Memories of Dad

This picture was taken the first time our family ever got to go anywhere on a day trip. I was six years old, which made my brother ten and my sister four. I remember this trip well. We went to Niagara Falls. What a wondrous sight for kids. We were in awe of the amount of water pouring over the precipice of the Niagara River. The Whirlpool Rapids was one of the highlights of our day, as was the Floral Clock.

There are few photos of Dad and it's very rare that there are any with us kids. This is one of two that I borrowed from Mom and had copies made.

Dad taught us many things. As we grew older, he taught us to hunt to supplement the family table. Rabbits and squirrels were normal fare during the winter months. I remember hunting cottontails when the full moon shining on the snow made it almost as bright as day. It was harder to hunt rabbits when the moon was full, but oh, I remember it being so pretty with the Northern Lights dancing on the snow on darker nights

Dad had one rule I will never forget and I've told Brandon that he must learn to do these things before he drives a car. We had to know how to change a tire, put gasoline in the tank and change the oil. He also taught us how to check fluid levels and listen for noises that would indicate there was something wrong. I'll never forget how he dressed me down when a wheel bearing seized on my car, but I never did forget that sound.

Dad taught all of us kids to drive. There were no driving schools back then and we drove tractors from a young age, but he was the one who taught us to drive on the road. He took me for my driving test and was so proud when I got my license on the first try.

Dad taught us we had to be honest, clean, kind and compassionate. He taught us a good work ethic and how to do hard physical labor. He said it didn't matter what kind of work you did, as long as it was honest.

Dad passed away in August 1981. There are many times even now when I would love to seek his advice. He worked hard to provide for his family for very little pay. We often had only the bare necessities, but our home was filled with love.

Rainy and Chilly

Yes, it's raining and cool again. I'm not sure where spring was, but she didn't visit our neck of the woods too many days. Soon we will be into the hot days of summer. It is to be 29 degrees Celsius here by Wednesday and that is 85 Fahrenheit. That is a little too warm for me. I would prefer 70 to 75 degrees all year round.

I have my three Pay it Forward recipients. They are:

Airman Mom

Pea from Pea's Corner

Hootin' Anni

Thank you, Ladies. The Pay it Forward last year was a lot of fun and I'll start looking for the perfect gift for each of you. It will arrive some time in the next year.

If you would like to participate, look for these lady's posts and join in the fun, or visit Denise at Life at My House. She is still looking for a couple of people as well.

Pay it Forward

I've enjoyed taking part in a few Pay it Forwards. Denise at Samaritan Women and Life At My House was asking for people to participate. These are always a lot of fun.

If you want to join in the fun, just leave a comment saying you'd like to be included. The first three people to do so will receive a gift from me sometime during the next year. In turn, they will post a Pay It Forward on their blog and send a gift to three people who agree to participate. You never know when the gift will arrive in the mail. It could be next week or next June. It truly is a lot of fun trying to find out what people like so you can send an appropriate Pay It Forward gift.

The boys and their parents went with the school to Canada's Wonderland today. I do hope they got there early this morning because it rained all afternoon and is still raining. It is to rain almost everyday for the rest of the week and also on Saturday. Hubby and I was hoping to get out for the day, so I'm hoping the weatherman is wrong.

A Little Gardening with Jordan

Jordan came over today and helped me do a little gardening. Here he is at the front bed, getting ready to finish the planting.

He planted coleus and we now have two astilbe, one cream and the other pink, or so the label said. The one is flowering the other isn't yet. There is a foxglove on the right of the photo. They are absolutely gorgeous. The spiderwort is nice. It was gift from Michelle last year and if it is like hers, it will spread.

Hubby had planted this yellow trumpet vine and Jordan put the white rocks around it. It keeps the feral cats away and also helps the plant retain moisture.

It was really hot here today working out in the garden, so we finished up the front and then came in for a cold drink and enjoyed the air conditioner. I took him home around 3pm and tonight he attended his DARE graduation, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance and Education. Grandma is quite proud that both of the boys graduated through this program.

Enjoy your week. It's going to be hot here, but Wednesday the rain is to be back. That will probably make it very humid. Not looking forward to it.