Croquet On!

The rain started just as I dressed for the dog walk with Eoin, yesterday. It was not coming down hard enough to stop us though. Still, it felt great to come home and get into dry clothes … and to have a whole day ahead of me with absolutely no demands.

As I sat at my computer looking outside, the rain seemed to make everything greener. Looking out, made me enjoy the dryness of my clothes; it felt lovely and cozy to be indoors, warm and completely carefree. But I love the rainy days of Summer; the lawns and flowers get a welcome watering and there’ll be a growth spurt over the next few days.

I read without guilt. Nothing was going undone. I finished Less, a novel that I found to be a thoroughly common (romance) novel. It didn’t strike me as clever at all—not in plot, structure or style. I found things implausible and others to be forced for the comedy. To me, its win insults the many Pulitzer winners I’ve read that are true masterpieces.

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I got an email from Fran. She and Sue emailed on Monday to say that they were coming to a local B&B for a week in mid-June. But they’re not coming after all. So, I mailed “the boys” (Eoin, François and Jay) to see if they want to have a picnic lunch and play Croquet on Friday when it’s predicted to be nice weather. 

I’m very keen to play the game. It gets us outdoors and having fun together in a beautiful park. And I feel safer proposing outdoor parties right now. Doing things with the boys, safely, and resuming dog walks makes life feel normal again.

Today I heard from them all and we’re on! Yay!

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I sat on the deck and watched the Hummingbirds mid-day, yesterday. There is something about them that everyone loves; they’re teeny and brave, talented beyond belief and absolutely gorgeous. I have more of them this year, this Spring, buzzing and dive bombing in the yard, than ever before.

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In the afternoon, I baked cookies and then went to Rollo Park with her Highness. We went late, to avoid other people, but most of the nutbars (plus Gunther) were there and it was fun to see them now that I don’t every day.

And this morning my small dog walking group started up again. It was really good to see everyone. I’m a big fan of Colonel Doug. He’s the nicest guy! And Dianne’s enthusiasm for being back together was infections.

When I got back, I went shopping and now, after I post this, I plan to do some mild gardening and tonight, I’ve to bake a tart for our Croquet lunch.

Endless Weeding

The photograph above is of a little grove of Coralroot Orchids (Corallorhiza Mertensiana) in full bloom. Aren’t they unusual and gorgeous?! I’m stunned by the many forms of beauty in our forest. The scents and sights are incredible, and very soon the Ocean Spray will bloom, and the forest will smell like Jasmine.

Monday was beautiful! And so is my vegetable garden now that all the weeds are mowed or pulled. Everything in it is looking spectacular except for the poor Wisteria that is barely alive and all my Sweet Peas that are not doing well at all.

Once finished with the veggie garden, I moved onto the deforestation of the driveway—that’s to say, I pulled or killed weeds growing up through the gravel. It’s tedious, satisfying work. I do abut an hour of earnest toil, and then I come in for a brief break—largely for back relief. 

It’s work that no one will notice. No one will say: “Oh my! Not a weed in your driveway—not even at the edges where it probably grows thick and deep!” No. No one will notice. But I do. And a realtor will one day.

I’s been putting off weeding the driveway forever. But once I started, it was motivated to keep going by the edges and straight lines of order. I felt mighty fulfilled by the aesthetic results of my work. I kept going through the afternoon until it was time for a trip to the park with Her Highness and then a spa.

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Today’s giving me a feeling that we’ll have rain later. I hope we do, but I’m going on a dog walk with Eoin this morning before it starts. Then I’m coming home to water the garden under the trees; it needs lots of water and the light rain we get is not often enough.

The rest of my day will be spent doing some baking and finishing Less, the2018 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. Who knows why! I thought it was a very plebeian novel. I cannot fathom why it won the award.

Not Much Happens

Yesterday morning, I went to the large Sunday morning dog walk. It was the first one since the onset of the pandemic and it was lovely to be back in touch with all the other dogs and their owners. Regina, of course, was there and she is reviving the small dog walking group that meets three times a week. 

Yesterday afternoon, during bouts of glorious sunshine, I got started on cleaning up the vegetable garden. Its paths, between the raised beds, are thick with weeds. I’m doing edging for the first time in its two-year history and mowing all the pathways. It’s making a huge and positive difference. I’ll continue today because it’s a dawned a really nice day.

Otherwise, I’ve naught to report. Hence no post yesterday. My life is impossibly dull. Every day seems just about the same as the one before. 

But I did get some good news yesterday: My friends Fran and Sue, who visit each Spring, are coming to Gabriola. They always get a B&B here and we have a few visits together. I’m very happy they’re coming. It’ll be very nice to see long-time theatre friends. And John and Bunny have proposed meeting in Nanaimo for a day together sometime soon. 

That’s it.