I was up at 6:30 to watch the F1 pre-race show, and then the race, when the power went out…
I reported it and then went outside to read, happy that the race would be recorded on the PVR…
it is always so quiet when this happens, and, as it was very early, there were few people or cars up and about…
enjoyed a delightful couple of hours in the cool weather, with my book, and the fish, who actually made noise as they were eating and searching for food in the pond…
usually you never hear them…
all of a sudden water came spurting out of the waterfall and the sound of air conditioners humming ended the quiet…
then it was time to make tea and breakfast and get back to the schedule…
lovely start to the day on Saturday, with a 4:30 am hot tub… it was cool, sky was just beginning to lighten, birds were singing, and clouds drifted above…
back to sleep for a while and then got to watch qualifying for Sunday’s F1 race at Silverstone…
and one of my favourites got pole position…
was able to turn off the fans and open all the windows to get some fresh, cool, air into the house, which was wonderful after the last few days of sizzling heat…
out in the garden I spotted a house finch couple enjoying snacks at one of the feeders…
November 18 was my dad’s birthday and I’ve been thinking of him a lot lately…
he was kind, generous with what he had, and always thinking of others…
he looked after my brother and I for many years while my mom was in hospital and he took care of her when she was home…
he was soft-spoken and I don’t think I ever heard him shout or speak in a loud voice to anyone, but if he gave you the look (which didn’t happen too often), you knew to pay attention…
he was also the one who taught me that everyone deserved fairness, a second chance, and appreciation for a job well done…
Tuesday and Wednesday we spent hours at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park…
things have grown and been added since I was last there…
there was mist rising from the ground and there are now three cacao trees…
it was very exciting to see them in flower and with pods on one…
Tuesday we were there in the morning and came across some school classes and quite a few other visitors… we had a delicious lunch at Gather and went back into the biomes for a last look before heading home…
on Wednesday we went in the evening… I had hoped the lights would be on but they weren’t until after we left, lol… there were few others in the space and ample opportunities to sit quietly and reflect on the beauty of nature…
thanks to a very knowledgeable volunteer, we found the sugar cane and the dinosaur trees…
we did enjoy dessert at Gather before a quick walk through the Diversity Gardens… one treat was sitting by a fire in the Indigenous Peoples Garden…
looking forward to another visit in a few weeks… cheers;-)…
early Tuesday morning I was sitting on the back deck, listening to the burbling of the pond, as a bunny came right up next to me… we chatted, well I chatted and the bunny twitched its nose for a few minutes, before it hopped away… pleased that it felt comfortable as I sat there reading quietly… well, maybe it didn’t notice me, lol…
reminded me of how truly blessed I am… and what a wonderful life I lead…that I can sit in the sunshine and shade in my garden and enjoy the nature around me – the birds, and squirrels, and bunnies, and bees – every day that I want…
and while I was there, to hear about the ducklings that hatched yesterday, and today crossed a busy street with their momma, (protected by two different people families) in Ottawa to find a swimming pool to start the next portion of their journey…
later in the day I stood up from a chair on the upper deck and spotted a goldfinch at the feeder… it flitted about nervously for a few moments and then, when it felt safe, called its partner to come and eat… they were happy for a while, until a squirrel came and chased them away…
if I hadn’t stood up at just that moment I would have missed them… a lovely treat…
made chicken soup from the leftovers of Sunday’s dinner and tested out a few new purchases which arrived at the door…
Wednesday is the day I water my plants… I have quite a few, lol…
I combine tap water with some banana skin water and wander around the living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and den, with constant trips to the kitchen to refill the watering can…
I have had this watering can forever and have repaired the handle a few times as I enjoy the feel of this one…
seeing all of the blooms on the African violets and orchids, and the lovely purple anthurium blossom brings me so much happiness and makes me smile…
and currently, there are the seedlings that need attention as well…
it is quite a meditative experience and I enjoy the weekly time spent doing this…
had a quiet day… it was snowing when I got up and didn’t stop until around 4 pm…
then the sun came out and it looked beautiful… looked being the operative word as, sadly, right now it feels like -30 Celsius… brrrrr…
spent a good portion of the day on the couch reading a book by one of my favourite authors and barely got my steps in… when I am into one of those books, it is hard to stop to get up and walk around…
but, was happy to take a few pictures of the lovely blooms around the space…
herbiggirlpants 