Memorandum Monday - May 30th

A wave & greetings to all the Monday Memo writers.  Linking in with Sian at:  From High In The Sky

Thank you to everyone for last week's suggestions of how to deal with gift stuff.  I have not made any decisions as yet.  Brooding, Thinking on what to do.
 

Bleeding Heart

New for 2016 in May - heat warnings & advisories issued as we hit some new records for this time of year.  With humidity we were in the +40 (c) range for most of the weekend.  We do not normally get this heat until July & August.

Another 2016 new is this view, which improves daily -  you will now find me sitting on the patio & enjoying this view most every morning with my tea until the snow flies again.  I am excited to watch the changes develop.

A new term that I have recently encountered is FOMO - have you heard of it?  It is the fear of missing out & is prevalent in our highly social media connectiveness plugged in. Google describes it as, "anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website". More devices but less real connection is being achieved. The fear that someone else is leading a much more exciting life than you.  There are lots of new suggestions of how to cope with this condition. 

This is new behaviour from Smokey Puss - she is now pulling the blinds back to sit in the window of the family room (tv room),  to watch the garden activity.
 

The mysterious shadow cat

New in my schedule; I have been visiting my tree every few days - at this time of year changes happen quickly.

 

My Tree For The Year

 The new silo or cattle feed corn is growing quickly with the heat & a couple of afternoon rain showers.

Early Morning

Happy Memorial Day to my US of A friends & Happy Bank Holiday to my UK friends.  Cheers to everyone having a delightful week ahead of them.

One Photo, 6 Words: Wide - May 27th

Linking in with short story tellers at:  Miriam's Short Stories

This week's word is Wide.

 

I said, too wide to fit.

This piece of equipment is called a scissor jack.  In March when the tree man quoted, I said this equipment would not fit through our gate, did he measure. No!  When 2 weeks ago he arrived, did he measure? No.  He spent an hour laying compression matts only to find our gate was not wide enough.  He went home without trimming our trees.

SNAP - Stumped

Linking in here: Helena's SNAP  to see what has caught everyone's eye this week.

I spotted on my walks last week at least 3 tree removal companies working in the neighbourhood to remove very old, very large & very rotting trees.  Most were maples that were at least 50-75 years old.  Sad but necessary.  It really changes the views.  On the first stump,  GET is the initials of the company taking down three of the trees, 16 is for 2016. 

This week my SNAP collection has me stumped.

 

Memorandum Monday - May 23rd

A warm Monday morning greeting to all & linking in here:  Sian

Happy Victoria Day Weekend.  For us in Canada, it is a stat (bank) holiday.  The first of our summer season.  Many call this May 2   4 because the start of the summer season means beer & the most popular case size is 24 cans or bottles ...

 
A sense of newest comes in the form of empty space.  I have done some serious clearing out of stuff.  I tackled the bedroom blanket box along with the storage bin under the bed.  I found at least 10 of Sooty's tinfoil balls under there.  My goal is to have no need for under the bed storage boxes.  I also went through the ensuite bathroom drawers & cupboards. So many beautification items had passed expiry dates.  I made a trip on Friday to recycle, charity shops & drugstore (for the expired bathroom items - you cannot put in the garbage).  I also found a place to safely dispose of large batteries.

Next on my schedule was the stuff in the dining room, but did not get too far.  So many wedding gifts that have never nor will ever be used.  I feel a fair amount quite a lot of of guilt not wanting/liking & now I feel ever so ungrateful choosing to give away. The gift guilt was too much so I stopped sorting.  How about you, how do you handle the gifts that you do not like, nor cannot use?  

Ordering the newly development tulip to celebrate in 2017, Canada's 150th anniversary of confederation.  Photo is from the advertisement.

On Sunday we tried saving a baby chipmunk that had become trapped in our garage over night, away from the warmth of the nest. First we warmed him up as he was cold & then we fed him some water to re-hydrated him.Then we read up how to help.  Our handling him was not going to be a problem as it does not bother the Moms.   We placed him by his hidey hole & put some peanuts around him so Mom would come calling, which she did.  The only trouble was that she recognized before we would accept, was that he was not well & would not make it.  She took the peanuts to feed the other baby in the nest, which we could hear & had seen earlier.  It was heart breaking to watch as our little rescue guy, CB,  moved every time he heard the sibling cry.   We buried him in the grass stripe between our garden & the farmer's field.  We both cried at nature's resolve to be cruel & tough. 

Chipmunk Baby

We have spent most of the weekend & will continue on for the rest of the week as we are on vacation, tackling the garden, setting up the patio, filling pots with annuals & vegetables.  

I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy the week ahead.

The Start Of The Potting Up

One Photo, 6 Words: Goal - May 20th

Linking in with the short story creators at:  Miriam

This week's word is Goal.  This is a photo of our resident Red Squirrel, Lucy.

Goal, is not to be noticed

SNAP - It Is Corny

Linking in with Helena & the other snappy folks at :SNAP

This week my foursome is recent activity in the field behind our home.  Every year I tried to capture the cycle of the crop that gets planted.  The farmer rotates the crop every year; corn; soybean & then winter wheat.  We believe we also observe a difference to the wild life that follows the crop rotation.  When there is corn we get more raccoons & deer, although there are fewer & fewer deer sightings.  For soybean we notice an increase in the number of garter snakes in our yard.  When the crop is winter wheat we see more rabbits & mice.

This year the farmer has planted corn.  I give you the four stages of spring planting.

 Stage One Harrowing:

Stage Two Spraying Roundup:

 

 Stage Three Seeding:

 Stage Four Rolling to ensure good seed to ground contact:

 






I will probably have the four stages of corn growth later in the year

Memorandum Monday - May 16th

Linking in with Monday wavers & shakers at : Sian

What news from the patio?  A new low in spring.  Dare I say that awful word -  snow.  Sunday we had air snow, which means thankfully, nothing accumulated on the ground.  Saturday afternoon I had put all my annuals yet to be planted, into the garage as night time temperatures have been dropping below 0.  Spring is really having a difficult time residing in this area.

Saturday night we went out for dinner with 4 friends & we tried a new to all of us Italian based restaurant, Casa Americo Bistro.  We picked a location that was central for all us as we were driving in from different cities & which had a few vegetarian selections for me.  It was quite nice, no loud music playing so no shouting to be heard.  So much fun catching up with friends.  We had all once boarded our horses together but not a single discussion about horses was heard - now that was new!

In the new issue of  the LCBO Food & Drink magazine, I have been informed to stock up on the various types of Gin & accompanying Gin recipes, as gin based drinks will be all the new rage this summer & as they, the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario), are the authority on the subject, I feel myself well informed.  The other thing they told me is that home made condiments is another newest  rage & they included a recipe for pineapple ketchup.  Pineapple, yes; gin, no.

On other patio news, I received a notice that one of  our local two bricks & mortar scrapping stores is for sale. Of course I had to have one last visit/shop at The Scrapping Turtle before that change happens. I scrap lifted two new layout ideas from their kit creator, Kim.

While I am not current with the new season of Game of Thrones, I did get disc 1 of season 5 to watch - I borrow from the library, so it could take me a while to be current. 


And my last bit of new is that we were given a brand new, still in the box, desktop computer system with Windows 10.  So now we need to learn the new features of Windows 10. Bill Gates has assured & promised that this system will be supported forever.

Happy week ahead everyone.

One Photo, 6 Words: Chase - May 13th

Joining in with the other splendid short story tellers at:  Short Stories

This week's word is Chase.  The photo is from last summer; the cat is Bella from next door, who continues to be a trespasser in my yard!

Go away, you chase my chipmunks!

SNAP - A Warning To The Wise

Joining in with Helena at :SNAP

I am not sure why lately I am being drawn to signs.  This set does have a theme.  Could this be The Universe's subtle message to me?  Time will tell.  I give you Warnings To The Wise;

ps the theme is use at your own risk ....
 

Memorandum Monday - May 9th

Linking in with Monday Memo Writers & Wavers at:  Sian

A gracious good morning & I hope to catch you up quickly of what is new from the patio.  Thank you to everyone for your prayers & thoughts for Fort McMurray in Alberta.  Wild fires are becoming a real problem in northern Ontario as well.  Such a dry start to the season.

One word - Hellebores.  I have mentioned in previous posts my desire to have some in my garden & then discovering the price as a inhabiting factor. Mr Man had been traveling earlier in the week & came across a road side garden centre, which as he says, was perfect timing.  He needed a moment out of the car & this seemed a good spot.  He, surprisingly, remembered I wanted Hellebore, he asked, they had, he bought & much less than the city garden centres.  I am, as my Gran would say, chuffed as little mint balls.
 

Pink Mist Hellebore

In away from the patio news, we survived another trip to Toronto for Mr Man's eye injection. Although on the Saturday he developed a bleed at the injection sight, which can be a side effect.  Cold compresses applied, keeping his eyes closed for most of the weekend, while I quietly celebrated National Scrapbook Day on Saturday.  Next Toronto hospital trip is scheduled for June when a scan will be done to verify if the injections are helping.

Sunday was Mother's Day, which for me included a phone chat with my foster Mom, Mary.  I love this lady so much & she continues to be such a positive influence in both our lives. She is gracious, kind, a wonderful gardener & she is a great cook.  I feel so honoured to be able to call her Mary Mom.  I dislike that she lives in another part of the region.

Back to the patio, my Snowdrops are (finally) blooming.  I guess in their first year they needed more time to develop & then bloom.  SO happy that these pretty white nodding flowers have joined in my patio view.  Patience always required in gardening.

First Snowdrop Bloom - More To Come

And on the last happy note from the patio, the Flickers have returned to our garden.  I like these birds, which are part of the woodpecker family,  because they eat the ants & grubs.  I took this photo on Saturday from my craft table window - I was busy scrapping & needed a stretch & what to my wondering eyes did appear ...
 
 

Northern Flicker

 Happy week ahead to everyone. 





 

One Photo, 6 Words: Friend: May 6th

Linking in with Miriam's idea for 6 words,one photo. Short Stories

Source: Internet Globe&Mail

Rain would be Fort McMurray's friend

I originally had a totally different photo & caption for today, but the devastation happening in Fort McMurray Alberta where over 88,000 persons have been evacuated from their homes is first & foremost in our news & our prayers.  Most of the 88,000 have lost everything as the  wildfires are moving so quickly, many had less than a 20 minute warning to leave immediately.  These fires have been burning since Sunday. Please keep these folks in your thoughts & prayers. 

Five In 5 On The 5th

Joining in with Sandie's "5 in 5" where on the 5th of each month you post 5 photos that have been taken in 5 minutes.   You can also join in and/or view what others have discovered in 5 minutes at: Itchifingers

I wandered my gardens on this chilly morning & discovered lots of potential for an amazing summer in the garden & views from the patio.

White Poppy

Tree Peony

Leopard's Bane

Spurge

Early Cheery Tulips

SNAP - Fur & Feathers

Linking in with Helena's snappy followers at: SNAP
The idea being that you share a set of between 2 and 4 images that have a visual link such as colour or shape or subject or that form a photo essay (or anything else you care to share as a visual set)
 
Like any good Jedi Knight,  I would like to say "May The Fourth Be With You"

This week I give you fur & feathers.

Memorandum Monday - May 2nd

Linking in with all the newness of Monday at: Sian

What is new from the patio this day? Here let me show you.

I have finally decided on a tree to follow.  There had been other first choice selections but as soon as I decided, I would go to photograph & there would be a big red X on the tree - meaning soon to be cut down.  So I have decided on a tree fairly close to home - the neighbourhood park's big old maple.

Tree To Follow

I visited the newly arrived baby Belted Galloways - there are 2 babies this spring.  The milking Holsteins in the field behind had many babies earlier in March.

The Girls

 
The farmer managing the field behind us, was out Friday harrowing the field, then Saturday he sprayed roundup.  Thankfully he did the spraying late in the day when we could be indoors - this is a chemical you do not want on you, nor breathing in directly.

Harrowing

I was cat sitting on the weekend, this is one of the two fur babies; Shadow - old blue eyes.

Shadow The Handsome

Lots of spring flowers starting to flower - which brings the busy bees & wasps.

Sparse Hyacinthe

 

Busy Wasp

Yellow Bliss Daffodil

Cheery Tulips In The Afternoon

I hope that everyone has a blissful week ahead.