Baskets and Planters

 When Mardi turns on the toaster or the air fryer which are on the mobile island, at the same time as the microwave, we've been tripping circuit breakers.  So, today we had the electrician who knows this building rewire the system so that wouldn't happen any more.

The boss is in the pantry closet where the circuit breaker panel is located.  They had to drag a new wire through from the ceiling light to the panel.  Now the microwave is on its own circuit.

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Had my weekly deep massage which seems to be helping my leg issue.

Then, headed for the Georgetown Garden Centre, Judy Rivers' area, with 45 hanging baskets.

Delivered them without incident and then headed for home.  What the GPS estimated would be a one hour and three minute drive turned out to take two hours and twelve minutes.  

Not just heavy traffic, but the police had one of the main thoroughfares blocked off, so I ended up parked for a while in traffic.

The good news?  I don't work in Georgetown!  I don't know how folks put up with this day after day.

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While I was doing this delivery the boys were expanding the Mum field into the parking lot.

There are Mum planters everywhere!  It's that time of year.

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Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4 - 1 tonight.  Four more games with them over the next three days.  Fingers crossed.

Stay well.

Family Dinner

 Tried out a new eatery today with Joyce and Mardi called the Scout Cafe.  Two out of the three meals we ordered were not in stock.  The alternates tasted good, but I wasn't impressed.  Nice company though!

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Then it was off to Brampton to deliver some hanging baskets to the Fantasy Garden Centre.  Nice drive on the way there, but deadly slow on the return during rush hour.

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The best part of the day was having dinner with Bonnie, Steve and their family, as well as A.J. and Michelle, at Lake Erie.

Beautiful view.  The scenery was good too!  Nice to see everyone after quite a while.

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Received an email from Maureen.  They visited the Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve on our recommendation and enjoyed it.

Those Gannets are awesome birds!

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Boston beat the Blue Jays 6 - 5 in ten innings.  Now we take on Tampa Bay - 5 games in 4 days.  Tough schedule.

Stay well.

Moving Mulch

 Today is the birthday of Al's wife Liz.  Liz is of the same rare and excellent vintage as Mardi.  Al and I are lucky guys!  Best wishes Liz!

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Moved and organized skids of mulch today.  Takes time, but saves a lot of searching time in the long run.

But Mardi got to golf.  Life isn't fair sometimes!

She took me at cards, but I beat her at Wordle😉.  The universe is in balance.

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Blue Jays came from behind in the 9th to take Boston 6 - 5.  A great show.

Stay well.

Little League Booth

 Today is Judy Rivers' birthday.  All the best Judy!

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At Cambridge, Gary brought birdie juice.  Just in time since I got my first birdie of the year.

Don't know why the other guys aren't in this picture.  Shy I suppose.

Thanks Gary!

On the other side of the coin, I rode with Al today  and I'm blaming that RWA for my two four-putt greens.  But we did have fun!

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After three years of being closed due to Covid, the Little League Park and our booth are finally back in business.

Mardi and I volunteered for one of the first evening games.  In between customers we cleaned three years of grime off the windows.

Nice to see the kids out at the park!

And, the V.P. of Stoney Creek Little League introduced himself and told us that he was formerly a sous chef and would like to help us at the Winona Peach Festival.  Passed his info along to our President who will contact him.  Heart warming to see folks willing to give of their time to help the club and the kids.  The best of human nature.

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As we approached home we were treated to the following display as the sun highlighted the Toronto skyscrapers.

The end of a great day, which included a Blue Jays 7 - 2 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Keep breathing.  The cooler weather helps in that regard.

Challenger Baseball

 Received an email from Maureen today:

We had an unplanned detour today. There was a serious accident on the TCH today and it was closed for about 8 hours which meant we could not get to our planned destination so we are touring the Dorset trail ending at Fleur de Lys.

The hike, view and bear made it very worthwhile.

She shared pictures including this one of an iceberg they saw on their return from L'Anse Aux Meadows.

And the bear that visited them.

She also wished that they had about two more weeks to enjoy Newfoundland.  I know the feeling Maureen.  It's a beautiful place!  Enjoy!

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Today I picked Mardi up after church and we headed to Southbrook Golf Course for a charity tournament in support of Challenger Baseball, something that the Optimist Club has supported since its inception 40 years ago.

Had a great day with a nice couple as our partners.  Ended up 2 under par in the scramble format - the winners were probably another 10 under par.  But the purpose is not to win, but to support an effort that has done so much good for disabled children.

I was apparently playing under an assumed name.

I think that means that I have been sublimated!  (You could look it up.)

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On another positive note, Barbara has forwarded some pictures to me of great granddaughter Rowan while she was in Nova Scotia.

Hey kiddo, come to Grimsby and you can pick all the flowers you want!  I'll clean up after you.

I need to see that young lady again!  Still have the rocking horse in the back of the car.

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Brewers beat the Blue Jays 10 - 3 today.  Thankfully, we didn't get to watch it because of the golf match.

Tomorrow the guys golf at Cambridge which means that I have to set the alarm really early.   A tough grind for an old guy!

Stay well.  Talk tomorrow.

Moving On

 Thank you for your responses to my story about Jake.  I appreciated them and I'm sure David and family did too.  Jake was the perfect dog for me.  I got to enjoy his love without having any responsibility for his care.  Doesn't get any better than that.

Judy shared the following poem which her husband David wrote after the death of one of their dogs:

He’s gone ahead.  As always.

In your free, and rambling time together,

He was always first.

First down the fresh paths

To a new stand of trees.

First ‘cross the creek, through the meadow,

And up the rise.

Always looking back,

As if to say, 

Come.  Follow me.

I know the way.

He’s just gone ahead,

As always.!

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Speaking of Judy, Holy Cow!  My baby sister has turned 70!  I remember the day of her birth.  I was 15, working at Dofasco, and had sympathetic labour pains that day.  All the best Judy!

Needless to say, yard sales took a back seat today.

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Mardi and I attended a, long delayed due to Covid, Celebration of Life for Rose Strecker's dad today.  A great tribute to an accomplished man.  Well presented.  Nicely done Rose!

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The Cactus is now pretty well in full bloom.  There are only a half dozen florets yet to open.

Quite a show!  Even the cutting that I planted a couple of years ago is joining in.

Apparently, I've got a green, but thorn damaged, thumb.  Amazing how those little hairs can hurt.

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The Brewers beat the Jays 5 - 4 today.  Need a new starting pitcher.

Stay well.

A Sad Day

 Trillium Hill's singing dog, Jake, has begun chasing rabbits in the sky.  He had lost weight, and the Vet diagnosed cancer.  He doubted that Jake would survive the weekend, so Sean took today off to spend time with him.

He and Malcolm took Jake for a last walk and swim.

Well, Jake never did swim, he always just waded.  But he got wet.

I joined the boys and Jake for a barbeque.  During that time, David, Sue and the twins had a video visit with Jake while they were passing through Moosejaw.

While he had Jake in the car, Sean stopped by and played the Whitney Houston song "I always love you" and Jake sang the duet.

A tough day for Sean.  A sad time indeed.  Had a few wet cheek moments today.  Sean took him to be euthanized at 5 p.m. so that he wouldn't have to suffer too much longer.

Rest In Peace Jake.  You will be missed.  I'll miss you greeting me with someone's shoe or a plant pot in your mouth.  Thanks old friend!

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Blue Jays topped the Milwaukee Brew Crew 9 - 4 tonight.  Well done.

Stay well my friends.

More Bits

 Today is Kathryn's birthday and she's spending it alone as she fights off Covid.  We'll make up for it later.  Stay positive.

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Spent some time moving skids of soil around to make way for an expanded Mum field.  It has given me a chance to get things better organized as well.  And it's easier to ride the fork lift in the heat than dig in the garden!

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No Jays game today.

Stay well.

Bits and Bites

 Daughter Kathryn and her mother attended a church seminar in Unity Village, Missouri last week (it's near the Kansas border) and both have come home with Covid.  Does the fact that they were in a Republican governed state have any bearing?

The good news is that, while they are suffering typical flu like symptoms, they're both doing fairly well dealing with the problem, thanks to vaccinations.  Kathryn's new emphasis on positivity is helping her cope as well.

Best wishes to both.

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Visited a new dentist today (my previous dentist died) and was given a complete review, including X-rays.  Ended up a bit shocked at the bill.  But the good news is that I've been given a one year hiatus before I have to visit again.

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Went to our annual general meeting of the condo corp. tonight.  Long and, while informative, windy.  And a couple of "insurgents" had too much to say.  Once again, the good news is that we have a one year hiatus before we have to repeat.

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Blue Jays beat the White Sox 9 - 5 today.  The good news is that we don't have to worry about them losing tomorrow - it's a travel day.

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No word yet from our intrepid travellers.  Maybe this jog will inspire them.

Stay well.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

 If you played Canuckle today, you will know that this is National Indigenous Peoples Day.  The answer referenced the art form that has been practiced for over 8,000 years in Canada (can't give the word in case some of you haven't played it yet today).

And if you checked in to Google, their heading picture references the amazing work of Copper Thunderbird (Norval Morrisseau).

And it's also one of the days when the government continues to drag its feet on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women file.

And don't hold your breath on any Catholic Church financial support for Residential School (a special Hell) survivors.  If you're so inclined you might say a prayer for them.

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More flowers on the Cactus.

There are still about 40 florets yet to open.  It's going to be a fine show!

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White Sox beat the Jays 7 - 6 in the 12th inning.

Stay well.

Strawberries and Ice Cream

 Got a message from Ron..............

"You bringing some of those berries to the course in the morning for your golfing buddies …there’s only 3 of us ? I can see it at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow …a great presentation of 3 berries one for each of us …..sheeeesh "

Mardi was still sleeping when I left so I was able to sneak the berries out of the fridge and take them with me.  I think that the guys enjoyed them, especially Sven.

Mardi had to get a packet back out of the freezer tonight for our strawberries and ice cream.

Cambridge Golf was good to me today.  Had a 91 despite a few dumb swings.  My bum leg may be helping slow me down and focus.

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The White Sox beat the Jays 8 - 7 tonight.  Pitching is problematic these days.

Stay well.

Father's Day

 Several important events to celebrate today:

Jim Smythe is celebrating his 97th birthday.  Way to go Jim!

It's Father's Day.  Received a Jacquie Lawson animated card from my Ottawa daughters.  It was very nice.  Thanks Barbara and Jo-Anne!

It's Juneteenth, a day to celebrate the end of slavery in the U.S.  Too bad the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers and the Evangelicals didn't get the memo!

And the twins, Sarah-Jean and Ewen, have left on their western North America circle tour (in their mother's brand new Honda CRV!).  David and Sue fly out on Tuesday and the four of them will meet up in Winnipeg where they're visiting relatives.  We'll report on their trip as it progresses.

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Blue Jays played a great game today to beat the Yankees 10 - 9.  A grand slam home run by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., with his dad in the stands to see it, was a highlight!

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And Monica, the first Cactus flower opened today.  Should be a great show in a couple of days.

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Mardi and a couple of her friends in our building went berry picking today.

A couple of trays are headed for the freezer.

But we had a good feed while they were being hulled, and there are more to go!  Another nice Father's Day gift.  Please ignore that voice in the background that's saying "you're not my father".

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Kathryn got home from her trip to Kansas City with her mom, but some of the folks caught Covid while there.  She's isolating just in case, so we took her test kits, and a few food items (including strawberries) to keep her going.  Her first test turned out negative 😃 so fingers crossed!

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Keep breathing.  Stay well.

If at first the flag gets stolen, fly higher.

 Lots of yard sale locations today, but no treasures.  We all bought something, but............ho hum.

Then the ladies dropped me off at the greenhouse to do my work.  One of the tasks was holding the farm ladder while David moved the flag holder up a couple of feet on the pole...........and we have a new Pride flag!

We'll see how that goes.

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Blue Jays were beat by the Yankees 4 - 0.  They got some bad umpiring calls in the 4th inning, but the deserving team won.  The Jays aren't as good as they thought.  One more game against New York tomorrow.

Stay well.

Mums The Word

 Cut the grass today and worked on a garden.

Sarah-Jean was watering Mum planters.  

There are thousands of Mums, some of which are in the back planting field.

The boys are getting the front field ready for the rest.

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Blue Jays got thumped by the Yankees who won 12 - 3.  Could be a sad weekend.

Stay well.

Massage Therapy

 Mardi has been going to the Ontario College of Health and Technology for the occasional massage, and has been encouraging me to try it.  So, today was the day.

Seemed to help my leg issue, so I've signed up for some follow-up appointments.  Got the old "I told you so" from you know who.

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We got home and turned on the Blue Jays game.  Sadly, they were down 6 - 0 by the third when we started watching.  Finished losing   2 - 10.  Not much fun to watch!

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Back to work tomorrow.

Stay well.

Mardi's Day

 Did a bit of gardening before the heat and humidity drove me home.  Otherwise........

Mardi beat me at Wordle.

Mardi beat me at Canuckle.

Mardi beat me at Skip-Bo.

Just a routine day!

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Fortunately, the Blue Jays beat the Orioles 7 - 6 in the 10th inning.  

Petunia Power

Today was a "dress up the front" day at the greenhouse.

David put the big planters in place.  Ewen selected the baskets, Sean pounded in the posts and I hung the baskets along the front.  They're on both sides of the driveway.

You'll notice that the Pride flag is gone.  Presumably, some homophobic idiot decided it didn't fit his world.

Speaking of homophobic idiots, Catholic priests in St. Catharines are refusing to go into schools that fly the Pride flag.  They probably would think that the guy who stole David's flag was pretty cool!

Kind of ironic, since some of them are probably gay and possibly  involved in child sex abuse!  Don't get me going!

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Getting back on topic, I used some of those baskets to finish the garden I was working on.

I was going to plant them, but that sign is going to be replaced in a month or so.  I just left them in the baskets so they can be moved when necessary.  It also makes the garden easier to weed.

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This car visited the greenhouse today.

This Pontiac station wagon (today it would be called an SUV) is 50 years old!  Looks good and runs nicely.  Almost as pretty as Mardi's 14 year old convertible.

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Blue Jays lost to the Orioles 5 - 6.  They'll have another go tomorrow.

Stay well.  Keep breathing.

Home Town

 Golfed at Cambridge again today.  My scores there this year have been either 98 or 99.  In a rut, but I'm afraid that if I complain the scores might soar.

I won $2 and it was a beautiful day.  Let's leave it at that.  Positivity as Kathryn says.

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My Ottawa daughters are always creative in their gift selections.  And today, for Father's Day, I received two T shirts associated with the TV show Home Town, which they know that I watch.

We had planned to visit Laurel before the pandemic hit.  Hopefully, we will be able to do that in the future, perhaps on our way home from Florida next spring.

Thank you ladies!

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Blue Jays 11 - Orioles 1.  A fun game to watch.

Stay well.

Pylons and putting

 A big shoutout to Maureen and Matt, who are celebrating their 18th anniversary today.  Mardi and I attended their wedding and count them as best friends.  We've enjoyed golf, card games, and vacations together and we're looking forward to being together again in Florida this coming winter.  Enjoy your day!

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Cut grass at the greenhouse before the rain chased me home.

Discovered a Killdeer nest along the driveway and marked it with a pylon so that I won't accidentally run over it with the mower.

Four speckled eggs.  That's their routine.

I think that this is the same pair that lost their eggs from the last nest they had just a bit further down the road.  One day there were four eggs, the next day none.  I assume that a coyote discovered the nest.

Coincidentally, I saw a coyote today way out in the back field.  Hope he doesn't make the connection between pylons and nests.

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The swallows are starting to return.  Won't be long before they're doing their ballet dives around the mower as I stir up insects for them.

But, this Purple Martin won't be doing any flying.

Not sure what knocked it out of the air, but I left it for nature to deal with it.

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Blue Jays beat the Tigers, 6 - 0 today.  Back on track.

And Rory McIlroy won the Canadian Open for the second consecutive time (2019 was the first, and the Open was not held during the pandemic).

A popular win for the almost Canadian.  He's been saying all the right things about the Open and about the PGA as the Saudis and Greg Norman throw millions at the tour players to try to improve the Saudi image and hurt the PGA.

The good guys won today. 

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Stay well.

Optimistic Even Though I Was Let Down

 For those of you who have continued to support our Optimist Club Ham and Turkey Rolls, thank you.  As you will see from the following club report, we have done as well as could be expected during the pandemic.

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Optimist Club of Stoney Creek - 2020-2021

2020-2021 was a tough year for the club. Our hall was closed for the year, costing the club thousands of dollars in lost rental revenues. 

Our club events and the Peach Festival were either cancelled or seriously curtailed, denying the club it’s usual source of revenues.

We met by Zoom and with some creativity held our Turkey and Ham rolls live streamed on YouTube.

We did our best to keep up with our support of youth in the community by cutting back on the individual amounts we donated.

With everything the club did accomplish - meetings, communication, donations, events, etc., Stoney Creek rated in the District 9th overall out of 54 clubs in the District!  Only the Top Ten get recognized!

It was a tough year, but the Optimist Club of Stoney Creek stood tall because of the dedication of our membership. Everyone deserves a pat on the back!

As do our supporters.  Thanks again.

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This morning, Mardi, Judy and I did our yard sale thing.  We each found treasures.  Mine were two Navajo sandpaintings, and a carved Loon.

$1 each!  Ignore the cost of gas please.

A great way to spend time with a couple of the (many) people that I love!

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Then I headed to the greenhouse to cut grass.  Judy told me that the rain in the forecast had been cancelled.  She lied!  But I got an hour and a half of cutting done before I had to run for shelter.

Coming home I dropped Mardi off at the front door of the building so she could pour our drinks while I parked in the lot and waited for a break in the rain.  Got up to the condo and she hadn't poured the drinks yet!

Got let down by two of the women I love.  Gave my head a shake!

But I'm still an Optimist!

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Blue Jays dropped today's game with Detroit 1 - 3.  Better luck tomorrow.

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Stay well.

Baby Is Back

 This morning the next step was taken on our balcony.

This finish coat apparently takes 28 days to cure.  So, it will be mid July or later that we get our new railings.

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Then, we headed to Elmira to get Mardi's car.  All fixed and washed and ready for a queen.  She's a happy camper!

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Next up was a trip to Port Dover.  Shared a foot long and fries before the show.  It was good - but not quite as good as the last one.

In describing the lady who was so good last time, I would call her a female Tim Conway.  Her physical timing was perfect.

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On the way home we heard the final inning of the Blue Jays 10 - 1 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Stay well.

Left Handed Shovels

 Headed to the greenhouse this morning to work on a garden.

Part of the garden has been cleaned up and looks OK.

At the farthest left part of this garden you can see the Cactus.  It has new leaves and florets growing.  Should be a nice show soon.  Monica, we'll race to see whose Cactus flowers first!

But, the other part of the garden didn't look so good this morning.  Weeds everywhere.

I'm having some fun learning how to use the shovel holding it right handed, but using my left foot.  Ended up on my ass a couple of times when my body couldn't figure out what the hell I was trying to do.

But, I eventually got the hang of it and this garden is ready for planting.  That will happen Saturday - tomorrow we're heading to Elmira to rescue Mardi's car.  And then to the Lighthouse Theatre in Port Dover.

Work lasted about two and half hours before my body told me to smarten up.

Roger asked me yesterday if this leg issue was going to get better.  And the answer is, I don't know.  I have spinal stenosis (narrowing of the nerve channels) and previously had "drop foot".  My right foot hung down and I couldn't move it.  Several weeks with a brace and other nerves managed to take over.  Not as strong, but the foot works mostly OK now.  Still have some numbness in the lower leg.

So, my take on this current situation is that other nerves may eventually take over, but it won't be as strong as before.  And the longer term outlook is that I will have more such issues.  Oh well!  As Mardi says, it's better than the alternative!

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Yesterday, when Roger, Judy and I got together at Gage Park, we reminisced about our difficult childhoods, the ups and downs of life, and how we responded to those events.  But, we have all ended up doing well, with wonderful families and in a great country.

As my daughter Kathryn, who has had a more difficult life than any of us says, "only look at the positives, not the negatives.  Don't drag yourself down."

History can't be changed.  But the future can.

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I picked Mardi up after her golf and we headed to The Black Forest Inn for dinner with David and Sue.  We then headed to Theatre Aquarius to see Ring of Fire, a Johnny Cash tribute show.

A nice night!

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No Blue Jays game.

Stay well.

A Busy Day

 Kathryn shared the following picture of my great granddaughter Rowan with her grandma Barbara.  Damn she's cute!  So is Rowan😏

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Speaking of granddaughter pictures, Harry and Meghan weren't allowed to have pictures taken of the Queen meeting Lilibet.  WTF!

Just reinforces my feeling that British "royalty" is totally out of touch with humanity and is on its way to oblivion.

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While I was at the greenhouse this morning, they waterproofed our balcony.

One more step for mankind.

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Roger and Judy and I met today at Al's favourite squirrel counting spot - Gage Park near the lawn bowling facility.  

Didn't count many squirrels though.

There was a Cardinal on the scene but he took a hike when I reached for the phone to take his picture.

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And then it was time for our Optimist meeting.  Mardi borrowed a wheelchair from her friend upstairs in our building and we picked up Jim Smythe.  

Jim was President of the Club in 1986-87.  A few years later he outgrew his President's jacket.  I had done the same so he gave me his jacket.  So I'm wearing a 35 year old jacket tonight.

His 97th birthday is coming up in a few days, but this is our last meeting until September, so Mardi bought him a cake and we celebrated early.

A great guy!  Hope we can repeat these get-togethers for a few more years.

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Blue Jays lost tonight 8 - 4 to the Royals after two shutout wins in a row.

Stay well.

Mardi's Baby

 Golfed today at Cambridge.  Much more satisfying than yesterday's round.  My putter was not cooperating today, but still managed to shoot 99.

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Got home in time to see Mardi's car go on holiday.

Water pump finally quit - it had been making noises for some time.  Apparently, the engine compartment has to be taken apart so that the rad (the water pump is in the rad!) can be replaced.  Big job, but it's a beautiful car and worth the cost of repair.

The car is on its way to Voisin Chrysler in Elmira, where fishing friend John Hughes is the Service Manager.  Should be back in Mardi's hands next week.

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The start of the Blue Jays game in Kansas City has been delayed for two hours due to weather.  Will start in about 10 minutes (at 10:15 p.m.) and I'm not sure that I will make it through the game.  I've been up since 5 a.m. this morning.

Stay well.

Two Days In One

 Just realized that I neglected to copy the blog over to email on Sunday.  This is what you missed (if you're still wasting your time reading this thing).................

Two special people celebrated birthdays today.  Niece Robin (that's why sister Judy wasn't available for yard sales yesterday - she's visiting her daughter) and my daughter Jo-Ann.  Best wishes go out to both.

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Mardi and I played golf at Southern Pines today - a poor excuse for a golf course.  It's not in good condition!

Of course, I'm a poor excuse for a golfer these days, so it was a good match 😞.  I'm not in good condition either.

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While we're on the topic of poor excuses, the Blue Jays were just that today.  Dropped two catchable balls in the first inning, due to the sun (and the lack of sun glasses and hustle).  Lost 6 - 8 to the Twins.

Glad that we missed watching it due to our golf game! (But they won Monday night's rain delayed game 8 - 0.  I went to bed at midnight when they were in the 6th inning and winning 6 - 0.)

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Now, back to today.  Rain in the forecast, so Mardi didn't go golfing and I didn't go to the greenhouse.  Lucky that we still love each other enough to spend the day together indoors.

It also means that I have a thick hide, because we play Skip-Bo when we're stuck here.  It's probably time that I shared my pathetic results:

2020 - I had more points in total, but Mardi won 27 games to my 25.

2021 - Mardi beat me 18,690 in points to my 14,995 and 26 to 14 in games.

2022 to-date - Mardi is ahead by 1145 points, which isn't a lot, but she's up 14 games to 6.  I obviously need help!

Thankfully, we also do Wordle where I'm a bit ahead.  And Mardi won't play Sudoku anymore because I kept winning.  But I'm damned if I'm going to give up on Skip-Bo.

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Had dinner tonight with Kathryn.  First time in quite a while.  It's nice to get caught up.

And the Blue Jays had another shutout, beating the Kansas City Royal 7 - 0.

So today was a good day.  Stay well.

God Save The Queen.......

 .......because I don't like her successors.

I think that it is time to shed the connection to the Royal Family.  

But, our Indigenous peoples value the Crown because they believe that their original guarantees were with the Crown, and that Canada has eroded (a kind word for what happened) that original trust.  If the Monarchy were to end, they don't trust Canada to do what is right.  The stalled Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women review suggests they may be right.

Not sure what the ultimate answer should be. 

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Blue Jays 12 - Twins 3.  A nice recovery.

Stay well.

A 75% Approval Rating

 More noise on the balcony this morning.  Looks like they're getting ready to do the waterproofing.

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Took an inventory of the skids of soil at the greenhouse.  Then cut some grass.

Mardi spent her three hours there helping the ladies with line production, then cleaned geraniums and pinched back cuttings.  Good work babe!

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Voter turnout for our Ontario election was the lowest in history!   Only 43.5% actually voted.  

So my take is that perhaps the other 56.5% were satisfied with Doug's record (prove otherwise Sven) which would overall give him a satisfaction rating of about 75%.   The few folks who actually voted, decided that Doug Ford was the guy!  So we're in for a calm four years while the NDP and the Liberals decide what they're going to need in a "leader".  Additionally, Sven's Liberals have to figure out how to become a real officially recognized party!

Quite frankly, I'm impressed with the job that Doug did on Covid.  He was a voice of calm during that storm, when every world leader was feeling their way.

And he made friends with some unions!  Sven must be gobsmacked!  Andrea Horwath sure was!

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Today, Joe Biden said that 18,000 Americans had been killed by guns so far this year.  Even more disturbing, deaths of children by guns exceed police and military gun deaths combined.

Will they finally act?  Not on your life (or the lives of lots more children)!

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Blue Jays lost 9 - 3 to the Minnesota Twins.  Shake it off guys.

Stay well.

He Got It Done

 The Iris plants are blooming beautifully right now.  And behind them, the flag is flying to honour Pride Month.

When Sue was teaching, she took on the responsibility of being the liaison with the LGBTQ community at the high school.  

Looking good!

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Got a boost today.  Passed a commercial lawn mower being towed out of a wet ditch.  I'm not the only one!

And, a second boost: when I was moving skids of dirt with the fork lift, a customer stopped me to offer thanks to Trillium Hill for the Easter Lily giveaway back when Covid started.  She works for nursing homes and took a lot of plants to share with her people.  A feel good moment!

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Had dinner at Al's favourite fine dining establishment, Teddy's in Grimsby.  Under new ownership and even better (and more busy) than before.  Al, Liz, Mardi and I each had the Thursday Wing Special (half price).  But, they were out of Canadian Club, Al's favourite beer, and had no amber beer either.  On the brighter side, Mardi's substitute drink was a Rum and Ginger Beer.  Quite nice.

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Blue Jays 8 - White Sox 3.  Eight wins in a row.

Ontario PC's are taking twice as many ridings as all the others put together.  Two wins in a row.  Let's hope they stay steady and don't get arrogant.

Keep breathing.

Passport Backlog B.S.

 Sven has been having a bit of a struggle trying to get a passport in time for a trip to Europe.  Unfortunately the trip had to be cancelled, but the tragi-comedy carries on.  His dealings with the passport office have been unbelievable, even beyond the usual government incompetence.

Sean and Jaimie are joining us for our first weeks in Florida (Mardi and Jaimie are flying down, Sean and I are sharing the driving) so I alerted him to the shemozzle.  They both need new passports.

Fortunately, my passport doesn't expire until 13 days after my 90th birthday.  Will a replacement be needed?  Stay tuned.

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Spent an hour and a half at the greenhouse before the darkening skies chased me home.  Got in the door just as the skies opened up.

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Blue Jays 7 - White Sox 3.  This is the year!

Stay well.