Wood Re-Stacking

I’m a good boy! Okay, I’m a good old man. I was out at 5:30 to water all the garden beds. I finished at 7:30. I’d finished my most important work for the day before most of my neighbours were awake. I feel good feeding my floral friends. When I was done, it was time to do the dishes and then to enjoy a lovely morning soak before taking Her Highness for our morning walk. Then we went to Sarah’s place for a grooming. She’s going to look lovely for Steve’s visit.

I dropped her off, stopped at the village to pick up a prescription, and then I came home to get started on toting wood. I wanted to clear the main part of the floor of the shed, so that when Eoin comes, we can get close to the part of the woodpile that is being held up by my kindling wood. 

I’m afraid to remove the kindling wood because the big wall of large pieces behind it will fall onto me. That’s why I want Eoin to help me strategize how to get it all to collapse without getting hurt. Once it’s down, I can re-stack it all. I don’t want Eoin to stack wood, just to help me collapse the dangerous part.

I got started at around 9:15. Thankfully, it had clouded over with thin white clouds, so I was not dripping with sweat when I came in for a break after stacking for half an hour. By then, I had almost all the wood off the floor and re-stacked in the shed. 

I had a short break, during which, I put my massive throw into the washing machine and then got back to work on the wood. I wanted to get all the wood stacked so that all Eoin and I had to do was somehow remove the kindling and let the wood behind fall—unless we could push it back into position somehow. Anyway, I’m just glad to have someone to help me strategize how to deal with the leaning tower of wood.

During my second break, I hung up the throw to dry on the line, and I put my electric blanket into the sink to soak. It was filthy, thanks to Sheba. And I called Eoin to cancel his visit. I’m confident that I can restore order on my own. I went back to work for a bit, re-stacking more wood, and then I headed back to Sarah’s to pick up Sheba. Before I left, I put the electric blanket into the washing machine on the gentle cycle, and then, when it was done (it took only ten minutes) I laid it out to dry on the dining room table.

I picked up Her Highness and came home to feed everyone, and then I took the hammock in so that it wouldn’t get wet if it rained, and I cleaned up inside the house a little. After that, I got onto the chaise to do some reading. I felt fabulous because the wood problem was solved, all the beds at Pinecone Park and at Pete and Ali’s were watered and with the overcast skies, the water would not evaporate quickly. I could chill for the afternoon. What joy!

Late in the afternoon, we went for our afternoon walk. She wouldn’t walk at Ricki Ave. Trail, so we went to Rollo Park where she is always willing to walk, perhaps because it’s a short walk there. Refusing to walk is becoming something she does more often. It could be her feet are sore; it could be the heat. I’ll just have to see how things go.

As we drove home, it started to rain. It was real rain, too, but it only lasted for five minutes. Still, it was rain, and as I went to bed, I hoped that there would be more in the night.

When we got home, it was the usual: dinner and a movie. Except there was one BIG difference: thunder. Lots of rain and lots of loud, rumbling thunder.

Today I go hose-free. There was more than enough rain to soak the garden beds and it’s still spitting this morning. Plus, it was cloudy all day yesterday, and it’s going to be cloudy and wet today. And that’s perfect because I have (paid) SPACE homework to do. Today is a perfect day for indoor work.

The coming week is going to be mighty hot. I am going to be on watering duty every day. Sigh.

All I Do Is Water

A while back, I bought myself new sheets and pillowcases. I was extremely happy I did it and I wondered why I had waited so long to replace bedsheets and cases I’d had for far too long. Yesterday, I ordered a new duvet and duvet cover so now my bed/sleeping makeover is complete and I am giddy.

I also ordered another bird bath. It’s scheduled to arrive today. During these hot summers, birds flood onto my fountain. I have a bird bath in my edible garden that’s made of cheap plastic. It works but it’s ugly. The incoming bath is much nicer, and I will put it near the fountain because the sound of the falling water attracts the birds and now, they’ll have more space to bath and drink.

After cleaning the filter of the spa, adding water and having a soak, I headed off with Her Highness to walk with our friends. When I got home, I got busy with watering ahead of my 12:30 Zoom with Aidan, and once that call was done, I was off to Sandi’s to tour her garden and have some rhubarb cobbler.

It was great fun visiting Sandi. She’s a fine soul. We had a lovely visit and when I got back home, I did more watering, I finished all the planting and transplanting, and then I Zoomed with Aidan. He’s off to Chicago for a stuttering conference there, and I have homework to do—lots of it.

When our call was finished, I went back to gardening work before we went for our afternoon walk. After the walk, we went to Pete and Ali’s house, and I watered all the beds before coming home to end my day in the spa and on the couch. I was done for the day; however, these simple routine days positively thrill me. I feel on top of things, and it keeps me calm.

Today will begin with a thorough watering of the garden beds. The weather forecast shows that there could be showers today, but I have my doubts as the sky is clear. Rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow, though, so I hope that forecast comes true. Although I water several of Pete and Ali’s beds, their entire yard is garden and I’m not watering it while they are away for ten days. I hope, for their sake, that we get rain.

After I water, I shall begin work on cleaning up all the fallen wood in the shed. Eoin is coming by at 13:00 to help me deal with the scary part—the part of the pile that is precariously still standing.

Just Another Summer Day

Tuesday morning, it was difficult to get out of bed. I felt sick of watering and the thought of re-stacking all the wood depressed me. But the brood was calling me to action and so the day got underway as Fred howled for food. The good news was that Steve is flying home today from Florida where he had a stopover visit with friends after his long visit to Spain.

Beth is coming shortly after Steve leaves, but her plans are changing every day as she hears from her other west coast friends. We have a plan now and I’m very excited and grateful to her and to Steve for coming to visit.

I had my usual lovely morning soak, and then Her Highness and I went for our morning walk. It’s lovely and cool in the mornings and we have the trail all to ourselves. When we retuned, I fed the brood lunch and then had my Zoom call with Dr. S. It was a great session, as always. I like that she said this: “You are trying to find that sweet spot between having enough social activity to satisfy our basic human need, but not too much so as to overload a soul that has learned from experience that people are untrustworthy.” 

When my session was over, Her Highness and I went over to Pete and Ali’s to water their garden beds and to do some spot watering where plants were showing signs of stress. Then we came home and I watered here forever before doing some transplanting that I will finish today.

After our afternoon walk, we had our usual eventing at Pinecone Park.

Today: more watering of course, and some planting, raking and toting, for tomorrow, Eoin is coming over to help me handle the scary part of dealing with the fallen wood pile. I’ve a lot that I want to do before Steve arrives. He is due in six days!

Really hot weather is coming. Sigh. I’ll be watering like mad. I’m taking things rather easy while I can. Hurricane Steve will change my patterns, and I’ll be busy and talking a lot, so I am treasuring these quiet days. I love my slow life. I love being solitary in paradise. But I also love my friends and I’m excited about Steve coming, then Beth, then to Vancouver for a wedding, and at some point, Dwight is coming for a short visit. Yay Summer!

Woodfall

Watering was a walk in the park yesterday. I began at 6:00 and finished at 7:45 because I’d watered the front beds late on Sunday. I was happy to get it all done so early so that I could walk with our friends without any anxiety about thirst in my flora friends. When we got home, I puttered around the house doing chores until lunchtime and then, after lunch, I got busy getting recent plant purchases into the beds.

At 13:00, I was supposed to go over to Sandi’s for a visit and a tour of her garden, but she had to cancel. However, I stopped in long enough to have a bit of her rhubarb crumble and a short confab. Then I went to the nursery for soil to use as I transplanted some plants and planted my new ones.

And then the horror began. I got very sick, very quickly. It was either the crumble or the five cherries I ate before going to Sandi’s. I’ve had diarrhea before, but not the painful stomach that accompanied this sudden illness. I couldn’t function because I kept going to the washroom.

Finally, I felt stable enough to get into bed. I felt awful so I spent all the afternoon there, finally rising at 16:00 to walk Her Highness and to have some dinner. By five, I was feeling myself again, but I had little in the way of appetite. I watched a short movie and then went to bed very early.

Late on Sunday, when I was working in the yard, I head a loud rumbling noise that lasted, at most, for two seconds. I wondered what it was. Well … yesterday I found out what it was. Much of the wood that I’d stacked in my shed fell over. The shed is a mess of wood, and I dread having to restack it. 

There’s a ton of wood that has fallen against some wood that remains stacked, but it all must come down. It’s going to be a massive job to re-stack it all. I’m not sure if I will start today or leave it until Pete is back because I know that he will help me re-stack it. He’s back on the weekend. I may wait until then to do the work.

Today I Zoom with Dr. S., and the rest of the day will be spent watering at Pete and Ali’s and spot watering here at P.P. I’ll also be going garden chores as I try to bring order to things before Steve comes to visit. He loves gardening as I do, and he’ll appreciate all the work I’ve done since his last visit.

In my shed! The small wood stacked on the right is holding up the wood
behind it that is going to fall when the small wood is moved. It's scary to
think I must move the small wood becasue all the big wood behind is going
to tumble down. I don't want to be along doing the work. Pete will help
when he comes home from his travels.

This is the Firetruck Grill, the food truck I love to patronize every
Sunday. It is a favourite Summer ritual for me and many others.

There are lots of tables to sit on in the park where the food truck
is installed for the Summer. There are also lots of dogs and you can
see some of the artists booths unter colourful tents in the background.

My favourite: Fish tacos!! Yum!!

A Great My Day

Sunday, My Day, began at 4:00 when I was awakened by Sheba wanting out. Once up, I fed everyone and posted on Blogger, and then I did dishes and other chores until 8:30 when Her Highness and I went walking on a trail we haven’t walked in years. It was wonderful to see how much work had been done on making the trail usable in Winter. They have done a lot of irrigation work to ensure water doesn’t collect on the trail.

Then we came home and I Zoomed with John and Bunny. I love them, and I love Zooming with them, but I had to end our call after thirty minutes so that I could feed the brood their lunch before Sheba and I left to meet Eoin and François at Silva Bay to have lunch at the Fire Truck Grill, a food truck that operates there all Summer.

It was great being with Eoin and François. I am very fond of these two men. Bonnie and Sue didn’t turn up; I was disappointed, but Leslie came by with her magnificent Doberman, Lucy, whom I love, and we all had a really nice leisurely visit together, and the tacos were, as always, delicious.

Then we came home and I got busy with to spot watering at home, and then I went to Pete and Ali’s to water there. I had planting and other chores to do, but it was My Day, but I only did the spot watering. The rest of the chores needing doing could wait! When all the watering was done, I came home to chill. My desk is at one end of the kitchen, and right now the air is sweet and enticing because the plums Dave gave me emit a strong fragrance that whets my appetite.

The evening was the usual.

We’re predicted to enjoy more Spring-like weather with temperatures in the low twenties and half-days of cloudiness early this week, then rain on Thursday. After that, it’s predicted to get warmer with temperatures in the high twenties. Sigh. We will walk with our friends this morning after I get much of the watering done, and this afternoon, I go to Sandi’s to tour her garden and have a visit.