Cold Start, Cleaning, Appointment, Last Gardening, Goodbye Apples!

The Ridge

When I woke up on Tuesday, Oct. 15^th, it was 4 am, dozed off, then 5 am, dozed off, then 6:30 am when I figured I was done sleeping. I had turned the heat down last night and the 57F in the Suite felt ch-ch-chilly! I didn’t want to get out of my warm nest. Bill and I texted back and forth at 6:50 and I forced myself to get up around 7:15. I dressed and took Black Beauty into Durham. There was light frost on the windshield but nothing a little fluid couldn’t take care of. God, I love heated seats!

It was sure looking like a beautiful morning

There was one gentleman there doing his laundry and I’ve chatted with him before. He asked if Jamie was going to replace me while we were gone. I’m hoping that the answer to that is no, that Jamie will just pick up the slack for me so I can return to the same job in May. That’s the plan. I finished cleaning, it was in pretty good shape again and the floors were not in need of a damp mop. I’m impressed! They definitely needed to be dust mopped though.

The Hanover Hospital

Back home, I made my tea and sat reading posts. Our blogger friends have been busy with Thanksgiving celebrations, packing up parks and/or preparing to pull out for the winter. So fun to read. One blogger and good friend in particular has me drooling for the lovely views in the southwest with her pictures. We really enjoy the scenery down there and soon will be taking our own photos. I also spoke to our I.D.A. Pharmacist regarding placing the order for Bill’s cholesterol script and she will help us get what he needs on time before we leave.

 

I walked instead of drove into the parking area

I did a bit of map perusing, the trip from here to Tavi and the trip from Tavi to London as I’ll be doing those on Thursday and Friday. With a coffee on the go, I caved in and had a piece of rye toast with choke cherry jelly. I have been avoiding the bread like the plague for 2 weeks and as many carbs as I can. I'm not seeing any physical difference but it is what it is. I got washed up and dressed for an appointment at Hanover hospital. Our favourite thing in the world, ladies, a mammogram.

I wasn't at the right angle, but the Hanover water tower was beside the Medical Centre

We do have to look after ourselves although for a few years when I was working, I’d decided I wasn’t going to go. Convinced that now it is a ‘new and improved’  painful endurance, okay, let’s get it over with.  I wouldn’t park on the hospital grounds as I hate those paying machines AND I’ll have B.B. making it even more uncomfortable for me. There is a Food Basics down the hill on 7^th Ave. so that is where I’ll park and walk up. It just means wearing my heavier coat, but I’ll enjoy the walk.

I always leave earlier than necessary so pulled out just after 12:30. Preferring to be early rather than rushed (I’ve prided myself in not being late for many years) I had planned to take my book along, but forgot it. I’m reading an old Sue Grafton, “L” is for Lawless. I’m going to have to find more books soon or go back to my Kobo until we reach parks down south where I can get some. I arrived at the parking lot of Food Basics and beside a new Tim Horton’s. I don’t remember it being there in 2017.

On my walk, I saw this pretty hollyhock

The sun was out and glorious and I was feeling foolish for the heavy coat but I left it on because of the wind. The temperature gauge in B.B. said 54F but up on the Ridge, the wind tricked me when I left. I was early, registered and was taken in at 1:10. It was quick and actually quite painless. The nurses’ are so pleasant and keep apologizing for the cold hands and the discomfort. I was out of the hospital by 1:25, 5 minutes before my actual appointment, after using their facilities.

Get them while they're red!

Down the hill, I walked, and popped into Food Basics. I picked up a few things but was disappointed that they don’t seem to carry my yogourt. That is one thing that I want to pick up here in town before we leave on the 28^th for Stratford. I can’t get anything close to what I like, the 10% fat Greek. It’s all 6% watery crap or less. That is just like drinking 1% or skim milk. Blech! No offense to those of you who like that. For me, it is high fat please!

Turning onto Baptist Church Road

I was invited to stop in at Donna’s but texted her that I wanted to scoot home and take advantage of the nicest day this week. It was a few minutes past 2:30 when I pulled up the lane. I came inside and put groceries away and then transferred $ from our grocery account to cover the cost. This is something that we started a few months ago and I love it! There is often some left over each month but I have the freedom of 

not having to worry about ‘nipping’ into town to buy food when I feel we need it.

I changed into my old clothes and went out to tidy up the vegetable garden and get rid of the pulled plants. Then I moved to the flower gardens and pots and pulled the marigolds, trimmed our peony bush and emptied the pots. There are still a few that are blooming so I'll leave the potted ones until Saturday. This is the only week I have left to do it. Lastly, I will be digging up the dahlias, whether they’ve finished or not. I’ll wait until either tomorrow afternoon or Saturday morning for those as well.

The garden sheets were dry and got folded up and put away in the
storage shed

Done, done and done. The last thing I did was to toss all of the fallen apples over the fence. I could have left them but they would be mush in the spring and we cut grass up there. That would be a nasty mess to clean up! So, over the fence they went and let new trees grow if they dare! Then I walked down the lane and enjoyed the peacefulness. Bill called at the perfect time, 4:00, after they’d finished work for the day and had returned to Tavistock. They are finishing up at the home in Woodstock this week.

This pot will wait, too many blooms

Our shed is pretty jammed up so I won't be
raking or hoeing this until spring

Time for a tea and a bit of reading. I’m so pleased with the progress around here and I feel very relaxed. Tomorrow, I’m on the run in the morning and oh dear, what am I having for supper tonight? When I’d read a few chapters I turned the tv on and pulled leftovers out of the fridge. I still had roast beef, a bit of gravy and the potato casserole. For a vegetable, I cooked a piece of pepper squash. With one of my small garden tomatoes on the side, it was a nice meal. I even had room for the last custard for dessert.

Our peonny bush ready for winter

A lot of apples on the ground
Now you see them

Now you don't
There are still some in the tree yet to fall

I got the dishes out of the way and watched NCIS until 7 o’clock when I switched to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Tuesday night tv is a busy one so I chose carefully what I’d watch. Bill had set up the PVR so I didn’t have to worry about that. I’ve enjoyed this day even though there was a bit of running around and an uncomfortable but necessary appointment. 

The sun was basically gone for the night

Supper tonight came together

More things got completed today and I’m ready for the rain that is expected. It won’t be as cold overnight tonight so I shouldn’t need much heat on.

Dessert came together too
Good night from the Ridge!

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Successful Shopping, Gardening, and Jell-O Day, Family Birthdays

The Ridge

Early, around 4:30, on Wednesday, May 29^th I woke up when I heard Bill and Clemson. Clemmy was gagging, about to throw up and Bill was hustling around trying to get him outside. Once that episode was over and Clemson seemed fine again, we all settled down to go back to sleep. It was 20 after 7 when I woke next and it has been a while since I’ve slept that late. It felt nice to just relax.

2 hanging planters, marigolds, peppers and tomatoes

Bill was already up with his coffee made when I moved downstairs. I made a tea and as I did so, checked the weather. Our station said it was 52F/11C and it was cloudy again with little to no wind. Not too bad of a day and maybe we'd see some sun later. We finished our drinks; Bill had already checked our banking and was happy that our CPP pensions had gone in. Yay! Finally, we would be able to fill the fridge and cupboards again.

My stump planter still has bark on it
A couple of marigolds will brighten it up

By 9 we were on our way into Hanover. I drove Ptooties and Bill drove Black Beauty. We had so much to do and different stores to visit so this made the most sense. First, I went to Rockwood Terrace and signed the paperwork to get Mom on the Foot Care Schedule. That was easy. Bill had left after me, but was most likely ahead of me by now. He first went to First Choice Haircutters to get his ears lowered and then carried on with his other stops.

My handsome guy with a new haircut

I drove directly to Walmart and picked up a few groceries and also a couple of hanging planters that were marked $9.99. I was happy to pay that price. One is a pink geranium and the other a name that I can’t remember without looking at it. From there I drove back through Durham, stopping at Foodland for some 4-pack annuals. Marigolds were my choice this year. I got tomato plants but she didn’t have peppers so I wasn’t done yet.

Geraniums and marigolds in my new garden
I think Chippy approves

The truth? Chippy is hanging around for the dropped seeds only

Home Hardware was my next stop and I used our gift card from Scott and Ellen to buy a bag of mixed bird seed. Lastly, I stopped at the garden centre in North Wellington FS/Co-op. They had the green pepper plants that I was looking for. At 11:45, I texted Bill that I was on my way and he was already there ahead of me.

These marigolds found a home in the flower box Bill made
It is in our seating area so maybe will keep skitters away

By the time I arrived home and got the groceries put away, I was hungry and since Bill only had a yogourt at 8:30, he was as well. I made us each a toasted egg omelette sandwich. I wasn’t thinking about carbs at this point, just wanted to satisfy a hunger. We cleaned up dishes and went back outside. I first surveyed my purchases before making plans on where to plant. In each planter there are 3 rooted plants so I split the geranium for individual planting. I only have one hanging location so Bill got one in his pot by the Hangar along with a couple of marigolds.

The hanging planter in another sitting area

The rest of the 12 marigolds were spread out in different places. My new little flower garden got 4 along with the other 2 geraniums. I may purchase more annuals but time will tell. The price of $1.29 for 4 is almost too good to resist. Next, I filled the bird feeder so the bigger birds will be happy and spread some out for Chippy, our little piggie chipmunk. Note: by the end of 4 hours, one feeder was empty. LOL

And this is the flower that I can't name but it is very full and looks good here

 I went up to the garden with 16 tomato plants and 8 pepper plants. I’m quite pleased with the progress on my radishes, even though 5 had jumped ship into another row. I have sunflower seeds that are pushing up through the ground around my garden and that is also exciting. Now the rain expected tomorrow can do its magic. If nothing else, it will save me from watering my new plantings. I put everything away and found Bill closing up the Hangar.

To put the above picture in perspective, this is where it is

Returning inside, I mixed up my Creamy Jell-O and now we have an edible keto dessert again. 😊 8 of them, in fact! I caught up on my post, which I hadn’t started and sat with Bill and Clemson until he lit the Weber for grilling. Tonight, we are having sausages and Caesar salad for supper. It feels good to have choices again, rather than the same thing over and over. Supper was great! And because the sausages were so long, half of mine is in the fridge for another night.

Bill was sad that he only got one planter back when he gave me two

And lastly, in a movable pot, 2 more marigolds

Just before we finished eating the sun popped through the clouds. The temperature hit 60F/14C and we look forward to many more sun appearances in the days to come. We had our Jell-O later when watching Mash reruns. I sat with my crocheting, did a few rows and turned to my book until the new season of Private Eye began at 9. This was a terrific day!

My garden today looks a lot happier!

And an experience - this is a watermelon plant

The weather wasn’t warm but at least it is dry and the G-R-E-A-T news, (picture Tony the Tiger here if I had one) the black flies were no where to be seen the whole time I was outside working! Woohoo! Before posting, 2 very special birthday wishes go out to our son-in-laws. Dennis and Cory, the husbands of Bill's two oldest girls. What a coincidence that they share the same birthday. 

Happy Birthday, Dennis!

Happy Birthday, Cory!

I hope you enjoyed your day as well.

Supper tonight

And the sun breaks through on time for a sunset

Dessert was yummy

Good night everyone!

Thank you for popping in to see what Bill and I were up to today.

New Day of Strange Weather = Spring in Ontario, Biding Time with Gardening

Clemson and I were awake and out of bed at 7:20 am on Friday, June 1^st. New month and looking at the gray sky, I knew it was to be just another odd day of not knowing what to expect. I slept well with all windows open and have no clue if the sky opened with rain or not overnight. There seemed to be dampness on things like the carpeted steps, Clemson’s stool and the grass but no other indication of rainfall.

the day started like this
with gray clouds and no sign of clearning

But by 9, this was a new picture

 I made my tea after letting the little bum out and skipped making the bed. Bill had asked a few days ago if we had something other than the duvet and cover for our bed. With these warm nights, we roll it down and just use the sheet as a covering. It gets to be a bit of a pain in the you know what. The sheet has been enough. If there was something a little lighter weight (I think it is the cover more than the duvet) we would be fine if the air cooled down and we wouldn’t have to pull up an extra layer.

The air was warm so once more I was grateful for the wind

Anyway, after my tea, I went up to get dressed and decided to find something different. I have a favourite white chenille bedspread that was in the bunky just covering the futon/couch. We had it at our London house. That might work nicely so I removed the duvet, tucked it under the bed and put the cover in the dirty laundry bag. It won’t go back on, I don’t like it. I’m not keen on the white bedspread on our bed only because Mr. 4 Paws will have it stained in no time, but I do like the look as well as the weight of it.

Taking a walk around my flower garden, I wanted to show you
our Jack-in-the-Pulpits

I received 3 from Sandra and Bill but one didn't make it
They are the cutest flower!

I don’t know what time it was that the clouds began shifting and I could see a patch of blue sky periodically. Bill called from London early on and I caught up on what his job was today and from that I can determine a possible time for his return home. 

and one more picture of our peony plant

After work, he visits Costco for our groceries and today in particular he was stopping at Marilynne’s in Stratford to go through some of Dad’s things. So, being in touch throughout the day, I knew it would be good to visit Mom today before her lunch. I left home earlier than normal with the hope that I would be able to slip down the hall and see Aunt Mary first. If Mom is out walking and sees me, I can’t do that easily.

As it turned out, Aunt Mary was downstairs in the lobby watching the ladies outside plant geraniums along the front of Rockwood. She greeted me with her left hand and a nice smile, gesturing that she was pleased to see me. I sat in the chair beside her and chit-chatted away about anything I could think of. It is a one-sided conversation but at least I knew she understood what I was talking about. It was quite warm down there so she indicated she wanted her sweater off. We got it off and she ‘pooh-poohed’ my apologies of some awkwardness on my part.

Mary loved the selfies

After about 15 minutes, I captured us in a few selfies and said goodbye before going up to find Mom. She wasn’t in her room but out galivanting the halls. I love it when she is out and about, it means she is feeling comfortable. Happy to see me her first words as usual were “What are you doing here?” as she wrapped me in a big hug. Her hands felt chilly so I invited her once more to go outside in the warmth. She readily accepted and I loaned her my sunglasses again. I’m going to pick her up a pair next time I’m out.

Mom and I enjoying the outdoors

We sat outside in a couple of chairs on the front lawn and while sitting there, the sun appeared and disappeared a good number of times. Her sweater remained on today. We watched a baby black bird in the grass who surely couldn’t fly yet but Momma soon made an appearance encouraging him/her to a safer area where she dug for food with her beak and transferred it to the hungry squawking mouth. I recorded the actions on my phone and will show Mom another time to remind her. She got quite a kick out of watching them.

What a grumpy little guy
"Are you my Mommy?"
Nope, not me

Before going inside for lunch, we set my phone camera up and snapped the standard 3 selfies. I left her at the table, with many kisses passed between us, waving goodbye all the way out the door. I decided to drive to FS Co-op to check out their annuals. I needed to get some colour for around the Ridge and fill my pots. 

I don’t imagine the prices vary much from nursery to nursery so didn’t debate the cost. I chose what I wanted with the lady who worked there and headed home. I stopped at a resident's Perennial sale and chose a pot of Hens and Chickens too. They will be a nice addition to my garden.

My one hanging planter
The white petunia is called a Wave Petunia and should droop
as it grows

 I warmed up the 2 leftover pancakes I’d made from yesterday and enjoyed them as much as the first two. Of course, I added butter and local maple syrup, something that was a treat at home as children. Even though it is sweet, it is real and not that made up Aunt Jemima stuff that we lathered our flapjacks with for years. Clemson and I were outside a lot of the day but I had to put him inside while I got my shovel, trowel, pots and wheelbarrow rounded up. I didn’t want him wandering off on me.

I went up the hill and crawled through the fence behind my garden into the farmer’s field. Well, at the edge actually and using a pail, dug up enough earth to fill my pots. He isn’t going to miss it and he hadn’t planted yet anyway. If it makes any difference, I was very appreciative. Two of my tomato plants got moved from the smaller pots I’d used the other day and I filled the rest and the box Bill made me with the annuals. I bought petunias in red, white and deep purple and then some Salsa Salvia. At least I think that is what it is.

Everything looks good and I’m very pleased. The grass will wait until the morning so now I’m hoping it doesn’t rain first thing. The air is cooler tonight and the winds are still strong as you can see by the flag in my picture below. 

Bill made it home by 5:30 with a loaded car. We unloaded groceries into the Suite and most of what he obtained from Marilynne into the bunky for now. He can sort through it another day. 

The purple petunia doesn't look so well but I think it will come back

Nothing wrong with his other senses
Clemson starts watching for Bill around 5, as if he knows he is on his way home
It is uncanny, really

And when he 'sees' not hears the car, he runs to greet

Bill does the swerve to turn the car around and Clem is hot on his wheels

 We had homemade fish and chips for supper, me forgetting that I had to do the fries in the electric frypan. Darn! Still messy and I’m not doing it again. Bill tried the funnel thing, Nancy, but we must be klutzes and wasted more than I wanted. After the dishes were cleaned up, I went for a walk down to the corner of North Line and Baptist Church Road. My Thinkpad has been acting up since I posted this morning and I’d hoped Bill would have an idea on what it might be.

Tomato plants should grow better now
I need to drill drain holes in the legs of the black pot and maybe one more
transplant is required

He was as baffled as I was so I Googled the issue and got an immediate possible resolve. I wasn’t inside enough all day to do that earlier. Bill tried the suggestion and I believe it worked although he has his doubts, thinking it just all of a sudden started working again. Darn technical stuff, we so depend on it now. So, I’m forced to write the day’s events all at one time rather than my usual way of typing as I go.

Carrots!

Even my onions are growing, yay!

It has been a good day and I’m happy to have my flowers planted now. If it doesn’t rain tonight or tomorrow, I’ll have to take my watering can up to veggie garden. The great news is that our carrots are popping above the ground! Yay! I hope you have enjoyed your day as much as I have mine.

Look at those clouds now as the farmer makes 3 swoops through the fields
I don't know what half of the machinery is so you can decide for yourself

There was also a planter in there but I missed getting the picture

My large box planter has found a nice spot between the little cherry trees

And before the clouds got chaotic again, there was this peace in the sky
Goodnight from the Ridge

Thank you for taking a peek in what we’ve been up to. I love reading your comments if you wish to leave one.