SEPTEMBER 7 - My New Year's Eve, If Peter Piper Picked etc, and Bye Bye Fifties

I realized today that it's the day before your birthday you should be celebrating, and not the actual day you were born. Just like New Year's Eve, when you party so hearty to celebrate the year gone by. So tonight I celebrate the years gone by - I'll start with remembering my friends along the way, while listening to this lovable gang. Meanwhile, I can't believe this was the number one hit in the UK the day I was born (since I was born in Scotland.) But remember, I was just a little wee baby then - even wee-er than this. I'm glad my big sister doesn't pinch me any more.

It's been a good year. Last September found Howard and me in an almost empty house, the last two rats to desert. We moved to Surrey at the end of the month, and now I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Until, of course, Breehy and I ride all the streets and taste all the Screamers available here. Then we may be ready for new adventures. 

Because I didn't realize Breehy was all set to go this morning, just waiting in Steve's garage for me to come to her rescue, I took Georgia with me for a couple of walk-arounds. First we left to go to Pricesmart to pick up a few things, including Howard's new meds, and to gather blackberries on the way back. It was really hot, as in low 30's, but we sweated our way for the whole 6 kms. On the way back, I checked out what I jokingly called the Viagra plant a couple of weeks ago, and was really surprised to see this. I don't know if this was the original plant - I somehow think not, as it was pointing in a different direction and had no flowers on it. However, it did have something extra at its roots .... I don't care what Pat calls it. 

I have no idea what this truck was hauling.  Maybe someone out there does. It is really good to learn something new every day.

While waiting for the light to turn green an ambulance sped by. There is nothing as noisy in one's ears as standing next to a wailing ambulance, unless it's a screaming fire truck. However, it made me realize how lucky I am to live so close to the hospital, and how lucky I am that my boys aren't the only ones who love driving fast.

I noticed this sign trying to hide behind two layers of chain link fencing -

 That made me really want to wander down this cool shady path to beat the heat of mid-morning.

After a little time at an over-picked blackberry patch, we headed home with groceries. As we passed by the front garden, I noticed Howard's pepper plants were doing really well.

Next came a toast and smoothie lunch, and a 5km trip to Walmart and back. On the Wildflower Greenway path, I found out where my Himalayan cat gets his hair.

And on the way back, I found some trees getting ready for Autumn. It's getting close, even though the weather still seems to be stuck in high summer.

Back home again, to unpack and put away. I bought strawberries and bananas ... main ingredients in Smoothies.

I also picked two big margarine tubs of berries. Just a few of them will make your smoothie purple, if you like purple things. Also, if there's one on the floor when you go sweeping, it will leave purple smear marks on your floor.

But, I must say, the yummiest fruit I brought home today were the Yogurt covered Blueberries and the Dark Chocolate covered Raspberries from Price Smart.

I know the dark chocolate covered raspberries don't look like dark chocolate is covering them. Don't ask me to explain. I really don't know everything.

One thing I know now though - and that's how glad I am that the last time I bought Vanilla, I didn't have a lot of money so I (yes, I did) bought the (shiver) imitation stuff. And I am SO glad I did - because tonight, when I was getting ready, just a few minutes ago, to put my big swollen pan of bread dough into 6 buttery bread pans - I knocked the vanilla from the shelf and the top broke off, leaving a brown puddle of fakeness on the floor. If that had been real vanilla, I would have surely cried.

And now - to raise my glass of OJ to the last 59 years - Happy New Year to me, and cheers to us all!