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Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We've visited many museums over the years but one that truly stands out in my mind is the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt. There we were able to see the actual mask of King Tut - something I'll never forget. Neither DH nor I like to see dirty dishes in the sink. Although we have a dishwasher, I have never minded doing dishes - I'd rather clean everything up and put them away than having a mess in the sink. While we won't visit relatives today, we plan on taking a couple of days this summer to head to the south part of the province to do just that. I don't have a problem with today's quote. LOL Well the cold front that brought us the smoke also brought cold - this morning we're sitting at a chilly +4 (39F). I kept checking the weather app last night to see if we had to run out and cover the plants, but finally trusted it after a few hours when it said we would only see a low of +3. There's a stiff breeze which will either blow the smoke away or bring us more, I'm not sure which. All I know is it's cold out and we'll definitely need jackets if we're going anywhere. A little concerned about our family currently in Japan - they're due to fly home on WestJet on Saturday, but beginning tomorrow, the pilots may either be on rotating walkouts or will be locked out. So far our DS hasn't had an email from the airline indicating their flights are unavailable, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll be able to get home as scheduled. It's too cold and windy to even think about doing yard work today, so will likely just stay indoors doing laundry and never ending vacuuming and dusting. When I read today's drink of the day suggestion, I thought it might make a great dessert drink - yum! We'll be having pizza tomorrow, but the idea of making our own flatbread is a good one; our recently widowed friend started making his flatbread during the lockdown and has become quite good at it. Because it's chilly out, I think I'll warm us up a bit by tossing a frozen rotisserie chicken carcass in a pot and will make a pot of chicken soup; that'll also help use up some of the frozen vegetables that are taking up way too much space in the freezer. I'll likely make a batch of 2 hour buns as well, so we'll be enjoying chicken soup and fresh buns at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially for our Daily furry friends who are having issues and vet visits. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'm married to a pack rat and I'm afraid to say some of it has rubbed off on me. Fortunately though, my collections tend to be fabric, yarn, and things we can use when we travel, all useful, right? I've always had good blood pressure except when in the doctor's office - I always find the arm cuff so tight that it's truly painful. I describe it to my DH just like we were playing "snake" as a child where you twist the skin in opposite directions at the same time. I always take my BP at home and take a photo of it before I have a medical appt so they can see I'm not lying or dying. Telecommunications and Information - wow, where would we be without them? Does anyone remember the original teletype machines? Big beasts with ticker tape coming out of one side and heavy round typewriter keys. My aunt often invited me to their auto glass shop so I could learn to type on it - I'm sure that's where my administrative talents took hold. Well we're in the smoke big time today - like @bennybear - we've got air quality warnings in the extreme range due to the smoke from wildfires in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. Currently there are 30 wildfires in our province alone, but that's much fewer than in Alberta. About 30,000 have been evacuated from various northern locations with more to come. Any outdoor activities, even like groceries will include masking - thank goodness we still have them around. @kazu thanks for the recipe for tick repellent - DH had 3 on him at the acreage, and after he came home, found another one. I'll pick up some essential oils, and give it a try! Not a lot going on today because of the smoke, so will concentrate on finishing a couple of blankets. I discovered the other day that when using an acrylic/viscose blend, my eyes became very dry and itchy; even thought I'm not prone to allergies, I think I'm allergic to it. I have a blanket that's about 2/3 complete, and think I'll try using a mask when finishing it to see if that helps. It seems a shame to take it all apart at this stage. I'd like to try the drink of the day; it sounds like something we would call "Adult Iced Tea". The wine sounds delicious, but is a little on the high side of my budget. Neither of us is a huge fan of gnocchi, so I'll take a pass on today's menu suggestion. I cleaned out the fridge freezer yesterday and found a couple of salmon fillets that will be baked in the toaster oven on the deck and will be served along with corn on the cob and a marinated vegetable salad. In the kitchen (too smokey on the deck). And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Welcome back @richwmn, it's good to have you here again. You left the Daily in good hands with @StLouisCruisers; Sandi did a great job in your absence. I do love trees, as they are essential to our lives on this planet - we should be doing more to plant them everywhere. I mentioned before that we had sea monkeys - they were gross. I've only got a couple of purple items, one of which is a heavy sweater, so that won't work for today; I'll have to see where my purple t-shirt is and wear it for peace today. We've got another beautiful day ahead - clear blue skies, just a hint of a breeze, and hot temperatures predicted for this afternoon. Yesterday we reached our predicted high, and today's going to be even warmer with a temp of 31C (88F) expected by mid afternoon. Definitely happy we installed A/C a few years ago, as the summers are definitely getting hotter, and the heat is coming earlier than before. @aliaschief wishing you and Sue a very Happy Anniversary and many more to come! @smitty34877 I'm happy to hear the new aide is working out well, giving you a reprieve from some of the responsibilities you've shouldered. @Cruzin Terri sorry DH had such a rough time getting settled - I know it's as hard on the "support staff" when that happens. DH and his son are heading out to the son's acreage to check on things and do the first mowing of the year. Thankfully there's a ride on mower there - unless it's been stolen - that I'm sure DH will enjoy doing some of the mowing with. The one thing they have to be on the alert for though, is ticks. I know as soon as they come home, DH will be stripping down and doing a full body check to make sure he hasn't had any little hitch hikers come back with him. I'm pretty sure we'd enjoy today's menu suggestion, but don't have any shrimp in the house. Because it's so warm, I think I'll just make up a small charcuterie board that we can enjoy in the pergola tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Doing a late evening check-in. @1ANGELCAT, sending good vibes for Fluff and hugs for you.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Chocolate chips go with practically everything! I love fresh oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, although DH prefers them with raisins. Sliders make great appetizers, but it's tough finding the little buns to make them. Special honour to all the fallen police officers - lately there have been way too many of them in the news. Had a great Mother's Day yesterday; breakfast on our deck (DH wanted to take me out, but I knew the restaurants would be crazy busy), then we spent time working in the yard. I potted the papyrus plants and plan on keeping track of their growth this year. Last year the plants started out around 18" tall and grew to nearly 8' by the end of the season. I had a lovely chat with our son and grandsons in Japan, then we drove across town to DH's daughter where she had a beautiful Greek meal prepared for us - ribs, salad, lemon roast potatoes, etc. Of course, the evening there wouldn't have been complete without a few games of LRC played with quarters . . . I won twice, woo hoo! @Cruzin Terrisending prayers for Jim and for his surgeon today. @kazu yay for the winter tires finally coming off . . . that still doesn't explain where the extractor from your vehicle went, though. Hmmm. @aliaschief happy last grandsitting day to you; you've earned that cruise! @StLouisCruisers thanks for taking over for Rich while he was away - you've done a great job. Today is another bright, sunny one, and I think we'll end up turning on the A/C because it's supposed to go near 30C (86F), and although we keep the windows closed, it still gets pretty warm. Sorry to hear @puppycanducruise and @kazuare still having frost; I hope the warmth we're having makes it's way to you soon! Yesterday DH spent a couple of hours putting up solar lights in the pergola, and when they came on last night, we discovered he'd put them up too high, and we can't see them from the deck. Oops. I think I'd try to make the drink of the day into a punch for guests, would LOVE to try today's wine if someone bought it for me, and I know we're going to enjoy today's menu suggestion, as we both love tzatziki, just not today. We've still got a lot of leftovers from our barbecue the other night, so we'll be enjoying burgers, dilled potatoes and crudites on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I remember lots of smiles and giggles from everyone doing the chicken dance at weddings. We aren't dog people, but know how wonderful it is to bond with any furry creature. Wish we had Decency Day every day - we do on the Daily, but not so much elsewhere. A beautiful day ahead for us; right now the skies are clear and just a hint of breeze, with a predicted high of +26C (78F). The first thing I did notice this morning is the distinct smell of smoke in the air from the wildfires in Alberta. Prayers going out to all who are affected, and especially to those helping fight the fires. We had a lovely evening yesterday; our young Ukrainian family came over and brought along a friend of the husband, who we met at their home. The 6 of us enjoyed dinner and conversation on the deck for nearly 4 hours. The little girl (Margo) really liked the back yard especially the rocks around the fountain - apparently she loves rocks, so of course DH had to find a couple of special ones for her to take home. She found the garden chimes and rang them so much that it sounded like we were in a church! LOL I just think it's so wonderful that our paths crossed when they did, and that they've chosen to become a part of our lives. Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is in the role of being a mother - that isn't a role exclusive to women, it includes men as well. Mothering is caring for, guiding, and protecting children, and you are to be commended for it. Wishing all mothers, whether to human or furbabies a very Happy Mother's Day. I will give today's drink a pass (Bourbon, ugh), thought the wine would be very expensive, but quite surprised it's in my price range, and would really like today's menu suggestion. I'm going to definitely tuck the recipe away for another time because we've been invited over to DH's daughter's house for dinner tonight. She gave me the choice between barbecue ribs or Greek ribs - I've chosen Greek. I don't know what else will accompany the ribs, but whatever it is, I'm sure it will be delicious, as she's a very good cook. We'll be enjoying dinner and conversation around her dinner table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I am grateful for my birth mother having given me up, as I had a life she could not possibly have provided for me. Even though she refused to acknowledge me and my half siblings, we all appreciate that we were given better opportunities than what she could have given us. Go frogs?!? While not a fan of store bought hummus, I do appreciate the hummus a friend of ours makes - he loads it with garlic, and it's delicious! A bright sunny day already and we're looking at a high of +26C (78F). I'll get the fans going on the deck so it isn't super hot late in the afternoon, because that's when our young Ukrainian family will be coming over for a barbecue. Until then there's all the prep work to be done so there's nothing to do but enjoy their visit when they get here. I've got a couple of bottles of rose (no accent, couldn't get it to work) chilling and have some sparkling pear juice for the little girl. I'd like to try today's menu suggestion, but will have to tuck it away for another day. Tonight's menu includes grilled hamburgers, Asian coleslaw, dilled potatoes, cucumbers in vinegar, and assorted crudites, and we'll end with cherry delight for dessert. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@richwmn great photos; what is the name of the hotel where you're staying?

Well, smooth sailing to all on the trans-Atlantic voyage on the Zuiderdam!

Nope.

Maybe I spoke to soon - now we have sound

It doesn't look like it.

This is like watching paint dry!!!

Finally we see her!

Maybe the PP was the only one available today.

Heard she's dropping lines and under way.

Yes, I believe it is. Sadly.

Checking in - I just came in from working in the yard and thought I'd missed sail-away!!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I worked with a woman who suffered from CFS and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. It made her life miserable. Bless all the nurses, in and out of hospitals and medical facilities, for all they do. I love the limerick that Terri made up - good for you! My dream was to have a rewarding career, marry a good man, and have a respectable family - I've been blessed to have had all three. I believe many women in the entertainment field feel they have to choose between their careers and their personal lives. A cloudy sky this morning, with some rain in the forecast, which hopefully will encourage the leaves to start popping out on the trees. Already we can see faint hints of green on bushes around the city, but I think a good rain will just make the leaves open like magic. We have the heat, just need rain - and speaking of rain, we're praying for rain in Alberta, which is under a heat warning right now. Scary time. This morning we have to go out for groceries; we're having our young Ukrainian family over for a casual barbecue tomorrow, so I need to pick up some things. After that, it'll be time to rake the bare spots on the lawn that seem to have suffered from snow mold; I hope the patches will come back, but am already prepared with grass seed just in case. Welcome home @richwmn, I hope you had a great time - I know I certainly enjoyed following your posts. Just a note about the blue bubbles - when I add one, my font size doesn't switch back to the default, it stays at 18. I'm not sure why, maybe it's just my computer, or would it have something to do with the program? I use Chrome; maybe it changes in Firefox or Edge, I don't know. I think I'll take a pass on the drink of the day, it sounds pretty tart with the lemon juice. Just thinking about it makes my salivary glands go into overdrive. I'd like to try the wine if I could find it, and vegan pizza . . . um, no. When our friends were here from out of town, one was on a dairy free, gluten free diet, so I bought some vegan cheese slices. I dubbed it "orange cardboard", because to me that's most what it resembled. It's Friday night pizza night at our house, so we'll check the online menus to see what appeals - right now I'm thinking an all dressed will be on our deck table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially those who are affected by the fires in Alberta. Cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Thanks so much for taking us along with you; it's been great!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! DH and I tend to eat what we want, and it shows! LOL Ever so thankful for technology, especially for the 8 years our son was living in Japan - we were able to stay in touch almost every day. I've never made a book, but have a friend who has made them for her family, just as @StLouisCruisers is doing now. It's partly cloudy and only 8 degrees right now, but we're looking at a high of 22 today, which will be very nice. I'm sure there will be a bit of a breeze to keep those working outside more comfortable. DH is going out to get his hair cut, then we're heading off to various grocery stores to see what they have for hanging baskets. Because it's Mother's Day on Sunday, all the greenhouses (both full time and temporary) will be bursting at the seams with plants. After looking at the dahlias we bought and planted the other day, we both agree, they are less than stellar, so will also be looking for pot stuffers to fill them out. Re: technology - I've gone to 18 font for my posts for I don't know how long. It just seems easier to read, I guess. Sometimes people use different fonts on their iPads which look nice, but are really difficult to read on a PC. And I'm talking about myself - some time ago I used a script font to wish folks Bon Voyage, and was quickly told by one of the cruisers that they couldn't read a "dam thing". 'nuff said, will change fonts. LOL I'm pretty sure I'd like today's wine, will give the drink of the day a hard pass (don't like Bourbon), and know we both would like today's menu suggestion. I think a lazy girls version (which would be mine) would be to put a tablespoon of grated parmesan into each bowl of tomato soup. I'm all about easy when it comes to cooking. For us tonight, though, we'll be having baked salmon with the delicious strawberry relish (I use sugar instead of honey which makes it too sticky for my liking), parmesan potatoes and coleslaw on the deck. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I'll be cleaning most of the rooms in the house today, as there seems to be dust everywhere. Once we open the windows in spring, we regularly get dust on every surface. I salute all small businesses and try to utilize them whenever we can. A big shout out to School Nurses, although here they are a thing of the past. Now the only time they appear is when there are vaccinations due. It's a beautiful, clear day out there again and no wind, yay! We're expecting warm temperatures all week which will mean if we buy more plants, we can (fingers crossed) put them safely in the pots outdoors, rather than hosting them on the dining room table. We've been to the port of Malaga twice - the last time we took a wonderful tapas tour arranged by @kazu which was led by Laura, a wonderful guide. We enjoyed several stops along the way and saw some of the more unusual places that you wouldn't find on your own. Great memories of that trip with some really sweet people. We'll be supporting a small business today, as we're having some guys come to clean out the gutters. DH said he hopes they don't charge too much, but I told him whatever they charge, it isn't going to be as much as a hospital bill if he falls from a ladder. We don't have to pay for hospital stays, but you know what I mean. Time to get going - I'm going to pass on today's menu suggestion, just too much dough in tortellini. I've got a couple of chicken breasts thawing that will be pounded, breaded and baked in the air fryer and will be made into chicken Caesar salads to enjoy on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good afternoon, time for a quick check-in. We stopped at a couple of greenhouses and ended up picking up 4 pots of multi coloured dahlias. I've never had them before, and am hoping they are continuous blooming, or we'll be replacing them. I wanted to share my mom's button box - I'm sure some of you still have one like it around. It was interesting opening it, because in addition to very old buttons, there were earrings, a cuff link, a belt buckle, and even a little ivory handled pen knife. Great memories in that one container.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! For years I've maintained that the Single Sock Eater lurks between the washer and dryer and only makes an appearance when we leave the room. I remember sorting buttons in my mom's button box as a child - I still have that ornate round tin box somewhere. A hard pass on the Moscato, although DH likes it. A busy day ahead - have to drop a couple of bags of things off at the Salvation Army store, then across town to DH's son's house where we'll check on things while he's away on a holiday. From there we have to pick up groceries, and we might (who am I kidding, we definitely will) stop at a couple of greenhouses to see what kind of hanging baskets we can find for our yard. @kazu Ivan looks like a new man! He has such an expressive face - does he bark or "talk" to you? @JazzyV I'm sorry to hear your legs are giving you such trouble; I do hope you can get some relief before you have to fly home. @luvteaching a belated Happy Birthday to your DH, and congratulations on the arrival of your second GGD, Ivy Dawn. What a birthday gift!! I just heard on the news that a Saskatchewan Indigenous journalist, Connie Walker, has been awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her podcast about her father surviving residential school. That's wonderful news for our province and for the Indigenous community! Neither of us is a fan of sweet potatoes, although I do enjoy them once in a blue moon as sweet potato fries, but that's it. It's going to be a nice warm day (22C, 71F), so I think we'll have a simple meal of ham sandwiches and potato salad on the deck this evening. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers for all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry