Old MacThumper had a Farm

I decided to take an extra long weekend, so I took a day of vacation today to rest and relax.

So, what did I do with my free time you ask? How did I enjoy my vacation? How did I enjoy Dominion Day Eve? (I have always thought "Canada Day" is a lame name for a national holiday.)

I hoed, and raked, and shovelled until the 6' square plot we call a garden was ready for planting. We even had our first crop for the season, a lovely bucket of rock. How lucky can you get!

I feel so agricultural!

Mind you I prefer low maintenance gardening, i.e. wild plants. we have some nice flowers in our yard that just appeared and are determined to spread.




I like that in a flower.

We also have a bush of unknown origin growing near by. It has clusters of white blossoms (if I had caught them a few days earlier),

and an interesting leaf.

I'll have to talk to a gardener friend of mine for a possible id.

Later, Mushers!

A Measured Rebellion

While celebrating Hoofer's graduation, Prodigal pointed out a list of items I made in a sudoku book I had used last year while visiting Auntie Upstream. Under the heading "A Measured Rebellion" the following was listed,

Mom - motorcycle
Dad - degree
Brother - marriage
Auntie U.- single malt

In addition, there was this inscription- "men mild, women wild."

The above list was a list of loss, to some degree, and my response to it. When mom died, I bought a motorcycle. When dad died, I returned to university to complete my degree. When my little bro died (all 250 lbs of him), I got married. When Auntie U. went to a nursing home and we were left with the job of cleaning up her house after 20 years of hoarding, I had my first drink of alcohol, single malt scotch oddly enough.

Prodigal thinks I should write a book about this. I think not!

Later, Mushers!

The Weekend and Little Robin

The graduation weekend at Mudflatts Green is over, and FCC and I have returned to Runamuk for some much needed rest before returning back to the work-a-day world.

Part of the day, pre- and post-graduation party, was spent playing with little Robin, Patience's grand-daughter and my grand-niece. We talked about some of her favorite TV shows, and both agreed that Treehouse was the best channel.

We played hide and go seek. I thought that standing in the middle of the living room at Pearl's with a blanket over me constituted an excellent hiding place, but I guess I was wrong. When it was my turn again, I hid under the kitchen table, and even though there were already six people around it, and I am 6'2" and weigh 275 lbs, I thought that it was a pretty good hiding place. I was willing to put up with their feet, if they were willing to put up with my...formidable size.

You know, some people just don't take hide and seek seriously. Here I was trying to play a serious came of H and S, and they were laughing. Laughing, I tell you!

I was disgustapated! You can't play under these circumstances!

Robin and I had to postpone the game until a later date.

Later, during the the party, Robin and I agreed that things were rather dull, so we put on a puppet show. She played with two of her dollies, and I, with two of her bears. Thought they sang and danced, neither of the dollies or the bears had to shoot seltzer down their pants. This was a good thing. Despite the lack of seltzer water, the audience appreciated the show, and the party was enlivened considerably. Our job was complete!

But even lives of the party, such as Robin and I, must have down time, so while the newly enlivened party continued upstairs, we went down stairs and unwound...sort of. Robin dances, and bounced and swung, until she thought I needed a break. We read books for another little while, until her folks decided it was my bed time, and she should let me have a drink of water, and get tucked in by FCC.

FCC and I was up early enough this morning to say good bye to Prodigal, have breakfast, and then wish good bye the the rest of the clan before heading back to Runamuk.

After a call to Auntie Upstream, I plan to go to bed!

Later, Mushers!

Festivities in Mudflatts Green

Pearl's place is full of friends and relatives here to celebrate the graduation of Hoofer.

While FCC and I arrived Thursday night, the rest of the relatives arrived last night. Oldest sister, Patience, and most of her family arrived just before Hoofer's graduation started. Her oldest daughter, NOB and her family arrived shortly after the grad.

FCC and I went to bed early while the rest of the clan stayed up to play games and party!

Tonight there will be a graduation party for Hoofer, and if I'm lucky, I'll get to see TFC beat the Wizards at BMO Field. The game starts at 3:30 PM, so I should have lots of time to root for the Reds.

Later, Mushers!

Pretty in Purple

Incessant coughing and the desire not to wake FCC has led me to the den, and a quick check of the Facebook.

There, on Pearl's page, are photos of Hoofer, her date for the prom, a number of her friends, and a group photo. Hoofer, with her purple, off-the-shoulder gown, looks divine. Her escort looks nice, and more importantly, relatively harmless. (I like that in prom escorts!)

Later today, FCC and I will be mounting up to travel to Mudflatts Green for graduation and family festivities. Perhaps, even take in a TFC game on CBC.

Later, Mushers!

Comin's an' Goin's

As we return to our intrepid heroes- Pearl, FCC, and yours truly- we see them heading back to Canada via shopping destinations.

Actually, what hasn't been mentioned was the mass 90th birthday in the planning for the next summer.

After visiting Auntie Upstream one evening, we returned to Bull and Grace's place- the aforementioned friends- and began to discuss whether Auntie would want to celebrate her 90th birthday again this coming January. The previous year the whole Canadian clan travelled south to celebrate Auntie's 90th (88th as far as she is concerned), so we were wondering if she wanted another 90th this coming January. The upshot was that we decided that if she could have two 90th birthdays, everyone who knows her should have, at least, one!

So, next year we are all going to celebrate our 90th birthdays! We are going to have a cake and a banner, walker races and climbing walls, and other things we would to be able to say we did when we turned 90. Bull and Grace are coming, as well as other friends of Auntie U. I hope the local paper, The Intruder, will send their reporter to take a picture of the 90 year-olds in varying states of maturity. That would be most cool!

The road back to Runamuk had a number of stops, but none of them involved my advising Pearl or FCC! Actually, there was a little bit more shopping, including my purchase of a miter saw and a miter saw table. The complete set cost less than the original price of the table (I AM a power shopper! Well maybe a power tool shopper.)

Oh yeah. The ladies got a few things as well.

We got home, unpacked, and crashed. The next morning, Pearl left for Mudflatts Green, and FCC and I napped.

A week of work- feeding itty bitty fish, and working a desk- a weekend and three days of diseasedness (I coughed, I snorted, I hawked, and I spewed- generally had a nasty time). Now, I am getting ready to head to Mudflatts to attend the graduation of my niece, Hoofer.

Got to get packed.

Later, Mushers!

Down South

Auntie Upstream is a very fortunate woman. She has friends and neighbours who are truly marvelous!

While down south with Pearl and FCC, we stayed with one couple who have been friends with Auntie U. for the last 30+ years. It was like being home. We were comfortable, relaxed, and welcome.

Auntie's next door neighbours had given us an open invite to visit, but with their health issues, it was felt that we didn't need to add to the strain.

For the next three days, mornings were spent waiting for Pearl to take care of Auntie U's business, and lunch through post-dinner spent with Auntie U. After that, it was back to the neighbours for a bit of TV, and sleep time.

One day was spent- for lack of a better word- dunging out part of Auntie U's house. We filled a dumpster, but toward the end of it, FCC went on strike, and Pearl was starting to pitch china. It was decided to hold off the clean up at that point.

After a shower, everyone went to the home of the next door neighbour for a barbecue. There were snacks, hot dogs and hamburgers, and all the essentials for a good meal- including good conversation with friends, new and old.

After the day spent cleaning, we were spent, so it was off to bed early.

Later, Mushers!

Travels with Relatives

A week of vacation and I have learned some things about family that I could have lived without knowing.

While sister, Pearl, FCC, and yours truly travelled south to visit Auntie Upstream, we- or rather, they- stopped to do a little bit of shopping. I was patiently waiting on a nice comfortable bench with other men in varying states of impatience, when Pearl came up, grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me into The Dress Barn saying, "I need your opinion on something."

Have you heard of the phrase, "like a deer in the headlights?" This was me as my sister held a white jacket in front of her, and asked, "Does this look good?"

As I waited for something other than"ah" to come out of my mouth, a lady standing near by said that she thought the jacket was lovely. To quote that lady in Streetcar named Desire, "I rely on the kindness of strangers."

Later that day, after we had returned to the motel, and flopped on the beds in exhaustion. This resulted in another weird moment.

[This section has been edited at the... gentle direction of FCC.] ...and said, "but feel!"

We were exhausted, and this was just the first day of the trip.

Later, Mushers!