Hopefully... Big Changes Ahead

When will our pandemic lock-down begin to ease up? A lot of us are wondering about that...

Who knows when life will return to "normal"?!

This furniture store is preparing to welcome customers...

(But when will Terry and I feel comfortable going for a haircut or a dental checkup...?)

As I write this, churches aren't open... Our church streams its weekly service online.

I can't see us going into a church building for many months, Terry commented recently.

City buses are running, but few people ride in them... A lot of office workers are now working from home.

Other workers have been laid off. One of my sons works in a downtown hotel that has temporarily closed. He's not sure when he'll be called back to work - but in the meantime, I've made him a cloth face mask for when he takes the bus again...

One way or another, we're all getting ready for big changes ahead!

Enjoying the Peace and Quiet...

Now that summer is here, I often have an early cup of coffee outdoors...

I particularly enjoy the peace and beauty of the garden...

Very little is happening on our street these days - no college cars parked here: the college is closed now because of the pandemic...

But we expect to see big changes any day now - as construction crews come by to tear down the house and garage across the street - and build two  new houses in their place...

Like the summer of our big renovation - when we enlarged our house - almost 20 years ago, there will be noisy, dusty days ahead!

Will the Wasps Be Fooled?!

I enjoy sitting out on our front deck, enjoying my early morning coffee...

But recently, wasps have joined me there...

I remember reading that a paper bag full of crushed newspaper fools them into believing that a rival wasp nest is nearby... so they stay away.

I decided to give it a try - adding a heavy stone to the bag to  keep it from blowing away...

I wonder if it will work! I guess I'll have to wait and see!

Flowers Now in Bloom - in Late May

Perennial gardens are always changing - with new flowers in bloom every few weeks.

Now in late May, I love these bright blue Forget-me-nots!

Periwinkle flowers are also blooming...

You have to look hard to see them...

Another favorite of mine are the delicate white anemones that blow in the breeze...

Both the Forget-me-nots and anemones are self-spreaders...

Unlike the euphorbia (cushion spurge) plants that sit where they are planted. Right now they're in bright yellow bloom.

I have two because I divided one plant a few years ago.. Now the two are big enough to divide again... which would give me four!

No more tulips - but there are several daffodils in bloom in our back yard...

With new flowers appearing every few weeks - then dying away for another year - the flower beds are in constant flux!

Andrew Haydon Park - Open Again!

Terry and I were delighted to see that Andrew Haydon Park is open again...

We have fond memories of family picnics in this lovely park when our children were young...

There were lots of families at the park - enjoying the beginning of summer.

We walked around, thankful to have such a beautiful public spot near us...

Thankful also that there seemed to be fewer geese than usual...

Over the years, the park had become a nesting ground for hundreds of geese, who littered the paths and grass with their droppings..
.

The city implemented ways to get the geese to move farther down the river, so that they wouldn't be such a nuisance...

Fortunately, these measures seem to be working and people are enjoying the park again.

Skunk and Ground Hog Update

Early this spring, when we discovered that groundhogs were living under one or two of our backyard sheds, I was very upset...

I was ready to pay whatever it might take to have a wildlife specialist remove them from our yard. But Terry was determined to try to get rid of them himself. I (quite frankly) couldn't imagine that a non-professional would have much success...

But, thanks to suggestions we found online, Terry did manage to get them to move. We sprinkled talcum powder and Epsom salts around the sheds, left human hair lying about. Terry also put containers of ammonia in each crawl space he could reach.

We were overjoyed at our success when they left. But we should have filled the openings immediately, because a day or two later, a skunk moved in under one of the sheds.

I thought he would deter prowlers - animals as well as people - but Terry was determined to get him out. Again we looked online and followed a suggestion to soak rags in apple cider vinegar and put them in plastic bags with a few air holes - and put them into the skunks nest...

Terry added rags soaked in ammonia - and waited. After about a week, the skunk moved as well...

At this point, he quickly closed up the hole with wire, gravel, rocks, bricks and a patio stone.

So - for now - our sheds have no animals living under them! I'm surprised we were able to get rid of them on our own! There is a lot of helpful information online. We wouldn't have known what to do without it!

Exploring Arnprior's River Park

Not long ago, Terry and I headed to Arnprior's large riverfront Robert Simpson Park -where the  Madawaska River flows into the Ottawa River.

The park was closed to vehicles...

But there were a few families out enjoying the day.

Even a fisherman in a boat.

Terry and I walked around - and even wandered into the neighboring cemetery.

I'd like to build a house on a cliff like this, Terry commented.

It would have an amazing view!

Ottawa Tulips in Bloom

The few tulips I planted in my garden didn't make a spectacular show...

But a few miles away, across from Dow's Lake, there are beautiful tulip beds - a gift of the government of Holland...

There was no Tulip Festival this year... No gatherings of people...

We didn't walk around - but we did drive by one day...

So beautiful! Maybe Terry and I should plan a walk here before the tulips disappear.

Kindly Squirrel?!

We live in a neighborhood with lots of small animals - rabbits, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks - as well as larger ones, like ground hogs, raccoons and coyotes...

I've started taking walks with a walking stick just in case I encounter the coyotes. I've never seen them, but Rob, a neighbor a few doors down, took a picture of them in his back yard. Another picture of two coyotes walking down a neighboring street was posted online by our community association, so they have been seen by a number of people.

Terry is a fan of the rabbits - and my favorite outdoor animals are the squirrels. They always look so cheerful as they Jump from branch to branch on trees and hedges! That said, I'm glad we've never had a problem with them trying to build a nest in our house - unlike my daughter, who had squirrels living in the walls of an old apartment building she lived in in Toronto.

I personally have had very few negative experiences with squirrels. Once, when our children were young, I put a birthday cake outdoors on the deck to cool before icing it. I stepped away for a minute, assuming that the steam rising from the cake would deter a squirrel from approaching. A few minutes later, I returned - to find a squirrel sitting in the still-steaming cake, eating it as quickly as he could! I never left food outdoors unattended after that!

But I have had several experiences when (I think) squirrels have, in fact given me food... (Terry - who hates squirrels - would deny that they are capable of this much intelligence...)

Once, a few years ago, I put some stale cookies in our outdoor compost heap - only to find them returned to our window sill... (I remember writing a blog post about this, posting pictures of the cookies on the ledge.) Was a squirrel thinking: People, these belong to you...?

A few days ago, I found another "gift" from a squirrel - a gummy candy propped up against  the screen of our back door... I have no idea where the gummy came from but I could imagine the squirrel again thinking: This is human food... Here, it's for you!

Surprised By... Kindness!

Terry and I were recently walking through one of our favorite river-view parks when we noticed  colorful chalk writing on the sidewalk...

Terry paused to read it... Was it a game?

No - it was a words of encouragement...

Be the reason why someone believes in the goodness of people #happyottawa

We continued walking...

Before long, we found another:

Don't just be good to others
Be good to you
#happyottawa

Then another!

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax
#happyottawa

And another!

Look at all the beauty in your life and be happy
#happyottawa

The final one we saw summed them all up:

Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly and most underrated agent of human change #happyottawa

Life is a constant change...

Occasionally my daughter and I chat via FaceTime as we both have our morning coffee. Last year we were able to visit in person and go out to eat. This picture was taken at an outdoor Bavarian-style cafe.

Recently she and I were discussing the importance of resiliency during these pandemic times...

There are times I don't feel that resilient, I confessed. I'm impatient to travel again. I want to come and visit you in Guelph - and see Ivy and Jericho in Toronto.

When I think of resiliency, I think of Grandma, my daughter commented. She adapted well to so many changes.

True - she talked more about the future than the past. She never seemed to look back... Or if she did, she rarely talked about it... Rarely talked about her teaching days, my childhood, or even about life with my father. Just once - in the nursing home - she  said: I don't think Dad would have been happy here. He would have found it hard to accept help...

True... But he might have surprised us, just as she did. I never expected her to adapt as easily as she did to everything life brought  her way.

When she finally did need all the care that a nursing home could offer, it took her a while to adjust.

She was, by nature, very independent.

But when she did, whenever visitors came, she'd say: This is a good place to be if you need help.

Another comment she often made was: Life is a constant change. She didn't expect it to be any other way. Maybe recognizing that fact is the key to resiliency.

Still Reading Library Books...

I recently came across the title of a book recommended by a blogger I follow. I checked my public library catalog - and discovered they had an e-book copy... Although the library is closed, we are still able to download e-books.

There were a number of holds on it, so I added my name to the list. A while later, I was able to download it on my e-book reader: It's called The War that Saved My Life.

So fascinating! It's a historical novel set in Britain during World War II, when children from London were sent to live with strangers in the country. I'm not usually a fan of war stories - but I loved this one...

I've now placed a hold on the sequel, The War I Finally Won.

More Park Walking

The weather is finally getting warmer in Ottawa...

Consequently more people are out and about..

Recently Terry and I were walking at Claudette Cain Park on the Rideau River...

Located in a neighborhood with lots of family homes, it's natural for parents and children to come here, even though the play structures aren't accessible yet.

As we wandered on paths - and part-way across the bridge...

There were so many pedestrians and cyclists out enjoying the day that Terry and I wondered:

Maybe it's time to find a less popular place to walk!

Trying to Sew the Perfect Cloth Face Mask

I've decided to sew a few face masks to wear when I go into grocery stores. So far, I've made a few, but none are "perfect"!

I added elastic to the top of the first one I made, from a piece of quilted fabric, but I found it too tight to wear for long periods of time.

And did it really have to be that tight?!

After all it wasn't for hospital use... I just wanted a layer of protection in case someone coughed near me - and to stop myself from touching my face.

The second I made was a rectangular .one, with a dart on each side to give it rounded shape...

The elastics around the ears are a little tight...

Maybe I need to try one that ties around the back of the head...

I made this one out of double sided quilted material, that I could shape it a bit by adding ties to the sides, and tying it in the back... so no pressure on the ears...

I used old shoe laces. I like the fact that the top tie holds the mask in place over the ears.

Would elastic ties work better?

A neighbor told me about a you tube video that showed a woman making a no-sew face mask by cutting tube socks a certain way.

I went to my odd-sock collection and made half a dozen. My only comment on this is to make sure the tube you cut is both wide enough for your face and large enough to go from your chin to cover your nose. But, with the right socks, the method is ingenious! (I was going to link to the tutorial, but I can no longer find it on you tube... there are so many tutorials out there now. Maybe I should add one of my own!!)

So, in short, I haven't made a perfect face mask yet. I'm still experimenting. But I do always  carry one in my pocket - and once I wear it, I throw it in the laundry as soon as I get home. So I probably need half a dozen or more...