Winter is coming!

It's been a lovely few days, other than the frost on Monday morning! It was -2 at 6:30 when I got up. It was a balmy -1 by 8 a.m. Oh for joy! This morning I woke at 5 a.m., worrying about this proposed gun club,  and it was 0˚ C.! We have done some research, and are speaking to neighbours, similarly upset with this proposal, and we'll see what happens. 

I put the heater into the bird bath, later I'll switch it out. (Thanks, AC!) Both that and the water fountain had a skiff of ice on top. Whoopsie! With all our worries it crept up on me. Soon I'll drain, clean, and cover the water fountain. 

Despite wearing a mask in her high school, Josephine has COVID. She's not feeling too badly, which is a relief. Caitlin thought that last year the mask/no mask ratio was about 80/20. This year it is reversed, only about 20% of kids wearing masks. Thanksgiving (Oct. 10th) will be postponed. Ah well. We had a Merry Christmas on a weekend in late February/March in 2022! What the heck. 

Poking my head out front, I noticed the tops of these trees. It cheers me up.

I walked out front to see the colours better!

I've loved the sumac in Ontario. This frontyard stand is dying out, as is the one in the backyard. 

Well, here we are in the great outdoors. There were three bees on my chair. They are a bit dopey. The hornets are still about. It'll be interesting to see when they die of for winter.

My planters aren't exactly going strong, the coleus was hit by frost, but just in the front. We've a bit of a micro climate, in that the house retains the warmth of the sun. The lantana looks fine, as well as the trumpet flower and the petunias. The impatience was touched, though. It's just a matter of time!

Funny story – don’t tell the kids! JB brought me some flowers to cheer me up. I found the kitchen shears and chopped off the ends. Then, I used the shears to chop off some old cactus leaves. Then, I lost the the shears! I looked everywhere where I'd just used them. 

I was out fetching chestnuts, and found them under the horse chestnut tree! 👀 

This is what the tree looks like in spring. The leaves are dying, the conkers are dropping off as well.

I love the horse chestnuts. We had a tree beside us when I was a kid in Toronto. I gathered them and opened them up. 

Indoors, we are settling in for winter. The orchid is doing really well.

This works for some cats, but not ours. Try it, if you have a cat. Some cats perceive it as a box. 

My poor computer cord! Daisy used to like it. I repaired it twice since. I had a package of white, but it was stale. It's not a cheap fix: $16.50 for three little packets, but cheaper than a new computer cord. With supply chain issues, we could only find black in the store.  

The aquarium is doing well. I think goldfish day is Wednesday, maybe Thursday. After that the temperatures are just too cold. I have to drain it some the reach all the goldfish, and the rain Friday will fill up back up some.

Summer gardens and gardening!

May 21st
First, I borrowed the kids' red rototiller, and I did this work on Saturday and Sunday. It was such a mess, and very neglected. I was totally defeated by bugs two years ago. It was good, honest work. What is delightful is that I could smell the lilac, which has just bloomed. And the Swallowtail has begun to visit!




May 23rd
On Monday, we were the first to arrive at Hillside Gardens! It was 8:00 a.m., I took hubby (AKA arm candy) as it was his job to manage the cart. By the time we left, there were a couple of husbands fulfilling similar roles!


Back at home, Daisy was helping. I planted two hanging baskets and some planters.


I planted kale, pumpkins, zuccini, lettuce, tomatoes, and watermelon plants, and snow pea seeds. I watered using a sprinkler I haven't used in 8 years,  cut the lawn with the lawn tractor, then had to shower to go to my client's house. It was good to chat and laugh and take a break indoors!
The joke at their house is that 'gramma' was given hanging baskets, geraniums, a couple of rose bushes, from her kids (they are all age 60+), but her caregiver (one of her kids), has to plant them all! Thankfully, she loves her mom's gardens and gardening. We had a good chuckle over that one!




I arrived home after 4 p.m., and had to secure the fence. Hubby nuked an M & M dinner for us at 7 p.m.! I AM SO SORE!


Wed., May 25th Butch thought there were some seeds in my front yard planter. I saw him at 4 a.m., when I was up listening to the Barred owl sing. Sigh. The bird feeders go away today!
I'm afraid to go check out the veggie garden, although it might take them some time to find it!

Flower planting and nurseries!

This is called 'ketchup & fries!'
Both potatoes and tomatoes.
They have such a sense of humour.

What a glorious rain we had, finally! My rain gauge had 10mm in it! This gives us a May accumulation of 41mm, so far. It was a prefect rain, all day, with enough time to really seep into the ground.
I harvest 4 ticks from Daisy yesterday, 5 the previous day, even though we had rain. She came in soaking wet and bugs on her eye and whisker patch.
This makes 24 in total. It's going to be a good year for them, methinks!

We have peas sprouting. Isabelle and I planted them on Mother's Day. That was a blast. I can't wait to show her how they are growing, let alone pick some to eat!

My planters are full, although I've given up on many of them. I cannot find a good reason to water baskets of flowers 50m down the property! I'm more in favour of perennials than annuals, but the petunias are lovely, and I HAVE to plant impatience in honour of my mother! You'll recall we even shopped locovore for native plants.

I planted some cucumbers, squash and zuccinni in a water barrel, on the middle deck. I have no confidence that we can keep our Mr. Groundhog, labbit, or the deer. And the bugs have been terrible. Also, this barrel is close to the hose, and I can water it easily. We'll see what happens.

There is nothing nicer than walking into a rich, moist space, like this. Lovely colours of flowers. We frequent a lot of different nurseries, just to spread our business around.

This is on my fave list!
Happy Anniversary?!
Nudge-nudge, wink-wink!

I have enough lawn ornaments, I know...
but they are so cute!