Weather Changes ~ Before & After

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you are well and enjoying the last days of August.

We've been having several days of rain as we close out the month. The first few photos were taken on Monday, August 26, 2024.

The weather has now turned sunny again and we're supposed to get a few more days of summer like weather. On Tuesday while out shopping, I could certainly feel a chill in the air. Usually I don't really notice it until September arrives.

I'm happy to get more days of sunshine before we get well and truly into the fall season.

The Weather Changes

It rained Saturday morning but the sun came out by the afternoon.

I went out for a short errand and found it a bit on the cool side.

The weather is changing for awhile.  We've had such lovely, sunny and reasonably warm weather for much of this month. We've had partly cloudy skies early in the week turning to rain yesterday for the rest of the week. It should be good for the gardens. I hope it doesn't rain too much because I'd like to do some walking.

I snapped this photo because of the flock of birds above. They're a bit hard to see.

Enjoy the rest of your week.
 

The Week Ends and Starts Like This

Hello friends and fellows bloggers, 

I hope you are all fine and that you enjoyed the weekend. As I mentioned in my last post here, I was very tired from all the walking and shopping I did on Friday and Saturday.  Thankfully the weather was good for those days. In fact, it was good all week long.

Late Saturday the raindrops started falling but just sporadically. Today it rained but not so much. It will rain more tomorrow. So we ended the week in sunshine and start the new week with cloudy skies and rain. 

 

It looks like the week ahead will be mainly sunny and warmish, with a few cloudy periods.  This is good news because one of my dear friends and I are planning a walk around a lake and of course we'd prefer that it isn't raining when we do so. We've postponed a ew times already due to inclement weather but now the temperatures are much warmer than they were a few weeks ago.

I haven't been reading much this week as I've been busy with several meetings and appointments. I need to get cracking on 2 books that will come due at the library shortly.

I've been experimenting lately with eating parts of the beef that I don't normally eat. Partly it's due to lack of availability at my local grocery store. But last week I made beef tongue which I haven't had since I was a young girl. It was nice and tender. On Sunday I made beef liver with some onions and pieces of bacon. I didn't have a lot of bacon so I cut it into pieces and mixed it with the onions. It was tasty. 

Liver isn't readily available at my local grocery store either but oddly enough I found it at another grocery store owned by same billionaire. Now the parent company is converting one grocery store (Buy-Low) into the other (Save On). I don't know why they are doing this because Buy Low is not a new acquisition. It was purchased in 1995 by the Jim Pattison Group but I have noticed the soaring prices at Buy - Low over the past 3 years.  All three major grocery stores in my general neighbourhood are owned by the same company.  It's no wonder the prices are so high at all of them.

It Snowed!

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

Vancouver has been experiencing a cold snap this past few days and we also had a lot of snow over a few different days. 

Today and yesterday were super cold. I went out Monday and had a good long walk home. On my way back I snapped the baubles on the outdoor trees. I think they look lovely and brighten the otherwise bare branches and gray sky.  We had a fairly large amount of snowfall overnight Sunday so you can see a large amount of snow on the sidewalks.

Monday night the snow began falling again and we woke up to the patio trees and furniture heavy laden.  I didn't go out today because I knew it would be quite chaotic today on the roads and it is hit or miss as to whether the stores are open. In fact I went to a shop in the neighbourhood on Sunday night and when I got there I discovered it had closed an hour early.  This is what many businesses do during times of storm. It helps everyone to get home safely.  I hope to go food shopping on Wednesday because I need to buy groceries for Christmas dinner. 

Stay safe.

🎄🎄🎄

Wednesday is Anti-Procrastination Day

Hey friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope the week is going well for you.  It's been a bit busy for me but not with anything major. I just have a lot of little things to do and small things to catch up on. Don't you find that little things seem to take more time somehow?

I completed the murder-mystery by Canadian author Shari Lapena. I enjoyed it but the ending left me a bit disappointed though I think someone else may find it suits them fine. I don't want to say more because I know many of you are fans of murder-mystery novels so I don't want to give anything away.  Currently I'm reading, The Lemon Tree Hotel and Arctic Man both of which are good for different reasons. However I  wouldn't say they are totally engrossing.  Just satisfying and satisfying is good enough.

I'm still working to try and keep the meals tasty and interesting.

These are a few of the meals we had in the past few days.

Stir fried beef and onions and stir fried noodles with chili and vegetables.

BBQ Ribs and Kraft dinner with side of coleslaw (coleslaw not in photo)

Curried cauliflower & split peas served with rice and homemade chapati

Penne-pasta-lox-n-spinach with caesar salad.

BBQ-salmon-pilaf-salad

 

I think I mentioned that I try to follow the Fly Lady household routines. One of the big principles is to clean and shine your sink at least once a day. I try but often it seems like I don't get to it until very late at night.  It takes me so long just to wash the dinner dishes after I've finished eating dinner. Now and then I get ahead of the game and it always feels good to have a nice, clean sink.

Yesterday I paid the fee for the community garden and asked my nephew and his girlfriend to take over the plot once again this year.  After that I'll decide whether I want to continue renting the plot going forward. My nephew and his girlfriend gained some valuable gardening experience and I was able to focus on my patio garden and also catch up with a lot of projects and tasks at home.

One of my favourite days is Wednesday which is called anti-procrastination day in the land of Fly Lady. I usually am able to get one niggling item out of the way on that day, sometimes two.  I think it helps me to stop thinking about my long list of items during the week if I have a dedicated day to work on them. Of course, if I'm up to it I can also work on such tasks on any other day.

Errand day is on Thursday and I usually run to the post office, grocery stores and the library. Actually grocery shopping usually takes me about 3 separate errands on different days but Thursday is the main shopping day and some weeks I don't have so much to buy. Tomorrow I am expecting a package and I'm looking forward to it.  If it turns out to be helpful I will write about it in a future post.

Friday I'm also expecting a long awaited delivery of grass fed beef from an area where the ranchers were flooded out in November. You might remember me writing about the floods and the destruction of a major highway from Vancouver to the Interior of BC and beyond. I'm surprised the rancher has anything to deliver but I'm anticipating they won't be able to fulfill all their orders, possibly even mine so we shall see what happens.

We had some sunny days last week and fog earlier in the week. The weather forecast was for possible snow today. In fact it is did snow but barely and it quickly melted before the rain started.

As you can see, the sky is very gray and not very interesting unless there are some distant lights to look at.

Other things keeping me busy are liaising with long distance friends and relatives, watching a lot of Netflix, daily devotions and prayer and the daily things that keep the household going.

What about you dear reader? What things kept you busy this week?

Whatever it is you are doing, I hope you are keeping healthy and happy.

A Gentle Start to the Week

This was the view on Sunday evening as I headed out to do some late night grocery shopping and make a stop at a pharmacy a bit further afield. I was a bit tired since I have a cold so I got a late start.  I'm glad I did get out because I needed the air and the walk. It was a bit chilly and the first time I've needed to wrap a scarf around my neck.  It's been especially cold here over the past several days, especially at night.  The temperature is down to 3 or 4 degrees Celsius at night and around 7 during the day. By the end of the week it should go back up to around 12 Celsius.

 

 

When I'm tired, I certainly don't feel like making dinner so I'm always proud of myself when I manage to get dinner ready.  I usually try to keep my menu very simple.  On Sunday night I sliced up some potatoes, onions, yellow bell peppers and sirloin tip steak, seasoned with a bit of pepper and a few splashes of soy sauce,  put it all in the dutch oven and roasted it for about 45 minutes. I ate mine with a scoop of my favourite chili oil. Delicious.

 

 

 

 

On Sunday I was also able to declutter and recycle several large metal coffee cans and lots of plastic containers that fresh berries come in. I really wish they would package berries in paper containers like they used to. I guess because most of the berries are imported the juices would soak through the paper.  Sunday afternoon a woman came by to pick up a couple pair of shoes I gave away.

 

I also washed this small star quilt I gifted to my mom many years ago and which now belongs to me.  The dowel holding the quilt and the wall also needed a good cleaning from all the dust that accumulates.  All the walls need a good washing but that is a large job so I just do some cleaning here and there.  It's better to do a little at a time than to do nothing at all.  Another of the many jobs I have to do around my home is to remove the one wall sconce (I gave the other one to a friend) and put up two new ones that I purchased some time ago. The sconces I bought are black as that was the only colour available.  I'd prefer to have 2 white ones so I've been holding out until I can find them.  If I can find white ones, the black ones will be put up in my living room area and I will then get rid of the floor lamps.

 

 

When I went shopping last night I picked up some wild salmon on a really good sale. I marinated it overnight in honey garlic sauce and baked it for Monday's dinner along with roasted, caramelized cauliflower and steamed brown rice. 

 

I can see in my photos that the last two dinners look quite bland and colourless.  Usually I try to make them more colourful because one eats with the eyes first.  But they were delicious anyway and nothing was wasted. If I can get to the grocery store again before Thursday's sale ends, I will buy 2 more heads of cauliflower.  At $3.00 a head, it is a bargain.

 

In January 2019 I travelled to Paris with my nephew.  We had a great time and both of us would like to return some day, maybe during the Fall or Spring seasons.  This year I've read a number of books set in Paris.  The most recent one was written by Kate Betts, an American fashion journalist who began her career at Fairfield Publications European office in Paris.  I found the book very interesting because she met the top fashion designers of the day: Karl Lagerfeld, Yves St. Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Thierry Mugler and others.  I am not a fashionista and I do not follow the fashion trends but I found it interesting to have a peek into the world of Parisian fashion through the eyes of an American expat.

Unfortunately, Canada's Covid numbers have been escalating since our Thanksgiving weekend a few weeks ago.  New and various restrictions are being brought in in various provinces including British Columbia where I live in an effort to contain the virus. I continue to keep as isolated as possible and wear my mask whenever I have to go out and do business.  Otherwise there is not a lot of excitement around here in day to day life. That is fine by me because it allows me to get the tedious jobs done.

If all goes well, I'm hoping to have different scenery and photos for you over the coming weeks and months. Just bare with me for a while longer. 

What about your dear reader? What is keeping you busy and occupied during these Covid times?

Until I read from you, please stay safe and take care.

My World of Hail

I was preparing to go to the community garden plot on Saturday because we had a sunny day. 

However we had a snowy hail fall down fast and furious that afternoon.

It looked quite eerie and the sky was quite dark.

The birds were flapping crazily but they quickly disappeared.

I couldn't do any outdoor gardening but I managed to repot a number of indoor plants that were very much in need of it.

I've done a lot of reading over the cold, darker months. These are the books I've completed to date.

Out of the completed books I most enjoyed A Trial in Venice, Pure Land, The Shogun's Queen and The Goldfinch.
You can learn more about each book by clicking on the titles if you are interested.
I'm currently reading The Last Concubine (the 2nd in the series written by Lesley Downer), Wardrobe Wake Up and The Orphan Thief.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday.

Night Sky in June

Early Spring in these parts was mild with lots of sun. Then we had a lot of rain. Then it was very dry and hot. Now it seems we are moving into cooler weather again for at least a few days. (At least that is how I remember it, lol).

 I always welcome rain or cooler temperatures after a hot spell.

You can see the clouds are gathering to the north.

How about you dear reader.

Do you like a bit of rain interspersed with hot, sunny days? Or do you like heat and heat alone?

I'm joining in with Skywatch Friday so have a look there for more awesome skies from around the globe.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

One Easily Met Goal

Most of my friends know I am quite an avid reader. I always thought of myself as an avid reader anyway until I started keeping track of what I read and realized I am not such an avid reader after all. If I read 20-24 books a year that is a lot for me. Reading this amount of books is not so challenging that all you are doing is reading. In fact you can take long breaks between books and still read that many in a year. I do like to do other things with my time besides reading so 20-24 books each year is enough.

This year I set a goal of 24 books and have already read 22 of them. I hadn't planned on it but the weather has been inclement and I haven't felt much like doing the things I normally spend my time on. So I've made more progress than usual. I will have to increase my reading goal but need to make sure I don't continue to neglect my Bible readings. I got out of the rhythm of the Bible readings when I had to deal with some family matters and then I didn't get back into my routine.  I like to read a little bit out loud while listening to someone (on a Bible app) read the same verses.  It makes the words come alive for me.

I know many of you are readers too.  But if you are not a regular reader, I encourage you to set a modest reading goal for yourself. It's not too late to set a goal for 2014!

I'm also pleased to share this mosaic of today's sky.

I wrote yesterday of the forecasted rain but was pleased to get some breaks in the clouds and rain for even a short while today.

I hope you are are all enjoying your day.  Please do check out my sidebar Go Fund Me appeal for Elvis in Kenya. God bless.

Frugal Notes:  For those that like to save money, this is one of the least expensive hobbies you can find.  Books these days can be purchased super cheaply at your local thrift or second hand store. You can find a lot of popular fiction in these places and you can also find lots of reference materials. Sometimes I even find full sets of Christian reading material that have earlier been purchased from television offers.  If you would rather not spend the funds no matter how little, you can also borrow books from friends or trade something they want of yours or you can borrow books for free from the local library.  Four (4) of the seven (7) books in the photo at the top of this post are from the library.

Have a wonder - ful week!

April Weather

It poured heavy rain today.

This is the weather forecast for the week.

While it appears we have rain for the next two days, I am pleased to see sunshine in the forecast for over a week! This is better than the forecast I saw yesterday which saw very little sunshine in the next week. 

I was so pleased to see beautiful skies earlier this week. It must be getting close to warmer temperatures and more frequent sunny days.

I am hoping to get to the new movie "Noah" tomorrow if my friend doesn't have to go in to work.  Another friend and I will try out a new to us Indian restaurant on Saturday.  I can't wait to taste the food.

I hope you are all enjoying your weather wherever you are.

Skywatch Friday

Progress

Brrr, it has been quite chilly here both yesterday and today. On Monday it was overcast and raining. I think it was Monday night when it snowed on the mountain top. On Tuesday it was very windy and by the afternoon the clouds and dull sky had cleared.  I went out and joined a friend for a few hours of relaxation over coffee and a natter (chat).  Last night the temperature went as low as -2 Celsius and I had to turn the heat on for awhile in the living room.  My feet are like ice blocks this week so I also have on a pair of socks and slipper booties and from time to time I put the heating pad on my feet too.  I'm drinking cups of tea and hot chocolate to keep warm late at night.

Today it was another cold day.  I dressed warmly when I went out to buy the week's supply of vegetables and fruit.  I stopped at the Post Office where I posted a birthday card to a local friend and a Christmas card to Joshua, son of my new blogging friend, Tammy from Texas.

Tammy is my buddy for a home made ornament swap.  It turns out her son Joshua is in the Army and he is currently posted to the Middle East.  Sadly, he won't be able to join his wife or the rest of his family for Thanksgiving, Christmas or his birthday.  Being the good mother that she is, Tammy has asked people to help bring some Christmas cheer to Joshua by sending him a Christmas card.  Please read here and if you can, do send Joshua a card.

I was delighted to get a surprise at the post office.  I will write about the surprise very soon.

Today I also made 6 more crocheted hexagons for my blanket.  Yesterday and the day before I made the other 11 hexies and weaved in all the ends from the many other hexies made previously.  If I counted correctly, I only need one more hexagon to complete my blanket (I'll have to do a re-count to make sure).  I'm not excited yet. I'll be more excited when I'm finished joining all the pieces.  I'm joining in with Chrissie at Chrissie Crafts and Marianne at Ladybird Diaries

Since I snapped this photo I've made 6 more hexies, woven in all the ends of the others and took apart the hexies I joined together in week 1 (to get a preview of what things would look like).  The colour of the blue in the hexies at the front is off. They are a softer shade than what shows.

I made a couple of  foot appointments today. One for my mom's monthly foot care treatment.  I need to see the doctor to get some antibiotics for an infected toe and a referral to a foot nurse.  I've been going for a pedicure for years and years.  About 3 years ago I started getting infections in my big toes after getting my nails done.  I gather this is common for anyone with ingrown nails but it is a real pain, both figuratively and literally.  I found a mail person who was able to clean my nails and keep them infection free for almost two years now.  Then last week she informed me that she can no longer do ingrown nails due to health inspection rules.  When I heard that, I went back to my former nail salon (naughty me).  Two days later, I my toe was infected.  Lesson learned.  I am hoping a foot care nurse can correct the problem for good.  If not, I will likely need to get my toenails partially removed.

Yuck and sad face :-(.


I leave you now with a view from my patio today.

It was very windy yesterday and today. The good thing about the wind is it drives away the cloud cover.

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

Calm Before the Storm

These photos were taken over a week ago.  The weather had been very cold all week.  When it is cold here we don't get our usual winter rains.

These photos were taken the day of the night we were expecting our usual winter rains, and warmer temperatures. In fact, they said a storm was on the way. Hence the title of my post.  It didn't rain or storm that night after all. In fact it took another few days before the storm arrived.  When it did arrive, it knocked out many power lines, shut down traffic on the mountain highway, closed schools in some places, and shut down many ferry runs between the mainland and Vancouver Island.  Fortunately my household was not affected.

The sky didn't have a lot of variation in it but the birds and mountains give it a bit of interest.

If you look closely to the right of the photo you will see four birds in flight.

This photo capture two birds in flight but they look like black specks.

To join in and see more beautiful skies from around the world, please click on the badge below. Enjoy! 

Images of Kamloops

I am visiting in the Interior of British Columbia this week in a town called Kamloops. It is about 4.5 hours drive from my home to here.

The weather and scenery in winter is rather dull. It has been foggy all week but today the sun came through. As you can see there is very little snow here. Kamloops doesn't get much snow in winter these days but this year has been very mild both here and at home in Vancouver.

I hope you enjoy these few pictures. Perhaps you can see that the geography is quite dry and this is a semi-arid area with some desert scenery and temperatures in summer. It can be quite lovely on a nice day and the area is a wonderful area for those that love ranching or the great outdoors.