Glorious Weather☀️☀️

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.

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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.

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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.