REALLY Washing Clean

we did get and will get RAIN

More or less , we get three days of rain. Amounts will vary but everyone will get an inch. The grass was growing and now will REALLY grow

JHU got hammered last night , giving up 6 goals in a row to start AND then it got ugly
Sheesh ! Wore my blue hoodie for the boys , too !

Thus , JHU qualifies for the B1G Ten play - offs. The winner gets to be Champion of the B1G Ten and automatically qualifies for the NCAA Div 1 play - offs.
Can JHU make the dance as a write in team w/out the AQ ?
Uhm , they would be a bubble team , I think

Only Us

......... common wisdom says that

you need to do some research and legwork before buying a new car
W/ the sale of the Q' , my 2005 Highlander is ready for a change.

Thus , I went on line and checked out vehicles.
I still need to tow a boat - not far but still
An adjustable power seat for M
And , whatever I want

We pulled into Toyota , under construction and no one came out of the trailer to see me.
At Honda , the manager found a sales rep , right away.
Nice fellow and we settled on a trim level
We love the Honda
M loves the Honda and she can even adjust the seat to suit her

BTW , this search was scheduled at 1 month
We turned it into 1 day or 1 afternoon

That is us , though
really

Weather , mixed bag but seasonable or more - slight rain chance for a while

Faking It

in the garden.

I had an email and B is going to plant flowers. This year , I bought some fake flowers and put them in the garden for colour.
M had some criticism but I fixed that up 
AND now we have pink and pinker in the garden
The fakeys really make the garden ' pop '
pop is a word the comedian Amy Schumer tends to use

our garden pops , don't ya know !

" I play for Seasons not eternities 
   says Nature laughing on her way "

Georges Meredith

Spring is Busting Out

and the poop bandit came back and left a deposit at our side door sill

The sun is out , the breeze cool but not cold
things are a bit wet outside but all in all
' the Father of life has been  good '   quote from ' Last of the Mocassins Mohicans '

We met the buyers for the Q , last night at dinner. not that we hadn't met before separately but this was as a bunch
They are excited and I'm concerned
I want them to get a good buy i.e. the Q is worth something in 3 years for them
and I , of course , want this sale to go through for me
talk about conflicted !

From the Brett Anderson files of Accuweather
read 'em and weep !

Long range update

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

Corn Gluten and Me

............ corn gluten is animal feed

However , here in the s GWN , we are not allowed to use herbicides b/c the donald won't send the chemicals north to us.
not true but feels good blaming him

Corn gluten can be used as a pre emergent weed killer esp dandelions and crab grass. As an experiment , up on the 'bee , I decided to try a spreading to compare one area w/ another. I used the front apron 1/3 of the total area to try the cg.
I watered the cg in twice but not too heavy b/c they forecasted showers on Tues. Of course , it poured on Tues and the watering was a waste.
On the upside , running the water right now , helps stir the well.
W/out us at the QMH as much , extra run time stirs the well.

Weather : drab and drabber - hope comes on the week end

What Is Going On

.... or everyone has a plan

In one of my favourite movies ( aren't they all ) , 2 great actors have this tete a tete. Michael Douglas as the world famous hunter ,Remington addresses Val Kilmer , the major and engineer of the bridge in ' the Ghost and the Darkness '.
quote " everyone has a plan til they get knocked down , its what you do after getting knocked down , that is important '

Well , for cleaning out the Q , we had a plan , sort of ..........

thus , for the third time , I'm bringing home a SUV full of ......... everything ... clothes , fishing equipment and I don't know anymore

stuff , stuff and more STUFF

We lugged home a brass headboard.

And we were thinking of bringing back furniture !!!!

Egads

What are you , STUPID  ?

Thank goodness , we came to our senses

More Sun

... then rain

On the good news front the boys of JHU beat Michigan on Saturday , a convincing 19 - 9 score. More importantly , they didn't take their foot off the gas , toward the end ( as in the past , unfortunately ). The BJ s enter the B1G Ten tourney w/ their pairing still to be decided. The last regular season game is vs Maryland , #2 ranked and 11 - 2. The Maryland game is typically for the state championship and MU has been victorious lately.
And since both joining the B1G Ten , the chances of the two meeting more than once has increased.

Whatcha ' Doin '

not much

We got sun again and it looks delish out there

The service came and mowed the lawn
I thought so what
BUT what a difference , improved the look about 80 %

The sun stayed out all day w/ bountiful blue
cold wind tho' , you needed some protection even in the full sun

Sun !

yepper , patchy blue sky but glorious sun

The wind is up indicated by swaying trees in the ravine. The clouds are scuttling away and blue is taking over the sky

Now , there is a chance to consider the QMH sale. Sad , don't know
Grateful , that the sale went smoothly and is over , for sure. 
I suppose that I want people to think the sale at this time was ' smart ' but really the thinking was ' do it now , b/c we choose to and we can still do the physical stuff of moving things out.'
In a few years , we may look back and potentially regret the rashness.
But it doesn't seem rash , right at this moment.
Relief , seems to be the best word

we shall see said the Zen Master

" Signed , Sealed , Delivered

...... I'm yours " goes the song

Re: the sale of QMH , papers are signed and exchanged , money has changed hands.  Going .... going ..... almost gone
but in real estate as in much of life - 

we shall see said the Zen Master

Weather : duck love conditions
We need the rain    a) to clean everything
as in , the shovel that I scoop raccoon poop w/
you see a naughty masked bandit has been leaving his fecal calling card at our side door
I've used ' critter ridder ' granules , pepper , cayenne etc 
however , the poop dropper keeps coming back
I've left the shovel thingy , out to rinse off

b) the grass is greening rapidly and this moisture will help

BTW , our basic insurance coverage has changed and many people have been forced to buy flood insurance - b/c its been dropped from many policies.
This change in policy is all blow back from recent trends in disasters , and flooding has raised its profile , in the eyes of insurers
Basically , they pay , thus we pay ( more or differently )

As well , over the past three or four coverage periods , the car policies have become less comprehensive ( or you need , other categories of insurance ) , same thing

a ' Richer Dynamic '

heard this morning on CBC , in a piece on the need for more women in music management and booking

Thus , I'm going to Shoppers Drug Mart to look for a ' richer dynamic '. To - day is Seniors Day and there is 20 % off if you hobble in or else look somewhat infirm.
I'll see if I qualify

Weather , only for ducks and platypuses w/ a cool wind

#1660

not very original , I get it

The topic is word origins , as in the history of words
English is a polyglot language , and has always adopted words from other languages and cultures

REALTOR , is a coined expression. Back when , real estate agents or land brokers were busy selling lots to each other or defrauding the public ,  people who sold land and houses were often considered w/out ethics and shady.
Actual real estate agents were banding to - gether to produce a system where the public felt safe. ' realtor ' was formed from the expression ' real estate operator '. 

Weather : definitely unsettled and will remain that way for 2 days.

News and views : we will , now , for sure , lose a view of the 'bee.
The agreed sale ( to fishing friends ) is signed but not delivered or sealed w/ money. The latter two events will happen in the next 2 days.
Sad. Yes. But the truth is that we chose our time and our terms , and not everyone gets to be that lucky.
Will we celebrate , not sure -  " We shall see said the Zen Master "

Stay tuned for further news.

Sunny D

........ is a brand name beverage that closely mimics orange juice and is barely related

The SUN , as in the yellow orb is in full show
cool breeze and cool day , but there is hope in the air

" I have measured out my life w/ coffee spoons "

This line is repeated in an audio book that I'm listening to while ellipticking

?   

The weather is partly , everything
Warm for sure and damp feeling
Mostly , positive right now

Confession : In a fit of ????????? I started to remove the shower door ( frame and all ) from my shower cubicle. I couldn't fathom , why it was there or what good it did.
 As the first frame piece was being scraped and pried off the tile

Well - well ...................... a group of tiles peeled of the side of the shower entrance
Yeah !  my thoughts too

I have plans that are still quite murky but there is hope for the tiling disaster 

Of course , the hinge side frame was gently urged off the tile

There was no screaming , maybe a quiet moan , or two moans or three moans
All in all , fairly philosophical musings

and 4 vodkas and ice

the Harbour Lights

were shining
the moon was in its high
the captain said ' thank God we're home
we've drunk the perils dry

Homecoming Man , sung by Andy Williams

What ? What is this "

a segue into the item
I put 2 post lights on the back deck rail
photocells 

Last night , was only a part charge and the ' harbour ' lights faded after approx 6 hrs
But very distinctive

Weather , going to be warm , however day is cloudy. Rain is due this morning , clearing this aft
And rain , to - morrow but I think towards evening
Bright sky and cool to - morrow dropping big time

Entry for 4 PM , and the sun has been out and prominent
Weatherman got this right

Good Friday

greetings , to you and your family

The day is filled w/ sun. A powdery blue sky says hello

Typing fast , b/c I'm waiting for a chia depository note for the toilet.
Ah , the beauty of a good dump
Sorry , its hard to wax poetic about s***ing while your sitting

Thursday , required that a ornamental tree out front be doctored. This tree / bush intertwines its branches and resembles an umbrella in the way that most people trim. The lower limb which is really , lower , middle and upper b/c it went all over snapped. Fall down , no way. That branch was held in place by 4 different intertwines.
4 garbage cans of limbs and pieces went to rubbish.

We will likely get a bed ( real bed ) in a midddle room downstairs.
This new bed will replace the futon which is converted into a double bed as a guest room. There is a cot in the middle room but its garbage to sleep on. The cot was $35 22 yrs ago. Really ,22.
Thus , some re - organizing of furniture was needed. Job done in one. I'd call it re - decorating but stuff just got pushed around. Next door 's young 'un came to help lift. It was his fault. He saw me out w/ the tree and said ' need help ? '. But I paid him $20 for his time.
I figure that I'm paying for his car. Car ( 2002 ) was $4 000 and the insurance for the year $ 7 000. Criminy , 7 Gs.

Friday , decided to put up an umbrella on the back deck. In summer , come 3:30 PM , the sun is full on the deck. The sun slants in for 5 hrs and it is hot. I stole the brolley from the QMH , its mine and the new owners can buy their own.
The stand is supposed to be weighted by 80 # of sand in refillable plastic satchels. The whole she bang gets covered w/ a tarp affair that tucks under the stand.
Crap , I'm not dragging 80# of sand all over the deck.
My fix : tie the stand down through the deck boards. This system worked at the Q and its the same down here.
 Tie her down , boys !

I'm trying to do more fix ' em up jobs down here , purely out of guilt b/c I'm not doing it up on the 'bee.

And , a little job as well. Last year , M bought me a beauti shoe horn. The sucker is supposed to stand on a weighted button affair , ready to grab. I've hung the shoehorn on a utility rack. First , I used a toilet paper roll to act as a holder. That broke.
The new try is a hook wedged into the bottom opening of the shoehorn and the shoehorn can hang.
Why wedge the hook in ?
In case , the set up is lousy - I can pull the hook out and try something new.
Everything that I do , I'm always ensuring that the fix is re - jiggable. 
This ' re - jigging ' arranging can take a lot of time , but its a ' do - over ' if needed.
When I repaired the poker table. I made sure that table comes in 3 parts. The pedestal base weighs about 5 # , the old table top has knock down screws that hold the table top to the pedestal.
The table top was a poker lay out. I stripped it down to one flat surface , cutting the weight in half.
The playing surface is a segmented poker board that used to velcro to - gether. The velcro peeled ( glue wouldn't hold the velcro , I tried ). and the folds got torn and weren't holding well.
The solution was to put hard insulation foam on the back of the two halves of the poker board. I glued and screwed the foam on.
Thus , instead of two half clam shells that folded into quarters , I have two half moons. The set up won't fold up as nice into a travel bag but the board is solid and stays to gether w/out the velcro. Its so steady that the gap never opens ( well , not yet , anywho its been 3 years ).

While We Wait

my chia depository system is getting ready , thus I will type an entry

Unfortunately , the QMH sale is in slog mode. One of the buyers , signees , is away. They are deciding on a lawyer , as well.

The upside is that the current offer reads ' as is '. We intend to leave mega. Clothes , fishing gear , personal decorations , tools and that s about it , for us.
Our fingers are crossed. Trust me , real estate , anything can and does happen, These sales are big bucks and the complications can also be big.

We shall see said the Zen Master
That guy , never changes his story

Weather , predicted to be warmer to - day cuz yesterday was like a deep freeze for the Caribbean , normal temperatures really for us

Whats Been Going On

... not much

As per usual , this blog entry is a follow up on previous notations

The Chia Pet project
Roughly , 3 weeks ago , I started taking ,doing  imbibing chia seeds.

Why ?  From the pages of Woman's World , my favourite , check out line read :
" Lose 100 lbs eating the #1 fat melting food "
One oz of chia seeds provides 10 g of fibre , making you feel full for hours.
Chia produces a spike in adinopectin which breaks down fat. Where low levels of adinopectin causes belly fat storage
Chia will make you more active , boosting your mood and yielding calorie burning ( chia reduces spikes in sugar in the blood

OK , now my results. I've changed nothing in my diet except the chia seeds. Weight is the same.  Energy is the same . 
BUT I poop beautifully ( the fibre )
Thus , I'm satisfied

BTW , I soak the chia seeds for 2 h before I swallow them as drink

Weather is gloomy , wind is undetermined

From Brett Anderson at Accuweather blog. The Great Lakes gets seasonable and then May 1 to 7 , too unpredictable
Whats neat is to see the comments below the post. Sometimes knowledgeable but basically whine and take it

Long range forecast model interpretation through early May.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

the Drop

yeah , complaining already

Again , we will be near the 70 s , but drop a whole lot by to - morrow , no snow but rain

Winds were quite blowy yesterday

Basking in the

.......... warmth

This Am , blankets went out on the rail to air
I toggled the A/C breaker on the panel , reset for spring
Removed the cover on the A/C unit ( anti leaf and anti snow )

Our temperature in the s GWN will be 70 F , by this aft

And its income tax time. We find out how much we owe the buggers.
And its a lot
Oh well , someone needs to pay for those cruise missiles

WAIT ! we don't got none
only the donald can launch those suckers

Warm Arrived

of course , right after the snow. I drove N and E , yesterday and found snow still on the ground from the flurries of 4 days ago.

All was melted by this morning except in the really sheltered places.

The wind is cool still and has a bit of sting but the sun aprtly came out and the day was welcoming. 

The robins are back in full force. Unfortunately ,last fall , I screened the underparts of the deck. And the old tenants from last year are having trouble , getting into the ledges that they are used to.

The robins will need to learn how tough the Toronto housing market has become. On our street , the BIG news is the house around the corner selling for $ 1.1 million. Egads , we bought for $293 K in 1996.

Brilliant

a term used in the UK , as in fantastic

Here , in Canada , the ' brilliant ' describes the sun , to - day.
Warm this aft and getting warmer , such that Monday is 70 F
Wind ? no details available 

Enjoy

' Repetez '

.. was the most common line from the French teacher in Gr9. "  Repetez , trois fois "
I guess the thinking was even an idiot like you could get the phrase after three times
Nope

The segue is that you might see the same lines repeated here in the blog and on FacyBook.

On CBC , the ' Q Show ' , a songwriter admitted to creating ' word salad ' for song lyrics. Whereby , he might have a faint inkling of what he meant but how would a listener know.
Neat , eh , word salad. I think that I can attest to that same feeling when writing some poems

The sun popped out and melted the snow and drove away the cold.
the winds stayed , however , and are gusty.

I dared the wilds of downtown T.O. and the subway , and visited the lawyer re: QMH sale. Yes, the sale is going to completion. Our side the sellers ,  agreed to the purchase wording.
The buyers need to sign w/ deposit and let us sign back , once all the data , closing etc are agreed to.

Sad - yes
Grateful - yesser
Disappointed - not even close

We shall see said the Zen Master

While on the elliptical , a few days ago , I watched ' the  Last Mimzy ' , an adaptation of a story from the mid 40 s. The title is taken from a Lewis Carroll poem, concerning the mimzies and some other rubbish words.
The narrator and teacher of the opening sequence is quite beautiful.
I looked up her name in Google search. B/c I didn't think that I'd seen her in anything else.
For Irene Snow , the following is her biography.
" Known for her role in ' the Last Mimzy ' as narrator and kindergarten teacher.
Gimme a break
Really !  I guess its so

Then I realized , she is known for something
not bad , if thats your only entry

I was once intrigued ( aren't I always ) by Anabeth Gish , yes , she's Lillian Gish s granddaughter. The movie is ' Mystic Pizza ' also starring Julia Roberts.
 I hadn't seen AG in any other movie.
I Googled her.  Anabeth Gish , starred in ' Mystic Pizza '. She is quite satisfied working in off Broadway productions and limited cameo roles on TV and movies.

Do you get the feeling that I'm forever looking up obscure actors etc
Happens all the time

We Are Wet

.. and going to get wetter

No sun , big wind
And no relief til the week end
When the warm comes and full sun

WikiLeaks and me
Could someone hack my email or God forbid , my blog ???
" Lions and tigers and bears , oh my " a little Wizard of Oz , there

What could someone find ?  dunno
See , if you're a little people i.e. not  important 
Who would care ?

Ah , now , we come to it 
I'm dull

Alright , let WikiLeaks go on , its another ' whoosh ' , way over my head

And here's a Brett Anderson leak of whats to come
from his blog at Accuweather

BRETT ANDERSON

Weekly clues to the long range

By Brett Anderson, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

4/04/2017, 3:01:25 PM

Below is my latest interpretation of the European forecast model output along with consideration from the United States model for the next few weeks.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

When to Let Go

.... currently , there is an advert running on TV

I believe the advertiser is " LetGo " the  on line garage sale site.

In my life , due to recent events , as in down sizing from 2 to 1 houses , the spectre of accumulation is exploding into my thoughts.

I'm not a hoarder but an  ' in case ' saver. Now , facing more stuff that will come home , so to speak , I've started to de - clutter.
However , de - clutter is a ' euphenism ' to quote , the donald.

Pictures of JHU lacrosse , have gone
hockey gloves ( skates and football are in limbo , GoodWill or friends )
fishing accessories from river fishing days ( that was hard )

I've retained access to the QMH in the offer to purchase
Lately , though , I've been contemplating that this sale is a time to 
change , on how I view fishing.
I'll fish but be a little more choosy about how often and when

This writing is a draft and is up for revision

April 4 in the s GWN

and everywhere else

Weather only a duck could love
or ................................. ?

" When the rain washes you clean , you'll know " Fleetwood Mac
You'll know
Yes , you will

And Now , I'm the Voice .......

of experience

Twice in the past 6 days , I've had occasion to listen to or commiserate w/ those folks w/ parents in nursing homes and more specifically w/ dementia.
Unfortunately , I never felt like an expert and its hard to envision ever feeling that way.
The experience was humbling , as it should be , and difficult to look back on w/ any sense of accomplishment but certainly pure relief.

And of course , its hard to expound on your feelings b/c of the intensity of guilt and or sadness that comes w/ the position of care giver ( esp to parents , there is some specific angst , involved w/ that relationship ) 

Weather : gloomy w/ spots of sun and rain definitely on the way.
Temperatures are in the 50 s and the breeze is transitioning into gusts and cool to almost cold.

Snoopy - ism

yes , the cartoon doggie

What ?
Well , I'm referring to the cartoon strip. In one episode , Snoopy is laid back on the doghouse looking up , " sometimes I gaze at the stars "looking up ,  looking up " and then it hits me , I haven't a clue "
I listened to a video segment concerning , the donalds latest executive order - to review trade w/ 16 countries ( incl Cda )
The expert was asked ' what does this mean '
He should have been Snoopy.

The reading started w/ a snapshot of the Cdn economy which is set to grow or was set to grow pre - the trump announcement.

Weather. Sunny and wind is down. We will be in the low 60 s to - day. For the week , 45 - 60 F and some rain.


Visited the Giant Tiger for raisins , red peppers , popcorn and juice.
I was dismayed to discover that the Loblaws SuperStore actually has better prices than the Tiger. And way , way better than our fav or usual Metro. Live and learn , I guess

the Good Shepherd

a movie starring Matt Damon , about the beginnings of CIA ( no ' the ' , do say ' the ' before you say God )

I was at the Good Shepherd Community church for a memorial.

The sun is out and the breeze is cool