Happy Hallowe'en

My thanks to John Buckley for this pumpkin to help us celebrate the holiday.

And best wishes to Lincoln Brownell, who is celebrating his 11th birthday - no doubt with a ton of candy!

It's also the 20th anniversary of my first date with Mardi.  Thanks again Ed.

And, I'm not sure that he and Rose intended it this way, but I've decided that the three young pine trees that they have given me today to plant at the greenhouse are to celebrate our special event.

I told them that donating trees to the greenhouse was like "taking coals to Newcastle", but we do have some spots where they can go and I love projects like this.  I can look around the gardens and see special projects that are now flourishing.  They don't mean anything to anyone else particularly but I can look back fondly and enjoy the projects that have been successful (joy comes in special private moments sometimes).  Whether I'm still around when these little guys are grown is the next challenge.

So, I found some gaps in the tree line where the baby pines could go.

The next step is to remove the sod inside the new perimeter.  But the carpel tunnel is acting up so that will have to wait for another day.

Closing these gaps will probably save me about five minutes every time that I cut the grass.  A nice side benefit.

--------------------------------------

Enjoy the hob goblins, and stay well.

A Good Weather Day

 Our local area was once called Community Beach.  It was the location of quite a few small cottages.  Today, most of those cottages have been replaced or enlarged, but there are still a few left.

And one of them does a special job of decorating for Hallowe'en and Christmas.

Fun to watch the kids take it all in.

-----------------------------------

Headed to the optometrist this morning for a post cataract checkup.  The surgery was a complete success, but it turns out that I still could use glasses to correct for a bit of astigmatism.  Not mandatory, but why not see perfectly?  Plus I need reading glasses, so we will go with bifocals.  It should be interesting getting used to them.  And, I won't need to wear them all the time, which means that I will probably lose them sometime.  

-------------------------------------

Took advantage of a marvelous weather day to cut the grass at the greenhouse for what will probably be one of the last times this year.  Just weeding and digging left I guess.

------------------------------------

Tonight we headed to Theatre Aquarius for a musical show "Boy Falls From The Sky".  Quite a performance!  Three back-up musicians, otherwise a one man show.  Jake Epstein is an accomplished actor and musician and he tells the story of his career in music, dance and humour.   It runs until November 4 at Aquarius.

------------------------------------

Stay well.

Goofy, Gardens and Great Card Playing

 Today is the anniversary of John and Rada (he calls her Goofy).

Forty-one years!  After that many years anyone who knows John can vouch for the fact that Rada is a saint!  Best wishes to our good friends!

----------------------------------------------------

Finished another garden today.

And, while I was digging out the weeds and vines I came across a 2 inch pine sapling.  And I had just the space to plant it.

Apparently, I should have held the camera closer!  Oh well, my great grandkids will get to enjoy it.

----------------------------------------------

While I was slaving away😓, Mardi was visiting our friend Barb, who is making great progress on her recovery.

Keep up the good work Barb!

---------------------------------------------------

After we had dinner it was time to play a game of cards.  If anyone knows the game Skip-Bo, they will recognize what a hole-in-one looks like in that game.

You start with a one, and that should have been great for me, but Mardi had a wild Skip-Bo, which meant that she started first.  And she had three other Skip-Bo's in her hand so she stymied me!

But the wily old fart still won the hand  😉!  I think that means trouble in paradise 😰.

--------------------------------------------

Stay well.

Birthdays

We have some birthdays to celebrate today.  First and foremost, is Bessie Lee Wong, Calvin's 103 year old mom!  Calvin's in Montreal visiting to help her celebrate today.  Wonderful.

Our niece Rhiannon is 70 years younger than Bessie.  That's a nice age.  

And Gary and Jill's son, Jayson, is in between.  Best wishes to all three!

---------------------------------------------

 We golfed yesterday for what may be one of the last times in 2023.  Willow Valley was chilly and windy, and the fairways were pretty damp.  But we escaped the 60% chance of rain.

We didn't score very well (at least the two guys in our cart) but it is a beautiful course and the fellowship always matters.  Hopefully, we'll get out at least one more game in before the weather makes it unbearable.

------------------------------------------

Today, my lady and I headed to the Ontario College of Health and Technology for a $10 massage from one of the students.  Felt good!

Decided not to wreck it by doing any gardening 😉.  That can wait until tomorrow.

------------------------------------------

Stay well and age gracefully.

A Good Day

 All in all, today was a good day.  It started with two hours on my knees digging out weeds at Trillium Hill, which wasn't that much fun, but it did give me a chance to enjoy the beginning of the colour change on the escarpment.

-----------------------------------------

Then, I attended the Celebration of Mary-Anne Leach's Life.  It was good to see Ron again - he dropped out of golf to devote his time to Mary-Anne during her lengthy illness.  She went out on her own terms, bless her soul.

It will be good to have Ron join us on the golf course again next season.  And Ron, don't worry about your wonky knee - Al and I will tee your ball up and retrieve it from the cup.  We know you can't rely on Sven!

------------------------------------------

And, tonight at the Optimist meeting we were glad to see Sylvia Pawluk again.  She and Peter were staunch members of the club until they relocated to the west coast eight years ago to be near their sons.  

That's Sylvia, Matchmaker Ed, and Rose.

---------------------------------------------

However, there is a bit of bad news.  First, Mardi beat me at cards again.  And second, sorry folks, but it's time for our Optimist Turkey Roll once again.  Same as last year, $20 gets you 7 chances to win a turkey/gift card.  

Every dollar goes to the charities we support.  We can do that because hall rentals cover our meeting nights, plus we overcharge ourselves for our dinners, and we have a pay bar - and those funds cover our club expenses.

Let me know if you can help us out once again.

--------------------------------------

Stay well.

Miscellaneous

Birthday greetings today to Cristian Lougheed.  Best wishes to that young man!

-------------------------------------------- 

Saturday, Mardi and I joined "Compost Captain" Ray, a fellow member of our Shoreliner Garden Club, after he returned from filling up his trailer with compost.

He filled the trailer himself, and did more work than either of us in emptying it.

Well done Ray!  Our gardens are going to look pretty spiffy next year!

Then, I headed to the greenhouse where I picked up Sean and we headed to Costco to refill two propane tanks and a gas can.

But, the weather was such that I didn't hang around after that.  And Sunday wasn't much better.  

------------------------------------------ 

But, we did enjoy brunch with Rada and John yesterday.

They brought gifts for each of us from PEI, and mine was special!

It's always nice to get together to bring each other up-to-date on our happenings.  And we always have some good laughs.

----------------------------------------------

Today was a weeding day at the greenhouse.  Not much to talk about there.

Then headed to Hamilton General for my three month checkup on the stents.  Answered a few questions asked by what appeared to be a novice, somewhat unsure, assistant to the doctor and then was sent on my way.  Guess everything is just fine 😌.  Next check-up in six months.

And, today was the last day that I needed to put drops in my eyes.  Everything "looks" fine there as well 😎.

----------------------------------------------

Finished the day with a Garden Club meeting.

Then drinks.

Stay well.

Looking Up

 Happy birthday to Pat - yesterday.  Best wishes!

----------------------------------------------

Jim has pointed out that the Orwell quote in my last posting is a bit misleading.  That quote did not appear in his book, but in a 2014 theatre adaptation.  Nonetheless, we are agreed that the screen does encourage the mindless masses to swallow and spread drivel.

To prove the point though, I was guilty of "not looking up" when I accepted the attribution of the quote to Orwell's book.  That's how Trump gets his followers too - the masses don't look up.

----------------------------------------------

I try not to get into religious discussions, but the events in the Middle East have caused me to "look up from my screen" and offer my thoughts.

Religions have a good side and an evil side.  And the evil sides are winning right now.  Any Muslim who believes that their God, Mohammad, is cheering them on as they celebrate the rapes, killings (including beheadings) and hostage taking of Jews is evil incarnate!

And I know that the Jews need to defend themselves, but they appear just as heartless with their response.

I don't know what the Jews did to bring on almost universal hatred from other religions (other than being a different religion), but surely it shouldn't lead to this.  They have been vilified ever since the Christians created their religion, and the Muslims joined in when they created theirs.

They're not alone.  Sikhs versus Hindus.  Buddists versus Rohingya.  Catholics versus Protestants. And, on and on.  What the Hell?

Makes me wonder.  If we didn't have religions, would we still have wars?  I suppose so - mankind can be pretty brutal and would, no doubt, come up with other reasons to kill.  Just ask Putin.

------------------------------------------

On a happier note.  One of David's neighbour's properties is full of sunflowers.

They do brighten up your day!

Stay well.

Gardens and Giving

 Completed another garden.  First step was to expand the perimeter.

Then, get rid of that mess of field grass in the middle that has choked out some Day Lilies.  The Day Lilies weren't particularly happy in this location so they're getting dug out too.

I'm sure that I didn't get rid of all the field grass roots - they reside about four to six inches under the surface.  So, we won't put anything else in the garden until the spring, when we can find and remove any remaining grass.

But today's result will get us to that next step.  Four broken bags of top soil to fill the holes I made, fourteen broken bags of red mulch, and voila!

Unfortunately, soils and mulches come in very thin plastic bags.  Over time and with sun exposure they become very brittle.  This is a skid from last year.

It gives me lots to work with, but it doesn't do much for David's bottom line!

In any event, it's on to the next area.  I hope to get a few more of these done before the weather shuts me down.

------------------------------------------

My friend Wayne sent me some bits of wisdom and one of them hit me square on!  It probably summarized what a lot of the world is doing right now.  Written it 1949!

Written in 1949!  The man was a genius.

--------------------------------------------

Optimist meeting tonight.  Our guest speaker was from Habitat For Humanity and she was presented with a cheque for $500.

The club's projects have generated over $30,000 this year.  And it's being spread to do good in the community.

-------------------------------------------

Stay well my friends.

Clouds

 Two birthdays slipped by while we were absent on the blog front:

Gabriella Lougheed on Friday, and Mardi's brother Steve on Saturday.  Best wishes to both!

--------------------------------------

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  

Once again, Mardi and I are thankful to the matchmaker, Ed Strecker, for arranging our first date.  Later this month, on Hallowe'en, we will be celebrating the twentieth anniversary of that date!  Time sure flies when you're having fun!

So, my sweetie and I decided to head for the Fallsview Casino today to celebrate and to test our luck.  I was wearing my lucky socks so I was optimistic (it's in my DNA).

Apparently, the socks didn't work. 😕

Headed to the Innsville for turkey dinner afterwards.  The meal was great, but the waiter suggested that because of my socks I must be a Trudeau supporter.  Ughh!!!  Thanks Barbara!

--------------------------------------

Thanks to Pat, we have been educated on how clouds are formed.

Makes you worry a bit about what's in the rain doesn't it?

---------------------------------------

Tomorrow it's back to work.  Got some gardening to do.

Stay well.

A Two Sport Athlete

Didn't publish yesterday, so I missed the birthdays of Ron King and Al Addis.  All the belated best guys!

--------------------------------------- 

Last evening the Garden Club gathered to do a bit of transplanting and to remove a bunch of unsightly grass that was choking out some day lilies.

So, I woke up this morning with a sore back.  That's OK, it gave me another excuse, on top of my six week layoff, for my golf score.

Managed a 102 today - thanks to a few good shots - it felt like a worse round for sure.

However, others did better, including Matt's birdie which we are celebrating in this picture.....

......and Calvin's eagle, which he and Sandro are celebrating as well.

Last time I saw an eagle it was at a zoo 😉.

--------------------------------------

After Mardi returned from choir practice tonight we played Skip-Bo again.  Not a good experience!  After being in the lead for 8 months of the year, I've lost the last 6 games and I'm behind in the current one.

I complained a bit and my love tried to give me an excuse - after all I was worn out from playing two sports today, golf and cards, and I did some watering at the greenhouse.  

I had to sadly point out that I wasn't any good at either "sport" right now.

---------------------------------------

Stay well.

Yews

 Trimmed back the Yew hedge on Hunter Road.  It hadn't been worked on for quite a while!

Half done.  And it has different levels!  Who knew?

That hole will fill in by next year.
And, the finished result.

The three cedar columns on the front could use a light trim, but that can wait until the spring and will require an electric hedge trimmer and a ladder.  My WSIB caretaker doesn't want me up on a ladder - sorry David.

And, by then the yew hedge will do better with an electric trimmer.  But a manual approach was best for this initial exploratory trim.

Then I headed to the greenhouse to trim my Trillium Hill topiary.

The cross on the T has been slow to fill in on this side, but it's coming.  Shade from the hydro boxes is part of the problem. The sex of that bush (it grows the berries) may also contribute.

-----------------------------------------

Blue Jays continued their up and down season with a loss in the first playoff game against the Minnesota Twins.  They must now win two in a row or the season will be over for them.

Stay well.

Asses and Grasses

 Fishguts member Barry recounted the joy of our visits to the French River - great hosts, good friends, and an occasional fish.  Special times!

Mardi's dad loved the French as well, and probably for the same reasons, although he likely caught more fish than we did.

Barry also wrote that he was flummoxed by the attitude of people as it relates to Truth and Reconciliation.  Well, here's another one for you.

Stupid witch Marjorie Taylor Greene and her other MAGA idiots have just forced the (gutless) Republicans to pass a money bill that ends all U.S. government financial support to the Ukrainians.  Obviously these idiots weren't born in the 1940's or 1950's!  They should have met Hitler and Khrushchev (well, maybe they would have ended up being good friends to those jackass killers!).

--------------------------------------------

On to better things.  My cataract sabbatical is over and I'm cutting grass again.

Today, I cut the grass at 18 Hunter Road.

I'm including these pictures for the benefit of Sue and David so that they can relax and continue to enjoy their European sojourn.  Next time I'll bring along some clippers and trim back the Yew in the front of the house.

Then I headed to the greenhouse and, among other things, cut a dog walker path around the perimeter of the back field (the six foot wide path along the edge - the brown part is dead grass) for Charlie and his helper (mostly Sean, I'm the backup).  It helps to minimize the tick risk.

While there I found this newly dug muskrat hole in the septic bed area that I cut.

It's about 8 inches across, and 15 feet from the drainage ditch and about 30 feet from the pond.  Pretty impressive digging for a small rodent.  And, where are the coyotes and the hawks when you need them?

---------------------------------------------------

The Blue Jays start the post season on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.  It's been pretty scary watching them get to this point but, hopefully, we'll be cheering on a World Series winner.  Hold your breath. 

But stay well.