Two Days Off

Hello,

It is great to have two days off in a row. I like the feeling of time stretching ahead of me. Today I still have some of that to do list from yesterday and I have added to it, but it is not controlling me.

The temperature might control me and my plans a little as well as the rain. I did wash a load of rags today and hung them out hoping that there will be a long enough dry time to finish the job.

In the meantime I have picked some of the tomatoes around the house. For some reason they are splitting and bugs are moving into the split.  I have cut those bugs out and put the rest of the tomato in the frig. It was also a good time to freeze a little Swiss chard.

Leroy and I are thinking about the possibility of getting a small freezer because we have so many things that we would like to put in such a space. The problem is that we do not have a lot of space here in our rooms for such a device. We would put it in the garage as do a couple of our children, but our garage does not have much extra territory. As it is we are filling our little refrigerator freezer to the max. I have canned green beans and a few tomatoes. There will not be so many more tomatoes to can because the tomatoes in the community garden are mostly small and it is difficult to get enough at one time.

One of the neighbors commented that he liked having the small tomatoes because then everyone gets a share. Last year we wondered if someone were even selling them because so many of the large ones went out of the garden.

Life is just some of this and a little of that. I am not buying vegetables and that is great. I am happy that we can get so many vegetables. Others are getting quite a few too and that is good. Enough for all!

Paula

Fun Day

Hello,

I did not work today because I will be working on Saturday. My to do list did not get totally done, but some other things did and that was good.

The best thing was that I went to the garden in the respite from the rain. As I was going there I saw my neighbor across the street talking to a group of guys. His wife was sitting in the car. He asked if she could go to the garden with me. I was happy to have that happen.  She is from Burundi and has some difficulty with English. I understand that feeling of dealing with another language. We managed to talk while we were walking. I did not understand everything she said and she probably felt the same about my speech. She found some things in the garden that she wanted to take home, so that is good. She was especially smiling about the hot purple peppers.

Later, as I was pulling weeds which slipped out of the ground with ease, a close neighbor came to pick some tomatoes. Then he went to get his wife to pick some green beans because he said that hurt his back. While he was gone a woman came in a car to get some veggies. I had quite an extended conversation with her about the nutritional value of smoothies, etc. She is more into that than I am. Then the neighbor and his wife came back and they brought me some oregano and thyme. I thought it would be a quick trip to the garden, but it got quite lengthy. I am happy to learn that people are using this garden and think it is so great.

I told Leroy this is our contribution to the neighborhood. We are not the only ones who work there, but we certainly put quite a lot of effort into it. I also feel that I gain quite a lot from it both in food and contacts. I may not have lived here so long, but I am getting acquainted with my neighbors.

Paula

Gifts in a Day

Hello,

It seemed like a regular Sunday as Leroy and I headed off to church. We knew it would be full at least for Leroy as we were going to the church picnic then he had a nursing home service and his plan was to mow the lawn when he came home. Even though it is Sunday, the lawn needs attention. Our landlord is gone and asked Leroy to take care of it. The lawn mower has some idiosyncrasies so I am not comfortable doing that job and it falls to Leroy who now cannot do it until possibly Wednesday. His schedule gets packed at times. In December the museum is considering hiring him for some extra hours so he can finish taking care of the last books that are in storage in another place. At least at that point gardening will be done.

At the church picnic I was pleased to be invited to sit with someone and in the meantime several people did speak with us. I know more people at this church than I realize, if I could just remember their names I would feel even better, but just recognizing and greeting is a gift.

At the picnic someone asked if we wanted to go to a concert on the Brucemore (mansion) lawn which is a short walk from our house, about eight blocks. That was a pleasant surprise, but there goes the lawn mowing.

We learned that they gather early to share eating time. We just took some sandwiches and apples. It was great to sit and visit with another group of people we know from the church.

The concert was well worth going to as well. I realized it has been a while since I have seen an orchestra in person as I felt the sounds wash over me. The pieces were more on the light side with a guest vocalist who was quite impressive.

The only downside was that Leroy and I did not take jackets and the temperature was 66 before we walked home. We did have long sleeved shirts for which we were grateful. When we realized that almost everyone else had a jacket with them, I told Leroy, “We will not freeze, we will just be cold.”

Paula

Gifts in a Day

Hello,

It seemed like a regular Sunday as Leroy and I headed off to church. We knew it would be full at least for Leroy as we were going to the church picnic then he had a nursing home service and his plan was to mow the lawn when he came home. Even though it is Sunday, the lawn needs attention. Our landlord is gone and asked Leroy to take care of it. The lawn mower has some idiosyncrasies so I am not comfortable doing that job and it falls to Leroy who now cannot do it until possibly Wednesday. His schedule gets packed at times. In December the museum is considering hiring him for some extra hours so he can finish taking care of the last books that are in storage in another place. At least at that point gardening will be done.

At the church picnic I was pleased to be invited to sit with someone and in the meantime several people did speak with us. I know more people at this church than I realize, if I could just remember their names I would feel even better, but just recognizing and greeting is a gift.

At the picnic someone asked if we wanted to go to a concert on the Brucemore (mansion) lawn which is a short walk from our house, about eight blocks. That was a pleasant surprise, but there goes the lawn mowing.

We learned that they gather early to share eating time. We just took some sandwiches and apples. It was great to sit and visit with another group of people we know from the church.

The concert was well worth going to as well. I realized it has been a while since I have seen an orchestra in person as I felt the sounds wash over me. The pieces were more on the light side with a guest vocalist who was quite impressive.

The only downside was that Leroy and I did not take jackets and the temperature was 66 before we walked home. We did have long sleeved shirts for which we were grateful. When we realized that almost everyone else had a jacket with them, I told Leroy, “We will not freeze, we will just be cold.”

Paula

Learning new things

Hello,

I was quite impressed with the young robin pictures that we had taken so I suggested to Leroy that we look at them on the TV which has a 1080 psi rating. We were both amazed at how good they looked. Leroy, who was controlling the mouse, could zoom on the feathers and we could see the center shaft and the feathery wisps on them. He told me what the pixilation was, but I forgot. It was quite good. In FB where we could not control what we were looking at the result was not so distinct. Guess we will have to do this more often. We are pleased with the camera and the TV. The picture that our landlady had taken with an IPhone, of us and the bird, was not as good.

We learned that there is some oregano in the community garden. It was discovered in the weed patch. Leroy thought it had never sprouted. It was small, but quite fine.

I believe that a bunny is living in our garden on the front lawn. At least I have scared it out several times. The good thing is that it does not seem to be eating anything just hiding under the cabbage leaves.

New mouse traps are highly sensitive and a bit scary to set. I had an extended poop conversation, which included eliminating methods of the pooper, at the store when getting these traps. I decided not to be humane, but just kill these mice. We were hoping that it is mice in the attic leaving poop around at various places. However this morning, no mice were in the traps and all the peanut butter seemed to be undisturbed. What now? We both think we have some old traps, but cannot imagine where they might be. We know that mice got caught in them so would it be better to put them out?

Life is full of mysteries great and small.

Paula

Bird on a Rail

Hello,

Wednesday evening Leroy took refuse out to the compost, rushed back in the house looking for the camera, and exclaiming, “There is a baby bird on the porch.”

I had to see it too. It was sitting there watching us when we came back. “Did you walk by it and open the gate without seeing it?” I wondered.

The gate is only about a foot from where it was sitting. Leroy had done just that and the bird did not fly. As we were speaking the wind blew the gate shut with a furious bang and that young bird just jerked a bit before it settled into a state of constant watchfulness.

Using the zoom on the camera allows us to get a good close up, but a tripod is needed to keep out the jiggles. I asked Leroy if I could use his shoulder and he volunteered his head. Our landlady was quite amused, but we got some good pictures.

As we were standing there we noticed an adult robin hovering around in the trees and the roof edge. After going into the porch I chanced to take another look and just caught mom or dad robin fly in and drop food into the open mouth that closed greedily and gulped.

What a wonderful thing to see all this. Better than much entertainment, especially some movies that are considered by some to be hilarious and I do not even smile.

Here are some of the pictures so you can see this adolescent.

Paula

Fall

Hello,

Fall must be coming because there are some clues around. First, the sun has not been hanging around so long. It is even a bit dark when we wake in the morning. Leroy tells me that I was snoring this morning, but I think it must have been someone else as I do not do anything as common as snore. “Was I sleeping on my back?” I wanted to know.

He had not checked, but just let me sleep. I thought I never slept on my back.

In the evening I drive home in the dark after work. That is fine, but I liked it better when I could see farther ahead.

The second clue is that there are more spiders, both in my house and around it. I even saw a web on the corner of the window inside the house. I got rid of the little web, but did not see a spider so I suppose the web will appear once more. Then there is the larger spider that is on the inside of the screen of the bedroom window. I only open that window for brief periods hopefully not giving that spider access to the house.

There are webs on the outside back steps all of the time now. That does not bother me so much but it looks like no one lives here, except  spiders. Sticks help me get rid of those webs, but they reappear almost instantly.

Third, there are walnuts falling on the garage roof or on the car parked out there. The noise in a stiff wind can be quite attention getting. In the quieter times I hear the squirrels chewing on walnuts. They have some sturdy teeth.

Paula