Plans on Hold... Again

The last day of June was ahead, so I made our coffees and we enjoyed an extended morning in bed, perusing our socials and taking our time getting going.

Once I was dressed, I headed out to adjust Jimmy's bug blanket, toss Roo her hay, and publish Saturday's blog post. It seems I'm behind again.

As I snapped a photo of my first blooming peonies, I spotted this big yellow spider, AI tells me it is a harmless to humans crab spider.

After a quick lunch and the news, S was back to sourcing yet another tool for the never-ending swather repair. I got my weight workout done while he gave Harley a bath. Once she was all clean, I trimmed her nails and we headed out for a walk.

The afternoon was beautiful with sunshine and 21 degrees, but it didn't take long to discover the mosquitoes were out in full force. Poor Harley was absolutely covered.

These well tech fence flags are in rough shape

She surprised us by eating two meals today, which is unusual as she normally rations herself lately.

The afternoon was spent blog writing for me while S surfed the internet as we waited for Shaina and Matt to arrive. We had been planning our first mountain trail ride for tomorrow, but in what is becoming this year's "try again" theme, the weather has kiboshed those plans. I looked into riding down at the river instead, but Nancy reported the trails are flooded and the mosquitoes are absolutely ravenous. Looks like we'll settle for a ride through the winery tomorrow instead.

In keeping with the dog themed day, here is some city dog videos from the other night

The skies darkened before 5, partly from smoke drifting down from the northern fires and partly from what looked like approaching rain. Time would tell. I published Sunday's rain day blog. 

Shaina and Matt arrived around 6 just as I was putting the veggies on the BBQ. They kindly stopped to pickup yet another tool needed for this swather repair in the city, THANK YOU! We enjoyed a hearty supper, complete with fresh scallions from the garden, while S got a fire inside going. B was out to feed the horses before coming in to join us for supper too. She confirmed the mosquitoes were terrible, and the poor horses were certainly feeling it.

The rain finally arrived, although it amounted to only .01 of an inch... boo.

We wrapped up the evening with a few rounds of Call Partner Smear, including three hands of Hearts. Before long, B and Cooper headed home, and the rest of us called it a night, bringing June 2026 to a close.

A Rodeo Road Trip

It was a brief early wake-up before drifting back to sleep until around 9. As we were enjoying coffees in bed, Donny Jo called to see if Sheldon was taking him up on his offer of tickets to today's rodeo at the Ponoka Stampede. This was news to me.

A quick weather check and by 10 o'clock we had decided to go. That gave us about the shortest prep time imaginable considering the rodeo started at 1 p.m. and was a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

Two quick showers were had, I partially dried my hair, Harley was sent out to do her business, and S fueled the truck and grabbed rain gear from the trailer. We packed snacks, beverages and an umbrella—yes, the Disney one—and were out the gate by 10:20 heading north.

We made good time, although we didn't follow Donny's pin quite correctly, which caused a slight delay getting parked, picking up the tickets from his motorhome and finding our seats.

It was a whole new adventure attending the second-largest rodeo in Canada from the main grandstand, Row 5 no less. Thanks to Brama Boots for the tickets. The weather cooperated too, with a pleasant mix of cloud, sun and 22-degree humidity.

they have a raffle for 40 bred heifers called instant rancher or $100K, all sold out before the stampede started

watch the splash the skid steer makes moving the dirt back from the chutes

The drag system to move mud

Edgar Durazo did not make the buzzer, darn

After the afternoon performance wrapped up, we headed back to the tent to visit with the crew and stayed for a beef-on-a-bun supper before making our way back for the pony chuckwagon races at 6:30.

There were wild horse races and jockey races beforehand, both new to us, before the wagon races got underway.

The pony chuckwagons were something else. Smaller wagons, no outriders and what appeared to be some very fearless drivers. In one race, a driver was thrown out at the very first turn and his horses continued the entire heat without him. There were a few more near misses, several flattened barrels and plenty of chaotic racing throughout the evening.

driverless wagon wins, look to the right after it crosses finish line to see the driver standing where he was tossed out

We left before the final heat to beat both the traffic and the rain clouds building to the north.

As we passed through Red Deer, S made a necessary detour for Dairy Queen. We ran into a little rain as we got closer to home but nothing major.

Exactly twelve hours after leaving, we rolled back into the yard at 10:20. S stopped to reconnect the gate that had been taken out of commission after Sunday's troubles and, surprisingly, it worked.

Harley was very excited to see us. Thanks to B for feeding her and letting her out while she was doing horse chores.

We crawled into bed, finished Season 4 and started Season 5 of Clarkson's Farm before finally calling it a night after our spontaneous adventure day. Lights out came shortly after midnight.

When It Rains, It Pours

We both woke before 7. My first task of the day was shooing a magpie away from the wire covered strawberry patch before closing the bedroom windows. The skies were gloomy and the forecast called for rain within 45 minutes.

We both drifted back to sleep, and sure enough it was raining when S got up to make coffees just before 9. His first discovery of the day was a wet dining room floor.

Over coffee we chatted about regenerative farming ideas inspired from the movie last night, with a little help from ChatGPT, before S headed off to church. After some searching, we managed to find him an umbrella—much to his dismay, it happened to be a Disney one. LOL.

By then half an inch of rain had already fallen and it was still coming down steadily.

With the house sitting at only 18 degrees, I decided a fire was in order. Unfortunately, even with a blazing fire there wasn't much heat to show for it. A little research confirmed what we've suspected before—we apparently installed an ambience fireplace rather than an efficient heating fireplace. Considering our original goal was supplemental heat, it felt like we'd been hoodwinked but S reminded me it was much more expensive to install the high efficient ones and had spent a lot of cash on the house build already. Also, we took Grant K's recommendation to heart. Turns out we're burning natural resources mostly for viewing pleasure and it is a lovely view.

Another coffee was required while I researched possible inserts and upgrades as the rain continued. By this point we were approaching an inch of moisture, accompanied by wind that made the weather feel even more miserable.

S returned home from church with flowers the church gave out, his usual jug of milk and lunch but found problems with the gate again. Even with the new battery installed, it had to be powered down and left open. That likely rules out the battery as the culprit and points toward underground wiring issues instead. Sounds simple, right?

We enjoyed our Edo lunch in front of the roaring fireplace while S continued researching the latest swather repair project.

Partway through the afternoon I remembered I had sent the robot vacuum downstairs. When it notified me that it had completed its cleaning, the resulting cleaning map looked ridiculous. Clearly there were still issues. The next hour or so was spent troubleshooting, resetting, and trying again. Eventually I managed to get Shaina's room and bathroom vacuumed.

Then I sent it into Kaylin's room.

Chaos.

The robot immediately returned to its signature spaghetti-pattern navigation.

While trying to sort that out, I noticed the cardboard window blockers along one wall were damp. Assuming a window had been left open, I checked only to discover both windows were tightly shut. A closer look revealed a puddle of water along the pony wall. It appears the window itself is leaking from the outside in around the frame. The MDF trim certainly doesn't hide moisture very well. I dried everything up and made a note for a future repair when the weather cooperates.

B arrived around 2:30 to feed and blanket Bird and Jimmy. Not long after she left, the rain finally eased. By then we had received 1.8 inches.

S worked on the swather pump in the garage. I tackled the workout I had been procrastinating on and then returned to the robot vacuum battle. 

As I sent it back downstairs and started washing the bathroom floor, I noticed it had missed a corner. There were two tiny black flecks sitting there. I flicked them aside so the robot could pick them up on its next pass, then stopped and thought... are those mouse droppings?

I called the resident expert in from now in Big Brown, who confirmed my suspicions. Not only were those mouse droppings, but there were a few more behind the toilet.

Seriously?

This day just kept getting better.

We searched around the furnace room because a few weeks ago we had found evidence of something nibbling on a Harvest Crunch bag, but nothing else obvious turned up. Hopefully it was an isolated visitor and not a permanent resident. Sticky traps were set.

At least the robot finally behaved itself and completed the basement properly this time.

With enough excitement for one day, I turned my attention to supper and got the roast going. Fresh dill from the garden was added to the potatoes, making for a delicious meal. S watched the historic Canada FIFA game where they won their knockout game to make final 16.

After supper we settled in and reflected on a rain day that ultimately delivered 2.2 inches of moisture. Not bad for a place that's been missing so many storms this year.

We wrapped up the evening trying to finish Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm, but still had the finale left to watch. A good excuse for one more episode tomorrow.

Between Rain Clouds and Sunshine

Almost two-tenths of an inch of rain fell overnight and I never heard a thing. What a welcome surprise to wake up to. Unfortunately, it also brought a headache. Even after two cups of coffee I still needed a Tylenol to try and kick it. S spent his morning coffee time sourcing more parts for the infamous swather leaks.

The sun finally popped out around 11:30. S climbed into the skid steer to grade down the weeds along the road edges while I hand-watered the pots on the east side that had missed the rain. I also transplanted some marigolds that had gone wild in other containers.

While out there, I confirmed the culprit behind my disappearing strawberries. The darn magpies have been helping themselves to the ripe ones, leaving half-eaten berries behind. GRRRRR. I found some parging wire under the storage trailer and am going to try covering the plants. Cheeky little thieves.

I pruned the tomatoes just as the dark clouds rolled back in and sent me indoors. That gave me time to finish Thursday's blog post that I had started earlier in the morning. Before long the sun returned, and that pretty much summed up the entire day—sunshine, clouds, sunshine again.

As I was making lunch, I spotted B out in Roo's pen picking poop while S had moved on to mowing the yard. With a 100 percent chance of rain in tomorrow's forecast, he wanted everything tidied up beforehand.

fish from the garden scallions and dill!!

My afternoon included indoor plant care, a quick floor scratch repair, followed by more weed pulling outside. It truly is a never-ending job. B filled salt buckets, raked around the shelters, and eventually relaxed on the deck before heading out for a ride. S grabbed some lunch and continued puttering in the shop.

B out raking

A quick basement tidy was next so I could finally map the basement for the robot vacuum. Once it completed the map, I set it loose to clean while I returned outside.

While the robot worked away downstairs, I updated my flower bed maps and made a few notes on what was planted where. B wrapped up feeding and horse chores and, after nearly three hours of horse-related tasks, she and Cooper headed home.

grounding my Barbie pink toes while weeding

Back inside, I moved around the castle so the robot could vacuum properly, then rewarded myself with a cold beverage and some time grounding my feet in the grass. S came in for a cold beer and more online searching.

I was enjoying a hot tub soak when B returned after 6 to put Roo's boots back on. I had texted her earlier because Roo seemed a little sore on her front right leg. As B and Cooper headed home again, S was finishing the last of the mowing.

The evening sunshine was too nice to waste, so I settled in to watch The Idea of You. It happened to be the same book I had recently returned to the library unfinished. The ninety-minute movie version proved much easier to get through than the book.

This young lass provides all kinds of services!

After finishing his mowing, S enjoyed a hot tub soak of his own before settling in to watch some FIFA.

Later, he joined me for the second documentary in the soil trilogy, Common Ground. Like the first one, it focused on regenerative agriculture and healthier farming practices. It certainly gives a person plenty to think about and makes a strong case that some changes are needed in how we care for the land.

Birthday Perks and Peppa Pig

Early to rise today, just after 6. I made myself a coffee and scrolled Instagram while S made his and caught up on X a bit later. I had a VW appointment scheduled along with plans to cash in my birthday celebration with Kaylin, so I showered, got ready, and prepared for a day in the city.

Before heading out the door just before 9, I managed to publish Wednesday's blog post. S was having breakfast and another coffee before tackling a day that involved helping the winery neighbours and making yet another trip for the "right" parts he had finally tracked down in Brooks.

I arrived at VW about 15 minutes early for my 10 a.m. appointment but quickly discovered there was paperwork involved in getting a loaner vehicle. One thing I hadn't considered was the no-pets policy, so it was a good thing Lexi had already been dropped off back home yesterday.

Once the paperwork was complete, I set off in the loaner for the 25-minute drive to Kaylin's.

The weather wasn't nearly as warm or sunny as I had expected, topping out around 22 degrees. Renn had skipped school for the day so she could spend it with me, which made the outing even more special.

The first order of business was Peppa Pig playtime, accompanied by an iced coffee made by Kaylin. Once everyone was organized, we loaded up and headed for lunch at 1722 Bier Haus. It was a fun lunch, once again joined by the ever-growing Peppa Pig family.

Just around the corner was the pedicure appointment. My little buddy sat on my knee with her collection of pigs, which brought back memories. Three years ago, when Kaylin gifted me a similar birthday outing, Renn had sat on my knee too—only then she was a tiny little snuggle bug.

After our pedicures, we headed back to the Boysis house where the Peppa Pig adventures continued. Renn also did manicures and is taking all future bookings as well as dance lessons. XOXO

Thank you, Kaylin, for such a special birthday gift and a wonderful day spent together.

Around 4 o'clock I finally called the VW dealership to check on my vehicle, only to learn it was not fixed and might need to come back again next week. The issue revolves around connecting to the phone app. Honestly, how can technology still be this complicated?

On the drive back to the dealership, traffic slowed dramatically due to what looked like a devastating accident on the opposite lanes of Stoney Trail. Then, to top it all off, my vehicle was still connected to diagnostic equipment when I arrived. It wasn't until after 5 that I finally got my car back.

My plans for shopping completely disappeared at that point, but I did swing into Costco for returns and a few items. The place was absolute chaos. The return line alone took about 25 minutes, and the store was packed. Between the crowds and the traffic, I decided to make a quick escape east and finally rolled into the yard just after 7.

Harley shot outside to do her business immediately. Judging by her urgency, I have no idea when S left for the day, but she was certainly ready to get outside. She needed a little bribery to eat supper and only picked at it before heading back to rest.

About ten minutes later, B and Cooper arrived. B was less than impressed that the horse's food hadn't been soaked, sorry. While she fed and sprayed horses, the Amazon driver arrived with another package.

B and Cooper were headed home before 8 to enjoy a weekend off while I squeezed in my weight workout. Supper was a banana in cream with a side a fresh BC cherries,

The rest of my evening was spent relaxing and watching a fascinating documentary on Prime called GroundSWELl. It explores how biodiversity, regenerative farming practices, and healthier soil can help restore ecosystems and combat some of the impacts of deforestation and rising temperatures. It was well worth the watch.

I had just turned off the lights and drifted off to sleep when I heard S roll into the yard sometime after 11:30 having gone to Medicine Hat after his Brooks parts pickup for a visit.

Where Did June Go?

Awake after 7 with a coffee in hand, I found myself wondering where June has gone. All three camping trips were cancelled and the concert ended up being more cold windstorm than summer event. Hopefully July has better plans in store.

I put the sprinkler on the peonies again, hoping the wind had eased overnight, but no such luck. After tossing Roo a flake of hay, I settled in at the computer to tackle the IKEA organizer tutorial and relist a few items on Etsy. The tariff situation is still creating challenges, but we'll see what happens.

S spent the morning on his laptop. Around noon he realized his appointment was booked at a different location than he had thought, leading to a bit of confusion before confirming he did in fact need to be at the northwest office. Once that was sorted out, I checked with Nathan to see if he was home so Lexi could be dropped off on S's way through.

When Harley sleeps with her ears straight she reminds me of Lexi and what she would look like as a Frenchie :)

Sun Seeker

B and Cooper arrived for horse chores while I fed Lexi the last of her raw food. Her princess spa vacation treatment was coming to an end. Once she had eaten and been outside, I loaded her into S's truck. After a quick fuel stop, he headed out around 12:45.

With B planning a ride, I caught Switch and joined her. It was one of those blustery days that at least had one advantage—no bugs. After our ride, I left Switch in the barn while B trimmed Roo's feet and then Jimmy's.

This is the plum tree now, some leaves but so many non leafed but still bendy branches. Chat says don't prune yet, wait and see.

this was it a month ago so at least progress

Back at the house, I poured myself a cold drink and called Lori K for a long overdue catch-up. I was just wrapping up our conversation when B stopped in around 3:30 to say goodbye before heading home to tackle house chores and get ready for baseball.

My next project was removing the remnants of my gel toenail polish. There wasn't much left, but considering salons charge $10–15 just to remove it, I figured I could handle that job myself.

Earlier in the day a lady had messaged about the chunky kids' chairs and said she would stop by at 4. Sure enough, right on time she arrived while I was mixing up a couple small paint pots for touch-ups. One more item crossed off the list.

That left me staring at yet another growing pile of photos needing to be sorted. Somehow they multiply faster than I can organize them.

S rolled back into the ranch around 5 after his trip to the city as Harley and I were walking home on our walk. I had secretly hoped he might arrive with supper, but no such luck. He settled for cereal while I opted for a yogurt bowl.

While S enjoyed a hot tub soak, I started watching a Lainey Wilson documentary. Once he came inside, we finally finished Shrinking season 3. After that, it was back to our usual entertainment—more Clarkson farming antics to round out the evening.

Tacos, Sunshine and a New Ramp

Another sunny day started in the usual fashion. A new ramp for Harley had been delivered, giving us another option to test out, while I got Monday's blog published.

Renn takes a rip on Penny

I spent the morning bustling around the garden, weeding and tossing dandelions to Roo along with her morning hay. I also picked a handful of fresh strawberries and some scallions from the garden. Meanwhile, S was out working on his tractor on the grass.

Unfortunately, the wind showed up and decided to stay for the rest of the day.

The fresh scallions made their debut in S's lunch sandwich before he settled onto the couch with the news and a laptop.

The highlight of the day came when I tested the new ramp with Harley. Much to my surprise, she walked up after only a bit of coaxing and loaded into the vehicle. Success! Now the challenge is making enough trips to justify the purchase.

I gathered up a couple of Amazon returns, including the dog stairs Harley refused to even consider using, along with the trash, and headed to town. Along the way I stopped at the gate and picked up the new trailer fender.

Returns were handled first, followed by picking up Cooper and a library book. I dropped off my returns at the library and picked up another book before grabbing a couple of iced caps and heading south, tossing the trash as I went.

Back at the ranch, I let the dogs out at the gate to walk home. I delivered an iced cap to the parts-challenged farmer surfing his phone in the shop.

Garden and hand watering was next on the agenda before I headed back inside while S was in sourcing tractor and swather parts and organizing yet another trip to Brooks for Friday. I worked on a new tutorial but have to create all new affliate product links that take up so much time,

Supper was one of our favourites—tacos.

After eating, we took advantage of the 24-degree sunshine and headed for a hot tub soak. I lenjoyed the usual fifteen minutes before hopping out to put a sprinkler on the peonies while S stayed in longer.

Back inside, I completed my weight workout and then headed for the shower while S watched baseball followed by rodeo coverage.

B arrived later in the evening to feed and spray the horses before taking Cooper home.

she's tall

I settled in with another episode of Your Friends & Neighbors until S came in and suggested we try once again to finish Shrinking. I made us a tasty yogurt bowl for the occasion, but after only another half-hour episode he was asleep.

I managed to finish the season of Your Friends & Neighbors before finally calling it a night myself.

A Beautiful Day Ruined by Mosquitoes

Today was full-on sunshine and, amazingly, no wind.

The day started shortly after 6 when Lexi began rustling around. I let her stay tucked in bed until after 8 before taking her outside. After the usual coffee and Instagram scroll, I somehow ended up down the Amazon Prime rabbit hole as there were a few things I needed to order.

S surfaced later, made his coffee, did some surfing of his own, had a bowl of cereal, and headed to town around 10:30 to get his tires rotated and have coffee with Leonard.

Meanwhile, I was chatting with the robot vacuum company and discovered the model I had purchased is actually an older version. Apparently Costco often gets older models so they can offer better pricing. They suggested looking at one of the newer versions currently on sale for Prime Days. While checking on my Costco order, I noticed the "new" robot was now $130 cheaper than when I bought it a couple days ago. Technology is frustrating that way. Prices drop, models change, and you practically need to monitor everything constantly.

The dogs and I headed outside to get the watering underway. I turned on the gardens and hand-watered everything else. The mosquitoes were absolutely awful.

I also tried a gardening trick I saw on Instagram by placing nursery pots beside my tomato plants to get water down to the roots faster. Four of those were installed. Another Instagram-inspired project was giving the petunia baskets a serious haircut. They may be hardy plants, but they certainly are high maintenance. Left alone they get leggy, and the endless deadheading gets old fast.

A sunny day meant solar power was plentiful, so laundry was started. I also ordered some oil of lemon eucalyptus bug spray after researching safe mosquito repellents.

S returned home with Cooper and lunch from the "new" Greek restaurant. The upgraded lemon potatoes were a definite no from both of us. The feta fries were okay, but personally I'd stick with regular fries if I ordered again.

The new robot vacuum continued to cause grief. I tried three separate times to get it to map the house. The first attempts took over twenty minutes, while the third dragged on for nearly an hour. When I finally sent it to vacuum the bedroom, it wandered around in what could only be described as a spaghetti pattern.

After multiple resets, remaps, and troubleshooting sessions, I finally gave up and ordered a better model from Amazon. At the same time, S ended up dealing with some spam issues on his computer, which I helped him sort through. Sometimes it feels like the entire world exists to either spam us or sell us something. It was a frustrating technology day.

S dropped another half Mosquito Dunk into each of the water pails in hopes of preventing future hatchings. I can't even imagine what the mosquito population must be like in town after all the rain they've received.

Finally, on mapping attempt number four, the robot behaved properly and completed the process in about twenty minutes. I sent it off to vacuum and convinced S to join me for a walk. I cancelled the Amazon order too.

Even Lexi came along today. The lack of wind made for a beautiful afternoon, but it also meant the mosquitoes were relentless. She toddled along for a while before I ended up carrying her part of the way so we could move a little faster. We turned around just past the big curve and headed home.

With B attending a farewell supper for a coworker, I suited up in coveralls, rubber boots, and my gardening hat to feed the horses for her. She had also picked up S's swather parts after work.

beauty night minus the bugs

The feeding went smoothly, except for the usual Roo chase. For a horse with freedom and food, she certainly enjoys making things difficult. By the time I finished, I was hot, sweaty, and more than ready to cool off.

While I was wrangling horses, S stayed inside, folded the laundry I had done for him earlier, and fired up the BBQ for burgers.

Once Roo was secured and the tubs were brought in, I washed the dog dishes and collapsed on the bed under the fan to cool down. BBQ burgers and corn for supper hit the spot.

B arrived around 9 after her farewell supper. The parts she picked up turned out to not be right. This had S completely frustrated with both stores parts men. She attempted to spray all the horses for bugs, although some were less cooperative than others. Roo got her bug sheet on and the rest of the horse chores were finished before she and Cooper headed home around 10.

S and I tried once again to finish Shrinking, with pumpkin pie tonight as the vacuum mopped the hardwood but we were both too tired to make much progress before calling it a night.

new ambience lighting in the city

Half a Tenth and High Tech

I took Lexi out for a bathroom break shortly after 2 a.m. and discovered an Amazon parcel had been delivered while we were watching movies last night. Neither of us had heard a thing. Stella also took that opportunity to request a snack.

I was up again after 6 when Lexi had one of her reverse sneeze episodes and wanted some water. Once she settled, we both headed back to bed.

When I finally got up for the day after 8, it was raining. Excitedly I checked the rain gauge only to find we had accumulated a whopping half of a tenth. Honestly, how are we always in the dry spot when town recently had 2"+?

I made coffees and delivered one to S before settling in with my second cup and getting to work on Saturday's blog.

Later in the morning, I convinced S to join me for an upper-body workout. Afterward, I jumped in the shower while he relaxed. One task I was happy to finally cross off my list was getting my email accounts working properly in the app again. It took far more time than it should have, but at least it is done.

Lunch was grilled cheese sandwiches, with S adding a bowl of soup to his meal. Then it was back to blog work. Father's Day generated a lot of photos and videos, which always means extra time sorting, uploading, and writing.

S spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the couch watching TV while the wind continued its relentless performance outside.

I unloaded the trailer snacks then around 2:30 I recruited him to back the trailer, slides and all, into its spot on the gravel pad. Once that job was done, he headed to town to pick up some of his favourite milk, a few groceries, and Cooper.

While he was gone, a few more bedding decisions were also finalized, which meant packaging up returns. One of them required a UPS label and border paperwork, because apparently returning some Amazon parcels can't be simple.

S arrived home with the groceries and took the dogs for a walk while I put everything away and started unpacking the newest robotic vacuum that had arrived at the gate via courier.

Cooper likes being Lexi's support friend

The Roborock was drained, reset, and packed up while supper preparations happened in between. Then it was time to set up the new vacuum. Before long it was busy mapping and cleaning its first few rooms.

The technology packed into these robots is honestly confusing. Every company seems to have multiple models with endless features and upgrades. It feels very much like shopping for a new phone these days.

B arrived for her evening chores and then headed home with Coop once everything was done.

For the evening, S and I finally finished the latest season of Margo's Got Money Troubles before moving on to a few episodes of Shrinking. In between, I tweaked settings and reviewed the new vacuum's mapping results.

super relaxed

S called it a night while I stayed up a little longer watching Your Friends & Neighbors. It was nearly 11 when I realized the sky was still bright and remembered that the night before had been the summer solstice.

One of the best parts of June—long evenings that never seem quite ready to end.

A Very Windy Father's Day

It was Father's Day, so happy Father's Day to all the dads in our lives, both here and in heaven.

Shaina shared this moment in time with her Father

and Kaylin these 2 Dad shout outs <3

I bustled around first thing taking dogs out then made coffee for the prince who once was up was testing out a new pain salve in the heated recliner.

Before long it was time to pack up camp. The wind was never stopped howling and the forecast promised another less-than-lovely weather day. I washed the few dishes, packed up the inside of the trailer, and got everything ready to roll. S hooked up, loaded the dogs, and I pulled in the slides. Soon we were on the road.

A stop at Tim Hortons was required, where I ran in and grabbed S a Farmer's Breakfast Wrap, a coffee, and his favourite apple fritter for a Father's Day breakfast.

Back at the ranch, Harley made a beeline for the water trough to rehydrate after a few days of kibble and trailer life, took care of business, and then headed straight to her kennel for a nap. Lexi was equally happy to curl up in her bed after I fed the starving cats.

The biggest surprise? We received absolutely zero rain while we were away. Just six miles from where they reportedly got an inch of rain, the ranch remained completely dry.

The rest of the morning was spent researching a new dog ramp since Harley has made it quite clear the new stairs are not something she intends to use. We also went down the RV parts rabbit hole after S snapped off the oven knob while reaching for the fridge with the slide only partially open on packing day. Apparently a replacement knob costs nearly $50. Glue may become the preferred repair method.

As we dug deeper, the list of trailer repairs continued to grow. The bathroom vent gear was apparently stripped last year, a fender still needed replacing after the tire blowout, the water pump pressure tank seemed to be acting up, and there were a few cosmetic trim pieces that had decided to detach themselves. Why do they build even expensive trailers so cheaply?

Soon S was stretched out in Big Brown enjoying a Father's Day nap.

Meanwhile, I finished and published Friday's blog and started working on the next day's entry.

After his nap, S resumed troubleshooting trailer issues. He tried filing the edges of the vent operator gear but no real luck.

I tackled a project of my own and completely disassembled the Dyson vacuum heads. The amount of hair and gunk trapped inside was honestly embarrassing, but everything was thoroughly cleaned, washed, and ready to go again. PSA - check yours :)

B and Cooper stopped by during the process and delivered us a tea. Thanks B! She braved the hurricane-force winds to feed her horses before heading back home.

S eventually located and ordered a replacement trailer fender. I suggested swapping the bathroom vent operator with the one in the main living area that we rarely use. Off to the trailer he went while I served as tool runner, flashlight holder, and cleanup crew.

During the repair, S discovered mouse droppings inside the main room vent. How a mouse managed to get up there remains a mystery. While we were at it, I replaced the dryer sheets I keep in the floor vents to help prevent debris from dropping in and add a nice scent. Unfortunately, one of those vents also contained evidence of mice. Grrrr. They are awful little creatures.

new and old

The wind continued rocking the trailer the entire time we worked. Good thing it was still hitched to the three-quarter-ton truck.

Once the repairs were complete, we headed inside so I could make S's Father's Day supper request—creamed chicken. Thankfully it turned out exactly the way he wanted.

Sun seeker

After supper, S settled into Big Brown with his laptop while I washed pots and pans and tidied the kitchen since it was his special day.

I moved to bed afterward to continue my blog catch-up. Once S joined me, we watched the thriller Echo Valley and then attempted to finish Margo's Got Money Troubles. Unfortunately, with about twenty-five minutes left in the season finale, I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.