Flowers

I was visiting Ontario during the spring plant sales in Dawson City. That one time of year when sellers bring trucks of plants up to town, local growers set up tables and displays to sell their seedlings, and when the local grocery store brings a truck of assorted planted baskets up to sell. I could just grow my own plants from seed, and I have before, but we really don’t have much room to do so! But Jeff filled the role and did great!

He bought all these annuals! Marigolds, pansies, and petunias, and lots of them!

He also bought two hanging baskets that were pre-planted, and 6 cherry tomato plants!

I spent the Saturday after I got home from Ontario planting all the flowers into containers. I planted more than I ever have before! I even talked Jeff into letting me hang a pot of flowers on the garage! aka man town!

I stopped at the Farmer’s Market to buy some herb plants for our herb garden too.

Pots and flowers everywhere!! I love it!

My neighbour Nicole asked if I had plans for the long thin raised garden between our front fence and sidewalk. I had it so pretty for a couple of years, but it needs daily weeding. Hourly sometimes I swear! The grass from the lawn grows into it, and an invasive clover got into it from some manure fertilizer that was added when Jeff had a couple gardeners redo it when I wasn’t well a bunch of years ago. I told my neighbour I had no plans, but she did! She asked if she could use it this year. DONE DEAL! All yours girlfriend!

She’s already got most of the grass pulled, and has put down some weed cloth around the irises. She’s got some vegetables planted in it, and some flowers.

Whitehorse

I was only home for 5 days when I had to head back to Whitehorse for my every-6-month check-up with the gynecologist. I really wanted to drive down so I could shop and get around, since I haven’t driven down to the city for over a year. Jeff’s been using my truck since last summer, but guess what happened while I was in Ontario… Jeff finally got his truck back and it is all fixed!! YAHOOOOOO!

However, my truck needs a new clutch now, and it isn’t so much a factor of waiting for the part, but rather waiting for the mechanics to have time to work on it. That won’t be until next week, so I flew down to Whitehorse for my appointment. The government arranges the flight and pays for it, when the trip is for medical travel (any appointment that isn’t offered in Dawson City). And I just didn’t want to be stranded on the side of the Klondike Highway if my clutch blew up. It’s already throwing metal chunks into the flywheel so…. yeah, flying was probably better. I brought my big suitcase in case I had a chance to do some shopping.

Luckily I asked to fly in Monday evening for my Tuesday afternoon appointment, because the Tuesday morning flight was cancelled due to low fog in Dawson City. I just like being down there and having no extra stress because these check-ups are enough on the brain! Imagine if I had to reschedule it because the flight didn’t go!

Tuesday morning I ran some errands and shopped near the hotel. I finally got a new pair of Crocs! If you are a Croc lover, you know that after you wear a pair for 15+ years, the tread is gone and they are deathly dangerous when the ground is wet! So I was kinda overdue.

My appointment went well and now that it has been five years since I finished cancer treatment, I’ve graduated to annual appointments!! YES! That 5-year mile marker feels really good.

It had been raining all day, but it paused long enough for me to walk from the hospital across the downtown to shop a bit at Walmart and Mark’s Work Warehouse. I made it back to my hotel just in time for a massive downpour. A bus load of tourists was just checking in and they were all waiting for the little elevators, so I detoured right into the restaurant for a solo celebration dinner.

Tony’s Pasta, Steak & Seafood is located in the Sternwheeler hotel. It is a long-operated restaurant with HUGE portions. Since I had an allergic reaction to shrimp, I’m avoiding all seafood, so I ordered the veal cannelloni. The service here is attentive and friendly. I had a caesar salad and I was clearly starved because I ate it without taking a photo! (sorry Maureen, I know you like the food pics! 🤣) The cannelloni pasta is thick and homemade, and the veal and sauce was salty and delicious. I ate half and saved the other half in my room’s fridge for the next day (I actually ate it for breakfast!).

Calories be damned, I was celebrating! And I had already walked 10 km that day!

The flight home wasn’t until 3:40pm the next day. I had no idea what I was going to do to pass the time. I didn’t bring my work laptop so I couldn’t jump back into work, but the rain clouds were parting and there was no rain in the forecast. So I checked out of the hotel, let them store my suitcase, and then I went for a hike!

The Millennium Trail is a 5km loop around a section of the Yukon River that starts near the S.S. Klondike ship (tourist attraction). It is an accessible trail and is mostly a hard surface, and only about 1km from the hotel.

Of course, since there was no rain in the forecast, it promptly started pouring. Twice in one week (the hat was key to keeping the rain off my glasses this time Cecilia!)

Fortunately it only rained for 10 minutes and I was wearing a quick dry hat and had my quick dry jacket in my backpack, so it was fine.

I came upon a couple groups training for swift water rescue in the river, just below the hydro dam. (Jeff’s going to be taking that course again this month!)

The Arctic Lupines were just starting to bloom along the trail!

I added a couple side trails to my route, up to the fish ladder, and then later around an island that was accessible by a small bridge.

The island trail wasn’t paved, and was really nice and peaceful. I met just one other couple out there, from the Netherlands I’m guessing (from their accent) and they were walking with bear bells attached to them (jingle, jingle). That made me smile. I mean, sure, there could be a bear there, I suppose. Safety first!

It actually always astonishes me to find such wild places and hikes inside cities. These areas must be cherished!

After hiking, I stopped at Bullet Hole Bagels for a couple bags of fresh assorted bagels to bring home, and I got a BLT to go. It was soooo good! As I sat on a bench by the river, in the wind (Whitehorse is a windy city!), I contemplated what sesame seeds even are, and what plant they grow.

I did a bit more wandering through some shops, got a cold drink, and then went back to the hotel to catch the airport shuttle.

Here’s my plane back to Dawson!

The wind and the clouds made it a rough ride going up, and landing in Dawson. But it was nice to be back home, again, after a couple nights away, and Jeff and I went immediately out for dinner with our friends Alex, Ags, Kyle, Cerys, and Kyle’s parents who are up for a few weeks.

Boat

The next day after work, Jeff was so eager to get his boat out! He’s had it inflated and on the boat trailer since break-up (just in case he needed to help in any flooding emergency with our search and rescue organization), but it hadn’t even gotten wet yet this year. So we went for a quick spin up and down the river to make sure it was ready to go for the season.

Everything is operating perfectly!

On Friday night we went to Kyle and Ag’s housewarming party.

Their soon-to-be 4 year old Cerys gave me a tour that ended with us hanging out with Furby and feeding it a piece of pizza after it asked for one.

On Saturday, Jeff took us all out on his boat for a few hours! Cerys and her dad Kyle, and Kyle’s Dad Mike.

The weather was amazing! Warm! It’s totally summer here now baby!

Summer continued all weekend!

Hank swam a bit!

And I got the hammock out! It’s already 26°C this afternoon, heading to 28°C (82°F)! I’m welcoming all new freckles to my winter legs!

I hope the weather is as lovely wherever you are!