Just stuff

I have loaded the last of my photos for the October Grid of the Victoria Grid Project, on Flickr. There are 124 of them, not all added to the Grid pool, because it is just too late. I did not get out to the November grid. wish I had. The group met tonite to decide December and January's grid. We were out to Ambrosia with the VCCC for the annual Christmas dinner. Everything seems to happen at the same time. It was a nice buffet dinner and the entertainment was a Celtic band. Of course, we are home early. That group has always been home early... must be something to do with the aging membership.

More from the October Victoria Grid Project

These glass blocks are set into a wall of a building and appear to be a window. The blocks are made of recycled glass. I think they are very decorative. I would think they let extra light into a building also. They are hollow and should be high insulation values. I have often thought that I would like such a feature wall as this on the wall that faces Parmar's house., to let in some light from that side, as well as on the opposite end of the house.

I was playing with the idea of inserting thumbnail photos into these blocks and hot linking them to open large. It would be a fun, but time consuming project. If ever I get the time I will do it for a snall album on my web page:

This is one of the photos that I shot a month ago for the Victoria Grid Project on Flickr. I am not loading any more to the group pool, as it is far too late for October posts.

I was to see Dr. C. yesterday. My blood counts seem to be getting closer to normal. The only really high one was my white cells and that is understandable from this nasty cold I have right now. So, no phobotamy needed this time. I don't need a test again for 6 months. It would be interesting to know just what was causing the alarming high counts. We got a new bed and had the bedroom and ensuite painted. I wonder if the breakdown of the old plastics in the waterbed and the mold on the windows and hard to get at places in the bathroom were the cause. After all of Dr. C's tests we were left with 'allergies' and an 'infection'... none of either conditions I thought I had. Well, its good to have them getting back to normal, although, I really don't feel any different. I am taking extra energy - an over the counter pill. I think it gives me more energy.

I was to Workwear and now have some skookum new gardening boots as well as a new pair of good walking shoes for travel. We won't be doing much travelling until we have this kitchen renovation complete. The re-ordered carpet should be here Dec. 9th and the cabinets on Jan. 16 with installation on the 19.

A lazy day

I am editing and loading my Victoria Grid Project photos on Flickr from October's Grid. In the group they are talking about where to meet to decide the grids for December and January. There are about 3 photos from November posted. Well... its a great idea. I just wish more people would participate. It would help if we had a more dynamic group leader, I think. Actually, my photos are getting no views, so I really don't know why I bother. I guess others who have tried the group get this same treatment.

I really like this crack in the pavement and the upside down mushroom, too.

Not too much happening today. I have been trying to get my flickr group commitments a bit caught up. I made a roast beef and all for dinner, so we had a mini feast tonight. Was very good.

Some October Color

These three photos are from last month when I was out shooting for the Victoria Grid Project group on Flickr. It was a lovely sunny day with the glorious colors of Autumn reflected in the waters of the Colquitz River. I am thinking of having each of these printed, matted and framed for my gallery in my newly painted room when it is finished.

I have a nasty cold so I am wimping around the house. The sun came out this afternoon and it was very tempting to get out with my camera. We have had bits of rain, but not a lot. The colors have been really fine this Fall, so I was happy to get a few photos of them.

Autumn

Here it is November and I am still looking at the Victoria Grid Project photos from October. I was out shooting on a bright, sunny day. This is my pick of the first 18 I have looked at .. about half of them to use.

On Sunday we were to the Belfry theatre for a tour of the building with the VCCC group. Excellent tour. We then went to lunch at the Fernwood Inn, then back to the theatre to see Brilliant. Wonderful show, very well played.

In the garden I have the pond edging finished and the new pump installed. Looks good, sounds good. Pat has been gathering leaves with his machine and putting them on the vegetable garden for mulch. It looks lovely in its Autumn blanket. I will need to get out and do more pruning everywhere. I transplanted an iris and put it in the pond. There is now only 1 plant along that side. I am tired of the bog beans spreading everywhere. The pond looks so much larger right now.

I walked from the lab on Wednesday, so I am getting a bit of exercise. There is a very nice 'snake plant' in the Flower Shop at the mall. It would look good in my renovated kitchen; if I ever get it finished.

I have made 3 jars of green bean soup to add to my store of 'convenience foods'. We are trying to cut down on sodium intake, so are not buying the preprepared soups any longer, as they are full of salt.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

After our bus tour, we took a taxi back to our hotel. Later we go out walking in the area to find a place to eat. All the restaurants are full of people. We find the little lake and fountain and have a hot dog from the vendor. We go back past our hotel and find the Amsel canal and the Sheraton Hilton Hotel. We get back to our hotel and have 'snacks' in the bar-lounge. Then back to our room to rest and pack. We fly out at 3:40, so we do not really have time to do anything but get to the airport tomorrow. We did not try a coffee house or see the famous red light district. We missed the tulip festival by just a few days. On the flight home the airplane was dripping on us. There had been condensation of the moisture and we were in the seats to receive this special treat. So much for flying first class. When we get home we both have to see the doctor for our colds. We are on antibiotics and slowly recover.

At home: I made a couple more jars of apple sauce, yesterday. I have been trying to figure out how the Multiply site works. It has mostly been a frustrating experience. So, it can be storage for my old msn page and that's all I need to do with it.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

After the Cheese Factory, we boarded the buses again and proceeded to a village where we had lunch on our own. After lunch we went by boat to the island where there is a refurbished fishing village. Its a lovely place. We were marched around single file in long lines of tourists. Again, no opportunities to photo anything, or to really enjoy this village. Back to the town and we managed to get on the wrong bus to take us back to Amsterdam. It did not matter, as the buses were going the same place where we had started in the morning.

At home; the day turned into a beautiful sunny warm day. I was out for about 3 hours. I finished setting the pump and filled the pond. The pond looks so much bigger without all the water plants. I am undecided about putting the bog bean back. I potted up one of the irises from on the deck and added it. It is the only water plant on that side of the pond. The other side has the marsh marigold, the big lovely iris, and the sweet flag. There is still a lot of that little duck weed in the pond. While the pond was filling with water, I filled a large pink plastic pot with garden soil, put in 3 'burgundy' tulips, and 3 'blue heron' tulips and filled it with topsoil, topping it off with a layer of small stones to keep the dirt from washing out and making a mess. I planted the other 6 tulips in front of the small Spruce tree. I had some time to clean up the strawberry bed and add some of the compost around the plants. I managed to get some of the perennials at the front cut down before it was time to come into the house. It was starting to get dark and 4:15. The pond is not quite full, but I did wash down the pavers and stone paths around it. It all looks so much better for the attention. Water fall sounds good.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

These photos are from the area of the cheese factory we visited on our day trip. Unfortunately, I have no photos of the cheeses. All of us busloads of tourists were crammed into a room to listen to the lecture. I could see nothing but the coats of the people around me. We were then crammed through the lines where we were suppose to be able to taste these cheeses. Well, some pig in the line would not move along but stood in one place eating all the samples available. Needless to say, the rest of us had no opportunity to taste or even see the cheeses. By the time we got past the pig in the narrow lines, it was time for our bus to leave for the next stop on the tour.

More photos of the windmills in the fog.

At home: I finished resetting the edging rocks of the pond today. When I turned on the pump it would not work. Pat had a look at it and found that the impellers were woobly and worn out. We went to Cannor and acquired a new one. I installed it and have the water running out the waterfall at the desired rate.... I might slow it down just a bit more. I have the pond half filled with water and the pump off. There are no fish in the pond, now and won't be all winter, so the pump can stay off. I also got the piles of sticks and clippings moved into the compost bin. Pat used his leaf blower to pick up more leaves and dumped them on the veggie garden. I am going to start putting down mulch on that garden patch, and just move it aside to plant seeds in the spring. Hope I can get enough mulch to make this work right. There should be pictures when I have it filled, and the Japanese garden area cleaned up.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

More photos from our day trip to see the preserved windmills, wooden shoe factory and the refurbished fishing village.

Yesterday, Arthur, Rosemary, Pat and I went to Cobble Hill to have a look at the corian countertop manufacturers. We will probably get back to them to come to do a measurement when our cabinets are installed. It was a beautiful sunny day. We stopped for lunch at the fish and chips shop. After talking with the guy from Countryside Designs - just off Nightingale Road -- we had time to stop at the Blue Rose nursery, and at a Used car parts place.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

Our tour visited the collection of windmills that have been preserved. Despite the foggy morning, I think I got a few good photos.

I made chicken, vegetable, noodle soup. I have one jar frozen. We are eating less salt in our meals. The soup we purchase is full of sodium. So, we are trying to stay away from the store bought. I am starting to make up meals and things for convenience; and freezing them.

Amsterdam, Holland - June 1, 2008

We are up early and take a taxi down to the "Excursions" office by the Dam Hotel, to catch our bus trip fro the day, to see shoe factory museum, windmills and the boat trip to a refurbished fishing village. We are much too early, of course, and so I have quite a bit of time to get some photos of the area before we set out on our day trip. The Christies is across the street from our Hotel. Note the ever present crane. This was the trip of the cranes. :))

At home: Yesterday afternoon, since the water had all mysteriously been pumped out of the pond, I started to rework the edges. I scooped out the muddy water, leaves, under water plants and found a few rocks on the bottom. I have thrown the potted plants out, to be redone. The bog bean is getting totally out of hand, the minature cattail died. I have cut back, what I think is the marsh marigold a bit. I have yet to cut back the lovely water iris. I finished resetting the stones to about half way around and it was time to go in and make our dinner. Overnight and today it rained more and the pond has about a foot of water in it again. I shall attempt to pump it out when I next get out there to finish the job.

The piece of carpet we need to finish the living room should be here in 2 - 3 weeks. Hopefully they can get the installers in to our place as soon as it arrives. Otherwise I spent the day doing laundry, taking care of my house plants and having a look at the Multiply stuff. I made a calendar and then did the order calendar to try to find out how much it was - silly thing said regular price $10.00, sale price $13.99... plus it costs $5.50 for shipping, and with the $6.00 grand opening discount I would still end up paying $20.00 for a calendar of my own photos. Well.. I will look around and see if maybe I can just make my own with some software. It might be fun.

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.