🧑‍🚒 21 of the VIII

 🧑‍🚒 a grand morning in the ' boro
Still awaiting the greening of the lawns [ not watered ]

🏭 on Augustus 20

 🏭 when we visit the Q ', we can fill up at the Old Railroad gas bar et al. I checked on the way up and gas was $ 1.29 on the Hwy. At ORR, $ 1.09, you see ORR is on reservation land, thus no Federal Tax. A little perk for being there.

🍹 well, its today

 🍹 drove to the Q ' 
Took the boat out 
Cast around in several places
2 sunfish cooperated

nada. otherwise

Drive was relatively easy. Drizzle happened all-day 

breakfast was ' scramble eggs loaded croissant ' Verdict. OK, not inspiring 
A toasted bagel w/ cream cheese, isn't either BUT at least its honest [ simple ]

Now. This fishing doldrum. B / c its happened before. Will end. Please !!!!!!

 

🥜 the nutty story

 🥜 ... the beginning and the end
On Friday, while eating pistachios, I felt a hard rock in my mouth. It was a gold crown.
Yes. A crown fell off.
Today, I got an appointment at my dentist. She took a peek and said ' we'll pop it back on '
Really. She did say " everyone wants this option "  but many are called, few are chosen.

Thus. 45 minutes and bingo - bango. All dentally, good

'boro. Sunny and comfortable T.O. summer at it best

🖼 August the 16 th

 🖼 the  ' boro is sunny and headed for 80 + w/ humdity increasing

🎣 Augustus 15

🎣 another warm ish but not hot day

the icon says fishing ....b / c that was highlight of Friday. 
I drove to WL .... s place at 6:30 A. Parked and he drove.This arrangement makes for a much more relaxing day. WL ...enjoys his new Tesla.
Conditions were favourable, light wind and not blazing hot. We didn't catch much [ mainly,  due to the fact that I lost a fish near the boat ]. Still. A fab day

🛻 on the XIV of VIII

 🛻 ... the heat dome broke, for sure BUT builds back in over the weekend
it is T.O. summer after all folks

On advice, I tried a new Chinese takeout at a grocery store.

Further away 

Different items

Traffic slow and dispiriting 

Bright large hot table, loaded w/ choices

Meats and dim sum galore

Crawled home.

Thus, breaded chicken in pepper but not sweet n sour. Standard starch is white rice ( noodles Xtra )

Tastes alright. Ah, what's that expression ' does it spark joy ' - NO

If

I needed a smorgasbord - maybe

I'll be going back to my home Chinese takeaway 

🛸 on August 13

 🛸  poured last night.

the day in the ' boro. got in exercise. Ran out to get sourdough ' pane rustika '. brought home chicken and fixing s for dinner. picked up some scripts.

then it poured and I slept [ uncomfortably. knee and leg were agitated ]

Twelveth Augustus MMXXV

 Sitting in the building shade trying 4 samplers # 1 was " Solace Hazy IPA..

Warm here.

The site is Common Good Beer, a brew Pub in middle ish Scarborough. I will be joined by a fellow teacher type and 2 former student s..

Figures, it start s to rain 

Sociable German Pilsner is # 2

Conversation and much LOL ( much )  
I called this a  ' pre beforehand prep ' meeting

In the end, we had three impromptu attendees. This started as a meet up w/ a teacher friend. I threw it out there on FB. And bam...... 

🌝 .... in inclement weather .....

 🌝  .... the people are fay  ....
              ten thousand year stories
              as the night fades away  .... Stan Roger

in the ' boro, still under the heat dome. brownish lawns on Aug 11 2025

Yepper, like walking out and someone throws a blanket on you kinda feel

Big adventure. A ... needed my truck for luggage capacity and I drove to the airport w/him to pick up family

Plus, I saw downtown T.O. and I didn't need to drive

Coffee at 9, so natch I'm wired and awake

🌚 almost a full ..... the ' boro

 🌚 almost a full moon over the garage

a warm one today
we cheated and got Kentucky Fried Rat for lunch. 4 PC dark and popcorn chicken [ or ' meat hunt ' as we call it ] fries and a small gravy. However, I cooked rice, thus, fried chicken, rice and gravy [ oh yeah, corn that I Nuked ]

BTW, rice and gravy is a gourmand experience

🌌 ' boro is under ...... for Aug 9

🌌 ' boro is under heat warning 

I ventured out for a Giant Tiger run and managed to drop in on 2 neighbors' yard sales

TG didn't buy anything.

An aching type day for my groin and hip but mostly it was inner thigh strain or crikey did it hurt

Took pain killers at 3 A ( couldn't sleep ). Again pills at 3 P. Robaxin and ibuprofen - the combinant whammy

We are currently ,binge watching ' Diddly Squat ' or Jeremy Clarskon s Farm. The series is listed as comedy. I think that's its docu - drama / laughs

OK our heat dome lasts three more days

🦏 .... I don't expect

 🦏 .... I don't expect to sleep through the night " sing it Paul

Yes. Woke at 5:00 A and tossed around a bit. Massaged my leg, rubbed in Voltaren and took Robaxin and Ibuprofen.

Aching in the left hip, thigh and groin now minimal

welcome to Augustus 8 in the ' boro 
the day is clearing and will be on the warm side

🤬 Aug 7 .... lessons learned.

 🤬 .... lessons learned.  organized means nothing to the fish

' boro is warm and the heat builds in for four days.

Any reader of this blog, understands that my prime talent is organizing ' stuff '
Can't do much but !!!!! organize away

August the 6th in the boro '

 okay today was a fishing day got up early 5:00 5:30 drove to quarter mile and and caught nothing but what the heck I got away nice day little bit of a breeze not too hot no fish go figure

Got up  early to beat the heat. On the water by 8 A. Could have been sooner BUT ...

for almost a year spanning the last half of the 2024 fishing season, disorganized and frustrated summed up my sense of my fishing tackle
I keep what I need for fishing in the bins in the bassboat. working on the  outboard and in and out of the water, disrupted any scheduled fishing 

In essence, up to two weeks ago [ started the re - sorting process ] and yesterday, the tackle locker is close to functional. Three weeks ago, I borrowed hooks from friends. I couldn't locate many items

So, I sat in the boat, fiddled w / bags and bits and re - sorted. In the end - order prevailed and a bucket was filled w / packaging from discards etc

NO FISH

🍱 ...... so organized

 🍱 ...... so organized 
Aug the 5 in the ' boro. Going to be warm w / iffy possibilities of rain

🏭 .... imagery

 🏭 .... imagery ! So ???

In this den or computer room. We only come in here to use the laptop.
Why ? dunno. The Chromebook is totally portable and M .. does carry the CB to the living room
Me. well, I sit at a computer corner stand and watch the world out there
NO TV. Laptop and the view

AND. there are pictures and collages of photos [ trips to the UK, mostly ] BUT reminders of what has gone on

Imagery.

' boro is warm not hot and slightly humid. Not really,  humidity is 50 % Sunny

Amazon. The latest purchases are maybe frivolous - Canadian flags and Thump Orange Gel, bait attractant
Alright. The flags replace the worn out ones on the lawn. Colour and loyalty

Thump is a fish attractant that pastes onto plastic etc to attract fish
I used to have a tube of red - ish coloured gel. Somehow that gel is missing.
Considering my dismal catches this season. Well. Yes. Thump Orange Gel. A scented paste embedded with black and gold flakes. 
attractant. more fish. good

 

🕷 Augustus III

 🕷 arachnid spray or ' One Shot ' 

' boro  is warmer but summer warm. 

For three weeks, we have had encroachment by approx 30 ants. The first attempt was sugar and boric acid, eat up and take back to nest. Not successful

Next was diatomaceous earth. a fine white powder of ground seashells. The effect is to dehydrate the little buggers. This earth is food grade and safe for humans etc

Well, some success but still they came. Two days ago, I cleaned up under the sink. Our recycle food bin is there [ so splatter and leavings also are there ]. I washed and gave a final rinse w / vinegar.
As well, I created a dike of diatomaceous earth around the pipe openings. I went outside and sprayed  ' One Shot ' for spiders. Spray and let dry. around door ways leading to the kitchen. I pulled the stove and sprayed the floor corners and pipe openings.

We shall see said the Zen Master

🧑‍💻 reading the tea leaves

🧑‍💻 reading the tea leaves ..... and such

 'boro is sunny and summery w / low H and H

⛽ pump it up

 ⛽ pump it up, baby 1, 2, 3

' boro is sunny and summery w / no heat advisory

🧑‍🚒 I get no thrill .....

 🧑‍🚒 I get no thrill ..... 

from champagne. mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all "  my guess Sammy Kahn

We shall see said the Zen Master 

' boro is cooler and drippier and yes the heat alert is over

and July ends. another month gonzo

My infection is same old - same old or STATUS unchanged 

🐾 making trax

 🐾  making trax or closing out July

that heat alert ends tonight. much more reasonable for 5 days

we went and picked up fish and chips. no cooking in here tonight
we have an ant problem, the black ants are sneaking in and of course, picked the kitchen as their new getaway spot. I've been puffing them w / diatomaceous earth. The theory has them taking the white sprinkling that they get back to the nest. The diatomaceous earth supposedly gets in their joints and cripples the movement.
However, the sprayed ones are crawling off and expiring in the kitchen [ mostly ]

for the next layer of prevention, I sprayed vinegar on the door sills and deck. Vinegar is going to break up their scent trails and besides the ants don't like the taste of vinegar.

we will keep trying

Highlights of the day. The After hours clinic at our Dr s office. The skinny. Showering after Mon fishing adventure, I touched a ' welt ' in my upper groin. Red and angry  I have been using alcohol to clean / Polysporin to control bacteria. 

I couldn't wait another day, in case the Dr was busy this week ( meaning waiting 5 days ) The office has 8 Dr s who take turns on the after regular day service.

I showed the Doc my picture of the offending infection. He asked questions then prescribed an antibiotic combo. His guess was a follicle irritation that bloomed 

🎣 appropriate enuff '

 🎣 appropriate enuff ' for yesterday
we were fishing on the 'bee. AND finally ,or of course [ not really ] I hooked a bass

Now, D ...  [ the photographer ] makes sure that the fish looks as big as possible

making me look good. Thnx D .... 

in the ' boro. we have a heat alert from Environment Canada til Wed night

and we were hot on Monday. F .. said can't we fish in the shade. Well, we sat in the shade and caught nothing but was it cool under the trees

actually, I was pre - concerned about letting the guys down if I couldn't take the heat 
well, was not alone. I mean hot is hot. and natch, they are not getting younger

🖼 celebrating # 4 504

  🖼  yes, this is post # 4 504

since Oct 2011 or the first comment date 

my observation is that this blog is for itself. consistency, continuity 

however, I mentioned in a journal type ledger that I started [ and I have started many, never completed or followed thru, usually ]
that I get more satisfaction in writing [ pencil / pen in hand ] c.f. this online typing
of course, ninny or why would you keep trying the journal / ledger bit

🐮🐮 in the ....

 🐮🐮 in the ' boro, today
we had rain last night and a cooler morning. mostly sun and clouds

coffee is ready

🚣 sculling off

 🚣 sculling off or pushing away from the dock

the ' boro on the  25 the of the Jul month. overcast and recovering from the downpour overnight

Yes. Humidity remains 

Hip OsteoArthritis and accompanying inner thigh pain

this combo makes getting up in the morning, painful to debilitating
a matter of degree each day

the solution. rub in some Deep Freeze gel. I do the left hip and around back toward the spine

Tried Voltarin that contains De ......... An analgesic. On par w / ibuprofen or acetaminophen 

Deep freeze does as well as Voltarin 
actually, following the pain
further a deloading exercise that I found on line is helpful

next. how about Ibuprofen or Acetoninophen [ plus robaxin, muscle relaxant ]. often helps
BUT if I can use the gel and unloading and skip the oral medication

I'm better off. I can ' save ' the painkillers for when the situation is more extreme

also sitting in the typing chair  [ office chair ] for 1 / 2 h seems to help. Maybe, its changing posture from the sleep position thru the night

Wat ya got ! A 3 # pork tenderloin. 2 people. solution is pork cutlet and char sui.

Pork cutlet. take a piece about fist size. pound it flat w / the spikes. season w / Old Bay mix and pepper
egg wash and dip and press into crumbed Ritz crackers. pan fry in oil. Delish

char sui. marinate strips [ approx 2 inches a side ] for 48 h or close. I will be missing the red dye # 2 that is suggested. we do not need more dye. browny - shade is fine

🛻 the heat cometh

🛻  the heat cometh ... another ' heat warning ' from Environment Canada

Been out there and its building in right now

friends are in Taiwan and yepper the same.

and speaking of slow mornings. my hip and thigh were achy. took a robaxin [ muscle relaxant ] and put my head down. Ta Da ! its 9:30 !!!!!!

nice to be retired

🚛 Oh my God let me tell Jul 23

 🚛  The day unfolds 

Slow. It's always slow or slower 

Did get around to exercising or my 35 min of joy

However, while building up courage or killing time I once again used the workshop room 

Nicely organized but lonely. Today, for the morning walkabout, I grubbed out some weeds and thought that the wildflowers could use a drop of water. The ideal tool would be a watering wand. My wand had the screen fall out. Well. I fixed it

The fix. Find a bottle cap that almost fits over the head ( screen holder ). Use the heat gun and warm the plastic. Then snap the bottle cap over the head and screen. Cut out the middle of the plastic lid to reveal the screen underneath. Not pretty but functional ( maybe, untested)

There is a chance that tiny screws might be needed 

We shall see said the Zen Master 

🏎 Oh my God let me tell Jl 22

 🏎     Oh my God let me tell you you drive 18 km you reach into your pocket and you can't pay for the parts for your engine because you left your wallet and money at home

 So you get in the car and you think wait M ...'s at home. Maybe I could use her credit card over the phone so go back in. Very nice gentleman. Yes, you can do that. I call Margaret go through the business about you know taking a picture of the card and then the guy says hey she can just read the number out. That's what we did so I got saved driving all the way back home and back again tomorrow okay

Egads. however, been there, done that

Oh, the parts. Re new kit for a fuel pump and 24 in of 5 / 16 in gas line. What everybody wants

🧑‍💻 ... in the midnight ,,,,,

 🧑‍💻 ... in the midnight hour ..... the garden of good and evil
set in Savannah, Ga.
we went to visit and thoroughly enjoyed Savannah.

' boro, well, warm to hot and humid [ haven't been out yet ]

🧑‍🎄 ....all ...... Jul 20

 🧑‍🎄 ....all dressed up and no place to go

did you notice the month go ..... sort of slunk along ...... and bango 

dreary out there. rain and thunder overnight 
of course, pop ups are going to happen in the H / H season

follow up for the ' boro. the sun is trying to take over the afternoon w/ some darker clouds still hovering

we entertain this aft w/ all the angst of food and drink [ good enough and enough ]

🧞 ... if I could put Time in a bottle ....

 🧞 ... if I could put Time in a bottle .... words and music of Jim Croce

we are warm but it is comfortable out there

rain always looming w / the humidity 

🐟 ...... two orientals go fishing ........

 🐟 ...... two orientals go fishing ........

hey, is this a limerick ?
not a joke, is it ?

no joke, no fish. We left at 6:30 A and fished til 12 noon

no hits , no runs , no errors

blue sky light winds .... oh, did I mention, no fish

in summary. relaxing. positives : E Tec behaved and started right up

fish did not co operate - little ones did try

W ... is good company

🏭 .... this only the beginning ....

 🏭 .... this only the beginning .... the song and lyrics of Cole Porter

the ' boro in summer. H / H governs our life, I was out yesterday around noon. Warm and slightly humid. Of course, there was air conditioning. Here in Norte Americano, we generally, use the abbreviation A / C for air conditioning but in the UK we heard ' Aircon ' much more often

M .. s relatives are camper vanning thru Spain and Portugal [ melting in their boots]

well, we went shopping. quiet in the stores but the aisles were one way

so. I think that I got motion sick watching a YouTube video about boat rescue.  the main guy wore a body cam - jumping around and into and out of the boats REALLY
queasy stomach and the sweats

🚒 ........ on and On July 16

 🚒  ........ And the heat goes on and the heat goes on [ sing to the tune ' the beat Goes on ... '  yepper. We got another really sticky hot day. It will cool off come the weekend. But we still got to get by next 3 days. Anyways that's my report

when automatic isn't ' automatic '
you see. we are talking bout a Pixel phone [ Google ] and a Chromebook operating ChromeOS  that cannot find each other
or / more precisely, my Chromebook says connected to Android phone, Pixel 6 a 
BUT my pixel phone does not list the Chromebook as a connected device

🥵 ... we're having a heatwave ..........

 🥵 ... we're having a heatwave ..... a tropical heatwave 

here in the ' boro, we are A / C at 75 F and doing alright

Well, Xmas came and I didn't know [ til this morning at 8:30 ]
an email said ' package delivered in secure location '
went to the front door and YES. tucked away was ....... my knee brace
or more accurately ' a package of size and weight ' that could be the brace

I broke all the common sense rules re ' sleeping. Played '  Find the Object 'on the phone and then couldn't find sleep

Dummy !

Yepper, hotter than ......

biscuit from t ' oven

✼ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ✼ Jul 14

 ✼　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　 ҉　✼  ........  coming to you from the enclave of  ' Golfdale - Cedarbrae -                                                          Woburn '

my phone announces the weather location. 

gray and dull ish

YouTube. this morning. NO trump. NO disaster is coming. NOT even fishing

BUT coffee. An English guy James Hoffman runs a channel on COFFEE. Now, I like coffee.
I've followed and semi adopted some Hoffman - esque ideas.
To wit. This morning. I allow some hot water from the spigot of the coffee maker [ drip ] to sit in the filter and make coffee soup w / out the pot underneath. After some minutes, I put the pot under and dark liquid drips and flows down to the pot. This is my steeping process.

Better coffee. Who knows. I break tons of his rules. Tap water is a poor choice, too many additives. Hoffman feels if you use tap water then don't spend money on expensive coffee b/ c you obviously don't care what the coffee really tastes like

When surveys ask people about their coffee preference, the words they get are dark and flavourful, good aroma.
What people actually go for is lots of milk / cream and some colour that is light caramel

Today, the vlog was on the " Clover " a specialty and relatively expensive store type drip coffee machine. In fact, the Clover company is bought out by Starbucks in self defence [ some say ]. As Starbucks was seen as the enemy of specialty coffee shops - this sell - out [ not my words ] caused a revolution in specialty coffee shops

Oh, you must be retired and looking for content [ YES ]

🎣 for Jul 13 in the ' boro

 🎣 trip in the offing

warm and well ! H / H as in Toronto summer

I'm off to Giant Tiger, for the Sunday ritual. prices are reasonable to good. the Tiger is Canadian and it always feels comfortable in there

Tiger was almost empty except for 5 minutes when a group of 6 rushed in and yes, out

the SKIES opened up w / a gusher of a downpour 

My fishing 🎣 trip is cancelled 

Got out and cleared the downspout and a gusher spewed out All swept clean

The pillowcases showed up. on the bed and awaiting feedback

🌊 ,,, life in 2025 .....

 🌊 ,,, life is like a wave 

' boro is yes, warm and humid [ didn't go outside yet, guessing ] Whoa, great guess b / c at 9:30 the sauna was getting started 

life is like ditch or a cloud or a wall

ditch and wall are better b / c each is way easier to rhyme - as in a ditty or bon mot

thus. Xmas came three times this week [ Amazing ] so cool. Well. Tomorrow and Tues. more stuff. Sad. stuff. However.
we'll get pillow cases today. the colour is navy and matches [ close, we hope ] the thin coverlet that we use for summer and have used in winter. You see. the colourful bedspread [ blue pattern, pretty ] is way to bulky and warm except for very cold winter nights.
then my solution kicks in, get navy coloured cases and make the coverlet a bedspread of sorts

cheaper and practical b / c if this trick doesn't work we still have pillowcases [ spare ] and they'll match the bedspread as well

then the aforementioned knee brace arrives. this is a rigid strap in affair. D ... like the knee brace that I bought at Binz [ $ 11 ] so much, he said ' can I keep it '
thus I get a new one
currently, my knee braces [ actually, compression sleeves ] are for light support and I do wer them daily for ' just in case '

🧭 navigating my life .....Jul 11

 🧭 navigating my life .....Jul 11 , not so easy

' boro is warm and slightly humid, off chance of showers

follow up of ..... everything. Lately, on YouTube, the feed has been running, fishing and sometimes

 nutrition e.g. bread. The upshot is that ' generic ' white bread [ Wonder bread if you must ] is a poor choice for nutritive value [ BTW, whole wheat is not better, just browner ]
the preferred option would be sourdough. as mentioned, I'm buying sourdough from the Hearth Bakery at $ 8 a loaf. unsliced [ which means that I hack away at the loaf, praying for unmutilated tranches ] 
the theory is that the sourdough is pre - digested [ bacteria got to it before I did ]. more readily absorbable  nutrients.
thats the hope

follow up to followup. This week the sourdough was pana rusticana or dark & no seeds - rock hard but sliced thru in nice thin rounds ( oblongs )

Amazing [ Amazon ] has a hook in. today was purchase # 4 I believe. lets see .... projector, grout clean, knee brace [ not my fault ] and now light pants [ breathable, quick dry ] for fishing in the summer heat [ endeavouring to replace shorts, bug city out there, last week ]

we shall see said the Zen Master

further to news of the projector, purchased two days since.
A bit of fumbling. the device is almost idiot proof. and then I found " autofocus " and the situation really improved.
I fumbled about w / screens. first try was an Ikea backboard for a desk. heavy and too shiny ( mostly awkward ). next was a metal desk top ( OMG ) a failure - big time

finally set up a poster backing sheet. much better and easier to handle. shiny and wrinkled, yet, not bad. first impression was that text was hard to see. I switched to pictures and YouTube and ' autofocus ' much easier to watch.

Whispering fan to cool the device, almost user friendly and add  to that autofocus , a functional setting 

Overall assessment is easily a good to very good. The Wimius S 27 fulfills the advertised functionality 

I'm sure a proper screen or wall will vastly improve the presentation. The video playback was clear and speaker ( yes, built in) was sharp.

In the future, what I plan to do is use a white sheet or maybe some sort of matte finish paper the size of the TV screen and I think I can stick it or attach it to the TV itself so although the TV won't work at least they'll be a screen that can display the picture

BTW. half of this entry was done using the tablet form of the Duet. And a stylus makes tablet typing much easier. There is a much improved Duet available at $ 500 but I have this dual purpose device yet seldom utilize tablet mode AND many folks desire a tablet

thus, a concentrated effort to learn tablet - ese or ....... Proficiency thereof

thinking of fishing ..... as in this coming week

🏵 ... so, Xmas comes today

 🏵  ... so, Xmas comes today. two packages from Amazing 

' boro. is warm and slightly humid, this is T.O. summer

My latest trend is to watch running, mainly girls / women s middle distance [ way nicer than the news ]

Ho ! Ho !

projector and grout cleaner came as one delivery

🎣 🎣 ... " and so it goes "

 🎣  🎣 ... " and so it goes " the hit song by Billy Joel 

still themed w / fishing
makes sense
such a big part of my life. 

You're seeing the complex emotional, physical and social mish mash of this topic

quite fitting that I blog about the situation

Billy Joel felt that  ' and so it goes " might be the culmination of his songwriting both as a testament and achievement in his anthology

OK, I dream of fishing

Consumerism - the ' hoarding mentality '

OK. the premise is both our SONY TV s are aging. Doing quite well. BUT at the Q ' two used TV s have failed. 

So. I have a projector on hold. $ 100 on Amazon Prime Day. FOR ? Well. we have one TV box linked to the modem. The setup allows us to run some programs via WiFi downstairs. Essentially tho ' the downstairs TV s run off Roku or Chromecast, both stream Internet 

Thus, when a SONY fails ( U / D ) then the projector becomes the downstairs TV via a stick. Sounds really smart right ?

NOW . The photo . M .. was getting her hair done, so ......

At Pharmasave, I walk round and gawk. What a variety of articles on the shelves. Today. A small section had Obus Form and Homemedic [ house-brand ] physical aids. The box above had a price of $ 73.98 labelled  Homemedic on the shelf sticker. I asked the counter person to scan the Code
Well. The display said ' Homemedic, $ 73.98 ' . And the lady added we take off the 20 % for Wed sale day. Thus, the all in price was 65 dollars and she scanned my AirMilesCard as well.
Done. Obus Form came home

A little loud but effective.

Consumerism. Gone wild ish

Oh, warm in the ' boro overcast and humid 

and ..... D ..  next door borrowed my emergency strap up knee brace. He likes it.
Yes. back to Amazon Prime Day sales
to find a replacement

the deal is, D .. pays the cost of the Amazon brace plus the 11 dollars that I paid for the brace  he is keeping  $ 84 all in.
This price is what the brace that I bought at Binz, regularly sold for

🎣 reflections 🎣

 🎣 or what happened Jul 5 - 7 at the Q '

All the guys were solicitous and realize my infirmities - maybe more than me
they each tried to restrict my adventures up and down the 60 steps to the water

however. I did try and help , a bit 

fishing. three trips in total on the ' bee. I managed to catch 9 rock bass but that was it

thus. am I less excited about fishing or / less able to enjoy the outings ?

 I like sitting in the bass boat. I enjoy the bass boat scooting down ( up ) the river. Except for the heat, brutal the last three times that I've been on the ' bee.

The younger guys [ that's all of them,]  yes are bothered but shake the heat off or seem to not notice the same extent

Another age thing or me thing ?

One thought is start earlier and quit sooner. Oops ! up at 3AM and drive two hours.

One of A ... s fishing friends is on the water a little before 6. 
I don't know about that.Then they fish to noon and go home

🛻 Jul 7 - the ' boro

 🛻  Sat night thru Mon at 4, I was at the Q '. Fishing and sweating

Sweating was abundant

Fish not so

Ate well and too much beer

and my gaming venture in Seneca online again fell to minimum daily award, so , not 2800 pts but 400

time to give it up

✋ talk to me of Mendacino

 ✋ .. a song from the McGarrigles

.....  they were independent and unboxable [ what ? - couldn't come up w / a better term ]

heading to really warm in the ' boro

further. Kate and Anna penned ' Heart Like a Wheel '. The ladies drew the attention of Linda Ronstadt [ also ' unboxable ' ]. The three ladies and associated musicians ended up together in a bar in Upper New York stateto perform ' Heart ...... '

4⃣ 4⃣ a deal

      4⃣.... to forget

' boro is here and kicking

when is a busy day, not a busy day. OK

walked the shower door reject from the basement [ been sitting there for a year ] out to the curb
left the house at 10:45 AM
dropped off dissected laptops [ 3 ] at the Electronic Waste Depot

travelled 14 miles N to the LCBO to wait in the parking lot. Yeah ? You go to wait in a parking lot ?

The industrial plaza has 4 deep parking at the entrance. Stopping is a hazard
A ...  needed to leave his car. We met up and drove or he did 15 miles his condo.
We left the truck and took his other vehicle.
eight more miles south

In the city centre, we parked underground and elevatored up to 19 and picked up a TV for the Q '

Drove [ he did ] back to the condo and plopped the TV in my truck [ Q ' bound TV ]

I took the short way home - right - bumper to bumper for 2 miles.# 401 unclogged and I found a route home.

Stopped and called home. " should I bring home Kentucky Fried Rat ? " Sure. Picked up the hone in order and  Bob s your uncle 

My day.

🐮 not a Jersey

  🐮 ... or a channel island [ been there ]

' boro a comfortable day ahead w/ storms spotty throughout the day still

A long variable day. Part Chauffeur plus delivery man 

And 

🥈 it is

 🥈and will be
'boro. same old, same old

story. we had visitors, last summer from the UK. M .. s sister s daughter and son in law and granddaughter / grandson. I told them that I could take them for the second best burger in Scarborough.
The son in law questioned why ' second best '. I replied if I said ' the best ' someone would argue the point. No one ever counters the  ' second ' best claim

well, they all extolled Real McCoy s burgers

Wait. Smash burgers again ! Yes. And really good

🇨🇦 Day

 🇨🇦 ..... a birthday arrives

' boro. pleasant summer

Life. Generally, I disdain buying mince beef in the stores. Sort of ' the sausage rule ' as in don't ask how it's made 

This policy would include sloppy Joe, Sheppard's pie etc

Lately, tho ' , I've been buying lean beef mince from the Butcher Shoppe in the plaza 

Not sure if this is a radical turn around or logical re - assessment 

I've decided that I want to make smash burgers. Previously, I mixed ground beef, egg, bread crumbs and soy sauce even letting the beef marinate. OR 

Buying pre - made frozen patties 

Now, it's lean mince into the pan then season salt and pepper cooking onion s on the side flip and top w / cheese 

Love it

Life 

,

,

🧌 as this month dwindles

 🧌 ...... the weather is truly summer now.

' boro. on Neighbourhood Watch [ via Whatsapp ], construction noise [ neighbouring homes ] is the topic du jour. E.g. concrete and crap tumbling down a chute to the bin

Aches and pains. March and April, ugh ! Hip and down to the knee w/ groin [ L. inner thigh ]
I mean putting on socks etc a real PAIN close to impossible
May. the new de - loading exercise and rest [ and I mean baby - ing the leg, even in the UK ] meant that I came home 80 % better

Jun. some reversion to pain, hip and inner thigh. Hip pain is a morning event. Groin pain minor twinges and a level of discomfort. However, please note, that I have system for putting on socks, plus the L. leg  can actually bend about 40 %

The physio or exercise s that I'm using are all YouTube based. In fact, this morning, I re tried a ' useless ' stretching Video - and it proved effective. You see, more leg movement and less pain allowed me to do the simple stretches 

🪂 dropping in

 🪂  reporting the ' boro is sunny. bluebird sky, thus a high pressure ridge over the city

📇 what ya thinking

 📇 post # 4476 on Jun 28, Saturday in the ' boro

sunny and fair AND sticky sticky. It's H / H.

YouTube criticised 4 types of bread. White, whole-wheat, rye and multi grain 

Spent $ 8 for a sourdough rusticana at Hearthside bakery. And the rye loaf from my last purchase at the butchers was 2 x bigger and 1 / 2 the price 

Yes. You get what you pay for

I hope 

those listed breads are reportedly, high in the glycemic index [ boosting blood sugar ] and of less than stellar nutrition 

thus. this sourdough should be lower in glycemic index and provide a boost to digestion b / c the sourdough provides carbohydrate that would have started bacteria digestion.

we shall see said the Zen Master

🦼 expectation and resolution

 🦼 or the other side

a more than tolerable day. sun and cool and all things nice

🤸 you spin me .....

 🤸 right round baby, right round ..... or as I used to sing ' white rum ,white rum '

supposedly the heat has broken 
we shall see said the Zen Master

and a spring type day

followed by rain

Jun 25 ......

...... Still at the Q'

Morning run went w / out a problem gentle dry breeze and sun starting up 

D ... Got a bass. And me, little stuff 

Hot enough to come in and cool down 

🏂 coming to you .......

 🏂from the Q '

That fabled place. OSM is the jurisdiction and nearest town is Keene ( post office )

A scorcher of a day, overcast and ripping winds blowing Nor Norwest or down the Otonabee 

Still took some deer fly bites ( and mosquitoes)

I got a sunfish and a rock bass 

The anecdote of the day revolves around the term kill switch. For safety, the engine doesn't start w / out the kill switch depressed ( off ). A key holds the kill switch depressed, or ' engine runs '. 

This afternoon, we tried to start the engine ( you know the story already ) Engine cycles but will not engage  We went for new gas and filled the tank. No dice. Then I looked and said ' what's the red cord here yepper the kill switch key is in my bag '

Holey Kamoley Batman, I didn't insert the kill switch key. Of course, bango starts right up

Aargghh ! ( That's a whole lot of cussing there )

Such is life 🧬 

🦞 the claw is .....

 🦞.... on the prowl. in the soup. on guard

' boro is sticky warm going to hot

SMOKER, baby. As advertised. Still wasn't quite ready. Am now

shorts and sunshirt

🧑‍🚒 summertime and ......

 🧑‍🚒 yes. we have H / H. A / C got turned on EXCEPT it took 1 / 2 to figure out how to turn on cool. No, you don not make the number go to 75, cuz it won't, that's a marker. You. Set a schedule - day, time and temperature

All good. and we are cooling down 

🫧 on the twenty first of Junius

 🫧 the bubble explanation. Bubbles form b / c the soap reduces the surface tension of the water. The soapy solution [ soap is a surfactant ] then clings and a shape is allowed that reduces the strain or load. This shape is the sphere

' boro. a reasonable day is expected. always a chance of rain in this slightly humid and warmish environment

for sure heat is on the way

Sequitor. I'm rewatching ' Sandman ' the life and times of the god of the endless. The ' dream king '

The storyline is that an amateur magician/ necromancer / bad dude accidentally captures the Sandman ( temporarily unprotected).  By holding the incapacitated Dream King, the magician dooms Humanity to live their dreams or nightmares 

To re - establish his Realm, the Sandman must retrieve his lost talismans. 

One such item requires a trip to Hell. While waiting outside for an invite as per God protocol watching the sinners w/ torches queuing up for their fate. Matthew the companion blurts out ' they make you bring your own fire to Hell ? ' 

.

🏵 about this

🏵 { Since 1999, millions of people have expressed themselves on Blogger. From detailed posts about almost every apple variety you could ever imagine to a blog dedicated to the art of blogging itself, the ability to easily share, publish and express oneself on the web is at the core of Blogger’s mission. }
the above is the introduction to ' Blogger ' 

ah. the art of blogging ?  OMG. And here I am venting to the ether

' boro. gloomy. a cool day that represents comfortable as opposed to the coming heat wave. Next week, the H / H factor will be stifling

🧭 on finding your way

 🧭 Jun 19 edition

' boro is gloomy. We were actually, warm to hot  yesterday but cooler today. And rain is possible

the latest app or feature from Google [ recall, we are Google captives in this house ] is ' Notebook w / AI '. I imagine it is much akin to a diary. Imagine, you can blog every day

while doing coffee w/ B ... , a week back, I asked for a report on traffic going home. I figured that I was asking the right person. He uses Maps on Google and requests a set of directions and apparently, you get traffic reports

🛻💝 XVIII of Junius

 🛻💝 " we are offering a complimentary evaluation for your vehicle, by the used car manager "
no thnx.

' boro, looking good out the window.

Oh. hired a neighbour to paint our front door. Approx 20 yrs ago [ or more ],  I painted the steel doors that represent our entrance. Blistered and cracked but of course, this is a surface phenomena. The doors are steel.
    One day, a morning session and afternoon one, ta da done

The part that I ordered arrived at Honda. With Raz $ 1.64. Bet the packaging and delivery cost more. 

The plastic [ of course ] clip holds the hood support rod in place under regular driving 
I'd been using a cable tie to keep the support rod held down

🛻 Jun 17

 

🛻     Booked the 7'30 AM appointment at Honda

M ... Said " why ? " 

The advisor asked for the whole day b / c the Ridgeline needed 3 recalls 

Thus. Recall # 1 factory tonneau cover [ mine was aftermarket ] no dice

Hood latch could snap off or displace [ hood flies up at speed ] 

Wiring harness that support lights and camera may fray on repeated bending

No charge. And done on time. Yea, the two recalls

Still. Done 

🛣 a new way to go

 🛣 there is a toll road that crosses the top of the city approx 100 miles. Recently, 26 miles became free. Conveniently, this is the route to the Q ' . Thus, I drove the # 401 to # 412 and cut up to #407. Easy and efficient.
Coming back due to traffic [ yes, still there ] I travelled a more circuitous route at the western end of the planned trip. Slower, but way less aggro, all considered

Ah. The Q '. that is a little more like my usual stories. I organized fishing equipment. By now, you must have figured that my forte is organizing. Not doing but organizing.

Last year, to my chagrin on every fishing trip to Q ' at some point [ when I needed something the most ] I said ' why isn't Z or X here.
Thus, today, it was basically, put fishing stuff away properly. So, mission accomplished ?
Sort of. I sorted and readied 7 fishing rods. Pulled out and put away and pulled and put away for the afternoon.
Plus I got down to the dock and fished for half an hour

Rate the day ? definitely, a six

Relaxing. No
Necessary, maybe

Fifteenth Jun

 ' boro. Beautiful ! day

Shopping at El Tigre del Norte for the essentials as in milk, eggs, Cheerios, relish 

And returning 3 pants for M. ...

Big deal was smoking a Mahanttan short rib chunk

But. BBQ was filthy. A fall and winter dust and clingy crud removal job

And inside. The replacement briquettes kept falling thru the grid That I cut to size. Added a finer grid to prevent the briquette cascade every hour

Then I used Jack Daniel s whiskey smoker pellets on a aluminum plate. Meat went on the offside from the heat. After 2 hrs, it was into the oven

Result. Bingo. Best smoked meat of the year

🤸 tumbling, tumbleweed

 🤸 or not

' boro weather is fine. Sun electrifying everything out there. 

Stage 2. We cleaned the windows inside. Of course, its real easy to see the streaks outside now.

I used the vacuum b / c the dust and crud build up was extensive.

13 days in

 Well. Get off your ass. Out there for Spring cleaning windows

Job done. India Pale in hand

🛀 scrub - a dub - dub

🛀 .... boy in the tub ..... AND this is post # 4460

' boro, a little lacklustre out there and certainly overcast

Actually, a reasonable day w / a dash of humidity 

Got out for odd jobs. Vacuumed the truck floor. Replaced the washed fitted mat .THEN the same amount of time to clean the Shop vacuum ( fluff and such made up of  the lint from the dryer screen )

Remember when ...... for Jun 11

 

My birthday coincided w/ our Trip to UK. 

Relatives, were kind enough to remember and mark the day w / small tokens. At the Marina facility shops, they found the brass plaque. Mounted on the card from another friendly kin - we get the momento above

' boro. slightly overcast [ smoke again ????? ] And the temperature should rise.

💅 painting the extreme

 💅 or not

' boro. weather is not summer but a useable day.I perceive a slight haze [ smoke ]. pleasant 

Thus. I'm taking a magnesium supplement as advised by M ... s friend. Firstly, for leg pain and secondly, as a sleep aid.
the side effects or main effect may be the laxative action of the magnesium citrate 
recall that magnesium is the main active in many stomach pharmaceuticals

[TUMS etc ] milk of magnesia etc

🤖 ninth of the month

 🤖  ... does not compute

' boro weather is indeterminate. hazy still but there is cloud cover

🪂 VIII of the VI

 🪂  do a little each day. b / c anything beats nothing.

thus. yesterday. I checked the service notes and receipts on the truck. all is good or a least in hand

' boro weather dunno. cool ish. dull. [wildfire smoke ? ] at best, a day to get things done

Motivation is curious 

Landscaping guy did a great job. Tidy up and prettify 

Today. Trimmed the front bush, ragged to orderly. Plus the scarecrow pine hangs down in masses and blocks the front door view from the street side  ( safety factor)
the ' scarecrow ' seems to employ a system of branchlets that droop [ actually, grows down ]
BUT the effect is to block the view of the front door from the street. I think that the front door should be visible from the street

Done 

Motivated  

🚣 coping ....

 🚣 Friday was a visitation pre - funeral. We drove some miles East to the venue
A sombre but not not stifling feeling.

' boro. the look is on the dull side. we are dealing w/ smoke in the air.  a mild haze 

Apparently, our air quality, is poor

📇 re - newing old ties

 
📇 ...  a former student, now friend reached out post re - union
we went to breakfast
Terrif !

Barry D ...... always took the time to pop by and chat
guess nothing changed

' boro. is damp and dull looking

🍪 ... a sign of the times

 🍪 ... does a cookie represent Life
as in :
 Life is like a cookie.
a treat until you bite in and then ..... cookie is no longer whole
or
.... so many possibilities / so little time

further : the Gardner's came and conquered. the decision was that weed pulling and landscaping had no appeal or I wan't interested in that type of labour
Yesterday, they went at it. Simple, glad it wasn't me 

thus, good choice

sunny in the ' boro and approaching ' hot ' status 

dentist this AM for a cleaning

🦻 update

 🦻 we hired landscapers. not for the first time but ...... I am having a bit of angst about the need to do this

however, ' needs must '

🍥 LG

 🍥.... ' life is good '

' boro weather is improving. actual warmth is around

🪸 working on the first 1 / 2 year

 🪸 ..... moving right along

' boro is intermittent - everything, sun and not sun, flirting w / rain possibility

we joined the home delivery crowd. veal cutlet sandwiches from Californai Sandwiches

👾 dernier jour

 👾  a lot happened this month. We were overseas and engaging w / M ... s relatives

we both had monster colds. M  ...is finally, starting to kick hers

' boro weather is indeterminate. we are much cooler than yesterday w / rain threatening

🛌 closing out the month

 🛌  continued

' the dreamer ' position for sleep

yes. slept w / a pillow between my knees. slept thru the night, no staying awake bouts

tired feeling ? yes, but much better than yesterday [ day 1 ]

Maybe, good   We shall see said the Zen Master

it has started. I'm hiring people to do work around the house and in

👀 " dreamer " or ......

 👀 ... the ' soldier '

May 29. What ?
these are sleeping postings that are neutral. Meaning low stress. Dreamer is on your side w /  a pillow between your knees. I chose this one.
Alternately, on your back flat out [ or a slight support for your knees, a towel ]

Both are meant to keep both knees off the bed. The ultimate goal is a relaxing posture for the night

Result. I slept thru the night BUT do I feel tired. Almost exhausted.
to be fair. most mornings are like this, lately

perhaps, you can't catch up sleep in one night

dreary in the ' boro. rain fell and will fall again

💝 om May the 28 th

 💝.... the weather in the  ' boro
yesterday broke the mould, warm and little wind a summer day optimized
today, and following, shows a pattern of rain and unsettled conditions

truly, I don't feel that I've had 2 ' normal ' days in a row for a month and some weeks. Certainly. UK travel was unsettling or I never settled down comfortably
and since coming home [ approaching 11 days or so ] w / the cold and getting back to Canadian life, really, uncomfortable is the word

we shall see said the Zen Master

in summary. medically, my hip and inner thigh pain is becoming a non issue, most days. to be sure, I've adjusted to the problem re : bending and putting on socks

prior to travel, I purchased wool socks. supposedly, comfortable, wicks away moisture and dries faster than cotton. the socks have been all that. Plus, the socks are ankle height, and much easier to put on
I didn't realize that the wool socks don't snag on my toenails as much [maybe, later as they wear, so far so good.
yesterday, was ultrasound and X Ray of the hip area. we shall see said the .........

the house. for approximately 3 months, I have done less maintenance and general fixing up then I thought that I'd done in past years
I imagined that I had recognized and realized that I need to pull back from doing many chores that involve lifting and ladders [ mostly ]

🧭 on the 27 the of Amy

 🧭  ' ... finding your way in the world today ..
... takes everything you've got ......  [ from Cheers, the TV sitCom ]

feel that way - especially, the last 10 days. travel and a cold and aging
however. 4 weeks ago,my hip ached and the inner thigh [ as reported ]

however, returning from our trip [walking and not much else ] the hip pain has been minimal or almost gone

ah. the good and the bad. always

🧛 on May 25

 🧛 this week, the most exciting element is a ' ultrasound and X Ray ' double header. 

I suppose if you moan and whine enough, then you should get the ailment looked at. Yes, the left hip is going to be imaged

🐦 on the 24 th

 🐦 at the school
where I taught for 29 years and months and days. my pension was exactly that 29 yrs but missing 30 by a month. water under the bridge
there is Reunion Day for the students and staff since 1971

a session in the afternoon at the school itself followed by a night time get together, near by

originally, I was to attend a breakfast at 9 AM then visit the school [ running from 11 to 6 ]. And get to the nighttime event

I've pulled back. Now. Visit the school for a few hours and rest and attend the night get together

Follow up. Skipped the breakfast thing w/ friends. I got to the school at 11 AM [ official start ]. I enjoyed a 2 hr and bit stand around, meet and greet former students and staff. Very Enjoyable.
I needed a break by then and headed home. Relax etc

I arrived for the Evening Event on time. 10 or so people were already in the room. I bought a diet coke and chose a table at the back where 4 or 5 people were sitting. I thought that I would introduce myself and stay a few minutes
Of course, knew Caroline and then Cathy and turns out that I knew their brothers and sisters. In all, never left that table. People decided to come to the table and I sat.

Such kind and thoughtful people. Sadly, I discovered a former teacher had passed the week before and a couple of students had sad news too of ailing siblings

My hearing was overwhelmed and after an hour and some, I said farewell. 
There was an alternate get together down the road. I was tired and deaf.
BUT I had promised to try to attend both. I stopped and repeated the process. Kind and thoughtful former students.

Tired. Came home

🍥 into the third week

🍥 ... follow up. caught a cold in UK, flew home and still lingering effects

rainy is the forecast but the weather will clear for Saturday

🎴 XXII of V

 🎴ah, yes, the flower of the deck

rainy  in the ' boro. Dark clouds all day and steady wet

the kind of day where you accomplish much but look back ..... huh, you say 

🧑‍🚒 May 21

 🧑‍🚒 .... a dull looking day out there

then the rain came and stayed

however, snapping out of the doldrums of the week. I got out and had the truck washed. I got new keys cut

Whew discovered that we only had two sets of keys for the new front door lock. On loaning out the one for next door, yes, one left
the problem arose b/c most occasions, I don't need a key [ only my phone ]. 

Ah. what happens w/ no internet or WiFi hook up. 
We shall see said the Zen Master

🧑‍🔧 a wee look back

 🧑‍🔧  .... on the 20 the of May. Coffee and typing, sunny view out there

Thus. on the recent trip to the UK. Decided that instead of the blog, I would add a hand written diary of happenings. Initially, I was pretty industrious ...... obviously, the trend did not continue
In fact, that notebook had jottings from the 2020 trip to Florida. OK. 
what happened ! I was getting a cold [ that sounds weak ]. Perhaps, thinking of home. We were both tired. We commiserated and I know that I was planning the packing and other doings for getting home

 

🦥 a slothful day

 🦥 or productive one

overcast and dull, out the window. we are green and growing

🐣 🐤 🐥 ...... and on

 🐣 🐤 🐥 unfortunately, the yellow on my lawn is dandelions. The dandy's have found a new home

of course, I wasn't here for the crucial growth spurt period. meaning that the dandelions have established themselves

oh well, dig ' em out

🎀 🌿 a double ....

 🎀 🌿  my attempt at creating a new icon [ no, I cannot join them together ]

rainy and dim out there

coffee [ yesterday s and re - heated ]

still fighting this cold / cough. Of course, not quite comfortable ...... stuffy, temperature regulation is poor. Just off, sub normal.

if you're wondering, this is typical cough and then cold comes on
what fooled me, is that, I usually, start w/ a sore throat. 

💤 the aftermath

 💤  it seems that I conveniently forgot, L .. M .. s first rule of travel

Do not leave home. You see once you have blown thru that ..... well everything after is your fault

for the last 3 days in UK, I was stuffed up and doing little coughy fits. In order to fly, I purchased head and cold meds [ w / caffeine ]

yessir, suffyness gone but [ you got it ] couldn't sleep the night before the flight.

Thus tired and groggy I got ready

Finally, realizing that I had my allergy meds w/ me [ non caffeinated ] What a ' dopey feeling. My head cleared up but sleeping on the plane was never going to be easy

and was not

 I was super warm part way thru the flight

At present, w / nighttime flu / cold / cough meds on board. I feel slightly light headed and a bit tired

⏳ travelling day in the Jolly Ol'

 ⏳ yessir, we are on the move. 

1.   Staines upon Thames to LGW, from 7 AM to 8 :10 AM

2.   LGW followed by a hour and a bit wait in queue at the airline. Problem was getting across the city timely to LGW, thus better to be early .

we were. an expited sortie thru security, very efficient and non stressful

our wheelchair guides were pro s for sure

however, the operative term is better early than never "  we overheard a couple tell the information officer " we missed our flight. what do we do ? '

3. we were carted to the plane 

 4. we survived the flight. Folks said ' great flight '.  I was screaming in my head [ b / c I couldn't hear properly ] GET ME OFF THIS PLANE !!!

5. service transfer was capable and the last lady porter, got us to luggage and thru customs
She transfered M .. in her wheelchair to our pick up point for the limo

TERRIFIC

🦠 it will grow on you

 🦠 and or never stop growing, take your choice
Alright, honourable mention

Hello to BTopenworld and all who sail in her
you and yours were marvelous hosts and go to buddies
many enjoyable chin wags and such
I am glad that we made the effort to hop the pond

hoping that you read this. you said you would 

🥮 by any other name

 🥮 on the 13 the of May 

On the off chance that  K ... has started reading the blog
Hi to Ashford. on a sunny day

🧭 051225 is the date

 🧭 ...... marking your way in the world
and don't get lost 

easy to say BUT how often .....

sun is trying in a hazy view and you can feel the humidity 

🐼 the eleventh of May, '25

 🐼 ... in a panda - less land .......

sun is out the ripples on the water. stuff is definitely alive. very comforting looking out there

coffee, not so great. a hodge podge affair so not the coffee s fault

her name was stefka simone [ I know, I use no names to protect individuals ]
exceptions to the rule. great service at the bank. a pleasure to deal w/ and there were long term benefits from her help
I spent a day trying to recall that name. finally, ' pop ' the first / last name was there AND w /in minutes Yessssss...ss I knew that I 'd got it back.

🎴 ten days into May

 🎴  ... the ' flower playing ' card
I'm assuming its from ' twittering birds or

a vista

 this morning in Devere Cotswold Watery world. A big and spacious living area - water scene in front, cruising swan and shore birds [ coots or moorhens ???? ]

photo to follow

thus celebrating kindly people - thoughtful and productive
ALL around us.

🥮 ah the eigth of May

🥮 ... we are in England for VE Day

somehow an added dimension being here

some notes.
breakfast came from Lidl. A clean modern and savings glory kinda place. Guessing here, but likely 20 - 30 % below other venues
To wit. My egg and prawn sandwich [ tasty and all ] cost 1.89 GBP vs 5.37 at Pret Manger.

M ... s pain au Chocolat was .69 vs 2.75 at Pret

now the walk is triple the distance [ Lidl to Pret s location ]. Still. 

🍘 Mai septieme

 🍘 ...... or May 7 2025 and we go on ...

thus, simultaneously [ maybe ] I was keeping a pencil and paper account of the day. thinking that I preferred or have always needed to hand write notes and entries

for cross - over here is a potential [ hand written ] entry

Mahonia Lodge report. This cottage affair is found on the grounds of Mercia Marina, Willingdon near Derby. Originally, a canal boat basin and docking facility, Mercia has become a focal point for many other aspects of outdoor / non city life.
Added amenities include shopping and dining and tours both nautical and terrestrial.

M... s cousin and second cousin owned canal boats at Mercia. Thus, this weekend we rented a cottage on the surrounding grounds, minutes from the basin. The well appointed cottage was a three bedroom affair w/ one bedroom, en - suite, and a bunk bed style room for 4. Nicely done in wood trim and fully kitted out. Plus dishwasher and laundry.

a thoroughly enjoyable venue and home this weekend to a family re -union

🍹OK Dokey May the 6 th

 🍹 ... and the world ticks on

and on ......

.... and on

Still w/ you and typing away to the ether
ether / or and more

follow up. health news. the hip pain and inner thigh strain / hurt are still present
reluctantly, not to get carried away, I think the overall discomfort is decreasing.
Surprisingly, the flight w / the stretched out positioning we had ....
maybe, taught me how to treat the discomfort
and / or the attention that I have been giving the problem exercise etc are helping
I noticed that I'm developing skills on sock and pant putting on...... straight leg and not bending overtly.

Live and learn 

🏞 " May the Fourth Be with You "

 🏞 .......  long ago in a galaxy, far, far away  ........ there were .......

sunny and cool bouts of clouds

🌿 May 3 rd

 🌿 ..... happy birthday to E .... 
she is 23

sunny and brightly cool

🧞 on the first of V

 🧞 and dancing round the May pole. we won't

sunny and warmer of the year. like ---- summer

⏳ ending the IVth month

 ⏳or real close

sun and spring for sure. enjoy the warmth. revel in the days

live in the moment

I use the expression but I'm not sure that this ends up being what I Do or Accomplish

sounds good

🎀 and in ...

  🎀  glorious sunshine. hope springs eternal

🍁 on the 27 the of the IV th

 🍁 a bout of increasingly spring ish weather is in the offing

apologies. day blossomed from this AM. SUMMER but cool

🐯 again !

 🐯 .... closing out another month

whew. jetted by that one

we are in spring. today is a cooler version. duller and pregnant w/ rain

🌅 looking forward is ....

 🌅 ..... the ticket

a sombre day out the window as I type. 
positive notes. grass is greening. crocus came out and seemed happy

🦠 .... ' we all live in a ......

 🦠...yellow submarine ...
or so the song goes

on April the 24 . coffee, typing and dark outside
and for sure the temperature indicates spring 
I think we hit mid 60 s this afternoon

wondrous day, makes you believe in Santa Claus

💤 April 22 in the year 2025

 💤 ....... is the apt emoji b/c I took ' ZZZZZ sleep ' gummies ' Slept thru
However,I'm still groggy

' boro is dull but the sun wants thru

The backpack dilemma. OK, watched a YouTube video on my large backpack, Targus Voyager 1.
yes, loads of pockets and sleeves. Discovered that the protective zipped pocket lined w / foil was NOT for film etc
BUT a cooler / keep warm bag [ alright, it took me 15 years to figure that out ]

of course, now I am leaning toward, taking the bigger backpack.
a) the recommended backpacks have these storage spaces
b) the biggest pack pack might help while we are transiting in England

👁 ' what it is bro '

 👁The emoji 👁️ represents a single human eye looking forward. It's different in shape and style compared to the pair of eyes emoji 👀, which are more rounded and look to one side. The single eye emoji is also commonly used with the mouth emoji 👄 to create the "It is what it is" face: 👁️👄👁️.

sharing 
coffee in hand and typing. hello ether. are you receiving ??????? 

further. the 2 nd hack for the Survivor backpack. I mentioned the shock cord web modification, sort of " OK "

Next: two clips are now available slightly above the side pocket or water bottle carrier. Their purpose was to prevent the water bottle from falling over or out
THEN discovered a water bottle [ former ' ice tea ' container ] that sits quite nicely thank you, w / out needing a top lacing 

🎴 as April flows along

 🎴yes. we got rain
but the season has turned. less uncomfortable. get out weather is here 

follow up. I tried to ' hack ' my backpack. It is a Survivor 25 [ L ] from Regatta.
this is called an EDC [ everyday carry ] pack.
I was travelling to England and was using a dedicated Electronics backpack. Of course, compartments galore, padded and attachpoints for accessories. And heavy.

I saw a guy w/ a EDC approx 25 L [ I didn't know those terms at the time ]
While in England, yes, the Survivor was on sale for $ 18. I was going to use it all the time
Fast forward and not really.

As a last attempt to take this to England. [ see, this was what was supposed to happen ] I tried a hack to make the Survivor slightly more utilitarian [ and not heavy ]

the Survivor came w/ a shock cord loose web on the front of the pack. Meant for a jacket or wet item [ obviously, it could dry there ]. Problem was, all items tend to fall thru, eventually.
Solution, use a large  [long ] Zip tie to form a frame and make the bottom of the web stronger and more substantial

The Zip tie is strong but the way that I zipped the black Zip made the ' new improved ' shock cord netting - not stretchy enough. Meaning the space does not expand much or accept odd shapes

Today, is hack # 2. Stronger webbing but increased flexibility.  

We shall see said the Zen Master

The hack ' re do '. Alright, stayed w/ the heavy Zip tie. But, this time, I left the ends free ( not joined in a big loop.

I found a light shock cord and threaded the light line thru the Zip tie ends  Thus, a relatively stiff lower frame for the web net and flexy sides ( allowing stretch )

Untested. And all the while, I thought ' R U taking the computer backpack ( yes, like before ) '

🚅 and the 19 the of April is here

 🚅 ... we did get rain
plus the skies look threatening again. Mild temperatures, tho '

🏣 April the 17 of 2025

 🏣 ..... the ' boro reports

we will be sunny it seems w/ temperature doing a 50 + / - a bit

however rain moves in for the Fri / Sat of Easter

hang tough, elbows up and .... fight ,fight 

Pain follow up. Yesterday was Ibuprofen free. Did the wall stretch and w/ a bit of discomfort finished the day

This AM. Wall stretch [ still sore ] back to bed, stretch a bit
when I got up, wall stretch, and minimal discomfort

We shall see said the Zen Master