At the Splash Pad

   It started out cool this morning but had warmed up enough by 11:00 a.m. to get us outside. All James could talk about was the Splash Pad so that's where we headed, this time making sure to take a towel and swimsuit. James also brought me my camera before we left so I felt obliged to shoot some photos of him playing in the water.

    It turned out to be a little cooler than Wednesday so he wasn't quite as keen to get himself wet. However, armed with a stick (to prod the jets and investigate the outlets that weren't working) he was happily engaged for quite some time. Then back to the playground for some sand play with a little friend, then a trip up and down the mountain a few times.

   One last trip to the playground resulted in a cut lip when he slipped on the climber and put his tooth through his lip. There was lots of blood but no crying, just some spitting. Thank goodness I had brought the towel to mop it up. He was pretty wiped out by the time we got home - asked for a "piggy-back ride" on the way home. So it was a fast lunch then up to bed for his nap. After that there was just time to water the vegetables and check out the potato bin before it was time for him to head home.

   I clipped some bushes out front for half-an-hour, got hot and sticky and took a quick dip. The water was marginally warmer and I managed to stay in for several lengths this time. It was very refreshing!

 

Thursday Blues

   Luckily I am not a pessimistic person or today would have stressed me to the limit. The weather was against us this morning with on-and-off rain right through the hours we usually spend at the tennis courts on Thursdays. I had a job booked for the afternoon and trundled out to the car with 10 minutes to spare.

   Although the rain had dried up, another disappointment confronted me - no power in the car! I was forced to grab my bike and set off for the school, luckily quite close, but arrived rather hot and sweaty. I was greeted by the Principal whose first words were, "It's a difficult class" - not what a supply teacher wants to hear!
 
   Actually, they weren't so bad, also there were several interruptions which helped the afternoon to pass quickly. Once I got home (exhausted and sweaty again - no idea there were so many hills on that particular road) I called Toyota Roadside Assistance and had the problem fixed within an hour. Now I feel justified in vegging out for the rest of the evening. New episode of BBT at 8:00 p.m. Yippee!!

First Swim

   It wasn't a very lengthy dip but I managed a couple of lengths while breathing heavily, to stop myself from screaming! The water was a chilly 20C (68F) but while that doesn't sound too bad for the air temperature, it's a different story when you are  immersed in it. If I am still keeping my blog next year, it will be interesting to compare the date of the first dip. I don't think I have ever been in earlier than June but may have been in a week or so closer to the beginning of the month. I had just finished cutting the grass and felt quite hot and sticky and the water looked so appealing.

  James and I spent the morning at the park, he climbing, running, rolling and jumping, and me watching and helping when his adventures veered towards the dangerous. We had a picnic on top of the "mountain" while the boys and girls had recess at the school, then we went down to their playground after they went back to class. This is a special treat for James as he is not usually allowed to visit that playground. We finished the morning at the splash pad where he got quite soaked and needed a complete change of clothes. On Friday I will certainly take a towel and his swimsuit and my camera - he was hilarious, dodging the different sprays and fountains!

Garden Blooms

Peonies

   My garden is all about pink today. Not the wishy-washy pink of the bleeding hearts but more of a deep cerise, quite vibrant and bright. The wigelia and fuschia will be around for a while but the peonies, unfortunately, only last a few days. As you can see they are already drooping and in danger of shedding all their petals! The rain of the last few days really brought them on in a rush.

   I have another peony bush but the blooms are a much more muted pink and don't have such heavy heads so seem to stay longer. They are still in bud but should open next week.


Wigelia

Fuschia