Gramma Camp Part 5.1

Yes, the girls have been to several day camps: Adventures in Swim, Obstacle Camp, Spy Camp (at the Diefenbunker), and now they are back with us from Monday to Friday. Yippee! We started off Monday with the birthday party, then we hung out.

The highlight will be all of our chrysalids opening up. One began the morning they were to arrive.
Journey North is showing data from the flights south, and the clustering on overnight roosts!

Monday

Just as they arrived Monday a monarch had popped out. I was videotaping it! We tagged it. I can find out, in the spring, if any made it to Mexico for the winter. I've been keeping track of them.



I've sped it up 8x's, as the whole process took about 5 hours! She rested awhile before her wings dried and she was good to go. They tend to pop by as they learn their territory, prior to heading south.


Afterwards, we counted 17 polygonia interregationis on the back deck! There are 7 in the aquarium for safety. (I saw a wasp going after them!)


Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (our afternoon movie!)
Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs!

Tuesday

Tuesday morning brought early morning cartoons, then we played school after breakfast.
It was hilarious. Isabelle was the kindergarten kid, and Jos was the teacher, who had to phone her parents to pick her up for inappropriate behaviour. Then, Jos was the misbehaving kid, who called the superintendent to complain about her horrid teacher. (I was the superintendent!)
Annabelle came to school, as well.



Grampa was off preparing Meals on Wheels, then he had an extensive shopping list!
Isabelle helped me put in the bird feeder post.
Afterwards, UNO!

It was too cool to swim. So sad. The pool just doesn't have time to warm up in the day, especially with the clouds. Overnights have been chilly. The girls keep running down to check the temperature.


Grampa's books have been popular! We have volumes 1, 2 and 3.


Afternoon movies (two, because it was cold: The Grinch and Moanna), dinner: Gramma BBQ'd chicken, plus broccoli and corn on the cob!

Later, I fetched the trailcam SD cards with Josephine. I found out why she was so keen! She is prominently featured.

Hooper from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Wednesday

Isabelle was directed to wake Jos up at 7:30. She did so. But Jos went back to sleep! We're trying to have good sleep hygiene in preparation for school next week. Izzy and I watched Your Morning, where we learned about some good snack foods for lunches. Iz made her own breakfast, as usual!

Grampa went walking at the cold arena. It was pouring rain! The ice is in for hockey! He bundled up.

Jos had breakfast, then I showed them the two monarchs who had hatched or were hatching.

More Uno! 

Playing School Part 2: Josee is teaching math to Izzy.  I think they are doing fractions. Isabelle is playing ignorant, and Jos says, "I'm going to have to take away your sticker!" (Iz has A+ in math, her favourite subject!)

Now, Jos is going into gr. 7 at her mom and uncle's high school. They have taken gr. 7/8 and put them into the high schools with dwindling populations. It complicates life, as Jos and friends will be biking together. The schools are now gr. 7 - 12, but with a new gym for the younger ones.

Jos was playing Good King Wenceslas, et al, several times on the piano!

Nail Salon

Grampa brought a Magic Meatballs surprise.

Grampa bought us pizza for lunch. Isabelle brought it in for him. Grampa  cannot have pizza, so he had chicken bites.


In the afternoon, I was filling the fountain and found a baby garter snake. I showed the girls! I tried for a photo, but the snake tried to bite the camera lens! It didn't bite me. It was pretty agitated, and I let it go where I found it.


Afternoon movie: The Lego Movie!

Josee heard a bird or something in the basement. We looked everywhere. We blamed Hooper. I found it at bedtime. It was a cricket!

I cannot believe how fast they are growing. Those are Jos and Isabelle's shoes!

👟A field trip for JB

JB went into the city to have lunch with his friend. He took his trusty little camera. He's getting pretty good using it.

I start with his funny story. He went to the sports store in Carlingwood Mall looking for running shoes. Now, you have to know that mostly this store sells shoes, although it is a sports store.

Two clerks were chatting. He was the only customer. They had a whole wall of running shoes. JB was looking at a high top shoe. Perhaps it might give him some support. They don't carry his size in our small town.

One young guy comes over to him, asking if he needs help.
     "Yes, do these come in extra wide?" Young clerk looked puzzled.
     "What size do you need?"
     "I'm wearing a size 9, but 4E."
     "Is that a European size? Can you tell me what that is in American sizing. The bigger the shoe the wider it is."
     "No, I need extra wide. I need 9EEEE."

JB gave up. Someone hasn't had product knowledge (PK) seminars. Both JB and I while of average stature, we both have wide feet. How could this kid not know what wide sizes are? I guess it is like the time we were hunting for a special phone for my dad, we wanted the one capable of producing a decibels. The clerk didn't know what a 'decibel' was.

Back to his trip, and Carlingwood Mall. They are tearing down the parking garage.  This is in the rear of the closed Sears store, the parking garage. It's the end of an era. We used to go there all the time as a family. Sears employees are fighting for their pensions, as Sears has closed stores in Canada.



This Sears store has fond memories for both of us. Taking our respective family members, we spent a fair amount of time and money here. Having lost their anchor store, Sears, it's changed the mall.


JB and Bob had lunch at the Golden Palace, again. Bob doesn't have a car, so they meet where he can get a bus. They've been friends a long time, having been roommates after university, in Ottawa.


Their server remembered them, and mentioned that they'd sat in the same spot last time. The food was better! A good time had by all.