A Busy Day – Ptooties Oil Change, Planting and PayDay

The Ridge

Tuesday, June 1^st was a beautiful day in our neighbourhood. Bill was up and out the door by 7 and I followed a couple of minutes later. Gibbs went into his crate when we left, responsible for looking after the house. The Mat was in pretty decent shape but the change machine wasn’t dispensing quarters. Quarters are needed for some washers that are $3.50 and for all of the dryers. .05¢ gets you 5 minutes.

It's a beautiful morning

I did a quick damp mop in the areas that needed it and when I left, I drove around to the car wash and Ptooties also got a quick wash. She was pretty dirty looking and for $3 she came out looking pretty spiffy. Back home, I had my tea outside with Gibbs and brought him in for his breakfast. It was a beautiful day, 10C/50F, already at 9 so after an outside run, I put the little guy inside and went out to pot my new plants.

All cleaned up for the shop visit

I could have used more black soil but FS Coop didn’t have any yesterday when I was there. I had enough to do 3 pots and 1 hanging planter with some leftover flowers for the bucket up on the hill. Without the dirt, I’m at a standstill. I only had an hour to finish so cleaned up and came inside to wash up and have lunch. I had the timing just right to leave at 12:35 and gathered things, put Gibbs back in his crate and headed for Grey Bruce Fleet.

Mrs. Oriole is loving the oranges

And the finches in the foreground were happy too

As I approached their entrance, I wondered where I’d put my phone. Oh darn! I forgot it! I never do that and as much as I hate to admit, without it feels like I’m missing a very important limb. LOL I had texted Bill and received no response by the time I left so borrowed Kate’s phone to let him know where I was and where my communicator was. 😊 Unfortunately, my credit and debit cards are in my phone case. Crap!

Kate said it was no problem that I couldn’t pay for the oil change today, another day was fine. They are a new business here in the area and obviously winning our hearts.  She and I had a lovely talk again, this time more about dogs and she was thrilled for our news of a new ‘baby’. She has her own grown, large dogs in her office with her.  Two well-behaved dogs, I might add.

Hanging along the corral fence

The ones in the trays go up the hill in the bucket shovel

I had planned on carrying on to Hanover’s Independent store to stock up on meat for our freezer but this put a damper on that, meaning driving back home 20 minutes, back to the shop to pay and then go shopping.  As it turned out, we needed a cabin filter but she wouldn’t have one until early morning Wednesday so she suggested I wait and pay in the morning when I stop for them to put it in. That made my decision easier. I would go home today and do the shopping tomorrow too.

This one is over by the outhouse

By this time, I was quite warm and so was the day but back home I didn’t want to waste a minute. I loaded up the wagon with the tomato and pepper plants, trowel, hoe, a full watering can, Gibbs’ water dish, my water bottle, garden gloves and his long rope leash. By hook or by crook I’d get these planted today. As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy. Someone’s name got spoken (loudly) Leroy Jethro! quite a few times until he got the idea that he couldn’t walk on the plants nor could he drink the water I poured into the holes.

Down by the corral

Finally, happy with the job, I loaded up and headed down the hill. Gibbs’ rope was all tangled up in the wheels and I had to detangle them a few times. Maybe that wasn’t such a great idea but I didn’t think it fair to leave him indoors again. When we came down, I took him off the leash and let him run for a bit while I put things away. This made me nervous because he has a tendency to chase Chippy. I witnessed that first hand earlier when he was on his retractable leash, thank God! He went right over the steep hill that leads to the shallow pond.

So, the vegetables are planted and there's room 
for more, once I decide.

I heard Jamie turn into the lane so managed to get a grip on my excited little guy and chatted with my boss for a few minutes. Payday! Yay! It is always nice to have that cash even if it isn’t a windfall. I worked for it and Jamie is happy to drive it out when he is able 😊 After he left, I put Gibbs inside. He was tired I’m sure. Soon after, Bill drove in and we eventually all came inside for a much-needed rest.

Including the ones not yet opened, we
have 21 blooms

Since I didn’t get shopping today, we’ll be having fish and chips for supper. I will be happy to have meal choices again, things are looking pretty sparse in the freezer. The Basa filets were good and the deep-fried chips were too. I had some leftover mushroom gravy in the fridge so I heated that up and it added to my meal quite nicely. I hate wasting gravy so this worked out perfectly.

The little hummer taking a break from his meal
 I zoomed in, this house is 2 properties away

When we were almost done dishes, Gibbs began ringing the bells at the door. I’ve been waiting for him to have a poop all day so I was happy when we walked down the corral hill and he took his time but did his business. It seems to be a routine for him before his evening supper at 8. Bill packed his lunch and then went out to do the finishing touches on the stoop. We were missing a few boards; I think I mentioned that on Saturday.

We've seen 3 turtles over the last week after not
seeing any nesters for weeks

Supper was so good even though it was forbidden

Gibbs sat at the door and pined for his Daddy but I stayed inside with him and worked on my blog. 

The bottom two steps are now finished
They were each just one single board since Saturday

After Bill went out to work on the step
Gibbs patiently waited for him

The day was a bit upside down with my plans being changed but since it was from my own forgetfulness that caused the change, I can only blame myself. Besides, only the appointment was carved in stone, the shopping can be done on my day off tomorrow. 😊This was a great day and the summer weather is absolutely welcome! More of that is on the way.

Looking out our back window facing east,
the sunset reflects on the neighbours shed

And the pink clouds are beautiful too
Good night
I hope your day was a good one too

Thank you for stopping in for a visit. Your comments are always welcome.

Great Winter Sunshine, PayDay

Paisley, On

On Wednesday, Feb. 3^rd, there was nothing unusual about our startup. These are good mornings when Bill gets up on time and the weather is great so he is able to pull out by 6:30. I was up soon after, washed and finishing my morning tea by 7:30. 

No way, no how could I download pictures last night
hence the delay in posting

It was a cold morning but there was the promise of sunshine later so that made it bearable. Just a wee bit of scraping on the windshield and a wee bit of sitting to wait for the view to be clear.

A pretty day is a-comin'

I had a nice drive on Bruce County Rd 3 as well as Concession 8 and by the time I skimmed around Hanover, I had to put my sunglasses on. Bonus! I pulled in to the Pioneer gas station as soon as I arrived in Durham and topped Ptooties up. She was going to get a Royal treatment today. Wait and see. Across the street, the Mat was in need of a cleaning but mostly from customers not picking up after themselves. Stuff like socks, dryer sheets and papers on the floors that make it look messy.

It has been really nice having clear roads to drive on this week and a half

I went about the job and worked around a couple of people in doing laundry. With things mostly done and when I was sweeping the floor, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jamie come in the back door. Last time was Jan. 1^st. We chatted for close to half hour and before he left, he paid me up to date. With cash in my pocket, I had an extra lilt in my step as I left and drove home. No more stops today. Well, I didn’t think.

The sun is rising but there are a lot of clouds to push through

Friday will be Walmart and another refill for water, provided the snow doesn’t over burden us. As I approached Hanover, ready to make the turn at Canadian Tire, I decided to nip into the Dollarama to look for some disposable gloves. Every pair I was using had deteriorated so badly that the tips of the fingers were tearing off. Picture the ‘hobo’ glove look. 😊

Followed this big boy on Conc. 8 on the way home. He turned left
here onto BCRd 3, I turned right 👍

As you can see here (sorry it's blurry)
the sunshine won the battle of the sky today

I walked up and down and found a couple of things for my hair but no gloves. I did fine a pair of work gloves that would work just fine for the time being. The second part of Ptooties special day happened at the Paisley car wash. It is a do-it-yourselfer and I'd never used one before. I usually sit in the vehicle while Bill does the job. 

Let's visit the car wash, Ptooties!
Actually, I took this as I was driving away
and we were replaced by a truck

I spent $6 and got all the snowy hard crap off from around the fenders, the bumpers, the doors and the tires. I didn't use the brush, it was a learning experience just using the spray, the soap and then the rinse. She looked great although it wasn't a perfect job.

I got all the crap off at least
There was a pile there when we drove in

I was home by 12 noon and blended up a smoothie with heavy cream, the last of the canned pineapple from the fridge and some frozen strawberries. The pineapple was starting to go bad and it is too good to waste! It tasted good but I just put it in the fridge for another day. Don’t scold me but I made up a bag of popcorn with melted butter for my lunch. Tsk tsk. It was the last bag, I think, so now it is gone and dog gone it, it tasted good. Maybe tomorrow, my day off, I’ll try a couple of those keto snack recipes that I received. 

Outside, I wiped the door edges down so they wouldn't freeze

Susan and Wes left the house around 12:30 for an appointment and some shopping so after doing my dishes, I got dressed for my walk. I mailed a card first, then walked across the street to Foodmart for lotto tickets. Rather than carry them around, I dropped them at the house and then headed down Queen St. S. to the trail along the Saugeen.

In case you can't recognize it, that is a big smile you see!

I wonder if this is the same little duck I saw yesterday?
He was motoring against the current

 When walking directly facing the wind, it was quite chilly but as I turned, I didn’t need to have my scarf over my face. I also didn’t wear my ‘mad bomber’ hat (thanks Jackie for the name) so had to have my hood up for a bit. With the steps from working and my walk, I managed 3 ½ miles (7200+ steps) and was ready to go home.

I wasn't walking alone today
That was really nice

Oooh, I love how this one turned out
see the sun's rays shining down?

I took my stuff upstairs and then came down to the garage and worked at putting the completed puzzle away and starting a new one. Donna gave me this one, or Cathy, since they’ve both finished it. The border went really well and soon I was working on the body. This is a cute picture too. I'll take a picture tomorrow, I forgot today. Our landlords returned around 3:30 and then around 4:30, Bill texted that he was on his way. We came upstairs together and I got my blog started.

I had to take this closeup so you could see that there are
only 2 dam sections completely open
The others have froze over

Sometime after 5:30, we went down to start supper. Tonight, was Chicken strips and French fries with coleslaw on the side. Something different. We really enjoyed it the change. The strips were much nicer than the chicken nuggets I’ve tried before. These are nice and meaty with less coating and the plum sauce was an added treat. We took care of dishes and it was just a few minutes after 7 when I came upstairs, leaving Bill to make his lunch.

before I left the garage for my walk,
I saw a shadow past the windows and heard a noise
The solar panels on the roof were releasing the last
dumping of snow

This is why Wes doesn't park any cars in front of the doors
I'd hate to be walking along here when the snow let loose!

This was a good day. I feel tired, my legs, my arms but I felt quite rejuvenated this afternoon during and after my walk in the sunshine. We have a couple of warm -1C/30F days coming but that also means more lake effect precipitation tomorrow night, Friday and on the weekend. ☹ Bummer, I was enjoying the clear roads and sidewalks. Julie, our weather gal on CTV London news calls it a deep freeze that we will be experiencing after this warm period, starting on the weekend.

A tasty supper tonight

I’ll be heading in soon to watch Jeopardy before settling in our room for the night. The book I’m reading has improved since Chapter 3. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the biography but although I can’t say it is a favourite book, it is enjoyable and worth the read.

Feb. 3, 2020
A visit to Los Algodones, Mexico

Bill was having dental work done so
Kim, Ken, Keith and I went SHOPPING!!

Good night!

Thank you for stopping by!

A Day in the Life, No Afternoon Showers, PayDay!

The Ridge

On the Civic holiday Monday, Aug. 3^rd we were awake and up shortly after 6:30. I was happy to wake up since I was having a dream that wasn’t enjoyable. We got up, made the bed and after washing and brushing my teeth, I drove into Durham. It was a bit foggy on the country road but I always travel slow in the morning anyway because of the possible deer sightings/crossings. It was 16C/61F but not raining.

Who was I kidding thinking Chippy couldn't get on here?

We got some wind before we went to bed and pretty steady rain throughout the evening and night. I think. There were no morning customers at the Mat so I set about getting things cleaned up. It was one of those mid-dirty days and I put in the hour paying a little more attention to the floors this time. On the way home, I made a stop at Mitch’s to help him with something on his phone again. He isn’t very app literate and it was on my way so I didn’t mind.

He had to spread some more gravel today

Back home, Bill had put the garbage down at the road. Our sanitation crew works holiday Mondays, which is nice that we don’t miss our pick up since we only get it every 2 weeks. Our neighbours, in the Journey, weren’t outside yet but Bill was. He’d been down to shovel a bit of gravel although reported that it was wet and therefore heavier. I made my tea and him another coffee. We sat outside around the firepit as Bill had started one to burn cardboard that he’d cut up.

Happy Hour!

Soon after, Ken brought their chairs over and they joined us for the morning. It was starting to get humid and the sky was showing some blue occasionally. It wasn’t going to be a washout today either. Good! We sat until 12 noon and then split up to make and eat our lunches. Bill had a toasted tomato and cheese sandwich and I had a plate with tuna, radish, lettuce, cheese, olives and cottage cheese.  Both of us were full.

Blue sky wasn't expected today so it was a surprise

At the time we came inside, it had started to spit so perfect timing. We remained inside for a couple of hours, me writing the beginnings of my blog post and searching for something I wanted to show Kim. No luck with that but Bill managed to get his Quicken program downloaded onto his new laptop by using the portable disc player I bought him last week. Now he can get things set up again to his liking. I looked out and saw Jamie, Cheryl, Emma and Aaron pulling up the drive. Emma was driving with her G-1 license.

A nice afternoon

With $$ in my pocket for the month of July we chatted with them for a while before they headed out for a ‘Sunday’-type drive to Meaford. It’s nice, as Kim said, that their teens still like going with Mom and Dad. Bill then went down to shovel some more gravel but it was short-lived. I sat with Kim and Ken with my tea and when Bill came up, it was time for something stronger so I finished my bottle of Girl’s Night Out wine. Only 3 glasses per bottle (?) I'm thinking as I turn it upside down.

A simple supper with no bun for me

There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of conversations, with everyone getting a chance to voice an opinion on a given subject. Bill kept the fire going throughout the day. Time passed and at 6:30 we decided we should be eating our suppers. 

And our fire extended into evening

The rain was holding off and in between the clouds, the sun made it very hot. It was a nice day. Bill grilled us burgers and inside I cooked ¼ of an acorn squash and put salad on Bill’s plate. We topped it off with the last of our Jell-o.

It was a nice fire, Bill was burning up our 4 year old wood
Unfortunately, the wind picked up by 9 and unless we bundled up and moved closer
we were going to have to move inside
We said goodnight and went to our own rvs.

After dishes, Bill and Ken sat outside for a while at the fire. I had a lotto ticket to check so did that and finished writing my post before going out. Kim had also joined in.  While we were sitting out this afternoon, we got a call from Suzie saying that she planned on coming for a couple of nights, either Wednesday or Thursday. That’s great! I will make sure the Bunky is guest-ready by then. We’ve had a good day today without too much activity.

The sky to the northwest was pretty interesting!
Good night!

Thank you for stopping by!