Garden Journal Excerpts

My garden is in constant revision, as you may notice my web page is, also.
This will be a way to show some of the updates and revisions I make to the garden throughout the years from my garden journal entries. I have several books of written garden journals. In June of 2012 I began to keep sporadic notes of my time in the garden on my computer.

Monthly Excerpts from the Garden Journal of 2018

SYNOPSIS of the year

We have had some very extreme weather this year, and with global warming it is only going to get worse. In January we had two severe wind and rain storms. There were thousands of people with no power to their homes, due to falling trees. There was flooding due to the excessive rainfall. Over the holidays in December there were more storms and the ferries were not able to sail. Thank heavens, we were okay through it all. The summer of 2018 was very dry and hot. We had very little rain in June, July and August. There were hugh wild forest fires all over the Province, even worse than last year. Watering the plants took up most of my gardening time, and still things were parched and dry. We were away for much of this year travelling to California, back to Saskatchewan, and on a grand tour by bus, of Scandinavia. The weather was just as wacky where ever we travelled.

1. The year Davey Tree removed the yellow plum tree and the pin oak from behind the old garage. The removal of the plum tree has opened up the light to the water garden. I might be able to grow a water lily in there again. The pin oak was just too close to the old garage, and getting too tall.

2. Due to being away travelling so much this year there was not very much done in the garden. My journal notes show a lot of maintenace and watering time.

3. I finished the November and December gardening albums and the Painted Vases album, made a page up for the Miscellaneous gardening items. So, I have yet to finish the March, April and May gardening albums, as well as the rest of the non-monthly albums shown on the Miscellaneous albums page.

4. We had a huge crop of apples this year. We have had pies, fresh apples for lunches, and have quite a lot of apple sauce frozen.

5. The milkweed project has one showy milkweed from Dave growing in the renovated front flower bed by the cement David. There is the original one from Cannor growing in the cutting garden. I am not too sure about how many others survived the transplants to the renovated garden beds in the front and the back.

6. I renewed by Vancouver Island Rock and Alpine Garden Society membership. I was to the Annual show and sale and picked up some choice little plants: put the list in here.
I have planted the Rex Murfitt saxifragias into a smaller off white pot previously, and have just moved them into a larger pot in January of 2019. The soil in the pot had sunk down a lot and they needed more space as they had grown some. The one in the cement pot from Butchart gardens that I got from Rex's home, has come out with a little bud, just as I looked at it this morning.

7. The year of the new computer desk chair and the recovering of the bent wood chair by Thomas Perjul at Tommy's upholstery. Purchased the new table and chairs for my room from Lowes, and Pat put them together. The old gate leg table was too wobbly and now sits in the suite, looking ok.

8. As usual there has been more damage to my garden by the shithead baby Pee. My long handled shovel has walked off from behind the old compost bin to behind the shed on their property, in plain sight from my garden. Also have had a cedar that was growing in the front garden to screen the view of their garbage cans, cut off and thrown on my front grass path; along with some rhodo branches. Also are cigarette butts being thrown all over my back garden and in the pond. I reported this to Constable McNamara and he says he is keeping a file on this. That is good, as this was my intention to have some record of these annoying, stupid episodes. He says to report things like this to the non-emergency police and gave me the phone number. Don't know how I can send them photos of the damage, but maybe I will have to look into that to get anything done.

The garden in 2018

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January 2018 ‎

January 1, 2018
There is ice on the water table. Sorting out the new 2018 stuff and making files and adding calendar stuff. Made marinade for the shrimp kabobs and will have chicken soup for lunch before we go to drive about on the vccc annual new years day run. blah.

Jan 6, 2018
Up to 10 degrees today. Fed, watered, and cleaned up the light garden, and the orange trees. To see Dr. T and did the blood tests, got meds till June when I go again and use the card. Did the FIT test, and am off alcohol except wine till the 18 or so when I go for another blood pressure lab test. Walked home from the Mall on 4th, after seeing Dr. T.. was warm but raining. Dan had been overnite and then he went up to Tara's place the next day. He and Tara are back tonite for dinner at the Crooked Goose, Tara goes back home and Dan stays overnight and heads for Kelowna at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Davey Tree guys called (Rob). They will come and do the plum tree on the 9th in the afternoon. $425 or so. Rob said they would have time to do the pin oak, too, so shall see how much that will costs... eeek... Looks like it will be getting up to $1,000.00 or more.

Jan 8, 2018
Yesterday I walked to the 7-11 store and got lottery tickets. Was about 20 minutes each way. 40 - 45 minute walk. Seems like it used to take me half an hour to walk that. Was about 10 degrees and light rain. Same as today. I walked up the trail, across Roy rd. and up the first big hill, and back. Was about 15 minutes each way. So 30 - 35 minutes. I was bagged after going up the hill. Also up and down the stairs today, doing laundry. Breakfast of Life Cereal and blueberries. Lunch cup of beef and barley soup, some grapes, water. Was 150.5 this morning. Got the Miscellaneous Gardening page finished and loaded today.

Jan 9, 2018
Was about 9 degrees. Some sun, no rain. Davey Tree guys got here about 1:00 and promptly set to work taking down the plum tree. The stump is nicely levelled off. They left some of the trunk cut to stove lengths for Pat. Same with the trunk of the oak tree. They took down the oak tree from this fantastic bucket thing attached to the truck. The guy used his long pole prunner on the plum tree to take off the most of the branches and the branches of the oak. The big saw came into use on the larger pieces of wood, like the trunk and cutting this wood into stove lengths. They left a sheen of oil on the pond, but the little trees seem to be intact. I broke my pond skimmer while trying to skim off the pond. The cutting of the oak went nice and easy, the guy said, so the price was reduced to $300., the plum was $425 or $485... couldn't really read it, but will see what the billing says. We have quite a bit of big wood stove chunks from the oak and the plum. Some pictures. It sure looks bare without the plum tree over the pond. I have make a new pond skimmer handle and get out there and clean up the moss the the pond a bit more. I was down to $149.5 this morning, but sorry to say fell off the diet today. Ate cookies, crackers and cream cheese and had 2 brandy and tea hot toddies. Only took a short walk around the Wilkenson Rd. block. Was soooooo cold and turned the temps up, covered up with my wrap and had a nap. Pat was up half of the night coughing. And kept me awake too, of course. Am working on the JE for 2017 on my web page.

Jan 10, 2018
Is about 7 degrees and overcast. The rain bucketed down yesterday. The river is really running high. From my eating less and walking I am now down to 148.5. We phoned Dan the other night. He got home after a stop at Kelowna to see Salis. I was awake just about all night last night. That idiot from next door has thrown their xmas tree on my property about under my window. I threw it in the back driveway and he has put it back on my garden. I think I was up all night day dreaming of building a high cement wall along that property line. Pat is not bothered about it, it seems. I guess I have to let it go... walk away. It seems the honeysuckle is NOT evergreen.

Jan 14, 2018
Warmer today with sunshine. 12 degrees. Walked to the lottery ticket store and back .. was about 30 minutes. I am getting some stuff done on the Journal Entries 2017 page. Am getting the JE2017 page done. Am up to March in doing the code. Have heard nothing from Cyrus for weeks about MegashotS. Last I heard he is doing Word Press pages with his own themes for some people. He tried to link me to Januz's page but I could not get on. Blah.

January 15, 2018
Warmish day for winter time. 12°. took the wood off the grass by the apple tree and put it along the back sidewalk. Pat came out and split a few of the pieces. Took them into the garage. swept up the patio area and put leaves into the bin. It sure looks empty where the plum tree was. Going to miss all the white blossoms in spring, but not the mess in the pond. They did a really good job of cleaning up around the pond. I just found a few twigs and stuff to pick up. Started a fire when I got into the house, and smoked up the whole place. Have to have windows open to clear the air. Have done a bit on the JE2017 page.

January 17, 2018
Pat brought home hose clamps and fixed them onto the collander and the stick to make the pond skimmer. I added the duct tape. handle is 5 ft. 2 in. long with an 8 in. diameter collander. It is 10 or 11 degrees, with some big gusts of wind and lots of rain, so I did not walk today. Watered the house plants and the trees. Have been making under construction pages for the yearly garden pages. Added James Miller's page to my photography links on the links page. I see I have dumped all the old links I had on the photography page. Hmmm. Never went to them any way.

January 19, 2018
A bit cooler today. Walked up the trail, up the hill to the bench and back. Was 30 minutes, walking as fast as I could. Have finished making the Annual Garden under construction pages.. from 2001 to 2017, and uploaded them.

January 20, 2018
Overcast, 6 degrees. dumped fish bones and shells over the deck railing. This will be great for the plants. :))) I am down to 147.5 lbs. At last I have broken the plateau of 148.0. Am up to middle of June in coding the JE2017.

January 21, 2018
The wind was howeling last night. It woke me at 5:45 -- still dark out-- and I watched the trees moving and listened to the wind for a half hour or so. We have not lost power. There are about 60,000 people without power, not sure if that was the on the islands or the mainland. The ferries were not running. Is 8 degrees now at 11:00 and the winds have died down and the sky is blue and the sun is out. Making onion soup for lunch, then go for my walk. I am down to 147.0 this morning. The walking does it, and so, too, does eating salads and less on my plate, by far. Walked to Red Barn. 25 minutes there and 25 back with time to shop the store. So, an hour walking. Rained on my way back from the store. while doing the coding for my JE2017 I see I was down to 147 in August. too hot out to eat.

January 22, 2018
Walked back from the Royal Oak Mall this am. Took 45 minutes on my sore knee, in light rain, about 8 degrees. Doing laundry, including all the bedding. Skimmed off the pond. Threw a cig butt from beside the pond, up on the pees deck. Seems shithead and mother pee noticed it and had some paki things to say about it between themselves. The snowdrops are poking up their leaves, so far. All the rain we have had has the river running really high.

January 24, 2018
All the walking has made my right knee sore, so no walking yesterday... and eating peanuts too. So, I am back to 148 lbs. Its a bright and sunny day. To Kim and Gayle's place to show them the LTV and Pat to see Kim's bikes while we talked gardening.

January 25, 2018
This morning back to 147 lbs. Ate very little yesterday. Was about 8 degrees today. Some bits of rain and some sun. Did my 30 minute walk around the Wilkinson Road block. Was a nice little walk. Got more of the 2017 JE page coded. Up to Dec 7. I was up way late last night watching 2 James Bond movies, back to back.

Jauaary 27, 2018
Was high winds over the last 2 nights. And more rain. Yesterday I walked to Carey Rd. to Roy and down Roy to the Trail and back home. Took nearly an hour. Was a good work out. I have been eating too much and am back to 147.5. So today I should be careful of how much I eat. Its 7 degrees and raining lightly. Uploaded the JE2017. Must remember to put the jpeg files for synopsis into the Images file on Godaddy FTP. Starting to collect photos for the November album. walked the short walk around the block -- 25 minutes or 30 by the time I get upstairs, changed, etc.

January 29, 2018
Last nite I have the November photos chosen and will have 9 pages of 15 photos = 136 photos to do the album. The blue bridge is getting put together and should be finished by March 31st. The Seine river is flooding Paris and surrounding area, but not so bad as it was in 2010, apparently. We have flood warning for the Western side of the Island.. Courtenay, Campbell River. The Englishman river will be high. Our own Colquitz River is running very high too, with all the rain we have had in the last months. I have put THE FAMILY STUFF in the bottom drawer of the high boy in the guest bedroom. I am now down to 146.5 lbs. Walked at the Mayfair mall. Bought a cover for my phone. Have numbered 3 pages of November.. 6 more pages to go. Paid the Davey Tree bill by snail mail. $761.25 for taking down the old yellow plum tree and the too tall and close to garage Pin Oak tree.

January 30, 2018
Some sun, some rain. To the Life Labs on Millstream to get fitted with the 24 hour Blood Pressure test. The cuff is to long for my short upper arm. But we pay our $55 and carry on with this test. I learn how to relax and let the machine do its thing at the top of the hour and the half hour.. This goes on till 9:00 when it should go to once every hour overnite. Tonight is the moon eclipse thing. I should be awake for it. Just after supper I could see it from the back deck and it just looked like a full moon... no redness. It is also a blue moon - 2 full moons in January, plus this eclipse thing. Am up to page 5 with numbering the November photos. Pat expects to travel South next week. yeah right. Kim has made his new ramps for the duel wheels to level the LTV. Maybe I will get some SPECIAL snow pictures for their calendar next year. Ha

January 31, 2018
Finished with the wretched 24 hr bp test. Told them I would not consider it a good tool to diagnose high blood pressure. As if they would listen. We have to order the replacement table for the one in my room, from Lowe's. It will need assembly when we get it. Delivery is free. Pat saw a blue heron taking off from the pond area this afternoon. Will have to check for edging stone damage. Otherwise, I think it is too deep for the heron to wade in it.

February 2018

February 1, 2018
About 10 degrees and lighter rain. Vacumed kitchen and big bathroom and wiped up the floors. Took blue box and green bin out to curb and while out there pulled off some of the brown, sodden perennials out of the front rectangle bed and some out of the front garden. There are a couple of cyclamens in bloom and a few snowdrops. Finished numbering photos to the end of Page 6, so have 3 pages left to do.

February 2, 2018
It is 12 degrees with light rain in the a.m. The Cattleya Intermedia (Oriata' x 'Aquinil') species orchid has 2 buds coming out. A white Phal has 7 buds. The pansy orchid is finished blooming and the yellow phal. is getting near the end of its bloom time. 147 lbs this morning. Did up 2 blog posts. I hope to keep up my blog posts this year, while continuing to get my web page finished. Vacumed the entry way. Was out from 2 to 4. Seriously cut back the fig tree. It needs a bit more yet. Have to cut up the branches. Cleaned up a bit around the pond and moss, replaced the mermaid. Pruned back the roses and took a few stems off the virginia creeper. Dug thistles out of the ground at the Pees side of the little honeysuckle pilea hedge. The hedge is looking pretty good, otherwise. Clipped back the heather under the dark red rose.Daffodils, daylilies and other things are showing 6 or more inches above ground. Everything is very soggy. Threw another cigarette butt from by the pond up onto the Pees back deck. I counted at least 4 fish in the pond so the heron's fishing did not go very well, it seems.

February 3, 2018
Overcast day. Have page 7 of November numbered. International wildlife photography of the year exhibit is on at the Museum. Must go. Did some posts to Facebook about it and the flying humming bird added to Megashot. Walked around the block for 25 minutes. Only saw 2 goldfish in the pond today. My skype was screwing up. Had to delete my skype on my phone. And I uninstalled the crap upgrade and re-activated my old download. I then got a desk top copy of Telegram for Windows. It says I can sign in to this same account on any of my devices. Not ready to try that yet. All this was instigated by Jim Boggs asking if I had heard from Cyrus on FaceBook. Finished numbering page 7 of November.

February 4, 2018
Is 12 degrees at ten a.m. Snowdrops in bloom and crocuses up. Cannot see any crocuses in the crocus field. The moss garden is looking pretty nice out the window in the suite. Finished up my walk with a walk around the garden. Pat came with me on the short walk. The crocuses are coming up in the strip at the front of the boulevard planting but I do not see many in the crocus field. They can be replanted, if necessary. I saw only one fish in the pond today. No animal tracks in the mud and we have not seen the heron. Pat figures we will travel south the week after next.. the 18th giving us 4 weeks before I have to be home for my lab for dr.c.

February 6, 2018
Was awake at 1:30 this morning, so came out to my computer and tweaked the first page of the photos for November. Making them 800 x 600 or whatever size they get to be. At 10:30 it is only 6 degrees so it is a bit cooler than it has been in the last few days. I was happy to see 2 gold fish in the pond today. Yesterday we went to Matticks Farm from 5:00 to 7:15 for dinner with the Art and Marlene. We had the place all to ourselves, practically. Good food. There are no crocuses coming up in the crocus field. I suppose the shithead ran over that grass with some chemical. finished tweaking page 3 of November. This afternoon after lunch we went over to Vision Travel and talked to Martina. We have started the booking of the grand Scandanavian trour with InSight Travel. It is going to be pretty spendy. We want to be in Copenhagen the day before the trip starts and it costs us $400 for the hotel room for one night.. EEEKKK.

February 7, 2018
Was about 10 degrees. Spent most of the afternoon waiting to see Dr. T about the BP test. We decided that I should keep doing what I am doing... walking, watching what I eat. This is the better choice, rather than medication. I was 146 first thing in the morning and 150 at her clinic, later in the day. BP is just a bit high. Made 5 little jars of raisin/pineapple sauce today. A big spinach, avocado, egg, bacon salad. Finished tweaking page 4 of the November album. 5 more pages to go. I should try to finish this before we go South. Don't wanna go.

February 9, 2018
Yesterday we saw some of the Zims at Andrew's Dad's funeral service. Had Melton Mowbray pork pie for supper. Not the Melton Mowbray pie that I like. I think the one I have fond memories of was beef juice jellied in a pastry. Pat figures we could do a spam in philo pastry and it would be better than this one. Today I finished page 5 of November, walked for 30 minutes. We received confirmation of our Scandanavian trip from Martina today. We have yet to do the insurance and the airfare. And tally up what the optional things will be. Might come in at $20K by the time we are finished. It will be grand! We have not travelled for 5 years. The spring bulbs are coming up. Nothing in the crocus field. The Christmas cactus has buds on about 1/4 of its sides.

February 10, 2018
Was out from 3:00 to 5:15. Finished pruning the fig tree and cut all the branches up and added most of them to the wood pile. Cleaned up along the Syrians side, taking out blackberries and cutting back the roses. Cleaned up the Sedum Autumn Joy and cut off the big stem from the Agave looking thing's flowers. Cut back some of the virginia creeper and ivy. The green bin is heaping full. Tamped it down with the big hammer. I was over joyed to see a yellow crocus in the crocus field. Maybe they are just having trouble coming up through the grass. Hope so, anyway. Have finished page 6 of Novemer. We spent some time talking about the Scandinavia trip, and later, over supper, talked of going south in the new LTV. Pat thinks we should just go, and do it. I would rather spend some time in Canada to get used to it... one night anyway. THAT is not going to happen, it seems.

February 11, 2018
Was awake at 4:00 am so came out to computer and got most of Page 7 photos done. Finished the while having cappiccino. Right after lunch I vacumed the top floor, finishing at 3:00, so I figure I got my exercise. Saw 3 fish in the pond this morning. Finished the photos for page 8. There were some photos today, although not much is in bloom yet. There are more crocuses in the crocus field... just leaves so far. We talked to Dan after supper. He is seriously considering coming out while we are away. House sitting, I guess. He will phone tomorrow nite with his plan. We do not have to leave on the 15th. We can wait until he gets here. Driving in the mountains is not something we recommend though. I will get orchid photos in a day or two and then download them, so I have a clean card for our trip.

February 12, 2018
Ice on the water table so it frozen last night. Cigarette butt in the pond again. Threw it up on the Pees back deck. Skimmed the pond. Is about 6 degrees this morning with sunshine.

February 13, 2018
It froze last nite. There was ice on the water table. Did not get very warm today. I vacumed the downstairs... Pat's room, the entry, laundry room and in the suite. Must have taken a couple of hours. That was my exercise for the day. Was at 144.5 this morning. Lunch and then did the ironing. We went for a drive in the Unity. The voltage went from 13.1 (after charging over night) to 12.77 after the long drive. So, we will definitely be taking the battery charger when we go. Finished one row of photos on the Page 9 ... ten more photos to go till finished. Was up at 4:30 - 5:00 and emailed Trevor about the Winegard ... he can do it, but not immediately. We will be in touch after we get back from down South. Dan should be here late Thursday, or maybe even Friday. Making him a list of stuff. Pat wants to contact the Commissionaires and let them know that IF Dan goes home early or has problems he can call them to arrange for them to look after the place, or help him with any problem. Getting stuff together for loading into the van. Will wash my hair on Thursday. Can use campsites for showers/washing hair.

February 14, 2018
Was cooler today. Got up to about 8 degrees. Dan phoned. He has missed the 7 o'clock ferry. Will be on the 9:00. We are going to leave on Friday morning, have to be at the black ball ferry at 8:00, I think. Anyway, tomorrow will pack clothes and I will be ready. Get Dan settled in, and have chicken for supper, tomorrow. The toaster/oven fits perfectly in its side compartment. Have it packed, and all dishes. Just need to pack clothes and ipad, phone, charger things, and gizmos. Take out the canned goods. Need to load the water. TV does not work, but hey, who cares? We should have our connection to the internet. Finished the tweaking of the November photos. Will do the albun when we get home.

March 2018

March 9, 2018
We got back from our trip 2 days ago, mid afternoon. Unloaded most of the van. We ordered Pizza for supper and Dan paid for it. It seems he thinks we have done him a great service by letting him house sit. He actually got comfortable enough to start sleeping in. yea!! We had a chat later and that seemed to be of some benefit to his mind set too. The next day, we had banking and stuff to do, so he went out for most of the day, with lunch with Tara. We went to the Chinese buffet place for supper and Dan picked up the tab again. More visiting in the evening. He has decided that he will be off home and try to catch the first ferry. So, he is packed and gone in the morning. We did not even hear him. The trip will, of course, be written up in the Travel notes someday. Today I got the laundry done and unpacked the rest of the things from the van. Lots of up and down stairs for me in the last couple of days. I had gained only 1 lb during the trip. Downloaded the photos and am in the process of cleaning them up. Not much there. There is the shot of the desert road that makes me think of that Bagdad Cafe movie. Took a walk about the garden. Crocuses up, daffs up and opening buds, still some snowdrops, the wind flowers are starting to bloom and the primulas. There was snow while we were gone, and the last week has been up to 8 or 9 with all above freezing at night. I am getting used to the pond without the plum tree over it. The germander needs to be clipped down, it is very stringy. Not sure what to do with the firewood Pat had Davey Tree save for him. It is stacked along the woodland old sidewalk behind the garage just now. The stump of the plum tree looks really good by the pond. The mermaid is fine beside the waterfall where she appears to be peering into the pond at the foot of the waterfall.

March 10, 2018
Sunny day. 11 degrees. It froze last nite. Sorted photos. Caught up on some of the Facebook stuff. Walked to the lottery ticket store after popcorn lunch as I am up a lb. again. Gave my camera a name... dammitt. It kept insisting that I give it a name. Tried to look up how to set the exposure compensation.. in P mode. It actually set the compensation to what I wanted, but the display does not show. It seems to be stuck on the old setting, but when the photo is taken it shows the amount set. The exposure compensation set by me does not work in manual. Exposure compensation goes to what the camera thinks it should be in Manual. The feature works in P mode.

March 11, 2018
Temps got up to nearly 15 degrees today. Ordered up the new gate leg table from Lowes on the green visa and topped up the visa account. Was $693.99 and needs to be put together when it arrives. Watered the plants and trees. took a long walk. making short ribs for supper.

March 12, 2018
Got up to 15 degrees, sunny day. Was busy all day till 4:00. Researched Vacuum cleaners, and got a Dyson 6 from the All Vacuums shop for $450. The bill and the brochure are in the Loenholm file along with the bill etc for the gate leg table. Cleaned out a bit of the fridge. There is more to do yet. Groceries and a London Drugs run. I was awake in the middle of the night last nite and so managed to purge the cache or whatever I did on my Nexus phone. It got rid of all the open window things and just left me the ones I specified...mmmee.com, Pats Picks and the weather.com thing. Am too tired today, but plan to make parsnip cakes for supper. Made 14 or 18 of the cakes. Pat likes them. They are very crispy and taste like deep fried.

March 13, 2018
Had a really busy day, it seemed. Tried on clothes with the trip to Scandinavia in mind, this morning. Looks like I will have sufficient clothes. I can now fit into some old jeans things. The bell bottoms for my pocket pants should be right in style again. The pockets unzip to shorts, so might bring the brown ones and the little tan striped light long sleeved sweater with them, instead of cords. The buses are air conditioned. Did the morning chores and lunch. Took out compost. Made up the swiss steak mozerella from the seagrams book for supper. Took about 2 1/2 hours to cook. Was sooo good. Unpacked the Dyson vacuum and got it set up to charge. It is now fully charged and so will leave it plugged in, till I next use it. The gate leg table and 4 chairs arrived today via UPS. Made the guy deliver all of it... He just brought in the table and said thanks for telling him, otherwise he would have had to come back again to deliver the chairs. He did not have that much stuff in his truck.. Yeah, really? I am not so innocent as I once was. Once I signed for it, the twit could have just kept the chairs. Asian of some sort, I thought Chinese. He was huffing and puffing to bring the stuff in to the suite. Walked to the mail box with the Dyson registration for warantee.. 2 years.

March 14, 2018
About 11 degrees today, sunshine. Did ironing. sorted a bit more clothes for the Scandanavian trip and Pat phoned Desjardins and got nearly $600.00 credit from our Bonus Dollars paid on the In Sight Travel bill. We checked baggage sizes and thought we could each have a trafalgar bag for carry on. The little black bag could be a bit larger. I want to get a new one from Bentley that is a lighter case and a bit smaller to fit the specs for the trip. Tried out the Dyson V6. Works pretty good. I got a quick run around my room, around the kitchen, the carpet in the living room and the hallway in front of the dining room done, and now it needs to charge. Not very much time. I feel the old Ureka was a better machine. Made marinade for the shrimp and will have it for supper with left over parsnip cakes and the tai noodles. Pat started to put together one of the chairs. I uploaded the Peru Ecuador photos to the Canon Image - 10 gb - space on the cloud. I need to visit that place at least once a year or I will lose it. Use it or lose it. Loaded all the pages for the Travel 2018 to California. Emailed Trevor to help us with our wi-fi extender.

March 15, 2018
Took the day off. Popcorn for lunch and had a nap instead of a walk. Spaghetti and meat sauce for supper. Getting the trip food eaten up and the fridge cleaned up. Dan left quite a lot of stuff. Pat is putting the chairs together. Talked to a young girl from the Western committee, at the door. Seems I am the only one who talked to her... rest slamming the door on her. We talked a lot while she rested on the railing and I got chilled again. She seemed to think I had donated last year, but I see I have a receipt for this year, January, when I usually do my donations. They got $50. So just as glad I did not give her more, even though she was having no luck at all. She appeared to think I was far younger than I am. I may donate later in the year for the bees stuff. Trevor wants $195. per hour for him and Alfred to come and set up the wifi extender. It is never ending with this Unity. Wish we could import one of my newphews to fix this for me. There are 2 goldfish in the tub water feature on the deck.

March 16, 2018
There was frost on the water table this morning but it got up to 13 degrees by noon. Created the album for November, and now need to do all the menus, etc. on it. Tomorrow we go to Naniamo to the antiques meeting and lunch. Trevor and Alfred are going to be here on the 22nd at 3:00 pm to do the wifi extender in the van. Cost out their time at $195 an hour. Yikes. Pat has another chair put together. March 18, 2018
Drove up to Nanaimo yesterday. Was a good meet. Added it to the Antiques page.. no photo album for it. It froze over night and by 11:00 is up to 10 degrees, sunshine. Finished doing the menus for November index pages. Topped up my cell phone. Its on TD Visa. Balance is carried forward. Can only get transactions for 60 days.. Did manage to get 90 days and printed it out. The use of maps is not charged. Only phone calls and texts. Now I need to learn how many maps I can download to use, and how to delete them once used. Weather. com also works on wifi and no charge.

March 19, 2018
Froze lightly over night. Was zero when I got up this morning about 8:00. By noon it is 12 degrees. Walked home from the lab after grocery shopping, lottery tickets and looking for Dan's book at the used book store. No luck. They are digging up the park. The river is looking almost dry in that park by the corner of Carey Rd. and Grange. Took 40 minutes to walk from the Mall. Finished the menus on the index pages of November and the colspan changes. So, these pages are finished. Working on the .html pages for the photos.

March 20, 2018
Was light frost over night again. And got up to 13 degrees. Finished changing the footnote on all the photo html pages. Have the navigation code to change on all the photo html pages, and then it will be ready to load. Pat finished putting together the chairs and brought them all upstairs. He has finished the table also. We need to bring it up and take the old one down, tomorrow. I found a way to leave a icon for google finance, such as it is, on Pat's desktop. Hope it works for him.

March 22, 2018
Trevor and Alfred were over at 3:00 to make the wifi extender work in the Unity. Cost us 4204.00. For all the good it is going to do us.

March 23, 2018
Watered and fed the house plants and trees. Tara and Freyja stopped in... late by more than an hour. We had to visit the Unity. Tara is part time with co-operators now and going to be putting her resume in for teaching, part time or whatever she can get.

March 24, 2018
Stayed up late last night watching PBS - a 2002 dedication to George Harrison by the traveling willburys and ringo, paul, and who all. Was nothing 'Beatles' about it. Was not that great. Today is cold again, it was raining little ice drops earlier in the day. The sun is out now. I have finished the 'index' coding on the first page of November, and must get on with the rest.

March 25, 2018
SPRING SHOW -- THURSDAY, APRIL 19TH TO SATURDAY, APRIL 21ST Cadboro Bay United Church Hall 2625 Arbutus Road, Victoria BC
Finished November and uploaded it today. To the Greek church for lunch. Was good. groceries, etc took up most of the day. We watched the last 2 ends of world championship womens curling. Fantastic game. Canada won, again. I think they said this would make it the 14th win in the last fourteen years.

March 26, 2018
Was overcast and a bit rainy today, and coolish. Pat dropped me off at the Museum this morning. Went to see the Wildlife Photography . . 100 plus photos chosen by someone in the UK, from all the entries sent to them. I was not that impressed with the choices this year, as I was the last time I went. $11.00 for a senior to get into the museum. Lunch at the Heron Bistro place. The James Bay tea house was closed.

March 27, 2018
To Doctor C. office for 9:30 appointment. Shopped the drug store. Pat picked me up at 10:45 and went home for potato soup lunch. Got laundry done in afternoon. Not feeling great, was up way too late last night, no drinks, just milk. Must have been the stuffed peppers. Getting photos for December picked out.

March 31, 2017
Have had a couple of warmer days. Pictures. The magnolia tree is ready to open the buds. The daffodils, hyacinths, anemones, hepaticas (I have a pink one, as well as the blue), primulas, epimediums, some of the tulips are in bloom. The moss is still nice and green and needs to be cleaned up. The wretched blue bells are coming up everywhere. I must keep after them. the yellow fawn lily is blooming. There are two gold fish in the deck tub. I fed them the other day when they were on top of the water. Not sure how many fish there are in the pond. I will want more shubunkins when it gets warmer. I am happy to see more of the water grass stuff in the pond.

April 2018

April 1, 2018
Easter Sunday. was warm and a bit breezy. Spent the morning working on the Miscellaneous Gardening page, collecting some photos for the albums, especially woodland. We had the duck feast for supper. Yummm. It was a big duck and we ate just a little more than half of it. Made 8 cups of duck stock in the evening, before bed time. Fed the fish in the tub and threw some into the pond but did not see any fish up to eat.

April 2, 2018
A cool breeze today. We managed to get Arthur's new address into the gps on the Benz and took it out to see their new home and show them our new motor home. Their place is marvelous, with lots of room to garden and Thomas has own suite. There seem to be plans for a another garage. I finished the gardening miscelleaneous page, just have to upload all the new pages, etc. April 3, 2018
A cool breeze and overcast. We spent the afternoon with Dave and Irene, including lunch at the Legislature building. The bulbs are in full bloom around the garden. The crocuses and snowdrops are finished blooming.

April 4, 2018
Finished uploading the revised Gardening page and the Miscellaneous gardening page. raining

April 6, 2018
Yesterday finished sorting the December photos and reducing them to 135 pages of 15 per page for 9 pages. Today: Updated the anti virus.

April 7, 2018
Rained a lot last night and some today. Was warmish out though. Got photos tweaked for page 1 of December.

April 8, 2018
It is quite warm but damp and overcast today. Out to take pictures. I really need to get out and pull out bluebells and clean up the beds. The water hawthorne and the marigold are blooming in the pond. There seems to be lots of underwater plants growing again. Feeding the 2 fish in the tub and cannot see how many are in the pond. The hepaticas look ok, the chocolat lily is blooming, and the fawn lillies. the daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, skilla, arabis, grape hycinths and anemones are blooming all around the garden. The rhubarb is up a few inches with lots of stems. Collected some of my special rocks onto the deck railing, along with the railroad spike. The moss is lush but needs to be cleaned up. I have 4 lillies showing leaves about 4 inches high in the little rockery at the front. Sandy's little plant has leaves and there are far too many alliums... must thin them out. I have to get the arabis growing under the magnolia tree, which is in bloom. It will look good with the white arabis underplanting with blue grape hycinths, maybe. I need more foxgloves in that bed, and columbines. The cercise aubretia in the cement vase is looking great. I must keep it fed. I should get some of that growing in the west coast planter, so as to tie colors and plant forms together around the garden. The underplanting of saxifragia looks good in its spot. The knickiwick is spreading nicely and is in bloom now. I am getting more photos tweaked for page 2 of December album. If I keep at it, I could have that album finished by the end of April.

April 9, 2018
Warm, 14 degrees at noon, overcast. Spent some time correcting links on my blog. Was out weeding the back stepping stones through the moss. Cleaned from the old sidewalk to the entry to the Japanese garden. Weeded a bit in the little rockery in the front garden. Was out from about 2 to 5. The plants in the moss garden along the stepping stones are looking good. The primulas are blooming. The epimediums look good, the hepaticas are doing ok. The chocolat lily is spreading nicely. It must have 6 blooms on it. The grass area needs some grass seed added to the bare spots. Must mow the grass first. Cleaned up the pots on the patio area and cleaned up the cement a bit. Put the bamboo sticks in the garage up on the boards. Finished tweaking photos for page 2 of December

April 10, 2018
It was a windy day, about 13, with bits of rain. We went for supper to Naughty Nellie's for fish and chips and coleslaw. Very good halibut. Then to Gordon Head United Church Hall 4201 Tyndall Avenue. Walked to the park and we were still too early for the 7:30 meeting. Got my $20 membership .. should get the newsletter. Parlor show and plant raffle. Speaker Julia Corden from Pitlochery, Scotland. She does travel rock gardening groups all over the world, in mountains. Her topic this night was on Wengen and the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. Good pictures, lovely mountainous scenery. Some of the plants she showed I have: mountain avens, marsh marigold, there were a lot of primulas, and the blue poppies (which I have never been able to grow.. YET!

April 11, 2018
Coolish 12 degrees, overcast. Finished tweaking page 3 of December. Got a new small space gardening magazine at the grocery store. It has some good ideas in it.

April 12, 2018
Cleaned out the hummingbird feeder and reloaded it. Broke the little brush so need to go out to lee valley to get a new one. Have finished page 4 on the December album. Pat to lunch with the guys so I had a pop corn day. It was overcast and cool most of the day. about 11 degrees

April 13, 2018
a bit of rain and overcast. Finished laundry and ironing. Finished page 5 of december.

April 14, 2018
Coolish, overcast, rainy day. Finished page 6 of the December album.

April 18, 2018
coolish day. Spent the morning getting the Godaddy payment for renewals sorted out. To Art and Marlene's for dinner. Laura in town. Mark, Anya and kids there. Yesterday, rainy. Tom and Diane over in the evening, out to Sooke to look at the crapped out Bentley. In the am I attempted to make Melton Mowbray pie. Sometime in the past week I finished up to page 7 of the December album. Just 2 pages to go! Watered plants and trees on the 17th. April 19, 2018
There was ice on the water table today. Finished tweaking photos for page 8 of the december album. Should finish the rest today. Dallas cleaned the gutters and took $50 cash for it. Just dried leaves in there, he said. He will be back to do windows, and repair some thing in the eaves trough.

April 20, 2018
Warmer, overcast day and rained in the afternoon. Finished tweaking the last page of the december album. Next week is going to be warm and sunny, so not sure when I will get the album finished. Hopefully by the end of April. Then I will have Mar. April and May to do. .. getting there!

April 22, 2018
VIRAGS show and sale, yesterday. Pat took me there after capiccino. Some of Rex Murfitts silver saxifragias were on sale. From the news letter: Included are roughly 150 Vintage Buchart Gardens concrete pots (one gallon size) which contain the Porophyllum and Silver Saxifrage collection. Most are named. There is also a selection of random other alpines from Rex’s collection. these were available on Sunday at Rex's home. By the time I got there there was slim pickins. I did get one of the Buchart Gardens concrete pot with a white saxifragia in it - Sasifrage Burseriana . G.M. Hopkins. At the VIRAGS show and sale I got four or five more with RM on them. These are tiny ones potted up by a group of about 8 people over at Rex's house a couple of weeks before the show and sale. More of Rex's plants are to go to Government House. I also got a tiny fern, another one with no name that I think is an auricola primula, and a Haberlea hodopensis (one of Joe's plants. Apparently Joe, a member of the club, sells these plants. Must find out if he also has the sand, rocks, etc for my Saxifragas. When at Rex's house, I was treated to a tour of his shade houses and potting room where he kept them. They need shade. I will list all the new purchases in the Purchases list. Also got a gentiana depresso. On Saturday evening I had to go with Pat to the stinking Oak Bay rec center for a roast for Buie upon his retirement, which is not happening. Yech. Freeda arranged for us to go and Jim and Sheila, also. I got the stomach upset over night from whatever little I had eaten there. Was warm and nice day on this Sunday.

April 23, 2018
We grocery shopped at the whole foods place and had lunch there. good salad. Groceries are extremely expensive there. After we got home I went out to garden. Mowed the grass and trimmed the boxwood hedges in the front garden. Then weeded the fig tree bed and the stepping stone path by it. I found I had a double white wood anemone growing with a clump of epimedium. I dug them out and cut them with my big gardening knife. Replanted the anemone near the rhodo in the moss in the primula bed. Hope it survives. Its a lovely plant. I was out from 2:00 to 5:00.

April 26, 2018
Yesterday, I made 8 pkgs of soup from the ham bone and added vegetables. It tastes good. In the afternoon, I went to see Dr. T about the deep seated acne after mentioning it to Dr. C. on the 24th. She has me on a low dose of high blood pressure pills now. Took the Pharmacy forever to get my order made up. It was sunny day and today the temperatures got up to 25 degrees. Watered the house plants and trees. labelled the soups and arranged things in the freezer. Grocery shopped at thriftys in the afternoon. Had popcorn for lunch as Pat was out with Bruce and the guys. Got a tiny bit of weeding done while taking out the compost bin and the recycle stuff. Cleaned up the deer fern by the back step. The ferns are growing under the deck. The tulips in the back flower bed between the fig and the holly trees, are huge fat many petals to the blooms in a deep cerice color. Lovely! There are six of them. The bronz fennel is coming up in that bed. With the hot weather everything is growing like crazy and drying out too quickly. Yesterday on my way home from Dr. T's office I picked up a purple wall flower, a saxifragia paniculata, a big golden yarrow, and a little cotula hispida - ferny like foliage and little gold balls of flowers. Needs a gravelly well drained soil. I think I will plant it in the front little rockery.

April 27, 2018
Created the December album today. It would have been a good day for gardening ... should have been out there, as it is suppose to rain tomorrow. Ah well. I do want to get that album finished.

April 29, 2018
Rained yesterday and over night. Was up to 16 degrees today and coolish, overcast. Was to Cannor and got a membership, then bought 4 sarosas and 4 shubunkins at $4.99 each. Got the 10% off the fish. total of $66.49. They sell pea gravel there. I have 2 bags of pea gravel and one of sand. this should work for putting the Rex Murfit saxifragias into a big off white plastic pot. Membership is $20.00 off a purchase of $100 or more. 15% off during birthday week. No charge delivery with minimum purchase of $50.00. Have finished at least half of the codeing for December.

May 2018

May 1, 2018
Was overcast and a nice day out there. Pat is going to Red Deer tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn. I did computer stuff: banking, loaded the December album to my page, downloaded my May pictures. I don't see the fish in the pond. They seem to like it at the bottom. The old ones must be down there too.

May 2, 2018
Had lunch of breackfast and a toast with peanut butter. Was out from 2 to 6. Wrecked the lawn mover and will need to get it fixed or get a new one. the line that links the machine to the electric parts that drive the machine, has been broken, when the electic cord connection was pulled out or off of the connecting part. After this disaster, I started to set up the VIRAGS plants. I have the little fern in a black plastic gallon pot filled with stuff from the old compost bin and sand. It needs to be kept moist and shaded. The 'African Violet' perennial has been transplanted to the Japanese garden area between the Japanese maple and the big mossy rock. Hope it survives. Haberlae? Hodoponsis? I put a layer of clay on the bottom 1/3 of a off white medium pot. Added a layer of old compost from the old bin mixed with some sand, this was put on top of a layer of dried, cruished leaves. Next to the leaves, I added a thin layer of pea gravel, then the compost stuff. This brought the mix to a few inches from the top. Arranged the tufa big rock, supported by the pea gravel, and the compost. Then added the plants and rocks to divide them from each other. These are the silver saxifrages from Rex Murfitt. Also have one of his Butchart garden cement posts with a saxifagia in it. There is room for one more plant in the Rex planter. At the moment I have a rock covering the spot where the plant could go. I have rocks left over from the ones I gathered from around the garden. Came in at 6:00, had a warm tubby bath, and supper of left overs and a salad, wine, peanuts. Art phoned last nite. Marlene slipped and fell at church on Saturday nght. She broke her wrist and bruised or broke pelvis. Anyway, she should be home now, with her walker and home care. Sounds like she has mended quickly.

May 4, 2018
a cooler, overcast day, Perfect day for gardening. Was out from 12:30 to 4:00 - 4.5 hours. Cleaned off the deck and finished transplanting the VIRAGS plants. The auricola primula and the gentiana despera are in pots on the deck with the saxifragias, as they all like to be kept moist and in the shade. Heaven only knows what will happen to them when I am away to Scandinavia and to Sask. Gotta hope it rains regularly, I guess. Cleaned up a bit in the boulevard garden and planted the yellow yarrow. There are so many weeds in that bed. The little hedge needs trimming. Then transplanted the little saxifragia and the one with little round yellow balls.. both need good drainage; so added sand mixed with compost from the old compost bin. While having a look at the old compost bin, I see it is only about 1/3 full. AND I cannot find the long handled shovel I used to keep out behind the bin. Cannot see it in the garage, anywhere, either. Guess I just gotta keep things under lock and key around here. Thieving pakis, no doubt. Planted the purple wallflower by the front step. It was suppose to rain today, but has not yet. Yesterday I went to Canadian Tire and got 4 little outdoor lights, and a gold fry pan that was on sale for their official opening after the renovation. Vitiman C and lottery tickets at the drug store; and far too many muchies at Thirfty's. I have a new book by Noah Gordon.. author of The Physician and now Shaman. Good read

May 5, 2018
Was about 20 today. Was out after lunch and cleaned up most of the moss garden and started to fix the pond edge by the plum tree stump. by moving out the cement blocks with a view to planting some plants along there. Maybe a ground cover or leave it to grow moss, with a field stone or two for stepping stones. The moss garden is looking good and is easy to clean, once I get at it. The ferns are up and looking nice. The pink lily of the valley is in bloom. I saw the fish at the top of the water today. And so, topped up the pond. I put most of the debris from the clean up into the old compost bin, to get a start on new compost. I must use the leaves in there next autumn, and grass clippings. Cannot find that long handled shovel. It really bothers me that it has gone missing. The lilac is in bloom, the big peony tree is in bloom. I spray the little transplants with water in the morning. They seem to be suriving the transplant.

May 7, 2018
Did not go out yesterday as it was really hot. Got up to 24 degrees. Was out after a late breakfast/early lunch till about 4:45. Took out the orange trees and wash off the plastic sheets. Filled the tops with some soil I have from Cannor. I have 3 trees left now. After getting that done and stuff around the patio sprinkled with water, I did more cleaning up of the moss/Japanese garden. I fixed one end of the little rockery as I was cleaning up that part of the moss garden (the entry into the pond area) I removed another cement block from the pond edge. I shall give this area lots of pea gravel and sand and compost/soil. Hopefully, I can establish some plants in this area. Maybe more primulas or small hosta, hepatica, with the moss and edging stones. They will be getting quite a lot of sun, so perhaps I can use short decorative grasses. Since I will be away so much this summer, I should leave it empty for now. There is a new little view from the big mossy rock towards the little rockery. The lewisias are blooming and the little shrub... fragrant purple...daphne? can never remember its name, is in bloom. In the front the peony tree has its big blooms. The cerise aubretia looks good in its cement vase. This heat is really hard on these plants. I should be out watering everywhere when its so hot. Today was not as bad as yesterday, but we have not got the promised rain. May 8, 2018
Grocery shop, made a soup, and lunch. Pat fixed the mower and sharpened the blade. Finished mowing the front grass and the mower seemed to run out of charge. Weeded a bit around the pond, trimmed the Lebanon cedar and then skimmed the pond. Put pea gravel down on the dry stream. It was about 21 degrees but cloudy, so not too bad out there. Now, at 9:00 pm it has begun to sprinkle our much promised rain.

May 9, 2018
It was cloudy with spits of rain. It rained a bit last nite. Went out at 3:00, mowed the back grass, put the clippings into old compost bin. Trimmed the boxwood hedge by the pond, trimmed the cedars at the back of the garden, trimmed the fire thorn bush, trimmed the germander. Picked up the clippings from along by the pond and put them on the woodland path. The woodland flowers along the old garage... bleeding heart, honesty, anemone, and the other blue one, are all looking good and healthy. Trimmed back the fern off the old sidewalk behind the old garage. Can't find my long handled shovel. Theiving pakis.

May 13, 2018
Was very hot today, 26 degrees. I was out in the hottest part of the afternoon. Raked up the clippings and did a bit more clipping on the germander, the irish heather that is by the strawberries patch. Put a wheel barrow full of clippings into the bin. Weeded in the cutting garden. Moved some foxgloves from the little rockery to the back side of the pond. Hopefully I will get a bunch of foxgloves and maybe some lupines growing there. Shithead is throwing his cigarette butts into the pond again and has put up his boards on my property along by their sidewalk. What an idiot. So after cleaning up a bit at the back I watered all around back there and under the deck. I think I have got a bit of sun on my top. So, I shall go out in shorts, maybe tomorrow and get more sun on my legs, since I don't have to deal with prickly plants at the front. The oriental poppies are coming into bloom. There is honesty and columbines in all the beds. Have some very nice columbines, from white to a very dark navy color. The water hawthorne is in bloom in the pond. The moss is looking good. The honeysuckle vine has buds. I transplanted the dill into the cedar trough at the strawberry patch edge next to the little rockery.

May 17, 2018
Made chicken soup and did ironing in the morning, as well as a few more Painted Vase photos tweaked. Was a cooler day with some clouds. Although the temperature did show 20 degrees. I mowed the back and the front. Put clippings into the back bin, and mowed the back without the grass catcher. Pulled bind weed and thistles out of the strip between the driveways. Watered all around the back, a bit. Got the biggest pink pot and brought it up to the deck. Filled it with a half bag of potting soil, and planted the 2 heliotrope into it I need a couple more heliotrope. Did a tiny bit of weeding at the front, before it got too hot and came in at about 4:15 and made supper. There is lots of weeding to do at the front.

May 18, 2018
Was a cooler day today. Spent an hour and a half out in the morning. Cut out and cleaned up along the driveway, removing bind weed, blackberries, thistles and all other weeds, cutting back the bulb spent flowers and some foliage. After lunch I was out for a couple of hours cleaning up along our side of the driveway: pulling out violets and clipping back the iberis. There is still a lot of violets in that magnolia bed to be removed, and grass in the siberian iris. There is a yellow dutch iris by the stump of the old plum tree. I need more of them, or perhaps the small ones. Filled the pond, and watered around it a tiny bit. Monie was out mowing his grass. Pat was out polishing brass and saw a mother duck and ten duckling walk across in front of the garage and disappear under the mercedes manor. I did not notice them coming down the driveway, but I had my back to them if they did go there. Did not hear them either. Pat said they were making a few little cheeping type noises.

May 19, 2018
Was on the bus tour of 4 gardens in the Genoa Bay, Duncan area, from 9:45 to 4:00. I think there was 18 people with 2 missing at $35.00 per person. tip for driver of $7.00. Was a very good day for it... not too hot and it did not rain. Was a lot of walking including uphill stuff. A couple of 'collectors' gardens and a couple of smaller crevice gardens done by Paul Spriggs. Pat took me there at 9:10 and picked me up at about 4:15. Pizza and ceasar salad for supper. Am very tired, and ready for bed by 7:00. There will, no doubt, be a full report in the next news letter.

May 21, 2018
Was a perfect gardening day, except we could use a shower... overnight would be great. Otherwise the garden needs watering. Grocery shopped in the a.m. Was out in the garden from 1:30 to 5:00. Finished weeding the Magnolia bed. Spread dried leaves after weeding. There were not really that many weeds. With the leaf mulch put down every year, the violets do not seem to be able to set deep roots, they get stringy and tall and pull out easily. There were a few slugs in the rocks around the water meter. Dave Dube's milkweed plant is coming up. Great the transplant from the big black pot worked; it is a plant that does not like its roots disturbed. I see two coming up in a gallon black pot I have on the deck. and one in the brown pot down on the patio. I think they are from the oregon seed place. The thyme is in bloom. No bees. oh oh. There is a gold fish missing from the deck pot. The bench at the front is becoming more screened from the pees place, as the trees are growing taller.

May 22, 2018
Was very hot today, up to 24 degrees. I made the short ribs in the am. We took recycle stuff to the recycle place and got $5.45 for the trouble of just taking it over there. Then I went out to weed the stone path at about 2:30 to 4:00. Got about 6 - 8 feet cleaned up. Still need to get the grass out of the irises and the yellow oregano. Opened a bag of top soil and put some around the plants in the renovated bed and around the pinks. Crunched up dry leaves to add to this top dressing mix. Was very hot, so had to come in at 4:00. The ribs were delicious. Won't be here in some of July and some of August. In Sept we plan to go to an LTV meet at Osoyoos, so will be away for some time then.

May 23, 2018
Was hot again today. Did laundry. Made cole slaw. to the Finest at Sea for halibut and chips. Yumm. Was out gardening from 4 to 5:30. Weeded some more around the stone path and have about half of the thyme circle done. Is quite cool, now at 8:45. phoned Dan earlier... alls ok there. He has not heard from Cindy.

May 25, 2018
Was hot yesterday, so took the day off. Today it was cooler. Went out in the morning. Watered the patio plants and finished weeding the thyme circle as well as some of the sun dial circle. Was out after lunch and finished weeding the inside of the front garden. Its not too bad for weeds. I see I have a hawthorne growing in the spot where the star magnolia is dying. Having seen a tall hawthorn in pretty pink blooms, I think I will let this one grow. Its nice and thorny for that side of the garden. Put down some top soil around the plants that seem to need a bit. Crunched up a lot of dried leaves and have been adding them as mulch. The red Mrs. Bradshaw geum plant is doing great in its clay. I need more valerine cause it looks good too, but not together, as mine is an orangey kind of red. The elephant ears Berengaria are doing good too, with the more sun on them. The silver sedum looks great as a ground cover. The thyme is growing everywhere. The thyme circle is in bloom and is filling in its bare spots. The kininickiwick is good also. The anemone is going to be spectacular this year, too. I think I will get a dark purple clematis for next to it and move my clematis post thing from beside the pees to over where I can enjoy it, next to the house maybe. just across the path from the anemone. They bloom at the same time. I saw the big swallowtail again today.

May 26, 2018
Wasted a perfectly good gardening day. Was about 18 and cloudy in the morning. I see I have great tall bamboo growing in the boulevard garden. I have a purple/white, a pink, and another not blooming yet, lupines. The lavender looks great, lots of bees on it. It responds well to pruning. Took many photos before the sun was out. Everything needs watering. The ice plant Fire Spinner delosperma, has one bloom. It is gorgeous. I looked up how to propogate it, and have 5 little pots ready to fill with soil (mix it with some sand) moisten the soil, and stick in the little leaves. Keep them misted in the shade for a few days and then bring them out into sun and keep misting lightly for a few more days, until rooted. If they get too wet they will not set roots. I have many interesting columbines in bloom. I must save seed from the white one, an up facing double medium blue one, light blue, navy blue, purple, purple with white tips and double. I must save this seed in marked containers and see if they come true from seed. I took photos on the 21st of the shovels behind the Pees shed... just one long handled shovel there the one with the silver screw in it. On the photo from today, there are 2 shovels exactly the same, except the second one in todays photo has a rusty rivet and a more weathered handle. That one is my shovel, as I kept it outside behind the old compost bin for turning the compost, and getting compost out of the bottom of the bin. Amazing how that shovel walked off to behind the Pees shed. Must have been lonesome by itself. Watered the deck plants. The honeysuckle vine is covered with orange/yellow blooms. I have not noticed a lot of fragrance just yet. Cut the Iceberg rose back as it was knocking at the door, well the roof above it and the window, in the breeze. Another odd thing I noticed in the front garden. By the sedum ground cover spot, I now have two little lights of different sizes. I must see if they both light up. They were definitely not both there yesterday when I was out gardening. The Pees have a pot at the end of their garden with the solar lights stuck in it. I am pretty sure that pot had more lights in it, than the 2 it has now. Also got one of those phone calls when no one was talking at the other end. Told them to f off.

May 27, 2018
Was a perfect gardening day. Was out from 1:30 to 4:30. Weeded the side of the boulevard garden by our driveway. Cut back the iris blooms in the driveway strip between our driveways. Cut out any bamboo that is growning in the boulevard garden. The french lavendar is big and full of blooms and bees. The underplanting of thyme is also in bloom. Clipped the little honeysuckle hedge a bit. The new gold thing is doing ok. There is a purple/blue lupine and a red one with a little one coming up. The peonies do not look very good this year. I must feed them. Watered around the back for half an hour and the moss garden looks much better for it. Hopefully all the strawberries will grow and ripen. I put a bag of mushroom manure fertilizer on them and they are looking tall and green. The dill has grown a lot. I have five little pots set to plant the cuttings from the ice plant. They are set in a tray of water. to get moistened. There is sand added to the top of the topsoil from the bag. We plan to go to Saltspring on Tuesday, so I will try the propogation when we get back... with trilliums, I hope, from Fraser Thimble Farm. Finished creating the album for painted vases using Original size instead of 800 x 600 or whatever. Looks good. Now I need to do all the coding, etc. Hope to finish by June 6th or so.

May 31, 2018
We were on a practise run with the Unity to Salt Spring Island on May 29th. over night at Cedar Beach Resort. We had to sort out the wifi extender and remember to turn on the gas to make the fridge work on gas, turn it off for the ferry and back on again. Pat got the heat pump working .. it too runs on gas for a furnace. It is very loud, so the dyson works better when we are on electric. The levels for the tanks are working properly again. Pat used the shower, I just had a bird bath. Much swearing and yelling, but we are finally getting used to doing stuff. Pat only ocassionally bumps his head getting into the drivers seat. The next day, we went to Frasers Thimble Farm, and lost our way. Made another bump in the back of the Unity while trying to turn around. Finally got there and had to back up about a block. My phone directions directed us past the place and the sign was covered by leaves. Got 3 trilliums, a vollmeri's lily, and a rhodohypoxis bauri, called Lily Jean (very bright pink) See the purchases for more details. Got home and unpacked about 3:00.
Did banking stuff this am. It is a cooler day. was out after lunch and weeded the pees side of the boulevard garden. I hope to get the bluebells under control with smothering them with leaves in the fall. The little honeysuckle hedge needs to renewed in the autumn. clipped the hedge and the spirea bush. must have been out for about 3 hours. The green bin is about 3/4 full. Sure hope we get some rain. Freaky weather. Moose Jaw had a hail storm that left people knee deep in hail. I am trying to propogate the ice plant. Have 5 cuttings in little pots. The rhodoproxis needs to be kept in a pink pot to keep it moist in summer and dry in winter. It will probably die this summer while we are away. One of the trilliums is the stinking trillium. It needs to be in a pot and kept at behind the garage and kept moist enough. The lily I bought likes moist places too, so I don't hold out a lot of hope for it, unless we get a lot of rain while we are away.

June 2018

June 1, 2018
Watered around the back for an hour. It is a cool, cloudy day, but no rain at 5:00 o'clock. There seems to be some wind damage, expecially to the foxgloves.

June 2, 2018
Was a cool morning, was out in the afternoon for a couple of hours. It got quite warm out there in my sweater. Mowed the grass, clipped the hedges a bit, picked up stickes from under the oak tree, clipped back the irises on the cutting garden, filled the pond, put two 3.5 Kg pails full of old compost onto the space next to the pond where the cement path was. I might put the native turks cap lily there and keep it moist. Have plans to put the 2 trilliums in the front by the little one and the stinking trillium in a black pot until I see how stinking it is. Potted up the rhodoproxis in a pink pot with soil from a bag. It needs to be kept moist in sunner and dry in winter. The honeysuckle is in full bloom, but it is not fragrant as it said it was. Did not get the front watered. Hope it rains a lot tomorrow. June 5, 2018
It was cloudy and cool. Watered at the front from 9:30 to 4:00. Am tired. clipped back the hedge a bit and dead headed roses. Took dead branches out of the California lilac. Got a photo of the swallowtail butterfly on the pink rhodo, with my camera. Also, there was a humming bird checking out flowers in the back garden. Fixed the stones on the waterfall a bit.

June 6, 2018
Was out from 2:30 to 4:30. Cleaned up the parsley pot on the deck and planted the new parsley into the pot with new soil on top. Filled a tall black pot with good soil, and transplanted the purple trillium into the pot. It should have a little leaf coming up next year. Had a look at the rhizhom, or tuber, with lots of fiberous roots. Hope this one survives. It is the stinking trillium and will have to be moved if it really stinks and so it is in a pot. Transplanted the turks cap lily- Lilium pardalinum ssp. vollmeri - into the polyanthus bed. Added a stick as this plant is suppose to get quite tall. Added more of this sea soil to all the polyanthes, and the double wood anemone. Cleaned up the stepping stones. Added more soil to the 3 epimediums, too. and to the little hosta, which is spreading quite a bit. The chocolat lily has quite a few stems, but it is dried and finished now, probably going into dormancy with all the hot weather we have had in May. Washed off the deck. Found what I think might be a yew tree and potted it up and am keeping it on the deck. The ice plant cuttings seem to be doing ok. I have to get rid of the hellebore under the rhodos. It is just too big. Shall try to move it under the deck.

June 8, 2018
Yesterday I was out from 11:30 to 2:30. Dug over the clay soil in the Magnolia bed by the water meter. added dried leaves to the soil. Dug out bamboo roots and the weedy plants. Transplanted the yellow trillium luteum, lemon fragrance and the trillium ovatum, white,, adding some some soil from a bag. Put in stakes and added round rocks around the perimeter of where I want the trilliums to spread to. These Trilliums adjoin the little trillium in its circle of stones and mulched with dried leaves. Fixed a bit of the stone path in front of the david where I got a few of the round rocks for the trillium circles. Watered them and watered around the front a bit. Was a cooler cloudy day. Today, we finally got a bit of rain. I did laundry.

June 17, 2018
A lot has happened in the last 9 days. I broke the office desk chair. We went to Home depot (cannot remember the name) and got a new desk chair and a new computer chair for me. Yesterday was hot. We were out on an old car run to the graveyard (don't remember which one) from 1:00 to almost 4:00. Bored to death, you might say. There was a band that moved about the grounds, John Adams and Obee historians talking here and there, some poets, a harpist in the masoleum. Nice grounds. Today was flaming hot, to 28 degrees. We went to the usual hall for ham and eggers by Paul and Liz at 8:00 freakin' a.m. On the scary run and finished the whole thing by 10:30 and on our way home. Napped had left over meatballs for lunch. Did more work on the light garden. I have it moved over to the window with lights. It will stay there until the end of August. I have thrown out a cactus.. too big and I knocked it over, and a threw out a sorry looking African violet and so far, one sad looking orchid. Am about half finished cleaning up the light garden. Everything is terribly parched with this hot hot weather. We had a cooler week last week with clouds but got no mentionable rain. Did a bit of watering back and front, but after these two hot days, everything is dried out again. Pat got the address for the Asian Restuarant where we will get a gift certificate for John's 90th. Robin Smith died last Wednesday, the 13, services in Regina. He was 58. Got some CR2 files deleted thus hoping to reduce the storage on backups and in my storage which I will need to empty and refill someday. Have the 2018 and 2017 March files in the March working folder for the album. Got lab tests, Dr C and Dr. T visited and have meds up to date. Waiting for a date for the next phlobotomy.

June 18, 2018
Another hot hot day. 33 degrees. Finished cleaning the light garden. All the plants fit on the trays, except one big African violet. The Pixie mini cat. is in bloom and the Lisa Taylor Blc. The tiny Ohnc. Twinkie "Fantasy" has a spay of buds. I potted it up to a larger size anyway. It looks happier. :) I have been seeing swallowtails around the garden. Today there was one on the pinks at the edge of the little rockery.

June 19, 2018
Sunny and 25 degrees. Finished watering the light garden and filling the trays. Watered the deck and patio plants. Watered around the back with the hose for an hour. The woodland did not get any water.. the rhodo and surroundings got a bit.

June 21, 2018
Was out from 9:30 to 1:30 - 4 hours. Watered the front. Clipped down big bamboo shoots. Clipped roses, cleaned off the thyme circle that is in bloom. All looks pretty good at the front. The agave thing has 4 or 5 stems for blooms. The st.John worte is in bloom. Potted the basil plant into a bigger green pot and put it on the deck. It got to 23 degrees. Good gardening day.

June 22, 2018
was a cooler day. Vacuumed the house .. 2 1/2 hours. There are admiral butterflies and swallowtail butterflies in the garden. Refilled the humming bird feeder. We have not yet got the promised rain, so I will probably water the back again, tomorrow. We are getting our viviting and stuff sorted out. Pat has 8 people to pick up from the ferry on Sunday, for the swap meet.

June 24, 2018
Made crepes yesterday. Was a cooler day today. Low 20's. Did Laundry. Watered all around the back, the patio and the deck plants. Filled the pond and the deck tub. Saw 4 shubunkins, and only one sarosa, a couple of bigger golds and a smaller goldfish... fed the fish. The driveway strip still has had no watering. I have a red valerian coming up in the cutting garden. Two maltese cross and two little blue veronicas, the tuberosa milkweed. That area needs some manure or compost. I see another little milkweed in the bed by the holly tree. And one in the front. After taking some photos of the gardens downloaded the June photos and deleted the CR2 files. Paid up the visa. The maltese cross under the fig tree looks good, bigger blooms than the cutting garden. Cleaned up the ipad mail and charged it up.

June 26, 2018
Nice day for doing the packing to the Van. Watered all the plant stuff. Dr. C's office called and things are set up perfectly. I am tired.

July 2018

July 20, 2018
Got back from our trip yesterday. Unpacked the van, made supper of left over salad, weiner, chicken and KD. Started the laundry. Today, at about 5:30 I updated and restored my Ipad. It went really very well. I have all my music, books and movies back on the ipad. Added the gmail email account. Could not get Shaw sorted out right, so cancelled it. It feeds into my gmail anyway. Added youtube, google photos, and google drive. I must add Chrome. Finished the laundry. Watered the house plants, the deck plants and the patio plants. Filled the pond and the tub on the deck. Made supper of baked brussel sprouts, bratwurst, KD, canned tomatoes, sour kraut. This all went well, but am tired from my early start this am. Pat dealt with Des Jardin visa people to get our names on the travel insurance right, and then with the people to report the freezer door in the last lodge unable to open. We need to take it to Fennell's who are a Dometic dealer and get it repaired under warrantee. It is an engineering mistake on this door... made in Germany. Heartbeat and Midsomers murders on tv next. My garden is somewhat over grown and dried out. Should only take a bit of time to clean up. Watering will take a lot of time. Its my watering day, Saturday. Even numbered addresses may water: Wednesday and Saturday 4 a.m. – 10 a.m. 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Started watering at the back at 7:30. Must move the sprinkler at 8:30. It is watering the apple tree, the fig and the strawberry patch. The dish washer is running, so pressure might not be the highest just now. Will turn the sprinkler so that it waters the cutting garden. and then turn it again so that it waters the moss garden, etc.

July 23, 2018
Was a hot day yesterday. Did grocery shopping and meals. Today at about 11:00 o'clock the Google drive finished uploading My web page. I used up 10 GB of the free 15 GB. Was out for about an hour and cleaned up the patio and pulled off some of the bind weed along the hedge. Ran the Cleaner on my computer. Pat got home with the van. The Fennell's technician opened the freezer door (with a little help from Pat about the skin of the door comeing off). He is getting parts for the broken plastic parts. The stuff in the freezer was unthawed but still cold. I boiled the peas and have them saved in meal sized portions. I am cooking up the beef short ribs and will cook the spinach for supper also. Refroze the bratwurst, the mashed squash, the meatloaf, and blueberries. Keeping the applesauce and the bacon out to eat. If the blueberries freeze in a block I will make pie out them some day. Downloaded my photos. It is very hot, 26 degrees, but there is a little breeze coming through the open dining window to the open deck door.

July 24, 2018
was out in the morning about 9:30 and cut out the bamboo shoots, cut back the magnolia tree a bit, mowed the grass, raked most of the bamboo leaves off the thyme circle, cut back a few other perennials, watered the roses a bit. After lunch I mowed the back grass. Cut a bit off the fig tree, the grape vine and some ends of branches of the apple tree. Pat took the Virginia Creeper down off the pole a few feet. The green bin is full. It was 28 degrees for most of the day.

July 25, 2018
Watered all around the front all afternoon. Too hot. Must do this watering in the evening... 7:00 to 10:00 is the prescribed time. 28 degrees today. Cut the seed heads off some of the French lilac, cut back the pink/silver lychinis, cut the lupin seed heads off. Spent too much time trying to delete stuff I don't need from my google drive. Don't know why I cannot restore all the jpegs that I accidentally deleted. I think I will give up on it just now.I would like to delete all of my web page and start over AGAIN, but not right now. My recipes show up... nothing in alphabetical order. Its a freaking mess.

July 26, 2018
Another hot day with temps to 28 degrees. We saw Martina about travel to scandinavia stuff, then went to the Hillside Mall and got a book about Scandinavia from Bolen books, had lunch at the food mart, went to the liquor store for more wine and cider. Watered the deck plants as the basil in particular is drooping badly. Had an afternoon nap. Was not too bad for hot on the couch in the living room. Created the construction page for 18 Sask, but the menue for this one is only on the TRAVEL page menu, so far.

July 28, 2018
Yesterday was hot again. Went for my phlobotomy at five and did not finish until about 7:45. But it only took 12 minutes to drain the 2 coups. WOW that was fast for me. Could my taking an aspirin about 6 hours before I went, have something to do with it. KFC for supper. Today was a bit cooler, only about 23. In the am I deleted some CR2 files from Pictures #16. Put quite a few into the survivors and wild flowers folder. (from the trip to Sask) Went out to the garden about 4:15 and fixed the waterfall rocks. Now those fish are moving rocks under the black rubber stuff on the waterfall. Aren't they clever! Watered by hand at the back of the cutting garden and behind the pond. Started running the sprinkler at 4:45 on the back apple tree, fig tree, strawberries, etc. weeded a bit in the moss garden but there is still lots to do. The wretched violets are growing everywhere again. stepping stone paths need weeding too. All and all, it is not that bad.

July 30, 2018
Watered more at the front last evening. Was a bit cooler yesterday. Did Flicker stuff and deleted more CR2s. Today it is 30 degrees. Was at Dr. T's clinic this am. Got in about 11:20. Had to see her about my high blood pressure counts from the phlobotomy nurses. WELL! Dr. T says that blood pressure counts can bounce around a lot; especially if I forget to take my meds. She tested me and I was good: 137 and 70. Made potatoe salad, making beet salad and ribs for summer. Watered the roses and rolled up the front hose. Watered the patio plants.

August 2018

August 1, 2018
Finally it is cooler out there. 23 degrees, sun and breezy. Yesterday watered and fed house, deck plants. Just watered the patio plants. Filled the pond. Today I did laundry, starting to pack for our trip. Did the banking stuff. watered the deck plants again. watched the fish when I fed them. There is one in the deck tub. There seemed to be two biggerr gold fish and two smaller ones, 4 sarosas that are like the smaller gold fish, and I think there are 4 shubunkins. There might be 10 or 12. I might have 3 or 4 milkweeds to put out in the garden in the Fall. They are in pots right now. I think they are from the Medicinal plant place. The garden needs weeding but it will have to wait until I get back from Scandanavia and the end of the month. Deleted more CR2 in Pictuares #16. Ran the sprinkler at the back from 8 to 9.

August 2, 2018
It is much cooler today and a bit windy. Reading, playing on the computer. Took out the bins after supper and watered the patio plants and around the back a bit under the deck and along the perimeter where the sprinkler did not reach. Hoping for rain. Fed the fish. Shithead has thrown a cigarettte butt at the pond, and it landed on the little Lebanon cedar by the edge of the pond. Am tired today... didn't do anything outside despite the cooler weather.

August 3, 2018
Cooler day. 23 degrees. Did a bit of clipping perennials in the back garden. Cleaned cigarette butts out of the pond area. Did the bit of laundry.

August 5, 2018
Nothing in the garden today, or yesterday. Packed yesterday. Shopped out at the Western communities. Got a new bag at Bentley's. I had packed stuff in this bag I thought was really good, only to discover that the handles were pulling out. Good thing I started packing early. Up to 26 today. August 6, 2018
Watched the Splash on Ckek news. It was live streamed. Was okay, Cool views. Today it is sunny and 25 with a light breeze. Watered all around the front by hand and then put the hose on to water the boulevard garden area, and finished off by watering some more by hand. Cleaned up blackberries, thistles, roses, lambs ears, some virginia creeper and the five stems off the agave thing. Deaded headed some more French lavender. I see it is blooming again where I dead headed it. I am only about half finished it. Watered under the deck and around the edges of the deck and the pond, including the steps area by hand. Watered the patio pots with the watering can and then turned on the sprinkler on the rest of the back... being the cutting garden, the back hedges, the apple tree bed and the little rockery, as well as that side of the fig tree bed. Doing a couple of loads of laundry. Pats stuff and the pillow cases. Finished this by 5. I will turn off the sprinkler later.

September 2018

September 4, 2018
Back from the Scandanavia tour. We both have pneumonia, for christs sake. Have been on anti biotics since Saturday which is 3 days so far. Getting a few necessary things done around the house. Pat seems to think he has to be out here and there as per his usual routine. Crazy man. Filled the pond yesterday. The plants seem to be in really good shape. The fig tree and the apple tree are all overgrown. I really am looking forward to my down size into a condo, with or without himself. So I need about half a million or so.

September 9, 2018
Slowly recovering from the pnemonia, I think. The plants inside and out were and still are in excellent shape, but I really must get around to watering them. Got most of the laundry done. Pat has been going about doing his coffee group and car stuff, getting groceries, etc. He intends to go to the LTV camping meet that we signed up for a while ago. Hope he can find someone to travel with. Lloyd can't go as he has a dinner out with old friends that he cannot miss. The apple tree is loaded. Cannot see any brown figs on the tree. There are grapes. The milkweed from Dave at the front is doing well. The waterfall needs some repair. I should shut it off. It has been lovely weather out since we have been back, with rain the last couple of days. Alfred remotely updated my anti virus and checked about. Says my computer is in good shape. I have been getting a few more pictures for the March album .. back to 2012. We moved here in 1988. I double dug and made the front garden with hedges, stone path etc in 1997 .. 21 years ago. Of course, the water garden, Japanese area and moss garden, woodland and the fig tree bed, and all has happened over the years. I could leave it without too much trouble, after this nasty bout of travelling this year. In the van and on the bus tour of Scandanavia. I am ready for a condo.

September 10, 2018
The pump in the waterfall had quit running. Took me about 5 minutes to figure out that those clever fish were turning the valves on the water flow of the pump. There are plums on the purple plum tree, the grapes are falling off the vine, tons of apples, cyclamens, autumn crocuses and a whole lot of weeds out there to clean up. Lovely day out today. I must get the house plants watered soon.

September 12, 2018
it is the 2nd day of my new anti biotic pills. I think they are working. Cleaned up a bit in my email. Did a donation of $150 to wilderness committe for donation and calender. Have receipt in tax folder. I MUST get the plants watered, asap.

September 15, 2018
The plants have been watered. I will have to move them back to their corner. Did a bit of laundry. Yesterday downloaded and cleaned up the holiday photos. They need a lot more deletes done. This is not going to be a big photo album. Have been working on getting the March photos picked. They, too will be reduced to maybe half of what I have now. I am up to Pictures #8, where I see the crocus field is looking great. Seem to have a lot of the rock plants too. Was out to the co-op in the LTV to gas it up and got lottery tickets. Did a bit of a tour around the garden. Broken plum tree branches and some plums on the ground. Did a bit more of a fix on the waterfall. Seems the Indians were having a pow wow today... lots of cars around the place. Hope they are going to sell it and get themselves into a old dementia care home place. Old weird phoned me to welcome me home and tell me she missed me. The old snoop. Wonder what the Indians did to her that she really wanted to tell me about. She could hear me just fine... maybe she got her hearing aid fixed.

September 16, 2018
Cooler day, bits of rain. Loaded the new menus to all 20 pages. They work.

September 17, 2018
Nice Fall day. Out to get Xrays, pick up groceries, get gas for Highlander and lottery tickets, Lunch at the Swiss Chelet. Sorted more photos for March.. up to Pictures #5

September 19, 2018
Pat left for Osoyoos to catch the first ferry. I made stew for supper. Packed up the outbound bags and the insight bags and dragged them downstairs to the little bedroom. I won't be travelling any more except in the van. It is a nice Fall day again Yesterday I got in touch with Cheryl McLean about giving her the 25th anniversary wedgwood dishes. I have her address in Saskatoon and we shall take them out next summer.

September 20, 2018
Got a call at 8:00 last nite from the clinic. Dr. T. wants to see me nothing serious, just to do the last check on my x rays. I can come in today tomorrow or monday... shall go tomorrow. Today I uploaded my web page to Google drive. Have 2.8 GB of the 15 GB allowed. Took most of the day. I should be able to get photos from it for Flicker. I think I will make a Flicker folder and load stuff to it onto the google drive. I have a whole bunch of stuff on Flicker, from before, so do not need them on google drive. Moved my plants back to their corner. So, I actually got quite a lot done today. Got Eileen's private guestbook post sorted out. Login to guestbook when clicking on the URL provided in email, then see manage private messages at the bottom of page.

September 21, 2018
Spent the morning getting to the Clinic to see Dr. T for final check up. Dr. T is sounding rather sniffly herself. Cab cost 10.00. To grocery store for stuff and lottery tickets, cab cost $10.00 plus tip. Made an appointment to get hair done next Thursday, 27th at 10:00. Home by 11:30. Its a nice Autumn day, but I am not quite ready to go out to garden yet. There is to be a big wind and rain storm tonite.

September 22, 2018
Cleaned up and watered the plants. Threw out one of the African Violets.. its infested with the scale bugs. Washed all the bedding and remade the bed in clean stuff. washing table cloth. Have started down sizing the March photos. It rained a bit and its now sunny and 20. Not ready to go out side yet.

September 23, 2018
Cappiccino day. Could not log on to TD and got some real AXXHOLE to try to fix it for me. Finally got rid of him and tried again with Samantha.. was easy as pie. I cannot understand how that idiot could have been on their help line. So pissed me off. All the laundry done. Pat got groceries. It is a very nice day out again, and still I am not up to going out to garden. Maybe next week. Got a few March photos tweaked.

September 24, 2018
To the HCP for lunch - soup and kiche - $30 and to get my membership renewed. Spent about an hour walking and picture taking. Am really tired. Thought I was out there for way longer, but its 2:00 when we get home. Was a good day.

September 25, 2018
Nice sunny day. I made green bean soup, saved 2. Made up new list for the coming year. Did up the beets in the little oven. Cannot get ahold of anyone at Dr. C's office, left a message on the phone. It has been busy all day. So, I will just go get my blood tests tomorrow. and keep trying to get ahold of them. Took out compost and egg cartons. I do not see any plums on the tree. Perhaps there were theives. Got a couple more photos done on March. Pat got groceries. September 27, 2018
Blood tests yesterday. Cannot get ahold of Dr. C's office. leaving messages. Nice day again. Hair cut and permed some stuff bought from Ping.. total of $116.00. Out to the Boston Pizza or whatever its called for ribs. Was ok. noisy

September 28, 2018
21 degrees today, sunny. We did a lot of stuff. Made borscht this am. Took the recycleables to the returns place. $6.00. So, its worth the bother. Pat gathered in fallen apples and we made apple pie. Took my purses to the cobbler - Godfrey's .. should be ready on the 11th. I will have to get Pat to drop me off there as he and Bruce are going up island somewhere for lunch on that day.

September 29, 2018
nice day, but cooler. Made minestrone soup. Have finished tweaking photos of one page of the March album. Did the bank stuff.

September 30, 2018
cooler day, bits of rain. Grocery shopped. Baking the big ham. Added the kidney beans to the minestrone soup and boxed and froze 9 packages. Downloaded the photos for Sept
.

October 2018

October 4, 2018
Grocery shopped. Finished page 2 photos of the March album and sorted the photos down 3 pages. Should have 16 pages now. Yesterday went out to the Western Communities to the LB store, came back to Dr. C's office and got in to see her. She will set me up for a phlobotomy. Need to phone Jennifer to find out when. Was cooler today. Calgary got about 16 inches of rain. The LNG plant at Kitimat is a go-ahead. Pipe line from Dawson Creek to Kitimat for shipping easterly to China, Malaysia, Japan, S. Korea, all of who have an interest in building the project and will be investing $40 billion. Pipeline is being built by an American Company with Canadian material and workers. They expect to hire 10,000 people for the construction stage. LNG Canada chief executive Andy Calitz. Royal Dutch Shell. Mitsubishi Corp. The Malaysian-owned Petronas, PetroChina Co. Korean Gas Corp. are the 5 partners who are investing. The LNG Canada project will see a pipeline carrying natural gas from Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. to a new processing plant on the coast in Kitimat. There, the gas would be liquefied for overseas export.

October 4, 2018
About 10 degrees at 10 am. sunshine. Watered house plants. Set up Pat's voice mail Was out in the garden from 2 to 4. Planted the 3 purple sensation allium and the 6 lion king dutch iris at the back of the pond. Threw all the cigarette butts into the pees newly dug over vegetable garden. The old man was out there digging the last two days.

October 9, 2018
Made 6 pkgs of duck soup today. Nice sunny day, with a bit of a breeze. There are oak leaves in the pond again and the water hawthorne is in bloom. I have seen at least 3 fish in the pond in the last while. Yesterday I made the duck and all for supper. Big thanks giving day feast. Day before that I made the pumpkin pie and a quiche lorraine with the other pie shell for supper, had some for lunch the next day.I was playing on Flickr a bit and loaded columbine pictures to Facebook. Made Spaghetti meat sause for supper and put 2 pkgs in the freezer. Did the laundry.

October 10, 2018
Made 6 pkgs of Sausage Meal Ball and Savoy Cabbage soup. Shopped. Got 4 garden lights for outside, garden gloves,a new stepping stool and koi food (with color) and 100 large crocus bulbs. They will go everywhere in the garden, mostly on the crocus field. Shall use the rock hammer to plant them. Must mow the lawn before planting in the crocus field. And pick up apples.

Oct 11, 2018
Walked for about 2 hours taking pictures for the Victoria Grid. Deleted the Pictorial Story Group on Flickr. Tried to make a new cover picture for bugs r us. shall need to do it again.... maybe with butterflies photoshopped on it, as my caterpillar is not working very well. It should be 2048 x 768 high resolution. Was about 14 degrees out but still wore my little purple jacket and scarf.

October 12, 2018
Was out gardening from 1:30 to 3:30. Mowed the front grass. Put the clippings in the back compost bin. Took a bag of apples across the street for the deer and birds. While mowing the grass I noticed that the Pees green bin was not emptied. I expect the CRD people don't care for how they put their bins out smack side by side and right under that Saanich plum tree. I do hope they get fined for breaking the tree branches. Skimmed off the pond and found two more cigarette butts in the garden. Filled the pond. Brought 2 bags of apples into the house and have them in the sink The left side is the cleaner ones that I should bag up for Valerie and Harvey. 15 degrees when I got in from gardening Pat took us down to Godfrey's and picked up my repaired 3 black purses. One of them is the old one that Pat brought from Italy. Cost $40.

October 14, 2018
Yesterday was a fine day. Spent a lot of time doing photos and stuff for Flickr. Walked to Roy Road and back. Today we went on the VCCC run. Long run. Had Ice Cream at the destination cafe out in Metchosin somewhere (I thin). Did a bit more Flickr stuff... more like undid the stuff I did this am. Bah. Was a lovely day for a drive. I need to get out and pick more apples for Harvey and Valerie. The ones I have brought in are not exactly great.

October 15, 2018
Sunny, warm day. Brought in a couple of bags of apples and washed them. Tweaked and uploaded 4 more photos to Flickr.

October 16, 2018
Sunny, warm Autum day, with a bit of a breeze. Leaves are falling. Need to skim of the pond and moss garden constantly. Packed a bag of apples for Valerie and Harvey. Made apple sauce and had enough to give Valerie a small jar. Made the Carmelized onion and squash soup. October 19, 2018
Did Flickr stuff yesterday. Made meals, not much else. Was a lovely day out. So today I made up for my lazy day. I got some pictures tweaked and a bit of Flickr stuff done. Was out in the garden after lunch, about 1:00. Mowed the back grass and put a whole bag full of grass clippings and leaves into the back compost bin. It is getting full. Skimmed the leaves off the pond and filled it. Forgot the water was on and it over flowed past the lantern and into the moss garden and the small boxwood hedge under the deck. I set out the out door lights. One at the back in the terra cotta strawberry jar and three at the front. I must go out tonite and see what is lit-up out there. Took the rock hammer and a bit of soil and the bag of 100 crocuses. I planted 10 or 15 in the crocus field, starting at our driveway. After I came in and went to feed the fish, they were all on top. They stayed up on top of the pond to eat and I got pictures. I have at least 10 of them. There are 4 of the colorful shubunkins, and 4 sarossas (gold and white) 1 all white one, at least 2 gold ones. The biggest one is all gold. The new food I have been feeding them is the stuff for 'color' and they are looking very colorful. Meanwhile, Pat got groceries and got some really good stuff. So we are having salmon steaks, asparagus, left over mashed potatoes with gravy. There is some ground lamb, so I will be looking up the mousaka receipe. And some camenbert cheese. yumm. We have nice lettuces for the salad from before. On a different note entirely, Julian Assange has out stayed his welcome at the Ecudor embassy in London and they are trying to move him somewhere else. Nobody seems to want him or it is not entirely safe for him to get out. Sweden has dropped the rape charges so there is the American serious charges for his wikileaks. A Guardian news paper reporter has been trying to help him. https://www.theguardian.com/media/julian-assange

October 20, 2018
Watered house plants. Tried to get the big red rock out of the pond. It fell in because I flooded the pond when filling it. I could not get it out, so will wait until summer when I can wade in to get it. Planted more crocuses in the crocus field. I must have more than half of them planted. There were 100 to start with. I am not half way finished the crocus field, though. Cleaned up some more around the rectangle by our driveway in the front. Cut back the white rose. Was out from 3 to 5. Pat has taken my chair to get it fixed as the covering has worn entirely out. Gregg's wanted $450 to do it. Ikea wants about $150 for a new one, he says. Waste of time to go to Gregg's. Did more Flickr stuff. People don't seem to bother commenting, except the odd time. Voted this morning in the Municipal elections. Amazing neither Brice nor Brownoff were re-elected. Haynes was elected as Mayor.

October 21, 2018
Made capiccino, made salmon chowder, roast chicken for supper and chicken stock. made apx 7 cups of chicken stock. Nice sunny day. 17 degrees. fed the fish. Was out from 3 to 5. Planted the rest of the crocus bulbs. Have 5 set on each side of the pond. Have the crocus field done up to the end of the spirea bush. Reckon I need about 30 more. Cleaned up a bit around the pond.

October 23, 2018
Got a whole bunch of stuff done yesterday. Checked out the cost of fixing my bent wood chair at Tommy's.Thomas Perjul works there and will be doing the chair. The other guy did the estimate of $300 to have new material, probably 3 yards, and putting it together, of course. Then Pat dropped me off at Cannor while he grocery shopped. I got 2 bags of top soil, a bag of sand, a bag of pea gravel (expensive) and 4 bags of mushroom manure, a rhodo that is pink and should grow to 10 feet tall, an echevaria, a plastic jar of bone meal, 20 more large flowering mixed crocuses, and 6 mixed colors of dutch iris. We did this in the afternoon after capaccino and lunch. Since I had been up until 3:00 the night before I was pretty tired. Today is fogged in again in the morning much like yesterday. The leaves are coloring more and it looks so nice out there. But there is going to be leaves to rake! Made chicken soup this morning. 3 pkgs frozen. Moved some of the soups to the fridge downstairs. Was out from 1:30 to f. Planted the 20 crocuses in the crocus field. Have finished up to the red current bush. Before I did this, I mowed the fallen leaves area. Put the clippings of these leaves and the grass into the back bin. Since I threw some leaves off the Pees side rectangle I had a bag full of clipping to put in the back compost bin. It is pretty full now. While digging holes for the crocuses I dug out daisies and other weeds. I also found some Lychnis coronaria, rose campion with silver fizzy leaves and pink blossoms. I saved these tiny plants and put them in the back cutting garden. This cutting garden is still very much clay soil. Planted about a dozen of these tiny Lychnis plants in one area of the cutting garden. Planted the mixed colors dutch iris in the area around the plum tree stump. Then I spread bone meal over all the plants I have done, recently. Skimmed the pond and fed the fish. Put a few bad apples in the bin and brought a few into the house. It is suppose to rain tonight.

October 24, 2018
My potting soil 2, topsoil 2, sand 1, pea gravel 1, mushroom manure 3, and the rhodo were delivered this morning. When Pat got home we grocery shopped for more eggplant for the mousaka, then came home and moved the dirt into the back garage. Pat used the hand truck and did most of the heavy work. After lunch I made the mousaka, and of course, have 2 eggplant left over. Ralph phoned a little later. They had been on a scandanavian cruise in June and took a train to Berlin. He seemed to want to talk about where the ancestors lived, so he was on about that and how they are going there. Well, I hope he does get there, one of these years. The mousaka was good. We have enough for another meal of it.

October 25, 2018
It is raining this morning, and probably last night.
October 27, 2018
Been watching ball games. Did the ironing, made mousaka, etc. Made a couple of cups of apple sauce with Pat using his peeling machine, over the last few days. Rained heavily last night and was rattling on the bins. Today, I was out from 1:30 to 4:00. It stared raining just as I finished the stuff I was doing. Got a lot of stuff done today. Skimmed the pond. Gathered up the fig leaves and cut the sprouts off the bottom of the tree. Cut back some of the apple tree boughs. Picked up and sorted apples. One bagful to the deer pasture, one to the compost bin, and one into the house. Washed some of the apples. Brought a bagful of the ones that should be done up to apple sauce or pie very soon. Did 12 of them for 3 1/2 cups of apple sauce. Cut the seed heads off of the rhodo closest to the patio area. The fig tree has lost its leaves, so it looks rather bare except for the figs hanging on to it. Pat has been eating a couple of figs that I brought in, says they are okay but not as good as tree ripened. We have been having apples for lunch. That skunky bastard from next door is still throwing cigarette butts into the pond area. Guess I shouldn't bother throwing them back. After all, it seems he needs to be noticed, total idiot that he is. Did some stuff on Flickr. Am slowly getting the Bugs pending members list cleared. Have found an old PDF from 2007 about the Colquitz River watershed. It is very informative, but out of date, as the deer pasture is now part of the Park, and the houses that Saanich owned and rented out are all gone. The Grid is repeating the grids we did 10 years ago. Interesting. I looked back at the ones I had done. I have a totally different outlook on the October Grid, which is the one in my area.

October 31, 2018
Finished the Bugs pending members list, at last. Not much happening on my photos on there. Skimmed off the pond. Shithead is still throwing cigarette butts in the pond. Picked up the apples that had fallen. Made 3 glass jars (1 cup) of apple sauce. Went for Jack's wor won ton soup today and then for a drive past HCP and around to the Mr. Grocer for a few groceries. It felt quite warm at 13 degrees. The autumn colors are still hanging on, as are most of the leaves on the front tree.

November 2018

November 1, 2018
Fed and Watered House Plants, Did month end banking, down loaded October photos, did a bit of Nov. 1 photos in the garden. Picked out a bunch of pictures to put on my blog. Have not been blogging for a long time.

November 4, 2018
Did some Flickr stuff this am. Apple Pancakes and Apple Sauce for lunch. After lunch we went to look for fish. Stopped at the Colquitz River Park and walked a bit upstream. We are close to the Fish counting fence here. I saw a big splash, so it was a salmon I am sure, but did not see the fish, just the splash. We had stopped at the Marigold bridge and pictures but no fish. Groceries, then home. I was out in the garden by 3:30. Brought in a bag of Apples from on the ground. Raked leaves off the grass and put them under the evergreens and some in the bin. Raked 3 black bags full of leaves off the grass and perennials at the front and dumped them at the fence on the Syrians side of the woodland area, and along the woodland path on that side of the old garage. Got in at 5:08, made supper.

November 6, 2018
Made Irish Yellow Broth and froze 3 pkgs. Made up 3 jars of cranberries. Made a jar and a half of Apple Sauce. More apples on the ground and a few leaves.

November 11, 2018
Have been doing cooking lately: mousaka, breaded fish, schnitzel and potatoe dumplings with sauer kraut, made Irish yellow broth, made chicken soup, made apple pie crusts and Pat did the apple peeling on his new apple peeler. Today made some headway on cleaning up my email accounts. Looked after the news letters from VIRAGS and HCP., sent Wikipedia $25, yesterday looked up all the Telus information after signing up to the talk and text 100 plan that expires November 8, 2019, for $100. Had them re-imburse me for half of the phone calls that I do not think I made, but they insisted that those phone calls came from my phone, so $15 applied to my account. The $100 came out of my account balance leaving a balance of apx. $63, 400 minutes of phone calls, 400 msgs (?), don't know what happens with data, (if on wi fi data has no charge, just when on cellular.... like LTE /3G whatever that is, So when downloading maps and looking at weather be on wifi. Did a couple of drives for groceries and lottery tickets and gas. Pat got his iphone updated to 12 as Mike wanted to conference call on Facetime with Colleen and his Mom. It worked very well. Today Pat took me to the Grid and we got some good pictures. Sunny day so it was difficult driving as the sun was so very bright.

November 12, 2018
Made about 8 cups of applesauce in the morning. Froze it. Grocery shopping, Flu shot. Went out to garden about 3:30, planted the echevaria (cone flower) by the jasmine on the back corner of the garage. Planted the Rhododendron oreotrephes between the back steps and the house. It is in front of the camelia that Pat cut down for me. The camelia is growing again. The leaves look variegated. I need to feed it some rhodo food, I guess. Cleaned up under the deck a bit. Skimmed off the pond. 3 cigarette butts in the pond again. Got in about 4:30. Am tiired. It was about 10 degrees out there and sun. I get 15% off at Cannor during my birthday week. I will need more potting soil. I am planning on putting the little ice plants that I have started into the big pink pot. Not sure where I will set them up. Maybe at the end of the old sidewalk on the germander.

November 13, 2018
Was out from 2 to 4. It was 10 degrees out. Raked leaves and stashed them by the roses, behind the bench, in the green bin and on the woodland. The front tree has lost about half of its leaves, at a guess. The same with the oak tree. Brushed some debris off the moss garden. Brought in the 7 more apples that fell. Brought 7 upstairs and made a 6 cup batch of apple sauce.

November 14, 2018
Did laundry, made the green jello salad, grocery shopped. Its 15 degrees today, Balmy. It rained buckets last nite. A lot of leaves came down but did not get out to rake them. Did 2 blog posts.

November 15, 2018
Was up too early, so did some photos for my blog, and actually finished the October blog posts later in the day. Cleaned up some email inboxes, and caught up on some LTV and Ecology and stupid Trump reading. Did the ironing, made a half batch of apple sauce, downloaded the November garden and grid photos. Lots of leaves have fallen, but did not go out today. It was 12 and mostly overcast.

November 16, 2018
Made the meat pie in the morning. Got the Jumbo Wild documentary from itunes. In the process I discovered that some of my movies had to be downloaded. So was out raking leaves while they downloaded. Then copied them to a file under itunes movies in the Microsoft directory called videos. So, was out from 2;30 to 4:00 raking leaves. Still lots of leaves up on the tree.

November 19, 2018
On 17th we went for dinner to JJ Morgan and then to the University to see the Play, the .... Chaperone. Was great fun. I stayed up till 3:00 doing Photo stuff /blog stuff/Flickr stuff. On the 18th I got some more Flickr stuff done and generally played with my photos, and we went on a VCCC run and got groceries. It froze quite heavily over night. Today: It froze overnight. The sun is shining again. We shook the apple tree until all the apples came down and brought a boxfull to the house and probably a bagfull to the compost bin. I washed and sorted the ones already in the house and took out a couple of bags full to the compost. We brought up a bag full of the oldest culls. Pat got his peeler out and peeled them all. We made 10 cups of apple sauce in a couple of hours.

November 24, 2018
A cool, overcast day. No garden stuff, except a few photos in the morning when the light looked exceptional. Yesterday there was rain in the morning and I made a yummy onion soup. In the afternoon I was out from 1:00 to 4:30: skimmed off the pond, raked the leaves off the grass at the back and put them in the green bin as there was probably grass with them. Ran the mower over the driveway and put a bag full of munched up leaves into the back compost bin. Cut back the peonies and other perennials back and put bone meal on the rectangle by our driveway. Raked and cleaned the leaves off the hedges, off the rock plants,, the thyme circle, the silver sedums and everything else that needed it. Then raked all the leaves into a pile. Bagged them and put 5 bags full around on the front rectangles, behind the bamboo, and one bag full to the woodland at the back. We had had some rain and a bit of wind over the previous few days and there were a lot of leaves down. There is still about 1/4 of the leaves on the front tree and on the oak at the back. The grass is getting quite tall in the crocus field. Not going to cut it though as I see the squill or scilla that are the border of the crocus field have leaves up and are almost in bud. So, I imagine the crocuses must be coming up too. The soup was so good with supper after being out in the cold. On the day before yesterday I got a lot of the grid photos done up and posted.

November 26, 2018
yesterday, Grey Cup day, first thing in the morning I find that the last little cedar that was growing in front of the Pees garbage cans had been cut off and thrown into the pond. I was extremely upset. There were also some rhodo branches cut off and thrown on the grass path. Took pictures, downloaded them. But decided to enjoy the Grey Cup day any way. tweaked the stolen shovel photos but that is all I did. Today I loaded a couple of photos to Flickr.. birds and one bug. and then I got reading this Saanich climate change plan stuff. Very informative.

November 27, 2018
Sunny warm day 15 degrees. Did up email to Constable McNamara about the damage to my property and about my stolen shovel. Phlobotomy in the evening at 6:30. We went early and so were finished shortly after 6:30. Karen and Vicky on the ward and they got a nurse from the IV team. She used a No.18 needle and had a go at my elbow on the right side that did not work, and then the managed to get the vein at my wrist on the left where I then had a fast flow of blood. Karen said that taking an aspirin is ok to do. I also take a tylenol since they have such trouble poking around on me. KFC for supper. very tired.

November 28, 2018
Rainy. Cooler. Reply from Mcnamara to take my troubles to "If you feel something has occurred on your property you need to contact the non-emergency police phone number (250-475-4321) and report the incident on the that day or nearest day." AND "I have started a file pertaining to the information you have provided for November 25, 2018." Good glad he is keeping a file, so mine is not the only one on the record. So, I shall get the information I have together some time and take it down to the Police Station where, they will probably have this file on my information. (Probably won't happen) We will see what they might be able to do about this on going harrassment. Email to Trevor to have our wi-fi updated.

December 2018

December 2, 2018
Bright and sunny day, but cooler. Only 5 degrees. Went to the VCCC Christmas lunch. It was a full house at the Golf Club. Was nice. Did some sorting of my photos in the Flickr folder. Getting all the photos put into folders as per the albums .. one for each Victoria Grid, Birds, etc. Also doing blog posts again, of my garden stuff.

December 3, 2018
It froze last nite. There is ice on the water table. Bright and sunny morning. at 4 degrees.

December 8, 2018
Home from Rosemary Proctor's funeral services at Campbell River. We stayed over nite at the Discovery Whatever Hotel. Was 8 degrees at 3:36 and very nearly dark, when we got home. Was a nice drive home -- accident on the Malahat. We managed to get past it before the First Responders arrived, and tied up the whole highway. The service was short and just nice. The church was packed. She had a good passing and Dave is ok with it. She told him she was ready to go.

December 9, 2018
Couldn't get back to sleep at 5:00, so came out and did up photos for a blog post. Have 7 more photos to add to the November blog posts. I won't be mentioning the Pees on my blog posts. The robins arrived at about 1:00 and are eating the holly berries. Its coolish at 8 degrees and light rain. It has been a dark day, all day. Watered the house plants. Did up 3 blog posts today.

December 11, 2018
Was to appointment at Dr. C's. My blood counts are ok. She just got the news today that she has cancer. I expect she has known for a while. She is wrapping up her practice. Does not seem to be selling. I, and all her other patients will be looking for a new hematologist specialist. I see Dr. T on thursday and will ask her if she can think of someone to refer me to. There are several of them in town. Dr. C said I should be ok with keeping up the labs and getting a pholobotomy. I need to find out if Dr. T can do this or if I need a specialist. I do not know if Dr. T has hospital privileges or where, if she does have them. Seems to me that Dr. T. is not in the best of health herself. We had flu shots from Dr. Henderson, who no longer has a family practice and does a few hours a week at Clinics, and now has a life. Family practice, hospital rounds, etc. takes long hours out of a doctor's life. After lunch of soup and ham sandwichs I made shortbread and rum balls, then had a nap. My dirt from Cannor was delivered about 1:00. Rained heavily this morning, but we did not have the winds forecasted. Was about 8 degrees.

December 12, 2018
Heavy rains, coolish weather the last couple of days. The robins have cleaned the berries off the holly tree. Pizza at home for my birthday. In the afternoon we took the van for a run out to the Western Communities to get groceries. Tomorrow I see Dr. T. Must phone at 8:00 to find out what time I see her. Must remember to get Christmas card for Dr. C.

December 13, 2018
Rained heavily last nite and this morning. Phoned the clinic and go to see Dr. T at 10:30. Got a christmas card for the clinic and Dr. T. picked up some lottery tickets at the Grocery store. Waited in the Clinic to see Dr. T. She had to have an ambulance come and take a patient away. I finally got in at about 11:10. Ran through my list of things I needed. She said the Xray showed that I was good... sounded like better than ever to me. My blood pressure was excellent. She does not have hospital priviledges nor does she want them. I need to decide who I would like to have for my new Hematologist doctor. So, Pat looked at the internet again, ... I didn't do that yet. Pat phoned Dr. Col for some advice on this and Jim will call him back early next week. When I find out who I want I am to leave Dr. T a written note.... phone calls and like that seem to somehow get lost and forgotten. Dr. T gave me a perscription for some ointment for what she thinks is a chemical burn on my forehead from my hair being permed. to apply it 3 times a day. Had to catch a cab home... eating potatoe chips for lunch. I seemed to weigh in at 155 lbs at the doctors office. Yikes. Also got a book to write down my medical appointments into and a small book to keep track of my blood pressure in. Since I cannot remember a damn thing, writing it down does wonders for my appointments... I was so embarassed when I did not know where the lab for my xray was when Dr. C asked me. My ipad is dying and it is such a pain to boot up so I can read my books. I may be getting my new one sooner than next August. I want an Ipad pro with all its stuff. Probably cost a bunch. I should be able to transfer all my stuff to the new one via itunes or the icloud.

December 14, 2018
Tried to clean up my ipad and make the home button work again. Its a bit better but still have to hold down the power button. It seems faster for having deleted some email stuff and a couple of apps. There are people who take it apart and fix whatever is broken on the home button. I just worked some Rubbing Alcohol into the button. Seems to clean it up. The cover is off and it is slippery to hold on to. After lunch I was out from 1 to 3 and raked up all the leaves. Put about 4 bags full on the back woodland area. It was 12 degrees, but there was a promise of more rain and wind, which is not really happening... just a bit of light rain. I have only one big white pot to use. I must get the bulbs planted out. There are 6 brown pots that I could repot, 3 of them have the orange trees in them. The moss garden needs cleaning up, and the firetorn needs to be cut back as it is hanging over old weird sheilia's fence.

December 15, 2018
Warmish day. 8 degrees. Fixed the error on Poetry page As Darkness Falls. Could not get it to work by reloading the corrected error. So, finally figured out that it would work if I just put in the error in spelling: As Darknsss Falls for the .htm page and now it can be found. It is almost impossible to get that error code out so I changed the page to the spelling error that it was looking for and it works. This computer is not as smart as it thinks it is. Got my email cleaned up a bit. Sandy phoned. Ralph had been in hospital in London for a few days (she told this to Pat. He nearly died). They are going to Hawai in January for 4 weeks. They might go East next summer (Montreal, etc) and be out in BC the following year, if Ralph's health holds. She was phoning to find out his siblings birthdays and some medical history, I believe. Primarily about diabetes, I think.

December 17, 2018
It was about 9 degrees when I went out at about 3:00. I skimmed off the pond. Raked some leaves off the back grass. Fed the rhodos some food. Cleaned the moss garden up a bit. It started spitting rain about 4:00 and it was getting dark so I came in. Brought the big white pot and all the little pink pots into the garage. I must get the bulbs I recently bought planted out to pots and to the garden. I am using the big pink pot on the deck for the annual heliotrope. I shall plant a few bulbs into that pot. I need to transplant the R.M. Saxifragia into the bigger white pot and be sure to heap up the planting soil. This will go on the deck and then the smaller white pot will also go on the deck with more bulbs and the annual basil plant. We had big winds the night before last and so the leaves got all blown into the pond. The front looks ok, the leaves had been raked and mostly taken back to the woodland.

December 20, 2018
Watered the house plants. Replaced one of the light tubes on the top shelf. It was a windy warmish - 9 degree day. Yesterday we dropped off the letter for Dr. T asking her to do a referral to Dr. Hilary Wass, and if she is not available Dr. Catherine Fitzgerald is taking patients on referral. Got a new bear at the LB store. Has a plad red/black hoodie. Day before yesterday we were to the Oak Bay Marina with J and S Col for lunch. Was good. Got Wass as Dr. jim's recommend. Did a few Flickr comments during this time. Finished the Dan Brown book on ipad. Fussing with the ipad to try to keep it going. Pat tells me I should get my new ipad and he looked it up at London Drugs.. it costs $1200 he said. not sure what the pencil costs and what else I thought I might want.

December 21, 2018
Did the laundry, vacuumed the entry and around the suite, made the carrot pudding for Christmas. Yesterday's wind storm had ferries unable to go, trees down, and power out all over Victoria. We were lucky ... our power stayed on. It froze over nite and was -1 or -2 degrees this morning when I took out the blue recycle box. Ice on the water table and on the deck. Sunshine later in the day and up to 7 degrees. People commented on my Christmas card thing on Facebook. Have not loaded it to Flickr or my blog just yet.

December 22, 2018
Was light frost last nite. We had some more winds, but not as bad as yesterday. There are still people without power today. Lots of trees down all over the Island. I got a couple more rooms vacuumed today. Have signed on to Explore... made and album for my explore photos and am up to 25 of 41 photos explored, in adding them to the album. Found a fantastic tutorial by Felipe on the out of frame shaggy dog photo. oob.. out of frame tutorial by Felipe

December 24, 2018
Yesterday I finished doing up the Explore album on Flickr. In the afternoon we went to the Grid to shoot and to find bagels for Pat. Downloaded the photos. Was a coolish, light rain, and the ocassional bit of sun. Today I was up at 6:00 and got 5 Grid photos done and loaded and mapped on the Grid. Not sure how I managed that but it took a long time to do. Made onion soup for lunch, have the schnitzels ready to do for supper. Vaccuumed the living room and the stairs before the Dyson ran out of charge.

December 29, 2018
Finished posting the photos to the Victoria Grid Project. We have been having lots of rain. Nearly all the people have their power back on now. We were out to Nautical Nelly's for a Dungenesse crab feast on our anniversary. Yummmm. No rain or wind and we found good parking with a short walk.

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Garden purchases in 2018

VIRAGS show and sale on April 21, 2018 Saxfragia Hybrida (R.M.) $ 4.00

Silver Saxifragia Symons Juene (R,M.) 4.00

Saxifragia apiculata (R.M.?? not sure) 5.00

Saxifragia Stadii (R.M.) 4.00

Saxufragua M.B. (R.M.) 4.00

{Saxifragia paniculata from Royal Oak } 2.50

Saxifragia in Butchart Gardens cement pot from R. M. Home........... $20.00

no name. I think it is a primula auricola
Once they've finished flowering, it's a good idea to repot into new well-drained, gritty compost

– four parts loam-based John Innes No 2, two parts leaf mould and one part grit.
The pots should be topped with grit after planting. You must keep them shaded and moist,
and dry them off in the winter.
5.00

Haberlea hodopensis (Joe..?..) says blue rock house on it 5.00
soil humusy, well drained and alkaline – hardy African Violet
Planted by the big mossy rock in the dry stream.

Gentiana depresso $

adiantum aleuticum subpumilum $ 5.00
needs to be kept moist

Total of VIRAGS $60.00

the rest of the plants from Royal Oak... not sure of the cost

Cotula hispida – blue green foliage, yellow ball blooms
gravelly soil good drainage- planted in little rockery at front
by the red hens and chickens

Yarrow achillia 'Moonshine” 18 to 24”, full sun – planted in
the front bouelvard garden next to the French lilac

Erysimum alheli (hybrid) 24 – 30” allow to dry between thorough waterings.
Wall flower growing by the front step

April 29, 2018

Was to Cannor and got a membership, then bought 4 sarosas and 4 shubunkins at $4.99 each. Got the 10% off the fish. total of $66.49. They sell pea gravel there. I have 2 bags of pea gravel and one of sand. this should work for putting the Rex Murfit saxifragias into a big off white plastic pot. Membership is $20.00 off a purchase of $100 or more. 15% off during birthday week. No charge delivery with minimum purchase of $50.00.

total of $66.49 FRASER THIMBLE FARM - May 30, 2018 Total: $52.64

1. Trillium Ovatum – native western white Trillium $12.00
transplanted by the water meter

2. Trillium erectum purple – nativeheight 20 – 30 cm $9.00
similiar to erectum but more purple color transplanted in a pot, as this is the stinking trillium

3. Trillium luteum – N.A. Native, fragrant, lemon scented $10.00
yellow flowers and attractively mottled leaves. Prefers partial sun in humus rich well drained soil. Transplanted by the water meter

4. Lilium pardalinum – ssp. Vollmeri – Vollmeri's Lily $12.00
hardy, showy native Lily has very showy crimson tipped flowers with yellow centers spotted heavily with maroon. Transplanted in the moss garden by the rhodo and the hill of what I think is primula auricola.

5. Rhodohypoxis bauri 'Lily Jean' $6.00
low growing alpine with double sugary pink flowers in late spring to late summer. Quickly forms a nice clump in well drained soil. Full to part sun.
Transplanted to a bigger pot

The pots on hand as at August 1, 2018
1 big off white ones in the bin at the back and 2 big white ones with plants in them
2 small off white ones with plants in them on the deck.
6 brown pots with little legs.
Plus the pink pots
Big Pink Pot on the deck with heliotrope in it,
and tall black pots, and some small black pots.

Wildwood Outdoor Living (Cannor)
October 22, 2018
1 bag (12L) Pea Gravel $11.69
3 bags 20 kg Washed Sand 12.00
2 10 kg Mushroom manure 12.58
2 30 L Top Soil 30.58
1 50 L Container soil 17.99
Rhodo Oreotrephes pink to 10 ft. - by deck steps 11.69
1.6 kg bone meal 2.13.0 3.59
cone flower - by the garage jasmine 3.99
Iris Dutch Spring Mix 10 (Pond edges) 4.49
Crocus Mixed Colours 20 (Crocus field) 8.98
Cannor Club Coupon - 20.00
Sub Total: 99.88
GST 5.99
PST 2.89
Total: $108.76

December 10, 2018
Cannor Nursery
rhodo and azalea food 5 – 12 – 8 1.8 kg 11.04
bone meal 1.8 kg 11.04
2 - 50 L Fish Soil – contains peat moss 28.88
4 – 35 L get up and grow potting soil 40.76
6 – Tulip Curley Sue Purple fringed 8” 3.59
10 – Muscari Plumosum – feather Hyacinth light purple 6” 2.99
10 – Crocus Spring Beauty Bontanique snow crocus 4” 2.99 purple/white
4 - Hyacinth Miss Saigon purply pink 10” 4.19
10 - Large flowering Crocus Purple 4” 2.99
10 – Muscari – grape Hyacinth Big Smile blue 6” 2.39
10 – Dutch Iris – Burgundy/gold 22” 4.19
25 – Anemone De Caen Blue Poppy Purple 10” 4.79
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$119.84
GST 5.99
PST 1.97
_________
$127.80
Apparently the prices shown are my birthday week 15% off. They take 15% off the original price not the sale price of anything.
To get delivery on Friday.. the 14th or maybe on Tuesday which is their other delivery day.

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Continue on to Journal Entries for 2019

Back to Journal Entries for 2017

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Welcome to the bottom of the page

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Annual Gardening pages

January - we occasionally get snow.
February - more rain, and some bulbs up
March - first spring bulbs blooming
April - rock plants blooming, grass needs mowing, fruit trees blooming
May - the garden is in full swing
June - lovely warm days of medium temperatures and roses in bloom
July - we need to water a lot in the summer as we do not often get rain.
August - the Fall perennials starting to bloom and fruit is ripening
September - harvest time in the vegetable garden and time to plant the winter garden
October - glorious fall colors and sunsets, fruit ripening and rains begin again
November - sometimes a lovely month with the Fall colors and warm rains
December - more rain, the garden is mostly greens and browns, very peaceful.
Water and Japanese Gardening - I built my pond with its 8 - 9 foot diameter
Fruit and Vegetables - grapes, figs, pears, apples, plums, and vegtables
Garden paths and Garden art - I have converted most of the lawn to gardens and paths
Rock and Alpines - I have a few small alpines in various spots around the garden
Woodland garden - I am trying to establish a few indigenous plants in this area.
Indoor gardening - orchids, cacti, African violets
Bugs - butterflies, birds, animals
From the Market - photos of bought produce or flowers
At the Show - there are a number of gardeing shows I attend annually
Mushrooms, lichens
Boquets - Creating flower arrangements for the house and for show is an
added benefit for creatativity as well as visual satisfaction.
Miscellaneous - in case I cannot decide where something belongs
Annual Journal Notes - This is the first page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2012 when I began to keep my garden notes on my computer. See the bottom of this first page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2013 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2013 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2014 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2014 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2015 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2015 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2016 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2016 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2017 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2017 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2018 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2018 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2019 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2019 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2020 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2020 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2021 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2021 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Annual Journal Notes 2022 - This is the page of the annual Journal Notes excerpts beginning in 2022 from my garden journal . See the bottom of this page to go to the Journal Notes for the next year.
Outline of the garden changes - This is the first page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden.
A description of the garden rooms - This is the second page of a series of three giving a tour of the my garden, and showing the creation of the garden rooms as well as some of the renovations over the years.
Annual Garden changes photo albums The third page of the series will be annual photo albums of the changes in the garden for the year, beginning in 2009.

Annual Photo Albums

• Garden 2022 - Put in 2022 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2021 - Put in 2021 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2020 - Put in 2020 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2019 - Put in 2019 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2018 - Put in 2018 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2017 - Put in 2017 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2016 - Put in 2016 stuff here. magnolia bed reno.


• Garden 2015 - drought, pond edges renovations,


• Garden 2014 - Put in 2014 stuff here milkweed, pond reno....Finished.


• Garden 2013 - Put in 2013 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2012 - Put in 2012 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2011 - Put in 2011 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2010 - Put in 2010 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2009 - Put in 2009 stuff here....Finished.


• Garden 2008 - Put in 2008 stuff here....Finished.



• Garden 2007 - Put in 2007 stuff here.



• Garden 2006 - Put in 2006 stuff here.



• Garden 2005 - Put in 2005 stuff here.



• Garden 2004 - Put in 2004 stuff here.



• Garden 2003 - Put in 2003 stuff here.



• Garden 2002 - Put in 2002 stuff here.



• Garden 2001 - Put in 2001 stuff here.




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Links:

(VHS) Victoria Horticultural Society: http://www.vichortsociety.org

(HCP) Horticultural Center of the Pacific: http://www.hcp.ca

(VIRAGS) - Vancouver Island Rock & Alpine: http://www.virags.ca/

Victoria Orchid Society: http://www.victoriaorchidsociety.ca

Native plants: - http://russellnursery.com/natives/

Plant photos by common name: - http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/browse_imgs/plant_com_1.html