Oregon Living 2023 – Blog #40 – Another Special Birthday! & Lots of Activity Around the House

 

Sunday, September 17^th., 2023…… Another warm day! We had the girls out and walked and fed and I headed off to get us breakfast. It seems our Sunday routine is Starbucks (Chai Tea and Coffee) and Jack in the Box (Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich). I worked on this blog while Cathye headed off to church. But before she left, we went out and worked a little more on the planter box and surrounding area. We relocated a few stepping stones from the garden area and got them ready to go into the new area. Corey will be coming later so he and I will start digging around to see if we can make some progress. We will stay away from the sprinkler area but I want to see if we can get some of that really hard dirt out of the way and get it level for the stepping stones and bark mulch.

Cathye got back and we lounged around for most of the day. Tonight was her first square dance class!  Yes, she has asked to go take lessons. I think even Judy and Lynn are coming too. We’ll see…

Ok, it’s later now. We got back from her first class! The instructor/caller is a lady and that is unusual. But she was pretty good for the first lesson and had the new class moving and learning everything for their first night. I think Cathye did well. I have been helping out at beginner’s classes for over 30 years now so I know how much pressure the new dancers feel. The ‘angel’s’ job is to make them relax a bit and try to enjoy the experience. It is hard not to ‘take charge’ as I have a new dancer’s badge on now!  But I can still do what is needed in each square to help the dancers relax and enjoy the experience, which I think Cat really did! She can’t wait to go back next week!  After the lesson, we were planning on going with the group over to Pizza Hut for an afterparty. But, she found (when she turned her phone back on after the class) that she had a bunch of calls from Jamie’s care home. She returned the calls and found that Jamie was transported earlier to the ER for complaints about something stuck in his throat. She told us he was still there so we headed right over to the hospital. Jamie has had problems swallowing meat and such and this is something he has experienced before. They took him back to Endoscopy and said we should go home since they would most likely admit him overnight. Turns out they were able to get the stuck food out and they said he was fine. So, Cat went back to pick him up and take him back home. Crisis over. She got back home and we went to bed.        

Monday, September 18^th., 2023…… My acupuncture appointment got cancelled this morning so I didn’t need to hurry. We now only have massages on our to-do list for today. Cat checked in on Jamie and made sure to talk to the people there to caution them about his poor eating habits. All was good for now. We went to the gym and did our workouts and then headed over to Kevin’s for breakfast. They have our main street going into town shut down now. They are going across the road with sewer pipe for a new residential section just off the road. So, we have to spend extra time going in to town. Supposed to be only a week or so and we hope that’s true!  I took the first massage appointment and headed off to do that. We were done and as I was leaving, Cat came in for her appointment. Later, after we both rested for a bit, we worked some more on the potting bed. I have marked out the outline where we (Corey and I) have to dig out the grass. I did a bit and stopped just short of where the sprinkler is. George will be relocating that sprinkler and I will let him do that digging when he gets here on Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 19^th., 2023……  We were up and going with the dogs and fed them and had our breakfast. We had a few minutes before we had to leave (and go around the detours) to go to get our haircuts.  We got all of that done and stopped by Walmart and Safeway to pick up some things for tomorrow. We had wanted to do a birthday dinner or something for her and her friends and family, but we both have mani/pedi appointments that we need to get done asap before our trip to Boston coming up. So, she took what was available – even though it was a late afternoon appointment on her birthday and that would mean a change of plans. We’ll be having cake and ice cream.     

Wednesday, September 20^th., 2023……  HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATHYE!!!  She still reminds me she is two years younger than I am!  We were up early and got going. I had a few surprises for Cat today. First up were flowers and a card. We fed the dogs then loaded them up in the Enclave and headed north. We were going up to Canby and to the Swan Lake Dahlia fields! Cathye loves her flowers so I wanted to surprise her by taking her up there to spend the day. It was a little overcast and we did get a few sprinkles but it was still a pretty nice day. The dogs sure loved it! The flowers were in full bloom and we explored all of the field.

Cat picked out three bunches and we had brought a bucket for them and loaded up the dogs and headed out. I took the alternate route home so we could go over the Canby Ferry which Cat had never been on before.

We got back home and she got her flowers sorted out and in to canning jars. She will be giving them out at her party tonight. We headed off a little later for our appointments. We took two cars just in case Jenny is running late. Cathye chose the full treatment and I got the mini package and was in and out and home in plenty of time before everyone got here. I had the place ready when Cathye got here so all we had to do was get changed. Robin, Julie, Lona, Cherrelyn, Penny, Judy, and Lynn all were here. The cake – which was German Chocolate by Cathye’s request, and the Umpqua Chocolate Brownie Thunder and the Salted Caramel ice cream, my request – were all a big hit. We had a good time and Cathye especially said that she sure enjoyed her special day!     

Thursday, September 21^st., 2023…… A busy day today…  We had George coming back this afternoon to finish up on our irrigation system. And we were both going in to the Albany Walgreens to get our covid boosters. These will be #6 for each of us. They had previously said the new vaccines were not going to be out until next week but I had checked and they had them at the Albany location, so I had made appointments for this morning. But first up was the gym and breakfast at Kristi’s.  I tried their breakfast burrito and didn’t finish it!  We got back home from that and then took off for Albany. We got in and out and home pretty quickly but George still beat us here and had already gotten started. He got both the new control boxes installed and operational but still needs a few more parts for the lines and was by himself today so he will need one more day to get the last of the lines moved and everything done. We know – it’s end of season and Fall and the rains are coming, but at least it will be operational for next year!     

Friday, September 22^nd., 2023……  One day this week with nothing on our calendar! Wow, how did we manage that!  Oh wait, I had nothing on MY calendar!  Cathye was going off to Judy’s birthday lunch with her and her friends and then again for Lona’s birthday party!  

We were up and out with the dogs and got them fed. We had leftovers for breakfast and I went out to work on the section of lawn that the tree guys had buggered up earlier. It has dried out so much that it was now really hard to smooth out. Since I just received a text from Josh asking if he could come out tomorrow to fix it, I backed off and will let him work it by himself. Great timing!  I did get a wheelbarrow full of tools together and left them out there for him to use.  I also sharpened up the pick axe that he and Corey can use when they work their jobs. Corey was supposed to be here today but asked if he could change it to tomorrow. No worries.

Saturday, September 23^{rd .}, 2023…… George showed up this morning as we were out with the dogs, so I turned back to get him started. A few minutes later, Josh showed up and immediately went to work on the lawn. We left them both and headed out for our adventure. We had previously planned on going to see Thompson’s Flour Mill. They were having a special cider press day there and would have other special events as well. We didn’t want to miss the opportunity.  It’s probably a 20 minute drive from the house so we made it over there quickly to take the tour before it got too crowded. We learned a lot about the mill’s history and what all they did there. Besides running the local farmer’s wheat crops (which the farmers used exclusively for baking for just themselves), they also took on some of the larger farms that were supplying the bakeries. But when the even bigger mills started supplying bakeries and, in turn, stores with bread, Thompson had to think of other sources of revenue. One of those was animal feed. They brought in large tanks of molasses to mix in with flour to make feed for dogs and other animals. It was interesting to see how belts and wooden gears and other wooden machinery can still be effective and still produce even today (even though the mill is closed now). Cathye got to work some of the smaller home versions and ground some flour!

 

Here are some of the other pics we took during the day. They had brought in some old cars to show. They also ran the water through for a few moments so we could see things moving. I took pics of the slough and the fish (these are a breed of northern pike) and some of the processing equipment, plus the hole in the floor where the male mill workers did their business right into the river! They added the toilet for the ladies but - yes - it went straight down too!…. 

 

It was a fun outing!  We left and headed back to town. Next stop today was the tomato festival!  The Lebanon Senior Center was chosen for this year. They must have had 100 different varieties of tomatoes for us to taste and judge. The rest of the room was set up with vendors and demos of local faire. We spent some time there and bought a few items. We got back home and met with Corey who got started on the planter box grass removal and then weeding in the garden. George finally got all of his work done and left us. We will just have one last bill for the extras we had him do. Like I said, it won’t be used much this year but we will be good to go for next season!  We came in and rested before our next trip. We got dressed up because we were going to a fund raiser dinner for PLH (Project Living Hope) for Haiti. Cathye has been there as a volunteer and several members of her church have family there. The place was packed and they served us a nice dinner, drinks and dessert. We heard from their spokespeople about how the country is impoverished and struggles with political unrest and corruption and violence from gangs. We believe in the cause and the work that the PLH is doing and were glad to help with a donation. 

It was worth a trip in the rainy evening up and back to Salem. We got back and changed clothes and rested from the day.          

 

Oregon Living 2023 – Blog #39 – A Birthday, a Fishing Day, and a Date Night!

 

Sunday, September 10^th., 2023…… Today was mowing day. But before that, we were out with the girls. I went out and got us coffee/tea and breakfast and then I got the boat hooked up and pulled out and washed off. We are planning on taking it out on Tuesday but since the sprinkler guy will be here tomorrow, I wanted to get that off my list today. The grass was wet with dew so the plan is to wait until Cat gets back from church – then we can mow. I got the mowers out and gassed up and then did a few more things to the boat and then went in and rested for the morning.  By the time Cathye got back, the grass was dry and was pretty easy to mow. We skipped the back field because it is dormant for now. But it will green up come rainy season! We got everything cleaned up and put away and came in for the day. Lazy Sunday…  

Monday, September 11^th., 2023…… 9/11 Please Keep Everyone in Your Thoughts and Prayers as we Remember that Fateful Day!  Oh, yeah, it’s also my birthday! I learned that it is not my special day anymore – it belongs in history now. I am glad folks remember my day though. It’s always nice to hear from friends and family as I celebrate 74 years!  Today was our long awaited appointment with Johnson Irrigation. They were here at 8:30am and got straight to it. I had already paid ½ of the work and wanted to make sure they were doing everything as discussed and written on the contract bid. George and his son spent the whole day working on the valves, lines and sprinkler heads all around the lawns and flowerbeds. 

There were several areas that needed work so there was plenty on the list for today. They said they had estimated that it would be at least a two day job so they would be back tomorrow. So much for fishing tomorrow! Since this is important to finish asap, we will now plan on fishing Wednesday. Earlier, Cathye had asked Penny and Cherrelyn to celebrate with us at Seeds. Penny was there but Cherrelyn was in the middle of an online interview and they were way behind so she couldn’t get away. We are doing a bbq tomorrow so we will see her then. The bar at Seeds was perfect and wasn’t too crowded. We had a few drinks and a nice meal. It was not a relaxing day until we got here! Nice night! 

Tuesday, September 12^th., 2023……  I was up early again and ready for George and son to come again. They spent all of the day installing all of the new lines in the flowerbeds and fixing/rerouting one line that has been down since the deck excavation started. He got that resolved and added more lines all around the new deck area. Before he left, we set up yet another day for them to come back to finish up. I have decided to add more modern timers because the two we have are ancient and are not reliable. He didn’t have them on his truck plus he wanted to replace some of the main sprinkler heads both front and back yard and he didn’t have enough of those either. Next Wednesday. Cathye worked on weeding  

and I worked on assembling two of the recently received bar stools for the deck. 

We cleaned up and rested for the afternoon. Later, both Penny and Cherrelyn came over for dinner. Penny brought ribs and tuna, both of which I cooked on the bbq. Cat had the trout from our last outing defrosted and ready for the fryer. I sliced up some potatoes for frying and she got those going. Cathye made coleslaw and Cherrelyn brought eclairs for dessert. We were set! Way too much food!      

Wednesday, September 13^th., 2023……  This morning we were up early and took the dogs out and then fed them. We loaded up a few last minute items in the boat and we were off!  The drive to Foster Lake is only about 15 miles and we were not in any hurry, so we took our time. We took coffee with us and packed a few snacks and drinks for the day, but we stopped off at McDonalds on the way for a quick meal. When we got to the lake, we saw there were only a few boat trailers in the parking area. It would be a quiet day. The day started out cloudy but was expected to warm up later in the morning. The sun was just coming out when we got to the docks and put the boat in. We headed to my favorite spot and anchored. Cat did get a bite immediately so we thought it would be a great day! NOT! It was the only thing that happened at that spot so we moved. I managed to get one nice trout at the next spot but Cat got skunked. We hit one more area on the way back to the dock. No luck. 

We got the boat on the trailer with no issues and we left for home. It was a nice day even though we didn’t have much luck. Very relaxing! It was a good thing we didn’t plan on fresh fish for dinner for last night! 

Thursday, September 14^th., 2023…… The weather is warming up for sure! Temps in the high 80s expected. We got the dogs walked and fed then took off for the gym and breakfast. On the way home, we stopped by Penny’s so I could help her get her fall decorations down from her overhead in the garage. When we got home, I started hauling out the old deck boards back toward the deck!  ? We decided to use them to build a raised potting bed for the area just off the deck. This will be in an area where it is difficult to mow. Putting the bed in will enable us to mow right along the planter box without zigzagging into that little problem area. We decided on size and I got most all of the boards cut. While Cat was spraying for weeds out by the now vacated boat canopy, 

I started assembly on the planter box and we got it about 90% done before it got really hot. Cathye can’t do heat and she was helping me but got overheated, so we stopped for the night and came in and got into the ac. Tv and spa then bed.   

Friday, September 15^th., 2023…… Today was house cleaning day. We got the dogs taken care of and we ate and then started in cleaning. Once we were done, Cat rested for a bit then went out and watered and did some laundry. She did take some time to check in on Lona, who has come down with something. Meanwhile, I headed off to the Albany Lowes in search of nails and screws for the potting bed. I also want to modify the bar stools I just put together. Actually, I put two together and decided that I wanted to try a spacer to the seat backs to see if I can get a little more seat room as the seats themselves are on the smaller side!  I just need some time to start that project. We have to get the deck ready for another bbq tonight. Eric and his girlfriend and her two kids are coming over for dinner. Eric and Corey are friends and Eric was really helpful when Cat had her estate sale. Cathye ran into Eric last week and invited them over for hamburgers. Corey called and said that since it was going to hit 89° today, he would rather come on Sunday to do his yard work. No worries. I went out early and got the grill fired up on high so I could clean it from the last meal. Cathye checked with Eric and found he had already forgotten about tonight! Funny, he said on Thursday when she texted him that they were looking forward to it. A bit later, he texted again and said he was sick and could he get a raincheck?  Oh well!  We decided to just go ahead and bbq anyway since we had the hamburger ready.  I needed to run the misters on the porch to cool off but it was still a pretty night and we had a nice meal anyway.      

Saturday, September 16^th., 2023…… We were up early and I found I had a text message from my tree guy. I had texted him yesterday and he said he would come over today to fix the lawn that his guy drove over and tore up last week. But he was having issues with his 6 year old so he needed to reschedule. No worries. I had other things to work on today anyway. Cathye worked on cleaning up the grape vines she cut last week. I helped her load them into the truckster and we took them out to the burn pile. I worked on the raised potting bed and we flipped it over so I could skin the grass with the mower before we put in the grass cloth and potting soil. I think I will wait for George next week because he will be moving the sprinkler head that is right next to the side of the wood. He will be digging so he will need the open space. We were done for today. Besides, it was ‘date night’ tonight! Cathye had arranged for us to go to the movies. The Rio in Sweet Home has two theaters – one, now called the Roxy, - is set up with recliners and tables and they serve food to you. Most of the time you only get theater food, but once in a while they do a ‘date night’. The owners cook up a surprise dinner for two for $30. ea. as part of the night. The movie was My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 so they made Greek food for tonight! We had Spanakopita appetizers, a Greek salad, and Island Pasticio (a noodle casserole dish) as the main dishes, and Baklava for dessert. They also serve alcohol (additional charge). We chose Captain Morgan Slurpees! All were yummy (although Greek salad isn’t on my favorites list but Cat liked it). We had the best time and the movie was fun too!

We got back a few hours later and let the girls out and then watched tv for a few minutes before hitting the spa before bed. Fun day!

Oregon Living 2023 – Blog #38 – A Labor Day Picnic, Getting Vaccines, & Taking Down a Tree

 

 

Sunday, September 3^rd., 2023…… Weather is back to more dry than wet. We are supposed to get a few minor showers coming through for the next several days but for the most part it will stay dry.  We slept in this morning. Of course Rylee and Jama don’t like that! They will both be on the bed waiting for us to rub their bellies. Rylee even loves to get up close to Cat and wants ‘snuggles’.

Rylee goes through her ‘snarly face’ game time with Cathye now just as much as with me. She still plays like a puppy! We took them out and then fed them. Then it was time for our breakfast. This morning I went to Starbucks and got coffee and chai tea then stopped at Jack in the Box for breakfast sandwiches. A bit later, Cathye headed off to church. She wanted to stop by Robin’s and see her new grandbaby but they talked at church and Robin said they would all be coming to the picnic tomorrow so she’d see them then. I hung around the house. Today would have been the start day when we go over to water Penny’s flowers but since Cherrelyn is staying there, we were good to go. After Cat got back home, we hung around the house and just vegged for the day.     

Monday, September 4^th., 2023…… Happy Labor Day! The plan today was to meet up at Pioneer Park in Brownsville for a picnic! We were up early. Cathye put together her famous baked bean recipe and got it going in the crockpot.

She also made sliders. I gathered up some drinks and chairs and loaded all of that plus the pups and we headed out. We met up with Judy and Lyn and set up in the pavilion. Others would join us later. I didn’t count but there was a pretty good size group and all brought plenty of food. We visited for a few hours

                                                       (Robin's new grandbaby)

then came back home and rested more during the afternoon. Neither of us were hungry but we managed a nectarine and some popcorn as a snack while watching tv.       

Tuesday, September 5^th., 2023……  Today was my vaccine day. I had received a reminder from Walgreens that I could schedule my annual shots so I set up an appointment for today. I was getting 3 today - a flu shot, a covid booster, and an rsv vaccine. I figured – get ‘em all done at once!  I headed over for my 10:30am appointment only to find out they didn’t have me in their system!  Since I didn’t find any record of my appointment confirmation, I assumed that I had left the website one step short of actually booking the appointment! So, I came home without!  I did go back to the website and got another appointment for Thursday. Cherrelyn was coming over today. Adam would be here as well to work in the flowerbeds. While Cherrelyn and Cat were visiting and I was in the house watching tv, we all three got a group text from my sister that she would be coming home from SoCal tomorrow. She has tested positive for covid!  After Cherrelyn left, Cat asked me to book her an appointment for her shots too!  So now we both go this Thursday. I did spend some time working on the shelves in my office. You might remember me installing a railing of shelves high around the room for a display for my Nascar and Indy cars. That was only on one end of the room, Well, I have filled those up and actually have more cars now. So, I thought it was time to expand.  I need to use another wall!  I made up and painted all of the bottom brackets months ago and they were in the way in the shop. And I just needed to get them up. Well, I did that this morning. Now I need to go out and get a couple of 16 ft. 1x7s to paint to match the other shelves. Maybe tomorrow. Cathye brought out leftovers from yesterday’s picnic and we had that for dinner. TV and spa until bedtime.    

Wednesday, September 6^th., 2023……  We have a visit on our calendar today. A few days ago, Omalea and Cat were talking on the phone and they had set up the next luncheon at their place for today. They live in the foothills west of us, just outside of Philomath. Since it’s at least an hour’s drive, I left early and went to get the car washed and gassed up. We always enjoy visiting with these two, and today was no exception. They have a beautiful house in the woods and the weather was so nice we sat out on their porch and watched the birds and squirrels out in their yard. But, the drive home is about an hour so we had to say our goodbyes and get home in time to let the girls out and then feed them.  We weren’t too hungry but later we heated up some bean and cheese burritos which made for an easy meal. Tv until spa and bed. We did check in to see that Sis got home ok. She did. Sure hope she feels ok. Cathye is planning on dropping off some soup and grapes over there tomorrow.  

Thursday, September 7^th., 2023…… We were up and out again early. We wanted to get the girls walked and fed so we could go early to the gym. Then we stopped by Penny’s and dropped off the grapes and soup on the way to our vaccine appointments. Walgreens usually does a pretty good job of getting us in and out – if the lines for prescription pickup doesn’t slow them down! Today it was quiet and we got in pretty quickly. We were curious as to how they would administer three vaccines. We found out they do them one shot at a time, using both arms!  BUT – we also found out that they didn’t yet have the new strain of covid vaccine, so we will have to wait on that. It’s not due until the end of the month. We hope it’s sooner because we would like to get vaccinated before our flight to Boston on Oct. 4^th. Anyway, we both got the two today – RSV and Flu. They said they prefer you get one in each arm. I did but Cathye wanted hers in one arm and they complied. After we were done there, we headed over to Kristi’s for breakfast. Kristi posted on FB that they would have pear bread today, and we were intrigued so we chose that for our bread. Yummy!  Later, after we got home and let the dogs out for a bit, I took off in the truck and went to Spaeth Hardware. I was looking for the 1x8s for the shelves in my office. They didn’t have anything so I went to Ace. They don’t stock 16 footers so I had to order them. They said they should be in tomorrow. The rest of the day we spent just hanging around the house. Neither of us had any effects from the shots - Cathye said she was just a little sore. Dinner was soup from the stock she made earlier and cheese bread. Tv and spa before bed.  I did spend some time getting my Survivor pages together. I held short of printing because our printer is running low. I am getting tired of spending money on ink cartridges these last years! I am thinking seriously about trying one of the Epson printers with the large capacity color tanks.            

Friday, September 8^th., 2023…… Nice day today. We have the tree guys coming later but we got up early and got going just in case they come early. We walked the dogs and fed them, then settled in and had coffee and breakfast. I went out and got the truckster fired up. I will use it to guide the truck and chipper out through the field to the jobsite. The guys showed up around 10:15am.  I guided them out via the backline of the property and they quickly got set up. They went right to work and boy did they work!  They had the first tree down in one piece in no time. I was surprised to see that they winch the tree to the chipper!  Back in the 70s when I worked for my cousin doing tree trimming, he had a chipper which I learned how to use. Nowadays the technology is so advanced, that the workings inside now chew even larger material. They are able to chip the entire trunk!  They cable the tree and haul it all the way up and into the chipper. Of course, they still throw the branches in the same as I used to do in the day. Fun to watch! Cathye and I drove out in the truckster and sat there and had a great view of the entire job. The guy went up the second trunk with tree climbing spikes (never used those!) and took it down carefully because of the well head that is right at the base of the tree. No worries though, he had it surgically down in pieces and did it quickly. The third one went in one piece and was cut into quarters and went through the chipper. Josh sprayed the freshly cut tree trunks with a blue spray chemical to kill the tree.  They chipped all of the remaining brush and cleaned up. The deal with them was they could leave some of the smaller branches and leaves – anything that could be mowed over with a brush hog later. That saved me some good $$! They were done and out around 12:30pm. 

BUT the truck driver didn’t go out the way he came in!  I was just coming out to check on them and saw he was using the lawn next to the garage. Wrong! I signaled and so did his boss but it was too late!  His truck bogged down in the green grass (which is sprinklered and gets watered every day). He was stuck!  I gave them a snatch strap and Josh brought his 4x4 Jeep around and they managed to get it backed out. But the damage was done! They were all sorry but that didn’t help. Neither did the fact that they managed to hit all three of the sprinkler heads with the wheels! Bottom line was I will need to let the muddy holes dry out and then assess the damage. By lucky timing, the sprinkler guy (George) will be here on Monday to work all of the lines. Those three were suspect and needed work anyway. I will let George look at them and get them operational. That part of the bill will then be given to Top Tier Tree. I have Josh’s number and, when I’m ready, he will be coming back with dirt and grass seed and/or sod to level out the affected areas.  I shut off the sprinkler timer so it will dry out and I hope to be mowing around it on Saturday. 

While the guys were leaving, I got a call saying that the lumber I had ordered yesterday was in, so I headed off to pick that up. They ordered three for me to choose two from. These guys are 16 footers so I had to spend some time to get them tied down on my truck before heading home! No worries, they traveled safely and I had them in the shop ready for cutting and painting tomorrow. Also, Corey came by today to do some more yard work for us. Cathye had him clean out the front ditch 

and cut and remove those weeds. Also, we had him go out with the truckster and rake up all the leaves/branches the tree guys left. They both look great. He does great work!  Meanwhile, Cathye picked grapes

and also worked out in the garden and got a lot done too.  She had defrosted some leftover spaghetti and made croissants to go with it. That was our tasty meal for the day! We watched tv and hit the spa before bed.  Almost a perfect day!            

Saturday, September 9^th., 2023…… Today we slept in a bit. After walking and feeding the girls and eating breakfast, we were ready for our day!  The plan today: for Cathye – pretty up the rain chain pots,

(If you look closely, you might see the copper wire we ran from the bottom of the chain and into the rocks in the pot)

water all of the flowers pots, 

clean up around her potting shed, and go to Walmart. For me: cut, paint, and install the shelves. Cathye got her yard work done then set off to hit Walmart. Penny, who is in quarantine with covid (still no major symptoms – ‘just a head cold so far’, she says), called and texted over a list of things she needed from Walmart. We had volunteered to shop for her so the timing was perfect! She had two lists and went off and got those tasks done. Meanwhile, I had the two coats of paint on the shelves and they were dry and ready. I had the screws pre-installed but I had to wait for Cat to come back so she could help me maneuver it in through the house. I had her steady it so I could get the screws started and then we repeated that for the other shelf. All I needed to do was touch up some of the paint and I was done!  

I think we were both done for the day!  We had also planned on mowing but I had forgotten to shut off the sprinklers on the other timer for the main lawn so I did that today. It should be dry enough to mow tomorrow. Tv and spa and then time for bed.  A long but productive week!