Friday, June 28th - it's been a crazy mixed up week but it's all good now - James arrives today!

It's currently a chilly 11' at 5:00 am and we're only going to reach 16' later with maybe a lot of rain later on, although it's not raining right now. What a change from the hot and sticky weather we had on Monday and Tuesday.

Let me catch you up a little bit with what's been going on out here.
I worked last Saturday morning and it was a beautiful day. Part way through the morning, Mike and Willow came in to visit with their new baby, Lily. She pretty much slept most of the time so I didn't really get to see her with her eyes open but I  can tell she looks a lot like her mom. I did get  a couple of pictures and one I thought was very cute as she looked deep in thought (and I'm sure she was thinking I wish these people would stop fussing and let me sleep!)

It was lovely to meet her for the first time and I look forward to seeing her again.

When I was done work,  Lloyd met me and we went up to the Rustico area. The gal I had met online through this blog is on the island with her husband working on their cottage. It was such a pleasure to meet them and we had a lovely afternoon sitting on their porch. Their house is absolutely lovely in spite of the fact they are still working on it. We had hoped to have them over for a meal but they have lots to do and a short period of time to finish it all. We also had a crazy busy week coming up so we all agreed that their turn to visit us will be in September when they come back. The weather was pretty hot during the first part of the week for them to be working in but now that it's cooled down it's good for inside jobs and the rain will help their grass grow so hopefully it's a good thing. I was so reminded of all the times Lloyd would come down for a visit and I would have a lengthy list of jobs I needed him to finish before he left. It was always a bit of a race to try to accomplish as much as possible until the next visit.

After we left their house we stopped in for a short visit with our friends Charles and Laura. I hadn't been to their new place yet and they have been really busy. They have planted lots and have a few new additions to their family - sheep, chickens and turkeys.

On our way home we stopped at two grocery stores and picked up the supplies we needed to feed the sales crew on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It turned out to be a pretty busy few days. We spent the entire day on Sunday in the kitchen together and it was really very enjoyable for both of us. We did as much as we could ahead because there wasn't going to be a lot of time during the week. Monday's menu was soup and build your own sandwich along with a veggie tray and butter tarts for dessert - all home made of course. Day one went very well. Day two was chili and cornbread although the cornbread didn't get eaten as much (that's okay, I happen to really like cornbread so don't mind the left overs). Dessert was our mandarin orange cake that they've all had before and really like. Day three was the much anticipated BBQ pulled pork on a bun. That's all they talked about earlier in the week - can't wait for Wednesday. Needless to say it was a hit. By all accounts the lunches were a total success. I have to give all the credit to Lloyd. He made the chili and the pulled pork, delivered everything, set it all up and served it and then put it all away again. We were glad it was only three lunches. It definitely would have been easier if I had been able to help but we did the best we could with the situation. I think they were pleased.

Tuesday was our 24th wedding anniversary (can you believe it???) and I was thrilled to receive a beautiful 2 dozen roses. Later that evening I suggested that it was a lot of money to spend and I bet we could have gotten a box of siding for what the roses cost. He agreed I might be right but that he would look pretty silly walking into the dealership with a package of siding, handing it to me and saying "Here, happy anniversary!"  Really? I would have been quite fine with that, but the roses are beautiful so thank you very much.

Brenda leaves this afternoon for her trip out west with the girls. She's pretty excited and I know the three of them will have a great time. She had to bring her bus into town yesterday so I met her at lunch and she took my car to run a few errands. She picked me up at 5:00 and well, it was supper time and we were both in town, so what else could we do but go and have something to eat. We had a lovely supper and a beer before heading back out to the country. She'll be gone for at least 10 days and will have lots to tell us when she gets back.

I checked out the garden last night and I actually have some seeds that are growing. It's very gratifying to see those neat rows of tiny seedlings poking their little heads out of the ground. Progress is being made and the rain makes it easier. Now we just need a bit of sunshine to really make them sprout up.

James arrives at lunch time this afternoon (hopefully) and we have a busy few says ahead of us. College of Piping tonight, Hedley tomorrow and it's not looking like the weather will be any too cooperative but hopefully it will be better than they are predicting. Not sure if we'll get to sleep in the tent or not but hopefully we will.

Check back with you on Monday!

Monday, June 24th - no post today - or Wednesday

good morning everyone. It's going to be a crazy busy few days with late nights and early mornings. Therefore, please check in on Friday morning when I will bring you all up to speed!

Friday, June 21st - another great day on the way

It seems like we've waited so long for the nice weather that we're enjoying every moment of it. It's currently 15' and we should reach a comfortable high of 22' this afternoon. The last two days were fabulous and today will be the same although there is a chance of thundershowers later today. I know it will rain because I purchased a really long garden hose and sprinkler yesterday and we set it all up last night to water the garden. Not to worry - it's now in place for further dry weather. I didn't get to the front flower bed so it needs rain anyway.

The last of the seeds have been planted and now we just watch and wait for the plants and/or weeds to grow.   Brenda has been really busy getting her yard work done this week as well. With Bernie away she's been going at it full force. Yesterday she borrowed my car for the morning and when she picked me up at lunch, we had time to go for ice cream before I dropped her at her bus. Ice cream, sitting outside at a picnic table in the bright sunshine - does it really get any better than that? I think not. She still has some jobs to complete before she leaves on her trip next Friday. She's heading to New Brunswick tomorrow to celebrate a brother in law's birthday just in time to meet up with Bernie who should arrive at said celebration the same day. He's had a great trip and this will be a nice way to end it.

It's been a busy few days at work and the next week may be a little chaotic. There's a big promotion going on and everyone will be working straight through the lunch hour from Monday to Wednesday. Lloyd and I have been asked if we are interested in  providing the food so we agreed. There will be some work involved but we may as well make a little money off of it rather than someone from outside.  We've gotten some menus planned that I think will work nicely.

Saturday afternoon Lloyd is meeting me after work and we're traveling up to visit the Ontario folks that found us via this blog. I'm really looking forward to meeting them and seeing their new place. I've watched the progress through their blog and it will be interesting to see the real thing.

Wednesday, June 19th - Lloyd had a very busy day yesterday

It's currently a mild 12' but the weather is saying we're only going up to 18' later on with lots of sun. We had that yesterday - lots of sun and 24' - what a gorgeous day it was indeed.
It doesn't say anything about rain for today but if the old adage "Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning" has any merit, we are surely in for something. For a brief time this morning the sky over the river was brilliant red and changed as you watched it.  But it was very quickly gone with no trace of pink in the sky so I think we may be safe. But it was quite a beautiful show for a couple of minutes.

On Monday evening we discussed how we would like to plant our garden after consulting some gardening books because let's face it, neither of us really has much of a clue! We decided on raised beds and the picture in the book was to just hill the dirt up into rows. Lloyd decided that was going to be his job for  the day. Well, when I got home was I in for a surprise. No wonder it took him all day and he was feeling pretty tired.

 He had made proper raised beds out of some of the scrap materials left from the garage construction. What a pleasure it's going to be to look after these very raised beds!  Unbelievable the amount of work that man can accomplish by himself in a day. While he showered and got changed I went straight to work putting the plants we already had, into the ground. He came out and was sitting in a lawn chair taking a much deserved rest and enjoying a cold beverage when Brenda arrived. Lloyd decided to go inside because the bugs were most irritating and as he had just showered he wasn't interested in dousing himself in bug spray - again.

Brenda stepped in and helped out. I took no time at all for the two of us to get the plants in. I told her now that she had planted some of the garden she had ownership of some of the produce. I may have bought a few too many tomato plants so we'll have lots for making our chow at the end of the summer! Hopefully I'm not too late in getting things planted. I know that the seeds should have been in before this but we'll see what happens. Now that the area has been prepared, it will be easier to get an early start next year.  Tonight will be the seed planting night.  Now I just need a little rain to water everything nicely.

If it works out and we're happy with the results, we'll more than likely put in something a little more permanent in future years in terms of the raised beds. But this should do just fine for this year.

As none of us had eaten yet, I put some hot dogs on the BBQ and Lloyd and Brenda gathered together the condiments. While Lloyd sliced up some onions (and a finger) to make fried onions, Brenda got on to buttering the hot dog buns. I'd never seen this done before and what a great addition to the flavour of the over all product.

I have to say our hot dogs were mighty delicious - for just plain old hot dogs but then we were all pretty hungry.  While we ate we watched one of the movies Brenda had rented earlier in the week. By the time it was over and we had finished our meal and our tea, it was time to call it a night. So, a big thanks to the two of them for all their help. It was very much appreciated!
 (Have I mentioned lately just how incredibly spoiled I am???)

Monday, June 17th - a not so chaotic weekend come and gone

It's currently 12' and overcast but there are patches of sun breaking through the clouds over the river this morning. We're supposed to have scattered showers and cloud for most of the day but we'll see. Our high should reach 19' later.

Before I forget, a big belated Happy Birthday to Meghan (1) who celebrated over the weekend. I'd slept in on Friday and didn't check my birthday calendar while doing the blog because I was rushed for time - that'll teach me!  I understand there were some festivities in Toronto to mark the occasion and a good time was had by all.

It was an activity filled weekend but not crazy busy like some have been lately. Bernie left on a bike trip on Friday so Brenda was on her own all weekend. She came over early on Saturday morning and in spite of some coolish temperatures we sat out on the balcony and had our coffee and muffins in the sunshine.

From there I headed to work and she ran errands.  When I got home from work Lloyd wasn't home but the first thing I spotted was my vegetable garden  had been tilled. Our neighbour  who lives just down at the corner had come over and done it for us. Now the work begins!

We had a dinner to attend so I didn't get into it right away. Saturday evening was the volunteer dinner at the Rec Centre with our choice of lobster or BBQ steak. Dinner was delicious as usual and followed by trivia. Our team didn't win but we did pretty well.

Sunday morning dawned chilly but sunny with the promise of being nice all day. I was up early and had my coffee outside and a little while later Lloyd joined me.  After coming inside I made some breakfast for us before heading out to tackle the garden.

Hopefully it will have plants by the end of the week

 I'm terribly out of shape and I only got through half of it, removing the clumps of grass and the rocks, and smoothing it out, before I had a decent blister on each hand. Not to mention my back was also complaining quite a bit. So I decided it was time to give it a rest. While I was working on the garden, Lloyd was working on my bike. The poor little thing really needed some attention. Last year I had dropped it - twice - in the lane and the assembly around the headlight was broken badly as well as the windshield. I'd gotten the headlight piece fixed at a local body shop and Lloyd had picked up a new windshield on one of his trips to Ontario.

The unfinished garage is still a great place to work 

By the time it was all put back together we were sitting outside having a cold drink when we heard the unmistakable sound of a Harley approaching. Sure enough, it was Brenda, with impeccable timing.  I quickly got changed and we headed out for my first ride of the season.  We went over to the school and  drove around the parking lot for a while until I felt a little more comfortable. It's always the same each year - you need to break into it gradually. From there we headed out to the Trans Canada to get some gas. I was stopped at a stop sign when this big brightly coloured Harley pulled up beside me and the driver gave me the piece off the side of my bike. Apparently it had fallen off and I never saw it go. Lucky for me he saw it and stopped and retrieved it for me. We got our gas then headed back home as my signal lights weren't working properly so it really wasn't safe to be out on the highway. Lloyd still has some work to do on it!

It was a warmish day but windy and we both felt the chill. When we got back to my place we had tea then Brenda went home to  make dessert. We figured she might as well have supper with us as she was alone. When she returned a while later with the car we had a glass of wine and supper. We marinated a pork tenderloin and Lloyd cooked it perfectly on the BBQ. Some chinese dumplings to start,  a caesar salad, some rice and carrots with the pork followed by a delicious Rhubarb and Blueberry crumble that Brenda made, was a pretty good way to end the day.

All in all not a bad weekend. It was nice to have the weather cooperate for the entire weekend for a change!

Friday, June 14th - this weather is really starting to get people down

It's a chilly 9' this morning and we're only going up to 15' later with a chance of rain - again.  It's really hard to think of this as almost summer because it sure doesn't feel like it. As usual the weather seems to be the biggest topic of conversation when folks come into the dealership. It can only get better, right? It could be much worse. The record low daytime temperature for our area was 2002 when it was 2' and the record low was in 1969 when it was 28' - neither of those is really very pleasant so I suppose 15' isn't really so bad after all. We just have to put it into the right perspective.

Lloyd has been really busy around the place this week. In addition to the jobs that got done earlier he now has the gravel spread around the back yard so it doesn't look quite so patchy. It will be a functional place to park I suppose. It's going to take me a while to get used to it.  He does have a plan apparently and I'm sure it will all shape up eventually.

James is excitedly waiting for his trip to PEI. He's taking bagpipe lessons at Air Cadets so I'm taking him to the College of Piping when he's here. They have a production they put on each summer called Highland Storm that features all kinds of music and of course, pipe music.  He's going to be quite a busy boy while he's here and musically quite diverse - from bagpipes to Hedley.  All our activities will be balanced with a nice cup of tea - something he seems to really enjoy, although I'm not sure what he drinks could actually qualify as tea given the amount of milk and sugar that his contains. But he's got the idea anyway. He will often say to me "Grandma, we should have a cup of tea and a chat".  It's really quite cute.

(All I have to do is figure out how to rotate this darn picture! )

The last time I was in Guelph I went with Patti to a little shop that mostly sells the little  K-cups for coffee but they also have a nice selection of loose teas. I picked up a blend called "Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea".  James really enjoyed the process of putting the tea leaves into the little tea sacs and making our own tea bags when he was here at Christmas and at Easter. He and I were driving in Guelph last weekend and as we passed the little shop I mentioned that I needed to stop there before I went home and pick up some more tea. He was quite surprised to learn that I'd gotten the tea in Guelph. He wanted to know "Why don't I know this?"  So before I left to come back to the island, I went in and bought him his own package of tea and a package of the little tea sacs. What a boy!

Well, I slept in a bit this morning forgetting that it was Friday so time is of the essence right now. Have to run to get ready for work. Have a great weekend and we'll catch up on Monday!

Wednesday, June 12th - back to the cooler weather for a couple of days

We've had a couple of really nice days but now it's back to rain and cooler temperatures. It was meant to rain overnight but I'm not seeing any evidence of it this morning. In fact when I let the dog out at 5:15 there were a few rain drops on the pavement but nothing serious. I guess it's waiting for later today. We are supposed to reach a rainy high of 14' later - it's 13' now and overcast so I guess this is as good as it's going to get for the day.

Lloyd has been working really hard the past couple of days with a little help from his friends. The shingles are now complete on the roof of the garage. It was a time consuming and tedious job but with some help for the last few days it's finally done. Thank you Bernie for assisting as well as finding some additional help. As they say, many hands make light work!

Yesterday was a clean up day. We had a huge pile of scrap pieces of wood, branches that were either cut off, or blew off the trees, and various other bits and pieces of wood that needed to be disposed of. It was a clear calm day - the perfect day to have a fire and burn off the debris. I'd also had some trouble with the lawn mower on Monday evening so he had time to fix that and finish the grass cutting as well. A pile of split fire  wood is waiting to be moved, the veggie garden should be plowed up in the next couple of days thanks to another neighbour, and we'll be well on our way. The trees are now out in full leaf and with the grass cut it's starting to look pretty great again - one of the reasons we chose this spot.  My flower gardens are doing well and I picked up some herbs yesterday. A couple more to track down and we're done.  I also picked up a really pretty rain gauge yesterday so I can tell just how much rain we actually receive each time it pours. I just checked it and my suspicions are correct - no rain received over night but it's just starting to sprinkle now at 5:30.

My new rain gauge, complete with stained glass butterfly

One of the salesmen I work with is a keen photographer. He hasn't done a lot in a while but is getting back into it. He enjoys taking photos of animals, birds and landscapes and is very patient when it comes to waiting for a bird to return to his deck or his feeder. He was like a kid with a new toy yesterday when the new lens he has ordered  for his camera arrived - this thing is massive.  It will be interesting to see what he comes up with using it.  He decided to start a blog to post some of his photos and here's a link to it - check it out....

http://paulswildlife.blogspot.ca/

Monday, June 10th - it's good to be back home after a busy few days

Finally some nice weather - 9' right now at 5:00 am but we should reach a sunny high of 20' by this afternoon. When I got home from Ontario yesterday I was shocked at the number of leaves and branches lying on the ground. Apparently there had been a storm on Saturday with heavy rain and strong winds and it was certainly evident. Guess we were lucky with just cool temperatures and a bit of drizzle in Ontario.

Friday was a cool overcast day but we headed out to the local conservation area. Tristen brought along his best buddy Charles, to go fishing. It was Charles first time fishing and James undertook to teach him  all the tricks. Apparently James is a great teacher because Charles caught the most fish. They were all small ones and had to be put back in the water but they were thrilled when they caught something.

Showing Charles how to cast

Apparently James did a great job of instructing

Taking the fish off  the hook

One of the larger catches of the day

After a picnic lunch and some more fishing, we headed back to town. I got ready right away as I was heading to my old company's annual summer BBQ. Only a couple of people knew I was coming so it was a bit of a surprise when I arrived. Lots of hugs all round and time to catch up with old friends. I stayed as long as I could before I had to leave to meet Patti at the auditorium for the recital.

The boys and I sat with their other grandma at the front and Patti sat up top. I have to say I was totally blown away. I haven't been to a recital in 5 years and it was really amazing. I was very impressed with the progress that Meghan has made in dance and you can tell she is truly in her element when she's up on that stage. She puts absolutely everything she has into each dance when she's performing.  It was a really enjoyable show and kudos to the folks that organize it.

Time for a photo before heading in on Saturday afternoon

Very glamorous with hair and makeup...

...but never too glamorous to laugh

Saturday morning dawned still overcast but not quite so cool. James had to umpire two baseball games so Patti and I took him and dropped him off then headed out to pick up some groceries for supper and to stop and have a bagel and tea at Tim's while we waited for Homesense to open.

The umpire at work

We headed home and got ready to go to the afternoon performance. I got myself ready and took the car back to the ballpark to catch a bit of the second game as Tristen's team was playing. Apparently I committed some uncool maneuvers while I was there. Tristen hit the ball and was standing on first base so I went over to take his picture. Once he got back to the bench after making his way around all the bases, I stopped by to take a picture of the whole team. I was told in no uncertain terms that I shouldn't really be distracting him while he's on the base.

On first base

 A few minute later it was his teams turn out in field. They hadn't yet started to play, and were all getting into position so I went over to take his picture out in the field with his ball glove. He saw me and was quite disturbed and told me "Grandma, get off the field, GET OFF THE FIELD!!!"

Out in field

So I did as I was told and left. I'm assuming it was meant to be for my own safety. How embarrassing would it be for your grandmother to get hit in the head and fall down on the field!!!

From there I stopped and picked up some flowers for Meghan and some tea for James. (that's another whole story for another day). I picked Patti and Meghan up and we headed to the River Run Centre. Patti dropped Meg and I off so I could sign her in to get ready while she went to pick up one of Meghan's friends who was coming to the show. Both Friday and Saturday one of her teachers from school came out to watch so that was very special for her.

Meghan and her friend from school

Saturday's show was just as good although a little longer with the presentations at the end. By the time we got everyone home it was 5:00 and Patti had to leave for work by 7:00. I was planning to make beer can chicken for supper but in hindsight I should have chosen something a little less time consuming to prepare. She barely had time to eat before she had to leave.

After we finished cleaning up the dishes Meghan and I went out to get ice cream that I'd promised her earlier. James and I had gone on Thursday night when she was at the recital so she missed the chance.
It was nice to have a little bit on alone time together.

That was pretty much it for the night. I packed up my stuff and got ready to leave Sunday morning.
When Patti got home from work the next morning James accompanied us to the airport.  I had hoped we might have time to get some breakfast together but such was not our luck. I headed through security and made it just in time. I got the flight and Lloyd picked me up when I got home.

I called Brenda to see if they wanted to come for some soup and salad for supper. She was  driving home as she had just finished a 35 km bicycle tour on the trail. That woman never ceases to amaze me.
They had a function to go to later in the evening so we had an early supper, mostly provided by Brenda. They had all had lobster on Saturday night for supper so Lloyd brought the shells home and made a lobster stock with the. Brenda had sent home some left over lobsters so the meat from those went into the soup (one left for a lobster sandwich today)  as well as some fish, scallops and mussels that we had in the freezer, along with some fresh baked rolls that Brenda had also sent over.  Lloyd did a great job on the soup. My contribution was a coffee cake made with left over apples that needed badly to get used up. So it was an excellent meal using mostly leftover. It was nice to catch up even though I haven't been gone that long but a great way to end the weekend.

Friday, June 7th - hello from Ontario

It's a bit overcast this morning and looks like rain but with any hope at all, it won't materialize. We have a busy day planned of kayaking, fishing and picnicking, company BBQ and dance recital - nothing too serious!

I arrived on schedule at 6:10 on Wednesday afternoon and was promptly met by Patti. We headed back to Guelph to meet Lloyd and Jim at the restaurant for supper and we were surprised to get there before they did. Our reservation was for 7:30 and it was 10:00 when we left. A delicious meal and a lovely evening was enjoyed by all. When we got to Patti's the kids were still all up so it was a little while before we all got to bed. I slept with Meghan that night and Greg's mom, Lynne, bunked in with Tristen.

Friday morning James and I were both up at 6:30 in order to meet Lloyd at Jim's by 7:00. James wanted to see the progress in the airplane before we drove Lloyd to the airport. He was suitably impressed when he got to push the button that started up the propeller. It's certainly a more impressive sight than it was the last time I'd seen it when it was still in pieces.

Looking pretty spiffy!

Concentration as the propeller is about to start turning

One happy boy

The happy crew with his new hat

After dropping Lloyd off at the airport (the bigger one) James and I stopped on airport road for some breakfast. Then it was back to Guelph and time to drop him off at school. He was there by 10:00 so not so late. I got back to Patti's as she and Lynne were planting flowers in the pots out front.

After a cup of tea, we headed out to lunch at Shoeless Joe's. There were six of us altogether - Patti, Lynne, Nancy, Katy, Carol and me. We had a lovely time in spite of the fact not everyone knew each other. Patti and Lynne had taken one car and I took the other so they could leave in a decent time. I on the other hand managed to leave by 3:00. It was really nice to get together and rehash some old times and catch up on current times. I'm really glad we were able to get together.

After getting home it was time to pick up the kids. Lynne got them at school and after a snack I took Tristen to his Karate class. Lynne, Patti and Greg headed off to the recital. When Karate was over Tristen and I headed to the mall to walk around and check out the lego displays at the book store. We had some supper at the food court and then after the book store we had to hurry home so he could build the little Star Wars set I'd bought for him. But first we had to stop at the grocery store to pick up some supplies we needed for our picnic later today. The kids are off school so it's going to be a kid day today and it should be fun if the weather cooperates.

I was in touch with my friend Jana who will be in town today and tomorrow. The company summer BBQ is this evening starting at 5:00 so I'll be able to attend for a little while before I go to the recital. The timing couldn't have been better.

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll see you back on the island come Monday morning.

Wednesday, June 5th - on my way to Ontario

It's a cool 9' this morning that feels more like 7' because of the breeze. We should reach a high of 15' later but at least the sun is out. It's looking like southern Ontario has about the same weather.

My bag is all packed and I'm ready to head for the airport at 4:00 this afternoon. The last time I checked there were still several seats so hopefully it will stay that way. Patti's picking me up at the airport  and then we're meeting Lloyd for dinner. He's planning to fly home tomorrow.

Not much new around here other than the grass seems to be growing faster than we can keep up with it. Brenda's having the same problem. We discussed this fact last night over wine and quesadillas. We had expected there would be lots more of those evenings while Lloyd was away but the real world tended to get in the way. It is that time of year when the farmers are really busy and they were no exception.

We were looking at the calendar and June is shaping up to be a really busy month and July is beginning to look the same. Last year we hardly got out biking or kayaking and it's looking like this summer might be the same.  But hopefully we can fit a bit of fun into the busy schedule.

Not much else is going on so I'd best get to it and finish up all the little last minute chores before I head out to drop off the dog at the kennel.

Next post from Guelph.

Monday, June 3rd - not the greatest of weather but way better than southern Ontario (sorry guys!)

At 5:00 am it's 17' while the Guelph area is at 7". We should reach a high of 22' later with a possibility of maybe some scattered showers. Not too bad.  The weekend weather wasn't as great as was promised all week but it really wasn't too bad.

After work on Saturday I headed to the garden centre and loaded up on mulch. That was my goal for the weekend - to tidy up my little flower bed areas. It had been cloudy and cool all day but not yet raining so I got to work finishing up the lawn when I got home. It was threatening rain but fortunately it held off. I got out the push mower to do around the house but the grass there is now too long and thick so Lloyd will have to do that when he gets back.

The apple trees are in bloom so I bet the bees are loving this

The lilacs are just about ready to burst into flower

When you're cutting the grass you can't help but take time
to notice all the little changes to the trees

Sunday was promised to be hot and sunny but in the morning it was cool and cloudy. I puttered about inside doing laundry and such, and was just making some toast when Brenda called and invited me over for french toast. An offer I couldn't refuse.  While I was there young Will took me outside to see his 'new' bike. He used an older one that used to be purple. He's got it all dressed up with a new paint job and it looks fantastic. Nice job Will.

After a delicious breakfast complete with coffee and Bailey's (does it really get any better?) I headed back home to do some work. Fortunately it cleared up at times and the late afternoon was beautiful. It was quite warm and sunny but too late in the day to do much but sit outside with a glass of wine and a book and enjoy the rest of the day.

I did manage to finish the  mulch and it looks so much better now.  I think Lloyd will notice the difference when he gets home at the end of the week.

The beginning of the herb plantings

The mulch makes such a difference.  Even the sparse plantings in my front bed look better, but I know in time they will fill out.