Our neighbour Lynne, told me that she noticed the house roofs had frost on them early this morning. They rise earlier than we do. And I noticed when we first came downstairs this morning that both she and Daniel were already out. They're not out that often, so I felt it to be unusual. Since they both retired they've spent a lot of time on cruises and organized trips abroad. Actually, our neighbour next to them, Serge, is also peripatetic, travelling hither and yon on exotic trips. I doubt there's anywhere left for him to see that he hasn't already made a trip to at least once before.

Lynne, and Dan, I noticed, had piles of soil bags in preparation for some garden work. Hours later they were still at it. When I took Jackie and Jillie out for their ravine walk, there was Lynne, spreading fresh soil on the front part of our lawn. At least a sizeable area that should have been lawn. Irving has tried to ameliorate that part of our lawn countless times. It's never been the same since Bell Canada excavated the front of the lawn to fix a poor cable connection. Any time Irving managed to get the grass in good condition, a Bell crew would return and dig it up again.

They're supposed to fix things up after finishing these jobs, but they must contract with a group that does things quickly and on the cheap; nothing they've ever done has resulted in anything resembling a healthy lawn, and we're not that particular. Irving is out of commission for a while, getting over a bout of gout. He's much improved from his condition two weeks ago when it first hit, but it's a slow process. I was out in the backyard this morning, cutting the lawn with the use of a push mower that he bought years ago when a robin was nesting under the deck and Irving didn't want to disturb the nestlings with loud noise from a power mower.

The pure enjoyment we share going out daily with Jackie and Jillie to the ravine, traipsing through the forest trails has been rather reduced of late. Jackie and Jillie keep looking for Irving, and I keep telling them he's at home for now. Their usual rambunctious style has been notably muted. They're not their boisterous selves, something's missing for them, as it is for me, in Irving's absence. When we returned from our ravine hike two days ago we found Irving outside, filling up the garden urns and pots with soil.

Today turned out to be a lovely weather day. From overnight frost to a high temperature of 23C, under a bright sun and light breeze. The breeze just right to discourage the presence of mosquitoes and we didn't miss them a bit. We're finding many more little patches of Jack-in-the-Pulpits this year randomly scattered through the forest. And now the wild lilies-of-the-valley are in the prime of their bloom, their tiny white bells fully erect.

By the time we returned home, Lynne and Dan had finished preparing their gardens for annual planting with topsoil, and they had completed the large patch on our lawn, seeded it and had put a soaker hose to work. It's so good of them. We've been neighbours for thirty years, and we couldn't ask for better neighbours. So many of the same families that we became familiar with when we first moved into this house have become friends of the type that make for quality of life.

And then it was time to leave Jackie and Jillie at  home. Alone. Poor tykes. Didn't they whine! Irving had decided  he would come shopping with me. We weren't surprised to find the supermarket packed. We were surprised to see the number of employees busy packing shelves. And we were also somewhat surprised to see so many empty shelves.

Once everything was packed away at home, and Jackie and Jillie given their little vegetable salad treats, we went back out to the front garden, where they moseyed about here and there, and Irving sat enjoying the sun, and I puttered about planting a few more annuals. We've made a date to go out again tomorrow planning to look for more plant stuffers. There's also still the backyard pots to fill. More fun for me!