Stacking up the Beautiful Days, Our RV Park is Empty Again, Family Dinner

The Ridge

On Thursday, June 18^th things pretty much followed every other day when I don’t work and Bill does. He gets up first with the alarm and I follow slower. After he leaves for work at 7:15, I went for my walk. The thought process on summer days like this is ‘get out there before it gets too hot’. I think we missed that mark. I say ‘we’ as on my return trip, I met another couple that I see occasionally. I’m glad I was finishing as I think they’d just got going. I think he might be the minister of the corner church.

Can't beat a sky like that for a morning walk

Even at 7:30, the shadows were very welcome

No special sightings today other than the sun through the trees but I can’t get over the magnitude of silence at that time of the morning. It is so unbelievable that it is difficult to describe. Maybe a bird or a scuttle of a small critter in the long grasses, but when there is no wind, not even a rustle of tree leaves breaks that sound barrier. I love it.

Capturing today's glow

 My sister, Gayle, posted something a while ago (maybe I mentioned this) about singing in the silence when you are alone. Today, for the second time, on a lone country road I broke the silence myself. ♪This Land is Your Land,♪ this Land is My Land…………♪from Bonavista to Vancouver Island! ♪ Canadian version, of course. I only know the first verse by memory and stumble through the second but belting it out felt great! 😊

Back home, it was tea time and I decided to have a piece of toasted rye bread with the rhubarb jam that my buddy, Rob, made for me. ♂  Well, maybe he helped Pat make it, but he saved me a jar and presented it to me. It was delicious and although I felt a bit (a teensy bit) guilty for the delectable sugary, carbish pleasure, I still enjoyed it very much.

Wildflowers along the walk are a pretty distraction

Since our downstairs a/c isn’t working properly, I closed windows and the door and turned the upstairs a/c on. With the hall door open, it will cool the Suite down nicely. I then went out and got the paints out and positioned the two deck chairs in the shade again.

Just a few minutes after 9 Rob drove in with his son following on a motorcycle. They were here to get the fiver hitch back in the truck and take the Cedar Creek home. I needed a witness signature and he willingly obliged so I could mail the release letter today for Mom. They were on their way by 9:30 after one more thankyou from me for the use of their trailer. Already, the heat was beating down and around us. There was a nice little breeze coming from the north, so on my back as I worked away.

Rob setting up to take his trailer home

Our visiting fiver leaves

At one point, I took the letter down to the mail box to catch the pick up today. I could tell that I was losing interest in the painting job as I felt I was making more mistakes and had more paint touchups with the two colours. I persisted until they both had second coats as well as the little tables. I have 3 more small jars of the orange paint and it is the colour that needed a thicker covering to hide the wood.

I must remember to look each morning as my
Moonflower is about to bloom

I put things away and checked my watch. Egads! 10 to 1! Another day skittering by. Inside, I made myself a coffee and a lunch plate. As I sat to start my blogpost, my thoughts drifted to the July 1^st holiday, just around the corner. It has been a tradition that we’ve hosted a Canada Day dinner for Bill’s parents and siblings, starting in our years at the house. Maybe 2010? Funny, I can’t remember for sure.

Carmelita was sitting on my watering can this morning
Interesting how she has camouflaged to match the colour

I had no need to disturb her today

Anyway, Liz and Bruce are on board but so far that is all we know. We need to check in with everyone during the last week so I can prepare. We try to be true hosts as far as food and don’t ask for contributions other than what they want to drink. Usually, they will bring a munchie regardless. We are both just hoping that it works out this year.

The chairs and table tops are done

I took my book out to sit for a bit but other than sitting in the sun, or sitting in the gravel there wasn’t much shade yet. After 30 minutes in the sun, I was done with that and came inside. The Suite was a relief, just enough to cool you down. It was 27C/81F outside and still 25C/78F inside but a noticeable difference, if you can believe that. It is definitely hotter in the sun; our outside thermometer is on a slide-out arm in the shade.

My garden irises are so majestic and tall

And winter geraniums are blooming

I had very few little dots of blue or orange paint here and there so when I saw them, I washed them off and got cleaned up for an evening out. Bill surprised me by arriving half hour earlier than expected. A nice surprise. He got cleaned up too and we were out the door headed for Gayle’s by 5:15. Donna and Gerry were already there, as expected and we had another nice visit and pick up supper from Kettles.

I remembered to get a picture of my supper tonight
Very good, the beef was so tender

My order tonight was a hot roast beef sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and string beans. Yummy! I left most of the bread but enjoyed everything else. Gayle and I had a glass of wine with our meals, Bill had his Rum and ‘Zero’ and the boys had beer. We covered a lot of topics and after Gayle and I went through some clothes that Donna brought, we said goodbye around 8:30. 

A small hint of the deer in the wheat field looking back at us
We could barely see his head and little ears

It was a nice drive home with the sun setting off in the west sky, over my shoulder. We saw a deer off to the side of the road but he scampered off to the wheat field before we got close.

Thank Marlene for suggesting where to put the grape jelly

I was trying to arrange with Jamie about him dropping in to pay me but his evening is pretty hectic. I suggested he wait until the weekend and I’ll meet him in town. Now he can do what he has to and not worry about me and we can relax too. This was a good day. My project is finished and we’ve had a nice family visit. I hope you’ve enjoyed your Thursday. Get ready for the weekend!

Looking back over my shoulder I caught the sunsetting as we drove home
Favourite picture today
Good night!

Thank you for stopping in.

Friends’ Departure, Swim at the Acreage, Roofing, Celebration, Alone Together

It was just minutes before 7 on Sunday, Aug. 5^th when I woke up and realized that I was alone in bed. The door to downstairs was closed which means that Bill has been up for a while. He would be anxious to get working on his shed. I joined him downstairs and he had indeed eaten, washed, shaved and was ready to get to work. Before my tea, I decided to head out for a walk and got a mile and a half in.

Me, myself and I enjoyed the walk very much

By that time, Bill was down in the gully working away. There wasn’t a lot he could do on his own but he worked for a couple of hours. It was a nice walk and when I returned I sat outside on the shaded patio with tea, laptop and camera. I didn’t send my blog post off last night, as you’ve noticed so that was what I had to get at this morning. My own deadline, no one else’s. Rob and Pat drove home with the GMC in their preparation to pull the Cedar Creek out.

Rob and Pat pull out

I finished that and waited with Bill while he texted Gerry to see if they were working today. It turned out to be a no for one reason or another so Bill hopped on the mower and cut the back field, the corral and the corral hill (for me). Yay, thank you, dear! Inside I prepared the basic ingredients for a Cabbage Salad for tomorrow and then I noticed Rob had returned to pick up the fiver. All of our friends are leaving and as Rob says “all good things come to an end, such is life”.

Bill has to keep busy so cut the grass today

The rest of the day was pretty lackadaisical. I read a fair bit of my Evidence book until after lunch and Bill made a couple of trips into town. One? Two? I can’t remember but he did report after going to town for fuel for his airplanes and riding mower that the Esso station ran out of regular gas. He couldn’t get a full can. That’s not good on a long weekend!  

I know many of you wouldn't swim in their pond
but the water is clean, just the bottom is yeuchy
and boy, was it refreshing!

It was around 2:30 when Bill suggested we drive over to the Acreage for a swim. Sounded like a great idea to me so we changed into our swim suits and I retrieved my water shoes and all 3 of us left. Suzie was sitting out reading by their coach so we told her where we were headed. It felt cool but that was only because the air was so hot. It was so refreshing as I floated around on the pool noodle and Bill swam around. Show off!

Bill puts Clem in shallow water and his feet are already starting to move
to get the heck out of there

Clemson does not like the water, I’m sure I’ve told you that, but his tongue was hanging out with the heat. He’d taken a drink of water as soon as I put his dish out but Bill picked him up and took him out into the shallow water. It wasn’t deep enough for him to swim back but his little feet were already in motion by the time Bill set him down. This short video clip shows him trying his darnedest to get as far from the water as possible. What a character! I’m sure he’ll never admit how great it felt though.

A very comfy seating area in the shade of the trees

We sat for a while and Joanne and Ted, the last of their weekend visitors, left about 30 minutes before we did the same. It was after 4 when we got home and Bill had one destination in mind. The recliner for a snooze. I left them inside and took an ice-cold water outside with my book. The hammock, with no one in it, does loop-de-loops over and over in the wind so I solved that issue by laying down on it. I love my hammock. It was a birthday gift the year we bought our house in 2002.

Bill starts cutting boards before the guys arrive

Wondering and hoping that Mike and Gerry might come later when it cools down to work on the shed, we lit the Weber around 5 and grilled burgers. Seems we eat these a lot but they are good, filling and fast. With a cob of fresh corn on the side, it went down great. Dishes were done by 6 when we got a text from Donna stating the very same plan. They were going to have supper and come over to work for a bit. We would host the campfire tonight too.

I sat outside in the shade finishing this post. Bill is down at the shed doing some sawing and some nailing in anticipation of their arrival. 😊  There were a few small things that he figured out he could do on his own. 

the sky through the new shed window

Soon the boys arrived and things were happening. Donna and I sat up on the hill in our gravity chairs and watched from the shade of the trees and when the sun went down, we moved to the firepit and I started a campfire.

Before the roof

Mike prepping for the metal roof

Everyone was pooped, they had had a late night on Saturday and Bill and the guys had been working. I don’t know what my excuse was, actually I felt pretty good and, like Mike, could have stayed up longer. Donna and Gerry were yawning so the 3 of them left around 10, I think, after we had a couple of meteor shower viewings. 

And it is started
Bill and Gerry were the 'grunt' men 

Suzie and George joined Donna and I before the fire was started

It was a lovely night so we left our windows open plus the outside door again. George and Suzie remained inside their coach and didn’t partake in the campfire on their last night. I think the heat got to them too.

It was my turn to make the fire tonight

I went straight to bed and didn’t bother downloading pictures at all, so that explains the 2-day posting. Bill hopped in the shower before hopping into bed. They are making great progress on the shed, roof and all!

Monday morning, the shed was looking great and this is before the boys arrived

On Monday, the Civic Holiday, Aug. 6^th Bill and I both got up around 7. The sky was mostly clear again and there was a lovely breeze. I had gathered G & S’s garbage last night with ours and while I went for a walk, Bill took it down to the road on his way to the Acreage for water. Our tanks were almost whining, they were so low.

A hot morning for a walk, but I did it

Empty spot after Rob and Pat left yesterday
Today, George pulled out at 8:15

Even though it was an early walk for about a mile and a half, I was beaded with sweat on my brow by the time I returned. Whoever said you can ‘sweat’ weight off is full of you know what. Ha ha. When I returned, I loaded the dirty laundry into the Rav and said goodbye to George and Suzie. It was around 7:45 when I drove into Durham and I knew they’d be gone before I returned. I wasn’t even sure if the laundromat would be open on the holiday so was pleased that it was.

This looks like the flower Pat saw but I forgot to use my Plant app to see
what it is

'Elvis' around the corner makes these planters

 Three loads into the wash and I was on my way back to the Ridge. Mike had arrived and he was hard at it with Bill, finishing the roof before the heat hit too badly. I had word that Gerry would be joining them too so told them that and then came inside to make them coffee and omelette sandwiches. Donna gathered up some sawdust shavings while here dropping Gerry off and I sent her off with some of my tomatoes.

Little green apples are turning red
But they are crabapples and full of wormy spots

When she left, I got my clothes up on the line I then hopped in the shower. I chose what I was going to wear this afternoon to the birthday celebration and then brought the clothes in. They were dry within 2 hours but now I was hot and sweaty all over again. LOL  I made up the recipe for the dressing for my cabbage/apple salad and although I’ve had to substitute things, it tastes okay. I hope.

Garbage pick is today, the Civic holiday

The guys finished work around 12 noon and relaxed with a beer before heading back to the Acreage. The wind is crazy up here today but that is a good thing. I packed our bathing suits and towels and Bill had a shower before stretching out in the recliner for a quick doze. Clemson must be getting a breeze up on the bed because he has been up there since Bill come in, stretching out himself across the bedspread.

The shed as it stands Monday
Some batten to be done by Bill and Mike will make the doors

His bag was packed too, he is spending the afternoon and part evening with his buddies, Rob and Pat. They are such a blessing and I hope we tell them often enough just how much we appreciate them. Clemson will be much happier ‘home’ than at the party today and so will Bill and I. At 1:30, I slipped upstairs and into my cool summer dress that I purchased at Keady. I think it is the best choice for today. We drove to Durham around 2 and with hit and miss holiday weekend traffic arrived at Carol’s around 3:30.

Teviotdale round about is in place but not completed
This was a very rough area

They had been hit by a bad storm just 30 minutes prior to our arrival and their power was out all around the area. That explains the trees down on the main streets of Sebringville. Brian has his or Todd’s Champion generator running which helped with some of the lights and the fridge in their big house. Everyone was out in the backyard around the pool. Unfortunately, they lost a gazebo in the storm so shade was minimal except close to the house.

Lots of shaded sitting areas close to the house

Only a few kids in the pool when I took this

It was nice to see everyone and I mean everyone with only one exception. Krystal was disappointed that she couldn’t be there but was having a great time, I’m sure, camping up north with her girlfriends. Plans were already in place when this party was confirmed. We sat for a while before the no-brainer decision to get into the pool came to fruition. It felt cool after being in the hot air but very refreshing.

Bill along the bottom and Olivia with her goggles watching how he does it

I was in for about 20 minutes and got out while Bill remained and played with his granddaughters, Chelsea and Olivia for quite a while. It was fun to see them challenging him with hand stands and somersaults while he, in return, showed them how to swim along the very floor of the pool. 

Bill and his granddaughters

Olivia goes through her poses before jumping in the pool

I missed the chant but she said it each time

Chelsea's turn

We all had lots of food to eat with cheeseburgers, hot dogs and chicken burgers plus various macaroni salads, Caesar salads and my cabbage salad to choose from. It was a great supper.

chicken burgers were on first

Bill and one of his grandsons, Zach
What a great smile that little guy has
Impish, no?

We all love this little sweetie
Johnny enjoys his hot dog with Grandma Liz watching

There were dessert squares, brownies and a special cake to fill up on if there were any gaps left in our tummies. 

The cake before the candles and inscription was added

Bill's sisters, Liz and Carol, deliver the cake to Marilynne to blow the candles out
there was an inscription "Good luck on your move" that related to
her move from Stratford to Fort Erie, near her daughter
We sang Happy Birthday to Dad, I'm sure he heard us raising the rafters

A wonderful day all in all and it was around 7:30 when we joined in the staggering departures. It was an eventless drive home which is good. I felt exhausted for some reason and although I couldn’t sleep, closed my eyes off and off briefly on the way. We pulled up in front of Rob and Pat’s around 8:45 to pick up our little pooch. It was such a relaxing day knowing he was in good hands with his buddies.

Some trees downed from the storm in Sebringville

At home, we unloaded the 2 coolers and left the rest of the stuff for morning. Inside, we decided to just go to bed and turn the tv on. I read a chapter before giving in and watching a few minutes of the movie he had on. When I closed my eyes and put my ear plugs in, I guess it rained steadily for about an hour. A nice gentle rain, Bill said so that was good timing for us.

We met this beautiful Pontiac on the way to Carol's and then on the way home
How coincidental!

I hope your days have been at least half as good as ours have been. We’ve had a wonderful time up here with our friends and now we can get back into our quiet time together today.

Good night!

Our little boy comes out of Rob and Pat's house to greet us
All is well again, we are home together

Thank you for reading along. Sorry for the long post. Your comments are always welcome!