While the Leaves Fly

     A little cooler today but still sunny and pleasant enough to be outdoors. It had rained overnight (we really need some more rain!) but a good samaritan had mopped up the puddles on the tennis court so we were able to play right away. I was the big winner today with 6-2 in the first set and 6-3 in the second. That doesn't happen often!

   Things are not looking great here, COVID-wise. The numbers keep creeping up (700 new cases in the province, over 300 in the city alone) and there is talk of going back to Stage 2 with more closures and isolation. It is quite depressing to think about as winter approaches and we are confined to home. As a family, we have decided to cancel Thanksgiving dinner which is usually hosted by my daughter. They will have their own meal and we will do the same here. Just as well my son and DIL will still be here on the 12th. I am dreading spending Christmas alone!

   I did a bit of gardening this afternoon helped by Lucy the dog who was dementedly digging in all the fresh earth. Had to have her front paws washed. Twice! The green tomatoes and the last of the potatoes will have to be harvested this week, then the garden can be put to rest until Spring.

Just In Time

 Almost forgot to renew my car license - no reminder came and it's due at the end of the month. Luckily I was able to figure out how to do it online and the agency is not imposing late fines this year because of the pandemic.

   We had a BBQ tonight as the weather is still so mild - yummy sausages and baked bean casserole. It will continue very summery all weekend so no need to get out the winter woollies just yet!

One last beauty.

Will They or Won't They.....?

    A friend recently sent me a recipe for Green Tomato Chutney, but I am hoping my tomatoes will ripen eventually. This is the "second" crop - I had an abundance of tomatoes earlier this month - and was quite surprised to find so many more coming along. Unfortunately with the days being shorter, they are not getting as much sun as before. 

   My nasturtiums are in all their Fall glory at the moment - worthy of a photo!

Around My Neighbourhood

 The trees are definitely starting to change. Some have both green and red or orange branches. 

A particularly colourful border.

A Nip in the Air

Fall is certainly in the air - the nights are cooler and some of the trees are starting to change colour. I had to turn the heat on the other day but it's off at the moment as it has warmed up a bit again..

    Today was beautifully sunny so I spent most of it outdoors doing several different chores while I had the chance. I dug up a couple of tomato plants that obviously weren't going to produce any more ripe fruit and a potato plant. These all came from just the one plant! My potatoes have done really well this year.

     A lovely Fall day today - started off chilly but soon warmed up. We played tennis for almost two hours this morning and I was able to sit outside reading for some time this afternoon. My favourite kind of day!

Another of my house guests.

The pool now has its winter cover. It will stay like this until next May.

Can't seem to find out how to delete images in the new Blogger format. Anyone have a suggestion?

One thing After Another

    Tennis was a bit of a washout today - it wasn't actually raining but the courts were very slick so we had to be careful. Susan and I just hit for about an hour which is actually good practice and requires quite a bit of energy. The others felt it wasn't safe to play. We will try again tomorrow.

   I was home in time for the monthly RTO meeting which was on Zoom again. It  was a bit tedious but I managed not to volunteer for anything new! While on Zoom the guys arrived to install my new bedroom windows (I was quite happy to excuse myself for a bit!). They had that done lickety split and did a great job. Steve helped me re-install the draperies so everything is back to normal again.

The view of my favourite corner of the garden seen from my NEW bedroom window! The sedum is doing well this year - the bees love it.

A Last Visit

    Last visit from the grandkids today as they go back to school soon and will be exposed to new infections, no doubt. We had a farewell hug but I hope to see them in about a month when we celebrate Thanksgiving.

   While they were here I got Elliot to vacuum the pool so that it is ready for closing next Monday. That will be a sad day! He found a drowned mouse at the bottom of the deep end but managed to fish it out.  Also, they put away all the pool "toys" as they won't be needed again until next year. No chance of a last swim as it is a very unseasonal 16C today.

   James and I made buttertart squares but they were still too hot to cut before they left so I sent them back to their place and have no idea how they turned out. It was a new recipe and he did it almost all by himself - very little guidance required. They certainly smelled good! Judy will bring some back on her way to work tomorrow.

One of my house guests on her comfy bed.

A Last Blast of Summer

      Tomorrow is Labour Day when we traditionally get together as a family. However, the others are all doing something different so we decided to celebrate today instead. As it worked out, today was a better choice as rain is forecast for tomorrow. 

   A full house for dinner for the first time since lockdown, but we were still below the limit of 10. The wasps were bad so we had to eat indoors. Although it was cool, the grandkids and son were in the pool but I had to heat it virtually all day. It was barely above 70F this morning but I managed to get it up to 80F by late afternoon. It will probably cool off again overnight but will still be warm enough for me to have a dip after a sweaty hour of working out tomorrow morning.

   Everybody contributed to the meal - Judy and Dave brought rotisserie chicken and quinoa salad, I made potato salad and corn-on-the-cob and Steve and Alison got pre-prandial nibblies and a delicious apple pie for dessert which we had with ice cream. All stuffed and there even were leftovers!

No Rest for the Wicked

     I was out just before 8:00 a.m. for my tennis game and the weather was much more conducive to active exercise. Not too sunny, a little breeze and low 20's. We played until about 9:45. and again the result was 1 set each. The first set went to a tie-break but by the second set we were all wilting a bit.

    Cathy invited us home for coffee and treats (Susan drove me) so I didn't get home until almost 11:00 a.m. What a pleasant way to pass the morning! Time for a quick swim and a few chores before the grandkids were dropped off. They had some fun in the pool, then lunch and a couple of board games. I was watching two Canadians battling each other at the U.S. Open.

   Judy arrived from work around 4:00 p.m. to pick them up, and she and the kids had another swim. I waited until they were gone to get in again - too much splashing when they are all in together! A quiet evening with son and the pets. DIL has gone out for the evening for what might turn into a  farewell meal with friends. Their house goes on the market in a couple of weeks and they are expecting a quick sale. House prices in the GTA have gone up 20% during COVID so they are selling at an opportune time.

    So it has been a hectic but productive day!