75% Done

Winner: Dullest photo of the year award. But I'm "proud" of the work I've
done and excited about the progress I'm making. I love the green carpet.

I climbed up on a handrail to take the photo (above) of the three full beds and I discovered another task needing doing: I have to clear the eve troughs—on three buildings!

Tuesday was another beautiful day! It was easy to get outside and back to work on the garden. It’s a total treat to work in sunlight—I worked on bed #3; Sheba did her free-range neighbourhood rounds. 

(I had a pleasant surprise, too: I don’t need the third load of soil I ordered, so I shaved six hundred bucks off the $1,800 original cost of the soil for the beds.)

I lined the third bed, filled it and I was done. I’m in no hurry and I had laundry and deep cleaning to do before Paula arrives this morning at 10:20.  

In the afternoon I baked cookies and prepped salads for Paula’s and Dwight’s visits. And I made beds, did laundry and went shopping; I was exhausted by the early evening and so I went to bed at eight.

Today I begin five consecutive days with houseguests—but I know I won’t have seizures. And praise Jesus: The temperatures begin climbing today; the Arctic air is retreating after far too long a stay. We’ll be able do things outdoors.

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Another project that excites me is installing a clothesline. That’ll reduce my electrical bills and give my bedding a fabulous scent. I’m hoping Dwight will help me get one up. There’s something lovely and meditative about hanging up clean laundry to dry in the fresh air here.

I lay around all winter doing very, very little and doing it very well and happily. Since the weather “broke” almost three weeks ago, bringing cold but sunny weather, I’ve been working non-stop on home projects. The sunshine energizes me.

A Serious Work Day

Monday dawned crystal clear and cold. At 6:30 it was -6°! This could be the longest stretch of weather this cold in local history. But I had a busy day, starting with a community dog walk.

Then it was time for moving soil into the beds: Dig, tote, dump and repeat. And repeat and repeat. Okay, to be accurate: Each bed requires eighteen wheelbarrows of soil and each wheelbarrow contains twelve shovels full of soil; I shoveled four hundred and thirty shovels full of soil today. I ached, my shoulders ached, my back was ruined and one wrist was throbbing when I stopped for lunch. At least it had warmed up to 3°. 

Scott, the arborist, and Evan, his assistant, worked on trimming trees to open up more of the canopy. Their work is fabulous; it has really opened up my yard to more light.

I’m terribly impressed with Scott. He shakes hands on arrival and has impeccable interpersonal relation skills. He’s clear about what he’s going to do and fully consultative. He’s a gentleman and I’m grateful to have someone with grace to work with. (And he’s the handsomest man I’ve ever seen on Gabriola.)

Each limb he severs from the tree descends down a guide rope to Evan; nothing on the ground gets damaged. It’s slow work but what a reward! Like soil, light is an invaluable commodity.

It went better in the afternoon; I got get the second bed filled in an hour-and-a-half. It’s dark, rich, moist soil mixed with fish manure; it smells dreadfully, and it’s heavy. I mix peat moss into it as I work. 

Scott and Evan left at five and I got into the hot tub as quickly as I could after they left. Then I built up the fire, nice and hot, and settled in for the evening with my beloved pets. 

Scott will be back March 18 to do more work on the other side of the yard. And I got a real break: My neighbour has given me permission to trim a tree on her property that blocks a lot of light from coming into my yard.

Jody Wilson-Raybould & Jane Philpott

The gloves are off.  Now Jane Philpott, the Treasury Board president has resigned from Cabinet—again, not from the party. It’s extraordinary to watch a political leader being “taken down” by his most respected colleagues … um … right before an election. 

Meanwhile in the US, Hillary Clinton says she won’t run in 2020. Praise Jesus. The famous loser says she’s going to “help the Democrats win back the White House.”  You mean, like last time, Hil? 

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It’s cloudy today but I’ve to keep going with the vegetable garden. Today’s goal, after I go into the lab for blood tests, is to line and fill bed #3. If I’m terribly ambitious, I will also try to line #4 (the last one). The weather forecast looks good all the way until next Monday. That bodes well for my incoming guests and for finishing the yard work. I’ve a lot of soil—more than I needed for the vegetable beds—to spread around the yard.

A Busy Week Starts

Sunday morning I took Her Highness out for a good long walk and then I let her walk about the neighbourhood as I started filling the first planter with soil. Thankfully, I could dump the soil from the wheelbarrow directly into the beds. That was a huge relief; I only have to shovel once, not twice. But it’s hard and tedious work.

At 10:30 we left for the ferry lineup and got on just as sunshine broke through the morning clouds. Tim was waiting. We left Sheba in the car and had lunch in a nice soup and sandwich place and then he left to return home and I took Sheba for a long walk before we got into the ferry lineup for home.

In the evening I watched the season six closing episode of Endeavour.  Never has a TV sustained my interest like this show. Last night’s episode was superlative, even after six seasons; Endeavor is episodic TV at it’s best.

A particularly clever scene involved Anton Lesser’s character, the former Chief Inspector demoted to the head of Traffic Division walking into a trap. It’s a cliché scene with him trapped between two thugs with knives.

Suddenly a swarm of schoolchildren enter the street and run up and surround our man because they recognize him from the TV adverts he’s done about the new pedestrian crosswalk signals—one of which, opens season six. It was jaw-dropping clever writing and story-telling. (Thank you, Dana.)

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Josy Wilson-Raybould has announced her intent to remain in the Liberal party and run again. Hmmm. It’s such interesting timing for her announcement. It seems provocative to me, her public announcement. Is she forcing the party and its leader to kick her out of the party? 

I’m certain the Liberals and Turdeau loathe her for all she said in her testimony. It seems logical that they’d want to dump her for not being a team player. However, were they to do so, the optics would be dreadful for them. They’d be seen to be firing a woman—an Indigenous leader—for exercising impeccable integrity.

Check.

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My sight is so poor for reading and watching TV, my head constantly moves back and forth; it’s the only way I can see details. My right eye is useless and I’ve another three or four months of waiting for my surgery. I’m going to be very happy when it’s done!

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I’m “driving” the Selfie project and although the project itself is well underway, we’ve now to plan for its installation and for the accompanying party. I’m unofficial “head” of the project; it was my idea. So we’ve estimates to gather this week and we’ve to visit the party site. 

This week is going to be very busy because besides the project, the arborist is here today and I have to fill the two lined planters so there’s room for the second load of soil coming that arrives later today. And tomorrow I have to line the remaining two planters and go to the clinic for blood tests. Plus I have to “deep clean” the house because guests are coming.

On Wednesday, Paula arrives, Sheba gets groomed and hopefully I can get some of the second load of soil into the two remaining empty beds.

On Thursday, I tour the facility where Selfies  will be exhibited and where we’ll have the party. It’s predicted to snow again that day!

 Friday, Paula leaves in the morning and Dwight arrives in the afternoon. He stays for the weekend and I know he’ll help me get the last two planters filled. He leaves on Sunday morning. And so does Standard Time. Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday.

All this activity follows a week of work cleaning up the yard. I burned, composted or otherwise disbursed my place of all the crap from Fall winds and two incredible Winter storms—plus a dead Deer. So when this busy, busy week is done, I rest. 

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I’ve several plants of Sweet Boxwood on my deck and they’re all blooming now so when I step outside, I get the sweet, sweet smell of “white flower”—that’s what I call the rapturous fragrances of Jasmine, Gardenia, Tuberose and Sweet Boxwood. White flowers create the best scents!