So Lazy!

   I have been neglecting my blog recently - the weather has been too nice to sit inside typing. The days are still gloriously sunny and hot but the nights are cooling off dramatically - makes for a better night's sleep. I haven't been in the pool since last Thursday as it is only 70F and I doubt it will warm up again before it is closed next month. 

   Picking tomatoes like mad and have also had some red peppers, an eggplant and one cucumber which snuck through the fence from my neighbour's garden! I made a very tasty ratatouille last week and added chicken thighs for a very quick dinner. Tonight is fish with, of course, tomatoes (every meal must use up some tomatoes) and probably corn or peas. 

   I had a good hour and a half of tennis this morning (won one set and lost the other) and have just been vegging and reading ever since. Not much on TV tonight so I will watch a movie from the library.

   The family - including the lizard - are back in their own (renovated) home since Thursday but the cat is still here until they put everything to rights. The contractor will be back for a couple of finishing touches and then their furniture will be brought back up from the basement. I can't wait to see the "reveal"!

Second blooming of the wigelia.

The insects love these cone flowers. They have done well this year.

Garden Plenty

   The family are staying at their trailer this weekend so I have the house to myself until Sunday evening - just the cat, the lizard and me! Their kitchen is going in (hopefully) this coming week so they may be moving back quite soon. 

   It took me a few days to get over all the excitement of the Rogers Cup and my shifts on the main gate and the final party on Sunday. By Wednesday I was more or less back to my usual routines so nothing much to report. The weather continues very summery but the evenings are cooling off. On Thursday we finally had some rain (the grandkids were in the pool having a hilarious time during the shower) and more rain this morning so the garden is losing its dry, parched look. I managed to fill a bucket of weeds this afternoon once it had dried off, then needed a swim as it is still very humid. 

    I am getting loads of tomatoes and the peppers are starting to turn red. A friend gave me some plum tomatoes on Friday so I made a sauce with them and had it for dinner. Also I dug up a few early potatoes and had them for dinner too. 

Red peppers getting there!

Some tomatoes that didn't go in the tomato sauce. I will just eat them with lunches. The yellow one on top is called Green Zebra and is supposed to have a "zippy" taste (whatever that means). I hope it is ripe, it's rather hard to judge.

A Hectic Week

Haven't been near the computer for several days as I am volunteering at the Roger's Cup Tennis Tournament in Toronto this week. Lots of big name women players but I have only managed to see part of some occasional matches before and after my shifts. Will update proceedings after the tournament is over.

Out With the Old.......

…..and in with the new - lawnmowers, that is. My ancient one (I thought I may have had it ever since I moved here 21 years ago but I seem to remember buying one shortly after I moved). In any case, it was pretty well used and finally gave up the ghost the other day. 

Here it is, sitting at the curb, in the hope that someone will pick it up for parts.

As lawns keep on growing it was imperative that a new one be purchased. So that was my task of the day and I found one relatively quickly and easily. It was the cheapest one available - a little narrow, only cuts a 14" swath at a time - but much easier to push around than the old one. I'm sure I will be happy with it.