Good morning everyone.
Currently Watching: I did watch the funeral of Prince Philip on Saturday. So well done, I think he would have been pleased.
Also on the watching, part 1 & 2 of The Secrets She Keeps. Laura Carmichael of Downton fame is quite good in this . On pay for movies, we watched The Courier, with Benedict Cumberbatch. We both liked & I would recommend.
Currently Participating: in several Zoom health related workshops, so far they have all been more of a one-way workshop, you can submit questions via the Q&A function of Zoom, but there's no conversation from participants. All part of the privacy guidelines. These workshops have been put on by the local family health teams. I've participated in Anxiety-Dial It Down, Mindfulness, Part 1 (part 2 is next week), Moving Beyond COVID, which is made up of a panel of health leaders including our regional Public Health Officer, she's excellent at giving facts both medical & scientific. Dr Mercer is a good reality check.
Currently In The Garden: the weather has turned rather chilly of late, & the forecast is for snow on Tuesday night. Things in the garden are growing with the sunshine, some daffodils & tulips are in bloom, which is so encouraging. I started my morning glory & sweet peas from seed & the little heads are poking through the dirt. We got a quote from our yard man to either re-seed or put new grass sod down on one side of the house when it is almost nothing but dirt. I was taken back by the cost. While re-sodding is a quick results, I wonder how long the good looks would last. The reason we have a mud/dirt bowl, is that the neighbour we share lawn borders with, does not do anything to keep his lawn healthy. Last year because of a regional Japanese Beetle outbreak, grubs took over but our side yards. While we cannot use pesticides, which would kill the little buggers quickly, we can use natural things, like spraying live Nematodes to eat the grubs or Milky Spore, which is also a bacteria that will kill the grub if they are the Japanese Beetle (which these are). But if we are the only one doing, it doesn't do much, but neighbour man won't spray the Nematodes or Milk Spore; he doesn't understand that these are living things, not chemicals, he refuses to discuss. SO, I am leaning towards the re-seeding with white clover rather than grass. White clover is sterile so won't go crazy & take over, plus it is cheaper than grass seed & doesn't require the same amounts of water to keep in green & growing. At this point anything would be an improvement.
🙏🙏🙏
So another week of lockdown is upon us, which was originally scheduled to be over end of April, but our Premiere has added two weeks to the original 4 weeks. Ontario is really struggling with rising cases of the B1 variant, the demand for ICU beds & ventilators, along with a medical care system that is breaking down in exhaustion. Match this up with a delayed shipment of vaccines by 10 days, well it equals dark days ahead. I'll say no more for now.
Gosh, your Covid situation doesn't seem to get any better just now, does it. I feel for you.
ReplyDeleteI also feel for you over the intransigence of neighbours. :(
I hope you can manage to have a good week. x
Thanks Ruth. I have moved into a feeling of despair over what's happening with COVID in our province. No one person or government is to blame, but it would or might feel better, if there was somewhere to lay this. I cannot control anything but my own behaviours & maybe a little input on Mr Man's ... so, big girl pants on, & now to get on with the day :)
DeleteClover seems like a good solution for difficult spots.
ReplyDeletePlus the bees like the clover flowers.
DeleteI enjoyed reading about your gardening efforts. I remember when everybody's yard was covered in clover. I loved it and have never been a fan of the manicured lawn that people prize. Shame about the neighbor, though :( Natural pest control methods can be effective, but -as you say- not if he's that determined.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbour won't reason about "spraying" with nematodes but off he goes to burn pressure treated wood in his fire pit. I know we cannot pick our neighbours, but I am trying to be a good neighbour ... oh Lord I cannot love him as myself, so please step in for me!
DeleteGood morning, Mary-Lou (it's still morning in my part of the world, although probably afternoon over there!)
ReplyDeleteYour tulips are beautiful! I like the idea of clover in the side yard.
I'm sorry to hear that you are under an extended lockdown; I am afraid we are opening up too soon! I am now fully vaccinated, but, I still plan to stay home as much as possible.
I had a walk about the garden this morning & I am pleased to report that my daffodils & tulips are both showing signs of more bloom - so much better than last year. The lockdown & fights about it, along with the open/close, is frustrating & confusing. No storm lasts forever is what I tell myself.
DeleteThe Covid situation in Canada is worrying and I feel for you. I do hope it changes for the better sooner rather than later and that you can start benefitting from the improvements. I can't remember ... have you both had your vaccinations yet?
ReplyDeleteOh indeed Eileen it is worrying & I must say shameful. We anxiously await our turn, which should be soon for the vaccine. We have been informed that Ontario cannot vaccinate its way out of this surge of cases!
DeleteThe numbers in Monroe Co. continue to climb, but nothing that approaches the need to shut down again. I'm so sorry it's so bad again, and hopefully, vaccinations will soon be on their way to you! Your red tulips are splendid. We finally had to give up on planting tulips because the rabbits seem to get them before they bloom.
ReplyDeleteMost of my tulips are within the gardens surrounded by our fencing (chainlink) which this year seems to have kept the visiting bunnies out. My front garden tulips have lost their beautiful bloom heads to the naughty bunnies. Our regional Medical Officer, Dr Mercer says we just have to get through the next 5-6 weeks. I can do this.
DeleteSo sorry to hear that there seems to be no progress in the covid situation over there. I am a little anxious to see how things develop over here now we have relaxed our rules a little but hope that with increased vaccination things will not slide too far backwards.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read about your garden dilemma, we used Nematodes on our veggie patch a couple of years ago, in an effort to rid ourselves of slugs and snails who ate more of our runner beans than we did! I wouldn't say it was 100% success but it did help. It sounds like clover would look just as nice, and be bee friendly too which has to be a good thing!
I have heard several of our Canadian leaders tell us to look to the UK to see how well lockdowns & vaccinations have worked when reassuring us that the OAZ vaccine is a safe choice. We have decided to go with re-seeding with grass seed & a spraying of Nematodes & leave the neighbour to his own choices.
DeleteWell, the flowers hold promise, even if your lockdown schedule doesn't. Hang in there, this too shall pass - - - eventually!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a phrase I repeat often ... Our regional Medical Officer, Dr Mercer tells us the light is there, we just have to get through the next 5-6 weeks.
DeleteIt sounds as if you have done some really good zoom classes. Anxiety is not something you can just get over. You need strategies. I hope they helped.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope for the light at the end of the tunnel with all our lockdowns. Things can only get better. :0)
I am a work in progress regarding my anxieties; it seems I can be up dancing to that tune before I know it which means I need to be more in tune to "warning"signs & stop the anxiety before it takes over. :)
DeleteHow frustrating to have a neighbour who is unco-operative :(. Hoping you've come a decision you're happy with and that will work for you. Holding on tight seems to be the only thing we can do right now, even though it seems to be taking such a long time :(. I found Prince Phillip's funeral very moving in its pared-back feel - I think it would have been very much what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteOur neighbour can be quite difficult at times. We have decided to spray for the nematodes & re-seed & oops if some happen to fall over to that side ...
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