The Park Was Busy

It was a beautiful sunny day today. One of the first in weeks. I went to the park to visit my community garden plot which I haven't seen since late last summer.  In the meantime, someone plucked some of the weeds in my plot but left them in the garden. Someone also stole my trellises. I believe it was my neighbour who likely volunteered to weed my garden. I know she cannot stand the sunflowers and mine had grown rather tall.  The mess left over the winter was probably bugging her because she and her husband seem very fussy about their garden and anything encroaching on it.   I saw some weather worn trellises in her garden that weren't there last year.  No one else has the same trellises and I can only speculate.  The trellises were not expensive but it is the idea that someone else helped themselves. Not only do I not have trellises but I have to spend time to go to the store and look for more at a time when it is not so easy to get into stores or to find what you want there.

People were sprawled everywhere on the lawn at the park. I've never seen so many people in this small park and my photos don't do justice to the numbers that were there. I also saw signs about the appropriate distance to keep from others and I believe people were following the instructions.  It was early evening and people had seemingly been at the park for the better part of the day with their lunch buckets and their blankets.  Some were just beginning to leave for home.

We have been told we can work in our gardens but we must bring our own tools during the Covid 19 restrictions. I agree with the rule but in truth it inhibited me from getting to the plot sooner.  It means I have to carry everything with me to do the gardening and it can be awkward and heavy. 

While I was there I did see one older gent enter the community garden shed and use the garden tools.  Either he didn't get the memo or he doesn't care. I  also saw him interacting with others in the park who clearly were not his family.  Why the mother let her little girl interact with a stranger who might be picking up the virus and spreading it, is beyond me.  Maybe she  doesn't buy into all the public awareness about social distancing. I know many fall into that category.

I for one do believe there is a virus and though I don't agree with everything that's being said, I am doing my best to avoid direct contact with others. I am also minimizing the things that I touch that have been touched by many other people.  Today I took my own rake. Next time I'll take some other tools and some seeds.

My garden had a number of thing growing in it that I didn't recognize, probably growth as a result of  wind blown seeds. I did my best to clear up a few patches of soil and I hope to return soon and plant a few seeds, including sunflowers.  Last year I was told that I could plant sunflowers as long as they were not super tall.  More than half of the plots had sunflowers growing last year and I do so love the look of them. I've also planted a few sunflowers at my home garden and they are sprouting nicely. A few other things are sprouting but it is too early and probably too cold for some of the seeds (cucumber, peppers) and I planted the tomatoes too early. I'll figure out what to do about it soon.

Some restrictions will be lifted in my province just in time for Mother's Day gatherings. It doesn't make any difference to me but I'm sure it does to many others.

Happy Mother's Day to those of you who are mothers or those of you who have a mother with whom to celebrate. 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday

What's Up?

Hi friends,

I hope you are all doing great and enjoying whatever season you are currently experiencing. It is spring in my part of the world. It came late and as usual the best part for me, the cherry and apple blossoms, were so very fleeting and I hardly got a chance to appreciate and enjoy them.

I seem to get a shorter chance each season to enjoy them so I'm always grateful for the photos I manage to take of them each year and for the photos others share on their blogs. If you missed some beautiful blossoms you can enjoy a few here.

Much of our spring so far has been cold and rainy. From time to time I hear the weather person saying the temperatures have been seasonal or normal for this time of year with the exception of a few days here and there but in my own recollection it has seemed colder. We had warmer temperatures in January (unseasonably warm) than we did in much of the following months. That should be changing this week as we are supposed to get dry, sunny days with increasing temperatures to the end of the week.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I spent a bit of time in the patio garden because it was sunny as expected. Each day the temperature increased slightly over the day previous.

I'm including the photo below to show you how clear the sky was early Tuesday evening. I also wanted to share the painting on the side of the building. I always stop to admire it from across the street.

I look forward to the sunshine we are having.  But I'll be happier if the temperatures don't soar to high in the coming days and weeks. Today, Wednesday, it already felt very hot.  We have wildfire issues almost every year and so it's best the temperatures do not soar too high too early. Wildfires have become a concern each and every year for some time now. Not only is it devastating to our beautiful forests and private properties,  it is dangerous work to fight the fires and expensive for the governments and taxpayers. The budget for fire fighting is increasing each year as wild fires unfortunately become the norm. I think most of us attribute this state of affairs to climate change.  However I also heard on the news that almost 50% of the fires are caused by humans being careless. In this day and age one would think that people would be more careful.

I'm sharing the photo below because some of you might remember that the high rise (with the tree on the roof top) can be seen from my balcony or patio. It seems like it has been going up for a very long time but at least the past half a year seems to have been spent on the finishing touches. It looks like they are getting very close to occupancy.

Starbucks is on the street level and has been open for a few months already.  Recently, a friend of mine who visited from Toronto, Canada spent every day there studying for the legal bar examinations to qualify as a lawyer in BC. I met him there a few times for coffee.  The second floor of the building will house a grocery market called Nester's. When I look at it from across the street I can see the shelving going in but I'm not sure when they plan to open for business.

On the other side of the Chevron gas station is a new and very popular pub/restaurant. It has replaced a Japanese restaurant which I frequented.  One day it was open and the next day unbeknownst to me it closed it's business. Just beyond the restaurant, a few doors away (at the street corner) a popular produce place has closed. I used to enjoy stopping there for fresh fruit, vegetables and organic products.

I think the taxes for small business are simply too high. Recently the city council raised property taxes twice in 2019 (my property taxes increased first to 4.5 to 6.0 percent this year even though property prices have dropped).  The additional 1.5 percent increase was supposedly to lessen the tax burden on small businesses but some business owners have told me that their landlords had already increased their rents.  This means the tax increase did not achieve it's stated purpose.  It only makes the tax burden heavier on individual owners IMHO.

I feel I am so far behind in various tasks I'd like to do that really need to be done in a timely manner. For example, I haven't planted yet at the community plot. I was hoping to do it earlier this week with the nicer weather we are having but have been tired and also busy with other priorities. I am hoping to get there tomorrow or Friday. I prepared the soil over a month ago and have been waiting for just the right day to plant both gardens.  I see the date on my photo below is almost 2 months ago when I cleaned the garden debris and added fertilizer. But honestly the weather has been either cold or wet since to feel like doing much more. I'm probably the last gardener to get my garden planted at the community plot.

In the patio garden I've put out the furniture (minus the cushions until the rain stops) and covered the outdoor tables with tablecloths.  I've been visited almost every day by my neighbour's new cat. The cat is only a year old and is very pretty, friendly and mostly fearless.  I'm of two minds about her coming to my patio garden so often.  I caught her digging in my garden the other day and I became concerned when I  saw one of the recently planted bulbs laying exposed on the surface of the soil. Not only might she destroy what I've planted but she might also start doing her business in the garden. My neighbour assures me she won't but I suggested she try to train her cat to stay on her side of the patio.  On the other hand, she is very sweet cat and I enjoy seeing her so it is hard to get angry over her visits.  I can tell my neighbour is anxious and wants me to like her new kitty cat so that I won't raise a fuss about it. But I know she is also concerned that her cat might start jumping over the partition to the neighbours beyond. That might prove more problematic.

Back to planting matters.  This year I wasn't able to plant many pansies.  Though I purchased enough of them the delay in planting means that at least half of them died off.  The other half don't look that great but I've planted them anyway and am hoping they will revive with some tender loving care.  This will be the first year I haven't planted many pansies since I first started gardening.  I've also planted fewer petunias this year but they tend to grow quickly so it should be fine.  I love all the colour petunias bring to the garden and the happy faces of pansies in full bloom.  To make up for the lack of pansies and petunias I've planted a lot of red geraniums.  Their brilliant colourful blooms always cheer me when I see them flowering in the garden.  The garden will look much better soon when the flowers and other plants start to mature.  I spotted a pretty little hummingbird last night. Hopefully I will see a lot more of them this summer. Maybe I'll finally be able to catch a photo of one this year if I can spend more time outside relaxing.

As we head into warmer weather it is also a time for better grooming with the hair and nails. I got the hair coloured, highlighted and trimmed. It wasn't the best job my hairdresser did this time around but it is more than adequate. This week or next week I'm hoping to get a massage and foot reflexology session using coupons I purchased 2 months ago already. They will expire in another few weeks so I must make sure to use them.  The nails will have to wait since my fingernails are damaged from the last person who did them. I cannot believe it but they need time to regrow.

This post was longer so I cut out several paragraphs.
I've got lots to keep me busy from now to at least the end of summer and I'm also expecting visitors.
It means I will hopefully spend more time relaxing and enjoying my mornings and evenings out on the patio rather than simply doing things out in the community or indoors.


 I'm determined to sit outdoors this summer and read, enjoy my coffee, crochet or work on my laptop.  Last year I spent little time relaxing in the garden enjoying the fruits of my labour so I'd like to change that.

What about you dear reader?  Do you have some restful summer plans or active and adventurous plans?

Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for stopping by.
Before I go let me wish all the mothers a
Happy Mother's Day.
 Many of us, like me, have lost our mothers and so it is a time to remember them fondly with love and joy for all they did for us.

Joining in with 

Skywatch Friday

I was going to post this week to

Friday Foto Friends
but Debbie says she will not be keeping this linky party going.


It's been fun while it lasted and I've met some wonderful lady bloggers through her efforts. All the best dear Debbie.