Our three nestlings have developed into fledglings in a
matter of a couple of weeks. They are
still being fed and guarded in their nest by their parents, but I have the
feeling that in a few days the nest will be empty and all three chicks will be
hopping around in our garden. With the
dreadful weather that we experienced during their nesting time I had been
worried that they might not survive the heavy downpours, strong wind gusts and
cold nights, but all seems to be ok.
The adult birds don’t seem to mind when we work outside
around the garage. Their nest is located
in the birdhouse high up on the east side of the garage wall, however when I
climb up on a stepstool to take a picture of their offspring, they protest
loudly and stay close by to observe my every move. Mostly I leave them alone, but to show these
pictures of their development I had to invade their privacy.
Last Friday was Grandparents Day at the Catholic School in
Waterdown, Ont. where our two granddaughters learn. Last year we went to this event and this year
we had also committed to come. As most
of our readers know, last Friday was the worst weather one could imagine. We had heavy rain already on Thursday and our
area was under flood watch. Nevertheless, at 5:30 a.m. we left in the dark with
the rain coming in a steady downpour that never eased up. Actually, it got worse since the traffic on
the highway 401 (the 401Hwy is the major trucking corridor between Chicago,
Detroit - Toronto and Montreal) was reduced to one lane for many kilometers
because of construction and the many transport trucks that have to press on
because they have deadlines. We made the
280-km/175 miles long drive just in time for the start of the school’s grandparent’s
attendance at 9:20 a.m.
The kids, who normally wear a uniform, were dressed in casual attire with a green theme and various activities had been planned. We, the grandparents, were shown around the school and attended the different activities. Because we have two grandkids to attend to our time was split between the senior kindergarten class for Annaliese, and the 2nd grade class for Heidi. Our daughter-in-law’s mom had also come from Hamilton for the event, so we took turns in attendance in the classrooms.
After the school’s visit we did a few shopping errands and
then went to my sister’s house for a visit. She and her husband live in
Mississauga, which is in the greenbelt of Toronto. The rain never stopped, but
we all went for a walk with our dogs in their neighborhood so the dogs could
get some exercise before our return trip.
Needless to say, we were a bit stressed coming home around 8 p.m. having
driven in the rain the whole time and close to 600 km/375 miles in one day.
Last Wednesday we, and just about every neighbor were out to
cut the grass before the ground would be too soggy with the proclaimed soaker
we got. That of course takes the better
half of the day including the trimming and cleanup. And then I cooked up a
storm in preparation of my trip to Germany so that my hubby and the dogs won’t
go hungry in my absence. I just mention this in case anybody thinks we are
lazing around ;-)
While I spent my time in the kitchen, Benno found something
to occupy his time and came up with an idea to improve his workstation at the
lathe. He made a really nifty shelf that is attached to the back with the
multipurpose of protecting the wall from flying metal pieces and to house his
various cutting oils and tools at a practical level. When it was finished he painted it in the
same green shade as the bottom part of the lathe and lined the shelf with a
colorful liner. Then he modified an Ikea
LED table lamp and installed it above the shelf with the on/off switch at the
side of the machine. It looks like the additions came with the lathe, if I may
say so.
While we were in the Toronto area on Friday Benno bought a
piece of brass at the Metal Store.
Yesterday, he showed me his newest creation made from that rough piece
of metal. It is a scriber, which looks a
lot like a pen. It is a pointed instrument used for making marks on wood or
metal to guide a saw etc. Of course you could buy one of these instruments, but
this one is unique and he had fun making it. For the pointed end he used part
of a heavy-duty needle, which we still had, from our canvas repair kit from our
boat.
I wonder what other fabulous creations will emerge from that
lathe…
