Lemon Curd

   My first attempt at Lemon Curd may not be successful! I boiled it for what seemed like forever, but it refused to thicken. I'm just hoping it will thicken as it cools. I will test it tomorrow.

   Tuesday is usually tennis but I had an RWTO meeting to attend. K. called this afternoon and told me that some Bellbury people are planning to play tomorrow, so I will head over there bright and early and see if I can get a game.

   I had a nice afternoon at J's on Sunday as an early birthday present - leg of lamb with all the fixings, cake and flowers. J.W. helped me blow out the candles and I came home with 2 boxes of Girl Guide cookies (the good kind) courtesy of N's Brownie pack. They are safely parked in the freezer so I'm not tempted to eat them all at once.

   I have initiated a bit of landscaping in the garden - digging up a patch behind the garden bench where lilies were threatening to take over and where I will transplant an evergreen from another part of the garden. This will probably take me a couple of weeks to finish so I hope the weather continues to be mild.

    Tomorrow is garbage day and I will be getting rid of some of the stuff I didn't manage to sell on Saturday. I will be very glad to see it go!

Summer Still Here

      This week we have had fabulous weather and it still continues. Actually it has been too hot a couple of days, but it does cool down at night.

   After tennis yesterday we went to the Pickle Barrel for lunch. I had a lobster grilled cheese sandwich and a Caesar salad - yummy!! Also a beer so I was out for the count 2 minutes after arriving back home. Dancing at Westview Church in the evening but we were locked out of the kitchen so couldn't have our usual tea and cookies. A prayer meeting was in progress in the lower hall. How dare they!! Everyone was very disappointed as this is our favourite part of the evening!

   Today I set up my garage sale junk and managed to get rid of some of it. By 11:30 all the good stuff was gone and customers were few and far between so I closed up shop with about $40 in hand. Not a bad morning's work!

   With my profits I went to Metro and picked up a nice salmon fillet which I will cook shortly with corn and potatoes. I also have some 50% off lemon yogurt to eat up so dinner is all set.

First Day of Fall

    Temperature in the  low 20's today after a chilly day yesterday. The kids were here as it was a P.A. day in York Region and we did manage an hour at the park but it wasn't very nice. Today was much more pleasant and lots turned out for tennis. We had one mishap - one of our older players collapsed in the parking lot and we had to send for the ambulance. She is OK now and back home but it gave us all a bit of a scare. 

    I have been eating venison stew for the last few days. I added carrots and the last of the new potatoes from the garden. Tonight I will also have garlic mashed potatoes and tomorrow (if there is any left) green beans. It is tasty enough, quite tender (I cooked it in the slow cooker) but, honestly, tastes much like regular beef stew - and was twice the price! I don't think I will be indulging again.

   The pool is closed for the season - ironically the last couple of days are the only days in September when I might have been tempted to take a dip! However, it's better to get it put away earlier than later. One less chore to take care of before winter arrives.

Another Catchup Post

     Thursday was a day trip to 1000 Islands. After an 8:30 start we arrived in Gananoque around noon and had a buffet (roast beast, potatoes and salads) lunch at the Island Memories café. Then we boarded the boat for the cruise around the islands on the St. Lawrence River. Super views of some spectacular "cottages" and Boldt castle which is truly impressive. It was pleasant going out but very windy on the way back so we had to retire indoors. I splurged on some goodies at "The Big Apple" on the return drive, cider, apple dumplings and a dip mix. Back home around 7:30, tired but happy. I slept very well after all that fresh air!

   Tennis Friday morning - quite cool but we had a surprisingly good turnout, at least a dozen people. By the time we stopped, around 11:30, the sun was out and the temperature had risen. In the evening we attended the Don Mills banquet at the Donalda Club. What a magnificent place! It's truly mind blowing how the "other half" live. The meal was buffet style with lots of interesting dishes and delicious desserts. I left quite early, once the dancing started but had an enjoyable evening with other "Kaffeeclatchers".

Pat, Kathy and me at Donalda.

   Tennis for an hour this morning but it was cool again so the courts weren't busy. Chan, Iona and I hit for about an hour but only one other court was filled. It almost felt like the end of the season but I hope there's lots more tennis still to come.

   This afternoon I cleaned and backwashed the pool, getting ready for closing next Saturday. The water is really cool now and I doubt I will be in again. I also tidied the borders around the pool to prepare for the cover going on - still a bit more cleanup needed before Saturday but at least I have the bins filled for pickup on Wednesday. I barbecued a steak last night (first time this summer) and had some of the leftover meat in a bun for lunch  - seriously delicious with lots of mustard and horseradish. Also lots of cherry tomatoes from the garden on the side. I can barely keep up with the output of my tomato plants. Tonight it's salmon and quinoa with green beans,

Docked at Ganaoque, ready to board.

 

There were several small islands providing a resting place for cormorants.

 

Looking a little cool for early September!

 

One of the more elaborate cottages.

A Dreary Day

   After being overcast all day, the rain finally arrived late this afternoon. Quite a lot is forecast to fall by late evening but tomorrow should be dry and brighter. This is good as I am going on a bus trip and short cruise in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River. We will have lunch on the boat which should be fun! I must remember to take my camera as there will be lots to see from the boat.

    Today was my first truly free day since James is now in Kindergarten. I was a little worried that time would hang heavily, but I kept busy with housework, a trip to the library and some gardening.  Last week I was quite busy with something planned for each day, but as long as I have a decent book to read, I find the time passes quickly.

   Scottish Country Dancing started on Monday night and it was great to see everyone after our summer break. We took a longer than usual tea break as there was so much news to catch up on. We had a good turnout of 18 people which is two sets and Donalda had some interesting dances prepared for us.

   Dinner tonight was chicken pot pie using leftover meat from a bird I roasted on the weekend. There is still some left for tomorrow night as I won't need a big meal after my lunch out.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

     My outdoor thermometer registered 31C this afternoon, the pool was 77F and it's September! Not too shabby!!

    Tennis this morning and, although it was hot, the humidity seems to have dissipated. Played mixed doubles with Paul against the two Cathys and we won after a slow start. We played until about 10:30 then it was home for a swim, a little gardening, a pot of soup on the boil and finally lunch and a nap.

   I watched the US Open men's quarter-final match this afternoon and will see the other one this evening (two were played yesterday). The seeds are falling but  still some exciting players left in the mix. Tomorrow it's Ladies semis so I will try not to miss that.

    Yesterday, I made cabbage rolls, only I used some Swiss Chard leaves from the garden instead of cabbage. They worked perfectly and I will have the leftovers tomorrow. Tonight it's broiled salmon fillet and green beans with some of the leftover rice mixture from the cabbage rolls on the side.

    Got my Hydro bill today and it's a whopping $345. Probably from running the pool pump although I do turn it off at night. That's for 2 months but is considerably more than last year at this time. I've only had the air conditioning on a few times this summer but that also may account for the increase as I didn't have a working air conditioner last year.

Stormy Day

   I went out to cut the grass this afternoon and noticed the sky was very dark. Sure enough, before I was half way through, the storm rolled in and deposited a fair amount of rain, accompanied by some distant thunder. This is the first substantial rain we have had in a couple of weeks and should revive the grass, which was getting quite yellow. I will finish cutting it tomorrow.

   Lots of tennis in the last few days - a good set of mixed doubles at Bridlewood on Sunday morning, the Labour Day round robin at Don Mills, followed by a barbecue lunch (great sausages and awesome desserts) on Monday, and today, our first visit to Belbury tennis courts which will be our home away from home for the next 6 to 8 weeks while the new lights are being installed at Don Mills. There was coffee but not a great crowd - maybe some people had trouble finding the place!

   It has been very hot and muggy the last few days but the storm seems to have cooled things off. I noticed that the temperature dropped from 26C to 21C once the rain started but the sun is coming out again (albeit almost down for the night). After my strenuous tennis this morning - I played almost continually from 9:00 to 11:30 - I ate a huge lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, cherry tomatoes and veggie juice - I don't think I need much dinner, possibly a salad of some sort as I have lots of vegetables to use up. Still watching the U.S. Open tennis but all the Canadians were eliminated yesterday. Quel domage!!