discombobulate

 It’s been over a week since I last enjoyed our little backyard oasis… I was away at the villetta until Saturday and since then the weather has been unsettled with afternoon thundershowers forecast and days of smoky air. The weather hasn’t stopped us from using the pool but I haven’t pulled the covers off the furniture since last Tuesday. 

I had a lovely few days with Kirsten and the girls. The weather was nice (hot) so we got to have some lovely suppers on the patio enjoying the sunsets before the mosquitos drove us inside. The dogs were reasonably good but there was some frustration with getting them to potty in a reasonable time… other than that, I left them loose in the trailer or if I was going away for an extended period I’d stick them in the bedroom. Much better than last year when I had to crate them if I left for even 5 minutes!

We’ve taken ‘advantage’ of the crummy weather to make a few shopping trips. Sunday we went to liquidation where I found a ‘Miracle’ bathing suit which was an actual miracle in more than one way… first, I found it in a huge box (think 3’x3’x3’) piled with hundreds of other random suits in mostly tiny sizes. The second miracle is that it fit and makes me look reasonably good. It might be the extreme plunging neckline that takes attention away from other areas!

Monday we trekked into the city to visit Ikea and Lee Valley. We also made a quick stop to see Maria & Jack, Carm’s sister and brother-in-law. I don’t think we’ve seen them since the beginning of covid! Ikea was a mecca of interesting things to look at and of course I came out with an armful of stuff 😱 

I browsed around Lee Valley while Carm got in line to get a package of nail brushes… the hardware (knob, handle, etc.) selection is out of this world! I could easily spend $1000 on new knobs for the kitchen and living room cabinets!

We didn’t linger anywhere as the dogs were loose so we wanted to get home in a reasonable time… as it turns out, the dogs were left alone again Monday night while we joined Trudie & Leo for supper. They are doing okay being loose, however the video shows a certain amount of crying and howling. Lupa doesn’t settle well yet.

We are still eating the meals that I prepped… and the drunken noodles with tofu turned out okay, but over salty. Next time I will marinate the tofu in less fish sauce with a bit of water added.

Yesterday I spent the day wishing for a rain cancellation of Lupa’s agility class - I was feeling discombobulated again (that’s 3 days now this week), in fact, I have been feeling slightly off since mid-rally. I’m sure it’s just a ‘normal’ swing but I wish it was over. This morning when I was frozen with anxiety I made myself get up and made a blueberry muffin cake. Of course I put some music on. It helped (a bit).

Well, the rain never came last night so Lupa’s school carried on. She was sometimes good and sometimes lost all attention and I was no help at all with my addled brain!

I made brisket tonight… it was tasty and the bbq sauce was ‘da bomb’ but now the smell of it is making me feel ill.

Awesome!

“chilling with Kirsten & girls”

“morning walk with Kirsten & Nissa”

“coffee in the trailer”

“getting home and seeing my honey”

could I do any more prep

 The burning of the Shire happened while we were away - a large forest nearby has been razed to the ground to make room for more identical houses on tiny lots. It’s a pox on the land… My heart breaks for all the animals displaced by the destruction. 

Yesterday I whirled around the kitchen for hours prepping and cooking for my visit to Kirsten’s this week. I started with the scapes: 2 jars with a brine in the fridge - they’ll keep for 6 months or so. Then I chopped scapes for the roasted vegetable salad. They went into the actifry with zucchini, red onion, red peppers and were finally tossed with some olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and a bit of basil for flavour. While that was cooking I added some more cucumber to the Korean smashed cucumber salad :-)

By the time Carm was home from Costco I was ready to make eggbites. (update: I forgot to bring them!) I also chopped up the tofu and marinated it for drunken noodles - the tofu will replace the chicken that I normally use because Nissa is vegetarian. I cooked it this morning and tucked them into the fridge - I don’t have high hopes for it though - I might have over-squeezed the block.

Then it was time for some flour fun… I have a special apron for rolling out tortillas since I seem to get gluey flour all over the front of me!

By the time 1pm rolled around I was ready for a swim and a bit of time relaxing on the deck. I love the shaded area. With the pergola shading and the leafy green trees that surround that end of the deck I felt like I was in paradise, even the birds were singing a happy chorus, accompanied by the percussion of distant motorcycles backfiring. Even the loud tractor cutting the hay field didn’t ruin the experience. 

It was 2:45 before I knew it and time to get the dogs to the groomers for a nail trim. After that it was just over an hour before Lupa and I had to go to school 🤪 She did not too bad considering she was a class behind all the other dogs. She had a bit of trouble with the tunnel when it was curved but she’s only been in it a few times. The circle of jumps was tricky for us as well - a combination of her confusion and my handling. It was fun though and she seemed to enjoy it.

Today I’ve prepped a layered Greek salad and a Greek orzo dish… both good for a hot summer night! I may be over catering but I wanted to try these 2 new recipes. The tofu in the drunken noodles is sort of new too as I’ve never used tofu like this… not sure how it will go.

I’m now nicely ensconced in my little home away from home. I love playing house in the villetta. Of course I’ll miss Carm but doesn’t absence make the heart grow fonder?

Awesome!

“a good run”

“my second home”

“thunderstorm skirting us”

pergola

Finally! The shade has been installed on the pergola and the furniture is arranged on the deck! I’m sitting outside for the first time this year :-) I’d forgotten how musical the birds are and how lovely everything smells.  Summer really is here! We just have to keep the darn chippies away and all will be good…

The shade went up with very little trouble but since it is 12x12 and the pergola is 12x14 we had to finagle one end. We may install an extra cross piece to help support it as I feel the long ropes we used will be unstable in the wind. 

It's overcast, (we did get a few minutes of sun), and slightly cool. That didn’t stop me from getting in the pool twice! Carm cut the grass and was happy to jump in as well.

Awesome!

“our shady nook on the deck”

Home sweet homes

 We’re home! We left the rally Thursday morning about 10am and after an uneventful drive and an easy setup (even the satellite was easy!), we were settled at Kirsten’s place for another summer. It felt a bit like coming home :-)

After last year’s fiasco with mud up to our axles, I was stressing a bit about getting into our little grove on the farm… everyday I tracked the rain and made calculations in my head about how much muck there would be… would the ground be too soft? Thankfully, the ground was springy but firm so it was an easy pull in. We even got ourselves pretty level!

Mom and Dad came to Kirsten’s for lunch and birthday cake, I did have to deek out of the gathering for a little while as my brain was in overload and I was starting to get anxious with all the chatter - for the last day and a half at the rally I was in the same muddle - I won’t be sad to have a day or two to decompress… (I napped on the sofa for over an hour yesterday afternoon!).

I was pleased to see the peonies still in full display. A few of the early blooms are looking like used tissues but the majority are in their prime so I’ll get a few days to enjoy them (assuming we don’t get a deluge!).

The rally was great fun - it was so lovely to see everyone again :-)

This morning it is 15C with a heavy, overcast sky and perhaps a bit of forest fire smoke. The cooler temp didn’t stop me from jumping in the pool after I took the dogs out! It was 20C/69F but oh, so refreshing :-)

I had plans to practice some of our agility skills with Lupa during our time in Kingston, but alas! I’m not sure if I was put off by our dirt site or just unmotivated, but I’ll have to get cracking this weekend so she’s ready for class on Tuesday night! She did get lots of practice seeing other dogs, but I’m not sure if she got better or worse with that…

Awesome!

“no mud!”

“an easy setup including the dreaded satellite”

“seeing everyone at Kirsten’s”

“getting home”

“my peonies!”

winding down

 The rain came down a bit harder today which kept us inside for much of the day, although we did make a trip to Costco. Most of the people were off at the theatre in Gananoque this afternoon so it was a quiet day for us which was perfect as my introverted mind needed some rest ;-)

Even when the rain let up, we didn’t go out for a long walk with the dogs - I wasn’t keen on the muddy roads which translate to muddy dogs! Especially Lupa who is low to the ground and gets a dirty belly. They didn’t seem to mind and spent the day sleeping in front of the fire.

Tonight was the farewell dinner at a Chinese food buffet on the other side of town.  I was feeling a bit sick to my stomach so passed on the outing… but Carm went with Andy and Edna.

The week has gone quickly so tomorrow we say our goodbyes for another year. Some of us have already booked for next year but I fear the turnout will be even lower next year. Hopefully I’m wrong.

Tomorrow we hit the road for Kirsten’s… fingers crossed for a safe trip and an uneventful setup… with no muddy opportunities!

Awesome!

“soft rain on the roof”

“my Mom’s birthday”

new old friends

 It did rain on and off yesterday but we managed to have fun anyway ;-)  We started the morning early, getting out for a few walks before 10am. It was planned to be a bit of a rest day but we still went around the loop a few times…

After we settled the dogs into the front of the camper, Carm and I drove to the outlet mall for some retail fun. The Columbia store came through again for us this year! I got two pairs of lightweight pants and two fantastic black flowy tank tops - I may drive over there again for another one as I find it nearly impossible to get something that fits well. Carm got a golf shirt. (update - we did go again!)

The group was huddled underneath Andy’s tent when we arrived back so I was able to ask about the dogs… apparently they howled for a few minutes and then were reasonably quiet. They are probably too exhausted to howl!!!

The rain was coming down hard so everyone disbursed for a while until the rain let up again. Mark came over for a quick visit and then we joined the group for an afternoon of laughs. We were in and out of the trailer but the dogs stayed settled with very little barking, and that was with them loose with windows and screen door. Actually, Adia didn’t bark at all, just the yappy little grey dog! And only when another dog went by. Since her favourite spot to hang out is on the back of the sofa looking out the window, she sees every single one :-/

Supper was late and after that we hunkered down for some quiet time and an early night.

The rain was supposed to last into the day today, but I could see blue sky through the skylight this morning :-) It’s a gorgeous day so far! (I’m writing this part at 11am after spending some time outside at the coffee gathering, and then I zoomed the vacuum around and washed the floor… we have company coming this afternoon :-)

… later in the day

Colleen, a friend from Grade 9/10 high school came by for a visit this afternoon! We haven’t seen each other for over 2 decades but after a few minutes of catchup, the conversation flowed… it was wonderful, but at the same time just a bit sad that I’d missed out on all these years of friendship. We promised to at least make this an annual event :-)

After Colleen left, Carm and I took the dogs for a walk and then hitched a ride to Doug & Sue’s cabin on the other side of the park for a cocktail hour - it was great fun :-)  I left a bit early to get home to the beasts - it was their supper time and I knew they’d be a bit more anxious with us gone.

Now I’m waiting for Susan to come back for an instant pot demo! But I’ll post this before the rest of the fun begins :-)

Awesome!

“gathering under the tent out of the rain”

“an easy to make supper after an afternoon of visiting”

“the dogs are doing so much better than I hoped”

“another trip to the outlets for more tank-tops!”

“new old friends”

power outage

 9am Sunday… It’s overcast and a bit cold and the power is out so we are huddled in our camper wishing for coffee. We aren’t set up for much boondocking so our battery power is limited plus we only have a bit of water in our tank. We need a ‘whole trailer’ generator!

We could see on the hydro map that the outage doesn’t extend into Kingston so Carm went into town for Hot Coffee. We were up early and desperate for coffee!

Last night was the potluck so picnic tables were gathered from every site and arranged in a long row, a dining tent had tables for food. We were only 1 trailer over so could hear if the dogs were barking - I only heard Lupa a few times when a dog walked past but, otherwise, silence. :-)

near the end of the day…

There were no rally events planned for today so we just mooched around chatting with people for much of the day. I took the dogs for several long walks, some by myself, some with Carm and one with Marilyn and Mark. My legs are exhausted from so many walks! And the dogs are getting slower and slower - I think their legs are getting tired too, although Lupa is still pretty alert.

This afternoon a bunch of us gathered at Susan and Bert’s site right across from ours so I could listen in on the dogs again. We chatted through the afternoon and suddenly it was 5:30! I quickly fed the dogs, we took them for a walk, then Carm drove off to A&W for some burgers. 

I’m pretty much done for the day! 

Awesome!

“Adia finally pooping!”

“no rain”

“power back early”

“huge cups of coffee from Tim Hortons”

rally tally ho

 After all the prep to get ready for camping and then a 2 hour drive on the 401, it was with great relief that we pulled into our site and got set up without any ‘opportunities’ for problem solving. That moment, (once the satellite is tuned in), is a moment of ‘peaceful easy feeling’. We often celebrate with a cold adult beverage but Thursday I was happy with a gatorade :-)

There were a few people already here to get reacquainted with - I left Carm chatting while I walked the dogs. It was a disaster! They were every which way and I ended up wrapped in leashes many times. Not a pretty sight! I’m happy to say that the walking is getting much better with very little pulling and more straight line walking ;-) Practice, practice, practice.

It wasn’t too long before Mark and Marilyn arrived and soon after that Andy and Edna. Christine and Peter arrived just in time for the supper outing to RAXX. I will admit to having a little tear when I hugged Edna - it’s their last camping trip so it’s unlikely that we’ll see them again. We went to Panama with them in 2019 which was a blast. We closed the Wheelhouse every night, enjoying their company and the music.

RAXX, for ribs, was the supper destination for the first night. I opted to stay back with the dogs and had a quiet evening with a long walk.

Our internet is outragously expensive so I’m taking the opportunity to wean myself off so much Facebook! There are times when I automatically open FB to scroll and read stupid stuff but I’m trying to switch that to reading… so I have a few books going on. A trashy one for when I have no attention span, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ for those times when I’ve got a bit more going on in my brain and finally ‘Everyone Lies’ which I think was recommended by Jo Ellen. It’s a super interesting book about mining for data, with an emphasis on what they can glean from the billions of Google searches.

The dogs have been surprisingly good! Lupa reacts a bit when she sees other dogs but settles down quickly. She hasn’t been barking at people or, when we are out for a walk, at other dogs. When she’s perched on the back of the sofa is another matter… but she’s getting better :-)

This morning was a pancake breakfast up at the hall so we left the dogs alone… I set up my ‘Parrot’ app that captures sound so I’d know what went on. Well! Surprisingly there was just one short (20s) outburst of howling when we first left but then, aside for a few tiny cries from Lupa, it was silent!!! Hurrah!!!

Anyway, they are doing great so I’m really pleased. I think that this week of exposure to other dogs is going to help our agility :-)

(update - it’s the weekend so there’s a fair number of children which Lupa does react to… they freak her out big time. It makes me wonder if something happened before we got her. She was already 13 weeks and I harbour a suspicion that someone with rambunctious kids adopted her and returned her)

So, what did I forget? Hair gel and sunscreen for my face. And ketchup. Luckily there’s a Shoppers Drug Mart and Food Basics within a 15 minute drive, so we stuck the dogs in the back of the truck and went for a drive. It poured while we were gone but the rain held off for the supper gathering at our place - we were 8 people so it would have been a crush inside! Andy, Edna, Mar, Marilyn, Gary, and Cindy gathered around 2 picnic tables for a long supper and chat. 

While we were sitting there after supper I brought the dogs out on leash for a little walk and then joined back in the conversation with the dogs snuffling around the picnic table (on their leashes). At one point Carm said ‘oh look! Those people down there have a little schnauzer like Lupa’. We saw it a few times as we were chatting. And then Lupa trotted up without her harness! It was her that we saw 😱 Gosh! It’s lucky she found her way back cause it was ages that she was gone…

That harness will go in the garbage!

Luckily in my ‘over-preparedness’ (is that a word?), I packed another style of harness that should be impossible to slip out of.

We’ve walked and walked and walked! The dogs are already exhausted, and for that matter, so am I!

About the ketchup… Carm could only get a giant bottle which isn’t ideal. Sadly, when I was putting it away I found… you guessed it… a little bottle of ketchup!

Awesome!

“getting to our site without any problems”

“seeing old friends”

“checking out the recording app and seeing very little barking or howling!”

“the dogs getting better at walking on leash”

“using forgotten leashes which are great - I’ll order 2 more for the car when we get home”

“ribs”

“meeting new people”

“being inside the camper listening to other people laughing and having fun but not feeling left out or sad at all!”

over prepared

 For the umpteeth time I scrolled through my task list, this time I checked off the last few things for the trailer (mayo anyone?) so now we can sit back and relax until tomorrow morning… tell that to my brain though!

The last week has been a huge push to get the trailer road ready. I may have ‘over prepared’! Certainly we are ready for almost anything! Today I cooked a batch of Korean bulgogi beef (in the airfryer this time - wowzers!), bacon-wrapped eggbites, roasted zucchini salad with sun-dried tomatoes. Yesterday I made a second batch of rhubarb cookies and a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

In the ‘olden days’ when we first started rv’ing we’d be out at the campgrounds as soon as they opened. We’d hit up Poplar Grove mid April and then the next weekend we’d go to a semi-local KOA. We don’t venture out so early anymore so this year our first trip is the annual Titanium Reunion/rally in Kingston.

Trudie, Leo, and Pat joined us for supper on Monday night. It was an early night as Trudie is still recovering from a bad heat-stroke, but Pat stayed a bit longer to watch an episode of ‘Picard’ with Carm. She came early for a run-down of what needs water, etc. while we are gone - she’ll be manning the fort here with Grace :-)

Fires from northern Quebec are polluting our air with thick smoke. It’s been terrible with the air quality the worst it’s ever been.

Lupa’s agility class was cancelled last night due to the smoke so we’ll have 2 weeks to practice what we’ve already learned so she can shine! I’ll have to take advantage of camping time to build up some behaviours :-) Speaking of camping time - when we were outside re-loading the front of the trailer, I had the truck door open - after a few minutes I started looking around for the dogs - they were nowhere to be seen! Except… they were bouncing around in the backseat waiting for us to get going! I think they are keen.

Awesome!

“almost ready!”

the villetta is home

 It was just past 12:30 this afternoon when we arrived back home with the villetta. After the last step of unhitching the truck from the trailer we breathed a huge sigh of relief! The new leg works and the new suspension seems to be suspending just fine! The villetta is home with plenty of time to prepare for the Ti Reunion next week.

the old ‘spring’

As soon as we were unhitched we ‘released the hounds’ from the house. I think it was their 6th time of being loose in the house - so far so good, EXCEPT the video shows intermittent howling… which isn’t ideal in a campground… with the heatwave breaking tomorrow, I’ll have a chance to practice them in the trailer locked into the bedroom - hopefully the small, dark space will be more conducive to resting and not freaking out the whole time we are gone… 

The sweltering, record breaking heat wave, descended on us several days ago - yesterday it almost reached 35C. The heat has warmed up the pool to the high 70s which feels positively balmy after last week’s mid 60s swims! I had my first outdoor shower Thursday 🤪 That’s a sure sign of summer!

The new plants are quickly settling into their new beds and shooting new leaves out and the arugula seeds that I planted are sprouting. A few of the plants from inside got some sunburn :-( I should have protected them better.

I love puttering on the back deck, wiping furniture, watering plants, and then dunking myself into the cool water. It is pure ‘peaceful easy feeling’.

Tonight I made supper from a meal kit that Marie dropped off for us - it had all the ingredients, including spices and sauces, so I just had to chop the bok choy and cook it all up. Easy peasy and delicious!

Awesome!

“Amazon notice that the last part has been delivered to Benson’s”

“getting the villetta home”

“relaxing mornings”