Monday, July 3, 2023

Who Turned the Heat On?

The Ridge

On Monday, July 3rd, it was a government holiday for many Canadians and others who did not close on Saturday, July 1st  or who do not work weekends. Working for the school board, Bill and I always looked so forward to the long weekend as we always got the Monday off regardless of what day Canada Day fell on. We woke up today late, like at 6:45! Even Gibbs hadn’t been out but that credit goes to a late evening for all of us.

First picture is of our security Dog
I'm cutting grass on the left of the fence
Bill is in his Hangar on the right
Gibbs has perfect view of both of us 💘

Last night, I watched Rizolli and Isles and when Bill came up, we continued watching until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I think you can tell that I (we) am enjoying the whole streaming thing even if the shows are not new right now. We didn’t have to be anywhere at all today so just did our own thing. My first thing was to cut the outside corral hill grass that Bill wasn’t able to finish on Thursday.

I was in the Bunky
Bill was at the storage shed
Gibbs in the middle

It was mostly tall weeds that lay down when the mower touches them but I got it done early until the battery began to die. It looks 100% better! Even at 8:30, it was starting to heat up out there. That half hour finished me for the day – almost! 😊 Bill is working on his own project, I keep calling them that, but that’s only because it is stuff that he does without any ‘real’ help from me. The occasional “dear, can you come help with something?” He will write about this one day.

Looks like fun, EH?


I'm enjoying this one too.
Haven't met too many puzzle I don't love. 😆

I put the old puzzle away and began a new 1000-pc one. It took me forever to get the pieces all out on my small round tables and flipping them over. Getting the border done was pretty easy once I moved the pieces out of the way to get the perimeter to fit. This one is of various looking front doors and their doorknobs. It’s another nice one from cousin Joan. Gibbs wanted to be out as well, so, for the morning, at least, he found shaded spots close to both or either of us.


The perfect spot
Half sun half shade
Gibbs wasn't overjoyed but I'm sure it cooled him

After lunch, for which we just had a sandwich, we kept Gibbs inside where it was cooler for him. When I was ready to stop puzzling for a while, I got our little pool out so Gibbs and I could get our feet wet. He wasn’t keen but I’m sure it cooled him down when I set him in it. 😊 He just wanted to drink it! LOL Bill joined me before supper and then dumped our black tank. It took two half loads, easier to pull across the lot that way. Our mower is out of commission so it’s a hand job today.

He slept on the pillows for
quite a while and I read my book
beside him
He could see down to the Hangar, fyi

We had our favourite burgers for supper with a Chapman’s ice cream bar for dessert. I’d stripped the bed this morning so Bill helped me make the bed and we closed things up in the bedroom and turned the a/c on up there. We’ll turn it off before we go to bed, it’s too noisy for Bill. 😊 He went to the hangar, I wrote my blog and Gibbs slept on the floor.

Who feels like eating much on these hot days?
Not us!

We noticed things happening next door, to the east, and darned if the people who have only been there for a year + haven’t put their house up for sale! Bill saw a drone taking pictures, and I heard the stake being pounded in to the ground. It was confirmed when Gibbs and I walked down to bring the recycle bins up.  What a turnaround this little neighbourhood is having!

I filled the feeders today
and it took until now for the Grackles to notice.
I wish they hadn't. I moved both finch feeders to
the other crook with the hummer food.

This has been a very hot day and there are more on the horizon. We reached a balmy/muggy 29C/83F with the humidex higher than that and dropping to a warm low tonight of only 16C/60F. I know it is a lot hotter in Arizona but that’s why we’re here and they’re there. 😊 Sorry friends! Turn that a/c on! Tonight, I plan on watching a few more episodes of R & I OR a few more chapters in the book I started. This one is called Room on Rue Amelie by Kristen Harmel and it is starting out quite good.

I can't see it too clearly but yes,
that is definitely a For Sale sign.
Good night!

Thank you for the visit.

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Not Fond of Doing This But Here is a Two Day Wrap Up

The Ridge

Saturday, July 1st began and ended busy. I’m not complaining about any of it because we plan it, look forward to it and enjoy every minute. There was even a lovely surprise (kind of) visit in the middle of the day. So, Bill was up early and with his coffee in to-go mugs, left for a morning of flying. I was up soon after and began preparing.

Good morning Canada!

Love the red and white

Tradition calls for Bill’s two sisters and their husbands to come for a barbecue dinner this afternoon. It is our way of celebrating Canada Day as well as each other’s company. We don’t see them often enough so these days are really special. I’ve been in ‘his’ family picture for over 26 years and his sisters are like my own, growing closer every year. ♥

A picture of the puzzle finished yesterday

Bill leaves the meal prep up to me and he just barbecues what I tell him, although we tend to confer about what can we have different than previous years. This year we bought chicken/pineapple and beef/bacon kabobs from M & M’s, I made a potato and bean salad with pineapple cheesecake for dessert. When that was all made, I neatened things up outside, opened the patio umbrellas, swept the mats and straightened and put the cushions out on the lawn furniture.

My camping son, after my own heart.
Patrick, the woodsman. 💕

Bill was home from flying shortly after 12 and he had a few things of his own to look after outside. I’d heard from my son yesterday that he would likely be popping in for a short visit as he was driving through this way to go pick up a canoe from Gayle and John. I haven’t seen him in a long time so this was a nice surprise! 😊 I offered him a sandwich, not much I know but he was quite happy with that. We weren’t eating big at noon with the afternoon ‘festivities’.

Always nice to get visits
from the kids
They don't happen often enough. ♥

Patrick arrived just after 12:30 and we had a nice visit catching up on his life which is in a bit of turmoil right now. He’s a strong young man and is faring very well and we offer full support to his choices with a bit of advice thrown in. Bill needed to shower so said goodbye to him and soon after, Patrick left. I didn’t know at the time, but he drove to the Acreage to say hello to another aunt and uncle-in-law. I thought that was very nice of him.

Bill, Carol, Brian and Gracie

Liz, Bruce and Gibbs

Gracie is on security detail today

So Gibbs gets attention from her Daddy

Our company arrived between 2:30 and 3. Liz, Bruce, Carol and Brian with, of course, Gibbs’ little friend, Gracie. They touched noses in a greeting and got along very well all day. They are about the same size, Gracie being a miniature Wheaten Terrier and is just a few months younger than Gibbs. So cute with her new haircut. 

All ready to go inside

Tables set for diners

The kabobs are almost done


We sat outside in the shade until after supper, which we opted to eat in the cool of the Suite, with the a/c running. That was planned well, it got quite humid outdoors.








Our meal turned out pretty good

The pups behaved pretty good
during supper
Now you see the Wheaton Terrier
from the front. ♥












Carol and Brian's Electric Subaru


Liz and Bruce's Chrysler Sebring convertible















After they left, by 7, Bill suggested we go see Donna and Gerry for a quick visit at the Acreage. It was a surprise to see Gayle and John there and we visited as long as we could before the darn ‘skitters’ were eating us up! They are really bad this year. 

A quick visit at the Acreage
Bill, Gayle, Gerry

John and Donna

I was exhausted and when Bill went to the Hangar for a bit, I watched the last two episodes of Fire Country so now I’m caught up too. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open when I went up to bed. Bill came up at the same time, kapooped.

Not clear at all but a deer watching
our approach up ahead


A gorgeous sunset as we drove home.
Good night!

What a great day that was, although the timing was off when Carol left so I didn’t get a family photo this year. Never-the-less, Happy Canada Day! ♥

Ignore the glare of our interior lights please.
Happy Canada Day!

Sunday, July 2nd started at a slower pace although I was still up by 7 and sorted the dirty clothes. We had an incident at last night’s supper when Bill’s wine glass tipped and he was doused in red wine. Crap! However, my diligence with hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dish soap removed it completely. Phew, they were good clothes so it was important. 😊

As I left for the Mat, I remembered
to get a picture of my third Moonflower bloom

They're too pretty to only last for one day
Maybe that's the beauty of them.♥

The sky this morning was cloudy and would remain as such for the bulk of the day so I decided early to dry the clothes at the Mat. Bill left for the field, in the hopes the rain would hold off. Dollar Store Dave was just finishing up at the laundromat so I was alone to clean and do our laundry peacefully. I played my online games while waiting. On the way home, I stopped to visit Robin and her garage sale. Wow, she has so much stuff and most of it, good stuff.

I was happy to see Robin got her red
maple tree planted!
No more falling over!

She hasn’t paid me for overseeing and watering her plants so when I found a couple of pair of good/new loafers and a clock for the Bunky, she waved me off and said she’d take it off my ‘pay’. 😊 I'll get pictures tomorrow, if I remember. We had a great conversation as I wandered around for about 45 minutes! I really like her and I think it’s mutual. We click and get a lot of laughs in the process. Back home, Bill was offloading water from the Acreage and then we had lunch.


My wildflower gardens in the
corral











My niece had asked if Bill could take some pictures of their new property for them so after a quick catnap, he drove to meet them around 1:30. I felt worn out so didn’t do ANYTHING else! Gibbs and I did manage a nice walk to the corner where we picked some daisies for my vase and then we crashed in my chair again. Bill was home by 3 or so and I made a tea and the two of them went upstairs to watch a movie and snooze.

There are lots of daisies for picking
so on our walk, we picked!

I was able to finish my Joint Custody book and thoroughly enjoyed the humour, such a change from my serious mystery stories. For supper, we just had leftovers. Kabobs, potato and bean salad and the last of the cheesecake. We tried a glass of wine each, I obviously bought more than we needed for yesterday, but neither of us cared much for it. We may have to dump it before this week is out. Wine is not our favourite drink by any means and we have slowed down considerably on alcohol altogether. At meal times, just doesn't feel right for us.

Leftover supper and it was
good the second time around too.

We’ve had a great couple of days here. Today felt muggy but with no sun, it was bearable with the breeze coming in through the Suite. I wouldn’t want to be working in it but 26C/79F was a pretty nice day. I hope you all enjoyed your Canada Day and to our American friends, your celebration is just around the corner, so enjoy!

An extra bonus for me.
I never got to meet Bill's mom before she passed in
1986 (?) but Carol had some of her jewellery left
after the sisters chose what they wanted. I got to
also pick some things before they were donated.
I love these brooches and feel blessed to have some
of her pieces. 💗

Good night!

Thank you for coming around! Comments are always welcome and appreciated.