TheCapeBlog

Still struggling to clean the wound in my left ring finger. It’s been bothersome for over a week and a half.

After thinking about going to a vegetarian food event in Osterville, we stayed in yesterday. Phoned them; they sold out an hour before they’d planned to close, so just as well we didn’t go. The organizer was nice enough to give me a rundown of the offerings, which was helpful for future menu ideas.

We read the Times, did laundry, changed sheets: the usual. I started reading a Booker prize nominee, “Ducks, Newburyport”.

I stopped after four “readers”, though. It was surprisingly tiring.

Made a new friend; we had lunch at Crisp.

I did get to be a reader of two “books”, one a dentist who immigrated from Eastern Europe and a Mashpee woman who spoke about being Black on the Cape. The conversation with the second woman was more about her son who is handicapped. I was interviewed by a radio station freelancer.

Finished watching “The Spy” on Netflix.

Up at 6:45 to get ready to drive Robert to work. He looked pretty sharp in his purple shirt!

Washed the truck, much to Smokey’s displeasure; I think he may have been sitting under it.

Did laundry. After Ron finished his morning ablutions, we dropped off wood at the transfer station.

Salad and garlic bread for lunch.

I went to the Food Pantry this morning. On the way home, I stopped at Soares and picked up two healthy-looking Vitex “Flip Side”, a shrub that sports purple flowers and leaves, for Edgewater; 60% off, about the best deal around.

Ron and I spent part of the afternoon at Edgewater working on the front lawn and the grass garden.

Planted and watered the shrubs in the grass garden while Ron mowed the front. We mulched the new plants with the clippings.

I’ve been nervous about the increasingly cold temperatures; last night, it got down to the mid-forties, and we are very close to the average first frost for this area.

So, after a light supper of corn on the cob from the Pantry, I sprayed the potted hibiscus and mixed diatomaceous earth into the top inch or so. Ron brought it in to the kitchen until we get it set up in the basement.

I’ve taken care of the back yard, which has been neglected this year.

Peter was sick and his shoulder was acting up for a while. I can’t remember my excuse.

I mowed yesterday – twice. Once the grass dries out – we had 17 hours of rain last night and this morning – it’ll need to be mowed again.

I dug up all the “junk” plants in the corner by the fence.

I also dug up, moved and dug new holes for the big grasses, which were overtaking the garden and picked up blow-downs from the big storm earlier this week.

Today I finished planting the big grasses. Returned one to the “grass garden” and placed four by the metal fence. Pruned two of them; I’d pretty much mashed their fronds.

Picked up three nice fall asters on sale yesterday at Scenic Roots and planted them in the new area, adding Peter’s favorite color, purple, to the back yard.

Besides finishing the planting, I spent a good part of today, about 3 hours worth, cleaning up the grass garden as well as the newly planted area. Loaded everything on the truck and made it to the transfer station, maybe five minutes before it closed.

Yesterday, I grabbed lunch at Subway and drove James to work. Picked up bagels for us and a coffee cake for the MRTC meeting at Panera.

Unfortunately, we were locked out of Mashpee TV. The gang decided to go to Bobby Byrnes, but I’d already spent enough money for the day, so aside from signing papers, I abandoned the meeting.

We watched a terrific film about a single mother activist in DC, Virginia Walden.

The smoke alarms went crazy today; I burned half a dozen eggs. Had some for a late lunch; they were good, even so.

Started the day by cutting up the pile of Russian olive brush that Ron hacked a few days ago and hauling it to the transfer station. We fit all of it in the truck, reserving some large branches for Ron to do something with.

We went to a memorial dance/fundraiser for Chris Sweeting, Greg Baker’s bandmate, who passed away earlier this month.

I went to Falmouth for the Jazz Stroll. Too many people, but I enjoyed a couple of the groups anyway. The flowers are from the Museums on the Green. Stopped at Cumby on the way home.

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Thought I was to pick up Robert, so I did some Falmouth errands, including picking up a (free) pizza at Shaw’s (we’d had a coupon but they ran out), shopping at Dollar Tree, buying Friday discount flowers at Roche, ice cream at the place in Waquoit (Gifford’s, not a big deal) and diatomaceous earth (not cheap) at Mahoney’s.

Turns out, Robert had a ride, so I got home earlier than expected. Threw the pizza on the grill. Burned the bottom, of course, but it was still good.

Cancelled Acorn (good until 1/11) and helped Ron cancel a couple of subscriptions that’ll save him about $14 a month.

Paid Narragansett insurance and HFCU.

I thought Dollar Tree was okay, but still believe it was the wrong location. Would work at South Cape Village with a building more in keeping with the others. Their facade is ugly, no question.

We, mostly Ron, took out the air conditioners. We, pretty much both of us, took down the popup, cleaned it up a bit and brought it in. It had overturned in the wind.

Aside from that, it was a quiet day. Extremely windy, incongruous with sunshine in the morning. Except for a couple of brief outages, we kept our power.

I enjoyed the first Cape Cod Times civility session last evening. Almost made it home before the rain. The only bad patch was finding the entrances to Winslow Farms.

I think I’ve got billing procedures squared away with the new insurance companies. One is automatic, the other two are not. Different logins for all three policies; oh, joy.

Made a really good soup yesterday – cauliflower and squash – and nut and lentil burgers today. A little crazy to grill outside with the wind, but it worked out.

Very pleased that the Dollar Tree proposal was withdrawn. Ron texted last evening while I was at the Times.

Worked some more on cleaning out that wound on my left hand ring finger. It feels somewhat better. We did a transfer station run yesterday to dump the detritus. I think we did a laundry as well.

Yesterday, Ron drained and stored all but one of the small soaker hoses.

I cut back more daylilies and hosta along the fence and weeded out a pile of grass and violets from the rose bed next to the deck.

Got something stuck in my left ring finger, hope I removed all of it.

Signed us up on ROKU for HOOPLA, another free online film, TV show, book service.

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