Strange sleeping arrangments

 OH MY GOSH --- I feel like I'm sleeping in my nephew's basement. WAIT --- I am sleeping in a basement -it's not my nephew's. My host is a single, youngish man (used to be a bank manager, now drives a school bus, from India), and well, it's rather a very bizarre situation, but I feel perfectly safe, and you just learn to roll with the punches. 

It's all a good lesson to book a hotel in advance, because you never know when a rodeo is coming to town! 

And the house is in a decent part of town, so that's OK. Some parts are sketchy, but this one is not. What's hilarious is that I lived for a very short time in North Battleford - probably less than a year in total- and I lived in two places. For several months, though I don't recall the exact number, I lived in this huge house. My boyfriend and I shared the top floor of this beautiful old house. And if I remember correctly, at one point, a friend of mine lived on the main floor or the second floor. I don't remember the details. That was a very, very long time ago. I remember Jacques would climb out that long window up top and sit on the roof. OH!!!

My second apartment was on the third floor

Anyway, the house where I'm currently staying is two blocks away from that one. I think I heard that one family bought that big house and converted it back into one house. It would be fun to see the inside. It is a very unusual house in this area. The house I'm in is TINY! But it works. 

And I had company as I fell asleep last night. This is Zorro. 

Zorro

And Zorro is a BIG dog. I keep calling him a him, but I'm not sure - I didn't check. Let's just say that he makes Murphy look like Bear. He stayed there for a while, got bored, and went upstairs. And YES -- that is a plywood floor. Seriously! One has to remember that there is a different mentality to life here, and hey, I grew up in a house with no running water until I was 16, so a few inconveniences along the way are not a big deal. It's bug-free, which is all I care about. 

And really, all I want is a bed. I got a bed. And I paid slightly more to stay here for 5 nights than I would for one night at the hotel. So yes, I can be a snob, but I can also live with less. Good grief - I just camped on a mountain in a tent! 

After I wrote the blog yesterday, I went back to sleep and slept for hours, which was good, so I didn't need a nap in the afternoon. 

Then I drove to North Battleford. I spotted fields of birds along the way, with one field standing out as entirely white with birds. My Mom thinks they were likely snow geese. I didn't stop to take a picture. Then I spotted a slough (pond) that was filled with ducks. Again, I didn't stop to take a picture, but I knew where I could get a picture of the birds. 

Between the city (North Battleford) and the town (Battleford), there is a bird (hmmmm) sanctuary? I don't think that's what it is, but it's a spot designated for wildlife, especially birds on the migratory path. There's even an observation tower. 

The observation platform

That's where I stopped, and this is what I saw. The water was filled with Canada Geese, and they were honking like a church choir. It was pretty cool to see and hear. I wonder why they were only in that one section, though, and not spread out more. Was that one flock?  

The birds

I stopped at the local Fabricland because I had some time to kill and I wanted to check it out. They are an independent store, so while they stock much of what the corporate stores have, they also have a pretty decent quilt shop in the store. 

I saw some amazing panels and a wide variety of cool Halloween fabric. Alas, I didn't buy any. But I did purchase something for my jacket class that I thought was cool, and I also picked up a couple of $3 patterns. 

I asked about their plans for selling patterns, and they intend to stock patterns from a different company, though no specific name was mentioned. I wonder what that will be. 

Then I was going to stop at Tim's to get some lunch, and what? Tim's is closed for renovation and will be closed for a month. While there is another one back in the city, I wasn't going back. The town and the city are literally on the river banks - the city on the NORTH side of the river, and the town is on the south side! 

So instead of going back to the north side to that Tim's, I popped into the grocery store to buy a sandwich. And I passed by the baseball museum, so I had to stop and get a picture of this. Canada's Biggest Bat and it is HUGE!!!!! 

Canada's Biggest Bat

When I finally got to my parents, I had to check out the puzzle they were working on. This is set up in the common room of their building. Oh my -- I just had to put a few pieces in as no one else was around. And that is my favorite color after all. YES -- I need to clear a spot to set one up at home. Not to spend hours, but to have a diversion when I need one. 

The jigsaw puzzle at the apartment building

Then I had to go out on an errand for my Mom. My Dad refuses to go to Walmart, so I had to get some yarn for her. I am always fascinated by the variegated stuff. I didn't buy any yarn for myself, but I did find something unusual in a quilt magazine that I bought. I'll take pictures of it today and share them with you. 

I love variegated yarn

My Dad and I spent some time discussing finances. It's always fun when the government comes calling when they shouldn't. And for someone who is 93, he does a pretty good job with the computer and online banking, but he needed a few pointers, so hopefully, he'll remember how to do that next time. 

But we both struggle with the same thing. I remember years ago, I wanted to pay my credit card. To show a ZERO balance. Guess what? That is NEVER going to happen with the way transactions get posted. That also bugs my Dad to no end, and I keep telling him it doesn't matter (I'm over it). You will never see a zero balance unless you stop buying for three days to let everything post, and then you pay it off. As long as you are not being charged interest, all is good. 

Well, I see it's not as cold this morning as it was yesterday, and it actually warmed up quite nicely. I didn't go for a walk, but I might just do so today. 

Once I edit this, I might just take another wee nap and then get up and get the day started. I haven't seen Zorro this morning and I"m still in my bed downstairs. It's a weird house with a lot of noise from people, but there are only two people upstairs. Oh well, it's a cheap place to sleep and more comfortable than sleeping in the car. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!