Jello Plans Jiggled, Wet Day Ahead, Catching up on Things at Home and Good Books

Well, it was certainly no hardship being in London at our CanAm dealership for the better part of 5 days as we were always waking up in our own home. However, it was a treat this morning, Saturday, Aug. 25^th, to wake up in our own bed on our home base. It is nice to be back at the Ridge where I can just open the door and let Clemson out to do his thing with no leash. It was still dark when I first woke and I could hear rain on the roof.

Bill was up before me and gently closed the door so as not to wake me. I think in my head I was already awake because my mind was thinking of the weekend plans. We had company scheduled to arrive late morning today and to stay in their tent trailer here overnight and head home late morning Sunday. With a full day forecast for rain, I wrestled with cancelling their arrival. What fun would it be for them to drive 2 – 3 hours, set up in the rain, spend 80% of the day indoors with our dogs?

I decided to show you the muffins from yesterday
They really don't look like muffins at all

I made my tea and joined Bill at the table and immediately texted Megan and Neil to open the discussion. They agreed and we have re-scheduled for a weekend in September. We would have welcomed their visit, had we owned a sticks and bricks home and room to spread out more, but now we will take advantage of the dry periods in between the rains and get a few things accomplished around here too. Being away all week means we have catch-up stuff to do.

It is this kind of day

Bill hooked up the water bladder and quickly emptied it into our fresh water tank. It took no time at all! He cleaned up and went into town to buy gas for the mower. While he got the shed opened and cut a bit, I began making breakfast. The rain from earlier had stopped but the sky was indicating that we shouldn't plan too much outdoors as it could open up anytime. I did the dishes after eating while Bill went out and cut more grass on the berm and in the front field.

Mom had fun

Now it was my turn to clean up after addressing some family birthday cards. August and September are busy birthday months. At 10:40 I drove into Durham to visit Mom. I missed my usual Thursday slot. 😊 As soon as the elevator opened on the 3^rd floor, Mom was just walking by in her bright red Cedar Rail hoody. I caught up with her and then asked at the desk if any of the girls knew where the crokinole board was. In no time, it was located on the main floor and Trish had it set out for us.

And was quite pleased to get one in the centre on a rebound shot

 We played 3 or 4 rounds in the auditorium and then it was lunchtime so Mom admitted defeat to me. I put the board away and folded up the little table. She was tickled pink when she landed a bullseye in the centre hole. Many times, she surprised herself with some great shots but I’ll have to try and find some sticks like Rob and Pat use. It would help her aim better so I can stop aiming at pegs (!) and she won't hurt her fingers. It was a fun game and now I know where to find it, I’ll do that again soon.

It was nice and bright in the auditorium

I left her at the table, with many kisses back and forth plus lots of waves on my way to the Exit. It was raining again by the time I left but it was a short hop, skip and a jump to the Rav through puddles. I’m not afraid of melting like most sweet things. LOL I’m so happy our plans for the weekend were able to be changed, it is not a nice day at all to have company. Back home, I wasn’t surprised that Bill was chased inside by the rain too.

A few patches of blue throughout the day gave us some hope

Since I finished my first of 12 Jack Reacher books last night, I’ll move on to the next one. I’ll have to let Bill read them on my Kobo as well, when I’m finished, so he can get the same books. I updated my Book List on my Word document and moved on to the next book. Lee Child’s The Enemy. Bill also finished his James Patterson book. 

We got a fair bit of reading done today.

Checking out the new shed

Bill has not been sleeping well these last few nights, less than his usual 5 or 6 hours, so he said he needed a snooze. I sent him up to the bedroom so he would rest better, undisturbed, and I could read in silence. It’s a two birds with one stone scenario. He had a nice long sleep and felt better when he got up almost 2 hours later. We sat with our books for a while, responding to Clemson’s whims and then I got up and made a Rhubarb Crisp for dessert. This one is not on the keto list so I just cut back on the sweetener ingredients and used gluten-free flour as much as I could. We are planning just fish for supper and corn on the cob so we’ll have room for dessert following the meal.

If you look real closely, you might see Clemson coming through the gate

At 5 o’clock, I realized that even though we're back home, I’m still not getting much walking done. I invited Clemson to walk down to the end of the lane with me. The sky seemed to be breaking up into a few spasms of blue but half way down, the gray clouds threatened to drop rain on our heads at any minute. We checked out Bill’s ‘doghouse’ once more and then came up the hill. It didn’t add much to my steps for today but my Fitbit won’t sync anyway. Bummer, nothing since Monday for some odd reason so I’m way behind everyone else.

Clemson is doing much better

Bill went out about 5:30 and cut the back field of grass and I began preparing supper around 6. We were eating by 6:45 and cleaned up dishes. We popped the tv on for a couple of mind-obliterating hours. Mash reruns and then Live PD was the entertainment of the night. After an hour of Live PD, I’m ready to hop in the Rav 4 and speed down the highway without my license, wallet or insurance. Ha! I can’t believe how so many Americans on these shows (who claim to be so innocent) can’t produce I.D. when asked.

I stopped to take a picture of my hostas

and found a visitor

This day was turned upside down from the minute I heard the rain on the roof at 5:30 this morning and yet, we made the best of it as always. We have re-scheduled a visit from our London friends and will look forward to that. Who said retirement is boring? We have been so busy this summer. I hope you’ve had a good day whatever you were doing.

Our flag was doing a very special dance today

Supper was yummy

And the rhubarb crisp with cream was wonderful!

 Thank you for popping in! Your comments are always appreciated.

Morning Walkabout, Goodbye to New Friends, Jiggle Jiggle, Pool

I woke up at 2 minutes to 7 on Monday, Feb. 5^th and thought I’d lay still for a couple of minutes and then get up. I looked again in what seemed like a couple of minutes and it was 7:25 am. Too funny, but I obviously wasn’t ready to move that early. So, I got up and dressed, opened the shades and slipped outside for a walk.

The sun was just hovering below the eastern horizon and it was so pretty. I decided to walk the rows on our side of the park before doing the perimeter to the west side. As I turned down the 3^rd row from us, I heard a diesel engine start up and sure enough it was Jim starting his coach and getting ready to hook up their tow-along.

I was glad to catch them before they left but disappointed that Bill wasn’t with me. No sooner did I think that when I turned around and saw Bill bringing Clemson, looking for me. Cool! Jim had some magazines about RC flying that he offered to Bill and Sharon came out to say goodbye as well. We tried not to dawdle and hold them up, but Sharon managed to exchange a few tips for our future travels. Thanks guys! It was great to get to know you better. You won’t forget me now, Jim, will ya?

See ya, Jim and Sharon!
Until we meet again.

We walked a bit together before splitting up. I was working towards my 2 miles. As I walked back, I went up the hill to take another picture of the pond and a couple of ‘ducky’ floaters. 

When I returned to the Suite, Clemson was there but Bill was out with his camera so I went to the end of our lane to see if I could find him. Not having a clue which way he went, I came back inside and made my tea. Within 5 minutes, he returned as well.

I sorted our laundry and we loaded it in the truck after our first drinks were done. When we arrived up at the clubhouse Laundry there was a sign on the door "Closed Mon. Feb. 5th for repair". Hmmm, okay, guess we don't have clean clothes today after all. No worries, this jiggle doesn't bother us, we'll do it tomorrow. 

We’d talked about trying out a Mobile Wash & Carpet Cleaning company that the park supports so back at the Suite Bill called for an appointment. The price was right and we’ve discussed getting the carpets cleaned every year to keep on top of the dirt. I’m not to the point yet of wishing we didn’t have carpet, it is easy to sweep (yes, I said sweep) when I don’t want to get the vacuum out. I dust, Bill vacuums, I might have mentioned that before.

Many rv'ers we know use this filtered (salt free) drinking water
instead of buying bottled water
It is  certainly a fair price here!

The appointment is set for 2 o’clock today so we hope they are a reputable company. I’ll let you know at the end of the post. At 10 we ate breakfast, an egg omelette on a toasted bun for Bill and between a couple of gluten-free tortillas for me.

Oh wow, that was so tasty and it should sustain us until supper time. We cleaned dishes up and Bill went out to start charging his batteries for his model planes back home. They need to be done a couple of times over the winter just to keep a charge in them and as he did that I did a thorough sweep through of the Suite.

See Mrs. Hummer at the feeder?

Bill vacuumed and dusted Black Beauty so she is gleaming inside and we’ll get her washed too by Beto’s as well. 

At 1:30 I changed into my bathing suit, took my bag, my book and water and headed up to the pool. Such a gorgeous day and my only regret was that Bill couldn’t join me today. I sat out on my chair for a while to make the dip that much more refreshing when I got in.

It was around 2pm when I stepped in and did my lap to the end and back before grabbing my hat and a pool noodle I’d set at the edge. Time to float. I do that well.

At 2:10 I could hear 4 chirp chirps on my phone……….up there, in my bag, by my chair. Hmm. 1 or 2, I could ignore but 4 kind of meant it was maybe important. Maybe it was Bill with a question about the washing. So, I proceeded to float, arms pulsing the water to hurry from the deep end to go check it out. Makes for a funny picture, let me tell you.

Bill was relaxed and going through the magazines Jim gave him when I left for the pool

 Anyway, it wasn’t an emergency, good. It was my daughter answering a question I’d asked her earlier. My own fault for asking the question before getting into the water. She is worth the interruption for sure. I got back into the tepid water and continued my float about. A conversation began with a couple from Ohio and it was another one of those ‘click’ moments. We got along well and shared a lot of commonalities. I like those.

We chatted until my fingers turned into wrinkled morrels and I went to sit in the sun and dry off. Trying to remember something they’d told me (and I knew I’d forget) I asked them again in the hot tub. This time I’d put it into my phone right away. I, at least, remembered to give them one of our ‘business/personal’ cards before saying goodbye. Nice couple, Kevin and Barb. Too bad Bill was tied up and couldn’t meet them. Maybe tomorrow.

Bill waits for Beto's
(this was before we realized they weren't coming)

I had texted Bill around 3:15 to see how the wash was going and sadly, they hadn’t shown up yet. Remember that we are dealing with Mexican employees and a Mexican business so who knows if the communication got mixed up. So, I packed up at 3:30 and walked back to the Suite. Still, no show so we tried calling the number. When we finally reached them at 4:30, they said ’30 minutes’. Hmm, that meant 5ish. The breakfast we had at 10 was wearing off so when I returned, we cut up some cheddar for a snack with some cheese crackers. That'll do it, since we don't know what time we'll be able to eat supper.

We waited together and finally, after I’d come inside to change, Bill saw them on the next lane over. He walked over to see if they were looking for our site but no, they were apparently beginning another job on a motor coach. They rebooked, at Bill’s suggestion, for tomorrow at 11:30. Again, we’ll keep you informed. We think it was a total misunderstanding……….somehow. (malentendido)

this is a good one - I like the Harry Bosch stories

We read outside together and at 6 I came in to start supper. Pork chops, potatoes, corn and broccoli are on the menu tonight. The chops are quite thin so they won’t take long. Bill lit the Weber and began the spuds first since they would take the longest. I steamed the broccoli inside. It needs to go on the food list for the next shopping day.

With supper finished and dishes cleaned up, we took the little flashlight and went for a walk around our end of the park. I was trying to remember what site # Kevin and Barb told me they were on but in the dark and with my memory, it was a lost cause. It was nice saunter and still a warm 72F. That’s 22.2C for our friends and family back home. I’m sorry that you are dealing with even more snow in Ontario. I wish everyone who wanted to could follow the warmth too.

I settled at my laptop to download the very few pictures from today. Bill and Clemson settled in the recliners. As I sit here with windows open, I can hear the coyotes playing games and calling to each other. I think they must know there are roosters at the east end of the park. I hope you have had a nice day wherever you are. We sure enjoyed our quiet one. Plans jiggled but we are still smiling and look forward to tomorrow.

Thank you for reading our adventure. I love having you along!

Banking, Common Snipe, Cleaning up Outdoors, Jello at Home

Monday, Apr. 24^th was another beautiful sunny day. Too bad the wind is so cool again this morning. We were up at 7 for our coffees and blog reading. As I stepped out to walk to the Restroom I could hear the bird that we heard last July again. We had searched for the sound on a bird app and came to a conclusion, then, that it was a boreal owl.

Bill leaves to get water

 This morning I was able to see it and it sure doesn’t look like any kind of owl I’ve ever seen or read about. It was flying singly and really high up that I couldn’t focus on its quick flight long enough to get a picture. Hmmm. I wanted to google it now that I know what the bird looks like.

I pulled out my collection of yard ornaments
These are things we brought from our house before we sold last year

some things I couldn't leave behind when I knew we were coming to the Ridge

Our neighbour, Caroline, had these out at the curb
Loved the 3 blind mice wind vane

.

Let the hummingbirds come

Seems that the owl makes the exact same sound as the Common Snipe and to be honest this looks much more like a snipe than an owl. If I could get a photo of him I could confirm my findings so I’ll continue to try. I have all summer to capture him.

Our neighbours have this little shed way back on their property
Why let something like this go to waste?

We drove into Durham for a 10 o’clock appointment at RBC about the investments that were due. Susan was very interested in the lifestyle we have chosen and asked a lot of questions about the southwest. She was thrilled to get one of our cards so she could read our blogs. That cleaned up and settled for a few years, we went to F & S to fill a propane tank.

Gabe swims

Bill always looks after things that are needed for the Suite but is even more in-tune to my needs when he will be away. I can’t help but think how useless I would be for so many things if he wasn’t around for a few days. I’m sure I’d manage with instruction but you know what I mean. He needs to stick around for a very, very long time!

Taking a break, see the piles I need to go back and pick up?

Back home by 11 this morning and the temperature has risen to 12C/53F and the wind has died down considerably. In town there is no noticeable wind so it is probably 3 or 4 degrees warmer. I’ll take this in a heartbeat though, nothing compares to the serenity and privacy up here on the hill. We sat down and while made a few phone calls to change our mailing address, I went online and did the same for my connections with being Mom's poa. I think we might have everything updated now to our rural route delivery.

So I'm watching a visitor in Gabe's pond
He flies in behind him/her and seems to stalk

Flirting or showing who is boss?

Seems like they have come to terms with each other

After a bite for lunch we headed outside. Bill and Clemson drove over to The Acreage to get the bladder full of water. We were just below half but because he was expected to go to London for a couple of days, we wanted to top up. While he was gone, I hopped on my bike and went for a spin down the lane and road to the corner. Gosh, my legs need to be stronger! Good thing for the 6 gear changes on my wheels. It was good and I just need to build up the muscle so it doesn’t take so much out of me.

I was stunned when these geese came from nowhere

 My next venture was to rake the secondary lane from the bottom of the corral up the hill to the Suite. Mostly small branches from the overhead trees but also dead grass needed to be raked and cleaned up. So, from the leg work out to the arms it felt good to work outside. Often, I stopped to take a breather and have a water break. The sun was warm and I was grateful for the wind today.

One day I'm going to catch this guy in flight displaying his beautiful red wings

Bill returned and set up the hoses and filter to fill the tank before opening up his cargo trailer that holds his remote-controlled planes. I should have got a picture but maybe I’ll wait until he has it organized again. He is always coming up with new ideas.

Once I finished raking and dumping the loads in the brush pile, I was truly exhausted. I think the bike ride had caught up with me and my legs felt like rubber. I walked the lane a couple of times just to keep moving and then gave in and sat in my lounge chair with Clemson.

In case you missed it, this  will be our temperature for the next few

At 5 I lit the Weber and heated it up to start roasting potatoes. I could have sat outside in that warmth for a bit longer but I knew I would be asleep. After putting the cut-up spuds in a tinfoil pan, I came inside with Bill and Clemson and cut up onions and mushrooms. I would fry those up on the stove inside.

Dinner was delicious with the sides I’ve already mentioned and the steak we didn’t eat last night. After a good working day, sitting down with a full tummy was just what we needed. Not sure how long I will be able to sit and read before these eyes give in.

Gabe returns to his self made peace

I kept an eye on Gabe today in our east pond and watched swallows frequent the sky. Like the snipe, they are very fast, too fast for my lens. As a few of my readers have stated, this is a nature haven………….or should I say heaven. There is always something to listen to or look for related to ‘the nature of things’.

With the sun setting behind me, I’m going to pop in last night’s final sunset and call it a night. I’ve no doubt, if you are an outdoors type of person, whether it is landscaping you’re into, hiking, driving or reading, I’m sure you enjoyed this beautiful day in your neck of the woods as much as I did.

Good night from our summer place

By the way, Bill got a call this morning from CanAm. Change of plans, jiggling jello happens even here at home. While we were prepared to have Bill go to London Tuesday and Wednesday to work, Tuesday got postponed. Hmm, it would be a really long day for him to drive the 2 1/2 hours, work 8 hours and drive home so Phil was able to find someone to cover Wednesday's jobs. that makes life easier this time for us. We have to take the Ford in for the bumper repair Thursday morning so staying overnight was not going to be an option. Thanks Phil!

Thank you for following our day today. I love receiving your comments.