The Weeks have just blown by!

Here's what's been going on while I have been neglecting your blogs and mine.

The Boys bought a Unicycle

They are stuck in that sad area between being  men and boys.

Braces or, as they say to justify the $6500.00 tab, orthodontic appliances for Son #2.

I could have bought several major appliances with that kind of cash.
They gave him wax to put between the braces and the lips in case kissing was painful.
 I guess he didn't tell them about the unicycle.

Dry Grad Fund Raisers - note to self - don't volunteer EVER for the bottle drive.  Nasty things in those bags of cans and bottles.

 Son #1 got his four wisdom teeth removed at $350.00 per tooth.  Someone's taking a nice vacation and its not us!

If our boys don't take the unicycle and join the circus perhaps dentistry would be a good professional choice.

My turn hosting Ladies night - I love my ladies - they are funny and kind and like to drink wine.

Suffered through The Flu when I was really hoping for EColi so I could sue and use the money to pay for the dental work.

Canning, preserving and pickling garden overabundance or, as my gramma used to say, "putting up".  Never quite got the gist of that saying.

And finally, interspersed throughout the above annoyances and general busyness, were several blond moments, or, as they shall be called from here on, Joy Moments.

Joy Moment #1
Looking and looking and looking for the Crock Pot recipe book and then finding it (after the meal was cooked) tucked safely in between the metal outer and the ceramic inner of the crock pot.
The corners of the pages are a wee bit charred.
.

Joy Moment #2
Trying to open the car door with the computer chip key, door will not unlock,  expecting huge bills to repair the computers, worrying that I will be late for the orthodontist, only to realize that it was not my car that I was trying to open - my car was in the parking stall next to it.
In my defence, they were both dark navy.

Joy Moment #3
Came out of the washroom at work and my skirt was tucked into my panties - really unattractive and a co-worker had to notice it for me.

Joy Moment #4

Answered the phone.
Her"  Hi, how are you today?"
Me: (inward groan crap! another telephone survey).  "Fine thanks"
Her:  "What's your favourite radio station?"
Me:  "CBC"
Her:  silent
Me: " Hello?"
Her:  "no,you're on the air with SunFm, if you had answered 'SunFM Vernons favourite music station' you would have won today's amount of $115.00."
Me:  "okay, well,  thanks anyway."

Shit! CBC never gives away money and I could have used that $115.00.


And finally, this weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend and yes, in spite of all my complaining I am thankful.
I'm thankful for my great family and that we are all healthy and thriving.
I am thankful for all my friends - blog friends included!
I am thankful that I live in a country of people who are not only tolerant but accepting.
and with that I leave you with these words.
They are not my words but could be if I were poetic.

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know everything,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

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author unknown
Happy Weekend, friends!

One, Two,Three, and another and another and....

The last long weekend of the summer is coming up and I am a bit annoyed that summer has passed by so quickly. 

It seems like just yesterday that I was telling you that the spring snow melt was trying to take out our bridge.

The boys go back to school on Tuesday - one to Grade 12 and the other to Grade 9 .

They are excited, they like school.

 Time passes too quickly.   Just as they are getting interesting it will be time for them to move on.

I am not happy.

But I still have flowers!

They are full of pollen and since I brought them into the house we are all sneezing and the stocks in Reactine must have gone up substantially.

The seed  package said they were ornamental sunflowers for a cutting garden but they grew so tall I need a tree-limber to cut the blossoms off.

Son #2 suggested I plant runner beans next year and that way he can sneak out from his bedroom window.

(right - that will happen)

Son #1 bought himself a car in anticipation of passing his drivers road test at the end of November.

He worked really hard, and gave up a lot of teenage time with his buddies and the girlies, to get this car.

Here's The Husband showing him how to check fluid levels.

I made him a shirt - and no, VW, relax, I will not be selling these on the black market.

Since he can't drive it on his own  for a few months he drives with the 'rents and last night offered to drive us to town for Frostys.

One the way home Son #2 said, "Hey! now that you have a car, can I buy your motorcycle?"

(this is not a face you can trust - he is quite devious!)

oh, dear....
There will be no runner bean plants next year.

I'm not going to make sneaking out, and driving off, easy for him.

My plans for this last long weekend of the summer?  Counting all the new gray hairs on my head.

Anything special for you?

Mutant Giants

I am an organic gardener.
Water, compost and sun.

Last year I posted a picture of my giant tomato.

This year I am posting a picture of my giant blackberries.

I think that consuming these mutants is the reason for my ever growing derriere.

That's the story I'm going with.

It has nothing to do with chocolate.

Or cheesecake.

I will not be posting a picture.

She Who Hesitates....

....loses her baby fish

I bought this.

It's the fine net umbrella type thing you put over your food to keep the wasps away when dining al fresco.

My plan was to set it in the pond upside down and place the pottery with the developing fish in it and when they hatched they could swim freely, chow down on the microorganisms floating by, and stay protected from the evils lurking in the pond.

I enlisted the help of Son #1 because two brains are always better than one.

I should have read up on hatching fish.

I would have read that they hatch in four to five days.

I think I showed up with the protective netting  on day six or seven.

When I turned over the broken pottery all I saw was empty egg sacs.

It sucks being a procrastinator!

Somewhere in the pond are some really new, very tiny, baby fish trying to avoid the dangers of the deep   -    the big fish looking for lunch, the pump trying to suck them through the filter, the too cold water in the deep part of the pond and the frogs, toads and salamanders.

Its a cruel, cruel world little fishes - good luck.

Keeper of the Fish

Several years ago Son #2 and I dug a deep hole where the greenhouse used to be and turned it into a pond.

It has a small waterfall, rocks and moss and - even though I didn't want it to be - it's round.

It also had mosquito larvae.

To combat the mosquito problem we stocked it with gold fish.

(I guess I will have to live with the round)

The blue herons love the goldfish.

I hate the herons

With their big flappy wings and long sharp beaks they just swoop in and eat my fish!

I know -   nature, food chain, blah blah - that rationalization doesn't make me feel better when I see there are fewer orange flashes in my pond.

Another issue with the pond fish was our really cold winters, the water would freeze and the fish would die if I didn't take them into the house and care for them in an aquarium.  

So I took them inside. Or should I say 'we' did.
The aquarium was not cheap......
....and I dropped it on the garage floor so it is done.

Two years ago The Husband bought a floating heater.
He said it was for me but as he was the one who had to dip net the fish out  (they can be really fast and wiley having learned to dodge the heron) and it was a big job.

The heater worked like magic and the fish survived the winters.

We also provided them with hiding spots so that they could dart away from the herons and that (touch wood) has been working too!

http://somethingfishy84.hubpages.com

This spring when cleaning the debris out of the water we came across what I thought were tadpoles -  tiny jelly like balls with a black dots..

A few minutes later I remembered that frog/toad egg sacs float freely in a clump and these had attached themselves to a piece of broken pottery.

Yesterday I checked the eggs again and I can see the definite shape of a fish!
I hope its a fish and not something nasty.

Now how do I keep the pond fish from eating whatever these things are when they finally break out to freely swim around the pond?

Perhaps "we" could make a box to set in to the water. 
A box that has very fine mesh so that these babies can't get out and the big guys can't get in.

Maybe I could put them in a fish tank, but we've wandered down that expensive road before.

I just know that The Husband will mutter something about survival of the fittest.
And the fact that feeder fish are only 59 cents each  retail may come in to the conversation.

The Husband is not going to be happy with the extra work or money involved.

I just know there will be grumbling.

Noah! Build me an Ark

We had a mini flood this week.

It only lasted the one day.

The water in the creek that runs through our front yard (the one the tax man wanted to charge me more taxes for) breached its banks and flooded our neighbrhood.

The reason for the flood was two fold. The first being a torrential rain storm which followed several days of really hot weather and the second was snow melt caused by that previous really hot weather.

The water that flows in the creek comes from the mountain snow melt and that water was slowed halted by a fallen tree and forest debris which caused  the back up.


These things (floods) never happen during the day - always at night when its difficult to see if you've lost a kid in the current.

This was the first time in 18 years that the water went over our bridge as well as under.
That's not snow that you see but a foam created from the currents mixing up the debris.
It's like the frappe setting on your blender.

There's a bridge under that icy cold water.

Dilemma.
Drive across or walk across? 

There is no other access and there is no way in hell I am missing Ladies Night!

(FYI - I drove over it)

Neighbors , from the top of the street to the bottom, were out sandbagging; those on the down side getting hit around the ankles with my newly purchased mulch that was being washed away.

In its place was debris coming from all houses upstream.
I'm sure this year instead of clown poppies I will be getting burdocks and other equally nasty weeds.

Also being washed away from our yard was about six quite large piles of gardening waste that I had not yet loaded into the back of the pick up truck.

Someone will be annoyed to have that left on their lawn.

This is the scene the next morning.
Yes, that's my car.  The water had receded enough that I could drive down the road when I came home at 1:00 in the AM.
Part of the driveway had washed away so I walked across the bridge.
I could see the planks so I knew it was safe to walk.

See on the right?  No mulch  - just a lot of silt.
Still a bit of water trickling down the road but the district crews, firemen and neighbors did a great job of removing the blockages and sandbagging the low spots.

I spoke highly of them while warm and dry at Ladies Night.

This is the day after the following morning.  The water is off the lawn and the bridge is still there and safe to drive on.  No one was injured and no one suffered any real property damage.

All in all it was just an exciting adventure!
We were very lucky.

Earth Day Fail and Levon Helm

I didn't know it was Earth Day and I cut down a tree.
(Not this one - another one.)

In my defense it was old, dying and covered with a fungus.

I will replace it as it was an integral part of screening out the neighbors partially finished work shop.
(remember them from my rant last year?)

They did have some progress though.

They tacked on some house wrap.

Tacked.

Now the house wrap is flapping in the wind.

Calm down Joy, Calm Down.

I think I will go to Coldstream Willows Nursery and buy a new tree.

I wonder if any come with noise blockers?

Maybe I'll just put on my IPod and listen to Levon - his music makes me happy

Our loss is Heaven's gain.

Figs - How Do I Love Thee? Well, I'm Not really Sure!

http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com

Last summer I posted about a fig twig that I had purchased with the 'pie-in-the-sky' expectation of the fig harvest I would enjoy. 

Or should I say hoping to enjoy as I have never tasted a fig ripe from the tree.

That post is missing and I'm annoyed as I am sure I had a recipe on there that looked quite tasty. 

Blogger tries my patience most of the time  - they are not user friendly enough for me and I could go on about my frustration  but, move on Joy - the post is gone, get over it.

This is what it looked like when I planted it.

This is what the fruit looked like in August. 

I was so excited to see fruit!

As our summers are quite short the fruit did not reach eating maturity (disappointment and sorrow was abundant) and into the garage it went for its much needed winter sleep.

  But as most farmers (and farmers daughters) say, 'next year will be better'

In anticipation of having a more successful crop this year I brought it into the house in mid February.

I wanted it to have a longer growing season so that perhaps I would get to harvest a fig.

 I am so curious as to how a real fresh fig tastes.

I think the fruit came out before any leaves and here is a picture of one of the two figs that have appeared.

 

So now the dance begins - I haul it out on the deck every morning and haul it back inside in the evening. This in itself is not a big effort but add to the mix seven citrus trees and it becomes a big job.


I'll be really put out if it turns out that fresh figs taste like crap!

Warts and All

This morning I went out to pick some apples.  

They are crisp and sweet and juicy.

I kicked my slippers off at the back door, walked across the deck and slid my feet into my Crocs.

Gaaaaahhh!

It was soft and cold and it moved under my toes.

myownbeeswax.com

I didn't kill it and it did hop away - slowly, dragging one leg a bit.

I hope he is just bruised.

Poor little toad.

It brought back memories of a time when we got to experience a toad nose to nose.

thehapalife.com

In our local school, Grade 4 year end, there is a lottery held to see who gets to bring the classroom toad home for the summer months.

Both my lucky boys won this lottery in their grade four years.

Her name is Wartina and she had been living in the terrarium for 14 years.

The teacher didn't know how old she was when her son brought it home to her.

The first summer I worried that Wartina would die from old age while in our care.

The second go-round I was less concerned.

She enjoyed her time with us.

She got to swim in our pond.

She had rides on top of the remote control jeep.

She got to hop along the sidewalk and catch ants and bugs.

She didn't hop well on the grass.

We fed her big juicy earthworms.

She is still living in the grade four classroom.

I wonder, is Wartina still the original, or has she been replaced?

I also wonder, how long does a toad live, if they don't get squished in a Croc?

brookebessesen.com

Mutant Ninja Tomatoes

It is tomato season.

Yesterday they were canned, frozen, made into salsa, dried, roasted and made into soup.

My fingers were wrinkly and tingling from their acidity.  

There are normal tomatoes.

Tomatoes that grew so I would know where to cut them for wedges.

Tomatoes that are too big to fit on a slice of bread.

and tomatoes that defy description.

There are green ones, red ones,yellow and  some with a purplish tinge.

All are delicious  and most have left juice, seeds and pulp on my shirt, the floor, the stove (that's a bad one!), the floor and the dog.

There are still strawberries.

And now I need to make chips for dipping.

My feet hurt.

My lower back hurts.

The kitchen smells like tomatoes and peppers.

and now I'm going outside to paint trim.

The next time this house needs painting I think we'll move instead.

Summer, I'll miss you when you're Gone

My strawberries are still producing and will do so until October (or until the snow!)

We had this after lunch.....

...and then did this.....

Then we came home and made pizza on the barbecue, theirs had cheese and mine did not.  

Their pizza looked better than mine but I don't think it tasted better.  Mine had caramelized onions and chicken on a bed of barbecue sauce, a sprinkle of goat cheese and some mesclun greens.  yum.

After dinner I made apricot jam.  

Then I went to bed and look forward to seeing my boy back from his first Earthquest expedition into the Cathedrals today - I can hardly wait!.

Crisps, Fruit and Newts

A friend was having an impromptu get together for another friends birthday and given 1 1/2 hours notice to 'bring an appy to share' I made tortilla crisps and jalapeno dip.

This is the recipe for the crisps and they are delicious and easy and a big hit.

1 package Flour Tortillas (whole wheat are good too)

3/4 cup Butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
(I sometimes vary the seasonings using lemon pepper, souvlaki spice,  Zataar spice mix)

Mix well and spread onto tortillas, it will look like too much spread but it isn't.

Cut tortillas into wedges.

Place on a baking tray and bake at 350deg for 12 - 15 minutes until crisp and browned.  Cool on a rack

The dip recipe is in an earlier post about "We're Going Out.."

I have a raspberry patch in my back yard.  This is the second picking and I will pick until late August.  The 8 canes give enough berries that I am able to freeze and make juice all winter as well as smoothies, baked goods, etc. etc. 

This will be freezer jam.  My boys favorite.  I make three batches  or 12 pints.

Freezer jam 15 minutes later.

These are some of the roses I bought earlier this year at the bargain store across the street from where I work.  These were to be red.

The pink climber I planted at the driveway sign are orange with red centers.

Good thing I don't have a color scheme anywhere in my landscaping.

This morning I caught a newt or skink or some kind of lizardy thing that lives with several others in our yard.  We are pesticide/herbicide free so we have lots of things for them to eat.  My friends four year old son didn't believe me when I told him they live under our back step so I told him I would show him one.  This one is about 3 inches long and eeny weeny - I felt bad putting him on a bed of moss, with two slugs, in a plastic ice-cream bucket.  If they are not at our house by 9:30 to pick it up I've asked Adam to release it in the garden.

This is not him but a really close, and much larger, cousin.



I hope it lives.  He has a really cute face.