May 1st – 2nd

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 33 degrees, Edmonton 12 degrees Calgary 9 degrees”

Well another 13 hour day done. We left Calgary about 8am and arrived home around 9:30pm. Today I had a all female work crew. They all were excellent helpers. Struggled with terminology like flush, plumb, level, dado etc but with a little coaxing it all turned out. Some first time events with Jessica using the nail gun and Jackie using the sawsall for her first time. Penny is a old hat at nail guns and we had her helping out also. I wanted more done but I am happy with what we accomplished. We dadoed trim boards for the T&G Pine paneling, we installed cover fascia boards, corner trim boards, made window boxes and trimmed them, made a pass thru window box and trimmed, made jamb and notched in hinge pockets on door and jamb for a outside, installed door frame, door and trim, adjusted pergola ledger board, blue skinned the corners and installed gable trim boards.

With Jackie’s , Jessica’s and Penny’s help we got our days work done. AGAIN it was extremely difficult working with warped boards. I cut the jamb down to 4 9/16 out of a 1 x 6 and trying to keep a straight cut was impossible and this was on a table saw. To get everything flush was a monumental task but with the girls help I am satisfied and caulking can cover a plethora of adjustments.

A few more trim boards, install of glass and a one door unit and then the roof and we are done except for the interior and a few exterior “fancy” things.

You know that saying timing is everything well here is a perfect example.

As usual we were treated like kings on the food side. For supper Penny made her chili and it is great. One of the better ones and she added a couple of items that I am going to steal for mine. I like the white kidney beans added plus the mushrooms, celery and diced tomatoes all made an excellent combo. I am not sure what spices she used but I am ok with my chili powder which I love. Fresh buns with chili you can’t go wrong. I keep eating and eating but these long hours of working more than ate up enough calories I had, I had to add sweets to keep from dropping below my magic number.

Everyone including the dog slept in today until 9:30 which was nice. On my agenda today is NOTHING but rest and relaxation.

It was a nice day and I enjoyed it fully. Jackie made great supper for Audrey & I which was a nice ending for the day. Angel Spaghetti, Angel Fruit cake, Italian meatballs, and garlic toast is nice change and great tasting.

Thought of the Day

Life is like a jar of jalapeño peppers.  What you do today may be a burning issue tomorrow.

May 3rd- 4th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 32 degrees, Edmonton 12/13 degrees, Calgary 14/12 degrees”

Alan was here at 7:30 am and we returned at 9:30 pm so another 14 hour work day. My body and mind are holding up very well mostly due to my natural athletic abilities.

Today was the first time ever for myself or Alan to work with a metal roof. I have to say if I am ever doing another shed I will NEVER go back to asphalt. Metal is lighter, much easier, a lot lot quicker and easy on the body compared to shingles. The only issue I have is, is it as water tight ? If you look in the dictionary “rubber washer” states ” temporary seal”. So how long do they last ? How can you be sure every washer is tight enough or not over tightened ? Anytime putting a hole into your roof isn’t a good idea especially when exposed ( shingle nails are all covered) but it has been around for a long time. Time will tell, but I like the ease, and I like the look. It is about 2.5 times more expensive than asphalt ( shingles $1.00 per sq ft versus $2.70 a ft) but I still would choose steel on a shed or garage. After the fact and being our first time I thought we should have forgot where the centre rib is and found a rafter to screw to. Next time as every time you always learn something new.

Not knowing what we were doing it turned out wonderful. It does use a lot of screws. The pieces of steel for capping the factory gave us didn’t quite make sense to me and I didn’t care for their idea on the end coverage. After a little talking between my idea of using a rake cap and plant manager idea of open end we ended up with a custom sized drip edge cover that not only worked great but looks fantastic. The metal shop was like stepping back a few centuries but their customer service was exceptional and great product with ease of modification. Cutting a panel with the angle grinder sure uses up a blade fast as it is quite thick.

So our 14 hour day included the driving, installing and completing the roof, trim on back side and around bar door. New fascia boards. Installed jamb liner and door on front side and trim work here and there. Only a opening sidelight door, the barn doors and one interior divide wall and I will leave the balance for much later.

A wonderful supper with homemade burgers that tasted great. Penny uses Gold Fish crackers instead of soda crackers for filler. Big burgers and great tasting including potato salad. Great meal but Alan and i both noticed a few burger burps on the way home.

I need to get my motor home ready and I have not started on my lot as of yet. So I will watch the weather and timing to get the last few things done.

I took my Jeep in for a a/c repair today. This has been an issue from when it was brand new. The dealership ( remember they are crooks) recharged it and said no leaks and they must have half filled it from factory. A couple years later same issue and still no leaks and they will recharge under warranty. A couple yeas later took to another dealer and same story but a lot cheaper as they didn’t charge for the evac. Another win for those radical green people forcing shops to evac or be fined. Another year in Arizona an experienced a/c guy no leaks a recharge for $50. Then the heater core sprung a leak so I decided to change out the a/c evaporator at the same time ($2500) as it is a possible leak source and undetectable. Next year another recharge and told a small minute leak from the compressor after having the car for two days of testing. ( need to find a leak and repair in order to refill to appease the green people ) Today same issue and a small leak from the Schrader valve found.( understand it is made up to refill, to again appease the idiots) Should be good for another year.

Sunny then rain and then sun. Cooler

Watching the news tonight you knew it had to happen. LOADS of people including family and people we know personally including ourselves to an extent not following the rules which were less restrictive as the Premier wanted the public to accept responsibility and they didn’t. So larger fines and a lot stricter measures in place. I really feel for the small businesses affected again and I am sure we are going to lose some more great businesses. I plan to support a few the best I can. Hopefully three weeks with a reduction in cases and a uptick in shots we will be in a better place.

If this vehicle ever came to fruition the Jeep would be gone and this truck would be in my garage no matter what the cost. Hopefully with a LS6 in it. The truck pictured above is like my 1972 Blazer and the prototype is a Silverado Blazer version that we are hoping GM builds.

Thought of the Day

In the 60’s, people took LSD to make the world weird.  Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal.

May 5th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 36 degrees, Edmonton 16 degrees, Calgary 14 degrees”

A cooler day but NO WIND so a win. Today we were golfing with Jeff & Wendy at River Spirit which I had forgotten what a beautiful course this is. 27 holes, magnificent views of the mountains, and lots of elevated tee boxes. I really really liked this course. Now the golfing was a whole other matter. Jackie had pain in her wrists and thumbs so struggled all day. Jeff & Wendy had an off day and I golfed the worst I have in a long time and most likely my highest 9 hole score in a long time. Luckily the back nine at 42 saved the total score. Not to make excuses but for the first time Daisy was not well behaved until about a hour in or more. Stiff back and a heavier jacket as the day started out cooler than we expected didn’t help the cause. I do know it was a fun day, good weather, great course and anytime golfing with friends is a good day.

When the sun is shining and you are allowed to, you HAVE to. We sat on the patio at Rivers Spirit looking at the mountains and enjoying a drink. I have to say they made a great Caesar drink. It was “semi” normal for after golf event and knowing that it ends for three weeks starting Sunday we had to get it in. FUN.

They had closed the kitchen which was unfortunate but just relaxing on the deck was nice. We picked up fast food on the way home then took Daisy for a walk then settled in for the evening.

Great day

Thought of the Day !

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.

May 6th-7th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 35 degrees, Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 19 degrees”

First time for my men’s league game out at Turner Valley. I checked my bag before leaving and discovered I needed to get a few balls for the game just in case. So I whipped to Golf Town and picked up some that were on sale. I am not brand specific as I am not sold on paying $6 a ball versus $2 and only lose or damage them.

So I different highway to the course. Long story short I received a speeding ticket.

MY RANT

For those that know me they know that I am not a fan of the typical traffic cop. They are the trainee cops. In a lot of cases these individuals were bullied at school, had a inferiority complex as a child, and still may, and wanted to be cop to feel important or at least to exert some power over people. I am not saying it is an easy job as there for sure is a danger element to it but we need to vet these guys and girls a LOT better before sending them out to the streets.

I haven’t decided what I am going to do this time. I could see the Officer of the Court and have it reduced or I could go to trial and hope the cop doesn’t show up. The reason is if I look at it sensibly and use black and white logic I am guilty. If common sense and fairness could come into play I am not guilty. As the law states the speed limit does not change until exactly at the sign. In my mind this is not common sense. In this circumstance the highway had construction on it with a lowered speed limit. I was at least a mile past the construction and started to speed up. A mile past the construction a 80km portable sign appeared with the cop hiding behind a roadside lobster truck. So I was a mile past construction, a portable sign and only 100 yards before the 110 kms sign. IT IS THE PERFECT SET UP for a cop to take advantage of the public, increase revenues and having no aspect of traffic safety. Pure entrapment. I really don’t know how these cops can go to bed at night and feel they did a good job. That is their downfall as they actually believe they did a good job. It is NOT correct, not professional, sneaky, crooked, conniving ,yet by taking the law to the degree I was speeding. If the police departments want to earn back the respect like they used to have of the general public they need to stop this kind of ridiculous entrapment.

Annoying and as ignorant as the cop was I didn’t let it upset me enough to affect my golf. I have met too many cops with this attitude. I am not a defund the police guy but I am all for additional training and taking a common sense approach to the law. Traffic revenue should never be a line a item in the police budget or a cities budget. Nor should a performance evaluation be based on the quantity of tickets issued.

Now I haven’t been so innocent over the years as this abstract with 40 demerits before loosing my license indicates, but over half of these were written by one bad cop. Every Saturday night I knew a another ticket was going to be written. The harassment didn’t stop even with a letter to the police chief and only stopped after buying a new car to go unrecognized.

Looking at the above data I am sure most people would agree that a study is required on the “too low of speed limits” as that can only be the root cause of the tickets. The terminology used is also suspect as a stunting ticket in my case was usually a burn out. One careless driving was a short race the other just a short “fun” scare tactic.

Another WINDY day. It is amazing how many strong wind days we are having this year. 20 degrees but at least 30- 50 kms winds. As usual ball flight and club selection are factors. I wasn’t displeased with golf yet didn’t care for the final scoring. I finished 29th out of 40 guys so not stellar BUT I won money off Larry which doesn’t happy too often so I was very pleased. A fun foursome and some great shots especially with the conditions. FUN !

I received notice today of a new change in protocols for golf . This new system is going to suck. It will hurt golf course sales and make tee times extremely difficult especially on single golfers. They are changing to household members only in your group. No foursome as we used to be allowed together from different households. I hope it is short lived.

Today is the first day of online learning again, for Jackson. I feel sorry for the students during this pandemic. They are NOT being taught well. They will be passed without achieving excellence. They are missing out on the most fun part of school which is the socializing. While I believe online can work for older students this is not a sustainable system for the younger kids. There is not enough structure, discipline, or accountability. Just remember don’t go see the doctor or mechanic that has certificate stating 2020 or 2021.

I also finished my budget numbers today for April and as usual we spent more than I would have liked. That is what a budget is for to determine where the dollars went and if you can change or modify them or accept them. April we were still renovating so the backsplash needed accounted for and I had to pay my Turner Valley membership fee plus a fee extra’s that just popped up. Money flies. LOL

We watched a few episodes of our favorite NETFLEX show the Fosters which is always entertaining. A very light supper after having fast food for lunch with Jackson.

Thought of the Day

All of us could take a lesson from the weather.  It pays no attention to criticism.

May 8th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 36 degrees, Edmonton 7 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees ”

Woke up to the coolness and rain. We need it so no complaints other than why during the day. Is it too much to ask for night time rain.? I am sure with the amount of seeders in the fields I have seen, the farmers are happy and the firefighters. It will green up the grass quickly and the buds will pop.

I booked the motor home in for it’s spring oil change ( every spring and fall no matter what mileage) plus a a/c recharge on it also for the summer. They need to make better seals in the a/c system as every vehicle I have owned seems to experience a leak.

Jackie was on a house cleaning binge today with the mop, vacuum cleaner, cloth’s and wiping going on everywhere.

I sprained my hand somehow and have no clue how I did it. Very painful and I can only think I slept on it twisted in the night. Hopefully the pain disappears quickly. Very unusual as the hand is even swollen some. Life is an adventure.

I think I will whip out to the lot today to pick up my rollers for Lethbridge and check it out. If not raining too hard I will ready the motorhome to drive to town later in the week. I do need to buy more mouse traps. I like poison seeds but again the “concerned “animal right people think that is cruel and they don’t sell them anymore.

I am not interested in hockey anymore with the Flames having fizzled. Might watch a bit of golf later .

It is funny as even with this Covid BS things are good. A lot different than normal but overall good. Our life still is pleasurable, we get to see our kids even though having to stay distant, we talk to friends and family regularly, do project work and golf, so not bad at all. I do hate the fear and anxiety caused by being careful in not getting sick though. I just hope for three weeks people JUST follow the RULES and sacrifice a bit to end this chaos.

I hope people see what Trudeau has done to us. I am now a month after my first shot and still up to 3 months wait for the second. The manufacturer says 3 weeks between. Trudeau due to total incompetence in procuring vaccines, is playing Russian roulette with us. We could have another 4th wave as the first shot immunity wanes and we get sick. In the USA to not follow drug manufactures directions is a crime. Trudeau should be imprisoned. It is just sad as in most likelihood when we do get the second shot we will not even be close to the immunity we need. And the younger kids and Eastern Canada LIKE this guy. Amazing !

Am I allowed to call people DUMB in today’s world. I guess you never really were allowed. LOL BUT man are there some D*** people out there. I was waiting in line at the self check out in Sobey’s today and I thought I was watching a comedy show. Perhaps a Dumb & Dumber movie sequel. A old man on one check out and a young couple on another. Between these two people the clerk was going back and forth like a yo-yo as they couldn’t figure out things. If you were not blessed with a sharp mind, if you lack the intelligence, patience or are cognitively impaired GO THRU THE CLERK not the self serve. The line up was at least 10 deep and we all were watching in disbelief as they kept calling the clerk over for another reason. People, theses things are designed so simple a 10 year old can use them. It is a funny world. My turn comes up and I go extra fast not only to speed up the line but to show the line behind me how easy it is. LOL Things like this just make me smile. I find it quite enjoyable not annoying in the least. Some what entertaining.

A relaxing day. Nice to smell the rain and fresh air. Wonderful to see things greening up right in front of us. But cold.

I only picked up the rollers at the lot as it was too cold. My feet were getting cold in my sandals. I cleaned up a few things, swept the deck but I didn’t want to start up the home furnace so I left and came back to the city.

Thought of the Day

I don’t know why we are so worried about Covid. Don’t they know that DEATH is the Number One killer in the world.

May 9th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 33 degrees, Edmonton 14 degrees, Calgary 5 degrees, snow”

Looking outside at the mist and light drizzle I am happy to live in the tropical part of Calgary. Watching the news this morning they were showing pictures of the snow in backyards and on patio tables in the NW and it made me feel lucky to be so far south and have so much better weather. Then I checked Edmonton’s weather. The world is turned upside down. They should never get better weather than us.

MOTHERS DAY

It is the second year now with a “closed” down version of Mothers Day. It is unfortunate we are in this position again but one has to just take it for what it is and be happy that we are not sick and everyone we know is healthy.

Being in our 60’s Jackie and I are lucky to still have our Mother’s with us. My Mom is 89 years old and Jackie’s is 82 so they are getting up there. Hopefully good health continues for them for years to enjoy life, family and friends.

My Mom is doing awesome with recovery from a broken ankle and another TIA. She had bolts inserted into her ankle to stabilize it. After 2 months in the hospital she is up and walking to her dinner table in the common area, walking the hallways for exercise and even walking down the hallway with her laundry to get that done. The Senior’s home she is in is awesome with care, food, and the ability to socialize during meal time or in normal times special events.

Jackie’s Mom is doing exceptional still living by herself and doing everything required to do so. It is too bad the knee replacement surgery lead times are so long as that would make a huge difference in her quality of life. To cook, clean and take care of not only yourself but a household isn’t that easy as you get older.

Next year we will need to have a REAL MOTHERS DAY celebration without restrictions.

Happy Mothers Day Ruth and Audrey

And the Mother of my children Jackie. I sure knew how to pick one. Wonderful Mother, caring, kind, over generous with time and money and a person that just wants to help everyone. Always thinks of others before herself.

So with the new rules we can’t visit my Mom in Edmonton and our girls can’t visit us. We all need to say it is just a little longer. The one good thing is single households are much luckier as they can have guests limit to two visit them.

So with the rain, snow in some parts we will stay home and order takeout tonight for supper.

I was inundated with emails today with the new golf course rules. Family members only and groups of two or single. Tee times will be short of supply. My personal opinion is the new rules are not well thought out at all but I still agree with them as people have to start helping to stop the spread. Very inconvenient, costly to the courses but we are lucky compared to Ontario having to completely close down. My men’s league has been put on furlough, but we still have a tee time ( 2 now due to rules) this week with Jeff & Wendy.

Here is picture today of my home course. Needless to say no rush before the rule change today with the weather. LOL

Spring is always odd but again we need the moisture so a good thing.

It seems so quiet today. Very dull not our typical sunny Alberta.

Tonight for Mothers Day supper I ordered from Starbelly’s. What a wonderful meal. We have never been inside this restaurant but it is great looking with a open kitchen and nice decor. The food was AWESOME. My Steak was perfect and the Salmon dish cooked to perfection. Even the Key Lime Pie was perfect. We will be back.

A great meal, portioned right sized and delightful tasting.

Thought of the Day

If you still feel hungry you could just be thirsty. Drink a pitcher of beer and see how you feel.

May 10th-11th

“Mercury Forecast- it is May, May be 20 above May be -5, May snow, May rain”

We have received some of everything and the week looks like it is going to carry on that way.

Up and leaving the house at 7:30 am and returned at 9:30pm. Another 14 hour work day. A quick stop at Tim’s for breakfast on the road. A very nice drive with few cars on the road.

I was happy with what I accomplished today. First thing was to complete the door jambs. Easy task turned difficult with our twisted wood. I had to use clamps, drill and pull with chisel etc trying to get it on and look good plus perform. I had to remind myself it is a shed and if I was building a house I would have used rabbited jamb and wouldn’t have had to double layer the jamb. The wood this year is brutal as I have said before with the amount of twisting and warping. I completed this and then moved to the doors. I drilled the backset holes. I have a 1963 jig for this but today I was free handing it. I then made and installed a 10 inch wide swinging sidelight door to allow the Razor, wheelbarrow etc to be put in the shed part easily. Outswing, flush mount hinge and using two barrel bots for security plus installing a astragal on the door. I trimmed up the remaining side boards and then moved to the over door Pergola. Jessica and I decided rather than a down brace I would use chain to give it that cool factor. A neat little Raymond Home Hardware/ mini building center where I picked up the chain, quick links, and turnbuckles to finish this. They didn’t have any wood moldings I could use so I bought MDF which when painted should last fairly long as the window stop. I miscalculated the measurement so only got one window done. I cut up the last 4 x6 for a planter box for them which just adds to the looks. It amazes me how fast time flies by.

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I removed the stabilizer jacks from the girls trailer so they can hopefully get new ones before May Long. Heavy Lethbridge winds with the tongue jack on a block moved the trailer enough to drop off and the level jacks couldn’t handle the twist and fall. They were bent fairly bad.

As usual the meal I received was a 10 out 10. A T Bone steak, baked potato, corn on the cob, sour cream, cheese sauce and broccoli. Just amazing.

A good day with only the bar shelf, and doors for the bar side left to do.

First thing this morning I headed to the Midnapore Shoe Clinic as I had the gentleman repair my second set of Sas sandals. $ 10 to save a $200 pair last another year hopefully is worth it. I do like these Sas but expensive and having said that I am still disappointed that I have to keep repairing the elastic bands on them. Both sets I have now have been repaired.

Then off to Mackenzie to golf. It is just odd the new rules. You can have up to 5 people distance in your backyard but 4 people can’t golf together. I think the governments need to look at each rule and get better at being consistent as a lot of them don’t make logical sense. So Jackie & I golfed together followed by Jeff & Wendy. A lot different not being together.

I golfed really well today but still didn’t score well. I ended up with a 85 but had at least 9 holes where I was putting for a birdie and didn’t make one of them. Next time. Jeff & Wendy both said they golfed good so even though a little on the cool side and different with not being able to golf together but still a fun day.

We went over to Jeff & Wendy’s for an after golf drink and conversation. They have a wonderful backyard, big, fully fenced and awesome deck and patio set up so it turned out great. Wendy had a meat & cheese tray and the BEST tasting tomatoes from Med Hat that I have had in long time. Great conversation, super food, and great setting makes for a fun LEGAL gathering. Plus lots of room for Daisy to run around. I forgot to mention the ice cold frosted mugs that Jeff has. A very nice ending to the day !

Today also is Terry Keys birthday. Not any run of the mill birthday but her 65th birthday. It is of importance for a couple of reasons. Terry can now receive her pay cheque from Trudeau which some call OAS. Besides the extra Senior Specials she will now get, she also no longer has to pay for her fishing licenses.

Now you are not supposed to tell a woman’s age but reaching such a milestone it needs to be out there. There are special events like hitting 1 years old, 10 years old, 13 yrs old, 16 years old, 18 years old, 21 years old, 30 ,40 50 and 60 BUT turning 65 is special. You are recognized everywhere as a senior. In most cases you’re not required to  show ID. Fred had a huge party arranged but we had the Covid lock us down again so I am going to assume a celebration of smaller portions. Some interesting facts on Terry:

• Nobody loves painting more than Terry
• Tries deep lake fishing with her rod and not even holding it. It is a unique concept.
• Only person we know that has a boat named after her.
• Loves wine, and gin and beer with Clam juice
• Always seems to catch a nice sized fish.
• Newly crowned construction queen
• Walking, 9 hole golfing,potluck creations,cooking,making sure Fred can’t rest, taking her time deciding a menu item,redecorating are just a few things Terry is known for.

Enjoy this once in a lifetime day. Embellish the senior in you. Have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. ENJOY 

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Probably the best thing about turning 65 is you should never hear from another life insurance salesman. What most 65 year old’s forget is there is a noticeable decline in memory storage. It is the memory retrieval that causes the issues.

Thought of the Day

Life always offers you a second chance. It is called tomorrow.

May 12th

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 37 degrees, Edmonton 18 degrees, Calgary 20 degrees”

I had the most enjoyable day today. First stop was at Home Depot to pick up some straight wood for the bar counter and serving window doors. It took awhile to get good ones and I made a mess of their lumber pile but I need straight and with the pricing of such they better be straight.

I then headed out to the lot. I worked all day there until about 4pm. It was nice, so quiet, peaceful and relaxing. I cut all of the shooters on our trees, used the weed whacker and trimmed all of the edges, I picked up another 10 bags of leaves. I worked on the motorhome taking off the front window covers and tire covers. I trimmed all of the bushes and flowering plants. I raked all of the gravel to removes buds and small twigs that fell from the trees. I started to do a few other things then realized I don’t have the needed tool ( in Raymond). I installed the slide out travel bars and threw away all of the mouse traps. I will get new ones this fall plus I have my homemade traps outside. No irrigation water on yet so I have to wait to pressure wash. I fertilized the lawn. It was just a nice feeling to be working away outside in the sun with no timeline and enjoying the result in the looks of the effort.

A new resident stopped by and we had a real long conversation. Boy can people talk. She loved our lot and wanted to see if I would help her “westernize” hers. Nice lady that just bought in Feb, Nice golf cart she had.

I took the leaves to the dump and thought on the way I would pick up a new anode rod but wouldn’t you know it. Due to pandemic pressures the RV dealer was out of stock. A search tonight at Woodys or Canadian Tire is in order. I think I will buy two as I replace it every year and it is difficult to find a short 4 inch – 1/2″ one as the bulk of them are 3/4″ and 9 inches. In the past I have cut them down. There is a huge price difference between a magnesium one and a aluminum one. I can’t tell you which is better as I am just happy to get anyone they have. I bought at Amazon with quick delivery at 1/2 price so I am pleased.

I headed to Tor’s place after enjoying the day and Corey on his arrival helped me build the bar counter. Biscuits, pocket screws with PL400 and clamps with ratchet straps to complete the job. We also made the exterior door frames for the server window doors. $100 for 6 short boards. SICK ! Should be good to go this Saturday.

Super weather, fun time working, accomplished a lot and enjoyed it. Awesome !

Thought of the Day

I love GARDENING from my head TOMATOES

May 13th-14th

“Mercury Forecast- Mesa 38 degrees, Edmonton 20 degrees, Calgary 16 degrees”

Great weather. Just perfect in fact.

I took the motorhome in for it’s spring service today. Plus another a/c charge. LOL I dropped it off at 9am and took they Jeep over to the carwash to clean it up. Every vehicle looks so much better clean and they will last, not rust and maintain a higher value. It took a while as it was a little dirty from the country roads and rain. After the wash I headed to Home Depot/Lowes to pick up a couple of things I need for Raymond. The stores were chaos with the amount of people buying plants. Watch them run out of stock very fast as I think the demand is higher than ever. I made myself a promise that I can’t leave Raymond until a RED Geranium is planted in front of the shed. It will be a colorful explosion that will look exquisite.

At Victoria’s house I started putty filling the bar counter. Spruce sometimes can have some knurly knots. I was more worried about straight then knots. I filled all of the knots, low spots and cracks between the boards. It takes a but for the putty to dry so while it was drying away I painted my cargo carrier. A few years and all of the wear and tear caused it to look a little beat up. Now like brand new !

I used my belt sander to level the boards ( here is where a power planer would be so nice) and worked teh top for quite awhile. Then I finished up with orbital sander at 120 grid. I like it not perfection but it is an exterior use counter and weather will beat it down over time anyways. I forever wanted to try a new technique which I did today. I used my propane torch and fire burnt the surface. Not a deep burn but enough to give it character. I like it. A coat of Varathane and it should look awesome.

I can’t believe I miss calculated my board feet for the doors but I did. That happens when you are trying to keep the costs down. I usually buy extra for myself when doing projects as you can always use it up somewhere. So I will need to dado another 2 x 4 in Raymond to complete the doors.

I received the call the motorhome was ready so whipped to pick it up. I thought rush hour didn’t exist during Covid but it was busy. It amazing to me how many poor drivers there are. I like the big motorhome as when I need to change lanes I just pull over. Inevitably someone doesn’t want to let you in. Lack of drivers knowledge and in a lot of cases lack of courtesy. I get in and smile. Two things will happen. Either the guy or girl will catch on the larger vehicles need to time to move over and you need to give room or they will be pissed off and angry. Either one is fine as what I needed to do was achieved.

At Fountain Tire when I picked it up the mechanic wanted to help attach the Jeep as he hadn’t seen this system before. He was amazed at it’s simplicity and effectiveness with not having to be lined up straight or the perfect distance to hook up. The rebuild Fred & I did to these tow bar is a thing of beauty. Works perfect and if I had trusted two different hitch experts at professional shops I would have had to buy a new one.

The highway was full of RV’s tonight with the perfect weekend upon us. Arriving at our Oasis Resort it was also a beehive with many lots opening up for the year. I backed in a tighter spot with the first attempt to perfection. Mirrors and camera’s are wonderful.

Headed home where Jackie had a wonderful supper for me and settled in for the night.

Off to Raymond first thing in the morning.

Thought of the Day

Squirrel who runs up woman’s leg will not find nuts.

May 15th–16th

“Mercury Forecast HOT ” YES !

“Actual weather- Mesa 37 degrees, Edmonton 24 degrees, Calgary 25 degrees”

This is summer weather and I like it. I do love warm summer temperatures. It feels wonderful on the skin, feeds our Vitamin deficiency and makes everyone just a little more cheerful.

We got up early for our drive down as I had set plans with what I wanted to accomplish. We picked up the bar counter at Victoria’ place where I had worked on it the day prior. To only have tools. No power planer so a lot of sanding. I filled the cracks and sanded to get it as smooth as possible. This was the first time I “burnt” the finish. Using spruce which is like gold but still the least expensive wood the burning process really brings out the graining. I like it.

We got it all loaded and started down the road after a Tim’s break.

Then off to work. First item to work on was the bar counter. I rounded the ledger board corner and burnt where needed and installed it at the height we decided on. I proceeded to round the corners of the bar counter and burnt them. I installed it over the ledger board using RSS ( rugged structural screws) and cut down supports out of 2 x 6 at 45 degrees to hold the weight. I really like the look and it will be awesome after a coat of Varathane.

Next on the agenda were the server doors. Trying to build inexpensive, yet good looking doors with crooked wood isn’t easy. In my sleep I came up with a idea and overall I like it. Again crooked wood, inexpensive design and keeping in mind it is a shed they turned out pretty good. I dadoed 2 x 4 ( warped) and installed 1/4 T&G Pine and backed it with 1/4 MDF. The MDF can be painted with chalk paint or a chalk board can be installed over it. I like the look, and am hoping they get the frame part painted black ( putty filled and sanded, plus cover a couple of pins nails that are showing bent over) A couple of barrel bolts after finishing and they will be done except perhaps a center astragal for the weather.

Things take a long time!

Then off to the windows. Finished off the second one and moved to the top one. Unlucky break here. Literally !. My mistake 100 % as I set in the glass and put up a window stop and reached for my nail gun. The wind must have just hit it right and it fell. All I saw was Jackie’s hand reaching for it from the outside. I should have waited and asked for the nail gun but in a hurry. My helper didn’t read my mind what I needed. So we have a blood stained window stops on the one window. It will have to wait for a couple of weeks before I can get to it to put another in. Boy is that glass thin. lol

I installed the door locks and strikes without breaking a bicep. LOL

Penny made us a great burger supper which as usual was very good. Jessica kept the cooler full of ice with water and Diet Pepsi which on a hot day is excellent. Plus she helped getting things here and there as we needed. While very helpful it still is a single worker job and is much slower than having Fred, Corey or Alan helping and being able to do technical, and cutting chores etc. Mind reading or as it really is ” anticipating what is needed” is sooo helpful.

Three things I didn’t get done. Fix the sprinkler system. ( 1 hour) , install the stabilizers ( 1 hour) and build the interior wall ( 1 hour) . I will complete everything after that as the three mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg as off the top of my head there is a long list.

This week I am golfing zero times, preparing the motorhome for the long weekend and working on our lot which has been very delayed due to busyness and weather and we are heading out with Alan & MaryAnn in our motorhomes after the long weekend to Waterton Park for a week. Depending on timing etc we may head to Writing on the Stone or Cyprus also.

I will wait for a picture from Jess & Pen to load after they complete the painting. They have done a great job thus far with the painting and staining. It is a lot of work. They went a way out there though and painted the doors Salmon. I am not a fan so am hoping they change their minds. They have to like it though but by having such a different color combo it reduces the quantity of “Wow what a nice shed” from people. The picture above with Red geraniums and bushes would look awesome. Add the Salmon and it is like a lady wearing black lipstick. Different, some may think cool, but the bulk of the population would not say beautiful. Looking at this picture I sort of like the different color of blue but any other color than Salmon will look good. If they choose to stay Salmon it still looks great not as good as it could.

I loaded all of the tools up and will only bring back what I need for the specific job.

Just before getting to Tor’s place to remove the ladder to get into our underground parking space three cars go zooming by us. A MOMENT of jealousy and envy. Two gorgeous Corvettes and a beautiful Mustang GT all of them “hot rodded”. Wonderful sounding exhausts. I wish I was in my 1967 Camaro to give them a lesson on old school rods. After all of my mod’s ( headers, bored 30 over, polished heads, high compression pistons, hi lift cam, ignition, intake and carb, hi stall converter, shift kit and 4:11 gears) it was fast and would have been fun to see how it stood up. This is a car if I had a close race I would say to Dad ” I need more power” and he would always find something to help. Even if it meant just a few degrees timing change as he knew every winter the engine was torn down for more speed.

If only I was wealthy. sigh

I noticed the Covid case numbers starting to drop which is good. Hopefully in about a months time they will be reasonable and only IF PEOPLE ACT responsible over the next while and we get back to semi normal. I also hope the second doses becomes available quickly.

I was glad to see Jason Kenny’s caucus took a stand and kicked out the two party members. A cancer like them needs to be removed quickly. Any employee undermining their company or boss deserves the same fate. I am sure some of the dissent is still left over from the Wild Rose merger and leadership race controversy. Now get on governing and let the unionists, socialists, and anti vaccine protestors yell away as they still are a smaller portion of the population. It is a media and NDP WAR that Jason has to ignore and let them squeal and cry and carry on doing what he has.

Sunday’s are meant as a rest day and that is exactly what I am going to do today.

Thought of Day

War does not determine who is right; it determines who is left. 

May 17th -18th

Two complete different days when it comes to the weather. On Monday it was HOT reaching 29 degrees on temperature gauge. No wind and no clouds so just a wonderful “summer” day.

I got up early and headed out to the lot. It was another super day. I started at 9am and worked to 8pm and still never came close to getting done what I wanted. The first hours were spent organizing my tools and putting them away. Taking inventory after making them work hard I need a bigger expense Depot shop. I need new jigsaw blades, a new circular saw blade, new table saw blade, reciprocating sawblades, new orbital saw blades, new miter saw blade, new a mix match of sizes of deck screws and I have to sharpen my chisels. Nothing is worst than dealing with dull blades. I sorted and cleaned each tool with it’s bits and accessories into each case then found a storage spot in the shed and storage bin I have. I swept the deck and stones the first day at least 5 times. The sticky buds are close to being done. I had to throw a tarp over the Jeep. I then started to unstrap and remove the tarping and organize the furniture. I have to say I did a great job putting it all away. The irrigation water isn’t on as of yet so I could only sweep and will pressure wash later. Put all of this in it’s place. Cleaned up the space as in certain area’s it was quite dusty. I cleaned out the Saloon, swept, cleaned up the dust and put teh furniture in it’s place also. I took out my Silhouette’s and repainted them as they had faded and had a couple of plywood veneer cracks. I had to do a small tweak to their outline to enhance the figures a bit. All is looking good. I then “Antiqued” painted our welcome sign. I love this look as we have a teal color theme going on.

I had to whip into Strathmore for supper as it was getting later and decided I would stay to get at again in the morning. A few longer discussions with neighbors both across and beside us took up some time. I build a shelving unit in the storage box and put everything in it’s place nice and neat. I was getting tired so decided to call it a night and went in the RV and watched a good movie ” My Spy” on Prime. Talk about wonderful with the breeze, the quiet. and the dark sleeping out there.

The wind started to pick up in the early morning and I had a Gazebo panel rattling. The winds were gusting 69 kph. Huge winds. I worked on the loose panel for about 2 hours but I could not fix it as the wind was lifting it and could bend it. I ended up clamping it and will look at when we get back as it appears to be a good half day to fix it with having to remove panels. I installed both the curtains and screening on the Gazebo which is always interesting as the panels wrap around the corner and you have to strategically place the correct amount of grommets on each side. Jackie has a couple of stitches to put in when she gets time. I covered all of the furniture with it’s individual covers and made sure they were tied down good. Talk about dusty with the wind and teh open dust field across from us.

I came home cleaned up and Jackie and I visited the new Costco. I have to say I do not understand how people like this store so much. I am sure loyal Costco people EAT a way more than than they want and WASTE food a way more than they need. You can’t buy anything in normal quantities. The produce department is a joke. The meat while exceptional and huge quantities has the shortest best before date EVER. Not a fan. I will go buy groceries at Sobey’s for the weekend The Costco trip was to load up on camping season all year long stuff. Now we need food. I am sure our peanut butter jar is close to 45 gallons. Our Costco trip was $525 and I still need veggies, bread, condiments and food items.

The gas lines at Costco are just as startling. Cheap people that don’t put any value on their time. It is about 10 cents a liter cheaper right now. An average car ( lots of different sizing) has a tank about 50 liters so they end up saving $5.00. They drive miles to get there and waited in line for 30 mins to an hour to save $5.00. I don’t get it.

The long weekend weather is looking better each day as we get closer. That is great !

I can’t see any life in my Clematis which is disappointing.

Thought of the Day

Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.

May 19th–21st

“Mercury Forecast Mesa 37 degrees, Edmonton 4 degrees, Calgary 8 degrees”

I understand certain parts of Alberta received snow last night. Now Calgary could potentially see the same tonight. As usual you know people have potting plants out that will get hurt or killed. You have to wait until after the long weekend but people like to jump the gun. How it can go from 29 degrees on Monday to a high of 3 degrees tomorrow is unbelievable.

I took my loaded Jeep full of food out to the lot with Daisy. I organized everything the best I could and found a spot for most things. Just a stop at the beer store and Sobey’s for actual useable food.

The resort was a hive of activity as a bunch of lots got together to get sod delivered.

No damage or even very much mess from the the strong winds yesterday which is good. I still have to figure out how to remove certain panels from my gazebo roof to find a fix for my wobble panel. Looks very interesting and daunting.

Last game of the year for the Flames today. Not making the playoffs isn’t a good thing but it happens. I will cheer for Edmonton Oilers because I am just that kind of guy. It hurts but they are an Alberta team and my old favorite before moving south.

We should FORCE Quebec to be their own nation and leave Canada. Trudeau is a joke. Read this and wake up Canada.

https://winnipeg-can-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=1f8a89472_1345d7b

The weather is looking pretty good for the weekend which is good. Not hot but average and relatively dry. Looks like a couple of days after though when we will still be camping maybe a little wet. Oh well, cards, games and food still makes it fun.

I must be missing something here. Schools are reopening after the long weekend, malls are open, limited retail and yet kids are not allowed sports OUTSIDE, golf is so restricted it doesn’t make sense, it is enough to just make you wonder how clever our health experts and government officials really are. We have allowed so many dim wits to run as our leaders it is unbelievable.

Jackie made us a salmon and rice supper tonight. Now I am NOT a fish liking guy but it was very very good tasting tonight. And a change. My order of favorite meals would go like this:

• Turkey complete meal with mashed potatoes and gravy
• Steak complete meal with any kind of potatoes
• Pork chops with any kind of potatoes
• Pork loin complete meal
• Roast Chicken with all of the trimmings
• Breaded Veal cutlet with mashed potatoes
• Hamburger with fries
• Chicken Wings
• Fish & Chips
• Chili with potato salad
• Spaghetti & meatballs
• Pasta and salad
• Weiner & beans
• KD with ketchup

But for a change the Salmon was exceptional !

Today is getting ready the final things for the long weekend. Normally it is my men’s league golfing today but due to Covid and now snow it is not happening. Come on Mother Nature quite being so temperamental.

Between the Covid and the weather we are having another odd year. If not rain. cold, snow with the odd hot day thrown in we are WINDY. I don’t mind the restrictions if golf was open and the weather decent as I have lot to do to keep busy. Having said that a day relaxing is nice but not when there is something you are looking forward to doing. Even the dog is anxious having to come in from the balcony as it is cold. Plus 2 today .What !

I look at it this way. Everyone I know is healthy. No one is sick of Covid . We all are living a pretty good life, eating well, exercising, experiencing new things and enjoying small things. Life is very good compared to many in the world so we have no reason at all to be a little upset. I do miss the patio chicken wings and Caesars though. Is that wrong ? LOL

Off to bring the motorhome into the city to load up with clothes, food and gas. I expect at least a $300 bill here. Just think I could wait in line for one hour, drive 20 kms to get there and save .10 x 284 liters= $28.00. That makes my time worth less than min wage plus the huge inconvenience. I do have to admit the propane at Costco is cheap ! We will need both bottles plus the carriage full to keep a little warm this year for May Long.

Having said that it is not the worst we have seen I believe but you never know.

This picture is the backyard of our good friends Larry & Anita Geddes in Medicine Hat. Over 4 inches of snow and still a cool night with a chance of more. You got to love Alberta in May. 31 degrees on Monday and 2 degrees today.

I filled up at the Flying J both 20 pound propane tanks, the motorhome tank and the gas tank. Funny as the kid doing this got down on his knees trying to find a date on the tank. A propane tank welded in a frame does not have an expiry date like a portable one. Having said that a valve replacement or at least and thorough inspection may not be a bad idea after 10 years or so.

I whipped to Sobeys to get some real food and had another $200 bill. Odd as they were basically out of water. I unloaded everything and took a quick drive to Safeway. Same thing so I ended up buying a 11 liter Reverse Osmosis water jug and filled it. Trouble is they don’t sell the pumps for these. I need a Canadian Tire stop perhaps.

Got lucky and got a parking spot right in front of the condo so all set to go.

Here is a typical May Long Weekend. There are few that stand out to me. A long time ago with Alan and MaryAnn camping near Boyle AB it was a cold cold weekend, snow etc. Another one in Kananaskis where it was so cold our propane tanks froze. In Bashaw we woke up to a lot of snow and Ron’s awning broke on him. At Raven Golf course we got hit with a hail storm that bent my awning arms. In Camrose it was so cold we struggled to stay warm even in a blast furnace tent. The electricity current was so poor even the furnace couldn’t run. This is only a few examples So we are no strangers to bad weather in May.

Thought of the Day

A man who fights with his wife all day will get no piece at night

MAY LONG

Will post on our return

May 22nd to May 28th

First thing and probably the most important is we had fun. In fact a lot of fun. New things experienced, conversations with friends, visiting with family and friends, and just a relaxing enjoyable week.

We got all loaded up and headed out after picking up Jackson from Tor’s house. I set up everything as it is the LONG Weekend and you need just about everything. This takes a while as we have a lot of STUFF and we were glad for everything. Having our gazebo every time is welcomed with wind, snow or rain. I had my firepit for inside it and even a ceramic heater if we were using the pit outside.

One high lite of the the weekend was the playoffs with the Oilers. Within this group there are few Flames fans and over the years I have always found it ironic my team winning and/or the Oilers losing when needed always seems to happen. We had at least a 100″ screen set up by our resident IT guru Justin to watch hockey. This was awesome with a super picture, great sound and social distancing. A fun break from the chaos of Covid as we could mingle, stay apart yet have a blast together. Everyone enjoyed the experience but a lot didn’t like the result. I loved both. Over the years I have seen so many Oiler fans cry, get shocked and angry on how poor their organization is. FOUR first round picks and still cannot be a cohesive team that can win.

Saturday was our ZOO day and everyone enjoyed this. This park is exceptional with it’s large enclosures and very clean surroundings.  Some very close visuals with some exotic animals kids love. In the evening we had our excursions which was very exciting for everyone. Picked up right at our site in a limo golf cart.

Jackson got to walk a wolf and the even had his face licked by one. He doesn’t know but the son of one of my cousins in Edson lost his hand to a wolf when visiting a wolf sanctuary. He was fitted with a metal claw as a youngster. They are wild. They also got to feed the camels and see a lot of other animals close up. I had pre bought for all of the kids and it was more than worth it as they all enjoyed the experience.

Sunday night was our potluck which during Covid is a lot harder to organize. Everyone was on board with the theme and the “rules”. The theme this year was BIG C for Covid so any food starting with C. The food was awesome which included:

• Chili
• Corn Dogs
• Chili Dogs
• Chicken Wings
• Carrots- sugar & honey glazed, roasted and pickled
• Camping Nacho’s
• Chowder- potato & ham

Each dish was wonderful. The chowder was exceptional, the wings were awesome being hot air cooked and the Camping Nacho’s individually packed I thought wins the most creative prize and were wonderful tasting. Everyone was full I am sure. I could have had more wings though. LOL We did the potluck by staying apart and eliminating the high touch area’s. It was safe, it was varied and it was tasty. We all enjoyed it and the variety of foods.

Sunday night another Oiler game on TV.

This is so ironic but we had decent weather , cloudy and windy but no rain. The game finished with a lot of sad people and I headed to pack up my stuff as my weather app stated rain in the evening. Right after the game and cleanup the skies filled with TEARS. Yes OILER TEARS were actually falling from clouds. Amazing. Only rain we saw on the long weekend which is good. It was cool each day though due to again persisting rain.

I will leave the Oiler fans with one only thought.

• 

The Oilers have been around for 41 years with 23 years making the playoffs. That is 56% of the time. The Flames are 39 years in Calgary with 24 playoffs years. That is 62% so just another stat for the Oilers to think about.

In attendance this year we had 7 units and 18 people. A little less than traditional as Ron & Merle due to Covid had to back out and Fred’s family didn’t make it. Jeff & Wendy choose not to attend also. This was the year where the kids would have had their BEST time. I had picked out 8 sites in advance with a cabin for Jeff & Wendy right in the middle but even though we were missing some people it was exceptional overall.

Between zoo time and play time Jackson and Parker had a blast fishing in the pond. Nothing caught unfortunately but they still enjoyed it. Kids fishing scares me though with the casting.

What kid doesn’t like camping including playing games inside late into the night or when cold. Atti, Auggie and Jack all enjoyed themselves.

Alan & MaryAnn came to our May Long and stayed this year and we are going on a short week trip with them down south after. This rental motorhome was great. Just the right size for a separate shower and toilet and full size bed rather than a fold out or stow away. Small enough to drive downtown in rush hour and big enough to have room and everything you need.

Certain floor plans tend to lend themselves to couples that aren’t worried about having additional sleepers along. Wonderful features on this unit.

Food and camping always are tied together. Throw in a few drinks and you have it made. And the best meal BREAKFAST except if someone says Turkey Bacon as you need to run to protect your health, mind and integrity.

We all packed up and left before 2pm on Monday. After checking the weather we decided on Writing on the Stone versus Waterton or Cypress Hills. We had some rain here but again the weather wasn’t bad. Between Milk River and Writing there was an abundance of snow in the ditches. An easy good drive down which was about 5 hours.

Living in Alberta my whole life I never heard of Writing on the Stone and had never been there. Similar to what happens with NDP supporters I was brainwashed to think nothing could beat Drumheller. Well there is NO COMPARISON. Writing is unbelievable, incredible and beyond our expectations. The Hoo-doo’s are taller, more pronounced and abundant. You get to walk right through them. It is spectacular. It was on my bucket list of things to do when retired and I am so glad we visited here. The campground is first class, the shower building super clean and newer and the beach is real sand and large. Multiple floats down the river from 15 minutes to 4 hours for kayakers or tubers. I can see this place being jam packed in warm weather. Even this week it was about 3/4 full. It is a 5 star location for sure.

The walk paths are amazing. It is just a beautiful place to visit. We decided to have a Huggett versus Willard Bocci contest. I won’t go into the details but my middle name could be Bocci. We even reverted to left handed to try to help the scoring. Needless to say the Willards and Bocci Ball will be remembered by them for a long time. It was fun and who knew what hidden skills we had. The game was so intense Alan even experienced an injury. YES an injury in BOCCI BALL. What do they call it when a hockey player falls to the ice for a fake penalty ?

There was a huge flock of Robin’s buzzing around our site all night and day. Then look what I discovered. These guys are fast.