Those First Few Steps

Some days, going for a walk with Holly in the morning is a difficult choice for me.  I might be having to contend with poor weather. I might be I'm either not feeling great or, through poor planning, I don't have enough time.  Whatever, it's those first few steps that are important.  Once I get moving with Holly, I can forget about most things and just enjoy getting out, walking, and looking around us.  It doesn't really matter where we walk - trail or street - as long as we're out there moving.  This morning, it was easy from every point of view.  I was both looking forward to getting out and the weather was perfect.  And, when you get back, you are rewarded with toast and coffee (or a cookie, if you're a dog) and you feel good for having gone on the walk. Who could ask for anything more?

Pack

You'd think I was moving to the cottage, not just going there for three days.  I started putting things aside for this cottage trip over a week ago.  Now, looking at all of the accumulated "stuff", I realize I've gone overboard once again.  Well, better to realize it now than when I get to the lake.  Time to lighten the load before I leave on Sunday!

I'm really looking forward to seeing the lake again, staying at the Ellis Camp (also known as "the wooden tent"), relaxing on the deck, boating around favorite parts of the lake, walking the old trails nearby, hearing the loons, and maybe seeing the odd eagle.  Rain or shine, it should be a great escape from the city. It's been two long years since my last trip to Northern Ontario.

Focus

No, I'm not writing about photography or paying attention.  This evening, I had my first experience as a member of a focus group that was set up by a credit union that I belong to.  When I was asked on the phone to participate a few days ago and learned that it would be about financial matters, like investing and mortgages and such stuff, I told them that they really had the wrong person.  I have a hard time making change let alone talking intelligently about things financial.  But, they screened me with a bunch of questions and said I was suitable for the focus group.  Personally, I thought they must have been desperate but, when they offered me an honorarium to participate, I said "okay".

Anyways, I went tonight and had no problem putting in my "two  cents worth" when my opinion was asked about something.  I learned there were no wrong answers.  They just wanted a range of viewpoints, about current and possible future products that might be offered by the credit union, from the dozen or so people there.  And, with some questions, they did get quite a range of answers.  With other questions, they got very similar answers from most people.

So, I did something different tonight.  Although I was a little nervous about attending this event at first, it was certainly a learning experience for me.  And, I realized that a lot of things to do with banking and investing are really interesting as you gradually learn more and more about these subjects.  My times, they are a changing ...

Discover

Exploring and dreaming can lead to discoveries, about yourself, others, and world around you.  All the world's great thinkers, explorers, writers, artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs have followed this path of discovery.  Most of them have left a lasting record of the steps they've taken along the road to discovery.  If you look closely at what they've left behind, you can sometimes trace these steps backwards to where they began, with a dream or an idea.  Sometimes, that first step never 'got off the ground' but, because it was recorded somewhere, we can learn from it.  History can teach us many valuable lessons if we only take time to study it.

Mark Twain said "twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do.  Explore, dream, discover".

Dream

The word 'dream' can be associated with many different things.  You might 'dream' of what you'd do if you won a million dollars.  You might wake up, having remembered parts of a pleasant 'dream'.  You might have 'dreams' akin to a bucket list.  I like the latter concept of a dream.  It allows you to articulate what you'd like to do in the future.  Just writing down those dreams is often the first and probably most important step in having them come true.  And, seeing one dream come true encourages you to have more and work towards them.  Dreams can give you reasons for making the most of your life.

Explore

Lately, I've been exploring the subject of portrait photography on the Internet.  I'm more comfortable doing nature photography.  I really enjoy every aspect of nature photography, whether it's done in the city or the country.  There are inexhaustible number of subjects you can make images of, under a wide variety of conditions and in every season of the year.

My forays into portrait photography have been limited, mostly, to photos of friends and family.  In recent years, I've had the most fun taking pictures of my grandchildren.  They're great because they're always changing and they're rarely camera shy or self-conscious, unlike many of us adults.  I often see major changes in their appearance within just one week.  I don't think I'll ever stop enjoying making a record of these changes.

But, I want to take better portraits.  And, I want to go beyond family and friends.  That means I'll have to explore doing portraits in new situations.  I'm considering the options now.  Maybe, concerts, workplaces, craft fairs, garden tours, shopping malls, and other milieus.

Humidex of 43

Now, that's positively uncomfortable, even for people who like it warm.  It was definitely not a day for yard work.  However, I did leave my air conditioned home for my air conditioned car for awhile.  My Escape needed gas and a wash.  And, I needed some groceries for supper.  It was good to get out of the house for a little while anyways, both for some people contact and to get away from doing paperwork.  Unfortunately, I'll have to get back to the paperwork this evening.  It's been a long time since my dining room table was clear of files.  Too long.  So ... I'd better get at it.

Building Site Inspection

Josi and Greg and the 'boyz' came by after lunch to pick me up and drive out to their new home site in LaSalle.  It's only about 20 minutes or so away from my place.  Construction started this past week with the basement hole dug and piles and basement wall footings poured.  I was with two very happy young people, I'll tell you!  I took some photos and mad some suggestions for continuing to record each phase of the construction ahead.  I'm very happy for them and advised Josi I was keeping quite a few small shrubs and other plants for them to plant in the fall or next spring once their yard is ready.

Thinking Back to Yesterday

I love to drive out to Carman and observe the changes I see along Highway 3.  Yesterday, as I was driving towards Carman, I had to brake my car because, quite aways up ahead, I saw something strange moving across the road.  It turned out to be a mallard, walking her five very young ducklings from one water-filled ditch across the road to another similar ditch on the opposite side.  They all made it safely and I went back onto cruise.

Returning home from Carman, in the middle of the afternoon, a car a fair ways ahead of me suddenly braked, making me and someone following me do the same.  Then, I saw the suicidal deer leap off the road into the ditch and keep on running into a field of golden grain.

I treasure moments like these.  You can take the boy out of the country but ...

Time Flew By Today

A long dog walk, a visit to the new local farmer's market here in Winnipeg West, a drive out to Carman for Holly to get her kennel cough vaccine, a brief visit with my friend Karen, a drive home, sorting through financial and cottage records, chatting with my son and daughter, catching up on emails, and so on. And, now it's time to go read myself to sleep.  Holly's already there.

Time is The Longest Distance Between Two Places

When you waiting for something good to happen, there are times when time goes by fast and times when it goes by slowly.  In this case, and contrary to physics, time is a not a constant.  Nor are you.  I suppose it's all in your personality and attitude.  Sometimes, when you are really busy, feeling well, and are happy, time seems to fly by.  Sometimes, when you are tired and frustrated, time goes by incredibly slowly.  Maybe, in the end, these differences even out and time is really moving at constant rate.  Hmmm ... I wonder.

Housework Sucks

Especially vacuuming (I know, a terrible pun).  But I did it this afternoon, anyways.  Holly sure brings a lot of dirt into the house (not me, of course).  Yes, of course, I washed the floors again, too.  Holly sure drools a lot while she's waiting for me to get her a cookie (euphemistically called a 'milk bone' ... come on, they're not made of milk or bones; they're a dog cookie!).

I also cleaned out the fridge (yes, curiosity finally got the better of me).  It's really amazing, all the little jars of 'stuff' that drift to the back of the fridge shelves.  Really, there should not be such areas.  At the very least, you should be able to see back there at a glance; not have to get down on your hands and knees and grope around and hope something back there doesn't bite your fingers.  Maybe, shallow trays to slide everything out so you can see what's there?  Meanwhile, I tossed the out-of-date stuff.

Now, back to filing paperwork ... that sucks, too, but it has to be done.

Time Flies

It's already Thursday afternoon.  Yikes!  Guess one of the benefits of being busy is that the days go by faster.  Only nine more days left, then off to the cottage for the first time in two years.  I can't wait to see it again and then improvements made by Mike and Greg.  I'm already getting stuff packed for the trip there.  Here's hoping for calm seas and sunny skies that weekend.

On the home front, I've been busy mowing, weeding, and pruning the jungle called my yard.  I've also taken some time of course to smell and photograph the flowers.  It takes longer to download and edit the photos than it does to photograph the flowers.  What's wrong with this picture?  Here are a couple of the latest shots.  You can see more on my Flickr page.

Miniature water lily and Nile lily, both in pots.

Good Grief!

It's Tuesday evening already.  I think I was talking about yard work and house work the last time I posted here.  I should have said I was going to 'follow the thread' again because yesterday I was all over the place.  I went to the library (3 books in; 3 books out ... enough to last me 7-10 days, maybe).  Then, I went to my car wash place; it was out-of-order.  So, I still have a dirty Escape.  Home, again, I did the laundry and dishes.  I looked at the vacuum cleaner.  That's as far as I got with vacuuming (same today, for that matter).

Some bills came in the mail so I finally sat down with them and some other financial stuff.  I managed to pay my bills but, after reviewing everything (which took me hours), I was not impressed with my spending habits lately.  Funny, these days, with so many bills paid automatically, that you don't notice how fast your bank accounts are draining.  Well, yesterday, I did notice and so now I'm heading into an self-directed austerity program.  Good thing I have a fairly well-stocked larder.

Late in the afternoon, Holly was ready to be picked up from the groomers.  After I used more of my plastic to pay that bill, Holly practically dragged me out the door.  She wanted nothing more to do with that place.  Back home again, it took her a few hours, quite a few milk bones, and a short walk to calm down a bit.  While I was reading in bed later in the evening, she hopped up and joined me.  It might have been the Cheetos I had on the bedside table.  Anyways, she usually sleeps on the floor beside my bed so I wasn't concerned.  Little did I know then that she had no intention of getting off the bed all night.  Oh, well, you pet owners out there will understand.  You learn to share.

This morning, after yet more milk bones for her and coffee for me, we set off on our usual long morning walk.  Then, she hopped back up my bed and didn't move for a couple of hours.  By which time, it was my turn for a short nap.  She moved to the floor finally.  Later, I melted more plastic at the local Safeway.  There were a few more things I needed for my larder, including my supper and her milk bones.  With Holly, you can never have too many milk bones.

Then, I got a call from a neighbour to come see her flower garden (she saw mine a week or so ago).  Wow!  Her backyard looked manicured compared to my jungle.  I learnt the names of a few more plants and plant varieties.  Well, she told me the names.  I'm not sure I learnt them.  It's funny how many plants I recognize and almost know the names of.  Once I hear the names, I say to myself, 'of course, I knew that name!'.  I have the same problem remembering people's names.  I know them.  I've met them before.  I just can't remember their name.  Anyways, the garden tour was great and it was very kind of her to try to help me.  The extra benefit was that I could put off some weeding in my own yard and vacuuming inside for awhile.

I've been eating fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes all week.  Two potted tomato plants I have on the deck have given more tomatoes than I can possibly eat.  Tonight, I shared the excess with my neighbors (I still have a few on the kitchen counter).  And, I still have at least 18 more green tomatoes on those two plants so I'm not going to run out of tomatoes anytime soon.  If only I had planted lettuce and cucumbers earlier, I could be eating salads every day for weeks (by the way, I'm kind of glad I didn't ... tossed salads aren't my favorite food ... now, caprese salads are different ... I could eat them every day!).

Well, I've written enough for today and I've managed to not have enough time to vacuum again.  Time to go look at one of those library books ...

Good Grooming

Holly will be totally stressed out by day's end and will blame me for her condition.  After walking her this morning, I took her for a ride ... to the groomers.  She certainly needs it.  The stress part comes in when they clip her nails.  Invariably, given the number of toes and dew claws that she has, one or more of the clips will be painful.

When I arrive to pick her up later in the afternoon, she can't get out of there fast enough.  That's the only reason she's happy to see me.  Once we're home, she gives me dirty looks for the next 24 hours or so.

The groomer I use for Holly is usually fully booked for about 2 months in advance.  So, this time, I wisely booked another appointment for her for mid-September.  She'll need it by then, I'm sure.  During the winter months, I can stretch the groomings further apart.

Back home, I'm enjoying the fine weather this morning.  This afternoon, there's a chance of some rain.  So, I guess I should do some yard work while I can.  The housework can wait until the afternoon.  I always say that.  However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it will all get done.  Besides, I have some extra errands to run today.  See, I'm already making excuses.

Trying Something New

Recently, I bought a new point-and-shoot camera, a little Pentax Optio W90, to replace my aging little Canon.  Some of its features were quite appealing to me: 12.1 megapixals, 5x optical zoom, does macros down to one cm away, waterproof, cold proof, dust proof, and shockproof.  Although you can dive or snorkel with this beast and shoot photos and video, I just wanted something that worked under harsh conditions and that fit in my shirt pocket so it was always available on walks on the beach or whatever.

On Friday and Saturday, I took a series of photos with it, including some flower shots around my home.  Although my trusty old Canon EOS 10D can produce better images (because of the lenses I have for it and because I can 'control' it much better), this new little Pentax was surprising good.  I've posted a series of photos from it on my Flickr page.  Here are a few 'teasers' to look at for now:

Friday and Saturday ...

Yesterday was spent, more or less, in Carman, running errands, visiting old friends, driving around the countryside doing a crop tour (and some photography), doing a bit of shopping, and attending an evening, outdoor concert put on by the Golden Prairie Arts Council.  It was a beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable day.  What made it special was meeting friends every step of the way.

The concert was a hoot.  About a dozen local performers (including singers and guitarists, fiddlers, mouth organ, organ, and accordion players) all jamming before an audience of about 75 friends.  I knew some of these people ... performers and audience alike.  What surprised me most was that, although I'd known some of the performers for years, I didn't know they were musicians.  Apparently, this group gets together at the old train station in Carman every week, just to jam amongst themselves.  Another of Carman's best kept secrets.

This morning, based on the weather forecast, I was excited about taking Holly for a long walk in the sunshine.  Then, I heard the thunder and a torrential rainfall started.  So much for Environment Canada and computer generated weather forecasts.  But, it was a short rainfall and Holly and I left as  soon as it passed,  We got our walk in even if it was cloudy and we could hear thunder in the distance.  I even was able to take a few flower pictures when I got home, before it sprinkled a bit more.  Now, it's off and on sunny and cloudy.  Looks like it'll be one of those unstable days.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

A beautiful morning!  Sunny, cool, and breezy: perfect for a 7 a.m. walk with Holly.  What a fantastic way to begin a day, especially after a better than average sleep and pleasant dreams.  Who could ask for anything more?

I had a scary moment when I first woke up.  I looked at the palms of my hands and there were blue spots scattered everywhere.  I thought at first I must have reacted to pulling out a bunch of prickly thistles from my flower beds last night.  Of course, I was doing that without gloves; the gloves were in the garage and I was just pulling a few thistles.  I'm a man, after all!  Well, my hands were scary alright but, funny thing, they were fine after I gave them a thorough washing.  Then, it dawned on me.  Just before going to sleep last night, I froze a large container of blueberries in small Ziploc freezer bags.  Eureka! (or, duh, depending on your outlook).

Always Changing

This morning, I spent a lot of time on my new Toshiba laptop, updating yet more software, getting used to Windows Live Mail, transferring some key reference materials from the desktop, and slowly adjusting to a different keyboard.  I'm finally getting comfortable using this laptop and Windows 7 operating system.  I also tested out the new software that came with my new Pentax Optio W20 also.  It's a waterproof, dustproof, 'point and shoot' camera with an amazing array of features.  Both the camera and the software (used for downloading pictures and minor editing) worked like a charm (I'm not used to things working like a charm so I was very pleased).

During the lunch hour, I drove over to Fort Richmond to see Mike and Tasha and to tour their new home.  It's perfect for them.  They were really happy today because their previous home sold last night for more than they expected.  After my visit with them, I stopped at my local Safeway for a few groceries and then headed on home for a very late lunch there.  Holly got another short walk, of course.  I have to keep my dog happy.

Later in the afternoon, I pulled together all my scattered notes that dealt with my coming trip to the cottage on the August long weekend.  I haven't been up to the cottage in nearly 2 years so I'm getting excited about going there and seeing all the improvements my kids have made to the place.  I've even started assembling all the stuff that has to be boated in.  As in previous trips, I'm probably going to take up too much stuff but who cares.  And, no, I'm not taking up my laptop or a host of other gadgets.  I'm trying to adhere to the KISS principle.  If you don't know what that is, try Googling it.

This evening, I did some yardwork, planting some seedlings I've been growing and pulling countless more weeds from the flower beds.  Now, it's about 9 p.m. and my energy level is getting pretty low, even after having the most delicious, sugar-loaded, chewy chocolate cookie imaginable from Safeway.  So, it's time to shut things down and lose myself in my latest mystery novel.

Life is Good

Sometimes, everything seems to be good in one's life.  Yesterday, wanting some company, I called up a friend and invited him to supper.  Vladimyr didn't hesitate to say he'd be right over when I offered him yet another of my Chinese dinners.  We spent a very enjoyable evening discussing all sorts of things.  Vladimyr can discuss any topic, dipping into philosophy, religion, politics, literature, history, or any other relevant subject to make his point.  I am often awe-struck by his recall of details.  I am fortunate to have people like him in my life.

Today, I indulged myself in several of my favorite pastimes, writing, listening to music, and reading.  The writing involved notes in my pen and paper journal, emails to friends, and revising some documents I've been working on.  The music involved both listening to an album of songs by Bob Dylan and watching a music video, 'Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart'.  The latter was especially good because, in this particular video, they sung so many of my favorite songs from a wide variety of artists.  'Amazing Grace', with support from some bagpipes, was very well done.  I got goose bumps, listening to a few of the songs.  And, of course, I'm always reading something.  Right now, I'm reading another Richard North Patterson novel I recently took out from the Charleswood Library, called 'The Spire'.  Although not classic literature (sorry, Vladimyr), it is an interesting and entertaining 'who-done-it'.

And so my day went ... from one good thing to another.  Yes, life is good.

Photographic Thoughts on a Very Early Monday Morning

Currently, I'm going through a period where I seldom sleep through the night.  It seems four hours after I fall asleep, I wake up and usually stay awake for at least an hour, sometimes several hours, before I feel tired enough to go back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep.  And then, sometimes during the following day, I may have a nap, usually for about an hour.  It seems this abnormal sleep pattern occurs most often during the summer when the days are long and the nights are short.  During the winter months, I usually sleep more normally.  Fortunately, this summer, I am alone and the current pattern bothers no-one.  Hopefully, when I share my home with someone else, I will be very quiet and not disturb their sleep.  I know how important an undisturbed sleep is to most people.

When I'm up during the night, I gravitate towards my computer and begin surfing the web, indulging in my ongoing or latest interests.  Lately, I've focused on learning as much as I can about portrait photography.  One area interests me in particular and that is making memorable, unposed, images of family and friends in casual settings and situations.  I'm not particularly interested in contrived studio shots except perhaps in recognizing the impact of good lighting on a person's face and the composition of the end photograph.

I prefer making use of good natural lighting whenever possible.  That doesn't always work, of course, because one rarely can photograph people in the early morning or late evening when the best natural lighting happens.  All you can do is make the use of opportunities when they arise.  It might be a family picnic, a kid's soccer game, a family reunion, an evening visit or something like that.  And, you also have to have willing subjects.  You sometimes have to leave the camera in the bag when you realize someone is tired, is not feeling well, is preoccupied with some problem or just plain doesn't want a camera 'in their face' today.  Happy occasions ... such as birthdays, family get-togethers, outdoor BBQs ... where there are lots of people present often provide the best opportunities to capture special moments in portraits.  The family portrait photographer has to be watching for these moments and make best of them.

I've been lucky over the years and taken enough images to occasionally get an exceptional portrait shot.  What I'm trying to do now is better my averages.  I'm not satisfied with one great shot in a 100.  I want to make many great shots in a 100.  All I need are willing, patient, people to help me reach that goal.  I hope some of those people read this posting and help me along the way the next time I'm pointing a camera at them.

I'm So Wealthy

Henry David Thoreau said "wealth is the ability to fully experience life".  I think I'm doing that more and more in recent months.  I'm grateful for the many people and things in my life.  I have food, shelter, clothing, nothing to be afraid of, good medical care, lots of "toys" to have fun with and be entertained by, an inbred curiosity coupled with the Internet that enables me to learn new and interesting things every day, and the right to vote.  But, most of all, I'm grateful for my family and friends who give my life real meaning.

Later Friday Evening

It's good to laugh at yourself.  I am right now.  I've been trying to do too many things at once, again.  So, I end up taking much longer to get any one thing done.  Yes, following the the thread is one approach to a day but the thread I've been following today is so tangled up right now that I think I'll just toss it away and start all over again ... tomorrow.  Good thing I had no plans for the weekend.  Looks like I'll be playing 'catch up' on the house and yard while other people enjoy the cottage, go to a concert, go out to dinner, or whatever.  Maybe, if I get up early enough, Holly and I can get a long walk in before it gets too warm.  Here's hoping ...

Friday!? How Did that Happen?

It seems I missed another day.  Oh, well, it goes to show that time flies when you're having fun.  Before I write any more though, I must remember to tell you about my latest music heart throb, Katie Melua.  I recently bought one of her albums and think she's a great singer.  Not as great as my favorite, Eva Cassidy, but close.  So, imagine my amazement when I came across an impossible duet, Eva and Katie, on YouTube.  Here's the link, so you can enjoy the unbelievable duet yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXbLXI7R_lg

So, where was I?  I also recommend checking out my cousin Barb's new blog for her pearls of wisdom on all sorts of things but especially topics important to every marriage and family:

http://reflectivethoughtsbybarbara.blogspot.com/

So, what have I been doing over the past couple of days?  Housework, of course.  Yardwork, also of course.  Reading, walking, cooking, photographing flowers, learning how to do stacked imaging, napping, and spending too much time on the computers (yes, I have a new laptop that I'm slowly trying to get used to).  I'm also trying to plan a trip to the cottage on the August long weekend (it's only 22 days away) and a trip out to Tofino during the 2nd half of August (only 5 weeks away).  So, as I buy and assemble different things for these two trips, my home has given new meaning to the word 'cluttered'.  Not that it wasn't cluttered already.  It's just that, now, it's more cluttered than ever.

Maybe, I should be tidying up instead of writing in my blog ... l8r.

Gilding the Lily

So to speak.  Actually, I've been taking pictures of some of the lilies in my yard.  More and more appear each day.  Yellow, orange, red, and lavender so far, in different shapes and sizes.  Of course, I had to pull a lot of weeds, do some more pruning, and mow the back lawn first today.  That part of having a nice yard never ends.  Think positive, Roy: it's good exercise.

Twenty four days to go ...

Tuesday Has Come & Gone (Almost)

Today was very nice.  No storms, no rain, mainly sunny, cooler, and enough of a breeze to keep the mosquitoes down.  My kind of weather.

I managed to get to the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery this afternoon to take in the latest exhibit.  It was called "In the Spirit of Humanity" and included the paintings of artists/teachers from Hindu, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds.  I was most impressed by the paintings of Ray Dirks, a local mixed media artist.  His works struck a chord with me.  As he says, he is always looking for decency and dignity in the ordinary, in the common person, in those who may be marginalized, forgotten.  His paintings certainly reflect his outlook.

Later, I got some yard work done at home.  Yes, more grass cutting, pruning, and weeding.  Seemed like I just did that yesterday.

And, this evening, I went out for a great Japanese dinner with my good friends, Bob and Pat, at a very good local restaurant called Asahi.  We talked about our upcoming trips.  They're preparing to go on another canoeing trip in Quetico with friends later in the month.  Always interesting, spending an evening with these two retired entomologists.

And, now, it's time I curled up with my latest mystery.  Tomorrow's another day ...

Final Thunderstorm of the Week

I hope.  This evening, we had another thunderstorm.  According to the weather forecasters, we're now moving into a week of nice weather.  Well, after a slight chance of showers tomorrow.  That's good news, if true.  I need to get back into yard work, including grass-cutting, weeding, and pruning.  I'm learning that those jobs go on all summer long.

Today went pretty much as usual, until after lunch when my son called me, asking for help at his place.  His house goes on the real estate market on Wednesday and there were some last minute jobs he needed help with.  So, I went over to Windemere and mowed his lawn, pulled some weeds, and used the weed whipper to clean up some edges.  Their home sure looks good right now, what with all the fresh paint, new windows, new doors, and all the decorating they've done, not to mention a re-made garage.  They take possession of their new home in Fort Richmond next Monday.

After supper there, I came home and walked Holly.  Her short, evening walk, as usual.  She's now content once again.  You have to keep your dog happy.

Severe Weather Moves On

Fortunately, the severe weather passed by Winnipeg last night.  It was limited to a few thunderstorms and some rain.  Although funnel clouds were seen north of the city, no damage was done.  Proving, if nothing else, that I tend to worry too much.  Lets hope that, as all that nasty stuff moves eastward, it fizzles out and doesn't cause any problems in Ontario.

Today began early again for me.  I'm getting to be quite the night owl.  It has a positive side, one being that it is very quiet and the other that I can catch up on my thinking and writing.  It's funny how some things that I've been thinking, about off and on for awhile, suddenly become very clear in my mind.  During the night hours, I see little signs that I missed before.  I then know how to deal with a given situation that's been bothering me.  Sometimes, I finally understand something and learn to laugh at myself for missing the obvious.  It's interesting that, during the day, I'm often so busy with life's more mundane things that I don't have or take the time to think more carefully about what I say and do.

It's All In How You Look At It

Today has been extremely warm and humid.  It's 28 degrees now.  And, just checking the weather, there is a tornado watch on, including the City of Winnipeg.  Thunderstorms and rain this evening are a given.  That kind of forecast is disturbing and makes me worry about those I love.  I hope everyone will be safe this evening, as always.

Thunder in the Distance

Normally, I would be out walking with Holly before 6:45 a.m. but not not this morning, hearing thunder in the distance and one too many dogs underfoot as I make yet another cup of coffee.  And, now, I hear the rain starting to come down, heavily.  It doesn't matter.  My mind is somewhere else anyways.  Not very far away but too far for my liking.  I think I'll take a break from 'long walking' today and possibly tomorrow too.  Just short walks with Holly as time and weather permits.  It's a Tylenol morning in any case.  My thighs were fairly sore this morning, for some reason.  Of course, under certain circumstances, that wouldn't stop me.  I often walk through the pain because it is worth doing.  No pain, no gain.  Like so much in life ...

Fogging and Dogging

It's 2:30 a.m.and I hear occasional very short bursts of mosquito fogging going on nearby.  I suppose there must be anti-pesticide registrants spotted throughout Charleswood, making a thorough fogging program impossible.  Well, some fogging is better than none.  Out of respect for this old city entomologist, I wish the fogging truck would make a few passes up and down Carbutt.  Not bloody likely, unfortunately.

Yesterday, Josi and Greg dropped off their dog, Sasha, here for me to dog-sit for the weekend while they travel to Fargo, ND.  Gives Holly some canine company for a while.  Also, it gives Holly some exercise, chasing after Sasha inside and outside the house, he says, shaking his head.  Actually, the two dogs are good for each other.  They settled down after a couple of hours and laid together, patiently looking up at me, waiting for 'treats'.  I will have to get used to having multiple dogs in the house soon.  Something, I'm really looking forward to.  I am a dog lover, in case you're wondering.  There have been many fine dogs in the this man's life over the years.  I just wish dogs lived longer than they do.

Where Did Friday Go?

Hmmm ... I thought I wrote something yesterday but I guess not.  Oh, well, it must have all gone into my pen and ink diary.  I do that, too, in case you were wondering.  That's where all the really personal stuff goes.  Then, later on, if necessary, the whole diary is kept or destroyed, depending on various things.  I usually keep them but there are a couple that are destined for the garbage very soon, ones I don't want to keep, let alone have someone read after I'm gone.  Each of my Moleskine diaries contains a few months of my life.  No one will notice if a few months of the chronology is gone.  I have diaries stored in the basement that go back over forty years.  Once in a while, I'll dig one out to read or to check some fact.  At one time, I thought I might use my diaries to write my memoirs.  Hah!  Memoirs of a crazy old entomologist!  Not a lot of demand for those these days.  No, really, I was and may still use them to write part of my family history.  Those old diaries are great memory joggers.

Canada Day Brunch

Brunch went well with Mike and Tasha and Katie and Greg and Josi and Matt and Alex all in attendance.  Chef Roy made oven-baked trout, caprese salad, a broccoli-rice casserole, and bruschetta pizza.  With banana bread for dessert.  Something for everyone but mainly vegetarian.  After everyone was full and talked out and most left for other things in their busy lives, Chef Roy caught up with his email and then took a much deserved nap.

Now, it's getting close to supper time and I have to decide on what to cobble together from the the left-overs.  I always make too much for my guests for this very reason.  It makes my following meal much easier to prepare.  Afterwards, Holly wants me to put on some mosquito repellent and take her for a walk.

I'll Try Anything, Anything New ...

That's the title of a song sung by Sierra Noble, pointed out to me last night by JoAnne, who came for supper and to walk Holly.  I'm discovering there are many great Canadian singers/song-writers out there that I didn't know about.  A couple of nights ago, I discovered another one, Ferron, while watching Bravo in the evening.  I can see my music budget is quickly going to be exhausted.

This morning, Holly and I again took to the streets.  It was fairly warm and the mosquitoes were quite active, even on the streets.  I would hate to try the trail this morning without bathing in mosquito repellent.  At least, there was a breeze this morning that helped keep the little suckers from landing on me unnoticed.  I talked with my back neighbour who was out working in his front yard when I came by.  He's having a running battle with the deer eating his flowers.  He now puts everything in movable containers and moves them into his fenced backyard every night so the deer cannot eat them.  Ah, isn't nature grand?!

Now, I have to get busy because the kids are coming for brunch.  Lots of stuff to prepare.  At least I made the 'ultimate banana bread' yesterday afternoon, so that's done.  Now, to prep the hot stuff ...