Well I am finally almost ready to begin the gardening scene since being laid up for nearly 8 weeks. I am still gimpy but getting around much better. I got the rototiller out on the weekend to begin the tilling and bam! It needs to be repaired. I have no idea what is wrong with it, or where to even begin with getting it repaired. I have one name that seems to be popping up and I will see if I can track him down today and go from there.
I am way behind in my planting, as I have done none. I guess you could say that puts me behind the eight ball so to speak. But, I will get there...if this heat is any indication then the growing season will be super anyway.
I had planned the garden to be much smaller this year and more space between the rows so that is especially true now that I will have to purchase my plants instead of seeding many of them.
So out I go into the planting yonder...
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Chores
Finally getting to some much needed chores about the house in and out. Outside water turned on, getting some laundry done that was not urgent but requires in my opinion extra outdoor line time in order to be fresh, picked up some much needed shampoo and cloths for the bike so that I can clean it maybe today - likely but not promised. Spare room upstairs all straightened up and neat, spare room downstairs nearly all re-organized just need to change the sheets, hang up the moose antler, and general tidy. Office is a mess, not sure I even want to enter the room! I have been working in the dining room since obtaining my laptop so I have no need to be in the room at the end of the hall - it is scary!
Outside - need to get the garden turned - Justin is coming on Monday to do that, need to trim the edges with the clippers and trimmer as our lawn guy does not see fit to do the entire job only part of, going to condense some pots and need to plant some new additions, take down the carnage of the winter, clip the parsley, and in general tidy the garden shed, but once the stuff all comes out of the garden shed it will be tidy! LOL
We have our course tonight, Saturday and Sunday, tis going to be a long weekend in true fashion. But the boys will be here on Monday and we can hang outside and be silly while we work. I am still not quite mobile enough to do the rototilling so Justin is going to tackle that for me this season. I have some clipping that I would very much like to get done this weekend at the back of the yard as it looks messy because again my lawn guy does not seem to think it needs to be trimmed when in fact it does.
Just got a call for work this afternoon - which is great! Just made my to do list for today shorter lol
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Outside - need to get the garden turned - Justin is coming on Monday to do that, need to trim the edges with the clippers and trimmer as our lawn guy does not see fit to do the entire job only part of, going to condense some pots and need to plant some new additions, take down the carnage of the winter, clip the parsley, and in general tidy the garden shed, but once the stuff all comes out of the garden shed it will be tidy! LOL
We have our course tonight, Saturday and Sunday, tis going to be a long weekend in true fashion. But the boys will be here on Monday and we can hang outside and be silly while we work. I am still not quite mobile enough to do the rototilling so Justin is going to tackle that for me this season. I have some clipping that I would very much like to get done this weekend at the back of the yard as it looks messy because again my lawn guy does not seem to think it needs to be trimmed when in fact it does.
Just got a call for work this afternoon - which is great! Just made my to do list for today shorter lol
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Rain
We are finally getting some much needed rain. As I type I can hear the gentle fall of the drops on the house and back deck. As much as I would like to be outside the next couple of days, we are in dire need of the rain and moisture that is falling. We need about 3 days of this soft rain in our area just to get the soil wet. The water table I fear has been affected by the lack of snow this winter and the incredibly dry spring we have been experiencing.
Our baby Robin's seem to be doing just jim dandy. The parents are busy on worm and insect detail. I was dive bombed last night for the first time this season as I stood at the BBQ. I did not see her but D says she came directly at me and then swerved to get his attention. Silly bird, if we did not want them there we would have made it difficult to build instead of leaving the previous nest and the branch up all winter whilst they travelled.
We are doing a course this week it begins on Thursday and runs Saturday and Sunday all day. Ought to be interesting to say the least. I am looking forward to it, but I think D is somewhat apprehensive. My Mom is having a test that hopefully will show that things are stable and healthy, considering the lower stress level I am hopeful of a happy result. I know Mom reads my blog so keep positive Mom.
I am aiming to have my garage sale the first weekend in June. I am hoping to get some help to set up and keep me company. We could drink treats in our morning coffee if that helps enlist folks. Getting into the garden this weekend now that I am walking once again and not hobbly. My knees I think are past the point of surgery and whatever I did to them I think is nearly healed.
Well, I have lots to do before I go to work,
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Our baby Robin's seem to be doing just jim dandy. The parents are busy on worm and insect detail. I was dive bombed last night for the first time this season as I stood at the BBQ. I did not see her but D says she came directly at me and then swerved to get his attention. Silly bird, if we did not want them there we would have made it difficult to build instead of leaving the previous nest and the branch up all winter whilst they travelled.
We are doing a course this week it begins on Thursday and runs Saturday and Sunday all day. Ought to be interesting to say the least. I am looking forward to it, but I think D is somewhat apprehensive. My Mom is having a test that hopefully will show that things are stable and healthy, considering the lower stress level I am hopeful of a happy result. I know Mom reads my blog so keep positive Mom.
I am aiming to have my garage sale the first weekend in June. I am hoping to get some help to set up and keep me company. We could drink treats in our morning coffee if that helps enlist folks. Getting into the garden this weekend now that I am walking once again and not hobbly. My knees I think are past the point of surgery and whatever I did to them I think is nearly healed.
Well, I have lots to do before I go to work,
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Monday, 14 May 2012
Shunpiker and that sort of thing...
Yesterday was Mother's Day and as our tradition has been with Mom since 2008 - off we went. This year we opted for a different approach as it was all highway driving (which contradicts the definition of the word shunpiker), so we went to the one stop, had a picnic at Weldon park in Arva, went to see Cathy, stopped in Birr at the General Store, went to Lucan to buy Lion tickets for the car giveaway, and headed back home via a stop to visit Mal.
Shunpiker - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunpiking
Shunpiking
Shunpiker - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunpiking
Shunpiking
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term shunpiking comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which are roads that require payment of a toll to travel on them.[1] People who often avoid toll roads sometimes call themselves shunpikers.
Shunpiking has also come to mean an avoidance of major highways (regardless of tolls) in preference for bucolic and scenic interludes along lightly traveled country roads.
The London Free Press has for years put out a yearly Shunpiker map in its weekend edition. It has been our observance for the last several years they have put in minimal effort and expected maximum result. Thousands of participants usually follow the map and if there are not lots of destinations in between the major stops then the clutter of people gets to be too much to manage. This year the stops were minimal and all highway driving. So we decided to do the Fanshawe Pioneer Village part and then have our picnic, and a bit of our own adventuring.
Pioneer Village was fun, we have not been there in years and it was mostly open with the buildings manned by the appropriate folks. Bear and I played a game of checkers at the Denfield General Store. It was fun!
Saw this guy on the top of the cedar I heard him singing it turns out he is a Song Sparrow:
From there we headed to Weldon Park in Arva and had our picnic. We found a picnic table in a shady spot and plopped down to have our lunch. We had spent over two hours at Pioneer Village. From the picnic we headed to Anne's Chocolates in Arva and then across the road to pay our respects to Cathy and spend a moment with her. I still find it hard to believe...
We headed north on Highway 4 to Birr and stopped to browse the general store as per Mom's request. We found some interesting things and strolled through the various nooks and crannies. From there we continued north to Lucan and purchased D's car tickets he buys each year. I saw places I have not seen in a long time and gazed as I drove by and for the first time in a long time had a smile.
We headed towards home and stopped by Mal's for a quick visit. I had been getting grief about her not seeing Bear and thought it was a good day to put that to rest. She got a Bear and a D visit all in one!
We dropped Mom off home and the three of us headed back to our home and had a BBQ sent Bear safely on his way after he brought the dresser in for me and now I can finish the spare room downstairs and toss out the rack that has been wobbly for sometime now.
I put my legs up and got an ice pack for my knees and here we are this morning already. We do indeed have baby Robin's again - how we missed egg laying is beyond us as D just checked the other day...But there are three lil ones in the nest.
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Shunpiking has also come to mean an avoidance of major highways (regardless of tolls) in preference for bucolic and scenic interludes along lightly traveled country roads.
The London Free Press has for years put out a yearly Shunpiker map in its weekend edition. It has been our observance for the last several years they have put in minimal effort and expected maximum result. Thousands of participants usually follow the map and if there are not lots of destinations in between the major stops then the clutter of people gets to be too much to manage. This year the stops were minimal and all highway driving. So we decided to do the Fanshawe Pioneer Village part and then have our picnic, and a bit of our own adventuring. 
Pioneer Village was fun, we have not been there in years and it was mostly open with the buildings manned by the appropriate folks. Bear and I played a game of checkers at the Denfield General Store. It was fun!
 |
| We had to turn Mom in for being a resistor! |
Saw this guy on the top of the cedar I heard him singing it turns out he is a Song Sparrow:
From there we headed to Weldon Park in Arva and had our picnic. We found a picnic table in a shady spot and plopped down to have our lunch. We had spent over two hours at Pioneer Village. From the picnic we headed to Anne's Chocolates in Arva and then across the road to pay our respects to Cathy and spend a moment with her. I still find it hard to believe...
We headed north on Highway 4 to Birr and stopped to browse the general store as per Mom's request. We found some interesting things and strolled through the various nooks and crannies. From there we continued north to Lucan and purchased D's car tickets he buys each year. I saw places I have not seen in a long time and gazed as I drove by and for the first time in a long time had a smile.
We headed towards home and stopped by Mal's for a quick visit. I had been getting grief about her not seeing Bear and thought it was a good day to put that to rest. She got a Bear and a D visit all in one!
We dropped Mom off home and the three of us headed back to our home and had a BBQ sent Bear safely on his way after he brought the dresser in for me and now I can finish the spare room downstairs and toss out the rack that has been wobbly for sometime now.
I put my legs up and got an ice pack for my knees and here we are this morning already. We do indeed have baby Robin's again - how we missed egg laying is beyond us as D just checked the other day...But there are three lil ones in the nest.
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Wacky Wednesday
Ya know when you think you have just figured things out and along comes....whatever it might be. Well, I am sure we have all experienced this at one time or another. Last night outside our dining room window there seemed to be by all accounts a bird fight, yes you read correctly a bird fight. It started rather quietly and I went off to bed to read and shortly after fell asleep. D says the bird fight was quite distinct and very noisy. He says it sounded like a bird died. I have yet to go out and check for the carnage, but likely will before this post is finished. What do birds have that is so important they need to fight? Why not just fly off somewhere and get what it is there? Hmmm, not exactly sure. Okay, going to look outside and see what if anything in the way of evidence there might be, nuthin at all out there. But on the way I saw this!
.JPG) |
| even worms do it! |
Enjoy the day
Lady of the Oak
Monday, 7 May 2012
Coolness of Monday
Monday has arrived and it is an overcast cool one. I am guessing by the sky it is likely to rain today. Monday begins the busiest week in May for me. Today I have an interview, a presentation at a meeting, evaluation on Tuesday and a funky new art project to share, still with Tuesday lunch with a friend and then an important union meeting, Wednesday a meeting, packing for my conference on Thursday and Friday, then home Saturday is our annual plant sale, Sunday is our tradition of Shunpiker. Whew! Busy week!
This morning is all about preparation beginning with hopefully a massage about 10 to relax the muscles of the weekends activities. Then home and shower to head into the city.
The Robin on the back deck has settled in nicely and we think she has laid her eggs will check this week to be sure. But she is not as plump as she once was. I am hoping to get the garden cultivated this week but am not sure with all the other activities it may need to wait till Saturday when things settle for a few hours. As well the youngin will be here and he is pretty good at helping his Aunt.
Well, that is all for today here is a picture of the flowers we created after some improvisation from the directions. They are not yet completed will do that tomorrow and re-post finished flowers.
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
This morning is all about preparation beginning with hopefully a massage about 10 to relax the muscles of the weekends activities. Then home and shower to head into the city.
The Robin on the back deck has settled in nicely and we think she has laid her eggs will check this week to be sure. But she is not as plump as she once was. I am hoping to get the garden cultivated this week but am not sure with all the other activities it may need to wait till Saturday when things settle for a few hours. As well the youngin will be here and he is pretty good at helping his Aunt.
Well, that is all for today here is a picture of the flowers we created after some improvisation from the directions. They are not yet completed will do that tomorrow and re-post finished flowers.
Lady of the Oak
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Busy, busy, busy
The month of May has become a busy one and quickly. I have yet to venture into my garden...oh my! I have been busy with an old hobby and it has nothing to do with gardening. I am busy with work, have an interview, evaluation, and doing community work.
First off the old hobby that was left so long ago and is back I love it! I missed it! I am happy to be back to it!
Second interview yes, an interview Keep your fingers crossed.
Thirdly evaluation yes, an evaluation...been prepping for it all week nearly finished just going to do the finishing touches today.
Fourthly community work - ya know I did it because it was and still is important to me, but I have learnt it is not so important to the community. I had no volunteers show up and two that I had asked to attend in support bailed on me as well. As always my Mom was there and what a super trooper! We worked from 10-2 on one part of the huge property and it was a tough battle.
Here are the before pictures before any real spring growth this was in early April.
Now the after...on May 5
There is still much do be done, but at least the entrance resembles an entrance now and not an overgrown mess of bushes, vines and trees that have not been maintained. I had not planned to cut the bushes to the ground but it just was the most viable option as they had been left for too many years to try and get them under control. There was too much dead under the growth to be able to trim them and have them grow, so the decision was made that we would cut them back all the way and wait for them to regrow again.
I am truly disappointed in my community for not coming out and lending a hand. The neighbour who lives next door to the entrance of the fairgrounds he was very helpful he lent us his hydro connection and then appeared with a small chainsaw, let us pile the brush up on his property so that the town will come collect it. A gentleman riding through on his bike with a gas powered weed wacker stopped and whipper snipped the grass for us and along the fence line. The grass was nearly two feet tall. That was an immediate fix! An older lady stopped by about 1pm and raked, picked up piles and walked the fence and picked up garbage. By 1 Mom and I were pooped so were thrilled to have someone help us get through the last hour. My massage therapist popped in with her two little ones about 1:30 and lent a hand. Her and her husband discussed the pile of stuff out behind their house and they are going to have it removed for me as it borders their property but on ours. I spoke with a neighbour on the other side and he wrote a letter and had his neighbours sign it in support of what I am trying to accomplish. So, it was a successful day, just not as successful as I had hoped and planned. But a BIG thank you to the ones who did help! I could not have done this job by myself I would still be there!
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
First off the old hobby that was left so long ago and is back I love it! I missed it! I am happy to be back to it!
Second interview yes, an interview Keep your fingers crossed.
Thirdly evaluation yes, an evaluation...been prepping for it all week nearly finished just going to do the finishing touches today.
Fourthly community work - ya know I did it because it was and still is important to me, but I have learnt it is not so important to the community. I had no volunteers show up and two that I had asked to attend in support bailed on me as well. As always my Mom was there and what a super trooper! We worked from 10-2 on one part of the huge property and it was a tough battle.
Here are the before pictures before any real spring growth this was in early April.
There is still much do be done, but at least the entrance resembles an entrance now and not an overgrown mess of bushes, vines and trees that have not been maintained. I had not planned to cut the bushes to the ground but it just was the most viable option as they had been left for too many years to try and get them under control. There was too much dead under the growth to be able to trim them and have them grow, so the decision was made that we would cut them back all the way and wait for them to regrow again.
I am truly disappointed in my community for not coming out and lending a hand. The neighbour who lives next door to the entrance of the fairgrounds he was very helpful he lent us his hydro connection and then appeared with a small chainsaw, let us pile the brush up on his property so that the town will come collect it. A gentleman riding through on his bike with a gas powered weed wacker stopped and whipper snipped the grass for us and along the fence line. The grass was nearly two feet tall. That was an immediate fix! An older lady stopped by about 1pm and raked, picked up piles and walked the fence and picked up garbage. By 1 Mom and I were pooped so were thrilled to have someone help us get through the last hour. My massage therapist popped in with her two little ones about 1:30 and lent a hand. Her and her husband discussed the pile of stuff out behind their house and they are going to have it removed for me as it borders their property but on ours. I spoke with a neighbour on the other side and he wrote a letter and had his neighbours sign it in support of what I am trying to accomplish. So, it was a successful day, just not as successful as I had hoped and planned. But a BIG thank you to the ones who did help! I could not have done this job by myself I would still be there!
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Thursday, 3 May 2012
May Days
Well it looks like it might just be time to get the garden ready for planting. I must say my enthusiasm for gardening with the weather the way it has been is less than ideal. But it will return. I am busy with work, other hobbies, and organizing a community clean up this Saturday so will hit the garden during the week.
Gotta go to work
Enjoy the day
Lady of the Oak
Gotta go to work
Enjoy the day
Lady of the Oak
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Time is about change...
Change is a good thing...it really is. Change means new beginnings, new possibilities, new horizons and saying goodbye to the past. Change is really about embracing who you are and where you could go. Change is about greeting each day as a new one as we ought. Change is all about seeking new adventures and today is the beginning of each and every day henceforth. So embrace the changes in your life and greet each day with enthusiasm and grace.
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
Enjoy the day,
Lady of the Oak
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