TheCapeBlog

Ron installed the deck gates and the irrigation system got turned on yesterday.

Over the course of the weekend, I emptied one of the compost bins. Weeded and composted around the roses.

Combined the rest of the compost bin with the remaining pile of decomposed plants and soil and added to two of the garden plots.

I filed Bennett’s 2019 return. They’ve received the last two stimulus payments that were pending their 2020 return.

Had a problem with NEPS that Jim and I think is a server issue. I had to restore the old version.

Ron bought himself a nice used bike from a gent in Brockton. He’s been running around the last two days buying tools and parts.

I was able to find new homes for the drop spreader and the leaf catcher. Very pleased.

Teddy bit Ron and it was Ron’s fault. There was a brief discussion about returning Teddy to the shelter but that didn’t get traction with me.

I’ve had a few too many conversations with Ron about his arguments with me and this morning I threatened to divorce him and take away his money, which would leave him with less to spend on himself. Maybe that will make a dent – nothing else seems to.

Yesterday, he wandered around Falmouth for two hours trying to find a pizza place that is 489 feet away from the bike shop he was visiting. That’s because he ignored my description and landmarks, thinking that he knew better.

Ron and Tony loaded the queen mattress on the truck, and we delivered it to Edgewater – for Robert! Word is he and Angel like it.

Yesterday I started filling in one of the garden plots with a mix of compost and soil. Also filled more bags of leaves.

I did a little work on new NEPS. Still waiting for info on data source.

Teddy got several walks yesterday. It rained today, at times pretty hard; we were out twice and once more in drizzle. Ron and I walked him a fourth time. It’s a little after 8 PM, and he’s pretty much “down” for the night.

I made eggplant parm. Ron did laundry. We, mostly me, made up the bed.

After the rain, I made a quick trip to the Wholesale Nursery to check out flowering trees, all of which seem to require full sun. Stopped at the banks on the way back.

Yes, cooked. Made a salad and a good risi e bisi from a recipe in last Sunday’s New York Times.

Ron peeled, prepped and boiled potatoes that were almost gone-by.

The neighbor next door – a local bitch who has nothing warm or human about her – is putting in a patio about 20 feet from our bedroom. I made an appointment for Chris to give us an estimate for a wooden Accurate Fence. Cancelled the plumber for today; we’re putting off some of the work we’d discussed with them.

Teddy bit Ron yesterday. We cleaned and dressed the wound, but it was hurting, so Ron has had a removable splint on it, one of our many orthopedic accessories.

We had a long talk about this and decided on a couple of adjustments to see how things go, for example, giving him his tranq earlier in the afternoon and possibly upping the dose to the original 100 mg.

We need to take particular care with leashing him when he can’t see us.

In spite of the incident, Ron took Teddy out for his early morning walk today. This was exceptional of him: it was bloody windy (20 mph at one point) and cold (40). He’s been working on the compost, too.

Ron fixed a hose for the front spigot. I brought up the hose reel, turned on the back spigot and sprayed weed killer on the back and side lawn.

I did more pruning and weeding and the beds look pretty decent at this point. I fed all three peonies with triple phosphate and hammered in another support for the front peony.

I finished hacking through the giant pile of leaves and pine needles yesterday. The leaf mold at the bottom is great for the gardens or maybe even a new woodland garden. Ron kindly brought the bags to the transfer station.

Ron also replaced the vanes that Teddy had chewed. That involved repairing one of the vane holders.

The day before, we’d composted a bunch of gone-bys. At Ron suggestion, I planted a sprouted red onion in the garlic patch before composting the rotten outside.

I made oatmeal and sautéed two bunches of chard with garlic. Ron cleaned up the kitchen before going to bed.

I did a late shop around 8. The store was quiet, and I lucked out, got a register pretty much right away.

We didn’t finish the laundry and get the bed changed until close to 9 PM.

This morning, I dug up a couple of offshoots of the beach rose and some weedy plants and finished pruning the garden in front of the fence. Two acetaminophen and I still hurt. For the first time, the thought of condo living crossed my mind, briefly.

We brought the second load of unshreddable brush to the recycling center yesterday and brought home paper leaf disposal bags.

I’m eager to continue working on that part of the yard. It looks so much better without the detritus from the County.

Ron doctor’s office failed once again to renew his Tramadol prescription. Their on-call doc was able to help him this morning.

Teddy chewed through his leash yesterday. Not his fault, I’d anchored it to rebar in the mistaken belief that he’d enjoy being in a different part of the yard. I ordered a new one this morning.

After we took Teddy for a walk first thing this morning, Ron found out that Sid passed away yesterday.

He mentioned Sid either yesterday or earlier today.

I got Ron to have breakfast and work with me outside. He’d recovered enough to have been his usual pain in the ass self. Still, this is a huge loss, and he’ll be mourning for a long time.

I did some more cleanup in the rear left side of the yard. My goal would be to have a nice area for Teddy to roam by the start of Summer.

I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon tracking down W2’s and 1099’s for Bennett. I found out that their “friend” never filed a 2019 return for them, which is why they didn’t receive the second or third stimulus payments.

Bennett has followed up with at least some of this, so there is reason for optimism.

… total COVID immunity.

Drove Cathy home from dropping her car off yesterday. She treated us to breakfast at Betsy’s. Only ate half of hers and was going to throw it out, so I took it home for Teddy.

I dropped off recyclables at the transfer station and picked up a couple of things at Stop & Shop.

We did some more cleanup in the back. I brushed and combed Teddy.

The trainer’s opinion that Teddy is too old to do new things is a jolt.

Ron and I have taken on some serious responsibilities, both for each other and for Teddy.

Ron admitted this morning that when he says “not for the moment” about spending, he really means “never”.

Ron and I took on a big project, cleaning up the hummock between our property and the Fairgrounds. It was a mess of roots and broken branches following an incomplete cleanup by their maintenance person last year.

We’d need an earth mover to really finish it, and maybe they’ll drag out their bulldozer again at some point. In any event, it looks a heck of a lot better now.