My Garden

I guess it's about time to show you my garden. This is the first vegetable garden I've ever grown, though I have grown flower gardens before. I haven't done any gardening for many years. I've wanted, for a long time, to have raised bed gardens so I could do a garden, and a couple friends said they would help build some, so I bought a bunch of soils for the purpose... then no help came. The bags of soil & peat moss sat in the shed for a couple years. This year I got a great idea and it has been working out well.

Old bathtubs. Yes, that's right, bathtubs that no one wants anymore because they are the wrong color for their new bathroom, or just not as nice as the 'new' tub someone put in during a renovation. I recycle the old tubs and have a good solution for raised bed gardens.

Three bathtubs are put together here, two side by side and one across the end. In the pots are Stevia plants that will be brought inside for the colder months. What I have planted: cucumbers, kale, Swiss chard, curly & Italian parsley, chives, bell peppers (yellow, chocolate, banana & another kind I can't think of just now), beets, carrots, and peas.

Another good thing to plant in is an old deep freeze. This one was given to me many years ago and when it quit working it got moved out of the carport and just sat here. I had intended to take it to the dump and am no glad I didn't do so. It works well for this.

2 kinds of tomatoes, peppermint, lemon mint, 2 chocolate mint, catnip.

And over near the table & chairs hang 2 planters of tomatoes.

And the view? Rather nice actually. You can see a bit of it beyond the umbrella here...
... and here you can see more of the view. Oh, and another recycled item for my garden is the divider that was once for use in a car. I was given it when I had planned to get a small car and would want to keep Reba in the back of it. I never got the car and often thought I should get rid of that divider. Now it works great as a trellis for my peas to grow up.

I have another bathtub that still needs to be put in place, have rocks put into it for drainage, and have compost, peat moss and top soil into for planting. This will happen when it cools down a bit, this fall some time. It will be ready for next year when I will be able to get my planting done far earlier than I did this year. Also, this fall I plan to plant spinach... it likes cooler weather.

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Sizzling

After shopping with Pat I sent a text to Joyce to see if she & her daughter Melissa wanted to get together with me as we often do. We agreed to meet for ice cream at McDonald's North (there are 3 McD's in town here). I had to ride back from the town to the north where I was, this taking me through road construction that has been going on for a couple years now and is getting close to finished. It has been a very large project, making a 4 lane highway over a big hill to replace the old 2 lane that ran along the base of this hill/mountain. They are paving up there now and with it being 35.5°C, it was very hot up there. It was not a day you wanted to be sitting out there waiting for the flag person to let the traffic move along. Sitting there on my trike I was sizzling hot and very dry and had no shade. I knew if I had been driving the truck I would have shade from the roof, though with no air conditioning I would still have been sizzling hot. If we had been stuck there very long I'm sure I would have dried out like a prune or something and needed to not only rehydrate, but also would need to get some wrinkle filler or skin toned Poli Filla. LOL. By the time I got to McD's I sure was happy to chug down a very large, very cold water before eating my ice cream & drinking a cup of tea.

Lost a Pound or....

As many of you know, I am working at dropping some unwanted, unneeded pounds. I don't concern myself with the side effects of diet pills, I am a member of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly). Each Thursday morning I go to the meeting. Everyone must weigh in between 9:30 & 10:15am, then the meeting starts. After we say the TOPS and KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly) pledges, we hear the Weight Recorder`s report, the minutes of the last meeting, stuff like that. Next we talk about any contest that we may have going (currently it's Stay On The Ball... if you gain weight your name flag is removed from the Styrofoam ball, and the person who`s name is there last wins a prize). I fell off the ball a couple weeks ago when I gained 1 1/2 pounds. This week, though, I had lost 1 pound so am back to going in the right direction. After the meeting, I realized that, stuck into my bra was 2 things that should have been not there, 2 things that I stuck there with the intention of putting them into my purse and forgot. My cell phone and a utility knife. I don't know what they weigh, but it's likely around 1 pound. Huh! Oh well, hopefully it will help show as a good loss for next Thursday.

After the meeting we went for lunch, as our TOPS group always does, today to the Chinese restaurant where I had Chop Suey & Chow Mein with a glass of ice water. After lunch, Pat & I went to the Bargain Bin, the greatest 2nd hand store around. I got a few new clothes, most of them for 10 cents each, a couple tops for $1 each, a wire plant pot holder that I will put pots into then put votive candles into and put out on my patio table in the garden. I also got a 'biker bandanna' from Mexico, with Speedy Gonzalez on it... I like it, kinda cute and good for under helmet as well as hiding 'helmet head' (messed hair from wearing a helmet). Just over $6 spent there.

Photos...

Here are some photos of my trike windshield. This was given to me by my friend Graig and it had no mounting hardware with it. I took it to Tuggy and he designed/made mounting hardware. Hey, it works well even if it's not really pretty. Riding with a windshield is a lot better than riding without it as it cuts down the wind that is hitting your body as you drive, thereby cutting down on the 'wind fatigue'. It also gets a lot of the bugs that would otherwise hit the driver and the raindrops too when that is a factor. Bugs and raindrops really hurt when they hit your face or body parts at highway speeds. Granted, this windshield, being old, has many blemishes that even the best acne treatment wouldn't get rid of, though it was free and I am very grateful.

The other day when I was out at Tuggy's we prettied up the bottom mounting brackets. If you click on the photos to see the larger views you will see the changes we made.


You can see in these shots that the windshield was fairly long on the bottom... until the first day I rode it and you can also see where it broke on the one side. I guess it was under some pressure that I wasn't aware of.

My trike and my truck... both old, neither perfect, yet both are perfect for me and my lifestyle. I love driving them both. In the back of the truck are bottles & cans that I took and sold... got almost enough money to pay for the leather jacket I found in a 2nd hand store in extremely good condition.

This is the windshield when we cut it down. You can see here that the broken part is cut off and rounded up to look okay again. We cut the other side too and drilled holes for the mounting brackets.


Back on the trike... In the top photo the bottom mounting brackets aren't pretty though they are functional. In the bottom photo, you can see they look much better. Tug rounded off the corners/sharp edges and polished up the stainless steel, making them really shiny.


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Trike

My trike started out as a Yamaha 650 Maxim 2 wheeled motorcycle. One thing I didn't think about before I triked it was the fact that it is a 'vintage' motorcycle and if left in it's original state I could have insured it as so, getting my insurance for way less than I can get it with a newer or a 'modified' bike. This is kind of a drag, and yet, I can't feel bad about it as I really do love riding my trike. Maybe I'd love it as a 2 wheeler too, I don't know, never rode a 2 wheeler, but I do know I love it as a 3 wheeler. One of the extra benefits of it is I can carry more in it, haha. I can go do my grocery shopping and carry it all home, even more if need be. I carry a folding lawn chair in the box that was meant for Reba as well as all sorts of other stuff and there's still room for more. Kinda like a large trunk in a car. I do my best to keep the bike all clean and shined up, polishing the chrome and stainless steel so it reflects sunlight. Maximum sunlight reflected off my Maxim... hmmm... Maxim lighting.

More Triking

Yesterday I went out to Tuggy's and we did some more work on my trike. Some bolts had broken so the box on the back had to be held on with bungie cords. First we bolted it back together as well as did some work on the windshield. I took off the bottom brackets and Tuggy prettied them up a bit, then I put them back on. Looks a lot better... dull strip of metal turned into shiny brackets. While we were doing the above work, Tug's friend Bucky came by to visit and said to bring the trike to his place and he'd weld on it a bit. We did this so where the bolts were broken it is now partially welded together. We didn't totally do it as I may want to take the box off at some point if some kind of work ever needs to be done underneath it.

After we left Bucky' place, we rode in to town and parked in front of the Pub. On our way there we passed a guy riding up that way on a Harley. He showed up at the Pub while we were talking to some other people out front. He started talking to Tug about trikes, said he wanted one for a friend of his. We went in and sat down, had coffee/tea/pop/fries and talked. Tug told Raymond that there was a trike he built a while back and sold to another guy who decided he doesn't like riding trikes, so wants to sell it. The three of us rode together to the guy's place. One the way there my 'weird' mind was thinking: "2 trikes & 1 bike... 2 guys & 1 woman... 2 friends & 1 stranger... 2 Harley's & 1 Yamaha." I haven't a clue where that was supposed to be leading, haha. Anyway, we get there and the guy & his wife come outside. She points at her truck and says something like "Do you remember seeing me the other day? I was going like this..." and gave the thumbs up. She had been admiring my trike. I didn't have the heart to tell her "no. Loads of people do that to me all the time" and there is something vague there, so I said "yes". Anyway, we had a great visit while the guys looked at the trike and made the deal. Yup, Raymond is buying it for his friend, or at least making the purchase deal.

From there, we all went in our own directions. I rode to the store and got some groceries then home. I sure love riding with other people, yet I also love riding alone. Tug rides so slow that one would never have to worry about getting stopped for going too fast... Don could use a radar detector as he rides fast. When riding alone I am fairly close to the speed limit, though often do ride a bit over the posted limit.

Reba - Very Sad News

It has taken me some days to be able to write this post. It is with deep sadness that I do so now.

On Sunday, July 18, I had to have Reba, my beloved dog and companion, put down. She had cancer and when a tumor on her shoulder burst open she was uncomfortable and I knew the time had come. It has been very difficult, and yet I know it is the best for Reba Jane Rottenweiler. She was such a great dog and I was blessed to share about 11 1/2 years of my life with her. Reba was born December 14, 1998 and came to live with me at approximately 7 weeks of age. We had a challenge at the start as I just couldn't seem to bond with this dog and felt I should get rid of her.... she just wasn't the right dog for me. Thankfully, I spoke to my next door neighbor about this and she pointed out to me that the problem was ... Reba was not D-O-G.

D-O-G (pronounced dee OH gee) was a Belgium Tervern. I didn't know her exact birth date, so chose a day that would be very close... February 2 - Ground Dog Day. She too came into my life at about 7 weeks of age and shared my life for about 11 1/2 years. She only went onto the highway one time and that was enough. She died instantly when she was hit August 27, 1998.

I had loved D-O-G very deeply and we went everywhere together from the first moment we met. She was the best dog in the world!! Nearly 5 1/2 months later, when I got Reba, I thought I had healed and as it turned out, I hadn't. I still miss D-O-G today, nearly 12 years later. Once my neighbor pointed out that Reba was not D-O-G, I realized that somehow I had been holding that against her and I needed to love her for who she was. That was very easy from that moment on. I did love Reba for who she was and I know I will always love & miss her like I do D-O-G. I have been very blessed to have 2 such wonderful dogs share my life.

I don't think I can live without a dog for long after those 2 girls. I was a confirmed CAT person, thank you very much, with no desire to have a dog... until I met D-O-G and she forever changed my life. Now I know the total, unconditional love and adoration of a good dog and know I will one day have to have another one to not only love me the way these 2 did, but also to honor the love and memories I have for D-O-G and Reba.

It's amazing how many people loved my Reba from the moment they met her. She really was an incredible girl and showed many people that Rottweilers aren't all 'killer dogs', but can also be filled with love and be filled with joy at the chance to share that love even with strangers.

Gifts

I like doing crafts... or at least, I always did though I've had no time to fit any in lately. I like making gifts rather than purchasing them. I think they mean so much more than purchased gifts. Hand made gifts don't cost as much as the ones we buy usually, but they take more thought, more love, care and time than it takes to go to the store and buy something. The other day I picked up a very nice rose broach that I think will make a nice gift for Mom (August 28 is her birthday) though now I'm thinking I might save it for part of her Christmas gift. Why? Because awhile ago I bought some bits that I want to use to make earrings that I know Mom will love. She is a Scrabble player, loves the game, and I bought a couple old Scrabble games with plans to turn the letter tiles into earrings. Maybe I can even make some necklaces to match earrings and maybe sell some of them. I want to learn how to make jewelry, I think that would be a lot of fun. To drill holes into the letter tiles I will need some kind of vice or even some clamps to hold them steady while I drill. I have no doubt I will come up with something.

Quotes

Lots of people like to quote things to everyone they talk to. Some quote stock market stuff, some are into quoting all the bad things that can happen if you do this or that. Some folks are into term life quoting, while others are quoting costs of rules or other such boring things. I personally like positive, uplifting quotes whether made by famous people or just 'Joe Schmoe types'. For example:

All of life is a journey; which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there. From A Little Book of Happiness

If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy wtihin your heart, then in living I have made my mark. Thomas L. Odem Jr.

When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky. Buddha

Brakes on Trike

I like to carry tools with me when driving either my truck or my trike. Do I know how to fix my own vehicle? Well, mostly no. Oh, there are some things I can do, especially to my trike, though for the most part I would need some form of roadside assistance if I broke down. Years ago, when driving my old convertible, I discovered that sometimes someone will stop and want to help you but has no tools even though he knows how to fix the problem if he had tools to work with. Well, I carry tools. I recently bought some new tools just to carry on my trike. I've done a lot of the 'wrenching' on the trike, or helped Tuggy do a lot of it.

I didn't like the back brakes on my trike and Tuggy didn't seem to know what to do to make them work properly. To tell the truth, I had little and sometimes nothing for back brakes. A few days ago my friend Andrew returned from up north and came by to say hi. He had a look at my trike and said he didn't like the back brake peddle set up. I told his I didn't either and that my older brother had said the same thing. After asking if he could work on it for me and I yes "yes please" Andrew dug out some tools, I dug out mine, and he went to work with them. By the time he was done I have back brakes that actually work!!!! He said he's not finished yet, that there are some other things he wants to do yet, but knowing this helped he knows what to do next. Andrew is a machinist who obviously knows his job though he needs tools I don't have and he has up north but not here. He took some measurements to have one of his sons make up a couple things to send down here for him.

I am blessed to have good friends, and I am very grateful.

What's Up With Reba...

I don't think Reba has Mesothelioma, though I do believe she has some other kind of cancer. She is doing rather well just now, though she has a large lump on her left shoulder, somewhat around the size of a baseball. I gently squeezed the lump (tumor??) to see if it caused her any pain and it didn't. So far as I can tell she is not in pain at this point. For a couple days her appetite was poor and she didn't eat anything unless I hand fed it to her and then she ate very little. The last couple days she has been much more interested in food again, more like her 'old self'. This is a big relief to me although I know that it is likely just a phase. I have been told that as a dog nears the end of its life it will seem bad then will 'rally' and seem to be much better, then suddenly that's the end. This may or may not be what's happening here. She appears to be much better now than she was a couple days ago. I know that when she goes it will be hard, and that I will live through it. I have more or less come to grips with what is happening. It is a natural thing and I believe it is good for Reba. Spirit never dies, only the body does. Now, when "the time comes" the challenge will be to hold on to this belief. The grief will be mine, not Reba's.

Reba Jane Rottenweiler has been a true blessing in my life. She is such a good dog. I know that God gifted her to me and our spirits are forever entwined.

Swimming

Had a nice time at the pool today. I try to get there 3 times a week and of course more would be good. I often go with my friend J and sometimes her daughter M joins us too. Today J couldn't swim but M came to join me. J has a pinned-together ankle which she is going to have to start wearing a brace on. Her doctor wants her to loose weight and she wants to as well, though it's not easy to exercise when you have a messed up ankle, so she wants her doctor to give her some weight loss products. I know how she feels as I have a similar situation. I live in chronic pain and find walking can be rather painful at times. Personally, I don't believe in taking meds of any kind if I can at all help it, so always look for more 'natural' ways. Swimming is a very good thing to do. It doesn't feel like you are exercising because of the buoyancy and moving in water is very effective strength building activity. It really wears off the calories as it builds the muscles, good for my challenges with diabetes, fibromyalgia and arthritis. The only downer about it is I'm usually really hungry after I swim. Of course, if I eat wisely this isn't a problem.

With summer upon us, all the kids are out of school and many of them are at the pool. I am going to start going in earlier when the kids are less likely to be there. They are having a great time and it's nice to see them having fun... and I prefer peace and quiet over loud, noisy and splashing.

Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts:
- today I hate men. Most days I love them, and today I hate them. Nuff said.
- it is hotter than the hubs of h-e-double toothpicks in this house. I envy Reba laying outside except for the mosquitoes.
- I don't take fat burner supplements, and am Taking Off Pounds Sensibly.
- I am watching Law & Order: Criminal Intent as I do some blogging.
- I am enjoying a good cup of peppermint tea.
- My friend Andrew is back from up north. Was very nice to see him yesterday.
- I think I'll go to bed earlier tonight as I have an early morning tomorrow.

My Bedroom

Laying here on my bed I look around and see not only do I have too much 'stuff' stuffed into this room, but also all my furniture is old. No, not yucky old, but good old. My bed, the matching highboy dresser, vanity & stool are all antiques that my parents had for many years before they gave it to me when they got a new bedroom set. I also have another antique dresser in here that was bought for me from my Aunt Kay & her husband back when I was about 13 or so. There is also a china cabinet in here that is old though not antique. I was going to give it away but no one answered my post on Freecycle for it. One of these days I might just decide to put it out by the road with a Free sign on it, or post it to Freecycle again. I do like it and would like to keep it as I can use a china cabinet, but there just isn't enough room in this home for one. I actually have a lot of old and antique furniture and 'stuff'. Another thing in this room is a phone table, another old thing. I'm not really big on modern furniture, though some of it can be very nice. I do really like the couch and loveseat set Mom has and it's very modern. I haven't even told you about the large bird cage in here with my 2 little Pacific Parrotlets living in it, or lots of other 'stuff'.

A Good Day

I had a very nice day today. After I went to town and had tea with an old... errr, I mean long time friend, I ran some errands then came home to spend some time with Reba. I had thought about planting more of the iris plants, but it was really hot out (35.3°C), so I stayed inside where it was a bit cooler. In the later part of the afternoon, I hopped onto my trike & rode off to Mom's place (about 25 minute drive). After a short visit we went up town to the Chinese restaurant where we were joined by my older brother Terry & his wife Alana (visiting from the Lower Mainland area of BC), and her mother Bev. It was very nice to spend time with them. Terry quite likes my trike. He's ridden motorcycles since he was about 16, now 56... He is really looking good, better than I've seen him look in a long time, healthier. Also he is now wearing glasses and really suites the look, looking rather distinguished and very handsome. After dinner, Alana & Bev went to Bev's and Terry came to Mom's with us. I left there sometime after 9pm to ride home. It's always hard to say goodbye when you don't know when you'll get to say hello again.

Now I'm laying on my bed watching TV while I blog. David Letterman is on. My tv stands on the top of my highboy dresser at the foot of my bed, and there's one in the living room too. At this time of day I rarely sit in the living room as I like to let my birds go to sleep for which they need it dark.

A Party!!

Even better than getting wedding invitations, I got an invitation to a party on Saturday evening. I haven't seen Chris for awhile, he's a dear friend that, like me, used to go to the Centre for Spiritual Living. Though we both still believe in the teachings, we have lost faith in the minister. Anyway, Chris is having this party and really wants me to go, so hey, color me there! He said to bring my drum along too as there will be drumming. It's all about Love (Universal, not just personal). It will be a nice evening, I am sure. He said I can invite someone to go along if I like, but I'm not sure who would be interested in this other than the friends I know will be there anyway.

What I pack...

Things I take with me when I go out on my trike... or even in my truck for that matter, include:
- purse with money & drivers license
- cooler with snack bars in case I get hungry and have a blood sugar drop, and cans of Club Soda as I can't drink Coke or any other of those kind of drinks so carry my own "pop" (or "soda" as some call it)
- iphone 4 insurance (okay, I don't have an iphone, just a regular cell, but like to always have it with me just in case
- keys of course, for the vehicle, the house, and the mail box down the road
- a book to read just in case I have some "down time" to fill in, and usually Sudoku puzzles too
- often a change of shoes and/or clothes
- sunglasses
- if going to TOPS or Toastmasters I also take a briefcase with the required papers and manuals etc.
- often take Reba along for the ride too

I am sure there are things I have forgotten here, but this gives you the picture, I'm sure... I can't seem to even "travel light". Imagine when I go on a trip!!

Start of the Day

I started my day today by checking email of course, then went out and got some iris plants in the ground. I was given a LOT of iris plants last weekend and now must get them planted while they are still alive. This doesn't fit well into my busy schedule, though I know I will be happy next spring when they are in bloom. I am putting them in along the edge of my home in the area I am referring to as my garden. I so wish I could build a deck off the side of the house there and cut a door in the wall where the window to my laundry room is, though at this time that is a lot of money that I don't have. I guess if I ever get that happening I will just have to dig up all these plants again and move them. In the meantime this will be a good place for them. This spring I was given a really nice patio set (table, umbrella, 2 chairs) that I put in that area of the yard (there is very little flat in my hillside yard) and that is where my raised bed gardens are. As the summer/fall progress I will continue to do a bit of work here and there to improve this area and make it even more enjoyable than it is now. This looks over a nice lake and mountains on the other side of the valley. I will get some photos of it to post here very soon. I still have lots more iris plants to get into the ground, 1/4 or less are there now, and it is already awfully 'warm' out there, so for now the rest of the plants stay in the shade of the carport. Maybe once that part of the yard is in shade this afternoon.... In the meantime, I have a 'tea date' so will dig out the best eye cream for wrinkles I have in my bathroom, apply it and other moisturizers and sunscreens (to avoid getting wrinkles that is), then onto my trike and away I ride.

My Day - July 5

I'm wishing I was even half as rich as a Texas Truck accident lawyer must be. I could really use the cash just now. Today it cost me $67 to get my Motorcycle License. Yes, I passed it!!!! It was $50 to take the Road Test and $17 for a new driver's license. About a year and a half ago it cost me $75 to renew my Class 5 license (drive cars, vans and pickups), now to add the Class 6 (motorcycle) to it was $17. Gas for the trike was over $12 today, the tanks was very nearly dry and I was lucky to make it in to the gas station.

I have been thinking a lot about taking Reba for that "last ride", a trip to the vet to release her spirit from her body. The cost is a problem this month as I had to pay my property taxes as well as the above and of course all the usual bills and such. Not that I would let this be a reason not to do it... just adds more challenge to life. I don't want her to suffer at all, and yet I don't want to put her down if she's not yet ready to go. This morning she seemed weak and a bit wobbly. I stayed home from my volunteer job to be with her. I let her out for a bit before I had to leave for my Motorcycle Test and though I had planned to take a nice long celebratory ride if I passed, I didn't do that. I had tea with Wendy then cut that short to come home to Reba. She seems stronger this evening, doesn't seem to be in pain, and is eating well. I don't know if she has a few days or a few weeks, or if I'll take her in tomorrow... I do know though that I will keep a close eye on my wonderful dog, I will enjoy the last times I get to pet her, to feel her silky soft ears, I will give her lots of love, and if she seems to be in any pain, or getting too weak, I will make that terribly hard drive.

All About Reba

Last night I let Reba in and she walked right past her dish of raw buffalo burger, past my bedroom, into the laundry room and laid down, butt to the door. This was extremely odd, not at all normal for my girl. I decided to let her be for awhile, and if she didn't come out on her own I'd check on her before going to sleep. I was laying on my bed reading Tuning Up For Riders in preparation for my final test for my motorcycle license when, at 12:30am, I heard a heck of a racket in the hallway near the furnace. My first thought was that Mewsic had caught a mouse trying to sneak into the house through the furnace... then I heard Reba breathing very hard. She was laying on the floor between the furnace & the clothes drying rack that is standing in the hall, her head was back and sort of caught on the rack. I gently moved her head free of the rack and down to the floor... she seemed 'out of it'. She had obviously had a stroke or seizure of some kind. I held her head, petting her and talking to her calmly & quietly until her breathing finally slowed down to normal, then helped her to get up and walk the few feet into my bedroom. She laid down beside my bed, almost like she didn't have what it would take to get to her bed at the foot of mine. Again she was breathing heavily, though not as much as earlier. I petted & talked to her, her breathing calmed down. After awhile I returned to my book, a bit later Reba got up and took the last few steps to her bed where she more fell down than laid down.

According to things I've read on the internet, the lifespan of a Rottweiler in 8-12 years, though I've had people tell me they had a Rotti that lived to 14 years or 13 years, so they do live beyond the 12. I always thought Reba would be one that lived longer. She was always so full of life, so puppy-like that even at as much as 10 years old people still guessed her to be 2 or 3. Then last winter (Jan 2009) she almost died on me due to pneumonia though once she recovered from that she was back to her usual puppy-ish self. Now this winter she got cancer. We went through a couple real bad months, but once the toe was off along with the tumor, she rallied really well and seemed to again return to her bouncy self. It must have taken a lot out of her though.

I have heard that hgh supplement helps us to be younger longer, to replace a much needed hormone that we have during our youth. I don't know if it works or if there is a similar hormone in dogs, but if there is one in dogs I wish I could have given it to Reba. I am very sad to say that she is not long for this world. Reba will be 12 years old on December 14 though I know she won't make it that long. Before this summer is over, my awesomely wonderful girl will depart... her body to my pet cemetery and her spirit to The Rainbow Bridge.

The Muffled Target

There is a new 'meme' that I just discovered and am playing along. I was over visiting Thom at Thom's Place 4 Well Whatever... and saw he had posted to this new blog. My first thought when I saw the photo of the cat was "Gattina!" Yes, of all the bloggers in the world, I knew Gattina at Writer's Cramps was behind this Meme. Here are some of her words telling us of this new game:


I raked my brain to find something else for a Monday which could be a nice theme or meme and had an idea (not a dream)

Each Monday post a picture which is completely crazy, messed up, with nothing on etc, which normally you would immediately delete. It can be everything, like only shoes instead of the whole person, a blurred building or whatever you want. Then tell us the little story how it happened and what it should have been.


Look closely!! Do you see that beautiful coyote in the photo?? No?? Neither do I. He/she moved way too fast and I got no coyote photo, just this not-real-pretty photo of a patch of bush. Oh well, maybe next time.

Now, you can go check out this meme if you would like to see other players or play along too.

My Tomorrow

Today was a very wet, dark day. It was a day where I did some reading, watching TV, and basically stayed inside the entire time. I looked out the window a few times, and out the door... that is as close as I got to going out. I had planned to ride my trike into town to fill his gas tank and do some more 'practicing', though with all the rain I didn't do that. He was out in the yard all wet and looking sad.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is much brighter!! IF it is correct, it will be a very nice day, with summer beginning Tuesday. The forecast is:

Monday - A mix of sun and cloud. High 21. UV index 6 or high.

Monday night - Clearing in the evening. Low 7.

Tuesday - Sunny. High 27.

Wednesday - Sunny. Low 9. High 31.

Thursday - Sunny. Low 11. High 33.

Friday - Sunny. Low 15. High 33.

Saturday - Sunny. Low 16. High 32.

Could this really be the end of all that rainy weather we've had for the past 2 months or more?? Hmmm.

I really am hoping it is a nice day tomorrow. Why, you may ask? Because I am doing something very important after I finish my volunteer work at the Food Bank. Am I shopping for clothes? No. Looking at preschool furniture? Nope. How about going for a nice long hike? Not that either. I am riding my trike to town in the morning, rain or shine, and at 12:30 I am taking my Road Test. This is the final test in getting my motorcycle license. First I did the Knowledge Test (answering questions on a computer), then the Skills Test (also known as the Parking Lot Test where you weave around pylons and do starts/stops, etc.) Now for the road test the examiner will ride in a car following me around and telling me over a radio what to do, where to go, etc. and judging my skills on how I make these maneuvers. I feel that I am a capable rider/driver, and Tuggy has ridden with me and says I have nothing to worry about, that I am a good rider and will have no problems. I hope he's right.

Weather Photos

Last week, I took a drive to Canoe to meet my friend Graig for lunch and to get a windshield from him for my trike. On the way there I took some photos to show you why I drove my truck that day instead of my trike. I started out on the trike then after a short distance I turned around and came back home to (sadly) change vehicles. I was glad later that I had.




Earlier this spring, after a long time of drought, the city imposed very stiff water restrictions. Watering your yard only once per week, no water at all allowed in swimming pools. On the TV News, they interviewed a man who makes his living installing swimming pools and was afraid he would loose his business. Not only did we not get much rain last fall, but almost no snow at all over the winter, and were not seeing any rain this spring. Then the rains started!! This has been the wettest couple months I've seen in the Okanagan Valley in a very long time. The rains just don't seem to want to stop! Canada Day is usually a hot, dry day. Not this year! It was cool and cloudy with showers during the day and lots of rain in the evening. I hit some rain as I rode home from visiting Mom, never pleasant to ride a motorcycle in. I thought with hot, dry weather and the wind factor of riding, I'd need lots of wrinkle cream to protect my good looks (haha). As it turns out, I need something to protect my face from the sting as the nasty little rain drops hit me at highway speeds.

I just looked at the forecast for this week. I don't know why I bother, they always get it wrong, but occasionally I do look and see what the current guess is for upcoming weather. If they are right this time, summer could start next Tuesday.

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My Day on Canada Day

Now comes the end of a great day.

I got up this morning to a cloudy sky and at one time in my life would have said/thought "What an awful day!!", though now I see that it is still a wonderful day, just a few clouds in the sky... no big deal. After feeding/watering all my animals and getting myself ready, I was off to my TOPS meeting, about a 15 minute drive north of here. Yes, even on Canada's Birthday we still have our TOPS meeting, though most stores and such are closed for the holiday. Our leader is away for a month's holiday in Australia, so I, the co-leader, have been running the meetings. The feedback I've been getting is that I am doing a good job of it. I'm glad they approve. The last few weeks I've been having a struggle and small though significant weight gains (last week I was up 1 pound, for example). Today, the dreaded few moments on the scales showed my weight down a half pound. Not a lot, though sure better than a gain, so I was happy.

The meeting today was a short one, then instead of our usual lunch together we went for tea/coffee and some had a small something to eat. No shopping at the Bargain Bin thrift store today as it was closed due to the holiday. I went to Mom's earlier than usual and had a nice visit though it was short as she had other plans, going to a friend's place for cards and dinner. I had gone up on my trike and this was the first time Mom had seen it, other than in some photos I showed her. She had been very unhappy about me getting a motorcycle though now seems to have gotten used to the idea and did seem to like 'my ride'.



She even was the one that suggested I take these shots. When it came to her getting on and off the trike she had a hard time as it's so big compared to her. I had to help her onto and off of the machine. She is, after all, quickly approaching her 87th birthday. I think these are pretty cool shots, haha.

I hit some rain on the way home and though it hurts my face when the drops hit, I still love the ride. Fortunately, the worst of the rain came down after I was home and in the house.

Canada Day 2010

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