One of those days once again

I had a bit of an upset stomach so I crawled into bed about 7:30. The sun shining in the bedroom window woke me about 6AM. Drank some water and drifted off again. Rain THUNDERING on the roof woke me at 11AM!!! I thought the clock had stopped for goodness sake!!

M. had made a nice quiche for lunch, brunch for me. We had just nicely tucked in when I got a message that a cousin was popping by for a visit. We hadn't physically seen each other for 38 years!! We chat, probably once a week on Facebook. We were both military families so for years it was like ships passing in the night with a wave. It was so nice to catch up on our kids lives too. They have recently retired to Smiths Falls, which is a relatively short drive from us, so we will be visiting again really soon.

We just heard that the body of the second missing girl from our area has been recovered from the river. Two families are suffering such heartbreak.

A typical May Day

The sun was shining so nicely when I got up this morning. By the time I made my tea and got organized to go sit outside, a thick bank of cloud had moved in. It hasn't rained (I almost typed SNOWED!) but it's a dull dreary day.
I did two loads of laundry first off. I think they should be almost dry by the time I haul it all in. If not, five minutes in the dryer will take the damp off.
We picked up several bags of triple mix yesterday so I filled all of the containers for the deck. Two of the bigger ones are all planted in herbs. There were so many parsley plants that they filled one of the tubs all on their own. We use lots of parsley so lets hope it does well. One of the larger plants came indoors from my old herb bed and was three years old. Another tub has lemon grass, catmint, lavender and something else, I just forget what, but all nice aromatic herbs. I still have dill and celery to plant but they won't go into tubs as they grow to tall.
I picked a couple of tulips and a couple of daffodils and brought them indoors into a vase. Then I planted five giant dahlia clumps. Don't you love those lovely big flowers?
I still feel like I want to go get more annuals to bring some different colors into the front flower garden. It's a rather ragtag affair. No rhyme nor reason to it, just splotches of colors. Once the tulips are done the marigolds and calendula will really take off with all their yellow and orange splendor. The lilies are all pinkish. I was some red!
After I finished playing in the dirt I saddled up the pooch and took a stroll up the bush road. We didn't go far thanks to the darn black flies and mosquitoes, and I forgot my hat.  I see the ATV club has put their sign posts up right past my lane. Weekends will be noisy affairs now that the trails are marked and open. It used to be snowmobiles but that all but quit a few years back.
Oh boy, the sun has popped through again!! Yep, it's a typical May day.

Spring HAS finally sprung

The weather finally did a turn around on the weekend.
On Saturday we went to a street fair and car show at a nearby village. Sunday we had some family here for my birthday dinner. It was a wet day so we were all indoors for the most part.
So the days have been holding at proper spring temperatures for awhile. All of my plants are outdoors, even the lemon trees. I still have several buckets to plant, but the herbs and flowers are outdoors acclimatizing.
This afternoon I filled the wheelbarrow with soil, tossed a bag of grass seed into the mix and went walk about with my rake. I filled lots of holes and over seeded some scabby looking spots. It wasn't forecast to rain today but it started to come down about 5PM. Tomorrow is a rain day too. I timed all that well didn't I?
We have community cleanup next week so I'm trying to sort out garbage to go to the curbside. I've filled two blue boxes with cardboard. The basement is starting to look MUCH better.

About 6AM there was a big crash that just about blasted us out of our beds. Don't ask me what she was doing, but the dog knocked an aluminum ladder down. Poor Miss Kitty took such a start she curled the hall rug up! I didn't see her until about 4PM. She had reappeared in time to eat her supper. She is still very skittish. That cat does not like loud noises.

I had my eyes checked yesterday. The exam was good, no issues, but I had to order new reading glasses. My old ones are about five years old and in pretty rough shape. I had hoped to do some shopping for some outdoor furniture while I was in town, but in the end I just didn't have the energy. Maybe M. can be talked into taking me around and about on the weekend. We need a new patio table and a couple of more chairs. I am seeing the mates to one we already have are on sale at Canadian Tire this week.  Canadian Tire is one of those shops that started life as an automotive shop and expanded into home and garden, sports, clothing, sweets and chemicals! Our doesn't sell any grocery items but I understand some of them carry milk and bread!

Bugs and things

I follow the hummingbird and monarch butterfly migrations via an internet page.
I am happy to say that our hummers are feeding voraciously at my three feeders!
The phoebe are nesting over the side door again this spring. We will discourage them once this lot has fledged as it gets way to hot up there later in the summer. We've had other litters die in the heat.
Turkey Lurkey is out front with a couple of blue jays, a squirrel and a lone snow bunting. They are all happily feeding on the sunflower seeds I toss out there for them every day.
I really hate being the bearer of bad news, but the black flies are out. They weren't biting me yesterday but they sure were swarming around. I found the fly hat but can't find any of our jackets. Might be time to buy new ones anyway.
It rained hard all night and off and on a bit this morning. Lets hope the sun comes out this afternoon. I have so much soil to mix and rubble to pick up to dump in the compost pit.

I've been suffering with my usual spring depression of late. Yesterday seemed to be the peak, at least I hope it was. I was mad at the world!! So far don't seem to be feeling to bad today so I'm trying to stay positive.  I have all of these beautiful things working to make my happy genes get busy.

                                                                 Mothers Day Flowers

 

First blossoms from my garden

 

Mothers Day Flowers

 

Waiting to be planted, herbs, calendula, marigold, lemon grass, catmint, parsley, garlic chives, tomatoes, peppers, basil. But NO THYME...….never want to see another thyme plant (it has taken over my front lawn)

 

Our wood supply has arrived for the  20-21 heating season

Spring delayed

It is still cold, wet and miserable in these parts.
I have flats of flowers and seedlings under three sets of grow lights and tomatoes on every flat surface and window sill!

Our firewood arrives tomorrow. Before the big heavy truck pulls in I have to go put the markers on the corner of the leaching bed for our septic system. That big load would crush the pipes and then we'd be in a pickle.

The tulips and full size dafs finally have buds! My lilies are sprouting. They are all such hardy things.

My birthday is this week. No plans have been made or mentioned. I think for my 70th I'm going to go off on a vacation all by myself. Check into a Best Western with a nice pool and a restaurant and just suit myself!

It is finally forecast to warm up this week. The blackflies will be out in earnest! I must find my mesh jacket if I'm going to be spending any time outdoors.



They have identified the body pulled out of the river last week. It is not the girl who fell in last week, but another teenager who went missing in the big snowstorm back in February.

All The Best

🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕


Happy Mothers Day to all of you Sweet Momma's

Friday

It has been a challenging few days. It has rained. HARD. The river is still rising. Late yesterday afternoon they found the body of someone who fell in. A kayaker is missing. This river is a hard one. We were discussing the timber runs that used to roar down toward Ottawa and beyond. How many lives were lost every spring in those days?

The water is creeping up my daughters front yard. The storm sewers are overloaded and plugged so the water has nowhere to go! Their mail carrier is knocking on every door in the neighbourhood doing wellness checks.

Well the rain has stopped at last and the sun is trying hard to poke through the clouds.

(Edited some information as absolute identification has yet to be verified)