Saturday, February 28, 2009

"Timber"!


We decided to get some trees cut down from our property this year. We fell in love with this property, partly because of the trees, so it was with mixed emotions that we had to agree that the trees had to go.

One Cedar was causing so much damage to our driveway with its roots that we need to replace the driveway and possibly the concrete parking pad. (Its a good thing this particular tree was felled - the trunk we discovered, was diseased and had a hole right down its middle - so we saved ourselves or our neighbours a disaster). It turns out that I had good reasons to sleep downstairs on stormy nights!

Another Cedar had a split trunk - with 5 skinny trunks all waiting to get blown down onto our home. Two Pines were pushing up a neighbor's private roadway with their roots, needles dropping and clogging their drains. We had a beautiful California Redwood growing 12 feet from our family room window - and we all know how big they grow!

We had a total of 10 trees felled!

Over the years, Craig has removed 6 or so smaller, more manageable trees. We've grumbled about pine needles getting tracked into the house on shoes and the dog, the yellow dusty pollen on the pines which sticks to our windows, cars and deck every spring, tree sap on shoes, on the dog - I'm sure you all can relate!

So, they've gone - I'd like to say "good riddance" but I am tinged with sadness - well, just a little. We now lack what little privacy we once had. Oh well, I can replant - I'm looking online - alpine trees, evergreen hedges - stuff which will be easier to maintain. I'm eager to get replanting and I think I have an idea of what to do.

Any landscaping advice would be GREATLY appreciated!

And I'll definitely sleep sounder on stormy nights!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

My Funny Valentine


I first met Craig on February 16th 1985 - such a long time ago, literally a world away!

We met, thanks to my brother Jon. It was a Saturday lunchtime. We met in town (downtown) at a pub called "Star of the West". Its not there anymore - the city demolished it to make room for ... a parking lot! It was a really old, really dark, musty, fusty pub - probably Victorian if not older - lots of character and history!

I already knew some of my brother's friends, but there was this new guy at the end - fit ... curly, almost red-haired ... fit ... and jolly ... fit ... he was different, (he must workout?) ... I remember thinking, but nothing more.

What sticks in my mind from that first meeting was his humour (he told a really cute funny joke), his new shoes (still in the box) and his authenticity.

Here's the joke:

A baby polar bear asks his mother ''Mommy, am I 100% polar bear?'' The mother looks up in thought, and replies ''Well, your father is 100% polar bear, and I'm 100% polar bear, so I'd say yes, you're 100% polar bear.''

Not satisfied with this answer, the baby polar bear goes to his father and asks ''Daddy, am I 100% polar bear?'' The father pauses briefly, and responds ''Well, your mom's parents were both 100% polar bear, and my parents were both 100% polar bear, so yes, you're 100% polar bear.''

The father then looks at his son and says ''why do you ask?''

The son replies ''because I'm ABSOLUTELY BLOODY FREEZING!!!!''

The joke didn't woo me - but it certainly made me laugh, and remember him. I will tell the whole story sometime, but it was a long 7 month wait until we began dating properly.