Greatwall Studios Graphic Design

And we are all the better for it. Getting a touch dry round these parts after several weeks with no meaningful rainfall. Usually we get into mid June, or early July before we start with the thoughts of a drought. Times they are a changing. Not for nothing, but the change in the trees over the last five days has been non trivial. We have the leaves! The Lilacs are blooming and everything smells like fresh cut grass and flower blooms. It is a welcome reprieve from the nearly 30 degree Celcius temperatures of last week. And we are still a full month away from summer. But that is our weather for you. Miserable through April, a handful of days in the late teens, early twenties (i.e. ideal spring weather) and then BAM! a punch right to the tits as we snap over into 90+ percent humidity, scorching sun shine, and heat waves. All fine and dandy during the summer when school is out, and you can crawl into a pool, lake, pond or river, not so good when your kids are stuck inside an ancient school with no AC, as the temperatures reach the mid eighties or higher for a sustained length of time. I’ll be picking up sweat drenched cherry tomatoes from school for the next six weeks. Poor kids.

I did manage to sneak in a grass cutting session just moments prior to the downpour. It felt like there was some hail mixed in there too. Will have to check the plants to see if they were shredded by those fat, ice cold drops. Front yard only, this time around. We like to leave some wild flowers out for the honey bees, and bumblebees to putter around. Plus the purple and blue look nice for a week or two.

It is Monday, again. So that means domestic duties get pushed to the front of the to-do list. Laundry, dishes, floors and unclogging a sink. Whee! Blargh. Seems like I’m unclogging this damn sink every six to eight weeks. Not the most pleasant task around here. But I thought we were going to get thunder and lightning so I didn’t want to be out in the shop mid cut if the power dropped out, or we had a power surge.

The screen door is finally painted up. Four coats, and a light sanding with 320 grit. Now for trim and the mesh. Then hinges and hardware for the door itself. It is moving along, slowly, but surely. All the best to you and yours this fine Monday in mid May.

Is not how I wish to spend every single weekend. One per day is perfect, a chance to get out, do something a little different, off the beaten path, chat with friends, then BAM! Right back to regularly scheduled life programming. Doing two or three in a day is a messy endeavour. Kids get over tired, and then we all feel out of sorts. I’m not built for that lifestyle.

However, as we speak we are gearing up for two separate birthday parties which the kids need to attend. Luckily, same day, same time, in two different cities. So we will divide and conquer rather than try to do both in the same day. That’s an ugly rush filled trial when you have to attempt that trick.

Also it is now Sunday, and I am exhausted. I feel as though I could sleep for two days straight if I gave it enough effort.

Cook, clean, work then sort yourself out, on repeat forever until you die. Interrupted by precious moments you’ll cherish, followed by the usual slog. Don’t mind me, just sorting out and putting away winter gear, in preparation for our three weeks of mild sunny spring before we collapse over into the searing heat of summer. This is the goldilocks zone for southern Ontario weather. Warm but not sweltering, not yet in a drought, and plant life is growing. Wonderful time of year, if you don’t suffer from seasonal allergies.

I am once again cleaning up the living room after the kids have played in it. Then I have to sort out my hair. Buzz cut, anyone? Anyone? Right to the scalp if I can bear it.

I had a few cracks to fill on my door, so I’ll be sanding that today. Then cleaning my shop, so that I can paint without excess dust settling on everything I’ve spent days sanding to a soft delicate finish. Then back to sawing up Cedar strips and moving along with the build. If all goes well I’m going to turn to a window screen for the kitchen. If I have enough material left that is. I may not.

Is it Thursday all ready!?! It has been at once a very long week, and a very fast one, full of completed tasks on my to-do list. I have two birthday parties in June to plan and execute. One for my wife, and the other for my youngest. Why do people take forever to RSVP to stuff? I have to order food, drinks, snacks, dip and a cake to suit how many guests, so if you wait until the last minute I’ll just have to exclude you. Now I’m the bad guy. Or order expecting you to show up, get ghosted, and have a telling reminder that a bunch of folks were no shows to our event(s). Bah. This is why I don’t like people very much.

The blessing and a curse that is Wednesday. Far enough along that the weekend seems close, but so far to go if you aren’t on top of your work load. As far as I am concerned I am back to getting things done around the house now that we have consistent weather, and Spring finally feels like it has settled in. So I’m out doors during my slow period getting chores out of the way.

We are back to a holding pattern in regards to the gazebo. I want to put it up, and now my wife would like to see it go north to the cottage for shade on the water front. As long as it gets out of the shed this year, I don’t much care where it goes, as long as I don’t have to spend yet another year with it hogging space in the shed.

I need to clear a down spout around the back of the house, but I’m not too keen to get back up on the rough again this week. Taking down the lights went smoothly, and I don’t want to push it so that I have an accident, here by myself. Needs to get done though. That one spout has two many bends in it, and it’s clogged like a MF.

Still sanding and filling holes on the door frame. I’ll finish that sooner or later. I just know it! I took a few days off from illustrating my book, as I had things to do around the house, and hitting my hand with a hammer put a damper on drawing anything while I rest it and the painful lump goes away.

Getting so much done around the house these last few days. Making good headway on the Ash screen door build, from scratch no less. I didn’t grow the trees but I started from rough sawn barn dried boards and have fashioned it into a solid wood door. Just sanding it now. 60 / 80 / 100 / 120 / 150 grits. Then I will paint it white. Next steps are to cut down some Cedar strips, affix one side of them, cut out my mesh screens, staple those in, then add the second layer of Cedar trim. Cut out hinge slots, and screw on the push plate, handle and latch. Then hang it, and all any needed trim in the frame. Totes done with it by June. HA!

I am a man on a mission. Cleaning, cooking, laundry, pruning Raspberries, Roses, Lilacs, taking down exterior lights, uncovering the AC unit, hanging tree swings, planting flowers, and chopping up brush. Staying busy during my slow period. Waiting on invoices to trickle in.

This weather is something else, just lovely. Had a seat on the new swing enjoying the breeze, the shade and all of the bird song. You know they be fuckin’. “Come and get it!” They sing out loudly all day long. Glorious.

After the door, I’ll build an interior window screen for the kitchen. All those years ago when the windows were delivered they missed one screen, so we can’t have it open due to bugs and bees. So I’ll remedy that this year. Helps when I try bacon! An extra window to open to let the smoke out!

And what a busy one we’ll be having today. Laundry, picking up Rx, planting eleven Dahlias, fetching gas, tuning up the lawn mower, oil change, spring replacement and filter wash. Cut the lawn and try to get another round of sanding in for the screen door. She’s chock a block today my good friends. Best get at it, times a wasting. Best pee first though!