Like a Kid in a Candy Shop!

Terry in a hardware store is like a kid in a candy shop... Or a toy store...?? It's  hard to drag him away!

Let the good times roll!

What?!! ... Why?!

Sometimes you see things that defy explanation...

Like this mattress lying in the median...

Did it fall off a truck? Or was someone in s nearby apartment throwing it out?!

(Fortunately, it didn't stay there long!)

Back Doing Pottery

Last week I returned to the nearby pottery studio for the first time in 2 1/2 years... since Covid arrived in Ontario.

As I gathered up my supplies in the basement, I also grabbed a shopping bag full of unglazed cups snd bowls. 

Why were they still unglazed? I don't remember! Maybe  I was waiting for s quiet day in the glazing room... and it never happened.

So I spent my first two hours glazing pots.... and this little owl.

It was nice to be back!

Downtown Rally

Last week Terry did something a little out of the ordinary...

He headed downtown to join a rally on Parliament Hill to draw attention to the problem of poverty in Canada.

The rally was organized by a friend who feels strongly that everyone should have a guaranteed basic income.

Most came to the rally by bus, but I drove Terry downtown, then dropped in for a quick visit with out daughter, who lives nearby.

I don't get downtown much these days, so I also stopped to get some goodies at a bakery in the Market.

I noticed that I wasn't  the only one who had walked in for treats!

Fun to do something out of the ordinary!

An interesting day for both Terry and me!

Finally… Equinox (in Ontario)

I remember learning in school that September 21 was “equinox” - equal hours of daylight and darkness… I assumed that this occurred on that exact date everywhere in the world.

But my daily tracking of daylight hours showed me that here - in eastern Ontario where I live - it actually occurred yesterday, September 25!

This leaves me with questions: Is this the case in some parts of the world or everywhere? Does it fluctuate (in leap years, for example)…?

A quick check on my weather app shows me that in Guelph, where my daughter used to live, it was equinox yesterday, as it did in Ottawa, though sunrise and sunset times are slightly later in the day..

But in other places in the world - like Jerusalem, which is farther south - sunrise and sunset times yesterday were 3 minutes different.

Another southern location, Dallas, Texas, where my brother lives, there was a two-minute difference the date we had our equinox, so I assume they reach equinox on a different date than Ottawa does. 

So there’s no equinox date that’s the same all over the world?!

This is all very interesting - if a little confusing!

Candy Store Message

Love this candy store display - and message!

I’m trying (with great difficulty) to lose a few pounds - so it’s not that “sweet” for me!

New Sofa

Terry welcomed a new FIRM sofa into our living room / TV room last week...

This will make it easier to get up, he commented as he tested its firmness...

(I hate to think that we're at that  stage  - but I guess we are!)

I was happy to see that it works as a nice room divider as well. Hope it gives us years of good service. We tend to keep our furniture for a very long time.

Still in Style?!

Occasionally, on my mall walks, I see new styles, reminiscent of clothing we wore in the 1960s and '70s… like this plaid jackets I recently saw in the mall. (I remember my brother wearing plaid the year he got married... back in 1973.)

(My daughter once told me that if you remember wearing it the first time round, you're too old to wear it now... Not sure if she's right...)

But I do find it gratifying to see ads for clothing very similar to items I bought several years ago and still like to wear... 

Makes me feel I'm not totally out of touch!

Secret Gardens in Perth

Terry and I - and our older son - headed to Perth last Wednesday to have lunch at one of our favourite restaurants - Michael's Table.

Then we wandered around historic downtown Perth.

We discovered several "secret gardens" - one next to the museum that also serves as a tourist information centre.

The other was tucked away behind an old passage way that may have been s driveway for horse-drawn carriages, when these buildings were first built.

The building had a "for sale" sign in the window... 

Is it a business or residence? Perhaps both! But it could definitely be a cute place to live!

Enjoying the Sunlight

I've only realized in recent years how much I'm affected by sun and daylight - and by cloudy, rainy days.

That may have been why I was so unhappy my first year away from home - at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where the weather was grey snd rainy.

As a child, I was oblivious to the weather!

So now, with ever-shortening hours of daylight - and cooler, refreshing fall weather - I'm enjoying this in between season. 

I'm happy to wake up at dawn - around 6 am, not 4 am as in mid-summer - and have a cup of coffee outdoors on slightly chilly mornings, as I sometimes do these days - before the inevitable first snow falls.

Sunny September Day in Perth

Last Wednesday, Terry and I headed out for a day trip to Perth - about an hour away.

The day was sunny.

Cooler weather had surprised us... 

I needed some adventure before winter arrives!

Wednesdays are a great day to visit small towns. 

Restaurants and bakeries that may be closed after the weekend are generally open again.

There are fewer people out and about.

A quiet, peaceful, beautiful day. So glad we came!

Remembering the Queen

Today eyes will be focused on the funeral of Britain's longest reigning queen.

Yesterday, when I saw this article about renewed interest in Elizabeth II memorabilia, I suddenly remembered my coronation cup and saucer...

It was a Christmas gift from my godparents the year she became queen. I remember receiving it, those many years ago. It hasn't been used a lot though.

Monarch Butterflies

Most of the butterflies I see in our yard are white. 

So its a real treat to see monarch butterflies among the flowers. I've  heard they fly to and from Mexico every year. It may be true, but I really find that hard to believe! If it is true, I wonder when they'll up and leave my garden! (Before the first frost?!)

Then summer will really be over! [Sigh!]

Old Timers!

Three “old timers”!

The two on the left got married 45 years (or 16,425 days) ago today! (Terry did the calculation!)

Lots of adventures…Where has the time gone?!

Walk on the Wild Side

I recently took a walk near the college water pond - where melting snow creates marsh-like conditions for birds in spring.

I didn’t see any water in the pond this time…

But it was full of wild grasses.

Still beautiful to see. I’m all for planting native grasses, and letting them grow wild. But among them were tall thistles - ripe with seeds floating off into neighbourhood gardens.

Thats one of the problems with "wild” gardens in the city. Noxious weeds can still infest them unless they're carefully maintained.