Staycation week adventures

 It was a holiday week for us, a staycation with a few day trips planned.   Our first one got rained out by torrential rains.  We'd left to visit friends when the skies opened up and was just pouring down rain.   The rain was so heavy that there was virtually zero visibility.   We tried to keep on, figuring that rain this heavy only lasts for a few minutes, but nope, it kept on pouring down.  We cancelled our trip when we realized that the storm front was directly over us, travelling in the same direction as us ( thanks to phone weather radar!). We took the long way home as we missed our turn because we couldn't see it until we were right there.  Water was pooling on the roads and puddling badly.   A nearby town had photos of water in parking lots coming to the doors and past of some cars!  Crazy weather!

Dome open and CN tower

Our next foray was to a Blue Jays game a couple of days later.  That was also an adventure.   The weather was superb but stop and go traffic on the highway slowed down our trip dramatically.  Our train stop had no parking spots available at all.  Because the train is so much easier and faster than driving, as well as cheaper, we went to the next stop and the same.   The third stop we won and found parking.  We arrived the same time as our train but by the time we got from the far end of the parking lot to the platform, the train had left on its merry way.   Half an hour later, the next train arrived and we had so many Blue Jays fans there, that the announcer was cheerfully telling us to enjoy the game and a reminder of the stop we needed.

My view from 3rd Base line

We'd allowed a lot of extra time, thinking we'd grab lunch in the city and have time to look around the ball park.   Instead of arriving at 12:30 pm, we got there at 2 pm.  Sheesh.  However, the Jays played a great game and they won, which was really nice.  On our way home we took our time getting to the train station, waited for the next train with all the other Jays fans who'd missed the first train, and got to our desired stop with no issues.  The conductor announcing stops wasn't quite so luck and messed up announcing the station stops several times.  It was creating a lot of giggling in our carriage at any rate.  Finally we got to the station and our car was gone!  We'd wandered around the now half empty parking lot in the area where we'd parked and our car was not there.   All of a sudden a very nice lady stopped us and told us she'd just done the same thing.  It turns out there are 2 parking lots (we found out later there were actually 3 different parking lots) and she told us how to find the other lot.   A wander over there and I stayed in the terminal, just in case, and Hubby went off to find the car, which he did.  I ended up leaving the terminal to wait outside because a very noisy and violent person came in swearing and screaming at me, while banging things around.   Fun times (not so much).  

The next day we went back to the same area to visit our friends and have a bbq and some good conversation.   We took the scenic route to avoid the traffic and were late, but still had lots of time to catch up.   Our way home took us to where we could see the highway, which was at a standstill, so we took a scenic route back home.  It was longer in distance but  probably faster.  

Yesterday, after a busy week, we decided to just stay home.   I spent time in the garden and harvested the garlic.  As expected all the garlic that had been partially uprooted by the storm and tree falling didn't  grow anymore and so there are a lot of smaller heads of garlic.  The two with the undisturbed roots were a decent size though.   I watered the garden and then rinsed off most of the dirt from the garlic and have set it out to dry.  Once the outer skins have dried and become papery, the hard neck garlic will last several months. 

Freak Fierce Storm.

 

First look at the storm damage on the garden

Weather perceptions are defined by what your climate normals are.  We're currently stuck in a miserable heat wave.  Our daytime temperatures are hovering in the 33C to 34C, with a humidex of 42C - 44C. It may not be that warm to some areas, but here it's really quite abnormal.  We're definitely not used to these sort of temperatures, although we get it once or twice a summer for a couple of days at a time.  It's not cooling down much at night either, making for little relief.  

Split tree that fell on the garden

Besides being uncomfortable, there is usually a risk of pop up storms.   We had one of those yesterday afternoon.   I kept thinking to myself that I should bring the laundry in because it would have been dry fairly quickly, when I looked outside and realized that the hazy blue sky was now grey.   I ran outside just as a few drops started falling.  
I did get the laundry off the line but it was starting to get a bit wet by the last couple of t-shirts.   I then ran to the barn to shut the door.  I'd left the chooks inside because the two new girls have still been hesitant to come in at night.   The more they're in their coop room, the more they realise it's home.  Obviously a week wasn't enough to settle them in with the existing flock.

Anyway, by the time I reached the barn, the winds had picked up.   I got back to the house, with the wettish laundry in tow, but I was soaked because the rain was now pounding down.   After changing my shirt and towelling off my hair, I made dinner early because with that rain and the winds, our power could have gone out at any time.  It did flicker, but we ended up being okay. As I started to make dinner I heard the sounds of a tree or branches coming down.   We checked the windows but couldn't go out because the rain storm was now crashing down thunder and lightning too.   It was a quick moving storm and about 20 minutes later, my son found the culprit.  Half a tree had fallen down on my garden!  Yikes

Bird feeders and stands in with the garlic bed

We'll start the clean up this afternoon.  It's going to take a bit of time and a chainsaw.   From a quick glance, it looks like all but a couple of the 36 garlic plants have been crushed, along with all the green beans, all but 3 tomato plants, some peppers and cucumbers.   Fingers crossed there will be enough growing tips left on the tomatoes and peppers to keep them viable.   I'll have to go get more tomato cages if the plants can be saved because they are mangled!

The bird feeders and the  wrought iron and steel hanging posts are bent and tangled in with the branches and plants of the raised beds.  Even most of the large pots and planters were hit.   Last nighty I was able to salvage two tomato plants which were on the perimeter of the fallen tree trunk and branches.   One needed a bit of repotting so I'm hoping that the roots weren't disturbed too badly.

The stupid tree also took down the clothes line.  Luckily it looks like the cable didn't break but just pulled out at the ratchet thing which holds the ends together.  As long as we can find the wheel which was attached to the tree at the far end, it should be a fairly easy, inexpensive fix.  Still, I won't be able to hand the laundry out until the rest of the clean up is done and we can see if we can find the missing pieces.