The following is an exchange I had last week with one of my friends on facebook..

“Got distracted from the TO DO list, starting simply with putting my office plants outside to enjoy some rain & ended 6 hrs later repairing and painting wooden lattice work on back deck...swear will be weeding the driveway when I should be packing for north.”

“ I know that feeling! It's especially easy to do in summer, in and out, basement & garage, so many jobs leaping out at me. It sounds like you were VERY productive.”

“ At the time I did NOT feel productive just scattered & frustrated with own handywoman abilities or lack thereof ( staple gun, tiny nails or screws? ) But today realize I have a washed and oiled office hardwood floor, a repaired and stained side lattice for the deck ( Plumber needed access and dogs had ripped up lattice as is cooler under deck ) and a repainted basement sink and cabinet & 2 floor panels.”

So here are some of my distractions in the past weeks….

1. Family gatherings …a Sunday afternoon brunch with siblings and kids, great to see the crew from Toronto

2. Stops at garage and estate sales…Tony the Tiger is off to the granddaughter and this 1940’s radio in the corner of the living room

3. House and yard pots on my front and back deck

4. Tying back the peonies

5. Cutting down dead caragana branches interfering with power lines …actually went out and got a new pruning saw for this one and there is more firewood

6. Dog walks and runs… did Pets in the Park and then a dip in the river …dirty happy dogs, new toys quickly shedded and purchased new brush that gets undercoats

7. Saturday market and birthday visit with my sister …young Turkish dancers doing whirling Dervish
Distractions and Multi-tasking

8. Friday night stop for  coffee and some live music

This was my first thought  and a little taken aback as I was approached this morning when filling up my little Honda civic until I realized that the guy talking to me had a similar model but older and rustier! Mine is 1993 with over 280,000 kms and I get great mileage...his was 1988 and over 700,000 kms and very rusty but still going...so there is hope yet for mine...and who knows may be not a bad pick up line!

This is from a good friend, Debbie, and thought I would pass on to you.....

Hello all -
As some of you know, Chester a beautiful, loving 11 month old Arctic Dog from Pond Inlet became my good friend and my house mate last week.  He is a big gentle dog that is eager to please and very much needs a good family that he can rely on.  In his short past, he has been abandon a number of times.  He captured my heart and I would have given anything to make him part of my own family....however, this was not possible.   
Chester loves people, playing and the outdoors.  We spent lots of time running free over the tundra.  He runs ahead, chases bugs, and then returns for hugs, and a belly rub.  
Chester has never seen a tree, and has spent most of the year with snow and cold weather.. things he loves.  

Today he makes his way to Ottawa to find a family that will provide the love and environment that he deserves.  He will be staying with friends until we can get him to a good home or a rescue organization to find him one.  I want the very best for Chester and hope to find the right people by sending this out on his behalf.  If you know someone that lives an outdoor life, that is active and wants a great great companion Chester may be the perfect addition to their life.  Remember, he's not a city dog, he needs space as well as love. 

I've attached pictures of Chester, but also the environment that he comes from.  I'd be happy to talk with anyone that would like more information.  
 
Sincerely, Debbie Jenkins
(867) 899-6030

Alberta is called wild rose country and this was certainly evident in a ravine run with the dogs one morning last week, as these delicate pink blossomed bushes dotted the trails, later in the summer to turn into rose hips for collecting. Except for the last few days in which there has been some overnight rains, it has been an extremely dry spring in Alberta ( aka forest fires north of city and mid-province drought for farmers ). This particular morning run was a different route and both the green and the minuteness of blooms caught my attention. This decayed but still standing tree stump surrounded by lush green, a testament to the changing seasons and years, and the need to care for this fragile world we have been given.

From this one spot in Mill Creek ravine one also gets a good city scape view and sitting with one's coffee the dogs can run, chasing squirrels, other dogs and in mucky creek. Dysis of late is getting some arthritis in her right hip so daily glucosamine has been added to the feedings, but amazing how the dogs know and spit out pills. Robert has a trick with smelly cheese followed by a treat that seems to work. Dysis trots of exploring all and Nanuq waits in a crouch and spring mode to surprise her....no idea what the other cross besides husky is here...probably lab due to enjoying the water but maybe abit of border collie with the latter behavior.

My Canon digital camera is now well worn missing some buttons and black electrical tape holds the batteries and memory card in...replacement the other day I noted at Staples was about $150 not the $350 I paid for it originally. I am of the generation of trying to fix before throw but I guess there may be a new one before the end of the summer.

So where am I going...well here are a few brief videos of the dogs

...not yet figured out how to patch together

but my readers and dog fans will get some idea of these two characters.

The current cover to my blog has lovely bleeding hearts as a background...not my photos I wish!

Here though are a few shots of the one bleeding heart plant  that has just come into bloom and the dogs wrestling in the background.

“ Participating in our lives is much easier than trying to control them or avoiding them.

In fact, participating fully in our lives, the ups and downs, usually generates energy “

Women who do too much calendar of daily sayings

This I found particularly applicable to myself in recent weeks as there have been a number of events about which I have fretted, including where I am going to be for my summer contract north….a series of phone calls and emails no results, but it is beyond my control, so a matter of letting it go, at least for the weekend!

Some of the past week’s the ups and downs have included:

• Work in church garden,   as our parish spruces up with new plants, painted front doors ...all prep for a royal visitor today, The Princess Edward (Sophie Rhys-Jones) Countess of Wessex

http:////tinyurl.com/edmroyal
• Cherry and apples blossoms both in the church yard, my back yard including a solitary crab apple tree in the ravine
• Fragrant Lilacs and other wild blooms gathered in bouquets around house
• Eating outdoors and grilling on front yard fire pit, spicy chicken and fresh veggies
• My dogs destroying the new chewy toys in less than two days
• Small pockets of beauty in the back yard  as in different color flowers  & tulips
• Out on bike yesterday, eco-solar home tour,  here the net zero house in Riverdale, and finally

• Edmonton being the only place in Alberta likely with no snow or overnight frosts

Again all to be thankful for.

PLEASE GOD IF YOU CAN'T MAKE ME THIN MAKE MY FRIENDS FAT.

The trip to Vancouver and then ferry over to Nanaimo  and triathalon at Shawnigan Lake was really quite a full energetic week of activities. again I take far too many shots but want to share a few.

Firstly the vegetation from flowers to hedges is so green and lush....tulips just finishing and lilacs in full bloom. These were some late evening shots at a friends in the Saanich peninsula as we went for a brief hike.

Vehicles and down town Vancouver...the task was to take four  of the daughters large bags to be shipped via Greyhound to Ontario where she will pick up late summer before university starts again. Well it was a hot Friday afternoon with much traffic, rented car, deadlines for return and yours truly and the gr.daughter doing chores. When we finally found the depot and each item weighed one was 5 lbs over weight and some items had to be removed to another bag...of course the too heavy one was the same rubbermaid container that was duck taped to hell! A borrowed jack knife solved the problem and gr. daughter was waiting in the car and bored.

A evening of painting at " Raw Canvas " Combine bistro atmosphere, good music,  a beer or coffee, friends new and old and acrylic paints, smocks, and the creativity flows with various results. Makayla and Amelia with self expressive painting creations.

Shawningan Lake for the weekend stayed at borrowed condo, graciously lent and just perfect setting on the water for walks, sitting in the sun, enjoying the dock, walks to nearby store past local private school and arbutus tree. The girls went off to Brentwood which was Amelia's old school and did some catching up including the art studio and her dorm house.

Sunday morning up at 5:30 AM and to the race site by 6:30 AM on the shuttle. Dana and Amelia were in the Olympic distance of the triathalon of swim, bike and run but there was also a half marathon and a sprint distance. These west coast athletes are quite serious. Makayla stayed by the beach and I after catching Amelia in the transition zone, headed up to get a few shots of the run. Amelia was pleased with her time and somewhat ahead of Dana....able to catch her on her finish.

Dandelion control.....OK fellow gardeners....I know many of you will use weed and feed ( to be banned next year here in the city ) and others some long tool that will individually pull each one out and provide you with 6  hours of boring lawn time when of course you have nothing else to do...BUT this is my solution and you can see I have many opportunities to battle or enjoy these lovely additions and practically no lawn left due to the dogs...but hey if I can get some flower beds to survive the digging and burying of tennis balls well that is some success...so MOW THEM ALL DOWN!!!!