A Cool (Finally!) Morning in the Garden

 

Late in the evening a gentle breeze began to fill this overheated house with coolness. Such relief. We slept in our bedroom last night and I even pulled up a light blanket towards morning. Ahhhh. Rose Gertrude Jekyll this morning, seen with a few water droplets from the watering system, looks very happy. I will have to do some hard pruning today or tomorrow - I read that will encourage more blooms to appear over the summer. Here's Monty Don's advice on this. 

Some have asked about how hot it actually was. Here we reached 39 degrees (102 F). In the interior of British Columbia 46.6C (116F) was the record shattering high. 

I should have been picking blueberries and raspberries, but I couldn't face much time out in the heat. They are holding their own, though, with many berries still ripening. 

Yesterday I had Iris picking blueberries for a few minutes. She is very careful about getting only the purple ones, and they go straight into her mouth. She LOVES blueberries. 

The cosmos are putting on a show in their corner. The heat didn't seem to bother them too much. We have an automatic watering system and most of the plants did well. In the front garden the heat is more intense and the hydrangeas didn't like that. 

This hydrangea is more shaded and is just beginning to open. Such lovely creamy whites and blues. Today is hair cut day. I thought my appointment was yesterday, so I showed up at 10 AM, only to discover that perhaps the heat had addled my brain. I took the opportunity to walk in the cool mall, since I was there anyway. 

As of tomorrow most of our Covid19 restrictions will end. Masks are no longer mandatory in indoor spaces, although they are recommended for those who are not yet fully vaccinated. Social gatherings are back to normal. Church services, too, I believe. And we will celebrate Canada Day!

It will be a quiet celebration everywhere this year as we reflect not only on the very good things that define Canada, but also the very bad things such as the residential schools and the children taken from their homes, many of whom died there. We feel sorrow for those who suffered so, and look forward to a more understanding way of going forward in this wonderful land in which we live. 

As of tomorrow the email option on my blog is going away due to Feedburner discontinuing the service. I don't know how many of my readers used the service. I won't be signing up for another one, so you have a couple of options to continue reading here (and I hope you do). One is to visit my blog directly (you can bookmark it). Another is to use a subscription service such as Bloglovin or Feedly. I use the latter and have found it very useful. 

Canada Day 2018

Canada is 151 years old! That might be young for a country, but this afternoon we, along with many others, visited Fort Rodd Hill, a National Historic Site. Constructed in the 19th century, it has never fired a weapon against an enemy. One can tour bunkers, see gun emplacements, and read about the history there.

Adjacent to the military site is Fisgard Lighthouse, a fun place to visit and learn. 

Tim thought he should take a photo of me with my new red backpack, matching the colours of our flag. There was a tremendous wind blowing, and a cruise ship was sitting offshore, probably unable to dock because of the wind.

I've visited the lighthouse a number of times and always enjoy the views from the windows, and the windows themselves, especially the hardware.

We enjoyed a piece of birthday cake, and had our photo taken against a green screen. Our background choice is a classic lighthouse view. We're dressed as World War II participants, in uniforms that fit us surprisingly well. Tim said the wool jacket itched like crazy.

War is a terrible thing and I'm so glad that we haven't seen its horrors, unlike many others who have fought, or who are enduring terrible hardships because of war. In the end, everyone loses. I'm so thankful to be a Canadian.

 Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

Marching into Autumn

Our hot summer days continue and there's not much autumnal about the weather. We could do with some rain. Meanwhile, as the sun shines, we make the most of it. 

Last Sunday we went to the grounds of Royal Roads University, formerly known as Hatley Castle. I showed you the gardens, but the real reason for the visit was to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Musical Ride.

Marching bands and seated bands entertained the large crowd until it was time for the stars of the show, the horses and their riders.

Our Lieutenant Governor General opened the event. Her arrival to the stands was preceded by the single piper seen above. Bagpipes sound so wonderful in the open air, less so in buildings, I find. 

The Massed Pipes and Drums featured members from three groups, each in their distinct uniforms. I enjoy drums very much and these musicians did a superb job, marching about the field on a very hot day. 

Tim pointed out the daggers tucked into the stockings of the one regiment. I did a little research and the dagger is called a sgian-dubh and is a traditional part of Highland dress. Wilfred Owen, the first World War poet, referred to "daggers in plaid socks" in his poem "Disabled."

We sat next to the bandstand and I snapped this photo of the crowd as a reflection in the horn.

Then came 32 horses and their riders dressed in red serge. How hot they must have been. The Musical Ride is a tradition in the Mounted Police, stemming from trying to relieve the monotony of drills in the 1870s. The riders did tricks and competed amongst each other, and their first performance was in 1876.

Intricate turns, drills, and figures, set to music, show off the riding skills of the police officers and showcase the beautiful horses. The horses seemed to dance through many of the movements, light and graceful. 

One popular move is the charge, seen above, where the officers point their lances forward and urge the horses to gallop. 

The Musical Ride serves as an ambassador of goodwill these days, rather than as a police unit. They travel all over the world performing and representing Canada. This year, as its our 150th anniversary, the RCMP Musical Ride completed a cross-country tour.

Our seats were at ground level, quite close to the front and with the dust, we looked at each other at the end of the show and saw faces covered in dust! 

Have you ever seen the RCMP Musical Ride? 

Linking to Mosaic Monday, back after an August break. Hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.   

Light and Dark

The sun shone last weekend and the temperatures had us looking at the calendar wondering what month it really was. 
I cut these glowing dahlias and brought them indoors.
 

They grace my mantel, a reminder of the last golden October weekend.

On Monday I took a walk around the Bog. Clouds rolled in and a few fat raindrops fell, a portent of things to come. I arrived home to listen to the news of an attack on two soldiers in Montreal.  One of them died.

The wind howled around the corners of the house last night and rain drove hard against the window panes. I dropped Tim off for a flight to Vancouver in the early morning darkness then turned on the radio as I drove home. News of the shooting of another soldier. Captain Nathan Cirillo, part of the honour guard at the National War Memorial, father of one little boy, dead. It's his name I want to remember, not that of his murderer. 

May God keep our land glorious and free.