2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you doing this Monday morning? Looks like a very hot week ahead of us here in Edmonton. Beautiful bright sunny sky with a cool wind. We are heading out for our first walk of the day due to the higher temperatures of this afternoon and should be able to get a second one in at my lunch break. Sunday morning I shot some photos of the sky from the early morning (yup first ones taken at 5:00 a.m.) and the sky was glorious. I wanted to share them with you but as I wanted to honour my friend Martin, I decided not to post the photos, not to wish all the DADS out there a Happy Father’s Day or to acknowledge the first official day of summer. So I am doing all of that today.

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The changes in the sky all took place in just over an hour’s time. The sky was incredible. I wished that I was a great photographer. I was in awe of the early morning sky.

Mother Nature in all her glory.

Yesterday was a good first day of summer and Father’s Day was mixed for a lot of people.

Wishing you an awesome Monday.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, understanding and gratitude.

Always, Carol & Alvin

It is a NEW YEAR.

Oh what a beautiful morning,

Oh what a beautiful day.

It is sunny with a full on powder blue sky and there is a breeze wafting in through the office window.

Making this the most perfect Saturday morning.

Today June 20, 2020.

Hey 20, 20 20.

Cool.

Just realized that ….. okay slow to the party!

What can I say?

Added bonus I can hear the music of birds drifting in the breeze through my window.

 

Well we had a great Friday.

In the morning one of our neighbours and friends stopped by with Starbuck coffee for a little visit.

Alvin and I went for a walk at noon.

After work I cooked my first of three new meals from Good Food.

It was yummy.

After supper we walked over to our friends down the street.

We spent just over three glorious hours swinging on their patio swing.

Alvin sat in between us here and there.

He ran around the back yard not as much as previous year.

He was more content to just walk around sniffing.

Somehow in this immaculate yard he managed to find a bone of some sort tucked into the bed of river rocks under their deck.

The deck is off their dining room so it is raised and you take stairs up from the backyard.

Anyway, he found that darn bone.

We managed to get it away from him, not an easy task once he has his jaws secured.

In the beginning it was just me, Alvin and Irene.

A few minutes later her husband and our friend Norbert came down and joined in the conversation.

We had a great time.

Alvin loves them.

Norbert tried getting him to run after a ball he found in their shed but he was not really interested.

The train has left the station in that regard or at least most days.

It was so nice to sit outside in a private backyard enjoying great company on a Friday night.

They have the most lush and most delectable colour of green lawn that I have ever seen.

 

In 2020, the June solstice occurs on Saturday, June 20, marking the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

So what that means for us, is the longest day of the year.

Perhaps it might be close to 11 p.m. before the sun actually goes completely “to bed” and darkness befalls us.

 

Well on this longest day of the year.

It will be the usual suspects …. laundry, putz in the yard and garden, bit of cleaning.

RELAXING.

I see that on my calendar.

A walk sooner or later.

Likely later.

Supposed to be a warm one today.

 

Time to go and put on the coffee pot.

Get this party going.

Okay perhaps not quite anyone’s idea of a party but let’s get this going …..

 

Have an awesome day.

Remember to laugh and relax.

So some chores.

Perhaps help someone outside your household with a task or chore.

Living with kindness and respect.

 

As we continue our day living with kindness and respect,

I almost forgot to mention this good news.

Just as we were leaving last night to go out …. Humphrey’s Mom announced the newest member to their family.

A baby kitten name BOGART.

Welcome to our family and neighbourhood “little one.”

I see visits in our future for sure.

 

Happy Days.

 

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Oh, no another photo subject !!!

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 21st day of June, 2018.

DA DA DA …… (supposed to be trumpet) Today is the first day of SUMMER for 2018.

It is hot in the house unless you are sitting beside the fan or by the windows which are all open for the next bit.

Downstairs has cooled off so should be okay for me, Alvin.

 

Last night on the bus ride home the bus “broke down.”

We were only about ten minutes into the ride from where I get onto the bus when stopped at a red light; an alarm came on.

Sounds like a phone ringing.

Anyway everyone is looking at each other.

The back doors had come open.

The driver tried to close them to no avail.

So he called it in.

After turning the bus off and “resetting the computer” the alarm went off.

He managed to get the door closed but as soon as he drove the alarm went off again.

We sat for just over 15 minutes on a full bus in the HEAT with the alarm going off and on.

He called it in again and asked for buses to stop and pick up his passengers.

By this time people had escaped from the bus.

It was kind of funny one girl went to get off and the driver told her to get back as it was unsafe.

She in turn said well others have got off and he replied that she needed to sit down (nicely).

He was in the first hour of his shift when this happened.

I think he was hot and frazzled by that time.

Anyway we all climbed off the bus.

I along with 50 of my bus mates walked back to the bus stop (behind the bus) and waited.

One bus went by and the driver was out and managed to flag him over.

I could see the “100” which is the one that I catch (there are several at that time of day).

Some woman walked to be in front of me.

So I walked over and the driver of the 100 stopped right by me.

When he opened the doors it was my regular driver (he had been late and I had not asked if he turned into the 119 which takes me straight home from downtown with a few stops).

Long story short …. only about 20 minutes late getting home.

 

NOW for the cute story.

This morning as Alvin and I were out for our 5 a.m. stroll I spotted this black and white cat down in the trees by the water.

It was walking along as we were coming up to the benches and trash can.

As we approached it moved and sat under the bench which I thought was very odd.

It remained there as I steered Alvin away as not to start a commotion.

As we walked by the cat remained under the bench.

I looked down on the sidewalk and saw why?

There was his catch for the morning laying on the sidewalk by the bench.

Argh, a mouse.

We quickly continued on and as we turned the bend I looked back to see the cat jumping through the air and what looked like the mouse jumping, too.

Perhaps the mouse had only been knocked out or was playing “dead.”

OR the cat was batting him all over the place.

It was quite the sight.

So that was my morning.

Just about time to leave to catch the bus.

Have to close all of the windows.

 

Have an awesome Thursday and first day of summer.

We are having Teddy come for a sleepover beginning tonight.

 

Special Hello to: my daughter who is my pride and joy and who helps people in many ways.  Love you my darling.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 21st day of June, 2017.

We had quite the storm again last night.

This one lasted quite a bit longer.

I am always shocked at how strong our trees are when the winds are blowing them almost to the ground.

They are very flexible.

 

Happy First Day of Summer.

Longest day of the year.

They said we would have 17 hours of daylight today.

WOW ……

Guess it definitely will be light when I go to bed this evening.

Lots of sunshine this morning.

BREEZY.

Very breezy.

 

Do you have any special things that you do on the longest day of the year?

Me, not really other than make certain we go for a walk and then check the sky for the moon.

Love being able to see both the sun and the moon sharing the sky.

 

Feeling quite better now.

Not sure what hit me but glad it is over.

Feeling rested as I slept most of yesterday.

 

Special Hello: to my sister …… not long now.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 1st day of June, 2016.

Can you believe it?

Today is June 1st, 2016.

Only a few weeks until the official first day of summer and the longest day of the year.

In the summer in Edmonton it is light until almost 11:00 p.m.

Somedays it is difficult to go to bed when the sun is still up.

But you get used to it.

 

Last night we had a wonderful walk.

We left the house at 5:20 and arrived home at 6:45 p.m.

Stopping to visit along the way.

So it was a later supper for me.

My friend “P” who has the beautiful English garden gave me more plants.

After we got home I ate quickly and went to digging.

I had to dig up some grass along the sidewalk out front of the house (not by the street but straight down from the steps).

I would like to make an unusual little garden out front ….

When I get a battery for my camera I will take some photos.

I have some more finishing work to do on it but it was getting late last night and I was tired.

 

Clear sunny skies on this first day of June.

YAY …..

Time to put the finishing touches on the readiness for work.

Yikes.

You know what I mean.

 

Well time to fly ….. I must work on keeping Alvin in bed and not getting up so early.

We hit the sofa and I think that is worse than staying up.

But somehow staying up at 4:40 a.m. – is not very appealing at that time of day.

 

Going now.

Have the most wonderful day.

I am grateful to live in this beautiful house, to have great family and friends, to have Alvin and to be me.

 

Special Hello to: family and friends

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to a Windy Sunny Saturday the 21st day of June, 2014 and the FIRST DAY OF SUMMER.

Today will be the longest day of the year.

I am going to make sure that Alvin and I take a long late walk tonight.

Today I have two major tasks to complete.

One is laundry (it is an easy one).

The other is going through the office and deciding what to keep and what to store in the basement.

It is so easy to collect things without even noticing.

Usually once a year I go through all of the “paper” and am brutal about what stays and what goes.

I grab the recycling bin (that I have on my basement landing) and bring it upstairs, also a cup of coffee, crank up the music on my computer, and away I go.

The time goes fast but usually at the end I have done what I set out to do.

This time is a bit different.

My kids are moving in with me near the end of July while they have their new house built.

Their house sold about a week ago.

So I want to make sure that I only keep what I need.

Man, this is great because it forces me to be conscious of what I really, really need.

Sometimes the bigger plan can be the bigger plan.

Anyway, time to go and put on the first load of laundry, grab the recycling bin and a cup of COFFEE.

I look forward to going through things…… sometimes you find little things that you forgot about ….. mmmmm

So have an awesome first day of summer …… make sure that you take your body outdoors and enjoy this day.

Happy First Day of Summer….

Special Hello: to my dear Sister …. sorry that it is has been crazy busy here …. we will SKYPE soon.

Always, Carol and Alvin