TheCapeBlog

I visited Zema’s nursery in Stephentown NY today and was delighted to find the layout and provisions very similar to Mahoney’s in Falmouth.

Their plant selection is exceptional and prices are reasonable ($15.95 for gallon perennials) and I’m looking forward to picking out annuals around Memorial Day.

Brought home purple phlox and Goat’s beard, two each, to complete the corner garden.

Earlier in the day I attended a Linear Algebra seminar and was not only welcomed but invited to attend another.

I also dropped in to visit the new Remedy Hall – fabulous – and to talk with Andi about an inventory control system.

I’m still recovering from the fall earlier this week: neck and shoulder and back pain make it hard to walk. I must look like Quasimodo.

We finally changed the sheets, finished at 9:30 pm.

Suggestions from Whitney’s Farm:

To spruce up your boxes, start by removing what looks old and tired: the geranium leaves are beginning to yellow, the verbena is way past its prime, and the dianthus isn’t flowering anymore. But the ageratum seems to be perking up now that the heat of summer has passed, and the ivy and vinca are holding their own. You can fill in gaps with cool season flowers such as mums and pansies and probably get another three weeks of flowering out of those boxes.

When freezing temperatures arrive, it’s time for flowering brassicas, such as kale and cabbage, with their colorful, curious foliage. Plant them directly into the boxes and they will last all winter long through the harshest of weather. As you plant, place daffodil and tulip bulbs under the flowering kale to guarantee an early spring show. You can mix in cut sprigs of crabapples, viburnums, winterberry, or any other shrub or tree with clusters of colorful berries and strong branches. Just stick the branches into the soil in the boxes, and your only problem will be the birds and wildlife competing for the berries! Tangled grapevines and bittersweet, with its orange seed coats and red berries, quickly go from noxious weeds growing in the wild to precious commodities in autumn and winter window boxes.

Evergreen branches from spruce, balsam, and fir will retain their color throughout the winter months as long as the temperature is low. Stick their ends into the soil just before the soil freezes, arranging them en masse. For the holidays, string little white lights through the boughs and tie on weatherproof velvet bows. Discard the branches once the temperatures start to warm, but don’t worry, your window boxes won’t be bare for long. The tulip and daffodil bulbs you planted for the winter will soon be coming to life, and the cycle will begin anew.

We wanted to go to Coyote Flaco for Ron’s birthday, but they are closed today (Tuesday).

So we ate at home: Irish oatmeal for breakfast, leftover Mexican casserole for lunch, mac and cheese for supper.

I made a chocolate birthday cake with caramel icing. Baked the cake in an oblong pan, cut it in half for layers.

Fell again on the stupid deck. Wearing the wrong shoes (Crocs).

I attended the first meeting of a new writers group at the Milne. Looks promising.

It rained for the last three days and is continuing today.

Jett has been unwilling to go outside and seemed either sick or depressed over the weekend. Had me worried until he perked up this morning and finally went out during a rain break to take a leak and trump and play a little fetch/retrieve.

Rain having restarted and continued, he now refuses to go out.

Some water dog!

We enjoyed three evenings of terrific jazz at Williams College. Combos on Thursday, jazz orchestra on Friday and a piano recital by a woman who plays – and writes – like a man and not a silly girl!

The soloists in the jazz orchestra were particularly outstanding: baritone and tenor saxophonists, bassists, trumpeters, guitarists, drummers.

Sunday morning I went out in the rain to watch a performance art piece, a giant daikon radish structure being carried by a host of barefoot students followed by umbrella-carrying supporters, one of whom was banging on a drum.

Ron is out doing errands. I submitted $155 worth of medical expenses for reimbursement. Also vacuumed the living room rug.

We were planning to go to the last Log Lunch of the Williams College school year but the electric company truck blocked our driveway. We figured there was no point in asking them to move it: a lineman was in the bucket.

I installed a dumb but nonetheless effective gate closing device on the small deck door. That way we can keep Jett confined to the deck.

Ron hacked off a chunk of dead bush by the other side of the deck.

Greylock’s mobile and online banking apps were “experiencing intermittent difficulties”.

Duh: the harness we bought for Jett is fine. I had it on upside down. We drove to the Pittsburgh Petco for help and while I was there, picked up info on training. Ron took him for a walk and said he did fine. We’ll see.

I’ve been seeing ads for the Country Store in Shaftsbury and today seemed a good time to try it since we wanted to get a harness for Jett at PetCo in Bennington.

The store reminds me a little of the West Barnstable General Store but with only modest selections of sandwiches, a few cookies and limited refrigerated and shelf-stable groceries. From the number of customers that came in before and after us, I’d guess they’ll be adding to their repertoire before too long.

Jett was close to excellent in the car and very excellent at Petco.

Later in the day I redeemed my blood donor gift card at Carr’s for seeds and plant spray so Ron could finish treating the climbing rose (he did).

I think the harness we got for Jeff is mismarked: too small. We will exchange it.

Millie jumped the fence and caused a ruckus next door. Alyssa hauled her back.

This evening we attended a splendid concert, first night of the Williams Spring Jazz Nights. Three superb sets. We especially appreciated the progress made by a couple of students we saw and heard last year.

I started spraying the climbing rose, and Ron offered to finish the areas I couldn’t reach; gladly took him up on it.

I emptied wastebaskets and loaded the truck yesterday with three leaf bags, recycling and trash. Ron took it all to the transfer station.

He also did a couple of walks with Jett.

I did more raking and cutting down in the Southwest corner of the yard.

Also fixed the wall faucet on that side of the house! Untangled the hoses and watered the bulbs and the transplanted bushes and tree.

Did a grocery run for ice cream.

I finally got BRC2 in good enough shape to upload web pages and database objects to the server.

That was this morning.

This afternoon I finished planting the bulbs and bare root phlox in the flower garden extension. Dug up a lot of small rocks but no boulders. Watered the three transplants.

There’s a problem with the faucet on the side of the house, water is pouring out of the top. I hope it’s not a big fix.

Ron sprayed what looks like entrances to a wasp nest in the umbrella on the deck.

Jett and Ron did a walk and I’m not sure but they may be done for the day. It was hot, 90 in the sun.

I invested in Make, the company that puts on the Make Faires.

Ron and Jett went on a couple of long walks.

Millie came over to play and got a little testy when Bell played fetch with Jett.

Ron got a haircut.

Got four Netherlands bulbs in, hope to finish planting tomorrow.

Yesterday I bought supplies at Aubuchon and was pleasantly surprised with the changes they’ve made. Found everything I wanted, too. Picked up garden staples and plastic netting for the new garden.

Worked for most of the day on BRC2. Want to upload code and revise procs tomorrow.

No cooking, leftover pizza for lunch and cucumber sandwiches for supper.

Raining this morning and expected to continue today and tomorrow.

I slid on the stupid slate at the bottom of the deck stairs and hurt my left shoulder.

Poor Jett was brave and trotted outside to take a leak in spite of the rain.

The electric company was working this week on our street. Asplundh did tree maintenance earlier.

Between taking care of Jett and yardwork, Ron and I have been too tired to participate in evening activities.

We spotted a sign for the farmer’s market, which was a pleasant surprise, and stopped in for sourdough bagels, which are usually sold out, homemade jams, apricot and pistachio biscotti, scones and eggs. The vendors were happy to see us, the rain seems to have discouraged the usual traffic.

Had bagels and hardboiled eggs for lunch and vanilla pudding that I made this morning for dessert from milk that was included in senior center and food project lunches.

Jett had his first local grooming session. We got a recommendation from our neighbor’s mother and the salon did an excellent job with him.

They found 8 ticks, some dead and some not; concerning. I hope the flea and tick med is working but in any event, it should be easier to spot them now that his hair isn’t so thick.

The groomers did a fabulous job and he looks great. They said they like him and want him to come back, he was so well behaved. He was ravenous when we got home, hadn’t eaten this morning.

Rain stopped a short while ago. Trees have started to leaf, landscapes are becoming quite pretty with the new green and the gorgeous fruit and magnolia trees.

I went out for half-priced Domino’s. Ron had parked the Corolla so close to the garage wall that I couldn’t back it out so took the truck.

After supper, I managed to free the Corolla but destroyed a metal container that held screws, other metal pieces and a tube of silicon caulk. The tube of caulk exploded and made a mess, which we tried to clean up.

Ron took Jett for an evening walk.