The Downside of Brick Driveways

All summer long plants have been growing in the yard...

Even in the cracks of the driveway bricks!

I usually try to keep them under control, but Terry decided to try some new techniques this year...

They didn't work either!

So we were back to pulling them out by hand!

(The downside of having a brick driveway... with lots of cracks!)

Tree Cutting Time

Squirrels plant seeds... some of which eventually grow into trees...

The ones that survive are often tucked among other plants... (like in my flower beds) or protected by a fence.

A few days ago tree-trimmers came to remove dead branches... and cut down trees growing close to the wire fence.

The yard looks a lot sunnier with the scrub trees gone...










 

(But some small ones remain to take their place!)

Personal Seasons

I've come to the realization, as I wonder about signing up for fall art courses, that my year has personal "seasons": times when I can be outdoors, and others stretches of time when I rarely leave the house - like the slippery days of winter, when I'm confined indoors for weeks on end, and the hottest days of summer, when I tend to stay indoors most of the day.

My favorite "season" is when I can walk outdoors and feel invigorated... 

So as I think about what I want to do this fall... and wonder why I don't have the urge to sign up for weekly classes or activities right now , I realize that the weather is still too nice for that.

Perhaps in January, when I expect ice and snow will cover the ground. But not now... Not yet... (Though it is always fun to learn something new!)

Shaving... The Way It (Sometimes) Was!

I did a double take when I saw this photo of shaving... with an axe! It accompanied a barbershop ad... Not that they claimed to use an axe for shaving!

Probably just taken for the ad, I thought... I mean, could an axe be that sharp?!

But when I googled shaving with an axe, I even found instructions!! It appears the angle of the axe - as well as its sharpness - are important.

So loggers shaved with axes back in the day... ?!

(Did they shaved often? I wonder...  I think most had beards!)

Hard to believe it was really that way - in the backwoods - back in the day?!!

How Much...?!!

Terry usually does all the meat shopping for the family...

So I was more than a little surprised to see that the price of meat has jumped!

Excuse me, I've never seen meat that costs $65 / kilo, I said as I took the pictures.

One customer bought four steaks - $100!

In spite of the prices, the butcher shop was doing a booming business!

People do like their meat!

National Gallery's Alex Colville Exhibit

One of the Canadian painters I have long admired is Alex Colville... I loved his realistic paintings depicting everyday life.

An exhibit of his work was on display at the National Gallery in Ottawa all summer. I realized last week that, if I didn't go soon, I'd miss it! So off I went!

The exhibit was very interesting...

I'd forgotten that his paintings often included animals...

After trying to read all the notes accompanying the paintings, I was too tired to check out any of the other exhibits!

Luckily I bought a membership instead of a ticket. Hopefully I'll get back to see the other exhibits soon!

What Season...?!!

Back in my teaching days, I hated getting "back to school" flyers in August ... Trying to unwind, I didn't want to be reminded of work! (Like reading work-related emails while on vacation... How restful is that!?!)

Yesterday teachers and kids went back to school here in Ontario...

Retired now, I went shopping!

What did I see at Costco? Christmas cards, gift wrap...,

... decorations, chocolates...

Now I don't want to complain... but we're still enjoying warm weather here in Ontario... In fact, we're enjoying a lengthy heat wave.

Do I really want to be reminded (by an artificial snowman) that in a few months, the ground will be covered with snow?!