Sylvia's Simple Shots

The flowers in the flower beds and gardens around the neighborhood are looking good.

The zinnias from the park, the lilacs from the other park, alium in the front yard of a neighbor and the poppy from another.  I am so grateful to have flowers to photograph. I have not even been to the community garden yet.

There is no slowing down ahead.

The Beachcomber by Josephine Cox is the book I finished this week.

In the summer of 1952 two people arrive in the pretty seaside hamlet of West Bay, Dorset to start a new life.

Kathy Wilson has come to rebuild her life in the cottage she has inherited.  Having lost a husband,being in another bad relationship, and seeing the truth about her mother and sister she has moved to the seaside.  The cottage needs work but she is up for it.

Tom Arnold, an architect in a large firm in London has been adrift since the tragedy.  He decides he needs a new start away from the city and the memories. 

Over the summer Kathy leans on Jasper who had been left to care for the cottage when her father left, she gets to know Tom as he wanders the beach, and comes to know the truth about cottage and her father.

One of my best finds at the ReUse Center.

A Solo Classic from Cross fountain pen manufacturer.  It is 30 years old but like brand new.  It was often given as recognition gifts in the 1990s.  My research supports the idea that many of these were never used. It came with the converter to be filled from a bottle of ink so I will purchase some.

After some research, I decided to buy this Parker blue ink which I hope may be some what permanent versus the washable which certainly is not.

Looking forward to using this pen in art and writing.

I spent a few hours with my aunt in her cold garage as the rain came down most of the day which dampened the attendance to this event.  Too bad. 

Some of my sisters were at the quilting retreat.

I headed off the reception of the Senior Show in the afternoon.

Look at that bright and shiny chrome P-Trap under the bathroom sink.  This is a result of having the plumber in today to snake the drain because of very a slow draining sink.

He did find iron chips in the drain a couple of floors down and resolved the issue after get out the big guns of a snake. Everything was reassembled and he indicated all was good.  He headed off and I started to clean the cabinet. 

Already there was a puddle so I chased him down and asked that he return to see what was up.  Upon closer inspection the ring attaching the trap to the back drain just fell apart.  That means a new part so he was off to the nearby supply store.  Back in 15 min he installed this shiny new thing and then after some careful checking to ensure no leaks he made his exit for the second time that day.  

It has been good since.  There is a plan to refurbish this space.

We also had a plumbing inspection done today but thanks to the work I had done last March there were very few recommendations. Isolation valves on the taps under this sink were recommended.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

 I headed to Beaumaris Lake again this week in hopes of finding Pelicans but no such luck.  I just don't know where they are.

There was not lack of other birds at the lake.

A Wigeon, Red Wing Blackbird, Mallard Duck and a female Red Wing Black bird.  Grackles, Canada Geese and sparrows too!

It was a very nice walk around the lake.  I headed out earlier that the last visit so a bit fewer people at least earlier.  I was there quite a while.

I have photographed pelicans on May 5th in year's past so I will have to keep looking.

The wildfire situation in our province continues to be dire with many people displaced and living in evacuation centers with only the wish to go home.

Rain is badly needed of which we have had very little.

Air quality is very poor.

I say thank you to all those fighting the fires.  The ones who have been injured. Those who have come to provide relief to those on the front lines.

To those who are providing support to evacuees and fire fighters a like with water, food, and a place to rest.

I think of those who have lost their homes and in some cases their livelihoods to these fires.

I had the final white filling on my root canal this week. 

Fortunately, it was not needing freezing and not a really long job.  The hard part is I have run out of dental benefits. Ouch!

The Friends We Keep by Jane Green was a book I finished this week.

Three people met in college.  They lived together for 4 years, hung out, got to know each other very well. After graduation, careers took them to different parts of the country and the world.  There were phone calls and emails, weddings, and funerals over the next 30 years.  Much life experience some good, some great and some not so great.

They had made a pact that if they were single when they turned 50 they would live together. They attend a school reunion and reconnect. Maggie, now a widow,  lives in a large house in Somerset England, Topher's mother is living in England and he in New York, Evvie's son has left home and so a move would be possible for her.  So they move in together, come clean about their secrets and start new adventures. 

It was a good read.

This American Coot couple was very busy making a nest from last year's dried bulrushes.

The male I assume was tugging and pulling to dislodge them one at a time and bringing them back to the nest.  Once the reed arrives she busied herself with the perfect placement of it.

Then the process repeated itself.  I watched for quite a while and it was still process when I moved on.

I guess are a least a few days away so young ones still later than that.

I have seen baby Coots in early June but with taking 21-25 days to hatch I expect it will be later than that this year.

The neighborhood gardens are starting to show off their blooms.

There are Clematis growing the wall in a beautiful light lavender color.

There is a yard full of colorful tulips. 

I found a yellow poppy in another front yard.

The purple Alium is just starting to open.

I have been spending time a thrift shops looking for the perfect tealight candle holder. I would like to have a Fairly Light candle holder but they are quite costly.  Not going to happen soon.