The first order of business was to put up handrails.
Pretty skookum, huh? Funny, though, how some projects go .... one thing just leads to another.
They look pretty good.
Now for some finishing and new lights. It's really great that Art is an Electrician because there seem to be all kinds of these types of projects around here.
.... a light over the kitchen sink (yay!)
.... wiring to the island to add outlets for things like the coffee maker and Osterizer
.... then the dishwasher stopped working. Needed a new plug.
We also spent a day and a half installing and getting the new satellite dish and receiver working.
The old receiver went on the fritz after a storm came through (which dumped a bunch of this white stuff on us!!!....only 2 weeks ago!).
So, we figured it was a good time to set up the new HD one we've had in a box for nearly a year. In order for that to work, though, we needed to set up a different dish (also been in a box for nearly a year .... no procrastinators living here). I think I've been putting it off because I knew it would not be a super simple job. Installation and hook-up .... easy-peezy. Getting a signal .... not so easy. After HOURS of fiddling and then getting idiotic techs on the phone, we finally had success. One of the problems of living in the "boonies" is having to do these kinds of things ourselves.Our friends, RT & Rhoda and their pooches Tommy & Molly, came to visit. They will be back in a week or so on their way home again. We are also expecting our rockhound pals from the coast, Dan & Susan, to stop in on their way to visit family. It's nice to have the home theatre now set up.
We added a sign to our driveway entrance. It was a retirement gift to Art from his buddies at the EOB and was made by the guys who make street signs for the City of Vancouver. It's highly reflective so it'll be easy to see at night on our very dark road.
The garden is doing well. It's kind of a wild thing. The veggies are growing in raised beds made of truck tires, but we let the ground cover do whatever it wants. Right now, it's thick with clover and there are TONS of bumblebees.
Living just outside the village of Fraser Lake are a couple of foxes. I remembered to have my camera ready when we drove by this fellow. It's not the greatest quality because I'm zoomed in quite far using the little Canon Powershot, but still pretty good.
He caught a mouse and ran away with it in his mouth. We've also seen a black fox about 2 km down the road from there.On the animal front, back at home, Cleo is still not "getting" that the cats are not snacks. And the cats seem to know this. They are not afraid of Xena and when RT & Rhoda's dogs are here they aren't afraid because they know there is no threat. They are very wary of Cleo. They know she's on the other side of this door.
We let her see the behaviour between Xena and Ewie, hoping she might learn by observing. If only.
It's unfortunate, but we have to tie Cleo up when cats are around. Then we trade off and lock the cats up to let Cleo run free. She is just outside the frame of this picture, with eyes rivetted on Boose (on Art's chest). I'm sure she is wondering why Xena is not munching on that kitty.
So, what are they looking at, by the way? We have a LOT of barn swallows and they were overly active for a few days. There were hundreds of them and they would fill the branches of the two big trees we have by the sheds. Then all of a sudden they would simultaneously explode into flight. They would fly around a little and gradually all go back to the trees. Then explode again. This went on and on.
We welcome these birds because they eat the bugs. We rarely see a mosquitoe and that's OK with me.SOoooooo.... has it been hot enough for ya? I don't know about anywhere else, but if you live in British Columbia you are probably cooking right about now. I know I am. And frankly, it's getting tedious. Enough already! Even the hummingbirds are lying low. I've hardly seen them during this heatwave. They come out when it cools off. The only fun part of this kind of weather are these.
Actually, one whole drawer in our freezer is now dedicated to frozen treats. All fat and sugar free, of course.
Dontcha wanna just stick your head right in there? I do.
