TheCapeBlog

J&J fixed the stairs to the basement without having to rebuild them. They poured concrete for the basement footing as well.

We went to Bennington for plants from a local gardener: white Phlox and three Evening Primrose. Picked up a little herb garden at Home Depot for half price, but it’s missing a rosemary.

Ron bought donuts and brownies at Apple Barn on the way back. He treated me to a maple soft serve, too.

We did another trip to Lanesborough for apple cider donuts and other treats.

I was able to dig out more of the miserable bittersweet root. Got the new plants in the ground before the t-storm. We watered everything anyway beforehand.

Ryan dropped by to pick up his painting tools; nice to see him and get caught up.

I sorted through two piles of bathroom goods from the old house and found a number of helpful gadgets and enough bandaids and antiseptic wipes to make two first aid kits for the vehicles.

I’m pretty sure the bushes we transplanted are, in fact, azaleas. They may originally have been from the same plant.

Around 6:30 am, spotted a couple of deer walking along our back fence, an adult and a fawn.

Attended a talk by the composting company we use, Second Chance, and picked up subs for all of us at Angelina’s. After lunch, picked up our Senior center lunches, dropped off recyclables and the bad soaker hoses at the transfer station, stopped for cash at the bank and bathroom cleaner at Dollar General.

Ron set up one of the good soakers around the transplants. We got everything – wheelbarrows, garden tools – inside before a brief shower.

Got a call from one of the minisplit contractors I phoned last week. He arrived around 4.

Unfortunately, on his way to inspect the breaker box, one of the basement stair treads collapsed under him. He assured us that he was okay. He thinks we could install a five-head system on the left side of the house.

Wrapped up the day with a performance by contemporary jazz artist Makaya McCraven and his band, including harpist Brandee Younger, at the Clark. Originally planned for outdoors, they started late due to weather. Hard-to-impress Ron was blown away.

I’m soaking wet with sweat, hot, tired and will probably be in pain soon, but it was for a worthwhile reason: transplanting two bushes from the garden abutting the deck to the former location of the ugly bird feeder monstrosity.

They look perfect there; I hope they will live. That location gets morning rather than afternoon sun. They seem to have buds, although I’d be surprised if they bloom this year.

This was precipitated by my wish to dig out a bittersweet plant that has taken firm hold in that garden. Ron did a great job clearing chunks of it, but I found more root after raking out the area this afternoon. We’ll work on it again tomorrow.

Ron did the CSA run.

Earlier today, I picked up a small bag of peat moss and stamps; had to go to the North Adams post office, Williamstown was sold out. Someone told me Subway was doing free sandwiches, but I got there 15 minutes too late.

Ron got a new hose. Love the color. By coincidence, I was thinking of painting the shutters and the vestibule the same color.

Ron also ran hoses around the perimeter of the yard and hooked them up to the soaker in the corner garden!

Our contractor installed the new air conditioner in Ron’s temporary office. It works very well.

This morning, when I was unlocking doors, I noticed that our neighbor’s trash was strewn all over their driveway. They are away for the week, so I picked it all up and put the trash barrel close to the curve for pickup this afternoon. Horrible; they have a cat.

The contractors made good progress on getting ready to install the second LVL in the living room. Soon they will be done with the first floor and (I hope) the basement structural elements.

Finally, we picked up the Tacoma this afternoon at K-M. Surprise: the cost was $120 less in labor than the estimate, due to the skill of the tech! I was able to thank him.

Ron washed off the garden tools and hammered stakes to secure the transplanted bushes.

I decided to throw away most of them but kept ten or so for the gardens and in reserve. Most were either broken or kinked; one was impossible to attach to a feeder hose.

Got the working soakers set up in both gardens.

Visited with our neighbor’s mom and their dog, nice chat.

She used to visit this house and remembers when it was quite different: four bedrooms upstairs and a den downstairs.

USPS says they delivered our air conditioner this afternoon; they did not. Filed a claim.

Grilled burgers for supper.

Hanging curtains. I hate it. Now that James and Jake have the new wall done, I put the curtains back on the window that abutted their work area.

They managed to move a boulder that they estimated weighed 800 pounds! This was in the way of a post they plan to put up next week.

Texted a bit with Peter. He’d been in the hospital since July 4 and was discharged yesterday. Falling off the wet deck in Wareham, broke his tibia in two places. We are disgusted with his in-laws.

We changed the sheets. I deep cleaned and papered the right lower shelves in the pantry and a kitchen cabinet; made up a bleach spray for the latter.

Set up soaker hoses in the new garden and gave it a good, long water.

Untangled the rest of the soakers. Found many had split so not worth fixing. I think we have enough good ones to place in the deck garden tomorrow. If I tried to do it now – stiff, tired and hot – I’d just get mad and foul it up.

I did hand-water the little rose, though.

Ordered a 10,000 BTU air conditioner from Sears for the living room. The ceiling light and fan for the office arrived today along with some items for me.

Ron’s a/c is at the Amazon distribution center in Wallingford, CT! They assigned a tracking number but looks like USPS hasn’t picked it up yet.

Smell of dead mouse in the first floor bathroom.

We are glad the truck is here.

Shop vac did a pretty good job removing dozens of forget me not seeds from my poor slippers!

I got an early start.

Watered the plants by the driveway, put away tarps, installed old liners in the trash can.

Thanks to James, Ron’s dresser is now fully drawered.

Thanks also to James and Jake, the living room ceiling is now almost an inch higher!

K-M called, they are ordering parts to replace the rear differential pinion seal.

Someone called our number five times today, rudely hangs up. I finally blocked it.

I was going to leave the Tacoma at the service center for the weekend but when we saw it in the lot rather than locked in a bay, Ron drove it home.

I cruised around North Adams trying to find the First Friday event, but I couldn’t navigate the maze of one-way streets and stoplights, so gave up.

The time spent wandering paid off, though, when I got to Spruces in Williamstown just in time to photograph a magnificent sunset.

86 or thereabouts.

Found our checks! Ron’s were in a filing cabinet, mine were in my desk.

Now if I could only find my veg recipe folder.

Watered late but before it got really hot.

Ordered an air conditioner for Ron.

James and Jake got an early start. This is the state of things as of a little while ago.

Ron and I got ambitious toward mid afternoon and loaded the truck for the transfer station. We stopped for FY24 transfer station and trash bag stickers at town hall. On the way out, we met the chair of the Select Board.

Stopped at Carr’s and then dropped off the truck at K-M.

Peter called; he broke his leg at Ed’s on Fourth of July. It was pouring and he slipped on stairs, fractured the tibia in two places. Needed an operation to install a metal rod. I suggested he consider an ambulance-chasing attorney as his next stop.

James and his new apprentice, Jake, and Peter are working here today.

James let me go with him to rkMILES so I could buy a new storm door. They had one that’ll work for less than I could find online.

With the emo butterfly for company, I did some weeding of the much-hated fake garlic in the back.

Ron found the missing dresser drawer; it was in his closet. Thank goodness; thought I might have allowed someone to take it home “to work on it”.

I disposed of the non-working mower, brought it to the transfer station.

Picked up lunches, CSA produce and did a small shop at S&S. Filled up the truck at Cumby, bought incense at Wild Soul River.

Peter did a bunch of work. We thought a couple of outside outlets weren’t live, but we’d inadvertently tripped a GFI.

James and Jake got the first header installed!

It’s after 6 pm and I’m still in my sleep clothes.

Spent most of the day moving furniture and boxes into the newly finished bedroom. We set up our computers upstairs. This is in preparation for James and a helper to start serious demo tomorrow.

Ron noticed some old installation foam on one of the windows in our bedroom and is getting rid of it as we speak.

Heard from Peter and Robert.

Sprayed deer repellant around the plants in the back. The old astilbes and one of the daylilies are blossoming!

We watched a classic, “No Country For Old Men”.

Missed the Williamstown July Fourth events this morning. It was raining pretty hard around noon so I got distracted by household organization.

We were too tired to drive to fireworks. Fortunately, we didn’t have to, we were joined by a neighbor for a fine view of the Taconic Golf Course display from the street in front of the house.

Deluge yesterday, cloudy right now but more is expected later and tomorrow for the Fourth.

Ron picked up a gorgeous little peach rose and a gerbera. We went back for a hanging basket and a planter for the deck.

James was here today for a productive three hours, doing handyman stuff with his usual good humor.

He sanded the front door threshold so the door closes and opens easily. He and I, mostly him of course, moved furniture from the bedroom to the “office”. He removed the weird 3-light pole lamp from the bedroom and filled in the hole in the ceiling.

He hauled the rocks from the sewer line project to the new garden and cement from the ugly bird feeder to his truck.

Ron tightened the hose fitting by the driveway spigot. He found the old nozzle; two new ones arrived today.

I booked an appointment for the truck at KM Toyota this Friday. Grateful for Norm’s help last week.

Brought the gone-by hanger pansies to the compost drop-off. Picked up lunch at the senior center. Bought a couple of hose adapters at Aubuchon, neither is what we need.

Inspired by James, spent a couple of hours on “quality of life” chores myself, including getting rid of the annoying tape residue from two living room window sills and stowing pillows, a blanket and a king spread in the second bedroom closet.