TheCapeBlog

Spent part of the day cleaning, disinfecting and deodorizing the mini frig with a vinegar solution and the greater part of the rest of the day culling logins for the NOK box.

Ron vacuumed the back of the frig which was full of seeds and Lord knows what else.

He also ironed a bunch of summer shirts that were in one of the trunks.

Right now he’s doing something with gutters. Busy person.

I did some investigating of Ron’s credit card accounts. One has a zero balance and the combined monthly minimum payments for the others are substantial but less than he thought. At least the accounts are current.

I found much to my surprise that we have a substantial balance in his Cal FSA account. So I can be fully reimbursed for my endoscopy copay and a couple of office visits.

Ron’s computer is still at the shop.

I’m thinking about planting vegetables in the deck garden. We may have enough chicken wire to cover them. Worth considering.

So it’s up to Judge Chutkan to suss out whether Trump’s actions around the 2020 election are official or unofficial acts.

She’s already given Trump’s lawyers 90 days to prepare for trial, i.e., until October 1. It’s unlikely that a trial would conclude before November 5.

Wish I knew how many of the six Republican-appointed judges on the Court are actually morally corrupt, in particular Barrett, Kavanaugh and Roberts. The other three reek of it.

Uneventful weekend except for Ron’s freakout over his computer.

This morning we were able to log in to his bank account on my laptop and pay a bill that he’s been fretting over.

I planted the Spirea yesterday just before a good rain. So far, it has not been bothered by deer or rabbits. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the asters.

Dug up one of the old roses.

I ordered an elevated cedar planter for vegetables and herbs.

Put together the NOK box folders and labels.

Hauled the A/V equipment into the living room. Might motivate us to at least try to connect it all. Did a little cleanup in the sunroom.

I applied for a job at Williams College.

Ron brought his Mac’s power cord to Computer Bug and paid for our 2024-25 transfer station stickers at Town Hall.

Leftover enchiladas, Caesar salad and store-bought cupcakes for lunch.

Bone scan procedure was fast.

Shopped at Walmart for dishwasher soap and file folder labels. Checked out Racine’s Vegetable Stand in North Adams.

Solid Sound Festival has North Adams hopping this weekend.

The Berkshire Food Project had set up on the church lawn. Brought home sandwiches and quinoa salad for our lunches.

Made a blueberry pie from the frozen berries Brian gave us a while back.

Gorgeous afternoon for working outside, top 10.

Ron has been pulling weeds from the back of the yard since yesterday. He’s enjoying the work and the results.

I did some weeding, too, behind the corner garden and the composter. Brought two wheelbarrow loads to the truck.

Finding that the grass clods I dug up on April 6 had finally dried, I shook them out and put the soil in the future front corner garden.

Also have been trying to dispose of non-essential emails and unneeded business cards from my old desk.

Cleanup of all kinds this week.

Also made a quiche and a big salad for lunch.

I transferred funds from G savings and Home Equity accounts to cover $1,300 in checks drawn today on my checking account.

H boosted my line of credit and I used part of it to beef up the G account, which was decimated by today’s payment to the mason and a check written earlier this month to the oil company, down to $11.43.

G is considered a “co-op shared branch” with H. This means that I can make withdrawals from my H accounts at a G ATM without a service fee. So, I can deposit cash to my G account for immediate credit, so long as I make the deposit with a teller.

I transferred funds electronically as well.

We did a transfer station run, too, paper, recyclables and actual trash.

Ron had a fine time pulling a pile of weeds that were in the back of the yard.

The stairs are done. I started some cleanup, the hope being to put in a shade garden in that corner of the yard.

• Miniature Hostas
• Cyclamen
• Saxifraga
• Lungwort
• Bleeding Heart
• Japanese Painted Fern
• Coral bells
• Ajuga
• Liriope
• Epimedium
• Spurge

Brian’s daughter and her students from the LPN program at McCann.

Cement stairs project is going very well. Should be finished tomorrow.

Ron deposited $300 to my account to defray some of the cost of the stairs.

HFCU approved my request for an increase in credit limit. Phew.

Boys came over with their Dad who threw a swisher from our yard!

Went to Walmart to exchange Ron’s jeans. Got a nice little Spirea for less than half price.

Ron and I watched lightning bugs after dark.

Nick was here early to start work on framing the bulkhead steps. He moved thirty or so cement blocks to the side of the yard. Would have cost $300 to dispose of them.

I vacuumed and put the living room back together. Changed the sheets.

Returned a part of the carpet cleaner that got left behind yesterday.

Ron is off to have a very irritated sore on his leg treated. Looks like it could be a spider bite.

YouTube has been refusing to show videos. Took a while to figure out that I could see them only if I wasn’t logged in. I tried everything else, with no success: different browsers, running Incognito, clearing cache, deleting extensions.

The boys came over yesterday to experiment with the door chimes. They said they’d knocked but no one answered, so we suggested ringing instead.

Yesterday we rented a Bissell at Aubuchon and by noon today had moved furniture, vacuumed and cleaned the living room carpet.

It was easier than I thought it would be and I’m annoyed that we didn’t do this six months ago.

After cleaning myself up, I attended a Project 2025 standout at Field Park.

Last night a huge branch fell on one of the sheds. Ron shoved it aside this afternoon.

I grilled burgers for lunch/supper. Stung again by a hornet, realized there was a nest on the back of one of the chairs next to the grill! Furious, I sprayed the nest and knocked it on the deck. It was full of eggs – the nasty creature did me a favor.

One of the daylilies that I repotted for the deck bloomed. We have two Brandywines and a bunch of cherry tomatoes.

Wild grape vines have no fruit, so I cut down a pile of them that were covering a little pear tree that we hadn’t noticed before in the corner garden.

According to Google, there must be at least one more tree available for pollination, so this is an especially exciting discovery.

I used the opportunity to do some weeding.

The mini split installer and his son took measurements and the deposit check, answered our questions, and signed the contract.

We rented a carpet cleaning machine from Aubuchon.

I made a salad.

We watched a lot of political videos, including Jamie Raskin’s Constitutional Class Series episode on the Emoluments Clause.

We had weather last evening, more expected today.

Good checkup yesterday with the doc. He also signed off on the MOLST and completed the Documentation of Need for the Home Modification Loan program.

Sprayed the hibiscus plants. Rewound the hose next to the driveway. Stopped by to see Linnea. Small grocery shop. Stuffed steel wool pads under the bulkhead door.

Met with a mason about pouring bulkhead stairs.

Today I cut off damaged hibiscus and Hosta leaves.

This afternoon, Ron and I were approved for a MassSave no-interest loan at Greylock. Coordinated with the mason to start work on Monday.

Made a brief appearance at the Gay Pride event at Greylock and brought home a gorgeous peony stem with a flower and several buds.