ger_77

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! My mom always had irises planted in our yard; I liked them, but they bloomed for such a short time. I like the idea of rewarding yourself today - I'd better not let DH know, or he'll go out and buy something we really don't need! We've heard from our family in Japan - they made it safely and are already enjoying time with the in-laws. The grandsons have 4 cousins they've never met, so they were getting together; it will be interesting to know how that went with the language difference. Yesterday DS was taking the oldest DGS to the Akihabara district where all things technical can be found - I'm sure the young man's eyes were as big as saucers. Today we're having lunch with a friend we haven't seen in a number of months. Just after we returned from our January cruise, he left to spend several months at his brother's in Mexico. It will be a great time to catch up on each other's lives. Happy Nurse's Week - we know several and know they have difficult jobs. I like today's menu suggestion and will tuck it away for a cool day because instead of having our pulled pork last night, we ate at DH's daughter's. We brought over some herbs we'd bought and spent time on their deck, when she invited us to join them for dinner. She's a great cook, and last night was no exception - we dined on shrimp and scallop linguini in an alfredo pesto sauce. Yum! So tonight it'll be pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw on the deck. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, especially for the families of the victims of the senseless gun violence again in Texas. Cheers to everyone with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! While I'm not into homebrew, I have sipped some - serious firewater! I'm all about tourism and laughter, often together. Another bright sunny day out there, but we've got some wind moving the treetops around - could definitely use rain, as can our friends in neighbouring Alberta who are dealing with wildfires. So many homes and businesses have already been lost and at this point around 25,000 people have had to be evacuated. I can't imagine being given 20 minutes to gather up all you can and leave your home, possibly forever. Praying for rain. We're meeting with friends for breakfast this morning at a restaurant where they have various bands come in to entertain patrons. This morning we'll be listening to "honky tonk" music, so it should be fun catching up with our friends and enjoying the music. @aliaschief how did the 6 year old's birthday swim party go? @cruzn single glad your surgery is over and hope the healing is quick! After breakfast, we'll head over to DH's daughter's, as we purchased a few pots of herbs that she had on her list. She works all week and knows we like to head out to see what's in the various greenhouses, etc., so gave me a list of things to pick up if we saw them. This year she's devoting one large planter to herbs, which I'm sure will be quite nice, as she's a good gardener. I have a brown thumb, so I buy most of my stuff. LOL I think we'd like today's menu suggestion, but I have a pork loin thawing in the fridge that will go into the slow cooker along with a bottle of barbecue sauce. We'll be enjoying pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw for dinner on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially for the families of the victims in Allen, TX. Cheers to all with celebrations, with extra cheers to @marshhawk who will be embarking on her first BHB today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good afternoon, we're back. First of all, thank you for your messages of condolence regarding my cousin; he was a sweet guy, and I know his presence will be missed. Now, on to what happened. DH and I got up, dressed, and stopped at Tim's for a coffee to go this morning. We hit the highway, I started knitting (as I usually do when DH drives), and enjoyed some tunes on the radio for about an hour or so. I started telling DH about some of the memories I had of my cousin, and thought I'd pull out the obituary on my phone. While reading it, I came upon something interesting. Today isn't Saturday, June 3rd. That's the date of the memorial service. LOL So, we turned around, and came home. Now we've got the afternoon completely to ourselves with nothing on the agenda, woo hoo! I hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I do enjoy beverages - usually starting with flavoured tea in the morning and working my way through the day with others. I've never gotten into scrapbooking, I have enough unfinished projects around without starting another. Yesterday we bought some little rosemary plants that will remain on our deck for the summer, so I was early in the Herb Day celebration. I wish King Charles the best. We'll be off in a short while driving to attend a cousin's funeral in a city about 2 hours from here. He was in his late 80's and in poor health, so it was a blessing. Sad, still, but he's not suffering. We'll attend the service and have been invited to stay for a late lunch with the family, so I won't be enjoying today's menu selection. I'll tuck the idea away though for another time. We'll be coming home by early evening so we'll get a chance to sit on the deck and enjoy listening to the night birds sing. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

I'll bet you won't be able to sleep for hours after that hot chocolate and churros; caffeinus maximus! LOL

@kazu I'm with you on this. On another note, our family is onboard their plane and awaiting take-off. Can you tell the little guy is excited? LOL

We got one, too. I was just checking around the other day and was surprised to see the follow-up.

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Happy Cinco De Mayo Day to all who will celebrate it today. I have a couple of favourite cartoonists - Gary Larson just slays me, and Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse) draws on real life for her strip. No pun intended. Space is interesting, but it's getting crowded up there with all the new discoveries! We call them sub sandwiches up here, but whatever you call them, they can be delicious. A bright sunny day again, but the temperatures have gone down a bit; we're expected to only reach a high of +19, but it beats the alternative. An exciting day for our Calgary family, they're heading off to Japan to visit family for 2 weeks. It'll be the 3 year old's first flight, a 10.5 hour experience; I hope they bring enough things to keep him busy! LOL We face timed with them last night before bed and both boys were really excited - I'm pretty sure it took a good while for them to get to sleep because of it. I know the world is preparing to watch the coronation in the early hours of tomorrow, but I'm going to see the highlights on the news. I'm okay with Charles being king, but can't reconcile Camilla being queen. I still harbor resentment for the two of them and how Charles treated Diana. I've probably opened a can of worms here, but that's how I feel. I'm definitely going to try today's menu suggestion one day soon, will pass on the drink, and am sure I'll never get to experience the wine of the day - yikes!!! It's Friday night pizza night, but I think instead of pizza we'll order quesadillas to go and enjoy them on the deck tonight. And wine. And maybe a margarita or two. Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially @Vict0riann and @cruzn single for their surgeries. Cheers to all with celebrations, especially @durangoscots for your last official day today. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Welcome to Barcelona! Enjoy your stay and thanks for taking us along with you!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Although I've seen a couple of Star Wars movies, DH hasn't seen any of them. The birds are back in full force, so spring must be here. Candied orange peel goes well in fruit cake, that's about all. Another bright sunny day in the works - that means we'll be able to get outside and do more work in the yard. Yesterday we tackled last year's papyrus in the large pots - wow, are those plants ever strong! I used a spade to dig through to the roots, and it took both of us to pull the darn things out. It's a good thing we've got large green compost bins now that we could put them into once we got them out of the pots. Today we've got to get to the areas under the spruce trees to clean up the fall/winter needle drop so we can place our garbage / compost / recycling containers out of sight for the season. Instead of bending over, I've decided to put one of the snow shovels back in service for the day - DH can rake the needles, and I'll use the shovel to scoop them into the compost bin. Work smarter, not harder. I had to go to the eye doctor yesterday for a last minute appointment - I had a couple of bright flashes, then what appeared to be a floater - as I put it - the size of a border collie - in my left eye. I was concerned about a detached retina, so was able to get in quickly and found it was just a large floater, nothing more. A great relief, to say the least. @cruising sisterI'm glad you made it safely to Barcelona; it's a beautiful city, so enjoy every minute of your stay. Just be aware of the many pickpockets and keep your purse/bag close to your body. @kazu I'm so happy to hear you had a good report from your surgeon - let the healing continue! Good luck with tomorrow's vet visit for Ivan. I need some help from our cooking department - can someone please email me our beloved Tomato Pie recipe? I've looked everywhere and can't find it. There are many on the internet, but I really liked the one we had here. If you could, please send it to ger underscore 77 at yahoo dot com I'd greatly appreciate it! I know we'd really enjoy today's menu suggestion, but I've got some Italian sausages thawing that DH will be grilling on the barbecue tonight. We'll be having the sausages along with fresh corn on the cob and coleslaw on the deck this evening. 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! We don't have a garden to meditate in, but we have a back yard, I'll take that. We do have a lumpy rug in our bedroom, but the thought of having to clear everything all out to have it replaced makes me think we'll just keep the lumps a little longer. Teachers spend their lives trying to make the world better for thousands of students. I've slept with one of the best for the past 46 years. Another beautiful day out this morning - bright sunshine, clear sky, and no wind to speak of. We reached our high of 26C (78F) yesterday, and are expected to hit that temperature again today; a great reprieve from our long, cold winter. The plants on the deck are loving the heat and sunshine, so we might go out today and see if some of the hanging baskets are available yet. We sat in the back yard yesterday and calculated that we need 9 large baskets to fill the areas with colour, so we'll have to see what appeals to us this year. I cheat in the gardening department by buying the baskets and transferring them into our own pots. I don't like waiting for them to have to fill in on their own; I guess I'm an impatient gardener. We had a blast yesterday morning - a couple of us sashayed into the restaurant wearing our tiaras, then another came in with a bag of crowns she'd bought at the dollar store, so all of us were regally accessorized for breakfast. Lots of laughter ensued and even our waiter got involved. @cunnorl and @cruzn single sending good vibes for successful surgeries today. @marshhawk safe travels; can't wait to hear all about it on your return! @kazu good luck with the surgeon follow up today. @RMLincoln hope today's follow up is a good one. @Lady HudsonI feel your pain with a migraine; I get them occasionally and they knock me down for the day. Best thing for me is staying in a dark room and making sure there is ginger ale and crackers on the bedside table. Not much on the agenda today, just have to make an appointment with the eye doctor - I have this rather large floater that suddenly appeared yesterday. I told DH it was about the size of a border collie floating around my eye. LOL I'd like to try the drink of the day, and yay for a wine in my price range! Definitely will take a pass on the menu suggestion, but because it's warm and DH has the barbecue back up and running for the season, we'll be grilling burgers and will pick up some potato salad to enjoy with them on the deck tonight. And wine. Prayer for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Special prayers for the 2 firefighters in Quebec who were lost in the flooding. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Babies are a delight, especially when you can give them back to the parents when they won't settle. Although I didn't know I had a brother and sisters until I was an adult, I do appreciate having them in my life. We have a ukulele in the house, but it never gets played; there are too many guitars in line before it. Well the "frozen tundra" isn't frozen any more; today we've got bright sunshine and clear skies again, with a predicted high of +25C (77F). According to the weather channel, we are to expect a warmer than average summer, and it feels like we're starting early. I'd better get the a/c guys over here to make sure it's in top shape before we really need it. Yesterday we got to the greenhouse about 10 minutes after it opened for the first time this year, and were able to purchase the papyrus plants we were wanting. They'll have to reside on the deck for a couple of weeks though, because the ground isn't warm enough to put them in yet. I was able to contact the community mental health group and they sent a couple of people over yesterday afternoon to take care of the front, back and side lawns, so our yard looks nice again, ready for another growing season. DH mentioned that this year we might just get them to do weekly mowing for us as well - I think he's starting to feel his 82 years now. This morning I've got my monthly breakfast with retired colleagues, and a couple of us are going to show up wearing our tiaras in honour of the upcoming coronation. That should spark a lot of laughs and conversation! After that, it'll be a bit of shopping for DH and I, and then we'll head for home. @smitty34877I do hope Tana's health struggles will improve soon, and that her son will be able to breathe a little easier also. Teenage years can be tumultuous at best, let alone tossing in a mother's health crisis to the mix. Thank you for helping both of them through this scary time. @kazu I had you in my heart yesterday, knowing what you went through a year ago. It looks like Ivan is comfortable around you; I'm sure it won't be long that he'll feel he's a part of your family. I like today's menu suggestion, as I really like rice bowls, but would probably substitute cod for the tilapia. I think the drink of the day would make a great refresher on a BHB. I'd like to try the wine, but it's a little pricey for my Cardboardeaux budget. Because it's going to be so nice and warm, I'll be putting breaded chicken strips in the air fryer and we'll have a light dinner of chicken fingers and crudites on he deck tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers for all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit! Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! We recently bought a bunch of silk flower leis, as the theme for our Summerfest this year will be Hawaiian Nights. I think loyalty is an honourable trait. Mother Goose books used to be a staple in houses when I was a child - today they're rarely found. Another bright sunshiny day out there this morning, with just a bit of a breeze blowing. It'll be a nice morning for us to take off for a visit to our favourite greenhouse that opens for the first time this season. We're looking for King Tut Papyrus plants, as they did so well for us last year, but who knows what else will strike our fancy once we get in there. Well yesterday didn't go as planned - the deck was all clean and tidy, ready for the executive meeting, when we got a phone call that the president had been taken to hospital because of a bad back. It's something he's been dealing with for a number of months (and of course he wouldn't go to a doctor), but yesterday he literally could not get out of bed, so his wife called the ambulance to find out what's really going on. Because his wife is the financial officer, that meant the meeting has been postponed to a later date and we had a lovely clean deck all to ourselves. I took a photo just to show that we can clean it up nicely - and will keep it that way for the summer, after having used it for months as our winter storage unit. Special thoughts go out to @kazu as she goes through today, the first anniversary of Jose's passing. @JazzyV I hope your knees heal quickly and you won't be hobbling around for long. I've been to Gladstone, but it was a small town in Manitoba, Canada, not Australia. I'll pass on the drink of the day, and yowie on the price of the wine!!!! I have an air fryer and really like it - it isn't the basket type, it's a combination air fryer / toaster oven that I use to bake cakes/muffins in during the summer when it resides on the deck. I won't be using it today though, because DH has said he'll uncover the barbecue and wants to cook up some smokies for us. It'll be smokies and coleslaw for us 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 appreciate my hairstyle for the fact that it's easy to maintain. To be perfectly honest, I'm just not a fan of jazz. Especially the stuff where there are just a bunch of notes being played seemingly at random. Although it went down to 0 last night, this morning we've got bright sunshine and clear blue skies again. I'm starting to see the little nubbins on the poplar trees which means in a couple of weeks we should see leaves popping out. And last night as we were having dinner on the deck, we saw 2 little mourning doves having a date in the back yard. I do hope they make a nest nearby, one that is safe from predators like magpies and crows. The last time a pair nested in one of the spruce trees, it was raided by the flying killers. @JazzyV sorry to hear about your fall; I hope the bruising is minor. @kazu I hope you're feeling much better soon. I heard on the news yesterday that the town of Udan where our young Ukrainian family came from (and where many family members still reside) had been hit by a rocket . Apparently an apartment only a couple of blocks away from a sister's house was hit, causing great devastation. I contacted our friends to make sure everyone was okay, then made another donation to the Red Cross for more assistance. It's hard to know what to do when you're so far away. It will be a busy day for us today, as the executive from DH's historical group is meeting at our place. The deck is all ready for them (I can't believe how dusty it got in just 1 day!), but will have to run the swiffer over the floor and a duster over the surfaces one last time before they arrive. I'm making a big charcuterie board for them to enjoy after the meeting, so I won't have to make dinner for us tonight, as the meetings usually go late in the afternoon. Once the group is gone, we can just sit on the deck enjoying the sun and warmth and listen to the returning robins fighting for real estate in the trees. And wine. Prayers for everyone in need, cheers for those with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Unfortunately, most of the independent bookstores in our city are gone, replaced by the big names. When we did road trips, we often stopped in small centres and found their book stores just to see what they had. The skies are clear, so hopefully they'll stay that way and we can enjoy seeing the stars tonight. Dance Day? I'll leave the radio on and convince DH that we need to take a spin around the kitchen. He'll like that. LOL I put a post on FB the other day that DH thought I should share with my CC friends; he thought you might enjoy it: I just found out we haven't been invited to the King's coronation. It looks like we'll be keeping the kitchen clock we were going to give him. Now I wish we'd bought an air fryer. I love paella, having consumed a lot of it whenever we've been in Barcelona, I know I'd like today's drink of the day, and if I could afford it, would like to try today's wine. Today DH and his son are heading out of town to bring back the roofless car from it's winter storage. That means my car, which has been lounging about in the garage, will be relegated to the driveway once more. Not a lot happening today, just putting the finishing touches on the deck for the season. I'll likely make a butter tart slice to serve for lunch at tomorrow's meeting, but that's all I need to do for it. Dinner tonight will be breaded pork chops, baked mini potatoes and green beans served on the deck. And wine. Prayers for everyone who needs them, cheers to all with celebrations. BTW, today is Willie Nelson's 90th birthday - what a guy! Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! I appreciate comedy, clean and not so clean. Vulgar comedy, no. I think I'll pass on the poetry reading, and will definitely kiss my mate today. It's amazing how much dirt and clutter one can accumulate on the deck over the course of the winter. Obviously it isn't sealed and airtight like a room in our house, but you'd think the dust, etc., would just stop coming in at some point. While DH was at a gig with his band, I spent the afternoon on the deck trying to get it back to where we can use it comfortably again. I swept up the big things, then vacuumed, then damp mopped and finally steam cleaned the floors. And then there was the dusting - we have several tiered stands with "things" on them on mirrors . . . they were awful! I went through about half a bottle of windex just cleaning the darn things. DH loves them, though, so I do it for him. Today will be spent cleaning the cushions and making sure all the cobwebs are gone from the ceiling; the windows are going to have to wait until it's warmer and I can get up on the ladder to do them. @marshhawk you and Chuck will be in my heart today as you say goodbye to Irving. @St Pete Cruiser a venomous spider bite? Yikes! I hope you're fixed up and back home soon! I'll take a pass on today's menu suggestion - the only way I really like pumpkin is in pie, and DH only likes pumpkin pie if there's more whipped cream than filling. It's Friday night pizza night, so we'll check out the online menus to see what appeals to us. I hope we'll be able to have our first meal of the year on our deck tonight. And wine. Prayers to all who are in need, cheers to everyone with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Cheers for the King of the Netherlands; I can probably tell a story or two, I know Babe Ruth was a famous baseball player, and I've never tried to study Morse Code. Maybe spring is here? I don't want to say it too loudly, but we did hear a robin singing last night. Looking at the predicted temperatures for the coming week, our overnight lows will all be just slightly above freezing, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we just might have kicked old man winter to the curb. But I'm not stupid, our heavy jackets are still in the front hall closet. We took a tour at Ponta Delgada similar to @StLouisCruisers, except we didn't stop at a brewery first. We were taken by the beautiful scenery along the way, the greenery, the hills with cows tethered to them, and of course the blue and green side by side lakes. I'd love to be able to do that tour again some day. So far, so good with the shingles vaccines; both DH and I are only feeling soreness in the arm muscle - I hope that's the only reaction we get from it. @dfish please wish your DS Sue a Happy Retirement! Tell her that retirement is the time of your life when every night's a Friday and every day's a Saturday! @smitty34877sending good vibes for DH's consultation today. @kazu I hope the ouchies don't last long for you. Does anyone here have one of those robot vacuums? I purchased one online a week ago and had to return it. I just wasn't happy with it; first of all, it wouldn't go from the hardwood to the area rug in the living room, and it seems we have way too many things on the floor (chair legs in the dining room, cat bed, plants) for it do actually do much cleaning. Finally I found Steve (yes, I gave him a name) stuck in a corner trying desperately to fight his way out, to no avail. I put Steve back in the box and returned him to the store where they said they weren't surprised, as others have returned theirs as well. LOL I'd like to try the drink, even though I'm not a fan of tart drinks, it might be good. I'm pretty sure I'd like the wine, but it's above my price point, and if I were to make today's menu suggestion, I'd have to leave the blue cheese off, as I'm allergic to it. Tonight I'll make panko crusted salmon with parmesan potatoes and green beans that we'll enjoy at the kitchen table. And wine. Prayers for everyone who needs them, and cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! If our Australian friends were close, we would certainly give them a hug. I was introduced to Dots pretzels a couple of years ago - they are addictive!! We were in a lovely hotel in Tokyo a number of years ago when an earthquake that measured 6.0 took place. At first it felt like we were on a cruise ship in rough waters, but then it started shaking, which really felt weird. Hedy Lamarr was quite an amazing woman who also had a sarcastic streak to her; I believe this quote is a prime example. We've enjoyed many gin tonics on BHB's, and I've never been known to turn down a glass (or bottle) of prosecco. DH has asked me to please extend his thanks to everyone for your birthday wishes for him yesterday. He had a very good day - his son took us out for breakfast, then he got to go shopping, and we had take out from his favourite Italian restaurant. In between, there were many phone calls and emails wishing him a happy birthday. Speaking of birthdays, a very Happy Birthday to @dfish, with many healthy returns of the day for you!! Special thoughts to @ottahand7 as you mark the passing of your DH. Anniversaries of a loved one's passing are always somber days, some are better than others. Wishing @kazu and @bennybear successful surgeries today, with good outcomes for both of them. We had our first Shingrix vaccinations yesterday - I didn't even feel the injection; DH said his hurt. Today my arm is a little tender, more like the muscle is stiff, that's all. I'll check DH's when he gets up in a bit. I think I'd like to try today's meal suggestion if it was on a menu for an appetizer, but can't imagine trying to make an entire meal of it - unless you're on a diet. We still have lots of pasta left from last night's take-out, so we'll be enjoying that at the kitchen table tonight. And wine. Prayers for all who are in need, cheers to everyone with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry

@bennybear I’m adding my prayers for your surgery tomorrow, as well as for your DD’s FIL.

Thanks John, for taking us along with you. Please give my best to Maria!

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily! Remembering all those who served and died in the Australian and New Zealand armies as they commemorate Anzac Day. Thankful for those involved in the East Meets West meetings, have had my ancestry DNA analyzed, and who doesn't like penguins? As some have already mentioned, today is DH's 82nd birthday. After all his health issues (3 heart attacks, a sextuple bypass and a few other things), I'm blessed to still have him in my life. Today will be mostly about him - we'll head off to a hotel for breakfast by the river, then to Krazy Bins (he's a bargain shopper, what can I say?). After shopping, it's off to our local pharmacist for the first of our Shingrix vaccinations. Later in the afternoon we'll place a delivery order from our favourite Italian restaurant. @marshhawkmy heart breaks for you and Chuck, knowing that Friday is the day Irving will cross the Rainbow Bridge. Even though you know you're doing the best thing for him, it's one of the hardest things a pet parent ever has to do. Take pictures of him enjoying the life he has now for your memories. @kazu I like the shopping you did yesterday; I'll bet Ivan will, too. The drink of the day sounded like a frou-frou drink, but seeing the ingredients, it sounds like something I'd like to try! I know I'd like today's wine selection, as I only drank malbecs on our last 2 cruises. I don't normally entertain the idea of meat substitute, but today's menu selection has me curious as to what it might be like. If it was on a menu, I would like to try it. We won't be having a meatless dinner tonight - DH orders the Penne Campesino, while I'll enjoy Penne alla Gigi at our dining 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! Remembering the Armenian genocide, and all genocides - terrible loss of life. I haven't often felt like screaming, but you never know what the day will bring. I always enjoyed Paula Poundstone's humour, and think the drink of the day would be quite refreshing on a hot summer's day. Apparently we missed another round of northern lights last night - I'm seeing lots of photos of them on FB this morning. The skies are bright and clear this morning with the temperature just above the freezing mark. The wind should help take out a lot of the snow that's still in the yard, and maybe in the next couple of weeks we'll actually be able to go out and buy some hanging baskets for the yard. I'm not sure if you know, but the public service workers in Canada are on strike, and many people have made holiday arrangements, thinking they would get their passports on time for flights. Now folks are wondering if the airlines would refund their money because they can't fly without passports. Uh, no. According to the passport website, they're only accommodating those who are in "emergency circumstances" such as illness or family death. So many are booking without travel insurance, and they're going to be left on the hook because they put getting a passport on the back burner for too long. I'm SO glad we got ours well in advance of any possible travel; it pays to be prepared. Not that we have anywhere to go right now, but you never know! @Mr. Boston welcome home; so many of us had you in our hearts this past week. @marshhawkhoping for the best for Irving, but know you will make the right decision for him. @cruising sisterI'm sorry the funeral was so upsetting for you; grief works in mysterious ways. Take care of yourself. @Ichiban Nekkowelcome back - it sounds like you had a great tour! I'm going to give today's menu suggestion a pass; neither of us is a fan of eggplant, and I think it would be rather mushy - am I wrong? Instead of having to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, all I have to do is go into the fridge and take out the leftovers from DH's daughter's dinner last night. We had delicious breaded pork chops, spaghetti with home made sauce and a mixed greens salad, so that will be enjoyed at the kitchen 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'm so glad my lover is still with me, I occasionally enjoy an english muffin, and although I enjoy a picnic, we still have glaciers in the parks, so will have to wait for another day later in the year to do so. Every morning I turn on the computer, load up FB, CC, and the PE webcam - what a surprise to see a submarine coming into port! Now that I know it's Fleet Week, it certainly makes sense. I'm usually up right around 6AM, but this morning I totally slept in and didn't roll out of bed until 8:10; I think I finally caught up on the naps I was missing when our friends were with us. They called us when they arrived home to say they were greeted with about 100 robins in their yard who were - as they put it - cleaning up after the deer. Apparently their singing was quite the sound! to @marshhawk and @cunnorl with many happy, healthy returns of the day! The sun is shining which means some of the glaciers will continue to melt, but it also means it might be warm enough on the deck to start cleaning it up after using it as a winter storage place. It will be nice to be able to have lunches and dinners out there again; it's been a long winter. I do like today's menu suggestion as an appetizer (spinach artichoke dip with corn chips), but not sure about having it on mac and cheese. Sounds very filling, and rich. I'm not having to cook dinner this evening as DH's daughter has invited us over for a pre-birthday dinner for DH who will celebrate his 82nd on Tuesday. Not sure what she's preparing, but she's a great cook, so it whatever it is will be delicious. We'll enjoy a lovely meal around their dinner table tonight. And wine. Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations. Smooth Sailing! ☺️☺️☺️ Gerry