by Judy Handley | Nov 13, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 317: Meeting with House-Dog Sitters
Date: Monday, November 13, 2021
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Still Chilly; High 44 Low 36 degrees F; Sunset 4:26 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
This was one of those “a little bit of this, a little bit of that” days. My day started with the arrival of the tree cutting entourage, the workers and all of the big trucks and pieces of equipment. The property directly next door to me was the target today, but they needed to use my driveway. I had to have them move their trucks so I could get out of the driveway to go to a chiropractor appointment. And after the appointment, I did a little grocery shopping on the way home. Once home, I launched into making a huge pot of chicken magic mineral broth. I stopped making it a few months ago when I stopped eating chicken as part of my attempt to change to a plant-based diet. But, honestly, with this new bursitis thing, I need to be on an inflammatory diet. That means no beans. And no beans in my diet meant I was finding it too hard to be plant-based. So, I roasted a chicken yesterday and made broth today. I’ll get back to plant-based once I get this whole pain management situation under control.
At noon, Brian and Nadia, the couple who will house-dog sit for me while I am in Puerto Rico arrived to meet Shadow and the house. We spent over an hour together, and after they left, I thought of one thing after another that I didn’t tell them. Before I leave on Friday morning, I will try to write down the things I forgot. Brian and Nadia are a terrific couple. Nadia is from South Africa and Brian makes a living doing online work, much like Justin. They have lived all over the world, but they are here now to be close to Brian’s dad who has ALS. They are dog lovers, so I think Shadow will be a happy doggy. In getting ready for their arrival at noon, I did a little getting ready to travel to Puerto Rico. Thursday will be packing day, but I did get started this morning.
After Brian and Nadia left, I sent a text to Sam to see if he could come over after school to help me move some things around. I needed to get the big crate out of the basement and put it in the living room in case Brian and Nadia need it for Shadow while I am gone. Sam also helped put more outdoor furniture in the basement and he helped me get my grill up and running again. Thank you, Sam. I also did a little Encore communication that had to be done today. I didn’t get everything done, so that will be first on the agenda tomorrow morning.
We had another frost overnight. The first one killed only the most sensitive plants. This one did in the basil. But somehow the tomato plants are still surviving. Regardless, it is time to put the garden “to bed” for the winter. Maybe I’ll get that done before I leave on Friday, but more likely, I will work on that the week after Thanksgiving after I return from Puerto Rico.
by Judy Handley | Nov 12, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 316: Living with Coyotes
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2021
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Colder; High 44 Low 30 degrees F; Sunset 4:26 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
Just last week I was saying to a friend that I don’t have coyotes in my new neighborhood. But then a couple of mornings ago, I saw one walking down a nearby street while I was out walking with Shadow. Then today I looked out my living room window, and there was a big, beautiful coyote, or maybe a coywolf, staring back at me.
I watched as he ate the ‘apples’ that fall from the Kousa dogwood trees in the yard. He obviously saw me watching him, but he just kept eating. I banged on the window, but he didn’t budge. So, I went outside to try and shoo him away. He was unfazed. I persisted and he finally sauntered down the driveway and out into the street.
Shadow was barking this whole time, and he didn’t stop even when the critter walked away. I am going to have to keep a close eye on Shadow as I know he would want to play. I’m not sure the coyote would feel the same!
I took Sam and his friend Sebbie to ACI spring soccer tryouts this afternoon. They both played for Falmouth High School this fall, but there is no high school soccer in the spring, thus Atheletic Club Independence (ACI) league soccer. Jonah’s tryouts were earlier, so Jed took him. Last year the tryouts and practices were in Harwich, but today’s tryouts and the practices in the next few weeks are much closer, at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville. It is only half the distance, so that is good.
Otherwise, it was a slow Sunday. I needed to get a PowerPoint presentation completed for Wednesday’s Encore meeting, as well as sending out the agenda. I got started but didn’t get the jobs done. Tomorrow . . .
by Judy Handley | Nov 11, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 315: Veteran’s Day Parade, Family Fun in Hyannis
Date: Saturday, November 11, 2021
Weather: Sunny; High 12 Low 32 degrees F; Sunset 4:27 pm (-2 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
The weather today was perfect for the annual Veteran’s Day Parade. The huge American flag flew from a crane high above, waving wildly in the wind with a perfectly blue sky in the background.
It was cool, but not cold, so Sam, Jonah, Ollie, and Jed marched with the Scouts without jackets.
This year it was Ollie’s turn to be a flag holder in the Color Guard and he held that flag proudly.
Heather, Jed’s mother Marti, and Jed’s brother Toby were in the audience with me. At the end of the ceremony, Ollie and the other Scouts that were part of the Color Guard marched out while a member of the Brian Boru Pipe Band played his bagpipe.
It brought tears to my eyes.
Marti, Toby, and Heather came to my house with me to see my new abode before heading home for lunch. We then reconvened at 4 pm and drove to Hyannis for a fun family evening. Axe throwing was first on the list. It didn’t sound like fun to me, but I tried it and really enjoyed it. It took Marti and I more than a few tries to catch on, but near the end of our hour, we both hit the bull’s eye.
Everyone had a good time.
Then we headed to the Brazilian Grille for dinner. It was my first trip there and it was a great place for a family dinner. There is an all you can eat buffet with an overwhelming number of options. After filling your plate, you sit down, and the meat starts coming around. Again, the choices were many and all grilled to perfection and delicious. Then there is dessert to top off the evening. All delicious.
by Judy Handley | Nov 10, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 314: A Day All About Trees and Plants
Date: Friday, November 10, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny; High 52 Low 42 degrees F; Sunset 4:29 pm (-0 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
By 8 am this morning, there was a big wood chipper truck in my driveway whirring away and at lease four chain saws buzzing.
The noise was overwhelming, and it continued all morning. Cape Home Tree Service was seriously at work, cutting and trimming trees in my backyard and the adjoining property and cutting up the logs from the trees they cut yesterday. Watching these guys standing high in treetops using a chain saw is horrifying, but they are belayed with a series of ropes.
So, supposedly, it is not dangerous. It just didn’t look that way to me. The tops of trees and branches were carried to the driveway to be ‘eaten’ by the chipper, and a little later the chipper was replaced by a huge truck that was loaded with the big logs by a another piece of equipment like a back hoe. But instead of a bucket it had huge jaws that picked up the logs and put them in the back of the big truck.
At 11 am I was in the living room on my computer and suddenly I stopped because it was quiet. The guys were taking a break, but the silence was overwhelming. I had invited Ollie over to watch the process, but he and Jed didn’t arrive until the 11 am silent period. Jed dropped Ollie and his little John Deere tractor off and Ollie spent the next three hours watching the process while working for Lynda.
He hauled wood chips from a huge pile to garden areas and spread them in the parking area.
He is a good little worker and it was so cute to see him on his little tractor alongside the guys in the big equipment.
By 2:30 pm, I took Ollie and his tractor home and went with Karen Baranowski to tour the gardens of friend Kate Eldred. This was my second tour in two weeks, but those two visits have given me a great introduction to garden plants. When I got home and headed into my house, my attention was drawn to my glass-topped outdoor table in the front yard. The sun was beginning to set and it looked like there was puddle of water under the table.
Upon closer examination, I realized that the glass top had shattered and fallen to the ground. Lynda appeared to explain that while I was gone, the tree people had brought in stump grinder to remove the stumps of the two holly trees that were taken out. Lynda was standing by the table when suddenly the glass shattered. She believes it had to be the vibration of the machine. The tree people said they would clean up the glass tomorrow, but I am not sure if they will replace the glass. The table and chairs were given to me by the Woodins and I love it. I was very sad to lose it. But other than that one incident, the tree removals went smoothly. It is going to take me a while to get used to the new landscape. I miss those trees.
by Judy Handley | Nov 9, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 313: VOW Presentation, New Landscape at Home
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2021
Weather: Overcast with Rain; High 49 Low 43 degrees F; Sunset 4:29 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
It was quite a day here. The friend who owns this property that I rent had made arrangement for some trees to be cut down and today was the day. I got up early to take Shadow out for his walk and as soon as I returned the trucks and about five workmen arrived. I was still putting the final touches on my presentation for Newcomers this morning while chain saws were buzzing, the wood chipper was doing its thing, and my son-in-law Jed arrived to ask the tree people to save some fire wood an a large tree stump for the boys to use as the base of their forge.
Lynda arrived to oversee things as I took off for the Newcomers presentation. I was very pleased with how things went. I really think it was my best presentation yet.
So, all those tweaks I made over the past few days helped.
When I arrived home around noon, the property I live on looked quite different. Two large holly trees had been taken down in front of the house, opening up the property to the street.
I liked living in the shadows of the trees, but I will get used to the new openness. It rained all morning and after a lunch break, the decision was made to halt the work in the back yard for today
and continue tomorrow and Saturday. Other neighbors are also using the same service to trim or take trees down on their properties. The estimate is that the whole job won’t be done until Tuesday.
by Judy Handley | Nov 8, 2023 | 2023 Life Logs |
2023 Life Logs, Day 312: Encore Board Meeting, More VOW Prep
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2021
Weather: Sunny with a Chill in the Air; High 52 Low 34 degrees F; Sunset 4:30 pm (-1 min)
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
There was a north wind chill in the air today despite the sunny skies. Yesterday was only 8 degrees warmer, but the wind was from the south and it felt much warmer. Despite the chill, after a morning long Encore Board meeting, Shadow and I went for a nice, long ‘city’ walk on the streets in our neighborhood. It is wonderful to be able to walk again. It is not without pain, but now that the bursitis in my hips is temporarily under control, it is my knee that gives me the most trouble on long walks. I do still have tingling and some numbness in my legs from the herniated disks, but it seems to be getting a bit better. I am also on my recumbent bike every night for about 45 minutes and I think that is helping.
In between activities, I did a little more prep on my Voyage of Windbird presentation. The last changes have been made and I will give the presentation in the morning. I dropped Ollie off at his sax lesson late this afternoon and then Heather, Jed, Sam, and Jonah picked him up and they were off to a Boston Revs soccer game.
