Update from my corner of the world

Like everyone else around the world, we have been in a lock down, quarantine, self confinement, whatever you want to called it, makes no differences really :-(

It does not really bother me much, as a Vet, I am well used to have my government screw up my week ends plans, tells me what I can and cannot do etc :-)


But I do understand not everyone is used to it nor are they all coping the same.  Hang in there we are all in the same storm with our boats. We will get thru this.

It so happened when it all started we had our youngest grand kid with us, she has remained with us throughout.  Which means homeschooling our youngest one.  Oh so much fun to log in on 4 different web sites, with assorted login credentials and 3 different email address to check in to see her progress, so much fun.  And don't get me started on this new fangle math.  Whose bright bunny came up with this stuff (being polite for my audience :-)

Meanwhile, my Rotary club, is chugging along, we are using On line collaboration, emails voting and whatever else we can to keep in touch and help around us.  So far we are concentrating on our seniors long term care residences, the most affected, and have been making and distributing 100s and 100s of fabric masks  made by a small mobilized army of volunteers.

A small sample of our latest production.

A special run of Rotary fabric .

The vast majority were simply of whatever supplies we got our hands on.  All donated

Another place we are keeping an eye out is the status of our local food banks.  With the large numbers of suddenly unemployed, the demand is increasing on the food banks.
So far, with the number of corporate sponsorship, we are staying afloat.
We have not been able to meet since it all started in March, hoping to resume our in persons meeting in the summer??  Some restrictions are relaxing, but we are not thru yet, and we have to be mindful of a second wave if we are not careful.

Meanwhile back home, we keep busy.  Between homeschooling and our huge Spring clean up in progress, my shredder is getting a good work out.
Been going thru lots of papers, some take me back years and bring back lots of memory.

Recognize me? Handsome young man on the left :-)

1974, missed 4 days of school for filming sequences in 

The apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, staring  Richard Dreyfus.

The whole 4 days got about 4 mins of screen time in the opening sequence :-)

Fun fact I own the movie in both VHS and DVD :-)

From 1972 to 2013, it has been quite the ride.

I was an Army cadet from 1972 to 1975

This is from my camp at CFB Valcartier in 73

1974 took the course, came back in 1975 as an instructor.

This is where I learned to trust myself and my training.  It was a bit scary at times.

 Mountaineering, white water rafting, canoeing, obstacle crossing making rope bridges.

 Trekking up and down the Canadian Rockies for days on end in the wood, bear encounter etc.

Sadly we experienced one death :-(

19 Feb 1976, my new adventure commences

Graduation day from boot camp May 76.

Unbeknownst to me, my course MWO (on my left), was a good friend of dad.

I guess you can say he had his fun with me :-)

... all good things must come to an end

My men folding my flag

My flag flew on the wing.  I raised it on the wing in front of my Sqn, 

then lowered it the next day.  My last CO presenting me with my flag. 

37 and a half years later I retired in Aug 2013.

It has been a blast, I have few regrets

Meanwhile, not much woodworking to report on.  But that is about to change.
With the intermittent Spring like weather, in between snow, Jean has been getting impatient about gardening outside.  She has a lot of plants growing inside and is itching to move them outside to harden them off (acclimatize to the colder temp outside).

Some of her production so far.  

The salads we have been eating for a while :-)

The cherry tomatoes should be ready soon

This last Fall we bought a temporary greenhouse, she has been waiting impatiently to see it go up.
We finally did these past few days, and this in turn is driving my next projects for outside.

First I had to make a level spot for it.

Greenhouse is 10X20 ft

My lowest corner is about 3 inches down

Spot level, frame is up and inspected by Rudy.

It was a warm day, even more so while shoveling. 

Lost my jacket to the dogs :-)

Up and in the process of being tied down

After some more ground work, moved, spread, raked the piles of sand and dirt all around it, finished securing it down, came time to start emptying the shed and moving stuff inside.

Beep, Beep, Beep unloading

Yes, she is setting up her small portable greenhouse (one of two) inside.

That is for insurances against the inevitable frost warnings to come until early June

Monitoring the temperature inside to ensure we are not cooking her plants

That is how she usually set them up, she has two of these.

Rudy and Diva wondering what Mommy is bringing next :-)

Rudy has already taken upon himself to carry out squirrels patrols around and inside.

Put some shelving's inside

Sink is to be set up next, which means trenching a line to the house for the water line.

I simply bury a regular hoses a good 6 inches or so underground

then pulled it off at the end of the season.  

So much easier to mow the grass with them underground :-)

Similarly, we also moved the Veg Trug from the back of the house to its side facing the greenhouse.

All vegetable production is moving to that side, the only thing that would be left to grow in the back will be dedicated to flowers production for the various beds around the yard.

That in turn will necessitated more yard projects to set up more rain barrels near the various garden plots.  I will have to build a few more platform.

Moved to its new location.

It too, required a flat level spot first

The bed for her flower privacy fence is dug, awaiting to be roto tilled.

The snow blower has been swapped for the rototiller.

The emergency generator has its monthly dry run every month,

Of course we never lost power since I bought it this Jan, 

and we had snow the next day I stored the snow blower and changed tires on my car, sigh.

Next up would be roto tilling some beds, make some cement pieces for raised beds, as soon as I finish putting together the cement mixer we bought earlier, more re-arranging the yard and clean up the garage.  Long overdue.  That should keep me occupied until this state of emergency is over.

Don't forget Mother day is coming up soon, and this year your kids are not bringing home some artsy card from school, so we will have to step up our game :)

And now you are up to date,  that is what I have been up to.

Looking forward to do some real woodworking soon.

Keep safe everyone and keep your spirit up! 

Meanwhile pass me my tube of Voltaren for my back :-)

Bob, sore but safe and happy