Summer Weekend

Another beautiful summer weekend here in the sunny south.....a bit of rain on Friday night, which the garden needed anyway (saves me from watering!), so we spent it at the cinema in Tecumseh watching the latest installment of Harry Potter.

The garden got some much-needed attention over the rest of the weekend, between weeding and tilling, plus harvesting the bounty of green and yellow beans. Cherry tomatoes are ripening daily as well. Also found time on Saturday night for a nice bonfire, and even slept out in the tent - too nice a night to waste indoors!

Bountiful garden

Bickey is showing signs of improvement - still weak and not eating, but he is showing glimpses of playing, grooming and other indications of energy that are positive. He is also looking less jaundiced. Still, we had to add a new high-calorie food supplement to his force-fed diet, this one a thick molasses like goo from a tube. Since of course he won't eat it on his own, we are left to smearing it on his face and relying on natural cat grooming instinct to lick it off.....leading to this obvious moment of hilarity:

The Dirty Sanchez

Finally got the old Cox family van off to Tilsonburg recently.....after pushing it the hard way out of the barn in neutral, then had to boost it several times, not only to get it running, but the battery would not hold a charge. After about the fourth boost, we finally drove it to Wheatley, on fumes mind you, and had a new battery installed. We figured with our luck we would run out of gas AND have to boost it again! After a bit of an adventurous drive along the Lake Erie shore, with Jane following behind in the car, the good ol' 1980 Ford Econoline Chateau was delivered safe and sound to Jane's parents.

Givin' the ol' girl a boost

Happy Canada Day!!!

As a federal public servant, I am required to acknowledge Canada Day in some fashion beyond merely taking the day off with pay (p.s. - thank you for paying your taxes). So I did the first thing that came to mind, and patriotically cut the grass. Sure, the umbrella may appear to have more to do with self-preservation in the heat of the mid-day sun at the 42nd parallel....but really, I was feeling every minute of it.

Even the grass stands up for the National Anthem

The garden is progressing nicely, soaking up the heat wave that has permeated the area for the past week or so. Beans are blossoming, there are tiny tomatoes growing on the vines, and we are already eating the radishes. Corn, broccoli, cauliflower and watermelon are also coming along. I knew it wouldn't look this good for long, right after extensive weeding and the rototilling between the rows, so I had to snap a picture.

The Garden, as nice as it may ever look....

I recently started a batch of homebrew pilsener in the kitchen, a nice light summer beer for this hot weather. Of course, beyond drinking the stuff, my greatest satisfaction comes from ensuring that each and every batch is made safely. With that in mind, I can honestly say that no babies were harmed in the making of this pilsener.

Don't Let Yer Babies Grow Up to Drown in Beer Buckets