company on their way

After 12 hours of deep sleep I woke up feeling like crap… I struggled out of bed to feed the dogs and there, on the kitchen counter, were my meds. That answered that question but with a sinking heart I knew that at least ½ my day would be miserable. I went back to bed.

A while later I got a text from Olaf that they were coming today for a few nights. Yikes! The house was in a state of semi-shambles, needed a good vacuum, and Freya’s bed was covered in spare blankets etc from the camper. I got up and started tidying. I lasted 15 minutes and was back to bed. And so the morning went: struggle and rest, struggle and rest. By the time Carm got home from golf most was done and the house was presentable. I was also starting to feel better and could finally eat something - hurrah!

It’s scary how horrible missing just one night makes me feel.

But I’m excited to have company! It will be the first time since mid March that we’ve had people in the house (excepting the plumber). 106 days to be exact.

Olaf, Stephanie, and Freya arrived a little past 4pm. Snacks and then supper (cause how much food could one even eat?) were scarfed, leaving the rest of the evening for swimming (Olaf & Freya) and visiting. It was a fairly subdued evening as everyone was a bit tired for days of excitement.

I’m exhausted but happy.

Headline tonight: Over 5,000 people a day being admitted to Texas hospitals. 2,681,811 cases with 128,783 deaths in the US. There are a total of 103,918 (103,250 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,566 (8,522 yesterday) deaths today.

“There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight

To me did seem

Apparelled in celestial light,

The glory and the freshness of a dream.

It is not now as it hath been of yore;—

Turn wheresoe’er I may,

By night or day,

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

But there’s a tree, of many, one,

A single field which I have look’d upon,

Both of them speak of something that is gone:

The pansy at my feet

Doth the same tale repeat:

Whither is fled the visionary gleam?

Where is it now, the glory and the dream?”

~William Wordsworth

the music in my heart I bore

My hands are still slightly sticky with bbq sauce after finishing up a batch of pulled pork for when Olaf comes to visit. 6.6 pounds of unquious pork is ready to be deployed. Carm says it’s the best he’s ever tasted, but he might be hungry so his opinion is slightly discounted.

Friday afternoon I drove to Kirsten’s for a visit. A short visit ended up stretching out to 2 nights! I had a great time and got to spend some one on one time with Shenna and Nissa. I was pleased to learn that Shenna follows current events and is well informed - so rare for people her age. Nissa manned the kitchen for suppers while Shenna whipped up a batch of crepes for brunch. They are accomplished young ladies.

I got to know Olaf’s friend, Stephanie, a bit better. She gave me a tip about switching from red to white wine to help my rosacea - I’ll give it a try!

Kirsten was excited about her newest addition to the barn. Harrison is a huge draft cross that is gentle and calm - the perfect partner for Kirsten to get back to riding. It was funny watching the horses this morning: he was sleeping on his side with one of the mini’s standing beside him, her height standing about the same as his lying down!

Almost everyone had something to be excited about - Shawn had his tractor delivered on Friday. We didn’t see much of him the rest of the weekend and when he did appear his hands looked like a mechanic’s hands: covered with grease. And with a big smile.

We still haven’t had any appreciable amount of rain.

Oh my gosh… I’m so tired from all the fun that I’m incoherent! It will be an early to bed tonight.

Headline tonight: Up to 700 people have been possibly infected following an outbreak in a nail salon in Kingston. 2,635,544 cases with 128,432 deaths in the US. There are a total of 103,250 (102,576 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,522 (8,501 yesterday) deaths today.

“I listen'd, motionless and still;

And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

~William Wordsworth

hoarding

It’s cooler today with a wind that threatens to blow us to Oz. Sadly the gale is shaking apart the catalpa flowers so the display this year will be short. 

Carm played golf early this morning - I slept in and then started puttering around the house tidying up countless areas of clutter. Normally it is invisible to me, but with Olaf, who is slightly minimalist, coming to visit in a few days it looks like I’m a hoarder. The problem with this type of cleanup is that I’m stashing stuff and will never find it again… I should write a schematic. 

Google needs an add-on to maps where you can take a photo of something and tag it in a location. Hey! Maybe that’s a good business idea. Think of the possibilities! Your spouse could check the app before asking where something is ;-)

After Carm was cleaned up from golf we went to Shoppers Drug Mart so that I could get some vitamin C serum for my face and a really expensive face cleanser that will hopefully be easier on my skin. Rosacea is a bitch. We wore our masks, sanitized our hands, touched as little as possible, and then sanitized our hands again. The store was mostly empty, but even still, no one else was wearing a mask. Disappointing.

Before the afternoon was totally finished we wrestled Grace’s heavy cage outside so Carm could pressure wash it, while I scrubbed her cage area. I’ve been doing it for 22 years, yet using a hose in the living room still feels weird.

Just need to dust, vacuum, and clean the bathrooms and then we are ready for overnight guests - excited!

Headline tonight: 18 people in one family test positive after a surprise birthday party. 2,499,023 cases with 124,858 deaths in the US. There are a total of 102,576 (102,242 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,501 (8,484 yesterday) deaths today.

“The earth was all before me. With a heart

Joyous, nor scared at its own liberty,

I look about; and should the chosen guide

Be nothing better than a wandering cloud,

I cannot miss my way.”

William Wordsworth

parched earth

101 Dalmatians… oops, I mean 101 days of covid-19 isolation… we are well into the groove of physical distancing and have been doing all that we can to stay safe. Are we being paranoid or careful - it’s hard to tell as the line is so narrow. Even with the members of our small social circle (my family), we’ve been maintaining physical distance for the most part. How about you? Are you keen to start closely socializing with others?

The last several days have been a series of hot, sultry days spent on the swing with frequent dips into the pool. The heat slightly addled my brain which is why I haven’t written a proper post for so long. After a languid day it’s hard to feel smart enough to find words.

Before the peonies fully lost their blooms (some are still desperately hanging onto theirs), I harvested a few handfuls of the beautiful petals. I had 2 projects in mind: an infusion with vodka, and a simple syrup made in the instant pot the same way I did the rhubarb. Well… the simple syrup was a bust. The flavour didn’t come through, instead it tasted slightly burnt. The vodka was perhaps better but it’s not great enough to make another batch. I only tasted a spoon - perhaps it would be nicer in a mixed drink?

The strength of our satellite tv signal has been flakey lately so with chainsaw in hand Carm started felling trees. The little ones were easy but unfortunately didn’t do the trick so he started after the huge manitoba maple. We’d wanted that tree down anyway… I hate the chainsaw and stand at a safe distance watching with phone in hand. He got through much of the 16” tree when the saw ran out of gas. He took a short rest, filled up the saw, and then as we were walking back to the tree I saw it come down. I thanked whatever spirit that was around and went to check the signal. Unfortunately it was not much better.

We looked through the window at the satellite dish and figured that maybe a few branches of lilac also had to come down… yes… better signal. Yay! 

The ground is screaming for water. Wide gaping cracks have opened up in the parched earth. I’ve not seen a drought like this outside the worst of the dry summers, and certainly not so early in the summer.

I was looking for a photo for my Dad and came across this one of me in William Wordsworth’s house in the Lake District of England.

Headline tonight: Most new cases in the US since it all started. 2,463,128 cases with 124,279 deaths in the US. There are a total of 102,242 (101,286 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,484 (8,430 yesterday) deaths today.

“I had melancholy thoughts...

a strangeness in my mind,

A feeling that I was not for that hour,

Nor for that place.”

~William Wordsworth

Happy Father's Day

It was another scorching hot day… we went to Kirsten’s to celebrate Father’s Day and had a lovely time.

We spent the day under the shade of a giant maple, but even though we were in the shade it was hot enough to melt a crayon… hence my lack of words today!

Headline tonight: Over 9 million worldwide cases. 2,355,664 cases with 122,243 deaths in the US. There are a total of 101,286 (100,629 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,430 (8,346 yesterday) deaths today.

“And yet the wiser mind

Mourns less for what age takes away

Than what it leaves behind.”

~William Wordsworth

full on summer

The first day of summer dawned hot and humid...

I puttered around the kitchen for a while making seasoning packets for some favorite recipes - they'll make some of the prep easier. Greek potatoes were made to take to Kirsten's tomorrow for brunch and then the rest of the day was spent by the pool!

We met with Kirsten and Olaf to toast in the first day of summer! 

What a day :-)

thy glory and thy happiness be there

I was blessed with another perfect day today, minus the time in the dirt. 

I spent a bit of time in the kitchen prepping some chicken for shawarma. It’s got the marinade on it and is in the freezer, ready to be thawed and cooked when Olaf is here. I’ve got plans to make cinnamon buns for the freezer on Monday, and maybe a few extra loaves of bread as well. It’s awfully hot to be running the oven, but it will be nice to have homemade bread for sandwiches.

Headline tonight: 2,297,190 cases with 121,407 deaths in the US. There are a total of 100,629 (100,220 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,346 (8,300 yesterday) deaths today.

“Be mild, and cleave to gentle things,

thy glory and thy happiness be there.”

~William Wordsworth

the music in my heart

I felt like that bird doing lazy circles in the cloudless sky above the river. Peaceful easy feeling blessed my whole day. It seems that it would be impossible to be depressed or gloomy on a day like this. I was up a bit early as Carm came home from an aborted try at golf. With sleep still in my eyes I took the dogs out for a meander around the house, starting with the peonies. The deep burgundy ones are in flower now. We daudled the rest of the way around enjoying the peace. Even the pesky deer flies couldn’t break my mood.

Pef followed me to the tomato patch where I dug down into the dirt with my bare fingers pulling weeds and marveling at the power of dirt to grow things out of nothing. There is enough magic in the soil to produce food and that will never cease to be a miracle for me.

While I dirtied my hands, Adia played nearby sometimes resting in the cooler shade but never going far away. She’s like a companionable shadow, a protector of sorts.

And the music! I was in the mood for the music of my youth - oh those long hot summers of my teens! My little speaker sang to me in the garden and then moved to the deck to continue its foray into the past.

A slight sheen of sweat glistened on my limbs… gosh that pool looks tempting. The temp is a perfect 75F, cool enough to be refreshing and warm enough to not numb.

It was one of those hot summer days that you do things in the morning and then in the afternoon sip icy rhubarb drinks while getting deliciously hot before slipping into cooling waters. Repeat.

Could a day be any more perfect?

Headline tonight: Canada goes over 100,000 cases. 2,261,742 cases with 120,622 deaths in the US. There are a total of 100,220 (99,853 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,300 (8,254 yesterday) deaths today.

“The music in my heart I bore

Long after it was heard no more.”

~William Wordsworth

around the lazy river

The tomatoes needed a good long drink of water this morning so I hooked up the long hose and attached the ancient sprinkler. The soil soaked up 30 minutes of sprinkles and could probably have used more. The petunias planted alongside benefited as well so I expect to see a burst of flowers in the next few days.

Meanwhile, in the front of the house, the peonies are going wild. Several times throughout the day I linger in their proximity and drink up the floral notes of fragrance. Oh to have an everlasting June with it’s bounty of plump flowers.

“I don’t see the big deal… that dead thing over there smells much more interesting”

It was warm so by mid afternoon I’d slipped into the cool pool waters, floating down the lazy circular river.

We ate supper on the back deck, the evening perfect for a relaxing meal. 

Headline tonight: 2,233,112 cases with 119,930 deaths in the US. There are a total of 99,853 (99,467 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,254 (8,213 yesterday) deaths today.

“Then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils.”

~William Wordsworth

comfort in the strength of love

It is the sort of day that poets write about. Their verse would rhapsodize about the clear blue sky, they’d sing about the birdsong, and rejoice at the sound of wind ruffling the trees. There’s a bird on the other side of the big trees with a loud caw (not a crow), and surely they’d find the words for that as well. Nearby a trill of notes dance on the breeze from the little songbirds nesting in the area. The humidity is low and the temperature is perfect for a gentle swing in the shade. It might not be hot enough to tempt me into the brisk 72F waters of the pool, but I’m content on land.

The day started off slowly with coffee and then a dustup with some yeast and flour. I made the artisan loaf again, our favorite for texture, but a bugaboo to make. I love kneading, the feeling of the elastic dough in my hands pleasurable, but this loaf is a no-knead sticky mess with no satisfaction. 

While the dough was rising we took off in the car for a few errands, the first one of which was to do a bottle return… it’s been 4 months and the glass was starting to collect! After that Carm picked up a few things in the grocery store and then went looking for a ‘y’ for the hose bib at the back of the house. It seems they are tricky to find.

We left Adia loose in the house and were pleased to come home to no disasters.

There is a big reduction in the number of people wearing masks - it’s as if they think it’s all over and we are out of the woods. HELLO! I don’t think the government or the media is doing enough to promote mask use. They should be stressing the importance, but instead it’s rarely mentioned.

   “you can smell the flowers but I find this tangle of grass more interesting”

Pleasures today: a slow amble around the gardens inhaling the scent of flowering plants; a few minutes on the swing; a lovely visit with Kirsten and Mom on messenger - yay for technology; warm fresh bread dunked into delicious cream of mushroom soup; a bit of a doze on the sofa after supper followed by a refreshing dip in the pool.

Headline tonight: 2,208,244 cases with 119,129 deaths in the US. There are a total of 99,467 (99,147 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,213 (8,175 yesterday) deaths today.

“There is a comfort in the strength of love; 'Twill make a thing endurable, which else would overset the brain, or break the heart.”

~William Wordsworth

bliss it was in that dawn to be alive

A topaz blue sky tInged with a bit of yellow from the blazing sun greeted me when I finally pried open my eyes. Carm was on the links leaving me to wake up slowly, and then with coffee in hand, putter around the house with a bit of music. 

The dogs and I spent some time outside rejoicing in the appearance of the first peony bloom. Well, I rejoiced, the dogs just sniffed the ground pretending to be interested.

Pat came by for a laneway visit this afternoon - we sat beside the peonies - in a few days they’ll be spectacular. It might be a good time for Shenna to come for a visit as she shares my love of the sensuous blooms.

At supper time I zoomed around the kitchen making another new recipe. Gosh, it was good! Korean ground beef with roasted zucchini, peppers, and broccoli over rice. I used heaps more ginger and garlic than the recipe called for which was definitely a good idea.

Here’s a photo of some of the cracks in the ground.

Oh, and the hay was cut. And my silver sequin top arrived. Spike was exhausted from the party yesterday and has been sleeping the whole day.

Headline tonight: 2,182,525 cases with 118,279 deaths in the US. There are a total of 99,147 (98,787 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,175 (8,146 yesterday) deaths today.

“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive

But to be young was very heaven.”

~William Wordsworth

birthday bubble

Day 91 of isolation… but hey hurrah! We are now allowed to have ‘social bubbles’ of up to 10 people. With a stroke of good luck, just in time for Mom’s birthday. So we all descended on Kirsten’s farm, dogs and all. We still kept our distance but didn’t stress about it as much, and we also skipped hugging - that seems too soon. One of us could still have covid and spread it to the family after all.

It was a perfect day: 22C, light breeze, and clouds skitting across the sky keeping us at just the right temperature. 

Spike and Adia were reasonably well behaved, although Adia needs to work on her obedience and ability to lie down quietly… I almost left them home but figured that a) I wouldn’t have to worry about getting home in time; and b) the sooner they get used to being at the cousin’s house the better.  We’d brought some of our fence panels to set up a little grassy area at the bottom of the deck stairs - it worked rather well. 

Last night we had fun with the siblings on a zoom call. Three hours later we ended the call. Gosh time goes by quickly! I’m looking forward to getting together in person this summer.

Headline tonight: Cases spiking in US. 2,161,366 cases with 117,849 deaths in the US. There are a total of 98,787 (97,350 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 8,146 (7,994 yesterday) deaths today.

“The music in my heart I bore

Long after it was heard no more.”

~William Wordsworth

Grace is 22

I woke up in the middle of the night to a lashing wind beating the house and I hoped, some rain as well. We got a tiny amount but not enough to moisten the earth. As I’ve been walking around the property I’ve nearly fallen into the deep crevices opening up in the dry clay.

While Carm golfed this morning I puttered around the house seemingly accomplishing nothing. Occasionally I’d stop to read another New Yorker article about current events or I’d watch inane video on womanly things. I had to laugh at the diversity.

Once Carm was home and had his cooling swim we jumped into the car for a trip to Costco and the LCBO. It was great to go out and see something other than the four walls but I was still cranky when I got home. 

Our 2lb package of yeast arrived today! That is a sh&*load of yeast! I’m giving a bit to Kirsten and a bunch to Trudie. I foresee lots of bread in our future.

Oh gosh!!! I almost forgot again. Yesterday was Grace’s 22nd birthday.

Headline tonight: Cases spiking in US. 2,089,626 cases with 116,029 deaths in the US. There are a total of 97,350 (97,125 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 7,994 (7,960 yesterday) deaths today.

“Nature never did betray

The heart that loved her.”

~William Wordsworth

rhubarb

We sheltered inside this morning doing a sort of raindance but alas, only 2 lone drops fell on our parched earth. We are holding out hope for rain overnight although it doesn’t look promising.

When the rain passed over, Carm manned up with the growling chainsaw to buck up the fallen tree. I kept an eagle eye on him from inside while I processed some rhubarb and started prepping for supper.

Counting today’s forey’s, I’ve made 22 new recipes since the beginning of covid lockdown with a 95% success rate and will redo all but 1 - the first cinnamon bun recipe was stodgy so not a favorite of Carm’s. Tonight I made rhubarb simple syrup to use in drinks, rhubarb compote for ice cream, and for supper we had roasted garlic soup which was a festival of bacon, garlic, parmesan cheese, more garlic, and cream with a few potatoes thrown in to thicken it up. What’s not to like?

   rose that Kirsten gave us for our anniversary many years ago

The pool warmed up to 22F/72C again so I took advantage of the tropical (!) waters to cool my limbs after I briefly helped Carm pick up some branches. We’ve been having lots of swim days this year which is unusual.

Headline tonight: Cases spiking in US. 2,066,223 cases with 115,130 deaths in the US. There are a total of 97,125 (96,653 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 7,960 (7,897 yesterday) deaths today.

“Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.”

~William Wordsworth

breathings of your heart

Stepping out the front door is like immersing myself in a vat of perfume. The 3 locust trees are in bloom, blessing us with an umbrella of fragrance that threatens to make me swoon with pleasure.

I woke up to the sound of light rain today which unfortunately petered out long before the earth was saturated. I didn’t check but would be surprised if the moisture soaked in more than ½ inch. All the rain in the region has been skirting our house, leaving the ground parched. It’s too early for drought!

Not much has been going on… just the usual puttering around interspersed with watching mindless video. I’ve had the dogs out several times practicing some of the skills Adia learned at school. I had big plans for her this summer, thinking that I’d take one or even two classes every week: Agility, Rally-o, therapy dog - all classes to take us closer to her being a therapy dog. Instead we’ve done nothing and don’t intend to attend any classes at all. It doesn’t seem worth it. I suppose an agility class would be outside and might be okay. We’ll see.

Adia was having fun with the hose this morning:

After supper (garlic noodles and bok choy), Leo came over to cut down a giant branch for Carm. He’s got years of experience in cutting trees in just the right way so they fall in the right direction and he proved his expertise tonight! No tree came crashing through the window :-)

Headline tonight: Gatherings of 10 people allowed (social distance) starting Friday. 2,045,402 cases with 114,150 deaths in the US. There are a total of 96,653 (95,699 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 7,897 (7,800 yesterday) deaths today.

“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

~William Wordsworth

lilliput land

We snuck off for a physically distant social visit with Kirsten, et. al. It was wonderful to see the humans but the real stars of the show were the newest farm occupants…

We managed to keep mostly apart but we weren’t perfect. It’s so HARD! and will take some more practice :-)

She’s one month old and full of beans!

Headline tonight: 2,007232 cases with 112,469 deaths in the US. There are a total of 95,699 (95,017 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 7,800 (7,773 yesterday) deaths today.

“The best portion of a good man's life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.”

~William Wordsworth

life was beginning over again with the summer

Summertime and the livin is easy. After a spring of cold temps (even snow in the middle of May), we’ve had the odd series of hot, hot, hot days. The last few days had enough heat units to warm up the pool again. Today it got up to 74F which is a great swimming temperature as long as you don’t mind blue legs and numb skin. 

Seriously though, after a morning of working outside in the sweaty heat, the sensation of immersing myself in the cold water is seriously heavenly.

The swimming is seriously hard on my hair - it’s now gone rogue.

Adia loves these days of puttering around outside. She runs back and forth between us checking out what we are doing, interspersed with wild zooming. Then she crashes in the shade, panting like crazy but obviously happy. I haven’t gotten her used to the hose yet… maybe the next hot day.

Don’t you hate it when it takes at least an hour of effort for a meal that is eaten in under 5 min… Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it. My consort eats so fast it’s a wonder he even tastes it.

Torge, June 2005. I can’t believe that 15 years have passed.

Headline tonight: Ottawa has a march against racism. 1,987,175 cases with 112,057 deaths in the US. There are a total of 95,017 (94,335 yesterday) cases of Covid-19 in Canada today, with 7,773 (7,703 yesterday) deaths today.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”

~F. Scott Fitzgerald