Amsterdam, Holland - May 31, 2008

More snaps from the Canal bus. We found our way to the place in Dam square where the coach tour we are booked on leaves from tomorrow. We found a small bar for a drink before going back to the canal bus, and then walking from its stop back to our hotel. Shower, drinks and out to a cafe for dinner. It was a pretty full day!

At home: I have uploaded a few more photos to my Travel Multiply group. Its going a bit better but I like my own home page and its albums. I am not sure why I am even doing this Multiply one.. just so I can DO IT, I guess. I suppose, if I had nothing else to do I would go about finding Peolple with like interests, as they say. To me it just storage, and a place to keep my old msn garden group.

At home: I picked the apples and have them in bags on the deck for now. I should wash them and cull out the worst ones. I raked up the leaves, pruned the tree a bit. I also pruned back the wisteria. It was not too bad.. maybe someday I will have it trained to a single trunk with just a few branches at the crown. I must keep them low enough so that I can prune them easily. Pruned back the oregano, sage, lavender and anything else that needed it in the herb bed; as well as the clematis that is behind the herbs. Trimmed back the evergreen along the garden path. I now have a heap of clippings that will go into the bin after it is emptied on the 11th.
The pond was almost empty and the pump was disconnected from the waterfall hose. I guess the water had run out because the waterfall was full of leaves. I have no idea how it got disconnected from the hose though. Well, I was reading my new book on landscaping with stone yesterday and thinking about reworking the edges of the pond... guess I will be doing this sooner than I thought. I have to get about a foot of sludge and water off the bottom of the pond, first. I want to lower the ledge to set the rocks down a bit lower with the liner coming slightly up behind the rocks. I will slant the rocks backwards, slightly, too so that they are not sliding into the pond so readily. Hope I can get out tomorrow. It was suppose to rain tonite.

Pat has contacted Vern and another person at Home Depot about getting our carpet piece. They promise to do all they can to get this done right. I should have December to move kitchen stuff, so there will, hopefully be enough time.

Amsterdam, Holland - May 31, 2008

Once we were on the canal bus, I could not get enough snapshots! What a way to travel around the City! The weather was perfect.

At home: I learned a little more today, about loading photos to Multiply. Wish I could figure out how to delete albums.

Russian River Cruise - Day 12 - May 23

After lunch we took the buses to catch our optional canal cruise. This could have been marvelous, but instead was awful. The boat was shabby, dirty and rattling. The people sat up top deck, on what appeared to be lawn chairs, crammed together like sardines. We were about the last on and we went into the bottom deck. The girl who was giving the talk sat about 3 feet from us and I could not really hear her for the rattling and noise of the engine. Before we cast off our moorings at least one couple left this grand canal cruise ship. So here are a few of my shabby photos from the shappy canal cruise. Too many reflections from the dirty window for anything to be very good.

Russian River Cruise - Day 10 - May 21

More bad photos from our bus tour of the city. The people in costume were standing around the square inviting tourists to have their pictures taken with them. An informative link to many of the attractions.

We have been doing up post cards in our spare time.

Now... John the painter was in yesterday and I chose colors and he gave us some idea of how he would be starting work on Monday. Hourigans are to come at 8:30 Monday morning to put down a layer of stuff before the floor covering goes in the entry way and the laundry room. Today Pat got some rollers for under the washer and dryer and we installed them. He also got a number of items for the van and added them, also. I have spent most of today sorting photos for this blog of our Russian Trip.

On Friday, Arthur and Rosemary were over for lunch and we spent an enjoyable afternoon. They helped me with some of my decisions on the renovation of my kitchen and hobby room. Now, I need to find a carpenter to do the work.

Last week I spent quite a few evening hours after dinner till dark cleaning up the little garden in front of the hedge. I took a few branches off the plum tree. The magnolia tree has several large trunks that are dead. I have to get them taken out yet, too. I also did some serious pruning of the plants by Parmar's sidewalk. I have yet to weed all of the front... there are violets again! This area always looks so good when its cleaned up, so I must get back to it soon. The roses need dead heading as well as a lot of the perennnials. Thursday evening I found that the pump in the water garden had quit. I spent a bit of time getting a slug out of one of the hoses. Good thing it was not up the hose to the waterfall, or I would never got it out. Now the pump is running a bit faster and I will probably need to top up the pond more often. The water irises look terrific, if you can find them.

I have been busy!