Weekend Gardening

We completed many finishing touches to the landscaping this weekend.
Scott and neighbour Dan finally started, and completed the fence! I say finally, because they had been "going to do it" for several years now. Other than the several holes dug last weekend by Dan, they completed the greater part of the fence this weekend. In order to determine how far apart to place the pickets, Dan had to measure his dog's head!

Yesterday they poured the cement and set the posts. Scott was mixing the cement and
Dan coached Scott to mix it up "like flour in a cake." A lot of good that did Scott, who isn't aware that one uses flour in a cake, let alone be able to relate to the concept of mixing! (Scott, bless his heart, has very limited cooking skills; his repetoire runs to frozen pizza, hotdogs in the microwave AND Ramen noodles in the coffeemaker).

This morning when I went outside, Dan had all 200 pickets leaning against the stringers, all along the side. I came along just in time to see Hailey, the little dog, run into one picket. The domino theory was alive and well in Lafayette: she jumped back and one by one the pickets toppled from the center point out to each side. Should have had a video camera! Just like someone running their thumb along a piano keyboard.......

Dan meticulously planned out the fence between our houses and it is so straight and even that my brother-in-law would be proud of it (Randy's landscaping is always perfect!). Below is the view from Dan's backyard over to our house:
And the next picture is looking out our backyard west. The neighbour behind put up a taller fence last week to keep her Golden Retrievers from jumping out, and give some privacy. So we figure that it is good enough for us! We will eventually need something on the south side of the yard, but perhaps a hedge of pyramid cedars instead of a fence.
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Also this weekend, Scott put the sand around the patio flagstone, almost completing this aspect of the yard. We do still have to figure out what to do right against the front windows.
And, he straightened out the water feature in the berm (if you look hard you can see it to the right of the middle pine tree). The kitties love the water feature and actually, the whole berm. They hide behind the berm, play in it and when they need the best vantage point on the lot, they sit on top surveying the neighbourhood. And the little 'creek'--their very own drinking fountain.

Just one more: we are leaving for our road trip to B.C. on Saturday and although Mavis broke in her Pet Voyage cage on the trip to Kentucky, she is feeling the need to practise up for this trip: .

signs

by Cynthia MacKinnon-Morris

This sign photography is a fun hobby! Used to be that we just pointed out unique signs, puzzled over them or alternately, laughed at their possible significances. Then, later when we tried to recall the exact wording, it was lost (neither of us have good memories). Voila! we now have a photo journal for reference! I know, I know, you must be thinking...Oh those Stiltskins, what exciting lives they lead over there in the midwest, land of...corn stalks. Our hobby does keep Scott off the streets during non-NFL season, so a purpose it does serve indeed.

Our first sign of the trip was discovered in western Kentucky. Except for its size (must have been, oh, 40 feet high! easily the tallest structure in the town), the sign is reminiscent of small southern town establishments: "Bubba's Hardware, Bowling and Haircuts" or "Billie-Jo's Towing and Car Wash." I must admit that this can also occur in B.C. -- once upon a time, in the thriving metropolis of Deroche (pop. 68; including my Grampa and Gramma, pop. 70)-- there was Shig's General Store which offered everything from candy and snacks to freshly smoked bacon to paint to nails to dresses to fabrics & notions to appliances PLUS a lunch counter. But, Shig is long gone. The store now is strictly snacks, videos, cigarettes, lottery and booze. Guess the clientele has changed some. I can't help but wondering about this proprietor though, I wonder if he was just offering a nice service or did he want to corner the market on ethnic cuisine?




This sign is located right on the border between Kentucky and Illinois, just after one crosses the Mississippi or Ohio (depending on your starting point). Now, I know that cigarettes are inexpensive in Kentucky (tobacco growing state), but we get them cheaper from Moldavia on the internet!





Arthur, Illinois is in the heart of Amish country. There are darn near as many buggies on the road as cars. And, the town offers a horse and buggy parking lot (now there's a municipal job to aspire to--horse and buggy lot clean-up). One does see warning signs along the road to watch out for buggies and they all have the inverted reflective triangles on the bumpers--except for a very few "modern" ones, which sport a red-flashing light (which I think is entirely sensible, but then I also think the concept of going to school through grade 12 sensible, so what do I know). I guess it stands to reason that there would be a market for used buggies.




This one below is our favourite. The Amish may be peaceful people of the land who eschew all things modern--especially ENTERTAINMENT!--but they are also entrepreneurs. I do find it odd that they are so well-known for their travel trailer/ motor home construction, yet would find the owning/ usage of these as sinful. So, it seems a touch hypocritical to turn a profit catering to the "English."

Memorable Day 2

Memorial Day Weekend, continued...

Mavie is an early riser at home. This morning was a bit different because of the black-out curtains in our motel room, thankfully! It wasn't until 7 a.m. that she came nuzzling my face and talking to me--seems she liked the walk the previous evening and was in the mood for another. I harnessed her up and clipped on her lead, then stuck her inside my sweatshirt and checked to see that the coast was clear. Once safely away from the building, we had our walk...Mavis calls it her walkie/ drag...she is pretty good at 'leading' but not so good at following (mostly out of sheer stubbornness)...when she does so, we give her lots of praise and her tail goes up immediately; sometimes we are even rewarded with a "you're-welcome!" Anyhow, we had made it without anyone spotting us...that is, until we got back to the sidewalk in front of our room. Suddenly, out of a nearby door marked "Employees Only" scurried a herd of housekeepers! As Mavis was determinedly headed right for our door, I figured I'd better say something tricky: "Wow Mavis, I'd have thought you would want to spend more time outside since YOU STAYED IN THE CAR ALL NIGHT!" Then rolled my eyes in a 'cats-they-are-so-darn-unpredictable' look. With that, I hustled her "back" into the car--but forgot to attach her lead to anything. After spending 15 minutes loading the car, I realized that I had a) not attached her lead, b) left the back of the car open the whole time and, c) I couldn't see the Mave! A few moments of hand wringing ensued...then I looked closer...little Mavis had made her way into a little opening in the scrunched down teepee! Hooray Mavie! Phew. I awoke Scott and with PopTarts and Fruit jellies in hand, we drove away.

Side note: I am constantly amazed at the prices of things in the midwest and south. This motel we stayed at was quite nice and was located in a big tourist area. It cost us $47/ night! The regular price is $33.99 but it being a long weekend and all....... Amazing the difference in prices between here and the west coast!

Before we left KY, we drove the length of the park. Came upon a herd of bison, as they leisurely made their way to the watering hole.
Scott put Mave on top of the car so she could watch the bison. And watch she did, nose in the air sniffing, tail straight out to a point. She was fascinated by the huge bull bison who had stood in the roadway until all the herd had passed, then lay down very close to our car.

Damn, they grow their dogs big down here! I stood at the window perched on Mom's arm so I could get a close-up of big dog. It was a bit bigger than Sydney next door, but I knew I could take him if I wanted. I decided not to though--he smelled like [Sydney's land mines in our lawn]. Let's move on Mom! There's fwies all over the place!

Once into the Tennessee portion of the park, we noticed that the trees (mostly deciduous) were taller and even thicker. We stopped at an old forge where the aroma from all the honeysuckle wafted through the air.

An interesting fact about the forge was that it stayed in operation until a slave uprising left the company high and dry without a majority of its workers.


Here is a picture of Dad holding me after I had a long hike in the woods. It was sure pwetty in there and I know I coulda bagged me a big 'ole wild turkey, but Mom wouldn't let me get away from her. There were some funny pwants in the woods too. They stuck to me like glue! I let Mom pick some off, but she was also pulling out my fuw! Mommy! Easy on the fuw! We also found a nice creek what had crawdads in it! just like the Beverly Hillbillies eat--we didn't. By the way...nice napkin on your head Dad! Looking a bit like Aunt Jemima, aren't we? However, I guess this is wed-neck country.......and while in Rome.......


We continued out of the park and into Tennessee where the roads all have a rosy hue, I guess from the abundance of iron in the area (oxidized). We had a beautiful drive along byways through small towns and horsie country. We continued to be amazed at all the green! The magnolia trees were easily 150 feet tall here! Gorgeous. The undergrowth was a sight to behold as well...Tarzan would have felt right at home with the huge long vines! I would have thought the south to be more brown; instead, it just has a longer growing season--the corn up was almost to one's knees already. We drove back into Kentucky and to a small town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Mavis had a wonderful time exploring the drifted logs on the Ohio River side. We crossed the Ohio, and then onto another bridge across the Mississippi.

After a short visit riverside, we got on the interstate and drove north through Illinois. Our goal was to get to a little town in central Illinois, (Arthur) where Scott's Gramma lives. She had just arrived home a couple days previously from a few months stay in hospital and nursing home and we wanted to visit her.

Dad was now dwiving. He goes vewy fast and has the tunes up vewy loud. That is my favourite way to dwive ('specially if he plays Kid Rock--"I'm a wong-haiwed, wed-neck, wock and woll son of Detwoit")! I sometimes help him out by lying up on the dashboard and showing him where to go. I was so excited because we wewe going to visit gwampa Lawwy! I particularly like Gwampa Lawwy's (Larry) feet and shoes! They are weally nice.

So, as we were dwiving along, Mom spotted this big [butt] cross! Thinking back, I guess we shoulda stopped there.

We had driven for a few hundred miles without incident. Only passed twice, by two cars racing. Except when he is "playing" Scott drives at an even 82 mph--just under the danger zone of 20 mph over the speed limit! As we came towards an overpass, a State Trooper pulled onto the road...I thought we were done for, but Scott reminded me of the two 'speeding' cars ahead. He was so confident that he didn't slow any and indeed, the cop passed us and a mile or so ahead, had pulled over the slower of the two cars. I remarked at the time that if I was the first speeding car, that I would be leaving the interstate at the next exit and taking a coffee break or something! Oh, to be an armchair coach! An hour later, I spotted a trooper out in the middle of the interstate, he stood just outside his car. I pointed this out to Scott just as we were to pass him. Now, if it were me driving, I would have released the accelerator some, just to show my respect (and hope like hell he noticed). Scott didn't. The steely eyes of that trooper stared at us coming, passing, and going. I am sure he liked Scott's red-neck head attire as well as his speed. Last thing I saw was trooper getting into his car. Scott didn't slow any. But, we were given an opportunity to duck him. An exit was fast approaching and the trooper was a mile back. However, the Stiltskin luck was with us. Instead of a multitude of fast-food places and gas stations to hide in...this exit had a couple of old houses and one out building sporting the sign "Adult Videos." And, business was apparently light that day.

I realized that a speeding ticket would be the least of our worries as I watched the trooper approach. Without giving away our "secret" --big brother and all--I'll leave it at this--we were going camping in the wilds, remember? We were okay driving into Kentucky and Tennessee (as well as through Indiana)--we hadn't planned on Illinois and indeed, the significance never hit us, until the trooper was parked behind. After I reminded Scott of my realization, on pins and needles I sat, nodding at all the cop had to say--even when I couldn't comprehend his drawl. The state troopers in the midwest are notoriously well-mannered and this sandy-headed freckled-face was no different. He was a bit cheeky though. After passing Scott the citation, he informed him: "You-all have a few things against you. You were clocked at 82 mph (our speedometer is accurate at least); you come from Lafayette, home of the Purdue Boilermakers (he is an Illinois State fan); and..." he gestures to the back seat. Scott replied, "and you are a dog owner." "Yup!" They then went on to establish that the trooper was a Chicago Bears fan and Scott a Packers fan--of course, it was Scott that initiated that tidbit of info. He then bid adieu with a twist on the old line: "Drive safe now, slow down. We have kitties to get home safely!" Mavis replied with a "pwaarr"--somewhere between a sarcastic "thank you, now great, we got to drive slowly" and a "feck off" (--imitated from the old priest on BBC's Father Ted).

Anyhow, we did stop and see Grampa Larry as well as ascertain that Gramma was incredibly well looking! (she answered the door, Larry was in his jammies--good sign we thought). We arrived home late that evening to the welcome arms of the other kitties and breathed a sigh of relief at the events of our Memorable Weekend.

Now, time to sign off. It is the first Saturday of the month and 'they' are testing the tornado sirens--making it difficult to think--the kitties are all answering the siren, and are posted up along the window sills!

Watch for another installment of "Great Signs" coming soon!