A Frenzy of Decluttering and Fixated on Gourds

I suppose the title of this post sounds rather odd, but I spent Friday after work and a good chunk of Saturday in a frenzy of decluttering. Mostly the kitchen, or what passes for a kitchen in this townhouse.

I donated an entire dish set I never use (an old Ikea one, not china), miscellaneous small appliances like coffee makers I also don't use, other dishware, storage containers and so on. Clothes, other items. Some of it is in the garage awaiting pickup (when I get around to calling), but all the breakables were dropped off at Value Village yesterday afternoon (thanks, Mike!).

It was "coffee" at Starbucks after that (with Mike), which meant a chai latté for me and -- splurge -- a cranberry bliss bar. Which wasn't as good as they used to be and was smaller too. So I won't be tempted into another, on the next rare occasion I'm in a Starbucks. (Used to go about once a week, but stopped a year or two ago because they are far too pricey.)

I had such incredible energy yesterday; I have no idea where it came from. I've not had energy like that in at least two years, possibly more. I thought perhaps that a week on the high dose of Synthroid might be responsible, but that energy didn't last a second day. LOL. Apparently I can still do all the things I could a decade ago, even five years ago, but it takes me longer to recover. Ha.

Nevertheless, I did walk up to the cemetery this morning, ramble around for quite some time. There were a handful of people/cars coming and going, and a group of youths with a few older people were walking in as I was leaving. Perhaps something in advance for our upcoming Remembrance Day?

I snapped quite a few pics, but will save the poignant ones, and the ones of the war graves, for the 11th. In the meantime, here are some of the "scenic" shots, including some graves that had gourds adorning them. Perhaps "gourds" isn't the right word -- do tiny pumpkins count as gourds? Whatever the case, I seem to have been fixated on them today.

We recently had our municipal election, and I thought it odd but appropriate to see one of the mayoral candidate's signs amid grave flowers, particularly because he lost the election.

 Pond reflections

 Baby pumpkins or gourds or whatever-you-call-them!

The "to each his own" struck me as a rather odd thing for a headstone. It makes me wonder just why it was so important, what was (perhaps) unusual about this person's life or view or preferences.

 There's so much clutter in the background it's hard to see the yellow berries.

 I don't know what kind of shrub/tree this is, but the berries/fruit certainly are very colourful!

This old dilapidated barn is at the edge of the cemetery property. A few people actually live along a private road there, but the land below them (down an embankment) currently is being cleared for another ugly, soulless housing development.

Walking home along Counter Street by the swamp. The water table has been high all summer and I thought it was just due to the regular rainfall, but no, beavers have dammed this part of it up. I couldn't get through the brush to get even a half-decent pic of the dam, but because of it, if we get a heavy rain, I can see that the road near the railway tracks is going to flood. There used to be a dam elsewhere in the swamp, one that didn't pose any potential problems to motorists or pedestrians, but of course the beavers are just doing their beaver thing.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend, a restful and happy one. Back to the cubicle, at least for me, tomorrow!