New Tires

I could not post photos on my blog yesterday. This is the second time, and now the work-around that I found after the first time doesn't work anymore. I suspect Blogger has blocked users from posting images from Tumbler, which is where I find almost all my images. I tried and tired to post my photos yesterday until, by some miracle, I tried re-titling them all, removing the word ‘Tumbler’ from each one. Et voila!

So … anyway … yesterday. It was a fine, fine day, but I did not sleep well on Wednesday night, so I had lots of time to think while I tossed and turned, and I decided to go to Cedar yesterday to get the new tires. I wanted to be there bright and early so that I could get back home for much of the day.

We caught the 7:05 ferry. It was not busy, and the drive to Cedar was gorgeous on quiet empty roads. Cedar Tire is kitty-corner to Mahle House, my favourite restaurant in this neck of the woods. My car was up on the hoist at 8:05 and finished at 8:40. Sheba and I went for a walk while we waited, and then we drove back to Nanaimo, and I did some shopping at Thrifty Foods, but the sushi wasn’t ready yet. Sigh. The off to catch the ferry.

We were back on Gabriola by 10:00. I was thrilled and amazed to be home so early. I lit a fire because the house was cold, in spite of the blazing sunlight outside. It was toasty warm in the sun, but there was a cold wind blowing. It was cold in the shade. 

I didn’t water yesterday, but I could have. Sole floral friends were looking faint. But I wanted to chill all day because of all the work with Pete, socializing on Wednesday night, and then going to Cedar. April 2026 is a day of note for me. It marks ten years to the day since I awoke one morning unable to speak or control my violent movements. What a story I am still living. And I’m still learning about how my broken brain works, and how to manage myself so as to not have symptoms overtaking me.

All the watering this Summer, all the yard work and medical appointments, and all the fucking hobbling because of fucking Achillies tendonitis. Yesterday afternoon, I wanted to have some fun before Summer ends on Monday. So, Sheba and I went next door after we had lunch, and we had a nice visit with Dave, and then we went to Drumbeg to walk the beach and the trails on a stunningly beautiful day.

When I got home, I bought some white clover seed. Dave has gorgeous clover growing all around his house and it stayed green all Summer, and he never watered it once. I’d love to have a lovely green blanket like his in the backyard. So, I bought ten pounds of seed. And then, I got into the spa. It was fabulous to be so indulgent after such a demanding Summer of chores.

I’m longing for rain for two reasons. I want to stop having to water the garden beds all the time (two hours a day), and I want to stop walking and standing because rest is a vital part of healing my tendon. Rain will keep me indoors.

One thing that has surprised me is that I am liking having my iPhone. I never wanted a cell phone, but I’m really enjoying having one. Yesterday, I downloaded Merlin, an app that identifies birds by their call. I’m so excited to use it. I’ve often heard birds and wondered what kind of bird was making the sounds, so now I’ll be able know.

I’ll water today, and then it’s predicted to rain on Sunday. If it does rain, it will be the fourth day of rain since early May. I’m still watering as if it were high Summer. Normally by now, I’d stop having to water every day by mid-August. Sometimes we get ‘Indian’ Summer—a stretch of lovely sunny and mild weather in late September or early October., and rain would start more regularly in late August. 

The memories of a 77-year-old man. A man who, ahem, has lost ten pounds in just under three weeks. I am pretty good at dieting. I’ve ten more to go.