JULY - WEEK ONE - HOT!!!

THE HEAT WAVE HAS CONTINUED INTO JULY!

MOST MORNINGS THE HUMIDITY IS 99% BUT NO RAIN!

SO LOTS OF WATERING!

THINGS ARE GROWING WITH THE 35+ DEGREES.

AND THE GRAND KIDS FIND A PLACE TO COOL DOWN

THE SPLASH PARK IN ST NORBERT HAS HAD A LOT OF USE

THESE PAST FEW MONTHS!

FUN!!

TRYING A NEW TOY

BACK TO A THREE WHEELER!

THERE WAS A HUGE WILLOW IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD THAT 

WAS TAKEN DOWN. RON ASKED TO TAKE HOME THE

LARGER PIECES FOR FIREWOOD.

HE GOT HIMSELF QUITE A JOB!!

 NOTHING LIKE SPLITTING WET WOOD

WE HAD A STORM ONE NIGHT - NOT TOO MUCH DAMAGE BUT

THIS PIECE OF DRAGON WING BEGONIA BROKE.

I DECIDED TO ENJOY THE FLOWERS FOR A FEW DAYS

AND THEN SEE IF I COULD ROOT IT.

STILL IN PROCESS.

THE ROOTING GLASS NOW ALSO HAS SOME MOCK ORANGE

CUTTINGS IN IT. COULD NOT THROW OUT THE

TRIMMINGS WITHOUT TRYING TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ROOT!

WITH THIS HOT SUMMER, THE CACTUS THAT SURVIVES OUR MANITOBA WINTERS HAS

HAD A LOT OF FLOWERS. THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL BUT

LAST ONLY A DAY!

 LOVE THE LEMON YELLOW COLOUR!

 THE SAMBA PORTULACA ARE FINALLY SHOWING A FEW

FLOWERS BUT THEY ARE RATHER SLOW!

 MY MORDEN BLUSH ROSE IN FULL BLOOM

AND THE PEONIES ARE FADING QUICKLY!

 

BUT THEY LOOKED BEAUTIFUL THIS YEAR!

THE LITTLE RAIN WE GOT DURING BLOOMING TIME

 DID NOT DO TOO MUCH DAMAGE.

 

A NEW CLEMATIS I PLANTED LAST YEAR. 

I HAVE NOT FOUND MY TAG SO I CAN NOT

REMEMBER THE NAME. THAT BUGS ME!

I WILL HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH TO

IDENTIFY IT. IT IS A SMALLER FLOWERING ONE

AND QUITE WELL SUITED FOR THE PLACE IT IS GROWING.

PRAIRIE JOY AMIDST THE BABY'S BREATH!

WE ELEVATED THIS 1/2 BARREL FILLED WITH WAVE PETUNIA SO THAT IT

DISPLAYED A LITTLE BETTER. WE USED ONE OF THE CHUNKS OF

WOOD RON DRAGGED HOME. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FLOWERS COVER THE

ENTIRE PIECE OF WOOD.

MY RED PIIXE LILY BLOOMING AMID THE THYME.

THE BLACK SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLAR ON MY DILL.

NO SIGN OF ANY MONARCHS SO FAR THIS YEAR.

IT HAS BEEN A SLOW YEAR FOR BUTTERFLIES AND

DRAGON FLIES.

THE NUTHATCH HAS NOT BEEN AROUND MUCH THIS SPRING

IT FINALLY SHOWED UP AT THE POND. HE GOT HIS HEAD PRETTY WET!

AND IT IS STRAWBERRY TIME! 

MY SMALL PATCH HAS BEEN PRODUCING

QUITE WELL. ALTHOUGH THE HEAT HAS STUNTED THE GROWTH THIS 

PAST WEEK.

A SECOND PICKING FOR THE GRAND KIDS TO ENJOY.

TOMORROW WE WILL SEE IF WE CAN HEAD TO THE

STRAWBERRY FIELDS TO GET 5 BUCKETS OF BERRIES

TO FREEZE.

AND AFTER THE STRAWBERRIES, WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SASKATOONS.

NOT SURE IF THE EVANS CHERRIES WILL BE AVAILABLE 

BUT WE HAVE FOUND A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT

HAVE A U PICK CHERRY ORCHARD.

JUNE IS HEATING UP

WELL, IT IS SUMMER AND WE HAVE A HEAT WAVE. WE HIT 35 TODAY WITH HUMIDITY!

SO THANKFUL FOR AC. THE YARD IS SHOWING A LITTLE

HEAT STRESS. NEED TO GET THE WATERING SYSTEM

GOING A FEW MORE TIMES. 

 NORA BARLOW HAS BEEN UNBELIEVABLE THIS SEASON.

 2 FLOWER HEADS ON MY CLIMBING HYDRANGEA. A FIRST SHOW

SO THE LILACS HAVE FINISHED BLOOMING AND IT WAS TIME TO

GET THE OLDER PLANTS CLEARED OUT. HOPE THERE WILL BE

SOME BLOOMS NEXT YEAR. WE'LL SEE IF THESE ARE TOO YOUNG.

 I HAVE BEEN STARTING LUPINS FROM SEED FOR A FEW YEARS.

A YELLOW ONE 2 YEARS AGO, THE RED ONES LAST YEAR

AND A WHITE ONE THIS YEAR.

PEONIES HAVE STARTED TO OPEN.

THESE BLOSSOMS SUFFERED IN SUNDAY'S RAIN AND

DROPPED ALL THEIR PETALS IN THE HEAT. BUT THERE ARE

LOTS OF BUDS ON ALL 3 OF MY PLANTS.

 MY ROSES ARE OPENING. 

THE ICEBERG IS LOOKING REALLY GOOD!

 MY MARTAGON LILY!

IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE I PLANTED THIS ONE.

THE FIRST ONE I PLANTED COMES UP EACH YEAR AND NEVER

GETS TALLER THAN 12". THIS ONE IS IN BLOOM BUT I HAVE

NO NAME FOR IT. I WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY

LABELS TO SEE IF I CAN IDENTIFY IT!

AND THE WREN IS FEEDING SO THE FEMALE SNEAKED INTO

THIS BIRDHOUSE WITHOUT MY NOTICING IT. I THOUGHT

THE WREN WAS STILL SINGING FOR A MATE.

BUT THEY ARE TAKING TURNS WITH LITTLE BUGS IN

THEIR BEAKS.

 MOST YEARS WE HAVE MANY DRAGON FLIES. 

THIS YEAR THE MOSQUITOES ARE FIERCE AND THIS IS

THE FIRST DRAGON FLY I HAVE SEEN!

WE HAVE A NEW 'INVESTOR'S FIELD' STADIUM FOR OUR

BLUE BOMBER FOOTBALL TEAM.

THEY ARE SOLD OUT FOR THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE

SEASON AND IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW

THE TRAFFIC GOES. THE PRE SEASON GAME WAS A TRAFFIC 

NIGHTMARE. SOME FANS GOT THERE FOR THE LAST 15 MINUTES.

SO IN ADDITION TO FOOTBALL, THERE ARE CONCERTS SCHEDULED.

TAYLOR SWIFT WAS PLAYING ON SATURDAY. 

THANKFULLY WE ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE TRAFFIC WHERE WE LIVE BUT

THE PARKING LOT OF THE CLOSED ZELLERS STORE IS USED FOR PARKING

AND SHUTTLE BUSES AS WELL AS TRUCKS.

SO WHEN WE CAME BACK INTO TOWN ON SATURDAY, WE PASSED THIS SIGHT.

OF COURSE RON HAD TO DRIVE BY AND TALK TO THE 'SECURITY' GUY.

RED - HOW FITTING FOR HER 'RED TOUR'.

BIRDS & BLOOMS

CAUGHT THIS ONE NAPPING!!

NOT SURE WHY THE "HORNS"

THE WREN HAS BEEN BUSY BUILDING A NEST BUT NO

EVIDENCE THAT THE FEMALE HAS ACCEPTED HIS OFFERING.

ALL PUFFED UP ON A CHILLY MORNING.

THE CHIPPING SPARROW HAS BEEN CARRYING TWIGS

BUT I HAVE NOT FOUND WHERE IT IS BEING BUILT.

 THE BIRD BATH CHANGES SO THE CROWS STOP DIPPING

BREAD IN THE WATER. WHAT A MESS.

 PERUVIAN DAFFODIL

MUSCARI - GRAPE HYACINTH

TULIPS - THEY BLOOMED FOR A LONG TIME!

THE ROSE CHERRY TREE IN FULL BLOOM

BERGENIA - FINALLY SOME FLOWERS!

SUCCULENTS 

COOL WAVE PANSIES. 

THEY ARE FINALLY GROWING!

 

SARA BARLOW COLUMBINE.

FIRST YEAR THE BUGS HAVE NOT DEVOURED IT!

 IRISES IN FULL BLOOM.

 IRIS & CENTAURA

MY YELLOW LUPINS

 

THE WHITE IRISES

SUNSET ON THE PRAIRIES!

JUNE!

 

KIDS OF MUD ON A SUNNY DAY IN SANDILANDS. 

ALL THREE OF THE GRAND CHILDREN WERE RACING. 

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

DEC WAITING FOR THE RACE TO START.

GRANDPA WATCHING THE ACTION. 

BREAKFAST FOR THE COFFEE GROUP.

WE WERE 35 ON A BEAUTIFUL JUNE MORNING.

 A GOOD TIME TO TRY A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS. 

THIS IS A CINNAMON BUN CAKE FROM 

MENNONITE GIRLS CAN COOK WEB SITE.

IT WAS DELICIOUS.

 NICE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE DECK AND BACK LAWN.

CLEAN UP ON GOING! LOTS OF LEFT OVERS.

TIME TO VISIT

BIRTHDAY TIME

THE BIG 70!!!

ALL THE GRANDS WITH THEIR AGES ON THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

 HAPPY 70TH, IRENE!