Day One with Steve

My poor dear Sheba is in rough shape. She is suffering pain in her feet so I have upped her dosage of prednisone. She’s also dealing with diarrhea, so I collected a sample from her to take to the vet’s when Steve and I (with her) go to Nanaimo and then to Cedar for dinner at Mahle House, our favourite place to eat over here.

I was up early, of course, and I focused on watering all the garden beds so that Steve and I could enjoy our day together without me worrying about plants expiring in the heat. Showers are predicted for Thursday, but I doubt that is going to happen. It may happen on Saturday. I’m longing for a break from all the watering.

We walked Sheba and I got a stool sample, and I got an appointment at the new vets at 15:00, so we’ll be going there on our way to Mahle House where we’re having dinner. I love the restaurant, but I hate leaving Sheba alone for so long in the car. She’s still feeling irritation in her feet, so I must up the prednisone even more. Sigh.

We went into Giro because Steve loves going to second hand stores, and then we came home to chill before getting into the ferry lineup to go to Nanaimo. We had no trouble getting on the ferry, and when we arrived on the big island, we went directly to the sushi bar, got some food, and went to Bowen Park to eat in the shade and to give Sheba a walk.

Then we went to a specialty food store to get some supplies for a soup Steve is making to take to Eoin and François’ place on Saturday where we are going for dinner. Then, to the vet’s where we were given advice on changing Sheba’s diet, some medicine and probiotics, and now we await the results of lab testing of the stool sample we left.

Then we went to Mahle House which is always a wonderful experience. But poor Sheba was left in the car. Even though we parked in the shade and left the windows open, it was hot for her. And when I walked her, I noticed a lot of blood in her stool. That was new and I am phoning the vet’s this morning to report it.

We made the 19:30 ferry and so we were home by 20:00, and I pretty much went directly to bed to toss and turn. I had the ceiling fan on, and I went to bed uncovered, but I had a dreadful night of it. I do not like heat!

According to the weather forecast, it will be slightly cooler today and tomorrow, and then it may rain on Saturday and after than be back to temperatures in the low twenties. Hurrah!

Yesterday was a three-seizure day. Sadly, it's what happens when I have company. The worst was having one while we were seated at Mahle House.

Steve is in the House

I was, of course, up early. I’ve often told people that I’ve never in my life been awakened by a clock alarm. I have never needed one because I’ve always been an early riser, but now I’m awakened every morning by Fred jumping up onto the bed and howling his good mornings. 

I awoke prepared for a day of anticipation—a low demand day ending with a big bang. I had little on my agenda. I had to water, of course, especially after so hot an afternoon on Monday. And I had to make up Steve’s bed and do a little shopping. I was, of course, looking forward to his visit, but I was also a little worried about seizures. Last summer I had the worse seizure I’ve ever had when he was here.

It’s not about him. Company always causes me to seize. But he’s a very high energy fellow and that’s tough on my broken brain. However, plans were in place to make things easier on me this year. We went to the Surf for dinner last night, and tonight we go to Mahle House, Thursday we go to Burrow Rosa, Friday we get a pizza and Saturday we are going to Eoin and François’ place for dinner. I’m not cooking, and we’re not hosting anyone, so all should go well.

We went for a good morning walk while it was cool. When we got home, Her Highness kept me company while I increased the size of the anti-deer fence surrounding the front yard Apple tree. I’ve been wanting to do it for ages. Now it is done and it looks and works much better. Then it was time to water until it was lunchtime.

Then, back to watering, and then some vacuuming and cleaning of the cattery, making up Steve’s bed, and finally some shopping in the village. On the way home, we went for a short walk at Rollo Park and all I wanted was an ice bath. It was stinkin’ hot and humid. By then I’d done almost 9,700 steps and I was beat and my back was aching, but I was almost done all my chores.

I had to water the front bed, all the vines and raised beds in the edible garden, and all the fruit and decorative trees. And then, I stopped. We left here early so that I could walk Her Highness a little bit in the park area where near the dock where the float plane lands. Again, it was a short one. It was too hot for anything else. Finally, all my chores were done. Steve and I headed home.  

Her Highness was fed and I was sure that she’d be fine with sleeping while Steve and I went to the Surf for dinner. It was a beautiful night to be seaside in a restaurant I love and that I first ate in when I was about eight years old. Going out was a relaxing way to begin our holiday together.

The restaurant was absolutely packed. There was a pianist doing a pay-what-you-can performance that a lot of people wanted to hear. We were able to get a table with an umbrella on the lawn. The server was sorry that we’d not be able to hear the music, but we told her we were fine with that.

It was wonderful being warm and sitting outdoors right beside the sea having a dinner that we didn’t have to prepare, and no dishes. Service was slow because of the enormous amount of people there, but we were fine with that because it was so lovely just being there.

As we were finishing, a woman with a dog came near us asking people who likes dogs, so I raised my hand. She asked us to care for her dog while she went inside to see about getting served. She wound up sitting with us and it was just weird. She kept telling us how nice we were, and she took my contact information, but I have no desire at all to get to know her. I was happy when we departed. She was nice and very friendly, but I was very glad to be on my way home to Sheba.

Below are the rest of the photos that I took on my Monday night walkabout. I posted most of them yesterday. These are the last of them.

This is a patio that was once a fire pit. Oh, the clean up was awfujl, 
but now we eat there surrounded by plants.

One of my favourite Hydrageas. 

This Hydrangea is wonderfully fragrant and fills the yard 
with its sweet, sweet fragrance.

This is THE most gorgeous blue for a flower. I love this Hydrangea.

Campions are weeds here, but I love their colour and encourage
their growth. I have a small patch of them in the fruit tree area.

The brown ground is painfull to see. The chair is where I sometimes sit in
the mornings to catsh warm sunshine and warm up.

The friuit tree area is really looking good. I have a bench there now where
I can sit and water. I love my new little fountain bitd bath too.

The Butterbur is still a majoy attraction.

The entrance to my studio is lush now thanks to all the plantings in the
courtyard and on the trellis.

This magnificent Ocean Spray is wonderfully fragrant and it blocks ,y
view of David and Ursula's yard and I'm happy for that.

The backyard from my deck.

A favourite Fuchsia.

Another Fuchsia is about to burst into bloom.

Steve Arrives Today

I was a busy beaver all day yesterday. 

It was a beautiful sunny and warm day, but I love that there were some clouds giving us temporary breaks from the hot sun. I raked and toted, I picked up Sheba souvenirs, I used the leaf blower to tidy up the front sidewalk and the courtyard, and I watered all the beds.

We walked early without our friends yesterday morning so that I had more time to work on the yard. I wanted it to look as nice as possible for Steve’s visit. (Steve is my ex.) My work made a huge difference. To get all the cones off the ground in the yard made the place look much tidier. And time flies when I am busy.

I cleaned up the entire yard, and I watered everything very thoroughly. I cleaned the chairs and table where we may want to eat together, I moved my new drinking fountain that has a tiny solar fuelled fountain, and I put rocks in it so that now the fountain stays in one place. It floats and moves around without my intervention, and that scares the birds.

I began working at 9:00 and only took five minutes for lunch, so I didn’t take a real break until 14:00. I was sweating, panting and thoroughly exhausted. I was a wreck, but it felt very, very good to come into the coolness of our wonderful home, and I felt instantly better. Once refreshed by the cool air and a cold drink, had a spa while it was in the shade, and then Her Highness and I went for our afternoon on a short trail in the 707 Park.

When we got home, I to chilled watching videos on YouTube. I’d done all I’d planned on doing, so I felt okay about abandoning garden and yard work and having a spa before dinner. Last night, when I took my walkabout last night at 19:00. it was 31°. I was wearing a sweatshirt hoodie because when I am inside, inside, I don’t feel warm enough in just a t-shirt because it’s so cool. When I went outside, I was hit by a wall of heat.

Right now, it looks like a desert garden because nothing lives on the ground right now except in my garden beds. Moss lives on the ground in the shadows that lie fallow because it gets little light down there due to the Douglas Firs. But there’s lots of colour in the garden right now thanks to the hydrangeas and the crocosmia. 

Below are phots I shot last night during my walkabout. Sadly, they don’t reflect my experience of the garden. Every plant, each location, they all represent decisions. The rocks are back pain made manifest. My yard is my hobby. It keeps me active all day most days. I love this place. I love semi-rural life. I love living in an island. I see my babies in these images. 

This is a healing garden. There was nothing here. The landscape had been disrespected. A lot of machinery and rotten wood and scrap metal, and years of weed and cones had to be removed, and soil brought it. I had to pay $7,000 to build a fence to keep deer out of the yard. And then, I started.

I came here eighteen months after my breakdown. I came to reduce stimulation, hoping to lessen the severity of my symptoms. The garden gave me something to do, so it truly is a healing garden because I have always had plants. It may seem odd, but the thought that comes to mind is that loving plants is logical if you love animals. That makes no sense, I know, but I feel that ‘of course’ I love plants because I love animals. I love life and nature is life.

The birds get thirsty at sundown. As I write this at 20:00, the fountain is a bird magnet—until the neighbourhood Barred owl or a Falcon comes along. I often know a predator is around when there are no birds at all in at dawn or dusk.

Steve arrives today at 17:30. I’ll be watering, cleaning, walking with Her Highness and doing some chillin’ today in advance of his arrival. He’s here until Sunday. This is the shortest visit since I moved here, but it’s okay. I’m profoundly grateful he comes each year. 

This Hydrangea has HUGE blossoms.

This is the bed beside the courtyard. The path leads to a gate in 
the fence that leads out to land that I own. It's where I put all my
forest fall and other organic garden waste.

This is the wall that gets the light of the setting sun.
the Virginia Creeper covering a log wall. I love it.

I have very few plumbs. I planted this plum tree in the Spring of 2025.
Next year there should be a decent harvest based on my eperiencce
with my apples.

I have four apple trees. All of them are fruiting
but only one in abundance. It gets the most sun. 

Just under four meters of herbs.

The first colour on tomatoes this season. I have
three plants. I love fresh tomatoes!

A modest crop this year, but I'm glad of that. Picking,
de=stemming and de-flowering takes a lot of work.
Flowers are residual dried leaves on the flare end
of the berry.

These are the wild strawberries I took out of my 
lawn and put into a gutter attached to the deer
fencied. Each one has taken. They are rooting.
I hopeto get some wild strawberries next year.

This is a side view of the other gutter with strawberry plants
I grew through Spring from runners of some strawberry plants
I'd had for years. They all took as well, and some have fruited.

The strawberries.

This bed is on your right when you come into the backyard through
the swing wooden gate. The blue plants are hardy perennial 
Geraniums that spread like a weed and are beautirul.

This is where you step up onto the deck. The brown, on the right
behind the chairs is the spa. If you open those open those doors, 
BUT YOU DON'T BECAUSE OF THE CATS, you find my desk.

The fountain brings lovely sound, a great many birds, and
beesw Theay hear the water and its very dry right now.

My Day

I was out at 6:30 watering all the garden beds. I’d had a spa under cloudy skies before I got started, but as I watered, the sky opened up to blue sky with gorgeous big white fluffy clouds. I was happy to have sunshine for our trip to Silva Bay for fish tacos.

After watering, Her Highness, who has a bad foot, semi-diarrhea and serious fart disease, to Rollo Park to walk. Then we went to Silva Bay to meet Kris and Steve for lunch. Bonnie and Sue joined us and we had a great mid-day summer get together.

And then, AND THEN… I went to Stacy’s to meet her new puppy, Tosca, a Great Dane puppy who’s only nine weeks old. She is so soft and sweet. When I picked her up, she just melted into me and I was blissfully happy. Bryce was there with Sadie, another amazingly wonderful and loving dog. It was such a lovely visit.

We didn’t stay long. We came home and I had a wee nap in the sunshine, and then we went over to Pete and Ali’s place for another short visit. They were very grateful for my watering while they were away. Again, we didn’t stay long. We came back home and just chilled until dinnertime. 

The night was the usual. 

Today, I shall tidy up the yard a little, and I’ll prepare a guest room for Steve’s arrival tomorrow. Today is the calm that precedes the five-day visit of my ex. Tomorrow we go to Nanaimo for dinner at Mahle House. We go every year. It’s going to be a very busy five-days, so I must go slow today and tomorrow until he arrives late in the day.