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.

S - L - O - W

Saturday was a no pressure day. I was on top of watering at Pinecone Park and at Ali and Pete’s place, so there was no rushing to water or do anything at all. We went for our morning walk at 8:30. It had warmed up from 12° to 15° and it was a bright and sunny day. Once back home, I tried to do a bit of my SPACE homework to ensure that I didn’t forget all that Aidan had taught me about the software I was to begin using. And then we went into the village to go to the big Saturday morning Farmers’ Market. I hadn’t been all year.

It was busy at the market. I didn’t buy anything; we just walked around and then we came home for lunch. After lunch, I got myself onto the recliner in sunshine to warm up. I think I had a wee nap, and when I opened my eyes, the sky had completely clouded over.

The afternoon was spent reading and doing domestic chores as the cloud cover thickened. We went for our afternoon walk and encountered a lovely group of four women cyclists with whom I had a really lovely visit. Then we came home and I lit the fire to offset the gloominess of a dark and cool Summer day.

I went to bed very early. I was very tired, and just before turning off the lights I heard rain falling on the roof. It was a brief and gentle rain, but it was rain and I was thrilled because today, My Day, is a watering day at Pete and Ali’s and here at home. But I’m Zooming with John and Bunny this morning, and I’m meeting Eoin and François for fish tacos at Silva Bay at 11:00.

Back to Work for SPACE

I woke up running. I knew what to do: I checked the hall and sure enough, Sheba had left a deposit in the night. I fell into high gear. I got the steam cleaner out and fired it up to sterilize the area I cleaned up first with paper towels. I’m tempted to get her a muzzle so that she can’t eat poop she finds on our walks.

That job got me into thorough cleaning mode. I cleaned all the counter tops and the stove with a cleanser that contains bleach, and then I washed all the wood floors with it mixed in warm water after had vacuumed everywhere. Later in the afternoon I tackled window cleaning.

I’m so on top of watering that I don’t feel any urgency to water before walking with Sheba. These cloudy mornings allow me to have a far more casual approach to watering. After eight years of watering, I’ve really got a system worked out. I water heavily in the mornings, and in the late afternoons, I spot water the plants that need the most water—hydrangeas and plants growing over a density of tree roots.

We walked for an hour and a half with our friends beginning at 9:30, and when we got home it was time for lunch before I headed out to water. I had to water all my beds, plus the beds at Ali and Pete’s. When I was done, I had just enough time to walk in the 707 with Her Highness before Zooming with Aidan.

I love working with Aidan. I love working with SPACE and on stuttering advocacy. I’m all set to begin working on banking accessibility for dysfluent people. Aidan’s given me his okay to take some initial steps. I am going to work to find other Canadian dysfluent people who have had their bank accounts flagged as potentially fraudulent as happened to me. If I can speak for many people instead of just myself when I file my complaint with the Ombudsman of Banking Services and Investments.

Aidan’s given me homework that I am keen to do. I am learning how to use the software he uses for SPACE’s mailing list and for communications. That will enable me to better assist him with memberships when we start building up our membership list.

Last evening, after dinner, I took a walkabout. In the past, I did one every evening without rain. I do it until late September. This year, I’ve not been out there every night, but when I came in from my ‘the master tours his estate’ walkabout, I will be doing it more often.

The most expansive housing of my life in Vancouver, was a house on the west side of the city. Steve and I lucked out. We sold my one-bedroom condo in Kitsilano for $126,000, then we rented for a year to give is time to think about what we want to do. It was Steve’s idea. During that year, real estate prices crashed, to at the end of it, we were able to buy a two-bed, one-both home in a great part of the city. For $130,000. That was back in 1983.

I have no idea what the size of our lot was. Our house and a three-car garage took up most of the space. We had a good-sized front yard where we had a nice bed that got lots of light. The backyard was small and not at all welcoming. It had a laneway on two sides, adding to its lack of alure.

I was thirty-three. Steve and I had been together for three years. It was very close to forest trails on the university campus, and beaches. Bèla (after Bartock; we didn’t name him), a Puli, and Kitty, a black cat (foreshadowing). I got there in modest salaries, working in the arts, but once I became an administrator and small-time producer, I was able to buy the house and only pay a modest monthly mortgage payment. I was the only person in my social circle who got to owning real estate without any family financial help.

But now, I have half-a-fucking-acre! The other day I was going to count how many trees are on my property. I meant Douglas Fir, not including my decorative trees and fruit trees. My guess is that there might be thirty of them. One day, I’ll count them.

When I came in from my walk, it still amazed me that I now have such a huge yard, properly transformed, and a cozy life with my beloveds. And I love Gabtiola, but it’s not home. I miss a Vancouver that isn’t there anymore.

Gay hurricane Steve arrives in ten days. Last time I had the worst seizure that I have ever had when he was here. He’s a tornado of energy, but he’s my brother.

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Today has dawned bright and sunny and cool (12°). We’ll walk, and in the afternoon, I’ll spot water and we’ll have another walk. Otherwise, I have no idea what I’ll do today. But I know it’ll be a good day. This morning, a Barred Owl came to visit. It perched on my trellis and gave me a thrill.