Sunday was a very slow day and a day of very dull and uninspiring weather. We only took one walk, and I had a long nap and spent the rest of the time looking at my old scrapbooks and the evening was spent in front of the TV. Just another fabulously interesting day at Pinecone Park, eh?!
Today will be more of the same, but tomorrow will be an interesting day. Finally … finally, I see my ophthalmologist and get to find out what’s going on with my eye.
Jacob Lusk blew me away with his performance of Bennie and the Jets, at the ceremony for Elton John’s and Bernie Taupin’s Gershwin Award. Here is a genius performer!
•
Saturday began at 7:30 am, when Stacy and Bryce arrived with their dogs, Otis and Sadie, to walk with Sheba and me. It was a cloudy morning, but warm and a gazillion insects were buzzing all around us as we walked. That was nasty and not something I’ve ever noticed before.
It was a great walk, and once home, I puttered around the house until lunch time. I fed the brood and then started working outside because it had become sunny and toasty warm—20° at noon. I used my girlie chain saw to reduce two huge fallen branches to burnable pieces, visited the worksite next door, and then Ron came to pick up Her Highness to take her for a walk.
I kept at the gardening until they returned, and then H.H. and I went to Eoin and François’ place to fetch another load of rocks for the new garden. Once home, I unloaded the rocks and placed them around the new bed. It was wonderfully satisfying to bring order to the new bed around the massive ferns that came with this place. The entrance to my backyard is much more appealing now!
Then it was time for a spa. And oh, how lovely it was to slip into the warm water while feeling the slight breeze of fragrant forest air on my face—and the view of Andrew working on the roof next door. It was great way to end a workday of reasonable accomplishment in the gardens.
In the evening, I did my usual walkabout. I love the new bed and its rocks.
I’ve moved into the details phase of my gardens. As the plants mature and expand, the gardens are looking good, so now I am turning to details. The details really make the gardens shine. Once I get clearance to work from my eye doctor, I’ll be turning my attention to chain sawing the big branches surrounding the chucked wood I want to have split by Joe. Plus, I must buy and stack a few cords.
I’m glad that I’m feeling proud of my garden. And I feel better about not using the studio I had rebuilt from a ruined building. The yard and shed are my studio. Creativity has been a strong force in me. I started putting on plays in our garage when I was 5. Creativity is in my blood. What a miracle. My attachment to the arts was also my field of work.
I’ve always been ashamed that I was never research oriented. I wasn’t really interested in what other people did. I wanted to do things my way and learn as I went. I was born this way, and that’s why I didn’t do a master’s degree, and never read manuals, and wing vacations, etcetera. Born this way.
I don’t feel ashamed anymore. I just love jumping in and doing things. Just think: I got a contract to design and build a small theatre for the Arts Council of North Vancouver. My project was to renovate a very large empty space attached to the civic art gallery and museum. Me, with my English degree. It took me just over a year to get it open.
I had no right to, but I had absolute faith in my capacity to do it. And I did it. And my dresses. No research. Instead, I wrote up a fake history and provenance of the 13 dresses I made. They were life size, and mostly made of paper. Everything entirely from my imagination. I love spending every second spent on a project, doing things, not researching how to do things. Born this way.
I know, I could change. Maybe I’m lazy, maybe I’m a egoist, or maybe I’m addicted to an endorphin rush from being creative. Probably 90% of my lifetime income (not including real estate profits) was from technical writing, and most contracts required research. I could do it for others, but I liked doing my self-determined projects my way.
I think the best thing about my passion for the arts, is the people I’ve met along the way. I met Dwight in a show we did together. And three important friends, Bruce. Leslie and Beth. I’m glad my life rolled out the way it did. I have always deeply loved the arts.
The second-best part was I loving every day of my work, and there were many wonderfully fulfilling days. The best one, I reckon, was the day I found out that a play that I co-wrote, stage managed, and produced had printed a magnificent rave review in the Show Out of Town column of Variety in New York. I was about 30 years old then.
This garden of mine at Pinecone Park is likely my last creative project.
And here's Billy Porter's fabulous performance of The Bitch is Back at the same Gershwin Award ceremony for Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Yesterday began with a shock. I started up my computer and it was very slow to open, so the ensuing hour and a half was spent researching how to improve function on a slow Mac, and then doing things that were recommended. One thing I did, was empty my cache, and then I shut down the computer and then restarted it.
Emptying the cache seemed to make a huge difference. My computer was running much quicker afterwards, but when I went to make my morning post on my blog, I couldn’t access it, so it took me another half-hour to figure out how to get into it. One thing after another challenged me, but eventually I got in.
Soon afterwards, it was time for Her Highness and I to join our friends for a forest walk with dogs. And then we raced home to greet a man named Peter who’d advertised on Thursday for a second-hand lawn mower on Facebook. I jumped at the opportunity to sell mine as I no longer need it now that my lawns have gone native. Once he’d gone, I left Sheba at home and went into the village to meet Jay for lunch.
It was great to see Jay. He’s soon to be listing his house, but first, he’s going on a cruise to Alaska. Jay travels a lot. After lunch: yard work. It was lovely and warm, so I cleaned up one side of the entrance to the backyard. When you enter my yard, you can’t see my yard and gardens, so it’s always when they get to the end of the path and turn that they see Pinecone Park. Then I always get a compliment. Now, there’s a garden forming where once there were only ferns. And now, when you come through the back gate, you’re surrounded in plantings.
But I need rocks. I’ve recently taken two loads from François and Eoin’s place. They invited my ask when I mentioned being on the search for rocks. I wrote very hesitatingly yesterday, with a third request, and Eoin wrote back immediately to say yes. I feel blessed and love those two guys. I’m going to their place today to pick up the load.
It clouded over in the evening. It may rain today or tomorrow. I hope it does I put off watering some beds yesterday, hoping for rain. It’ll be good for the island, and I’ll have time to finish my book.
I went next door a couple of times to watch Andrew and Dave and see the progress. The plywood layer on the rafters is now 1/3 done, and all the joinery between the roof and the walls is done. All the pieces of the kit are numbered, making it easier for them to put all the bits together. The plan is to complete the roof and to install the interior walls inside with Andrew, and then Dave will carry on alone.
I’m going to offer to make him lunch 2-3 times a week, so he can rest during his lunch instead of making a meal and remaining on his feet. Plus, we always laugh when we’re together, so we can give his mind a rest too. There’s about 3 days of work left until lock up (minus the windows). They’re moving at an amazing pace and doing a fabulous job.
Pete and Ali came by for a walkabout and a chat on the deck—yes, a chat on the deck! And then we all went over to Dave’s so they could see Dave’s progress and swoon over the space.
•
The Food Truck opens May 10th. I live mid island, more or less; the food truck opens in a corner of a large grassy field, They’re open every day in the Summer, or almost every day, and on Sundays the park also hosts a fair for artisans and other food booths. And there’s still enough room for a large area hosting a dozen picnic tables or more. And there’s live music. All this, every Sunday so that’s when I go to watch everyone having a good time. Once, a friend from sailing school whom I’ve always really liked was there. She’s come on a private boat docked nearby.
What I like about doing this is being with people but not needing to talk. Sharon, the owner of the truck (and our local Woodfire Restaurant, the best place to eat on the island), she knows me and about me, and I love eating at a picnic table while silently listening and looking.
•
Today has dawned overcast. There may be showers. I hope there are, and I hope we get real rain as is predicted. But come Tuesday, sunny and very warm days are expected. Next week we expect to get temperatures in the mid-to-high twenties! Woo hoo!
I think the men may work on the yurt roof. I hope they do because I love watching their progress and learning about how homes are built. I’ll also likely finish my book and, of course, I get to pick up the rocks from Eoin and François. I’m looking forward to putting them in place and seeing my new bed look finished.
 |
| Martian landscape from the Perseverance Rover |
Thursday was nice slow day. What a surprise, eh? Usually so many interesting things fill me life. Not! But I love days when it’s 19° and brilliant and sunny.
After a short walk with Her Highness, I hosted our STAMMA support group session because our regular leader, Tracy, was busy with preparations for her daughter’s wedding this weekend. It was a terrific session; it was much more practical and meaningful session than we’ve had on many, many months. It was all due to Betsy.
When the session was over, I did some garden work before going over to Dave and Ursula’s to see the progress on the roof rafters, and it was amazing how quickly the two of them worked. Andrew is the lead builder; Dave is the sous travailleur. While I was admiring their work, Andrew, the handsomest, sexiest man alive, asked for a galette.
I came home to feed the brood and have lunch, and then Ron came to walk Her Highness. While they were gone, I went into the village to fetch supplies to make the galette, and once Sheba was back, I started baking. When I delivered the baked tart to them, they were thrilled, and so was I. I’m so glad to have such a warm and welcome relationship with such wonderful neighbours.
I have a very busy morning on this stunning day, but the afternoon and evening will be relaxing. We’re walking with our friends, then a fellow is coming to buy my no longer necessary lawn mower, and then I’m meeting Jay for lunch.
This is the yurt in progress. All those roof trusses went up in one day.
tuesday
Tuesday began with a frenzy of cleaning—both the house and yours truly who’d not shaved or cut his hair for too long. It always is a good day when I am inspired to bring Pinecone Park Lodge into pristine condition, and by the time I’d finished and was ready to walk Her Highness, the sun had come out. Oh, that felt good!
We had a lovely walk and then we went into the village where I had to pick up some of my prescriptions. Once home, I claimed the chaise to read, and Her Highness did some napping in the sunshine. After lunch, Ron came by to pick up Sheba and take her for a long walk through the trails at the end of our street. She hates leaving but loves her walks with Ron once underway, and we both love being reunited when she comes home.
While they were gone, I did a little yard work before returning to the chaise. It was still to cool for me to spend the day outdoors. My hands and ears hurt when they get cold, and it’s just so absolutely wonderful to be warm indoors and comfortable on the chaise with my book.
For decades, I read only non-fiction, then I did a complete one-eighty. Now, with a penchant for escape from a world gone mad, I adore fiction. I love the escapist nature of fictional stories so much now. I gleefully slip into the author’s world.
When I needed to move, I got busy prepping the veggies for dinner. I love making huge volumes of stir fry and having it for dinner over several evenings. And then I had a late afternoon nap that refreshed me and set me up for a lovely evening with my beloved pets, all of us warmed by a fire. I love being retired and so comfortably settled in at Pinecone Park.
On my walkabout last night, I did some weeding. I can’t get over how wonderful it is now to walk about in the yard. I look at every bit of each garden. In the past, my walkabouts have served as part of my planning. Walks were about choosing where next to put plants, and/or what most needs doing in the yard. Now, my walks are exclusively for pleasure because my gardens all look great to me.
I just need to attend to weeding, but that is what I was hoping gardener Bronwyn would do while I did the chopping and clearing. But no, she has not replied to my email. She’s very knowledgeable, a hard worker, a gloriously lovely soul who’s a total flake. I’m writing her again today.
wednesday
Wednesday began with a dog walk with our friends. It was a day like every other of late; it was another hum drum day. But I made it more interesting in the afternoon by visiting Dave’s build and dropping in on Ali and Peter.
Dave and Andrew have a big day today. They are beginning work on the roof of the yurt and so yesterday was a day of preparation for today’s big project. Plus, Andrew had his dog with him yesterday and I couldn’t resist soe cuddling time with the cutest little Welsh Terrier you could ever meet.
I went to Ali and Peter’s because they filled in their pond and planted it and I wanted to see their work. I also wanted to see if their Paulownia had buds, and it did, so I suggested breaking off many of the buds to force the growth they want. It was a lovely way to bring some life to the day, visiting these friends, so I wrote to Jay and we are going to have lunch together tomorrow.
•
Oh, the irony! A United Nations court permits Germany to send weapons to Israel in spite of Nicaragua’s concern that doing so will lead to genocide. I never thought marijuana would be legal, I never thought there would be gay marriage, I never thought I’d know who my parents were (thanks to Leslie, I know who both are and met one), and I never thought I’d hear the day when Germany was selling arms to Israel.
•
I can hardly wait for another series of days with sunshine and warmer temperatures. I have a project in mind that I want to do, but first I must chainsaw a lot more of the branches in the forest behind my house—it’s my land, but untouched. I’m clearing out all the fallen branches, sawing the largest ones into pieces to burn next Winter. Plus, I may borrow Kevin’s wedges and try breaking up some of the smaller bucked rounds of fallen Douglas Fir.
Once that’s done, I’m planning to tackle the last vestige of natural bush (Salal) in the yard. It really suffered from this past Winter freeze. I want to clear it all out, and then let it grow back so that it will be healthy looking and lush natural bush.
