Thoughts

• I'm on vacation this week.  Did I mention that?
• It's my gardening week this week.  I always book a week off in early June so that I can play in the gardens and commune with the worms.  
• Since I'm not adding a new garden this year, and most of my gardens are filling in with perennials, I'm at a bit of a loss.   There isn't very much gardening to do.   I actually  had to return some raspberry bushes today because when I got them home I realized there was no place to put them.  
• I bought and planted an apple tree.  Most trees around here cost $200 or more.  This one cost $30.  It's only 6 feet tall, so it may be a few years before it blocks the view of my neighbour's hot tub; but it was in the budget.

I'd show you pictures of my new tree, but I'm in my pj's and it isn't dark outside yet.  Considering that appropriate coverage (or lack thereof) is the primary reason why I decided to get the tree, outdoor photography didn't seem like the best idea right now.

• A few years ago, I rescued "Gazania" plants from the clearance table.  They weren't labelled, but turned into a wonderful surprise.  Not knowing what they were, I've been looking for more every year.  Thinking I'd found them again, last week I bought "Osteospsermum" and planted them in the front garden.   They're pretty, but not the same.  Today I was very happy to actually find what I was looking for - gazanias.  So, now I have both.

Gazania

These flowers close tight when it cools off or goes dark.

Osteospermum

These stay open all the time.  

It may seem weird, but that makes it seem as though they have less personality than the gazanias.


Also, these are photos that I stole off the Internet.    See above explanation for lack of original photography.

• I am organizing a community garage sale.  I need to have a garage sale myself because I wouldn't let my parents take all their stuff to the dump when they moved.  I was hoping to take advantage of an annual event around here.  Every year, our close has an annual garage sale with about 15 house participating and a tonne of people come out... a lot more than would come for one single garage sale.  This year, it didn't seem like anybody was going to organize it, so said I'd do it.  Now I have a lot to do to get ready.
• Hoping to force myself to start getting into better shape, I made a bet with a friend.  He took up running last year, and is doing quite well.  He set a goal of being able to run a km in 5 1/2 minutes by August.  I set a goal of being able to run 8km, with no stopping or walking, by August.  Whoever doesn't reach their goal has to buy the other dinner at my favorite restaurant.  I am already regretting making the bet.
• I went shopping today and bought some shirts in my usual size.  When I got home, I discovered that they are all too big and have to be exchanged for a smaller size.  Reality is, the clothes at the store I went to today fit bigger than the store where I usually go.  Doesn't matter, though.  Having to "downsize" my new clothes makes me happy.