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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Hurray for youth, middle kids and milkmen (delivery people). And 3 cheers as well for Mr. Singer, Mr. Ford's company and whoever decided it would be a good idea for personal computers; where would we be without them? It's a clear, sunny day out there for us this morning, with a temperature of 13(55), going up to a warm 29(84). The one thing DH and I noticed yesterday was the difference in colour of the sun in the late afternoon and evening. It's taken on more of an orange tone which of course signals that fall is soon going to be coming. It's always a melancholy time for us, as it means our days spent in the yard and evenings on the deck will be coming to an end. Oh the other hand, we don't have earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes, so we have to be grateful for what we have. @richwmnHappy Birthday to you! Wishing you a wonderful day with many happy, healthy returns of the day. @Seasick Sailorsending prayers for your DS Bonnie. @Haljo1935Bon Voyage; enjoy your cruise! @luvteachingwishing your DM a very Happy 98th birthday! Had a rather upsetting phone call yesterday from a dear cruising friend in North Carolina. They'd just returned home from a short trip away and it appeared he'd come down with a GI bug of sorts (they thought it was food poisoning); it continued to get worse and his wife tested him for Covid, which turned out positive. Two days later he collapsed and is currently in the hospital where his condition is listed as "stable". The hospital said it wasn't the first case they'd had where Covid first showed up as a GI thing. Scary!! I'm saying yes to the drink (have them often on BHB's), will let others have the white wine, and maybe if I peeled the zucchini, I could get the zoodles into DH - he doesn't care for the "z" veggie. We love scampi, so whether it's made with noodles or an alternate, I'm sure it's good. For dinner we're going to have panko crumbed salmon, garlic roast potatoes and green beans (courtesy DH's DS) on our deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars not of their making, and in the path of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all who have something to celebrate today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I had no idea what Ingersoll day was - thought about Ingersoll cheese. While I don't have the straightest teeth, they were never bad enough to have to wear braces. I've never been a fan of hip hop, but millions are, so let them enjoy it. I've always enjoyed the humour of Jay Leno; he has so much to deal with right now with his lovely wife being taken over by dementia. We had a great day yesterday visiting our neighbours at their lake. We were treated like gold - took a hike around their subsection, were given a driving tour of all the wonderful cabins (some were absolute mansions), then getting into their pontoon boat and being escorted around the lake side of all of them. To top it off we had a delicious beer-can chicken barbecue prepared by their DDIL while we enjoyed the antics of their almost 2 year old daughter. We didn't get home until 9PM and by that time we were tuckered out! @RMLincolnBon Voyage; I hope you have a fabulous cruise! @marshhawk You need to keep up your electrolytes to help with cramping; drink Gatorade or get extra magnesium into your system with bananas. As soon as DH gets up (he was up and down with leg cramps last night . . . didn't drink his gatorade), I'll be making up a big pan of brownies. We're hosting a meeting at our place of those still interested in maintaining the little cemetery out by the family farm - a meeting that should have taken place on Father's Day but was postponed due to torrential rains out there. Rather than heading out of town (all of us live in the city), we decided to have the meeting at our house. There will only be 10 or 12 at most, so it isn't an inconvenience to have everyone over. I'm not sure about the drink of the day, would like to try the wine, and today's menu suggestion is a good one, especially the second recipe. I think after the group leaves from this afternoon's meeting, I'll have DH fire up the barbecue and will try out recipe #2 that we can have with garlic roasted baby potatoes and coleslaw on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in the throes of wars, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! If you've got a dog, go ahead and spoil it - they deserve every bit of it, as they are great family members. I haven't worn shapeware in ages because, well, round is a shape! I think Paul Bunyan was big enough he could have a couple of days of celebration. I agree with today's quote. A beautiful morning out there for us today; clear blue skies and barely a ripple of the leaves in the trees. It should head up to about 25 today (77) which will be very comfortable and won't require the a/c to be turned on. @luvteachingBon Voyage to the two Karens; I hope you have a wonderful cruise. @RMLincolnsafe drive to Boston today. @TbayHappy Birthday to you! @HeartgroveI'm sure your heart is heavy and your house is quiet today. Know that you're in our hearts. Today DH and I are heading out of town about 1.5 hours; a few years ago our neighbours across the street bought an old cabin at a lake, tore it down and completely rebuilt it themselves. They've asked us to visit a few times, but we just couldn't get our schedules to mesh, but today's the day when they do. We'll head out there later this morning and stop at a number of art galleries along the way as there's an art show and sale at 23 different locations in our area of the province. People often take the day, starting in the early morning and not returning until late evening, having stopped at all of them to see what people are creating. Not sure how many we'll see, but it will be nice to see all the different talents people have on display. I'd try the drink of the day if someone made it for me, would like the wine, and would make today's menu suggestion but would cook the salmon first. This morning I'm making Killer Coleslaw to take along with us as we've been invited for dinner at the neighbour's cabin this evening, so I'm not sure what will be served, but it will be accompanied by great conversation and much laughter. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars not of their making, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I was fortunate to have some wonderful co-workers for most of my working life, give a big thumbs up to all Indigenous peoples and had no idea what Veep day was. I like happy surprises. Our skies are clear and there's barely a breeze outside, but through the open window I can smell smoke again. Yesterday morning it was pretty thick, but we had late afternoon breezes which took most of it away. I'm not sure if the same thing will happen today, but it smells like sitting in front of a campfire - not healthy, I'm sure. Yesterday's internment of our friend's ashes went well; there were only about a dozen of us there, and I gave everyone the opportunity to say something if they wished. That brought some laughter, some tears, but it was good to hear their thoughts about Gord and his life at home and work as a police officer. Today we have to go over to the home repair store and talk with a manager about replacing the garage door opener; we were supposed to have had a call from a supervisor about it yesterday, but none came. @HeartgroveYou're such special people to take in older dogs, knowing you won't have too many years to spend together, but creating for them the kind, loving home that they deserve. I know I'd have been bawling like a baby while taking him on his last walk - my heart goes out to you and your wife as you say goodbye to Sam this morning. @marshhawkcongrats on your sale yesterday! @kazuas usual, your flowers are beautiful; is that a dipladenia I see? The one we over-wintered failed to flower this year, so I'm thinking it won't see the inside of the house again. @Mr. Bostonsafe travels as you venture off to another wedding. I love sangria, red and white, so will gladly accept the drink of the day. The wine sounds good, too! I've made pasta salads, but never with beans, so I'd like to try it if someone else made it for me. It's Friday night, pizza night, so later this afternoon we'll browse the online menus to see what ooey gooey cheesy thing appeals to us that we can enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in the paths of destructive storms and fires, and in the midst of wars. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! It must be great being a digital nomad. We will definitely celebrate International Cat Day, and we applaud encouraging children to become as creative as they want. Not sure I agree with Wilde's quote; there are very few books I've re-read over the years. It's a chilly morning to start the day; we're sitting at +3C(37F) right now, but the good thing is we've got clear skies (no smoke), and the temperature should get up to around 21(69) which will be quite comfortable. I'm not ready for fall just yet, but yesterday we saw a few poplar trees that are already starting to turn colour. We didn't have great success with the new garage door opener yesterday - ended up taking it back after the installer got everything assembled and the old one taken down . . . it was too long. DH had carefully measured everything and gave those measurements to the clerk at the store, but it was too long. We took it back yesterday afternoon and today are expecting a call from a supervisor to see what he suggests as a replacement. This morning we will go with our friend Ollie and a few others to inter Gord's ashes and I'm leading the service. I thought she would have asked DH to do the honours, as he's presided over more than 30 funerals, but I was asked to take the lead, which made me both scared and honoured. I spent time yesterday afternoon putting the service together, read it to DH, changed a few things, and am hoping Ollie will like it today. @Heartgrovethank you for the beautiful photos of Poppy and her pretty Mama. @kazuthank you for sharing photos of your lovely flowers; I know you're going to miss them, but am sure you will have some of the most beautiful ones at your new home. And special treats for Ivan for being such a good boy yesterday! Here's our Sochi: I like Scotch, but prefer it alone, so will pass on the drink of the day, would like to try the wine, and would say yes to the meal suggestion. Ollie has told us that she's taking DH and me out for dinner tonight, so the 3 of us will head to our favourite Greek restaurant where we can enjoy the food, ambience, and good company for a couple of hours. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! There are many things that are over-packaged; what a waste of plastic. And my time trying to open them. I'd love to get some of the fees that professional speakers charge, but I don't know what I'd talk about. Bless all those who have earned a Purple Heart. It looks like we had more showers overnight, but this morning the sky is a weird grey-brown colour. After turning on the radio it appears we have a "special air quality statement" due to smoke from forest fires - after going out the back door, I can understand why, as it smells like somebody just put out their campfire, wet ashes. We won't be out in it long, but do have to go to the cardiac rehab program, and possibly stop for some groceries on the way home. I feel for those who have to work outdoors today. This afternoon we're getting a new garage door opener installed - the old one has certainly done it's job; it came with the house that was built in 1976, but the clicker stopped working about 20 years ago. It will be nice having an automatic opener in the vehicle so one of us (me) doesn't have to get out in the middle of winter to open the door when we come back from shopping, etc. @Heartgrovemy heart goes out to you; DH and I will be with you in spirit as you see Sam off on his way to the Rainbow Bridge. I love the name of your new granddaughter!! @RMLincolncongratulations on booking your cruise - it's so nice to have something to look forward to! @kazuI'm sorry you're feeling poorly; you don't need tummy troubles at a time like this! @marshhawkyour boss had the audacity to write you up? SMH!!! Best of luck for Chuck's appointment today. @Haljo1935good luck with your HR meeting today. I'd love the drink of the day (have written it down for testing purposes), will let others enjoy the wine and will pass on the soup. Usually DH has coffee with his bandmates on Wednesdays, but won't be going because of the garage opener installation. He has told me though, that he really likes the beef sandwiches from Tim's that he's been bringing home on Wednesdays, so I think we'll be heading over there to pick up something to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in storms and fires, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to all who have celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Yay for National Fresh Breath Day . . . the alternative, ugh! I love floats of any kind, especially the foam; DH makes great floats with tons of foam that he always scoops out for me. If I see a lighthouse it means I'm on a cruise . . . sadly I haven't seen one in a long time. We had a brief thundershower last evening but by the time we went to bed it was long gone. Apparently a bigger brother/sister showed up around 4:30 this morning and gave quite a display of light and noise. Not that I heard any of it, but DH told me about it when I woke up later. Looking out at the front street there's lots of water flowing past, so we won't have to turn on the sprinklers for the lawns at least. Last evening our DS in Calgary sent some videos of a hail storm they had - fortunately he'd covered their car with blankets, having bungee corded them down along with pillows over the windshield, so their vehicle didn't sustain any damage. The hail was the size of ping pong balls and lasted about 15 minutes. Later there was lots of rain and this morning I heard a radio report that parts of Calgary's domestic airport building are closed due to damage from last night's storm. Sure glad we weren't planning on flying in or out of there today, and feel sorry for those who were. @Cruzin Terrisending continued prayers for your safety and dryness! @puppycanducruisebelated Happy Birthday for yesterday; I hope you had a great day. @kazuthanks for even checking in - you're often thought of and prayers for on a regular basis. This morning I've got breakfast with my retired colleagues which should be a fun couple of hours catching up on their lives. After that I've got another couple of bags of things to drop off at the Salvation Army store and that's about all on my agenda for the day. I will pass on the drink (don't like rye whiskey), will let others enjoy the white wine, but am looking at making today's menu suggestion using salmon for us to enjoy either on the deck or at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Where would we be without traffic lights and underwear? We've been fortunate to have visited Hiroshima; a very sobering place to remember what happened there. I hope everyone is safe from Debby's wrath; hopefully she doesn't gain strength and just fizzles out. Right now we've got overcast skies and it appears we may get rain later this morning. We have a long weekend due to a civic holiday, so many folks will be coming back from camping and holidays; that means the highways will be filled with vehicles - sure glad we don't have to worry about that. Being retired means we can take off mid week and return whenever, so we're able to miss most of the traffic - yay! @Heartgrovecongratulations to the entire family on the safe arrival of your new granddaughter! @cunnorlHappy 46th Anniversary to you and your DH; may you have many more happy, healthy and fun filled years together. @marshhawkjust a thought - can you go online to your local WM, place an order and just go and pick it up? That might give you a little respite, but not having to be away from Chuck for long. Or, bring him in the car with you for a ride. @Sharon in AZbelated birthday greetings to Summer; she's so fortunate to have loving, caring grandparents like you. Not much happening here today, just enjoying the summer time weather - the one thing we noticed the other night is that it's starting to get dark earlier. Sigh. We had the garden lights turned on around 9PM, whereas a month ago it was still light enough at 10PM that you could read a newspaper without turning on a lamp. I like strawberry margaritas, would like the wine, but am going to pass on the soup. I made lasagna soup once and DH said it was a one and done for him, so I'll leave the recipe for others to enjoy. We've got leftover barbecued chicken from the other night, so I'll be making chicken Caesar salads for us to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars, and in the path of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Clouded leopards are beautiful creatures, but I'll enjoy them from afar. Yes to chocolate chips!! I'll let others enjoy my share of the white wine today. A great quote, and a very sad day in history for Ann Frank. What a surprise, we had some rain overnight - got up this morning to see the streets all wet and realized DH accidentally left his vehicle windows open. Will be interesting later to see how wet the seats are, but I'll leave that to him when he gets up. It's quite nice right now and we're expecting a high of 25 (77) which will be very comfortable. @MISTER 67Bon Voyage! @smitty34877glad you had help; isn't it interesting the dogs came to get you when they felt you were needed. We had a lovely evening with our friends last night, enjoying food, a couple of bottles of wine, and some great conversation and laughs. At one point, Wayne convinced Maurice to take out his accordion, so he played a few pieces for us, even though he hadn't touched it for a number of years. We laughed and said he should take it on our next cruise, labeling the case as a "medical device". Much laughter and chatter ensued over that one! A quiet Sunday for us with really nothing on the agenda. We've been invited over to Wayne's for cocktails and a barbecue late this afternoon so I'll bring over a salad and we'll enjoy them and a few other folks we haven't seen in a while. I'm sure there will be lively conversation and good food to be had. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil and in wars not of their making. Also prayers for those in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Time for a quick check-in between making coleslaw and cutting up potatoes. @Mr. Bostonenjoy the wedding festivities today! @Cruising-along sorry to hear about your BIL; hopefully he'll be able to recover after the 2 strokes! @Vict0riannDH can travel, but for insurance purposes we have to wait for 3 months of stability (not even a medication alteration) before we can take off to parts unknown. We can travel by car to neighbouring provinces, but just not out of country, which is fine, because we (I) prefer cruising in the fall/winter months when the weather is cold. Although Pat is feeling somewhat better today, I still think I'd head over to a walk-in clinic to get him checked out; don't wait until Tuesday, as that's still a long way off medically speaking. The rain didn't materialize and the sun is shining brightly, so I'm busy cleaning off the deck to allow us to entertain our friends out there this evening, rather than at the dining room table. Hope everyone has an enjoyable evening!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I've never used hair gloss, will always say yes to watermelon, and salute the Coast Guard for the services they provide. Today's quotes are great. It's a cooler morning for us out there today with a temp of only 13(55), so I don't think we're really going to get to the predicted high of 30(86). With the clouds hanging around, I'm pretty sure we'll get some showers at some point - at this time of year it helps the lawns, but not the crops. I'm hearing a lot of screeching outside coming from the peregrine falcons terrorizing the songbirds in our area. They are brutal and have the most annoying screams as they fly around looking for prey. The poor little songbirds are all hiding quietly in the spruce trees, just waiting them out. @marshhawkglad Chuck's home, but the hospital sounds like they dropped the ball on feeding him. That's not right, sending him home without having eaten anything. I'm sorry to hear you're in the Rice Krispie phase of life, with things snap, crackling and popping. Hopefully this snap in your hip will not be limiting for you, as you have so much on your plate right now. If the pain continues, please have it looked at. @kazuI love your story about the trees - how nice they've finally grown together so you could see it happen before you leave. That's maybe their way of saying goodbye to you and thanking you for their care. @dfishhave you considered getting a cat? That would take care of your mouse problems! @ski wwBon Voyage! Have to do a bit of housework today as we're having our friends Wayne & Fran over for dinner tonight. We haven't seen them in a couple of weeks and thought it was time for us to catch up, so we'll have a barbecue with pork chops, chicken breasts, garlic baby potatoes, parmesan asparagus and watermelon for dessert. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Ooh, did somebody say pie? I remember vacationing in the US when we discovered The Montana Pie Company - both DH and I were in absolute heaven looking at their dessert menu. The last time we were in Montana we found they were no longer in business, so all we have is our memories, which is better for our waistlines. Dinosaurs are fun for kids, and CAD is used in so many places these days. Thank you all for your responses to my request for prayers for @marshhawk and @catmando yesterday - you really are a wonderful group of people. It's sort of sunny, sort of cloudy right now and I just heard on the radio that there's a possibility of thundershowers later this morning or early afternoon. We're expecting a high of 30(86), so it won't be super hot, but hot enough to remind us we still are in the season of summer. @marshhawkI hope you got some sleep last night and that the kitties knew to leave you alone. What a lovely gesture by the restaurant for you; there are good people out there. Please give Chuck our best when you see him and I think it's a very good idea to follow @smitty34877's advice to leave early so you can keep up your strength. @kazuthat's horrible about your friend's failed surgery, resulting in an amputation! I'm SO glad yours was successful. It sounds like you had an amazingly productive day yesterday - perhaps today should be a day of rest and recuperation for you, what do you think? Not a lot going on for us today, we'll head over to the Field House for the cardiac rehab program, then stop at WM for some cat food and a few vegetables. I think there's a farmer's market at a nearby mall, so would like to pick up some fresh beans, peas, and carrots to add to our meals and for snacking. I'd like to try the drink, especially since all I can only drink decaf. coffee, but haven't heard of Licor 43. A nicely chilled rose can be good with a light meal, and I'd like today's menu suggestion, but we don't do steaks well at all, so just enjoy them on BHB's. It's Friday night pizza night and I think we'll head to a neat little place that opened up a short while ago that has 8" pizzas for only $4. We'll pick up a couple of them to enjoy on the deck tonight and DH will have some leftovers for his night snack. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in wars not of their making. Cheers to the Americans who were released last night - that was wonderful seeing them reach American soil once more. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@marshhawk thank you for the update. I hope you’re able to get some rest tonight, just knowing Chuck is in the best place possible for now.

Good afternoon, I’m here with a special request of all my Daily friends. I just received the following email from our dear @marshhawk: “I'm at the hospital. It looks like Chuck had a stroke. We were on our way from the bank and something happened. He rolled his eyes up in his head and when we got to the restaurant, he couldn’t open the door. Got him into the restaurant and he was sweating profusely. The staff got some cool towels to put on him, but he wouldn’t answer any questions I asked him. He has been saying all morning that he didn’t want to go to the emergency, but he’s there now.” Asking for your prayers for Chuck @catmando, his medical team, and especially for Annie @marshhawk as she walks the tightrope of Chuck’s health. Thank you, Gerry BTW, I asked Annie if she wanted me to pass this along to all of you, her friends, and she said yes, please.

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm not into white wine, have never canned anything, and had to look up what Lamaas Day was . . . it involves bread which is to me is always a good thing. Thank you all for your kind words of condolence yesterday; it was a rather quiet day around here, thinking of past events and all the people we've lost over the past couple of years. August to me means summer is half over; we've always counted July and August as summer around our house - I guess it has to do with DH's teaching career. Usually at the beginning of August I'd start seeing him gaze off into space, not thinking romantic loving thoughts, but planning curriculum and school events. By the 3rd week of August he was in his classroom already, getting it ready to welcome the next year's students. So glad those days are past us. @ottahand7 you said you were out of bait . . . don't you have any worms on your property? What about using corn? You could always try my secret weapon - chewing gum (won me a family fishing derby). We're planning on going out to our friend's lake in a couple of weeks and I'm planning on bringing both regular gum and bubble gum to see what works better. @RMLincolnhoping for good news from DH's eye doctor today. @Seasick Sailorsending prayers for your DS's medical appointments. @dfishglad you woke to no pain this morning. @smitty34877you poor thing, you must be exhausted if you fell asleep sitting upright in a hard chair!! I wish I lived closer so I could step in with some help for you. I have to tell you something that really got me riled up yesterday. We went to Canadian Tire to get a couple of keys cut, then when we went to pay for them at the credit/debit machine, it asked if we wanted to tip 15, 18, or 20%. Seriously? For cutting keys at a huge store like that? I tapped on "NO TIP". This tipping thing has gotten WAY out of control! Rant over, thanks for letting me vent. Not a lot happening for us today, will do the ever present laundry and maybe take a swipe at the kitchen floor with a mop. Today seems like a good day to hang around and maybe take DH out for ice cream. Can't take the roofless car because the garage door opener isn't going to be installed till the middle of next week, but I'll drive and let him open the window and hang his head out. LOL The drink sounds interesting, but I wonder if any of the BHB's carry Alize in their bars? I'll let others enjoy my share of the white wine, and will tuck the soup recipe away for another season. I've got a couple of pork chops thawing that will be given a brown sugar & seasoning rub, and cooked in the air fryer. We'll enjoy them with garlic potatoes and green beans on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in the midst of wars, storms and fires. Cheers to all who celebrate something today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Bon Voyage; enjoy every minute of it!!!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Every day should be love day; everyone should feel loved. I believe in mutts, always have. We have tons of musical instruments in the house, not a one is uncommon - unless you could the one shaped like a frog with steps on it's back that you play with a stick. I think it's called a guerrero. Yep, I guess that's uncommon. Great quote. A bright sunny day for us out there this morning with a high of 32(89) expected later this afternoon. Right now all the windows are open but I think in about an hour we'll be going around closing them to keep a little of the cool air before having to turn on the a/c. @marshhawk and @catmando my heart goes out to both of you as you struggle with life's thorns. @luvteachingwishing your DS a very Happy Birthday with many happy and healthy returns of the day! @kazuyou never cease to amaze me - I can't believe the amount of work you've done by yourself, while still dealing with an enormous amount of pain. You really are a wonder woman! @0106Thank you, yes the fish was indeed the black scabbard fish - good of you to remember what it was! We were planning on going to the Field House this morning for the cardiac rehab program, but DH didn't sleep well last night. He received a sad email from a friend's son in B.C. saying his dad was currently in the hospital and things weren't going well. It sounded like he was on his way to the Promised Land which really upset both of us, as he was a good colleague and friend for more than 60 years. This morning I opened up our emails and found that he'd passed away quietly during the night. I think DH's sleep today is going to be more valuable to his overall health than walking the track. I'm sure his mood will be buoyed this afternoon when he has coffee with his band mates. I've written down the drink of the day for testing purposes (at this rate, we may have to extend the duration of the cruise), have tried and enjoyed the wine, and thought the menu suggestion would be good with the addition of either chicken or steak. I'm relieved of dinner duties today because DH is having coffee with his buddies at Tim Horton's, so he'll be bringing home roast beef sandwiches that we can enjoy on the deck - or if it's too hot there, in the shade of the pergola for dinner tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars and in the path of destructive fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Both DH and I had wonderful fathers-in-law, and I'm all for Friendship Day. Happy Birthday to Medicare - here in Canada it came in November, 1961; interesting quote today. We love Funchal, having stopped there 3 times on various trans-Atlantics. The last time we were there we took a tour with Daniel, arranged by our dear @kazuand saw SO much of the island. Too many highlights to go into, but we stopped for lunch at Porto Moniz (you can find it on @Sir PMP's map) and had an amazing meal; I don't remember the name of the fish sandwich we had, but I'd go there just for Daniel's tour and the lunch! Did anyone get to see the aurora borealis last night? I had high hopes until about 10:45 when the clouds rolled in . . . another celestial event missed because of cloudy conditions. It's still cloudy this morning and we're sitting at a comfortable 18(64) right now, but I just heard the forecast on the radio telling me that there could be thunderstorms coming through this afternoon. We can always use extra moisture, so it would be nice. @marshhawksending good vibes and positive thoughts your way for Chuck's medical today. I'm an early riser, so am up when it's still dark in the winter months. @kazuthe thought of Ivan falling down the stairs gives me chills; glad he doesn't attempt them. I'm glad you were able to navigate your way up and were able to accomplish some things up there. It's great that you don't have to travel to sign the papers for your new digs! @smitty34877I hope all goes well for you and Tana today; has your aide been away on vacation? This morning I'm picking up my friend Ollie and we're going to the cemetery to see about getting a plot and interring Gord's ashes. Initially she had wanted to scatter them somewhere in the northern forest, but couldn't decide where, so his ashes are still in a container on her fireplace hearth. Now she's decided that the best place would be in a cemetery nearby so she could go and visit the site and not worry about how she'd get to where she'd scattered them. I've written down the drink of the day for testing purposes, will pass on the wine, and have had grilled pineapple, and it's quite delicious, but not sure I could make an entire meal of one. Last night I took out a package of ground beef that I'm going to make into sliders that I'll cook in the air fryer and we'll have them with tater tots on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars not of their making, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Time for a quick afternoon check-in. @grapau27my comforting thoughts as you remember Pauline's DD father today. What a nice way to remember him and the day of his passing. @SusieKIslandGirlyou made me laugh. @USN59-79friends of ours who live in a very small town had one installed in their home going directly into the basement so they could continue living in their own place. A neighbour down the street from us has a chair lift installed and theirs looks very similar to the photograph provided - both families are pleased with the results. DH decided to use his skills (?) to try to fix the garage door opener . . . yeah, well. His DS came over, took one look and started making phone calls - we should be getting a couple of quotes over the next day or two to replace the opener. LOL Have a great evening, all!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I love seeing tigers, but not in a zoo setting, would love to have a butler some days, and yes to the chicken wings - make mine salt & pepper please! It's a beautiful morning out there for us today with a temp of 17(62) and an expected high of 30(86) with just a slight breeze for now. It'll be a good day to get out in the back yard and trim some vines and deadhead some of the plants. I also have to clean out the bird baths, as they've been used quite regularly and are full of feathers and other stuff from the latest batch of young robins. @doobieb will definitely send prayers for your friend Leesa. @kazuI wish Ivan was a bigger dog who could help pull you up those steps!! @rafinmdglad you had a good sleep and your neck pain is gone. @marshhawkI love the look of those cabins! This morning we're off to the Field House for the cardiac rehab program, but before that will be contacting the overhead door companies to see who can come to take a look at our garage door. I fear it's going to be a costly venture this time. I'm going to pass on the drink, have never liked the taste of the wine (DH enjoys sherry), and it's a little too warm here for soup right now. Last week I bought a package of tempura coated shrimp that will be cooked in the air fryer and served with a Caesar salad that we should be able to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, and in the paths of destructive fires and storms. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing!☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! DH loves milk chocolate while I prefer dark, we haven't been to a waterpark in eons, and we're both vaccinated against Hep A and B. Love the quote! A quiet Sunday morning here, cooler temp (14C), but going up to 27(80) which will be comfortably warm. DS will be getting up in a short while to make his way back to Calgary - it was SO nice having him here for a few days. Of course we took advantage of his youth, strength, and capabilities, by having him install new security cameras and a wi-fi extender for us. @Lady Hudsonsending prayers for your friend who is back in the hospital. @kazusorry for your pain; if it persists, please return to the medical community to get checked out. @marshhawkcongratulations on your sales and bonus! Yesterday DH and DS went out to the garage but when they hit the door opener, something made a disconcerting grinding sound, there was a snap or two and they couldn't open the door. After a bit of a struggle, DS was able to manually pull it open, but it appears we may be having to replace the opener, springs, tracks, or whatever, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when the overhead door companies open up. Thankfully the only vehicle in there is the roofless car (jaguar), which we only use sporadically. DH can still use the side door to go and play in his mad scientist's workshop. I love the drink of the day and have copied down @kazu's recipe to make the next time I do a batch, would like the wine, and I've never had salmon with peaches, but I do like the sound of these recipes! Late this afternoon we're going over to our friend Wayne's where his adult DS, and DDIL will be visiting from Vancouver. It appears we'll be enjoying barbecued burgers, potato salad (I'll bring), and an assortment of other delights in his back yard tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm all for Black Women's Equal Pay day - every woman should earn the same amount as a man doing the same job, no matter what her skin colour. Thanks for the explanation of Love Is Kind; my heart goes out to all who were abused. I thought we had Korean Veteran's Armistice Day a couple of days ago; will have to go back and look. It's cool out there again today, starting off at 15(59) with a strong wind - although we slept with the windows open, as soon as I got up, I quickly closed them. Our daytime high is only going to 21(69), so it's not going to be the heat we've experienced the past couple of weeks. Yesterday we had huge gusts of wind, some of which even toppled trees in an older area of the city - thankfully nobody was hurt, but a couple of vehicles and a garage were victims. @superomawishing you a very Happy Birthday and best wishes for many happy and healthy returns of the day! @Horizon chaser 1957Bon Voyage; have a wonderful cruise! @57redbirdHappy 53rd Anniversary; let the love and laughter continue! We've been enjoying having DS in the house again; the surprise hugs, just hearing his voice, and seeing his shoes at the front door means all is well with the world to me. Late in the afternoon I drove him to the wedding venue and dropped him off - he was going to uber home, rather than driving after having consumed several beverages over the course of the evening. These days nobody should drink and drive, as there are so many alternatives to getting home. Not a lot planned today, just hanging out as a family, maybe doing some shopping for him to bring back to Calgary, and enjoying a day together. Over the years I've had a number of grasshoppers, and find them quite sweet, will pass on the wine, and have never had ratatouille. I've got salmon thawing that will be crumb coated and air fried along with garlic baby potatoes and asparagus that we can enjoy together on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars, and in the paths of destructive storms and fires. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! It would be nice to speak with One Voice to unite the world, especially these days. All my adoptive aunts & uncles are gone, but I have 1 birth aunt still alive; unfortunately she is in advanced dementia in another province, so won't be seeing her. I really miss the Great Canadian Bagel Company shops that were so prevalent a few years ago - my favourite was their chocolate chip bagel, toasted with peanut butter. Yum! Good quote today. DS arrived yesterday and what a great feeling having him back in the house again. At breakfast I told our friends he was coming home for the weekend but DH corrected me saying "His home is in Calgary, he's coming to our house." Killjoy. No worries, later in the evening, DS said he has photo albums on his phone with pictures of their place in Calgary which he's labeled "Our House", but the photos of ours in Saskatoon is labeled "Home". It seems a cooling trend is happening all over, as this morning when I got up it felt cold - I checked the house temp and it was the same as outside 14C(57), a distinct change from the past few days. It's going to go up to 24(75) which is what our morning temps were starting at most of the past week - very comfortable. @StLouisCruisersHappy Birthday to your DGD Morgan! @smitty34877I'm glad you got some rest last night - hopefully Tana will feel a little better and you'll both get some sleep tonight. @kazuyou're making amazing progress, especially considering that you're doing it by yourself and while trying to recover from surgery. You know if I lived closer, I'd be there helping you, but can only send good vibes from afar. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day (bourbon), will let others enjoy the SB, but would love the menu suggestion, especially the chimichurri sauce as I do like cilantro. DS has his friend's wedding to go to this evening, so he's requested take-out from his favourite pizza place (great cause we normally have pizza on Friday!) for dinner tonight. I'm thinking we're going to have a "Vern's special" for the 3 of us to enjoy comfortably on the deck. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil and in the paths of destructive storms and wildfires. Special prayers for the people of Jasper, and those in California who are dealing with loss due to fire. Cheers to all with celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! A good day to remember veterans of all conflicts and to hire them if they're qualified for a job. With all the shoes I have, you'd think I'd have a red pair - nope, not at all. I do have a pair of fabulous sparkly green ones though, and for someone who might be colour blind, I could tell them they're red. Today's quote made me chuckle. It's a warm, sticky morning out there for us, as we're sitting at 24(75) with the humidity at 85% again - expecting a high of 34(93) later today, so the windows will be closed shortly and the a/c will be doing it's magic to keep us comfortable in the house. @kazusorry you had a bad night, but glad you were able to get as much done as you could yesterday. Hopefully the stagers will remove what is needed and store it in a unit until your home sells - that seems to be what happens around here. @Vict0riannin answer to your query yesterday, DH is doing very well and had good results from his TAVI follow-up appointment on Monday. I had to look up the valve name from the card he now has to carry in his wallet this is what it is: Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra RESILIA trans-cathether heart valve. The cardiologist was pleased with the echocardiogram results and took him to the device clinic where they made an adjustment to his pacemaker to allow his heart to beat more than 60bpm. Apparently that should have been done when he first received it, but it was overlooked. Go figure. @StLouisCruisersgood luck with your "panini press" today! @Crazy For CatsI love your Lego cats!! @bennybearI'm sorry you're inundated with heat and smoke, and how awful about the dog being attacked by a cougar - that's frightening. Here's a photo that was posted last night on FB from Jasper - the structure is the Maligne Lodge (hotel) on the main street of Jasper, one of a number of buildings (including some homes) that were on fire at the time. This morning we're going out for breakfast with a couple who couldn't make it to Summerfest this year, a great couple to chat with as we have so much in common. Then later this evening our DS is coming for the weekend as a friend from high school is getting married tomorrow. DS is coming solo, as his DW doesn't know the person, and she would have to take a day off from work, so she'll be home with the boys for the weekend while we get to have a visit with him by himself - the first in a number of years. I'd like to try the drink, but won't copy the recipe for testing as I'm not sure they'd have frozen pineapple on a BHB, will let others enjoy the wine, and would like to have any one of the salads, but will give the black olives away. Because DS is coming tonight I'll be making a batch of porcupine balls that we can enjoy with air fried baby potatoes and asparagus on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars, and in the paths of destructive fires. Cheers to all who have celebrations today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! As they were a lot older than me, most of my adoptive cousins have passed away, but since finding my birth family, I still have lots of blood cousins available for chats and fun. I believe in self-care, even if it just means taking 15 minutes by yourself in a quiet room. We use drive-thru lanes often when neither of us feels like cooking. Another warm one for us today, starting at 21(69) and heading up to 33(91) later in the day. We've still got high humidity (85%), but the air quality advisory has been lifted which means there isn't nearly as much smoke in the air as yesterday. We are, however, still under a heat warning, so I'm pretty sure the a/c will be turned on later today. We had an interesting breakfast with friends yesterday that we hadn't had a chance to get together for some time. Topics of conversation were fairly limited for a number of reasons: he's very much the opposite of our political beliefs, so we can't discuss what's currently happening on television politically as he becomes quite over the top; over the past couple of years they basically lost their savings due to bad investments so we don't want to talk about upcoming vacations or cruises; they've had some bad things (legally) happen in their children's lives, so we couldn't talk about family. I told DH it was hard just talking about the weather and food and grocery prices. LOL @StLouisCruiserscongratulations on the safe arrival of your beautiful great-nephews! @kazuplease pace yourself! @RMLincolngood news about DH's lower pressures! This morning we're heading off to the Field House for the cardiac rehab program, then back home where there's always something to take care of. I'm almost finished another blanket, just working on the edging, so would like to get it done. DH is trying to sort out stuff in his garage . . . little things like bolts, nuts, screws, etc., and putting them into individual plastic boxes with labels on them, so that'll keep him busy until well into the next millennium, I'm sure. I'm going to pass on the drink of the day (bourbon), would like the wine, and over the years have eaten many bowls of "weight loss soup" - much like the last recipe. I can almost recite the recipe by heart - chicken or beef broth, canned tomatoes, canned green or yellow beans, handfuls of shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. But I'm not about to make any of that today. DH has coffee with his bandmates at Tim Horton's this afternoon so will be bringing home roast beef sandwiches for us to enjoy at the table on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, in turmoil, in wars not of their making, and in the paths of destructive fires and storms. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry