Trees, Tease and Eyes

 Thought that I should finish the story about the Christmas tree stands.  First, you take this tapered drill and drill a hole up into the base of the trunk of the tree.

Then, you stand four trees on the steel posts to display them for the customers.

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Meanwhile, my love has been sitting on a balcony in Mexico, overlooking the pool, and drinking rye.  Not fair!   What a tease!

The closest that I could come to getting even was to have a pre-Christmas lunch with brother Roger and sister Judy.

We talked for four hours, reminiscing about our lives and our heritage.  I only came to tears three or four times.  

It was a wonderful way to spend time together.

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Then it was off to my Optometrist to follow up on light flashes that I have been getting at night, which suggest a retina trying to detach.

You know that I have been complaining about our health care system lately, still on a waiting list for over five months regarding my carpal tunnel problem, and Mardi waiting for cataract surgery.

Well, this time it was different.  I called the Optometrist yesterday and got today's appointment.  After examining me she then got me an appointment at the St. Joseph's Urgent Care Eye Clinic for an hour later.

They didn't find a problem, but they in turn have booked me for 11:15 on December 16 with the doctor who lasered my eyes in 2009.  Excellent response!  I definitely want this issue to be dealt with before we leave for Florida!

(Judy, in case he lasers me again, are you available to get me to, 867 Upper Paradise, and fro?  Mardi will still be drinking Rye in Mexico that day.)

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And tonight, the Optimist Club's Christmas dinner.  Sat with Ed and Rose who will be joining us in Florida for 12 days in February.  Another nice night.

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Stay well.

She Left Me

 In the dead of night she left me......

.......heading away for a week with her son, A.J., at his place in Mexico.

But, I'll get even.  I'll enjoy time with David when he accompanies me on the drive to Florida.  We plan a golf game then too, plus a middle of the night ride to the airport when I send him home.

Mother and son.  Father and son.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Sorry girls 😇.

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Today's project was to repair and build Christmas tree stands.

One repair went well.  A second ended with a sacrificial fire.  Some trial and error involved.

Speaking of Christmas trees, the new GST holiday includes them in its mandate.  The only such item that David sells.  So, after December 14, David has to figure out how to exempt them from GST.  

Probably only a few trees left by then, so an expensive system fix isn't justified.  Knowing David, he'll come up with an ingenious solution!

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My friend Wayne sent me the following:

Below is the last paragraph in Volker Ullrich's riveting account of Hitler's final years as the Fuhrer.

 

" If Hitler's life and career teaches us anything, it is how quickly democracy can be prised from its hinges when political institutions fall and civilising forces in society are too weak to combat the lure of authoritarianism, how thin the mantle separating civilization from barbarity actually is, and what human beings are capable of when the rule of law and ethical norms are suspended and some people are granted unlimited power over the lives of others"

 

This message is really meant for the people in the United States who voted to put Trump back in the White House. You should be very afraid. What have you done to your republic?

In our next federal election I plan to vote for someone who might have the same tendencies.  But in Canada we seem to be able to get rid of, and control, the bad ones a bit better.  Despite the risk, we need to toss out Trudeau and his word salad party before they make our country look even more foolish and bankrupt us.  One Conservative term should hopefully get us back on track.

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Stay well.

Trays and Toques

 Stopped by the greenhouse this morning when I was out shopping, to see how they made out after I left yesterday.  Apparently they didn't miss me, and finished just after lunch time.

Sean sent a picture of me at my post.

Actually, I only got to sit in that chair about a half hour each day.  Most of the time I was helping put trays on the floor, helping with the tagging, avoiding wrecks, or cleaning up wrecked trays that hit the floor at the corner.

And yesterday morning I spent a bit of time trying to fix the rows that our temp guy messed up while my attention was elsewhere.

The rows are supposed to be aligned with the posts on the left.  By the time that I caught his mistake he was two rows out of line.  I wonder why he was laid off from his previous job?

But all ends well.  These trays will be relocated when growth is showing and it is time to straighten out any off centre plants.  The trays will be relocated, straightened and there will be a separation between them.

Easter is late this year, so now we have four and a half months to regulate their growth through light and heat so that we have a nice show for April 20.  The ones that start to bloom early will head to a cooler to pause their growth.

Three thousand more bulbs will be arriving to be planted next week but that will fill less than half a house.  No sweat!

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And, she's still at it, between coughing spells.

Mardi has delivered about 30 to the Food Bank, sold 8 to a neighbour (gave the money to the Food Bank) and just keeps on going.  Well done babe!

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Stay well.

Aberfoyle with one Al

The greenhouse shift didn't go so well this morning.  Some wrecks at the corner while I was trying to help with the tagging, and a screwup in the setting down of the trays by our temporary worker while I was distracted by the wrecks and tagging.

Felt really guilty leaving Sean and the crew at the morning coffee break, but went anyway 😞.

After I got home and got cleaned up, David and Sue picked me up and we were off to the Aberfoyle Mill.  A glass of wine and my guilt was swept away  😋.

I have a great group of golfing friends......

........and the conversations flowed.  A really nice event.  Thanks for setting it up Gary!

And thanks to Al for this musical tribute.

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Stay well.

Lilys and Lunkheads

 Sorry for ignoring you folks for a couple of days.  It's been a busy week so far for an old goat (some say that "goat" means "greatest of all times" - in all modesty I must object, but thanks for the thought😏).

Eight hours at the greenhouse working on the Lily project, followed by a couple of ryes, then dinner and to bed by 8 or 9.  Three days in a row. Routine for an 87 year old, right?  Every bone in my body aches!

But, we're more than 75% complete.  Tomorrow should complete the planting.

Unfortunately, I'll only be there until coffee break.  Then it's off to a luncheon at the Aberfoyle Mill with my golf buddies, including David (sorry Trillium Hill folks, but you'll do just fine.  Sean's got it under control - he's the best).

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I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm more than a bit disturbed by Trump's comment about us becoming a 51st state.  Domenic Leblanc chalks it up as a joke.

Hey Domenic, Trump doesn't know how to joke!

Have you ever imagined conversations about how you would react to different situations?  I do.  And here's how my conversation would have gone.

Trump: We could make you our 51st state.

Me: Go ahead stupid.  We crushed you in 1812, we'll see how it goes next time.

Trump: It will be over in a day.

Me: That's what Putin said about the Ukraine three years ago.  Good luck.

Trump: We're better than Russia.

Me: Ok stupid.  You do realize that you'd also be fighting the U.K. and Australia right?  We're part of the Commonwealth.

Trump: It would be over before they get here.

Me:  Then we'll blow up the oil pipelines that are critical for your economy, and the Quebec Hydro lines that feed your northeast.  And we'll stop sending Maple Syrup your way.  You're toast my friend.

Isn't imagination wonderful?

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Relax.  Stay well.

Lily With One Al

 First off, a hearty best wishes to Dave Jewett on his birthday.  Although you're probably snowed in up there in Kincardine, hope you have had a good day Doc.

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I got to the Lily planting today despite spending so much time reading Al's emails.  It took just an hour to get some bulbs cleaned, start the line, train the temps and work out the kinks.

And we were on our way.

This is my corner.  If the trays come down slightly off line they crash and end up on the floor.  Only three dropped today and only one of them caused a momentary stop of the line.  I count that as a success.

After turning the corner they head into one of the houses to be placed on the floor.

And eight hours later, 14,000 made it.  Two houses complete.

We're 25% of the way!

Sadly, it didn't seem the same without Donna, who has recently retired from Trillium Hill and was a key person in our Lily plantings.

 

We all miss you Donna.   Charlie does too!  

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Back at it tomorrow.  Stay well.

 Not much to report today.  I headed to the greenhouse just to check on how Sean was making out setting up for the Lily run.  Looks good.  Can't wait 'till tomorrow to get started.

In the meantime, I thought that you folks might enjoy the Optimist Club's monthly bulletin.  It features our Pat in one of the pictures, and yours truly in a couple of others.  Mardi shows up a bit too.

Enjoy.  Stay well.