health reason), he will have a place in our King bed.

The geese seem to spend time between the waters
of the pond and the wheat fields

Gibbs and I left the Suite for our walk around 7:00 and turned around at Turbine Lane. It was a beautiful day, not real sunny but it was already 18C/67F or thereabouts. First time that I’ve wore shorts and my bright yellow windbreaker over a tank top. The windbreaker was not really necessary although as I turned onto Baptist Church Road, the wind did pick up. It is more to be noticed than anything.

Still pretty

We made it again, Mom!

He had his breakfast when we returned and then slept while I worked on my blog. I wanted to finish it last night but I couldn’t download pictures from my camera. It kept saying that my ‘power surge on the camera was not strong enough to blah blah blah’. I got frustrated after several tries and closed my laptop. Bill and I watched something on tv together until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and went up to bed at 10. He followed soon after because of his early morning today.

The corral looks great all trimmed up

My hosta and spirea are still healthy

I felt like Cheerios this morning so added some fruit
and cream
Yum!

I thought it was time to do some cleaning so I got out my Norwex products and did the high dusting first, which included the tops of the cupboards and slideouts. It also included the dirty fan blades. Then I did the low dusting which also included the floors to clean up the mess I made. 😃  

The rubber brush cleans the Pet Mitt and the EnviroWand

I used the dust mitt, dry, to not only wipe the inside screen windows but also the daytime blinds that we have in the Suite. I noticed the other day just how dirty they get too. I love the products and the ease of working with them. I have some face cloths to pick up from Gayle that I ordered and Donna's virtual party begins next weekend. 

All things cleaned now

The outside temperature increased to 25C/77F according to my weather network but our outdoor thermometer was reading 88F. Hmm, that’s quite a difference and usually that location of the thermometer is bang on. Oh well, the a/c is running and it is likely warmer inside because I decided to bake more of my keto butter tarts. For me. Bill doesn’t care for them, remember? Maybe I need to bake cookies for him.

They turned out great, 2nd time

I had my shower after lunch, which was the reheated casserole, and then began baking. Oh, somewhere in there, Gibbs sat on my lap with a chewy and I finished the last 3 chapters of my book. It was awesome! Kept twisting and turning so I highly recommend it if you enjoy a detective type of story. 😊 I did the dishes while the tarts were baking. The almond flour dough was more of a challenge today but it pieces together better than regular dough so it didn’t upset me.

It was hot out there!

At a few minutes before 2, I got a text from Bill that he was leaving the flying field. Wow! I was surprised that their Fun Fly was over already. He would be home for supper so that answered that question. I’ve learned never to count on any particular time, trusting that he’ll let me know when he’s on his way. I guess we’ll be having fish and chips for supper tonight. That’s easy!

Bill arrived home just after the rain started 

Bill was home at 4:30. At 4:25, the first rain of the day hit and he pulled up to the top of the Ridge and just ran for the Suite. He would have been wet had he stopped to grab his camera and cooler. It was nice that he was home earlier than I expected. We both had a headache for some reason so all 3 of us went upstairs to lay down for half hour before supper. That didn’t work out for me, so Gibbs and I came downstairs and sat in my recliner. Bill had a wee doze at least after his drive.

A turn around up on the top

We had our meal, Bill had mostly fries with his fish and he put a few on my plate with my veggies. 😊 I really didn’t need any, I’d eaten enough carbs today but they gave me a taste regardless. After dishes, the rain had stopped and Bill went out to park his trailer down by the Hangar. It was still very humid out there and maybe that is where the headaches came from. Mine was lessened after eating which was good.

A tasty little supper tonight

I've started a new book, just barely into it.  It’s called Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris and I have a feeling that it will be a ‘heart’ jerker. It’s time for one of those. This morning I spent some time reading my beginning blog posts back in 2014. That was actually quite fun. I was drawn to them while looking for old family pictures with Bill’s father. I may do that again.

Gibbs gets behind the chairs on his evening tirades
See the devil in those eyes!?

This was a nice quiet day. Gibbs was good at home with Mom and a new chewy that lasted most of the day. After supper, he was a little wild ‘man’, tearing around with our shoes, running around the island and barking. Methinks he didn’t get enough outside exercise today! We try hard to be firm but hide our chuckles at some of his antics. LOL his ‘puppy’ was showing! By 7:30, the next bout of black skies headed our way and the thunder followed. I turned the a/c off as it seemed to be bringing in some cooler air. 😊

The rains and thunder took the tv out for part of the evening
so it was a toss up to reading or watching a dvd
With Bill so tired, who knows what we'll get up to?
Good night!

Thank you for your visit.

An Early Start, Rain Shower, Making a Sale, Family Visitors

The Ridge

On Friday, June 11^th we were awake at 4:30 thanks to a small bark from downstairs. Translation: “I gotta go!” Bill got up and took him out. I drifted off and on over the next few minutes and wondered what they were doing when they weren’t upstairs by 5. Then they were. I had to ask Bill where he found the ‘new’ puppy from. This one settled down immediately! 😊

Am I being a good boy, Mom?

We all dropped off to sleep again and Bill was startled when he realized that it was 6:30. He’s usually up, washed, fed and almost ready for work by that time so he had to put a push on a bit more than usual. Gibbs and I came down as well and Bill and I left within mere minutes of each other. Pat had texted and invited me to stop around for a brief visit after cleaning the Mat so I responded “C u later”.

A selfie with Gibbs

There was some disappointment when I arrived at the laundromat as Renee was asleep on the bench. She is the semi-homeless girl whom I’ve found a few times over the course of my cleaning job. I was pleasant in waking her and asked her to move on so I could clean. It was within 10 minutes that she was up, washed and moved on outside. When I left, 45 minutes later, she was laying outside against the building. Oh well, not my problem.

The sky darkened and we had a lovely steady calm rain
in late afternoon

I went to fill our water jug and as I drove back through town, I saw her walking down the street. It was nice to see Pat after a month and a half but I couldn’t hang around too long as Gibbs hadn’t been fed yet. After 45 minutes, I found my way home. No problems with the little guy today so I fed him and we went about our day. I didn’t have a lot going on but there were a few online things I took care of while having my tea.

Of course, Chippy found the bird seed as soon as I filled the feeder

It was close to 11:30 when I put Gibbs out on his leash, after a few times of taking him out for walks, that Bill drove up. Gibbs was all excited when he first heard and then saw Black Beauty. We came inside after a bit and had our lunch. A wrap for me and Bill ate the sandwich he made last night. Bill had a snooze up in the bedroom so I left Gibbs asleep downstairs and went out to clean up the rocks that the rotor tiller left behind. That was over 2 weeks (?) ago!

At least he has to 'think' before he jumps so he isn't
as fast at emptying it

Bill came out and suggested that I wait until he got the wagon on the back of the mower to pick the stones/rocks up. We want to dump them at the inner point of the corral for another project we have on the agenda. There are too many to count, projects, I mean. I raked and got them into piles with the grass and dirt removed. It was hot down then and I moved up into the shade.

Gibbs and I out for our evening walk
Now you see the piles of rocks we need to pick up
Why are you stopping, Mom?

Bill had hopped on the rider and cut grass all around and in the back field before he stopped too. At a few minutes before 4, a paying customer for Bill’s pole saw pulled in. I wish I had my camera because Neil had his 12-week-old Aussie-Doodle with him. He was about twice the size as Gibbs and they bounced around each other for a while before the Aussie got a bit too aggressive. Just playing but it spooked our little guy. Bill and Neil made a deal with the saw and they left.

The steady rain allowed us to have the awnings out
and the new stoop gave us a nice place to stand and watch it

My sister, Wendy and niece, Morgan drove in a couple of minutes later so they got a double whammy of a dog fix. Of course, they loved our new family member. Bill and I loved the sheepskin for Jazz too. We had a nice visit, and it was quite comfortable outside now, after the rain. It was close to 6 when we said our goodbyes and our company headed back to Owen Sound. I couldn’t believe the difference in temperature in a matter of 30 minutes. I actually felt chilled.

When we came in at 6, the little guy was tuckered out

He slept until 8 pm, moving from one comfy
spot to the next
At one point he had a spurt of energy and had Daddy laughing as he ran around the
island, behind the chairs

We had grilled cheese sandwiches for supper and cleaned up the last of the strawberry rhubarb. I felt very full and that just didn’t make sense since I’d not eaten that much during the day. Gibbs had been outside a lot during the day so it was not surprising when inside, he moved around to different places to sleep. He was worn right out! Daddy home early, fresh air, meeting a new aunt and cousin not to mention touching noses with another puppy.

Simple suppers can be delicious too

We did dishes and watched a movie together. I couldn’t keep my eyes open but I managed to get my blog written at least. Not too many pictures were taken so I may take some in the morning before publishing.

Good night from the Ridge

Thank you for stopping in.

Experimental Cooking, Suite Cleaning, Half Day Friday

The Ridge

We woke up on Friday, June 5^th around the same time. It was 6 ish. Once I took my ear plugs out, we both laid there and listened to the pitter patter on the roof again. LOL Those birds sound like they’re nest building again. When we came downstairs, after a hand wash, we both skipped the coffee and tea. Bill likes to take a full thermos of coffee with him to work and they always have some at the site for everyone.

He's b-a-a-c-k!
Obviously, I'm going to have to name him

Me, well I like to have mine when I’m done working in town. I took my keys and water and left around 7:15. No one was at the Mat yet and the lights, which are on a timer, were not fully on yet. Within 10 minutes, so at 7:25, they clicked on. It isn’t so dark in there without them that I can’t clean or customers can’t go about doing their wash but it is so much brighter with them all on. It didn’t take me long to get through today’s chores. It was in pretty good condition.

Perfect hard boiled eggs
5-5-5

I was on my way home just before 8:30 and left the place was spic and span. 😉 There was nothing in town I needed today so I came straight home and made myself a cup of tea with coconut oil and creamer. I remembered that Gayle had asked me to share the pictures I’d taken last night so sent an email to her and Donna including them. ‘Never miss an opportunity’ should be my middle name as I try really hard to get pictures of who we’re with. (Whether they like it or not) Those are the photos I enjoy looking back on.

I felt hungry and it was only 9 so had a few Shreddies in a bowl with a half banana. That hit the spot and then I set to work. The vacuuming has always been a chore I don’t like but a necessary duty. It doesn’t take long to do, more time is consumed getting the hose out and plugging it in – almost. With that done, I had Madame IP boil some more eggs for me and peeled them for in the fridge. Maybe devilled eggs but definitely some for my lunch.

Lunch was a bit different but still tasty and filling

With some apples from the freezer thawed in the fridge, I searched for a recipe for Caramel Apple Cheesecake. I found two, so kind of blended them to make it in Madame IP. I didn't know how it would turn out with a crumb topping but I wanted to experiment. That was prepared and just doing the NR when I heard a vehicle in the drive. I wasn’t dressed appropriately for company of any kind so did a double check before realizing that it was my sweetie home early. That’s nice. Much too hot to work a long day today!

It looks good, that's for sure!

It was just after 1 so we had lunch together. Bill had his sandwich and I had just set out my plate with some of the liver and coleslaw from last night. I’ll still have a bit of liver for another day. Bill had a snooze after we ate and I began searching on Amazon for a few items and found some good prices. I wanted to run it by Bill first and once he agreed, I placed the order. The delivery for the 4 items I ordered is mid-June so that is pretty good.

At one point, I looked out and the family (10 babies!)
were checking out Bill's Hangar

Now, isn't he handsome as he watches over his family?

There are a couple of other items we’d like to order later but they weren’t available until late July or August and you had to pay for shipping because they didn’t come directly from Amazon. 

Bill got his planter hung so even though this picture is blurry
you get the idea

With the Suite clean, I mentally ran through what was needed for our barbecue supper tonight. We’d planned simply on burgers with a salad and Rob and Pat were bringing dessert. Since Bill got home early we let them know they could come sooner than later.

company arrived and left us this beautiful temporary home

I took a walk to the road and back and saw that the bird feeders needed filling and some of my flowers and vegetables needed a drink. It was very hot and humid outside, I never did get the high temperature reading. Using the hand pump, I noticed our little tree frog had returned. I guess this is his vacation home and I tried not to spook him while getting the water. He doesn’t seem too bothered by my presence. He is such a cutie!

With everything taken care of I came inside and had a quick wash, readying for company. The Cedar Creek came up the drive about 3:45 and Pat came inside and we caught up while the guys set up their trailer. I need to decide what we’ll need to move over for us to use while the Suite is in the shop. CarStar will keep it plugged in so thankfully we don't have to empty the fridge and freezer. I’ll plan meals for 4 or 5 days on the outset, just in case. The boys started barbecuing around 5:30 and I prepped things inside.

Needless to say we had a good time

Yummy, I enjoyed being the guinea pig on this recipe, Pat!

It was a good summer meal, nothing special other than our company. Pat made some delicious rhubarb custard squares with cream cheese icing. My oh my, that is a recipe I’ll have to get. Sweet ‘Robert Bob’ brought me some fresh homemade rhubarb jam as well as a freezer bag of rhubarb. He’s trying to stay on my good side and I can tell you that it is working! 😊 We all tease each other a lot.

My buddy made me a turtle mask

I don't wear them unless it is mandatory but now
I have a comfortable one
Woops! I put it on with the yertles are upside down

After clearing the table, I loaded the dishwasher and we realized that our fresh water tank read ZERO. Woops! We know they aren’t 100% accurate but also knew it was a necessity for Bill to go get us water in the morning. 

I moved the bird feeder so these little pigs don't eat all the seed again
There are two in the picture trying to figure out where it went

I hung it on the Suite, our hummer feeder hook
See Chippy trying to figure it out?
He tried once jumping up (cracked me up again) and gave up
Now he just eats what the birds drop

Donna and Gerry arrived at the Acreage yesterday so he’ll wait until after 9 to go, not to disturb them too early. We watched a fun movie inside and with all the windows open after such a hot day, the air seemed to cool off quickly. Probably not as bad as I felt but in my summer shorts outfit I needed a blanket over my bare legs. Silly!

This was a wonderful day!
Good night!

The movie we watched was 9 to 5 with Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lilly Tomlin and Bill couldn’t believe that I’d never seen it before. I laughed a lot and that felt good. It was 11:30 before we dragged our bods to bed. Great, great day.

Thank you for stopping by. Sorry it’s a late post again, getting to be a habit!

Early Rising on Saturday, Lawn, Shed, Clean & Packup, Great Supper

I was awake at 5:30 on Saturday, Aug. 18^th and I sensed that Bill was too. We stretch and touch feet and if the other one responds, we know. Bed Footsies, you’ve all played that game. 😊 I couldn’t seem to drop back off and after a few restless roll overs, I did my regular leg stretches and began to rise. By the time I’d walked around the bed and got dressed, Clemson was also waking. The whole family was up and it was only 6:30!

I like how this picture turned out
The sunrises and so does the fog

The fog across the pond and fields was pretty thick but quite pretty as it hovered. I looked out the back window to the east and caught the suns first appearance again. That is twice this week! I slipped outside with my phone camera and snapped a few pictures. 

Looking north across the pond

Eastern view of the pond and horizon

The sky was clear and once the fog moved off, I finished my tea and went for my walk. It was a comfortable 66F. Bill had a shower before heading out to cut the grass in the back field. That would clean things up for the time we are away.

To the south behind us, the sun reflects on these clouds

We had rain overnight, I think, as everything was quite wet and there were a few puddles on the road. As I walked, I noticed this little fellow on the tread lane. Sadly, his life was over but he reminded me of the desert geckos. I think we call them salamanders here, correct me if I’m wrong. He sure was a cutie. I hate to think of dead creatures being squished, if they aren’t already, so moved him off to the side of the road.

This little guy didn't have a chance but I don't know what
killed him

By the tail, I placed him unceremoniously on a stone

Someone left their mark on the pavement

When I returned from my walk, Bill was out in the field cutting. I came inside and began making breakfast. I wasn’t particularly hungry at 9 but figured I could eat an egg omelette anyway. I also wasn’t sure if Mike was going to show up soon and would he have eaten, so kept an omelette for a sandwich for him too. We ate and I told Bill I’d clean up the dishes since I had to strain my tomato soup and that would dirty more. It still had seeds and some thin pieces of skin that I wanted to get rid of.

I remember this ragweed from my childhood
My brother, Bruce, and I used to strip the stalks and throw
the kernels at each other

Dewy webs

With that finished, I labelled the 3 filled jars, still about 5 or 6 cups for the freezer. I also labelled the jar of mayo that I made. I tried it on my cheeseburger last night and it tasted okay with a touch of regular mayo. At least I controlled the ingredients and know what is in it. 

Bill cleaned up his mess from working down at the shed and then re-hooked up the satellite connection to our ‘basement’ tv. It has been disconnected since we arrived home. That meant he had to call for the set-up so now it is working again.

I watched a movie outside before starting supper
Fault in Our Stars is an real good one

The was how Bill left the shed last night
Needing doors

Mike arrived around 10:30 so Bill and he looked at what needed to be done. With a trip for Bill to Welbeck’s (a lumber et al store), they should be able to finish the doors today. I put my knick-knacks away in the living area and up in the bedroom and then gave all the wood a good wipe down. We didn’t catch our varmint last night but he visited again and turned the mouse trap upside down. Maybe tonight with your tips about the peanut butter!

3 jars of tomato soup and 1 jar of mayo

I’m happy that at least this weekend, we should be in our own home while work is being done. Well, in the evenings at least. If that isn’t possible, we’ll sleep in another unit. I’m not looking forward to spending the days in the waiting room at Can-Am simply because of Clemson. I’ll need to be with him and entertain him while Bill is off doing whatever. When he’s not working maybe we’ll drive to a park or something just for a break.

The boys were working well together

The boys worked away down there on the shed and I wandered down a couple of times to see how they were doing. I needed to mail another card so walked down to the mailbox so I don’t forget tomorrow morning before we leave. I think the recipients will be receiving these late but better late than never! 

installing the window in the door

On the way back up the lane, I looked at my messy flower garden. Yeuch! It has simply been too hot to do any weeding but today is much nicer for that kind of chore.

And this pretty guy crossed my path in the lane

I neglected to take the time to put my work gloves on, afraid if I did that I’d change my mind about weeding at all. It probably doesn’t look much different to anyone else but me, but I pulled a lot of grass that was growing up through the plants and especially the phlox. I love that one but I deplore that grass gets up in the middle and spoils the effect. I went through the whole garden and tossed the weeds over the hillside.

One single and half a double door in place

Back inside, realizing that it was 1:30 and the boys had been working for 3 hours, I fried them up a cheeseburger each. It is messy inside but much quicker than lighting the bbq and doing them outside. Clean up is easy. Many rv’ers do not and will not cook inside. Maybe that is something that works for them, but for us, it is the way Bill and I share the cooking. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor cooking OR if he has been working all day, I don’t mind coming up with an indoor meal.

The Inspector hasn't lost his touch

As soon as I put the burgers on the plates and started for the door, I heard Bill calling “Patritia! How would you like to cook a couple of hungry guys a burger?” Am I good or what? I appeared at the door with their lunch in hand. Yes, I’m good. It wasn’t much but it would hit the spot and hopefully tie them over until supper. They seemed to enjoy them and that is all I’d hoped. They are almost done working today and will soon have a happy hour/beer break.

Two recipes from the binder

I’ve been debating whether to use up the last of the tomatoes that I have picked for spaghetti sauce. If I do that, there aren’t any others ready if Bill wants toasted tomato. Hmmm. However, looking at them, they aren’t going to be good for much longer. Decision made. Now to find the recipe that I saved on Word last week. Clemson had walked down with me to inspect the shed and the workers so Mike was happy to see the little guy. He’d been asking about him.

And the front door has a window

 At 3 o’clock, the boys finished the shed. Doors on, window installed and Mike was adding up the material cost. Bill is one happy camper. That seems to be happening a lot! I have no complaints even though the saying goes “Happy Wife, Happy Life!”, I’ll have to create my own. “Happy William, Like Winning a Million!” Yah, I like that.  They sat out under the flapping awnings, which I’d brought in a bit because of the wonderful breeze, and had a beer.


A job well done, both of you, and Mike left around 3:30. We are very pleased. I boiled some water and dunked the 6 or 8 tomatoes into the pot. After 45 seconds or so, I removed them and dunked them in an ice bath. Because there were stem parts to remove and a couple of splits in the tomatoes, it wasn’t as easy to peel them as I’d hoped. I followed the recipe I found for Easy Spaghetti/Marinara Sauce and that part was easy peasy. I wish that I’d had more tomatoes but this would be enough for a couple of meals at least.

pork loin and scalloped potatoes

I cleaned up dishes after pouring the sauce into a jar and placing it in the fridge. Maybe Wednesday night for supper, we’d try this with spaghetti. While Bill was busy cleaning up the wood and sweeping out the shed, I took it upon myself to cook supper without even asking him what he wanted. The guys had burgers mid-afternoon but I hadn’t eaten anything since an egg omelette at 9. I was hungry.

Just enough pork for 2 meals

 Earlier today, I had taken a 2-lb pork loin roast out of the freezer so I searched in my ‘George’s Recipes’ binder for help. I found the one I was looking for on how to cook it on Weber. At the same time, I found a Scalloped Potato recipe too. They were easy instructions to follow and within an hour and 15 minutes, we were eating. I steamed some broccoli for me and some corn for Bill. It was a great meal. Thanks, George! I would certainly make them again and now wish I had more roasts than chops. 😊

And the scalloped potatoes were perfect with leftovers too

We cleaned up dishes and then drove over to the Acreage to see Donna and Gerry for a bit. Bill wanted to talk about the water filter that he installed on their drilled well. Mike, Gerry and Donna couldn’t say enough about how clean the water was and how good it tasted. Yay! That means it was a totally wise thing to do and worth the money spent. We hung around for about an hour and headed home. The night is cooling off, with the temperature sitting at 68F at 8:30. Should be a great night for sleeping again.

This has been a good day. Bill is happier than a pig…………you know. I’m happy that he’s happy and most of the Suite is packed up for the jaunt to London tomorrow. I hope yours has been a good day too.

and the shed is done
thanks Mike!

Thank you for popping in to check on us. All comments are appreciated.