TheCapeBlog

Lizzie barked repeatedly last night. Both of us got up at different times.

Steve was by around 8 to install the folding door.

I made rice and stir fried vegetables but mixed up mirin with soy sauce so it’s too sweet.

Select Board member’s mother passed away this week.

Managed to put back everything I hid yesterday.

I caught about 20 minutes of a jazz concert by a group I’ve been wanting to hear, the Osterville Library Jazz Band. Dropped off the toaster oven at the transfer station (no charge) on the way back.

Michaela and Paul hosted a nice get-together at Dino’s which both of us enjoyed. Ron was glad I ignored his pleas to stay home.

The photos of the house are done. Very pretty morning.

Steve was here yesterday to put up the folding doors in the bedroom; thank goodness! He’d arrived to work on the deck railings but since Don punked out, Steve was nice enough to fill in.

He took one of the doors home to fix it. Turns out we didn’t need it today, we used the second bedroom as a repository for Lizzie’s bed, big kitchen appliances and “stuff” from the bathroom.

I’ve been working for days to get the house ready. Started around 4 or so this morning. The realtor was very complimentary. Looking forward to seeing the photos.

We managed to cram the three of us into the truck for Lizzie’s grooming appointment last Wednesday. She was frightened but calmed down when Ron held her on the table. Groomer did a good job, but Ron doesn’t want to go back: “too noisy”.

I took time off to attend a commission meeting last night and was the only citizen there who doesn’t work for the Town or serve as an elected or appointed official.

We are now working with a dear family friend on the sale, and I am so relieved.

Ron hung the big Cape Cod geologic map on the far bedroom wall.

I did a transcript for our Conservation Commission of the talk on coastal waters from this past Monday.

The knives were out this morning at the polls. Been a clean election so far, let’s hope it continues.

Did have a nice conversation with one of the Select Board members, though. The “opposition” was looking pretty good, thumbs up from voters and cheerful demeanors.

Now that the yard is in reasonable shape, I’m working on indoor “straightening out”.

Made a grooming appointment for Lizzie.

Ron slept in.

It sprinkled a bit, good for the grass seed.

Two workers from Bee Green got here around 8:30. They raked, leveled, loamed and seeded. Fantastic.

Am I ever glad I didn’t water today, or buy seed yesterday.

Took time off to watch “The Phantom of the Open” on the basement DVD (didn’t work upstairs) and the part of “Bull” that I missed last night.

Finished tying and anchoring the plants.

Ron finished his 18-day (September 14 to October 2) closet project yesterday, nailing the two brackets that we already had to studs after I painted everything. It was not necessary to take down and replace the shelf and pole a second (or would it have been the third) time.

Lizzie was restless last night and this morning, poor doggo.

I painted the last of the folding doors and staked some plants. Cleaned up a bit as well; Lizzie kept me company for a while. Back yard is starting to look better.

Did an hour standout for Michaela. Cool and a tad windy. Had a brief chat with a former special ed executive about adoption and foster care. She’s typical, blames the child’s genetics or prior experience when failure to engage happens, not of course the sainted adopto-raptors. She also has never observed narcissism in adopto-“mom”s.

Sigh.

Ron did a load of laundry, including one of Lizzie’s blankets.

Since I was already out, made the bagel run to Shaw’s and got some nice two-fers, including soup, ice cream and peanuts.

Did a bunch of work afterwards including tying up bushes and replanting the poor Roses of Sharon. Ron did help by digging/pulling out a rebar that was bent in not one but two places.

Ron trekked to Home Depot yesterday for wood stain. We didn’t see the painter, but we can always do this ourselves if necessary.

I enjoyed the Orange Day standout at the rotary last evening. The gang was there.

It was beautifully organized, a sea of orange shirts and flags. The Tribe held a dinner afterwards, but I went home.

Did some cleanup of the “oval” and “U” areas yesterday. If we were staying put, I might even have put a small patio with firepit and chairs in the cleared area.

Michaela cancelled this morning’s standout, so I get to work some more in the yard.

The crew from Quinn’s installed the D-box yesterday and the Town okayed it (thanked the Health Department).

Stood out with both campaigns yesterday morning, nice chats with all.

Steve the painter from Jamaica came by, gave us a bid.

In touch with Jen, she thinks their property is okay post-Ian. Must have been frightening but sounds like they got through it.

The septic got pumped today and we have our “System Passes” inspection report!

Hoping for a quote from a landscaping company on repairing the lawn.

Did some research on protected and open space land in Mashpee. It appears to be well below the 50% claimed in the SB campaign.

I finished washing the front siding yesterday. It was easy and not so easy. It’s recommended to do this every 2-3 years.

Made a thick soup for yesterday’s supper: zucchini, onion, garlic, white beans, eggs, cheese.

Got another set of folding doors painted today. Ron wants to repair a third set before it’s painted.

He went to Beltone for his repaired hearing aid and loves it.

I washed the gutters in the front of the house. Muscles gave out at the end so I left the big ladder for Ron to put away.

Michaela turned me on to MEPA and Environmental Justice data. In Massachusetts, an environmental justice population is a neighborhood where one or more of the following criteria are true: the annual median household income is 65 percent or less of the statewide annual median household income. minorities make up 40 percent or more of the population.

We have two of these in Mashpee.

Yesterday, Ron refused to eat until late afternoon. His driving scared me – one too many near misses – and I insisted on taking over.

He argued with me constantly over everything from his prescriptions to the cost of gasoline.

The latest political campaign in Mashpee has gotten nasty. There’s a rumor that one of the Select persons complained to the Town Manager about door knocking in the Select person’s neighborhood. The complaint never went anywhere.

In Ukraine, it’s gone from cruel to unspeakable, with a UN report that Russian troops have been torturing children. One third of the population has left the country. Russian men of draft age are trying to escape to Finland, Armenia, Georgia, Montenegro and Turkey.

Got back a while ago from a two-hour standout for a SB candidate followed by a food shop and a trip to the bank to square away my Debit card, which had been frozen due to an overseas software purchase.

I washed the front siding with a Windex product and a soft brush. Surprised how well that worked.

Heard from our handyman. He’s lined up a painter to work on our railings. I asked if he’s going to scrape and wood fill; haven’t heard back yet.

The Rose of Sharon plants dug up during the septic inspection seem to be hanging on.

We have to replace the distribution box. Our inspector helped us line up an installer to take care of it. I made an appointment for another company to pump the system next Thursday.

Considering that I was prepared for a $10-15,000 replacement of the whole thing, I can live with that.

A realtor from Maine provided listings from a proprietary web app that gives a lot of information not otherwise available, including documents and specialized maps.

This morning, it looks like the properties that interest me are still on the market.

Received a nice packet of info from the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce.

The Gorgon attacked again.

All three appeals court justices, Trump appointees included, ruled in favor of allowing the DOJ to move forward on their criminal investigation.

Meanwhile, the NY AG sued Trump and three of his kids for fraud.

Yesterday, Ron urged me to help rescue the Rose of Sharon that our septic inspector had to dig up at the distribution box.

I balked but he was absolutely correct. Rain started before we were quite finished, but we did get three plants set up in the washtub and another temporarily replanted before a monsoon-like storm hit the area.