7-29-03: Twilight, Stars & Cicadas

Tuesday, July 29 2003

10:47pm

10:58pm   Guess I spaced out there for a while….
Well, another day in the life of country bumpkins… 

7am I got up to let the dogs out. It was a pretty morning so I went out to the chickens and found that Creamsicle had popped out an egg – glad she’s producing again. I went back to bed to snuggle.

‘Keith’ from USI called & said he’d be by @ 10am. (Kontor business) so we were just poking around the house when David noticed that Sam was grazing in the front yard. David went out to the barn, and Sam went in the small door all by himself – turns out the latch on his stall had “come undone”. It was closed when I went out to the chickens, but I hadn’t noticed the lock. I managed to get ‘Beanie’ back in the yard as she was trotting on the road looking for a way back into the field. All’s well that ends well.

After the meeting with Keith (who, by the way, has cast a spell on David that makes him chatty and willing to do guided tours) we headed to the office and continued painting. Worked there until 5:00pm, then headed home.

Had chips & salsa & beer, then outside to continue yesterday’s projects (greenhouse posts…..).  Made egg salad sandwiches for dinner.

Candles in the potting shed. Horses/twilight/stars/cicadas.


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7-28-03: All THAT After Dinner?

Monday, July 28 2003

11:20am    In the Volvo, on our way to “the office” to paint and do misc cleanup. Had a four-egg home chicken omelet this morning.

*Have to stop now & help a guy get a tree top out of the road! (windstorm damage). On 49 before turn to 19.

Well, that was interesting. Mostly rotted, scattered branches. Anyhoo, back on the road.

Spent most of the weekend outside. Saturday, David mowed for hours and got everything done. I did my garden tending and weeding.

Sunflowers in the driveway garden

Potting shed work bench and window to the east

Potting bench shelves

Did some 'social work' on Saturday by calling Karen W. to plan a Michigan visit and/or camping – decided on late August. We’ll probably see each other in Cleveland @ the 10th since she & Wells will be here on business.

I hope to see Leslie in her triathalon on the morning of the 10th. I talked to her Sat. also, and heard about the latest developments in their remodeling. She wants us to offer advice and some planning, both of which we dispense freely.

Almost to the office now, so I’ll tell the horse story later.

3:15    Taking a break, now at the Taco Bell drive through window. We’ve been cleaning & painting and doing a damn good job!

6:40pm    We’re home now, and I’m making spaghetti. The dogs got their dinner first, of course.

10:11pm    Finally down for the night. *After dinner we both went outside. I communed with the chickens, scooped horse manure, turned the compost pike, and packed up 3 boxes of the daffodil bulbs I dug up yesterday. David did some work on the floating fountain, and then started putting in the posts for the greenhouse.

Other happenings these past couple of days: I gave the plant bed next to the corral a major weeding, and dug up @ a thousand daffodil bulbs. Worked with Tessa on some remedial obedience. Baked oatmeal raisin cookies.

Oh, the horse story – on Saturday David was fixing a board on the corral that “Beanie” keeps knocking loose. He had accidentally not latched the gate into the chute that goes to the North field, and Sam was feeling frisky so he trotted right on through. He didn’t get far because the dogs barked through the fence and startled him into turning around. I was able to walk up to him and lead him back through the gate.

The whole thing was pretty funny. One reason Sam was worked up is that David and I had been tromping through “his” field, surveying it for the possible future purchase. It needs some fence work.

*After dinner:  Okay, here in 2014, this paragraph blows my mind. Where, where, WHERE did we get the energy? We must have looked like crazy people working all the time.

End of Entry

7-25-03: Tangential Daydreams

Friday, July 25 2003

8:01 am   Very sleepy. Just woke up. Decided to start getting up earlier and making the days long enough to get all our projects done. The birds are doing their thing outside my window but at a lower decibel than spring. Nothing too eventful the last couple days.

Wednesday the weather was still gray. Went to town (Galion) for a few business setup things, bank, insurance. I hung out in “the office” and measured this & that while David was in the bank. Later we stood inside our biz-to-be and envisioned placement of counters, shelving and copiers. Lots of cleaning and painting to be done.

Also, went to JC Penneys for a big sale – bought bathroom rug, towels, shower curtain for the downstairs bathroom, and some sheets & stuff for the bedroom. Spent a lot, saved a lot.

Ribs & garden potatoes & salad for dinner.

Yesterday morning David went out again on business while I putzed in the garden. When he came back, we took off on the Gold Wing to Mt Gilead to get it licensed. Nice weather for a change, and the scenery was great as usual. Later that day I stayed outside doing yard maintenance and David worked downstairs texturing the walls.

After a Yakisoba dinner, he removed the paneling from the wall behind the air hockey table. Speaking of renovations, I talked to Leslie yesterday and their house addition is going full steam. Roof is on, windows coming today, and on Monday her exterior kitchen wall will be removed. She said she may need our advice on a few things… 

We want to see the project, and we’re full of advice on this kind of thing. Actually, not so much advice as knowing what questions to ask to find out what a person wants and needs in a design or décor. Especially important for any permanent fixture placement.

kaz / pixabay.com

Well, It’s 8:47am now (I’ve been going off on tangential daydreams between paragraphs) and time to get these goofy dogs off the bed so I can get up. I love looking at them even (especially?) when they’re sleeping. It fills me with a warmth and makes me pause to reflect on how their life forces fill the room, the house, and how dull my sense of joy could become without them around.

Kind of a long winded way of saying: I love the doggies!

David is long gone on errands; buying stuff for our variety of projects. He had quite a list, including 15 gal. of paint!. I’ll go outside and weed before it gets too hot, then I must tackle some indoor chores. Oh, yesterday evening I rode my bike around and invited some neighbors to a spaghetti dinner at our house next Friday, Aug. 1st.

So far confirmed: D&K, P (A works late shift), R&H, J (rents trailer on H’s property). Today I”ll get to L&S and M&W. Probably should invite the family of the girl we may use to pet sit. Just need to alter plans for a large group…. Counting us that would be @ 15 people.

Just heard the first cidcada! 90 days to frost!


End of Entry

7-22-03: Nuthin

Tuesday, July 22 2003

10:06 pm

Whole bunch o’ nuthin today. Gray. Dug some potatoes.

End of Entry

7-21-03: Shake & Dive

Monday, July 21 2003

pixabay.com

9:43 pm     Severe lightning & thunder this morning. A couple of very loud strikes made Vince shake & dive for cover. David was up & around but I was still in bed. After the first zap I knew I was wise not to look outside because I’d just get more scared.

Turns out we may have had a power surge, but no damage except a blown fuse in the electronic air filter. Computer & misc are on surge protectors. Lots of rain with the storm – good thing we got all our outside stuff done yesterday.


Stayed rainy on & off all day with warm temp @ 70. I used the weather as an excuse to stay inside and bake a cake and made frosting (both chocolate). Did laundry, general house stuff, finished catching up on my soaps then watched today’s episodes 2-4pm. Gen’l Hosp. is so drama packed lately!

We both hot tubbed today (separately)  to ease the aches from yesterday’s bout with manual labor. Haven’t had a double egg day yet from the chickens. I think Creamsicle is on vacation. Dinner was spaghetti, fresh bread, and a salad made from all garden produce: lettuce, carrots, gr. onion, and cucumber.

David went shopping at Sam’s Club and Kroger.



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