Month: April 2020

Our grandson Max also known by several names, mine is “Mighty Max”! Here he is, starting to explore his home, by holding onto furniture and sidling sideways.

Apparently, these days, this is referred to as “cruising” by people in the know.

Won’t be long before he’s walking and getting into mischief, already!!!

Cuteness personified!

Today we received in our mailbox a copy of this out to lunch publication called “The Epoch Times”.

I had a brief look at it; they are noted for their conspiracy theories, the latest being that China manufactured COVID-19 in their labs as a bio-weapon. Scientists have debunked that theory, along with many others which continue to spring up.

The company that owns this paper, the Falung Gong, has been declared an illegal cult by China.

What is happening in today’s world? So many of us pitted against each other. My Jane and I both worry what will happen in a few years and how our grandchildren may be affected.

This virus continues to wreak havoc in the world In which we live. There is no vaccine to combat it and so far, more than 3 million people world-wide have contracted this deadly disease. What is particularly disturbing is that, while not everyone who catches it dies, thousands are reporting long term, debilitating side effects. We are hearing about some very scary lung, heart, nerve damage that may affect someone forever. It is nothing to sneer at.

Despite the warnings and requirements for social distancing, there are those who defy government decrees, putting the rest of us at risk. It is these people who are dragging out this pandemic. They whine about their rights, their freedoms, while wilfully infecting all kinds of innocent people.

This virus, coupled with the political rants of the creature down south, are dividing that nation and I see it spilling over into Canada.

Today I hooked up the drip irrigation system once again because the temperature is now likely to stay above freezing; this will allow for watering even if we happen to be away for a few days.

I had it hooked up once already but the forecast a few days ago was calling for below freezing, so to be safe and realizing that I was probably taunting Mother Nature, I had disconnected everything.

Also, because of the warm temperature, Jane was able to get some edging done. It’s amazing how the shape of the garden sharpens, once the edging is done each spring.

Looks good.

You know you have a spoiled pet when she refuses to move out if the way to make the bed. In this particular case, we were trying to change the bed and managed to get the sheets off; when we left for a moment to get fresh ones from the closet, look what happened:

No amount of cajoling would persuade her to move, so we are at a standoff. I hope she moves before it’s time for bed.

You know that it is a do-nothing day when my topic is just weather; today is a bright sunny one with temperature around 12 C.

Jane and I actually sat outside on our deck for a half hour or so basking in the sun. We both agreed that it was a much-needed change of scenery and a break from the covid monotony.

There was no wind to speak of so it was quite pleasant and we always find something to talk about.

And the weather forecast is trending toward warmer. Hope is in the air!

We continue to listen to our daily Prime Ministerial briefings on Covid and we feel that Canada is doing relatively well compared to other countries.

Yesterday at a Presidential press briefing on COVID-19, the CIC (Creature-in-Chief) suggested that maybe a disinfectant (bleach) could be injected into the body to kill the virus.

For this idiot to suggest something like that from behind the presidential podium is criminal. He knows that the majority of his supporters who follow him with cult-like adulation and could take this suggestion seriously with deadly consequences.

His previous touting of hydroxychloroquine (an anti-malaria medication) already resulted in one death.

Unconscionable to say the least. When will the Republican Party rise up against this mad man?

Cars, waterfalls, now this.

Yesterday Jane heard some water dripping in the Laundry Room. After some investigation, we determined that it was the hot water tank. A quick check of the tag revealed it was about 17 years old. I guess it doesn’t owe us anything.

I called Enbridge and they scheduled an appointment for today to replace the old tank with a new one.

Luckily for us, it’s a rental, there’s no cost.

Yesterday I had a hunch I should probably put the car in the garage.

This morning, I woke up to this:

Mother Nature just won’t give us a break this year! While there is bright sunshine flooding our neighbourhood, it remains somewhat chilly at about 0 C.

Even my little waterfall is covered in snow. But I can hear the water gurgling, so the fibreglass repair is holding.

I found all kinds of Temiscaming photos on a Facebook page and downloaded several that I plan on using in the Temiscaming Centennial book such as this one below; I know that many people will recognize and have stories to tell when they see some of these photos.

The stories keep coming in and are fascinating to read, especially since I am very familiar with the locations referenced in them. I think that the whole project is gaining momentum and can foresee some substantial donations to local charities.

For the last few weeks, we have been doing online shopping at Zehr’s. We use their app to select a pickup time and day, then make our list of things we need. It is a far cry from being able to browse and explore products, and they are often out of stock on some pretty necessary items. However, we both feel that it is the wisest option to follow, so that we remain distant from others.

Payment is by credit card on your account so we don’t need to even go in the store.

The other criticism is that they were way off on adhering to the scheduled pick up time and we often have to wait for a week to get groceries.

A proof copy of my most recent publication, a children’s book entitled “Mape My Imaginary Friend”, arrived from Kindle Direct Publishing today.

For a first effort, it’s not bad, but it needs some editing. I’ll do some more work on it.

Today I tested the waterfall repair by adding some water to the lower basin and determined it was OK.

So I put it back in place in the back garden and filled it with water, then plugged in the pump.

It’s all good!

A couple of days ago I filled our corner garden waterfall with water and started it up. It wasn’t long afterwards that we noticed that the motor had stopped.

A quick look at it revealed that the lower level had a big hole in it!

This picture above shows the waterfall from the underside; it is made from fibreglass,so I ordered a small repair kit and brought it into the garage where it was warmer.

I cleaned the perimeter of the hole, sanded it a bit and cut a piece of fibreglass cloth to size. Then I mixed up the resin and hardener and smoothed it in place. Again the underside of the waterfall:

I’ll let it cure overnight and put another piece in from the other side. Stay tuned!

This morning I put together a Facebook survey to gather some information regarding my Centennial book project for Temiscaming.

I also wanted to keep the project in people’s minds without seeming to be pushy. The survey idea, in my view, accomplishes that. I’m hoping to generate lots of interest and conversation, which will translate into submitted stories and sales down the road.

On another note, last night I showed Sara and Steve via video call, the jewellery box, music box, time capsule that I made for Roxana. They were thrilled and touched, I think, to know that I have been creating this for our granddaughter.

This will be given to her when she is older…around 10 and the neat thing about it is the secret compartment I put in it, which I’m sure she will like. A place to keep her special treasures.

This morning we woke up to this, we almost thought that we were in the clear!

It’s not much, but it does take the anticipation for Spring down a notch or two, especially if you have a flower garden. Some plants have been coming up and I wonder if this cold or snow will kill them; my gardener says no, but she isn’t ALWAYS right. Almost always, come to think of it!

Hopefully we’ll soon see a warming trend that won’t go backwards anytime soon.

There are out there, swarming the internet; the latest conspiracy theory suggesting that this Covid 19 pandemic is some grand scheme by Bill Gates to make money is simply ludicrous. And sadly, millions of people are soaking up this craziness.

Here’s a guy who, five years ago, did a TED talk, warning about how ill- prepared the world was for such a situation and who had already established the Bill Gates Foundation to GIVE his money away to worthwhile global causes. He divested himself as Chairman of Microsoft so he could fully devote his time to his foundation.

Since its inception, Gates has donated 45 BILLION dollars, saving millions of lives.

To suggest this pandemic is somehow related to Bill Gates trying to make more money is utterly preposterous.

What is wrong with people FFS?

This afternoon I received a disappointing call from Sunnybrook Hospital, advising that my appointment for this Thursday was postponed to June. I am not surprised given the Covid-19 pandemic. And quite frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to going into a hospital right now, even though they are doing their utmost to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Our car has been giving us trouble starting, so earlier today I took it to a nearby garage for a battery load check and other electrical tests. They called to tell me that the terminal connections were loose but they will tighten and then do an AVB test.

Hopefully it’s not the alternator because there’s not one to be found in Ontario and it would have to be ordered from Quebec taking until Thursday to arrive. It’s a 2011 and it’s been a very reliable vehicle, maybe it’s time to think about an update. It’s a funny thing, I keep hearing “red” from Jane. Hmmmm.

This morning, after breakfast, MY Jane and I arranged with Steven to have a visit from his back deck to see Roxana close up.

We spent about an hour there talking through the glass and watching little Roxana stretching and yawning. Sara looked wonderfully satisfied and content in her new world and Steven, well, he is just beaming, so very proud of his daughter!! We were thrilled to meet her, even it it was from a distance.

It was a great visit under the circumstances, but made even more exciting because our car started acting up. It needed a boost to get started and the same thing coming back.

I’m guessing it’s a starter issue, but I will take it to a mechanic tomorrow.

This morning we had a video call with Steve, Sara and Roxy while Chris, Tonya and Max stayed on Steve’s back deck and visited through the glass patio door.

Max even did his first ever wave at his new cousin! So many firsts to come!

It was a memorable call and the best that could be done under the circumstances. My Jane had some tears afterwards, it’s really hurting her to be remote from her family.

Later, I completed a couple of jobs around the house, i.e. levelling the stove and installing two new exterior garage lights. They say that if you can’t be handsome, you should try to be handy!

With the instalation, I had to relocate the street number sign, moving it higher. I’ve always liked this number sign, because it lights up at night and is very easy to see.

The lights look better than the old ones and are more practical in that, to change a bulb, I now do not have to use a ladder or remove a top cover.

This pandemic has turned the whole world upside down. This life and death need to maintain social distancing has forced us to make major adjustments to our routine way of life.

We cannot freely go outside or meet with friends and family like we are used to doing.

Our tradition of celebrating Easter with family cannot happen this year. It’s just too risky for everybody. But we must make the best of it. That’s why Jane decided to decorate for Easter somewhat like she has in the past.

And the two of us will have Easter dinner at our festive dining room table.

Happy Easter everyone! 🐣 Until next year, when we can all be together!

Today I installed two of the four exterior lights, white ones down, black ones up.

The lampost and front entrance light have been changed from the old white ones that were the originals to nicer black ones.

The lamppost will be painted black; it was fortunate that the light fixture fit on the existing post. It ended up being an effective upgrade with low cost.

I got sidetracked a little because, when I went to move the car out of the garage, it wouldn’t start. Initially I thought it was the battery but with some help from my across the street neighbour, Allan, we determined it was because of corroded terminals.

Once they were cleaned up, everything worked fine.

Yesterday I was talking about changing the exterior lights so I went to the Amazon site and Jane and I selected the ones we liked. I placed the order yesterday afternoon and the lamp post light arrived today! Now that is fast!! And I’m happy to report that they are just as good as the images showed, so overall we are pretty satisfied.

On another note, while I have finished the children’s book manuscript, I am having difficulty in getting it formatted in a style that meets Kindle Direct Publishing requirements.

Probably because I want the images to bleed right to the edge of the pages. It takes 24 hrs. for them to manually review each upload and I have already tried about 5 or 6 times.

Luckily, I’m not on a deadline. I’ll get it eventually.

We have decided to change the exterior garage and the lamppost lights to a different style. We both thought that black would suit the brick colour of our home better than the current white.

Of course, everything is available on Amazon, so that’s how we have ordered them. We are hoping that the quality is as good as the image shows; that is a definite disadvantage when shopping online.

I will likely have to move the lighted house number sign, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.

The new garage lights are accessible from the bottom which will make light bulb changes much easier and without the need for a ladder.

Two nights ago we received a call from the Caseys, asking if we would come out on the street at 8 pm. to demonstrate support for our health care workers. They have been working tirelessly since the Covid virus hit and many of them have been without protective gear. We decided to do that, maintaining social distancing of course. There were four of us out there talking from across the street from one another when we noticed a lady approaching, walking her dog.

Jane, holding a pot lid and wooden spoon in her hand, explained to her that we were out there to show support for health care workers. The lady smiled and responded saying, “Thank you. I’m a nurse at Royal Victoria Hospital here in Barrie.”

We then had a lengthy conversation with her about the situation and asked her about their equipment situation. She explained that they use a lot of the N95 masks because after every time they go into a patiemt’s room , they have to get another mask before going into another patient’s room.

As the conversation continued, we introduced ourselves and learned that her name was Nancy and she lived just down the street from us. She is also on the Emergency Planning group at the hospital.

We thanked her profusely to which she responded, “We just do what we have to do.”

To Nancy and all the other health care professionals out there, I say THANK YOU!

And as, Nancy said, “Thank God we live in Canada!”

Amen to that!

This morning I mounted the little picnic table to the fence and placed a few peanuts on it to entice the squirrels.

It wasn’t long before one of them showed up and did a take out order. We were able to catch the activiy on our backyard Wyze camera, which we had focused on the new picnic table.

Fun to watch.

Here she is, our new granddaughter!!! Jane had commented that she had never seen Steven look so proud, content and tired all at the same time. Ah, new fatherhood!

Earlier today we enjoyed a family video call and were so happy to see Roxana and Max; our wish is that the two babies will grow up to become close cousins and friends. I do believe that all four parents will endeavour to make this happen, so many fun outings and adventures to share together!

Our new granddaughter, Roxana was sleeping and Max was busy biting his Dad’s face with his two new top teeth. Dad didn’t seem to mind, though.

In the afternoon I made a squirrel picnic table for fun. Tomorrow I’ll put peanuts on it to see if the squirrels dine in or do take out. I’m trying to keep a bit busy in these confined times.

This morning I decided to get the outside water turned on and activate the waterfall and drip irrigation system, it’s almost time for Spring!!

Everything was intact from winter storage and I got everything done without a hitch.

The one thing I learned for next year was that I have to remove the batteries from the two irrigation controllers because they had gone dead over the winter.

Other than that, we are ready for gardening. Jane is eagerly scouting out the ground for new growth. It will be so refreshing to get outside, as the virus continues to keep us contained.

While Jane was outside pruning the honeysuckle vine, I did some tweaking on the formatting of my book.

Afterward, our proud new Daddy initiated a video call and we had a wonderful visit with them and had another opportunity to see little Roxana Mae. She is just beautiful and they could not be more proud.

She was sleeping soundly and we hope that the new parents can sleep as soundly as she.

Can’t wait to see her in person and will try to obtain a photo of her to show everyone.

I completed my Children’s book today and have sent it in to Amazon publishing for final proofing after which it will be posted for sale on their site.

I am mulling over the idea of doing a series with Mape as the main character.