Beth has a Great Day!

Fred (left) and Ethel who once wanted to kill each other.

I was out watering just past 5:30. It was perfect timing as I was just winding up at 7:39 when I head Sheba barking in the house. I knew that meant Beth was up, so I came in to make her coffee and tell her where to find the things she needed for breakfast, and I went out to finish up with the hose.

We walked with my friends, and Sheba was walking as she normally does. I haven’t seen her so keen to walk, so strong and happy on a walk in a long time. Beth really enjoyed the walk, as did I of course, and then we came home to chill for a while before leaving to have lunch at The Surf. Beth loved having lunch on the lawn overlooking the sea. It was silent and fabulous. Then we went into the village where she bought some pants, and I got things for dinner.

When we got home, Beth took to her room to go online, and I went to bed for a nap. I was beat! I only rested briefly and then Her Highness and I went for a walk and, on both walks, she was walking energetically and looking completely herself. I was overjoyed to see her prancing ahead as she has always done in the past, but which she stopped doing several weeks ago.

I took her for an afternoon walk, did some watering to get a head start on today’s watering duties, and then I made a pasta sauce loaded with veggies for our dinner. After eating, we watched a very strange film and then Beth went to bed to do things on her computer. I watched a bit of TV and then I hit the sack.

Today is Farmers’ Market day. We might go by François and Eoin’s so Beth can see their view and their ducks and we may return to The Surf for lunch because Beth loved yesterday’s lunch on the lawn so much.

Beth's Visit: Day One

Thursday: Beth arrival day. The pets got me up at 4:30, and I got busy with feeding the brood, posting, making a Greek salad and toting the last of the forest fall that I had raked into piles in the yard. Then Her Highness and I went for our morning walk.

When we returned, I found Nancy painting the address numbers on the sign I have at the front of my driveway. She’d been painting at her house using black paint and only had a tiny bit left, so she used it up making my address sign much more visible. I love my neighbours!

Just as I was wrapping up the last of my meal prep (chopping up herbs from my garden to put on the top of my croques), Beth called on Facetime. She was a foot passenger on the 11:15 ferry from Nanaimo, so she arrived here at 11:35, and our holiday together got underway!!

We stopped at the village so that she could get some wine to have at our daily happy hours together, and I got some red wine vinegar for the Greek salad. Then we came home to Pinecone Park which, I have to say, was looking mighty good to me—and to her. She was very generous in her appreciation of my work to make my yard a park-like place to relax.

The croque monsieurs were fabulous! I loved mine and will make them for myself again. They were just delicious. (I added tomato to my version, and I was pleased to have done so!) We had some of the galette for dessert, and then I took Beth to Malaspina Galleries to see the rock formations.

It was beautiful at The Galleries. There were lots of tourists, all of them having a great time. People were swimming in the sea! We had a lovely walkabout together and with Sheba, and then we came home so Beth could have a nap. O proposed that we get pizzas and eat at home, and Beth was more than enthusiastic for the plan.

While I fetched the pizzas, Beth had a spa. Then we had dinner, finishing the Greek salad that I’d made for lunch with our pizza, and we had galette for dessert. Then we watched a movie, chatted and we both went to bed early. 

This morning, Beth will join my friends and I for our morning dog walk. I shall see if Sheba is up for a longer walk. If not, we’ll take a short walk and come home. We might go for lunch at The Surf and take a table on the lawn. 

Beth's Arrival Day

Yesterday morning was a busy one. I washed rugs, vacuumed, and I did a lot of cleaning in advance of Beth’s arrival. Then Her Highness and I walked before I got busy watering all the garden beds needing water.

I got started watering but had to stop because I had a Zoom date with John and Bunny. While we were talking, Steve called. I talked with him after my call with J&B ended, and by then it was lunchtime for everyone. Fred was screaming for food.

Back to watering, and then some raking and toting, and then into the kitchen to make a blueberry galette and béchamel sauce. I decided to wait to make the salad today while I wait for Beth to arrive. I finished cleaning up the kitchen and all the dishes and utensils I’d used just past 14:00. I felt exhausted; I’d been go, go, going all day and my body and mind were both wanting a good rest. Instead, we went shopping for supplies for croque monsieurs.

I’m very excited about having a croque monsieur lunch with Beth. We’ll eat outside and enjoy it with a Greek salad. I’ve never made croques before, but I love the béchamel sauce filled with gruyere and parmesan cheese. I can hardly wait for lunch! I also love, love, love Greek salad.

We got home from shopping and walking at Rollo at 15:30. I was ready to collapse. I could hardly wait to get onto the chaise and finish the TV series that I’m watching. It’s an Americanized Broadchurch and both start David Tennant. But before I retired to the telly for the night, I had a spa. It’s as good as medicine for healing my body and soul.

It was a beautiful evening. My walkabout in the garden left me feeling great about Beth’s visit. I have food prepared for lunch, and I’d like to go out for dinner so that the day is easy. When Steve came to visit, I had three seizures on his first day here, and then none on every other day of his visit. It’s always hard at the beginning for me, that’s why I want to go out for dinner—to minimize stress and hosting work.

Beth’s set to arrive late this morning. I will get watering done before she arrives, and then the fun begins!

Smoke Haze

It had to happen. The forest fire smoke has arrived. At times the sunlight could not penetrate it. Other times the sunlight came through the haze and delivered a beautiful golden orange light. It felt very Fall-like yesterday because of the smoke haze. 

Watching some gardening videos, I was chuffed to hear a master gardener say that watering in the morning during a hot, dry Summer is the right thing to do. He said it gives water to the plant to sustain the heat of the day, whereas evening watering can often lead to root rot and leaf mould. 

I watered everywhere in the early morning, and then Her Highness and I went walking. We came home and had lunch at 11:00, and then I got busy doing some garden chores before we went into the village to order a prescription refill and do some shopping.

When we finished shopping, Her Highness and I went walking at Rollo Park, and then we came home under a golden orange sun so that she could rest prior to having her dinner while I enjoyed a lovely long soak in the spa. 

I video called Beth and she and her friend Judy were at Kits Beach in Vancouver enjoying a stroll. They have thicker smoke over there, so it looked dark and cloudy. Although we, too, have smoky skies, we are getting sunshine through the light smoke.

After our call, I had a spa while Sheba napped until dinnertime. I thoroughly enjoyed our unchanged evening routine. I’m in great shape. I have no worries and I feel no pressure to do anything. I’m going to enjoy Beth’s visit, getting out together and going to restaurants for meals. And I’m looking forward to driving her to Courtenay and driving home on the slow coastal route instead of the highway. Plus, we’re meeting our beloved friend, Marsha, and we’re going to the White Spot. Yum! Burgers!

I was urged to rise this morning at 4:30 by the kids. It was very dark, but moonlight lit my way to the garden gate to let Sheba out for her morning walkabout. AT 6:00. I was drawn outside to look at the sky because it had become very dark, and the sky had become very densely overcast. It felt like a monster rainstorm was arriving, but the forecast is for a bright sunny day with temperatures reaching up to 30°!

It began getting lighter and the cloud was disbursing by 6:30., and by 7:00 there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s like Springtime with the weather changing so dramatically and so quickly. I shall, of course, be watering this morning, and I am Zooming with John and Bunny at 9:30. Her Highness and I will walk alone this morning. We will not be joining our friends. And I shall bake a blueberry galette to share with Beth, a Greek salad for us to have with a Croque Monsieur, and béchamel sauce. 

A gorgeous teeny weeny wild flower. 

The most beautiful life in the forest.

Another wild flower exploding in a forest meadow.

One of my fuchsias has abundant gorgeous flowers.

One branch of one of my apple trees, I have shored up many branches
that are struggling to support their fruit.

The plumbs are ripening!

Coralroot orchid about to bloom.

Fairy slipper orchid, post bloom.

The Arbutus trees are all shedding their paper thin bark.

The Arbutus trees are magnificent! Theese ones are
stunning and their red bark is strikingly beautiful.

Bright yellow Dog Vomit Slime Mold.