A Warm One, Laundry, Haircut, Success! Bad Grandma

The Ridge

On Saturday, June 24^th we woke to a humid day but with the sound of a steady rain beating down on the Suite. We’ve been dry again for over a week so this is good news! The forecast is for wet weather for the whole week but in varying stages. We may see the sun later today.

Two posters to start the day
I love the left one, on the wall in the laundromat. 
The right one was of interest to Bill especially

I was up at 7, had my shower, sorted the dirty clothes and drove into the Mat. Not a soul was venturing out in the rain to do their laundry, so I was alone the whole hour and a half. Because of the precipitation, it was a no-brainer that I would also dry them before returning home. I made a stop at the Shell station on the highway to cash in a $10 lottery ticket. Yay, a step up from a free ticket, of which we’ve won a few times recently. Of course, I picked up a couple more from our winnings.

Robin and Alexander's finery
The plants along the house and these 
under the evergreen.
These are the plants I will be nuturing for a week.
There are a few smaller ones around back.

Speaking of Saskatchewan,
the old Ford and trailer at the Shell station
are headed that way.
Pretty good condition, they last if you look after them!

One last stop at Robin’s to check on her large potted plants to make sure they were receiving the rain through the evergreen branches. They were quite wet. 😊 Her red maple sapling had tipped over so I’m glad I stopped. Alexander had moved it to the side of the house, on rocks, and it just wasn’t steady. They ran out of time to plant it before they left for Saskatchewan. We’ve been fortunate not to have any winds accompanying the rains. I up righted it, managing to get a couple more showers in the process from the wet branches and headed home.

I love Bill's hair at the back (and the colour - or lack of it)
The before and after cut. 

Bill was ready to go in to town for a haircut when I returned. The Knox United Church was hosting haircuts by donation, with all proceeds going to a community outreach project. He liked the hairstylist’s job so made a nice donation and came home looking spiffy. ♥ He’s happy with it so I’m happy with it. We had some lunch and then decided to drive back to the auction site and pick up my winning item!

Outside and in, they have so much
stuff to sell at every auction.
Such variety.

I won the bird feeder crook and it wasn’t until we got it home, that we realized just how well made it is. I also didn’t notice, while bidding, that it came with 2 feeders and a suet feeder. I was tickled pink. The item is brand new; that, I did know. It is well worth what I paid, after looking it up on line for the actual price. Our ground is, again, so hard and rocky, that we’ve decided to ‘plant’ it in a hole and that means it will happen tomorrow. Put together, the crook is quite large. 😊

I am so pleased with my purchase today!
I thought I was going to have to buy more feeders.

We finished up the last 2 eggs and had a toasted western, mine in a tortilla and then went our separate ways. After the prerequisite snooze by a couple of someone’s near and dear to me, of course. I slipped out to the Bunky and worked on the puzzle until I found it too humid to stay any longer. There was NO breeze for relief. The afternoon slipped by, Bill worked on his plane and after I dozed with my book in my hand (!), I went out and weeded the corral hill. It was long overdue. By the way, the book is slowly improving. 

The spinach was seeding
The bird bath was overflowing with the rain

I didn't accomplish too much today
but got a few pieces in.

In my bare feet, I had the best grip that I’ve ever had. All my shoes slipon the rocks, even the ones with good tread. This still wasn’t 100% but it worked today and Gibbs supervised from up on the top in case I needed help. 😊 I got ‘er done, at least enough to make me happy for now. The Evening Primrose are beginning to bloom and soon my gardens will be bursting with colour. I'm happy to report that my work yesterday didn't cause me any undue soreness. I did stretches before bed so that may have helped.

I noticed one of my potted spinach plants was seeding so Donna suggested I snip them off. I’ve never grown it before so was concerned that it was done for the season. That would be disappointing! I also snipped some of the older, larger leaves for supper. 

two clean vehicles
Bill's got the treatment,
mine just got the rain. 😃

It was a leftover meal, mashed potatoes for Bill, pork loin to share, a bit of spinach and fried zucchini and radishes for me. Oh my goodness, those veggies were so good! The pork was good too, I must keep some in our freezer at all times.

The hill looks a bit better.
Notice Gibbs? One of his favourite (not on our lap) spots.
The yellow primrose are going to be lovely. 

After cleanup, Bill returned to the Hangar and Gibbs and I remained inside. He slept on the cooler floor, at the door and I worked on my blog. The forecasters were correct and the sun came out in full force by 4 this afternoon. The rain has stopped for now and there is a slight bit of wind coming in through the Suite windows. Just enough to keep it comfortable. Should be good sleeping with them open tonight. 

It was a simple tasty supper tonight.

This has been a good day but I have been remiss. A special birthday for our 16-year-old granddaughter has slipped by without mention on here. We did send a card but I meant to honor her day all the same. So, Happy Birthday to lovely Chelsea, Sweet 16 is a very special birthday. ♥

We are so proud of the young lady
you have become!
Happy Birthday!
good night!

Thank you for stopping by. Your comments are always read and I try my best to respond to each and every one.

 

 

 

A Full Day, Work, Hair and Heat

The Ridge

On Tuesday, June 21^st, the first day of summer, it felt like it! From the get-go, when we got up, it was already 18C/65F. I took Gibbs for his walk and when I returned, headed into Durham. No one was at the Mat when I arrived and so I set about checking the machines. Two needed to be run, one was dirty and the other had water in the drum, so I retrieved coin and started them.

I wish I didn't care so much but I do
Last night, I placed this piece of slat over the newly
laid eggs
This morning, I see the skunk moved the slate
and ate the eggs. Again. 😖

This big hole was also disturbed
As I gather the empty shells so Gibbs doesn't
eat them, I counted 10. 

I was out of there at the hour and I went to Home Hardware to see if Josh had any of the right size chicken wire. When he didn’t, he suggested the FS-Co-op but that was a bust too. Hmm, not today then. Back home, Bill had left. I had about an hour to relax with Gibbs before I drove around the corner to M’s for my shift. There was a bit of computer stuff but then I started working on the Datsun 240Z.

The little red Datsun
is next in line

It’s a cute little car and much easier to reach parts for hand sanding. 😊 The hardest part would be the hood grills, as each one needed to be sanded to remove the shine aka the original paint. It was hot in the second bay even with the big door open, there just wasn’t much breeze today. M was working in the other bay, on the new hood, sanding the underside by hand as well. The top was already primed, ready for paint.

Getting the sandpaper in between the grill is time
consuming but I managed to get it done

Before I left, I finished this one too
Not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow

When I left, I was already looking forward to getting my hair cut. I should have tucked it up under my ball cap but didn’t want to wear my hat today in the heat. At home, I washed and once more spent time with Gibbs for about 45 minutes. He was getting a few runarounds outside but always seemed grateful to come back into the cool of the a/c. I turned it on first thing this morning, knowing what we were in for. I drove down North Line for my cut. 😊

It's not a long shag
but I love how free and cool it feels
in this heat 💖

Bonnie was ready for me and even though she may have given me a shorter ‘shag’ than what I really wanted, I’m happy with the result. It’s off my neck and feels quite nice. From Bonnie’s home salon, I drove to Bill’s work site to drop off a few empty pots that the garbage collectors don’t take. It was nice to see the work they’re doing on the red ‘shed’. Bill isn’t as keen on my hair as I am, his comment being “hmm, shorter again”. He prefers the longer locks but he’ll get used to it.

I felt bad for them working in the heat but they were at least inside a shell of a building not outside in the sun. I didn’t hold him up for long and headed home to Gibbs. I always look forward to the last bit of running around, knowing that I was done for the day and could sit with our little guy. By now, it was 31C/88F out there so each of Gibbs’ outings were short and sweet. Mostly.

Supper was good with potatoes
leftover for another night

I played my afternoon Wordle/Phrazle games, competing with Doug miles away. He’s getting pretty good at them so I have to step up my game. 😊 Bill got home around 4 and stretched back in his chair but with Gibbs going back and forth between us, he didn’t sleep much. For supper, I baked some coated pork chops, boiled some potatoes and mixed vegetables. It turned out very good and we both had room for some rhubarb crisp and ice cream. ♥

Gibbs sometimes just wants out
for no other reason than to be outside 

After dishes were loaded, and Bill made his lunch, he went upstairs to change his shirt and discovered what Gibbs had been up to while we ate. LOL, I moved too quickly to get a picture so you’ll have to just imagine it in your mind. The small couch pillow that Gibbs likes to ‘hump’ (sorry for THAT vision!) was on the floor with one corner chewed open and fibrefill was spread all over.

After the pillow incident, he does something
that makes us laugh 

I’m surprised he left it alone and was innocently downstairs with us. Hard to be mad but I don’t think I’ll be resewing it up again. Bill went to the Hangar for a couple of hours and I worked on my blog. Mr. “I didn’t do anything” laid on the floor, cleaned his paws and went to sleep. This was a busy day but it was another good one. Tomorrow will likely be a duplicate but in a different way.

This was last night's sunset
Happy Summer!
Good night!

Thank you for checking out what we’re up to!

A Summer Day as the Weekend Arrives

The Ridge

On Friday, May 20^th Gibbs and I were up at 6:30 to see Bill off at 6:45. Once he left, we followed, out the lane and down to the corner. It’s a beautiful morning15C/60F for a walk. Our forecast of 27C/81F changed for some reason according to the local radio station. They’re saying only 20C/68F but after being outside for a while, it feels hotter than that. They're wrong again. The rains will soon descend upon us and change it anyway.

The Canola fields provide a bright yellow
all around our area

The sky started out like this
and at the end of the day, looked the same
Storm sky?

The standard morning pond photo

I had my tea inside with Gibbs and played my 3 Wordle games plus 1 Phrazle game on my phone. I love the challenges they all present but get a kick out of figuring out the popular phrases in the latter. 😉 Two sisters, my daughter and a couple of nieces play them too so we share our results. Some days the words come easier than others, maybe depending on whether we have finished our first brew. Oh! I also share results with friends and bloggers, Nancy and Doug. ♥

Woolly Gibbs slept while I read my book

I knew he'd look different at the end of the day
so snapped a close up

When Gibbs and I went outside, it was nice to see the clouds moving out of the way, thanks to the winds, which were quite strong. We walked up to the garden and he ran around like a fool while I picked my first stalks of rhubarb. 

The joy of spring, everything coming up
with the exception of the Rose of Sharon 
in the foreground
I need to either remove it or get some new
cuttings

The grass up here hasn't been cut yet,
so he hides well
This is where my mower will cut with the new blade
(which was delivered today)

They aren’t big nor plentiful but it’s a start. I also checked my vegetables and was pleased to see 2 rows of little spinach and chard leaves now above ground. Yay! Following instructions from Donna, I’ll thin them once they are about 2” tall.

You might need a magnifying glass
to see them

Our peony bush 

Gibbs checks out the trilliums

first crop of rhubarb

Then, we settled at my shed. Ptooties Place, Ptooties Palace or something simpler?? Help me make a decision with a name please! It doesn’t feel right not to have one. 😊 I worked on the puzzle and Gibbs did his scouting, then his resting ‘thing’ as only he can. At 11:15, we came inside so I could get ready for his grooming at 1 o’clock. I had something to eat and washed his tummy. One of our trees has sticky needles and he always gets them caught on his belly and feet. I wanted to get them out of his hair before he goes.

Keeping our road in good condition
two graders made another pass

Resting before his appointment 💓

It's good!! Really good!

The puzzle is coming along nicely

At 12:30, he was so excited to go along that he jumped up into the back seat of Black Beauty with no hesitation. 😊 He still does a lot of whining at the beginning of a ride but I’ve learned to ignore it – mostly. Since we were a bit early for his appointment, we walked down the street to the laundromat. I wanted to see if it needed cleaning while I was in town. Plus, I had a duvet cover and Bill’s jacket that needed washing so I made sure my favourite washer was available.

5 minutes after I left Gibbs with Kate,
I popped in to show her a picture
of his last cut
She had already removed a lot of hair!
She said he was so good!

If these don't end up in the neighbour's yard,
they'll dry fast 

When I took Gibbs in to the groomers, he was just as sweet as ever. Kate came out and pet him, commenting on his size and how cute he was. ♥ Of course, he loved her attention! With 2 hours to kill, I first put the laundry in a machine and then took the opportunity to sweep the floors. They weren’t too bad nor was the Mat, so it wasn’t worth doing any more today. I’ll either go back in the morning or better yet, wait until Sunday. Jamie had been in and emptied the coin from the machines. I was lucky that someone had recently done a wash so I retrieved their $4.😊

The apple tree trimmed up looks so much better

Then I drove home and did some things around here. I vacuumed the Suite, re-hung a bird feeder out of Chippy’s reach, trimmed the lower branches and saplings of the apple tree at the back of the Suite and then worked on the puzzle until it was close to the time to pick Gibbs up. Bill had mentioned probably having a short day so I texted him to see when he might be on his way home. Turns out, he was enroute so he was picking our baby up on his way. Saves me the trip and fuel.

And the puzzle will be done tomorrow

I worked on the puzzle until they came up the lane and there was our new little puppy again! I have to look twice because his coat always looks like velvet after a short groom. His actions are pure Gibbs though as he runs and experiences the air and freedom. He was konked out soon after and although he didn’t eat all of his supper, he ate some and that was good enough for now.

Here he is!! Our handsome little guy.

He was so good, he got a chew stick

Bill grilled burgers for supper and we had ice cream for dessert. It was a very filling meal. We loaded the dishwasher and Bill drove over to the Acreage to get water into Mike’s trailer which is parked their for the summer. When he returns, he’ll bring a bladder full for us to use in the Suite. 😊 This has been a muggy day and although no rain, the winds are proving to be an issue that is yet to present itself. Overnight, warnings of strong gusts. Oh crap!

ice cream for dessert
with strawberry sauce

I worked on my blog and then tried to get into a new book. I finished The Street Lawyer earlier and highly recommend it. Excellent! Now David Baldacci’s A Minute to Midnight is waiting for me to start it. I’ve enjoyed the day, accomplished a few things and we now have a smaller but still lovable pooch in our home. I’m sure he feels wonderful!

Someone had a big day!
Good night!

Thank you for popping by.

Breaking Bread with Friends and Family, Farewells are Bittersweet, Haircut

Park Place RV

Monday, Mar. 28^th the day started out pretty much normally. It was warmer still for our early walk, 72F/22C, so my little spaghetti strap top was quite enough this morning. 😊 No new doggies to meet today so we covered our regular mid-block stretch and returned home. Bill wasn’t going anywhere; he’s done flying for this trip and has started packing his planes, batteries etc. away.

Good morning!

The sky wasn’t clear by any means this morning, with clouds in various states hovering all around the horizons. There were enough winds to warrant opening windows and with the forecasted high of 81F/25C, we might get away without putting the a/c on for the most part of the day. We stayed home with Gibbs until 10:45 when we drove to Mountain Quail Café on N. Moon Mountain Rd to meet a few people at 11.

The mountains behind Quartzsite (southwest)
looked strangely beautiful this morning
Different shades from the sun and clouds
The close up shows the terrain and also that white spot that I
knew for sure wasn't snow

Warmest morning walk yet 💓

How warm is it? you say
My coconut oil is pure liquid these days

Tom and Deb pulled in directly ahead of us and after we got a table for 6, Gayle and John walked in. It was a farewell goodbye to our friends of the Stinger ‘B’. They were leaving the desert area tomorrow morning. We had a great brunch, most of us ordering breakfast and John ordering lunch. 😊 It was good conversation, some laughs ending with a few pictures and a great attempt (& success!) at Deb’s selfie. ♥

I had the Quickie, no explanation other than it sounded good 😁
It said 1/2 biscuit and gravy but I'd hate to see a full order!
Eggs over easy, bacon but too much biscuit
It was very good though!

I had to get a picture of the Youpers
Safe travels you two! It has been great spending time with you! 💗

After hugs, we parted ways and Bill and I returned home to Gibbs who is always happy to see us. To see anyone, actually. Around 1, I walked over and finished the puzzle before returning home at 2. Our friends, Lori and Roland, contacted us to see if they could pop in for another farewell at 2:30 so we were happy to be able to see them once more as well. Gibbs was Gibbs and they didn’t seem to mind his pestering, bless their ♥’s.

That started a round of picture-taking
I couldn't choose, John was being silly
so had to post them all
My sister, Gayle and her hubby

They hope to be off tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest as well, towards their home journey travels. We Ontariens all have different dates for Canada crossing, depending on our travel insurance coverage so individually make plans accordingly. We are just thrilled that we no longer need to have a Covid-19 test before changing countries. 😊 Yay!

Gibbs relaxing with his Daddy
first time he's sat with his head on Bill's 💖

At 3 o’clock, I hopped into Black Beauty and drove slowly to my hair appointment across town. I waited until 3:20 before walking in to see one finishing up and surprised that another client was waiting. Hers wasn’t for a hair appt. but of a more personal nature so it wasn’t a long wait past my time at all. This time, I asked for a wash as well since it was the same price with or without it. Get what I can for my buck!

Most likely the last puzzle this season!
But no promises!

Another lady came in just as we started so maybe Sandra felt rushed when we finished as she didn’t show me the back of my cut. I wish she had because she didn’t seem to understand what I wanted done. She did a nice job on the sides and front but Bill pointed out that the back looked ‘odd’. Yah, looking in my own mirror at home, I had to agree. Darn! I wanted more of a shag look at the bag, not such long pieces but she missed the mark today. ☹

Still uncertain skies around us
Lots of dust blowing around though
Inside too!

Oh well, as long as he isn’t embarrassed to walk with me, I’ll live with it. It isn’t terrible by any means but I may have to refrain from taking the scissors to it myself to even it out. LOL We all know I’m not shy of doing that! I made myself a cup of tea today, since it wasn’t so hot. I had mixed up a new batch of Beer Margaritas yesterday but it didn’t feel like a margarita day.

Another farewell to these wonderful friends
until we meet again 💗
Wishing them only good things from here on in

When we returned home from the café, we turned the a/c off again (had it on for Gibbs) and opened all the windows. Mind you, that just adds to the dust in here but we don’t fret about that too much. It was quite nice inside with the breeze, strong as it was, coming in all sides of the Suite. I started my blog post and then sat with my book. Bill dozed in his chair and Gibbs dozed on the floor, so I read a bit more in my ‘not as thrilling as the last time’ book. 😊

A filling meal tonight

For supper, we had mac and cheese spirals, wieners and I had some broccoli. Filling, maybe more than we needed but I knew we had to have something. If not in my tummy, I felt it in my head like a headache coming on. After loading the dishwasher was loaded and turned on, I sat to finish my blog. We had programs recording but no point in turning them on until I was finished. It delays my work!

A sister back home posted this today
I had to share the chuckle

This was another great day. I won’t be starting a new puzzle with just 3 days left……..UNLESS Rick and Patty don’t mind one started on the table. They may plug away at it although they don’t when I’m working on one. ???  We got a few drops of rain, a couple of times today but you could probably count them if you were into doing that. More expected overnight but then again……it’s Arizona.

Gayle took this one, my name is on it only because I
run it through Picasa for my watermark
Good night!

Thank you for your visit!