Bottles recycled and another rain storm

The morning sun was shining, and the horses were soaking it up, napping peacefully in the warmth. I brought us coffees in bed and had a quick "chat" with Deb about their stop in Oyen. With a second cup in hand, I settled into marketing and computer tasks while S was on his phone and laptop tackling rodeo details.

B and Roo from our highway ride on 13th

I gave the tray a second clear coat and left it inside, hoping the warmth would speed up drying. Since it was Friday, that meant it was also indoor plant watering day. S ventured out on a gopher loop on foot before hopping on the mower to cut down weeds—pausing occasionally for some target practice. I headed outside for garden care: pruning leaves and dill, and hand weeding around the raised beds, where the rain had supercharged the weed growth.

look how green the hay fields are

S hooked up the dump trailer and started tossing in bags of bottles—far more than the truck box could handle. I made us tuna sandwiches for lunch, adding in some freshly picked spinach. While S caught up on the news, I went out and sprayed the tea cart black.

pit is still water logged but layers of gross sludge too, ick!

Around 1 p.m., we hit the road to tackle the recycling depot. Thankfully it wasn’t too busy, and with two counters on our case, the unloading and counting went quickly. When all was said and done, we walked out with $390.10! That made the months of collecting and bagging well worth it. For the record, it had been since Sept. 6, 2023—almost two years since our last drop. This haul included:

• 3,260 aluminum cans

• 87 beer bottles

• 168 liquor bottles

• 80 PET containers

• 54 milk/cream jugs

(And as usual, it looked like the house may have scored a “tip” too.)

Next up, S returned some wipers to Walmart then north to B's, I walked from the street to grab Cooper. We made a quick stop at the liquor store and Canadian Tire (S’s favorite, of course), and were back home by 3. S went straight for a nap on big brown, while I assembled and staged the now-finished tea cart, both inside and out.

Once S woke up, he headed out to get the push mower going. After some effort, it fired up, and he tackled the tall grass. I stuck to hand-pulling weeds, which came out easier thanks to all the recent rain. Unfortunately, the mosquitos also appreciated the dampness and drove me back inside.

I put ribs in the Instant Pot, not knowing S was headed into town for the show & shine parade at 6. I ended up enjoying a rib supper with steamed broccoli solo. Afterward, I walked the dogs and let Roo out for some “herd time”—although let’s be honest, it was more about grazing than visiting.

Just before B arrived with Clover (who she’s dog-sitting this weekend), I returned from the walk. She skipped her evening ride with dark clouds looming in the west and stuck with feeding. I wrote and listed the bar cart ad then curled up looking thru Paramount watching a few shows.

Clover stayed inside with me while B did her things

S was home before 8:30, just as B was leaving. We watched more of 1923 together. I was drifting before the final episode though—sleep was calling.

Then, the forecast storm rolled in. I suddenly remembered the tea cart was still outside drying—thankfully, I got it in just as the first raindrops hit. Crisis averted!

I crawled into bed, only to hear J crying at the door. I put him in the garage and shut the window, but it wasn’t long before he was yowling again. Out he went—into the storm. And storm it did! Thunder rocked the house, and lightning lit up the skies well past midnight.

Now… time to finally fall asleep.