More Clean Up, Good Advice, Memories ♥

 

The Ridge

On Wednesday, May 7^th I was up at 7 and down with Bill before he left for work at 7:30. I slept well, don’t even recall if I dreamt until just before I woke up and that one had Gibbs in it. That’s rare! It is a very foggy morning, enough that had to admonish my sweetie to drive carefully on the roads.

Good morning!
Wasn't last night's sunset a beauty?

When I finished my tea, I decided to take some advice from a commenter on a previous blog post. I read all comments and often answer them right away. Some ideas and suggestions are not necessary, others are great to check out and then there are those that are common sense and I can’t believe I didn’t think of them! 😊 Anyway, do not be offended if your idea is not something I choose to follow.

This was what this morning
looked like.

This one was about the mosquito hat. Well, I have to admit to having one already, we both do. They are quite old and although work pretty good, they are not quite the same as the newer versions. I find it hard to keep the screening tucked in unless I’m  buttoned up like a uniformed officer. The new ones have a draw string AND a small zippered slit for drinking through. Brilliant!

 

Peanut butter cookies
Keto, of course.

So, I went online and found a great deal, ordering both Bill and I new ones. I think my old one even has a hole in it, not sure. I also ordered a couple of other things, one being a pack of 24 1gram carb tortillas! I need to have something to switch up for lunch since the bread thing isn’t working out. 😊

With that done, on Bill’s laptop so I could get free Prime shipping, I decided to make a batch of cookies. These I’ve made before, successfully I might add, and both Bill and I enjoyed them. I can make them into sandwich p.b. cookies with the filling or keep them single and they’ll last longer. 😊 Hmmm.

So, I donned my hats, the ball cap
keeps the mosquito hat in place.
Gibbs checking out the hill again.

Then, after a cookie for lunch, I’d been taste-testing since I started, Gibbs and I went out to clean up what Bill cut yesterday.  

At least I used my own brain today and put on my blackfly hat! I was zipped up, yes, like the officer, but at least they couldn’t get in at me. Every time I took a break and sprawled on the grass, Gibbs came to sit with me. Maybe he was checking on my well-being. ♥

Gibbs was a big help.
See the branch he carried up?

There were 3 more wagon loads from up on this hill before I started down by the Hangar. After a considerable break, Gibbs and I walked for the mail and I brought all the branches up from along the lane.

I feel better, even though it may not look different. There is so much we’d like out of there! It was 2:30 and I was done like dinner. The sun has been making appearances all afternoon so I’ve unplugged from power to take advantage of the solar but when you stop working, the breeze is still cool.

We lost Kathy to heart complications
in March of 2021 and I still feel a hole
in my heart when I see Derrick.
When we lived in London, we went back and forth every
month to each other's homes for dinner. 💔

 

While sitting, I went into old blog postings, from way back in 2016 and 2017 to see more pictures of what the Ridge looked like closer to the Suite before all this grew up. I haven’t pinned any down yet but I did find some wonderful memories. This is why I write. Not because I’ve forgotten these good times, but because it brings me joy, sometimes tearful joy.

The drive to Hanover was cloudy

Bill was home by 4:35 and I had showered and was dressed for our supper out. This was the sibling birthday/our anniversary meal that was postponed last Thursday because one of the birthday boys was sick. We drove to Hanover and Gerry drove from there to Mildmay, another 20 minutes.

One of the best pizzas I've had and
it's keto! (Silly Al's aside)

The birthday boys.
John and Gerry

We met with Cathy, Bill, Gayle and John at Harley’s Pub & Restaurant at 6. Bill and I ordered a Caesar and I think Bill D ordered a drink as well. Everyone went with water or iced tea. This was our anniversary dinner so wanted to celebrate. 😊

L to R
Gayle, Donna, Gerry, Bill, Patsy,
Cathy, Bill, John

I ordered a Chicken Caesar Pizza (w/cauliflower crust) and it was the best choice! OMGoodness! Delicious! I brought 3 pieces home because I was full and will have them this week for my lunch. We were hom by 8:15 and immediately turned Survivor on. While everyone else was going home to watch the hockey game, we watched the reality show.

There will be another nice sunset tonight

 

Much prettier coming home

Today reached 15C/59F but it sure cooled down quickly after 3 pm. Overnight’s low will be 2C/36F and one more night of that and we should be in the clear. Hahahaha, where have we heard that before? Out of our own mouths! Oh well, we’ll take what we get and be grateful. We saw sunshine today! 

Someone missed his Daddy and loves
the attention

Time for his disappearing act.
Under my chair blanket he went.
💖

This was a great day and we're making more memories.

Good night!

Thank you for stopping in. Your comments are read and appreciated.

Clean Up and an Evening Out

The Ridge

On Friday, Sept. 27^th, even though I had to clean the Mat, I didn’t get up until 6:45. Bill came up to say goodbye and I did some stretches before I rose. I wasn’t much worse for wear after yesterday’s brush crawling (that’s what it felt like, landing on my butt a few times!), so I was pleased about that. I made my tea, played my games and left the Ridge around 7:15.

Good morning!
Friday night's sunset turned out beautiful!
Looking like a pleasant morning here on the Ridge.

There were 3 customers in while I was there and I tossed our ‘Nancy’ chair quilts into the washer. 😊 I had a nice long chat with my favourite lady after she told me she lost her husband in April. Quite the story but it makes me all the happier for MAID and glad it is now an option to assist those who wish it in their ailing years. He was 89 and is now at peace – and so is she. She accepted my hug and wished us well on our winter journey. ♥

My helper? Well, more like
my supervisor.

I came straight home after that and because the morning dew left everything quite wet, I sat inside with Gibbs and my book. I’m down to the last few chapters and it has been quite the eye-opener about Huntington’s Disease. I hope I never need to experience what I learned, in any way. ☹ I had enough batter leftover the other night from my keto pancakes that I had them for lunch today. They are so good.

What is it with fungi on wood?
A picture needed to be taken.

After clean up, we went down the lane with the wagon and Gibbs supervised while I gathered all the cut brush/branches from yesterday. Looking up, I see a big improvement and I have to say that Bill was quite overwhelmed when I told him what I’d done. 😊 With his arm/shoulder issue, he can’t reach overhead very far so this was a big help. He can use the chain saw on the couple that are left and we will have no more worries about those.

We sat together and enjoyed some quiet time.
He's under my chair but trying to get his butt tanned. 

Gibbs and I walked for the mail after 1:30 but either she hadn’t come yet or we had nothing. Hard to tell, she is seldom late. I thought he might have got another greeting card in the mail today. Gibbs slept on the stoop while I stretched out in my gravity chair with my book. I finished it by 3 and we came in for my shower and afternoon cuppa.

No mail today.

For those interested, Gibbs’ scratching has pretty much stopped. Thank goodness. I think I saw him once so far today and it was brief. ♥ We planned a quick, easy supper, toasted tomato and cheese sandwiches, as we bought tickets to see an Elvis/Roy Orbison/Johnny Cash impersonator at the Durham Community Centre tonight!  I’m very excited.

Today's meals

We’ve seen Roy LeBlanc before, years ago at a school board/work function and loved his entertainment. An evening of good music is always a treat, especially when you know all the songs! 😊 Bill was home by 5 and after a quick nap, and our meal, we got ready for our evening out. 

I knew it would be a beautiful.sunset tonight
but other than a peek out the doors at a gorgeous red sky,
no pictures unfortunately.

Well, we arrived at 6:20, doors opened at 6:30 and we found good seats facing the stage. The whole evening was a lot of fun. Roy did not disappoint, nor did Joe Passion who portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis exceptionally well. We had a great time!

A drink and a snack.
The food was a nice surprise.

The West Grey Lion’s Club offered a cash bar and a free lunch of chili, buns, beef, ham, cheese and pickles at 9 for hungry guests. We danced a bit but tapped our toes and clapped our hands a lot. What a great birthday present for both of us. We were home just before 10:30 and I went straight to bed.

Our evening entertainment.
Good night!

This was another really good day. Thank you for popping by.

Last Mat Cleaning, Fall Clothing Exchange

The Ridge

On Saturday, Oct. 14^th it was a nice easy wake up. I had to clean the Mat but since I wasn’t meeting Alison (my replacement trainee) until 8, there was no big rush. At 7:30, I left the Ridge. It was a bit warmer this morning, around 6C/45F. There were some clouds and wind so I dressed accordingly. First thing was to fuel up Ptooties, she was down to less than ¼ tank.

Colours are fading but against that lovely sky,
I'm not complaining.

Bill took the mailbox down today.
Our mail will be forwarded starting Monday.

Alison is young so remembered the process from when she filled in for me while I was at Ladyfest so I only had to show her how to clean the big dryer lint. We chatted and after about 20 minutes, she was on her way. Sandy had left my pay in the office for the 8 hours I’d worked this month. This was my last day and I’m feeling quite okay about that. I’ll be back in Monday but only to do our laundry. 😊

These are some bright little mushrooms

I've never seen these growing in our fields before.

Before leaving town, I cashed in Bill’s $10 lottery ticket for another one and scooted home. It was a big cleaning I did, so longer than usual. Bill was down in the field with the chainsaw trimming a couple of the trees that are bothersome around the Hangar and along the fence line. We had an early lunch and I got changed for my afternoon ‘date’. I picked Pat up in town at 12:30 and drove to Joanne’s in Hanover.

The tables were filled to capacity and then some
with clothing of all kinds. Everyone found something.

At some point, we all just had to sit down
and take stock of what was in our bags.....
and then go at the tables again. 💕

Today, she was hosting our Fall Clothing Exchange. It has been a while since I’ve been to one, after picking up the gauntlet from my girlfriends in London 7 years ago. It started with Laurie B’s invite to one and for quite a few years, we had one spring and fall. 😊 Today, we had 12 participants and the amount of good clothing up for grabs was incredible! Everyone brings whatever they want to donate and takes home whatever they want. Free! Lots of fun.

I think I can speak for everyone,
when I say we all had a great afternoon.
I know Pat and I did!

We had a great time and now I’ll have to do my own exchange here at home to make room! 

Bill and Gibbs had a nice afternoon together.
They even got out for a walk to the corner! 💓

Because Joanne had a nice array of snacks for us, I wasn’t hungry for supper so just reheated the stew and apple crisp for Bill’s meal. We had snacks in the evening and called it a day. Bill has plans tomorrow so will probably hit the hay early. 

I had a nice conversation with Gibbs
when I got home, him telling me about his day.

"I missed you Mom"
this looks a bit like stink eye to me. 😂

This was a great day, with mild temps of 12C/54F and a fair bit of sunshine!

A nice evening sky

there are lots of Hallowe'en decorations
around town. 
good night!

Thank you for the visit!

Finally, the Lane’s End, Afternoon Rumbles, 7 months!

The Ridge

On Tuesday, Oct. 12^th I didn’t hear Bill get up but he said he was up and had a shower. I’m unaware if it was before he took Gibbs out or after. I did feel a lug of a puppy flop on my chest and lick my face just before 7. Well, good morning to you too! 😊 I didn’t have to get up to clean today but got up to say goodbye to Bill.

I loved the sky this morning

I felt sad that he had to return to work but he seemed content enough as he headed off at 7:30. I fed Gibbs. Oh! The little bum is 7 months old today so that means his food gets cut back by ¼ cup I think. Anyway, Bill told me the size to give him according to his food bag and that’s what he got. He is certainly getting enough to eat and after seeing the little porker, Pepper, on Sunday, we want to do the right thing to contain his weight. I know one thing for sure; our little cuddle bum is growing up and has made huge improvements.

It just kept getting better

It looked like a nice morning, although quite windy, so I harnessed the birthday boy up and we went for a walk. It has been a long time but he did really well. 😊 As we approached the ‘dogville’ house at the corner, we saw young Ivy outside waiting for the bus. Gibbs slowed down, very timid. She had her mask on and a hat so was unfamiliar to him. Also, he doesn’t forget the barkers. They were in the house but at the upper window with muffled barks.

I asked Ivy if she wanted to pet Gibbs because she had expressed interest another day from a distance. “I love your puppy!” Of course, she said yes. Besides the big dogs, she has 2 goats in a shed out the back of their property. I’d say she’s an animal lover. 😊 Gibbs only approached her once she slipped her mask down and then lay down for a tummy rub. As I left, wishing her a good day at school, she thanked me for letting her pet Gibbs.

Gibbs enjoyed the leaves

Not far down Baptist Church Road, Gibbs met more new people. Rob and Bethany met us in front of M’s house and crossed over to meet/greet him. He was pretty good, wanting attention but jumping which we’re trying to curtail. Rob helped as well by giving the command to stay down/sit before he pet him. We’re getting there but it is a slow process for that and the barking.

They were interested and concerned in whether we’d figured anything out for the winter so were relieved to hear our ‘tentative’ news. They are also experiencing some challenges and gouging as they are moving to New Brunswick on Nov. 1^st. There will be a new pastor coming into their current house. Finding a reasonably priced shipper is not easy for them either. ☹ Over half of a year’s salary is what it will cost to have their belongings out there.  

The top picture had me curious so we walked up
to the fence to see what it was
I'm still not sure but it was interesting for sure

Even renting and driving a UHaul and pulling their small car is exorbitant in cost. Four years ago, when they moved here, it was ¼ of the quoted cost. In this life, we can never think that we are the only ones with difficulties, we all have our share and that evens things out. I wished them luck with their search and Gibbs and I carried on all the way to Turbine Lane. It was a really nice walk and he occasionally veered off into the leaves. I think he liked the sound.

When we got back, I had my tea and read more Willie letters. With the day being as warm as it was (18C/64F) and as warm as it was going to be (21C/70F) I thought I should get out to the front of the property and trim the lilies. We have forecasted rain on and off over the next week so today was the best day. Not wanting to leave Gibbs inside, I took his nylon tether with his leash and ‘we’ pulled my wagon down with the tools I’d need.

Gibbs supervised from a distance
where he couldn't eat the clippings

I never mind the job once I start and moved back and forth between the winter geraniums cutting the lilies off at the base. Grass was persistent in growing up in the geraniums so that was the hardest challenge. I had to keep Gibbs at a distance (learned after the first 10 minutes) as he just wanted to grab every handful of clippings. What a character! He then behaved from a distance, watching Mom. I worked on both sides of the fence and then across the lane trying to get that area trimmed up from the bullrushes/cattails.

It probably took me an hour and a half and I was dragging by the time ‘we’ pulled the overloaded wagon up the lane. I’ll dump it later but I could almost feel rain in the air. That means we finished in good time. I was dragging because I hadn’t eaten anything other than some yogourt so when I got back inside, I warmed up the last half of my breakfast quesadilla with some cheese on the side. Yum.

These dahlias are not done yet
and my Dragonwing begonias are still bright
I wish I'd had bigger pots, they would have been huge

Gibbs was tired out but kept running from one window to the next when the thunder started. He wasn’t afraid of it, he just thought there was something outside that he should be able to see – and control. 😊 The thunder started before the rain and also some very sharp jagged streaks of lightning off in the north sky. I wasn’t surprised when Bill pulled in the lane. They wouldn’t be able to continue laying the metal roof sheeting in the rain and at least they got half a day’s work in.

Bill had received the email from the shipping company we have been conferring with so another step towards ‘revival’! 😊 Just kidding but we are indeed getting somewhere. I finished my book while Bill and Gibbs snoozed and then he got cleaned up to go into town. Time for a new piece of clothing. We had success and after stopping at the post office to re-send a birthday card that needed more postage because of the size (duh!), we arrived home before the heavy rain hit.

The rain continued off and on this afternoon

Today is our future son-in-law’s birthday so now I know his card didn’t arrive on time. I messaged him so he knows that we thought of him ahead of time. ♥ We each had a cup of tea and grumbled at the wet weather as it could put a damper (hahahaha) on tomorrow’s work for Bill. Not much we can do but grumble so we did. “Rain rain go away….”

For supper, I had pulled steak out of the freezer. We wouldn’t be barbecuing so I decided to focus on finding an Instant Pot recipe. With leftover mashed potatoes, dressing and the ‘dreaded’ carrots (figure of speech only) that I brought home from Sunday’s meal, it would be a good supper for a rainy day. And it was!! The steak looked small but once cut up on our plates, they were just the right amount. Everything tasted great, finished off with another piece of cherry pie.

The dish of carrots that got missed on Sunday
and tonight's meal
The steak in Madame IP 
 was perfect!

After dishes, Gibbs ate and he and I went out in the semi-dark. It was only 7 o’clock and with those heavy clouds, it would soon be pitch black outside. It felt mild and by the looks of a couple of the black clouds, we would be getting more rainfall overnight. One cloud in particular looked quite ominous. There were a few puddles up top where we park but that just indicates heavy rain. ☹

Morning wasn't the only interesting sky

The rest of the evening was focused on my blog and watching some of our regular programs. This has been a great day and I’m so glad to finally have that clipping done down at the road. All I have left are digging up the bulbs once my dahlias have stopped flowering. I hope your long weekend was wonderful and that the new week is starting out to be a good one too.

Note: just when we thought we were on the right track, another worry popped up. Well, we have been concerned about our mixed Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for a while, about them being an issue at the border no matter how we go. The CTV news only added to our concern making us feel that we’ve taken 3 steps forward and 2 back. ☹ Our saga continues.

Remember last night's picture?
Sweet memory of Clemson
a long time ago
Good night!

Thank you for your visit. Comments are always welcome.