by Judy Handley | May 22, 2021 | Cape Cod, USA |
2021 Life Logs, Day 142: Writing, Kombucha, Soccer
Date: Saturday, May 22, 2021
Weather: Partly Sunny, Warm When the Sun Shined; High 67, Low, 59 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Not a lot to write about today. I continued writing this morning and around noon headed to Heather’s to check out her new batch of kombucha. I used to make kombucha and love it, but stopped drinking it thinking that maybe its acidic qualities were adding to my reflux issues. But last week Heather was interested in started making it and I said I would be glad to help get her started. Today we decanted the first batch and put it in bottles for the second fermentation . . . and started a second batch. By Tuesday or Wednesday, the first batch should be ready to drink.
I had a few minutes to watch their new kittens at play. They have moved from Heather and Jed’s bedroom into the living room and seem to be doing great. They are a constant source of entertainment and so very, very cute.
Sam had a soccer game this afternoon and I went to see him play. They did not have enough players for a real game, so the referee put on a jersey and played with them. Because it was not a competive game, the boys seemed to really enjoy that freedom. It was great to see them playing and laughing and talking at the same time.
I returned home and did more writing. Tomorrow morning I am going to focus on gardening. And in the afternoon I am going to a luncheon with my dining-in group. The high temp is supposed to be in the low 80’s. I do hope to fully enjoy the warmth.
by Judy Handley | May 21, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 141: Energy Audit
Date: Friday, May 21, 2021
Weather: Sunny, Slightly Warmer; High 68, Low, 53 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Morning came early today. I put Shadow in the crate last night and neither one of us got a lot of sleep. When I went to the bedroom and left him in the living room in the crate, he was quiet. But after a while I heard him making noises that seemed like quiet crying. It broke my heart, but I tried to ignore it and go to sleep. All night long, he went through quiet periods and then back to crying. Finally, when the sun came up, he quieted, and we got a good hour of sleep before it was time to get up. This made me wonder if he was having separation anxiety from me or if he is just afraid of the dark. I’ll have to keep working on this.
An energy specialist was arriving at 8:15 am to do an energy audit and Shadow had dog school at 9 am. So, we got up and started our day. I got dressed as quickly as I could so I could spend time walking with Shadow. By 8:15 am we were walking back to the cottage with the Rise Engineering truck following us. Since this was the third audit of the cottage, the specialist really only needed to check the new water heater, recheck that the furnace is properly vented, and recheck the attic. The assessment was done by 8:40 am, so I took off with Shadow to deliver him to his second day of dog school. When I returned, the Rise Engineering truck was still in my driveway. Was there a problem? No. The specialist had decided to sit in the driveway and submit his report so that he could give me a printout of the results before he left. He approved $5,400 in energy upgrades—new insulation in the attic (11 inches of R-40 cellulose), insulating the basement sills, drilling and filling the outside walls with insulation, insulating the bulkhead door, new vents in the soffit, and on and on. And because this is a landlord/tenant upgrade, there is no cost to us at all. Normally a homeowner pays 25 per cent of the total, but if it is a rental, the total cost is covered. The work cannot be scheduled to be done until August or September, but it will be done before cold weather season.
Ollie and I picked Shadow up from school and got a lesson in how to deal with a dog that was overly excited to see us. Ian, the trainer, keeps telling me Shadow is extremely smart and has learned to outsmart all of the humans in his life. It took 15 minutes, but he was able to calm Shadow before releasing him to us. Then Ollie was able to lead Shadow to the car. Patience, patience. It is time for bed and I am still trying to think of creative ways to keep Shadow from crying tonight. Tough love is tough!
by Judy Handley | May 20, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 140: More Writing and A Short Shopping Spree
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021
Weather: Sunny, A Little Cooler; High 66, Low, 48 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Shadow and I survived the night apart from one another. But I cheated. I did not feel that he was yet comfortable going into the crate for the night, so I let him sleep in the living room on the sofa and I closed my bedroom door so he couldn’t come in. He barked for about ten minutes once I went into my room, but then he was quiet for the remainder of the night. I spent time today putting treats in the crate to get Shadow thinking positively about it. Then this afternoon when I left to take Sam and a friend to rowing in Hyannis, I did put him in the crate. He went in quietly but didn’t look happy. When I got back four hours later, he seemed fine. Tonight I’ll try the crate.
I spent most of my day writing and then headed to Hyannis with Sam and his friend Alex. We have not been carpooling because of Covid, but now that the boys have had one shot, we decided to do it with all of us wearing masks in the car.
Once we got there, I watched as they got the boats in the water. Alex and Sam were in a double today. Once they were off, I headed into Hyannis to Home Depot. Jed has these amazing loppers that will cut down small trees and I decided that I needed a pair of those to help clear some small stumps I keep tripping over and to trim branches. I have been borrowing his, but I never have them when I need them. Now I have my own. Then I went shoe shopping. I needed something I can just slip on to take Shadow out for bathroom breaks and for gardening. I have never worn Crocs because one size is slightly too small and the next size up is slightly too big. But they seemed like the best choice, so I bought the wildest looking pair I could find in the size that is slightly too big. We’ll see how that works out.
by Judy Handley | May 19, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 139: Day School for Shadow
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 73, Low, 49 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
The wonderful run of spring weather we have had for the past week continues. I’m hoping this continues right through until summer. It is fabulous.
Who knew parenting a dog could be so hard and so expensive? Not me. That’s for sure. And I am not new to dogs. I had two Wire Fox Terriers when I met Mark and he had an Irish Setter. When we decided to head to the mountains to build a cabin, I had to give my terriers to friends, but we kept Shane, the Irish Setter. Shane was not a smart dog and he was not obedient. But other than trying to knock Mark’s mother off her feet on Fort Myers Beach, he did no harm. While we were visiting in Florida, he kept running away. He finally succeeded. Then when Justin and Heather were almost one and three years old, we got a Collie puppy. Her name was Starr. She looked like Lassie and never gave us any problems. She barked at strangers, but other than that, we never had issues with her. At the same time, we had fourteen sled dogs that we ran daily. We certainly didn’t need expensive dog trainers. When Starr died, Justin talked me into getting the cutest little Cocker Spaniel I had ever seen. I spoiled her rotten, but still, I never felt the need to pay a trainer. I just had a spoiled, misbehaving dog that didn’t attempt to hurt anyone. But Shadow is another story. He is so very exuberant and anxious all at the same time. He jumps on everyone, nips at the grandkids’ pants leg, jumps at their faces, as well as Heather’s, will not come when called, and on and on. But he is a very smart dog. Too smart. Despite the very expensive training that we both went through when he was a puppy, nothing changed. The training was for me and I failed! So, we are trying again. This time Shadow is going to a very expensive day school with a few other dogs. He had his first day today and he is already better. I picked Shadow up just before going to pick Ollie up from school, so I took Shadow with me for the after school pick up. Normally when Shadow sees Ollie and the other walkers coming from the school, he starts pulling at the leash and jumping like a wild thing. I can barely control him. But today, he sat and watched as Ollie approached. He did jump once when Ollie got close, but I pulled him away and he settled. The difference was amazing. The reason—treats! The first trainer did not allow the use of treats. Her training was based solely on voice command and the use of a choke collar for corrections. The new trainer, Ian, doesn’t allow choke collars and trains using a special treat. I did not think this would work with Shadow as he is so picky about what he eats. But he LOVES Ian’s treats, and they work like a charm. Eventually, the use of treats will be lessened. But for now, lots of treats are making an unbelievable difference. Tonight, will be the test, however. I can no longer allow Shadow to sleep on my bed until he is fully trained. I have to put him in a crate at night. We are both going to hate that, probably me more than him. I am hoping it is going to be easier than it sounds. Shadow goes back to school on Friday, so you’ll get another update then.
by Judy Handley | May 18, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 138: Gardening, Writing, Playing
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 72, Low, 56 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
‘Have Children in Your Life’ is #9 on Dr. Roger Landry’s top ten list of things that are necessary to ‘Live Long, Die Short’. That is his way of naming the things that are necessary to age with grace and health. I am so blessed to have my Falmouth grandchildren in my life every day in one way or another, so I can check off #9. I spend time with the grandkids in many way, but this spring on Tuesdays and most Thursdays I spend a large chunk of my day with Sam. I leave home at 3 pm to pick up Ollie and take him home. On the way home, he talks about the things that are important in the life of a nine-year-old. Then I head to Falmouth Conservatory to pick Sam up after his drum lesson. We come back to home just long enough for him to change clothes and we head to Hyannis for his 5 pm rowing practice on Wequaquet Lake. I love having the time in the car with Sam. He helps me keep up to date on what is happening in the lives of teenagers and tries to help educate me in the world of technology. It is so special to have this little window of time with a fourteen-year-old. While he is rowing for an hour and a half, I read, go into Hyannis to shop, and pick up dinner for Sam. He eats on the way home and then I drop him off for his weekly Scout meeting. I get home around 7:30 pm and head out for a short walk with Shadow and then I play ball with him until almost 8 pm. Then I come inside and ‘think’ about dinner. It is almost 9 pm by the time I eat and then get on my exercise bike. Whew! All of this makes for a busy afternoon and evening, but I would not trade it for anything in the world.
I did a little gardening today and started writing the next chapter in my book. I am hoping to somehow finish writing about year one of the voyage of Windbird before the middle of June. Speaking of Windbird, Sam and Dawn said farewell to Windbird at Lightkeeper’s Marina in North Myrtle Beach today. They packed all of their belongings in a cargo trailer that they are pulling along with them as they head westward. They will visit with family and friends along the way. I wish them the best. Westward Ho!
by Judy Handley | May 17, 2021 | 2021 Life Logs |
2021 Life Logs, Day 137: Walk, Talk, Watch
Date: Monday, May 17, 2021
Weather: Sunny and Warm; High 72, Low, 52 degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
What a day. I was all over the place, both physically and mentally. I started the day with a walk with friend Olga Mitchell. Olga is in her mid-80’s and recently lost her husband. She is also a woman her spent her life working for the Bell Lab as a physicist and loves nothing more than doing loops and spins in her Decathlon aerobatic plane that she keeps in her garage. She lives in the Falmouth Airpark and can drive her plane from her garage onto a fairway that leads out to the main airstrip. And she walks like she flies. We walked at least two to three miles in in an hour and half on the paths through the woods near her home. And when we got back, I was astounded by the shitake mushroom ‘forest’ she has growing on oak logs outside her garage and a worm farm with more garden worms than I have ever seen. I wish I had half of her energy. She is an amazing woman.
I got home just in time to take Shadow for his morning mile, had lunch, and headed into town to talk with Jerry Lanson. Jerry is a Professor Emeritus at Emerson College, and a former newspaper editor, reporter, columnist. I signed up for his Newcomers Memoir Writing Class last year and he encouraged me to start writing in earnest about the Voyage of Windbird. I haven’t talked to him since I did start writing in earnest in January of this year, so today’s conversation was about how things are going. We met at Coffee Obsession, outside in the beautiful weather, amongst others outside and unmasked. It seemed so normal! He asked one question that I did not answer out loud as I answered in my head. He asked who I perceive to be the target audience of my book. In my head I thought, “People who believe in fairy tales.” Out loud I answered, “People who enjoy adventure and travel.”
But then tonight I got a text from Sam and Dawn on Windbird. They wanted me to know that they had finished getting Windbird ready to be put on the market. She is in North Myrtle Beach, where we left her in the February of 2016 and where they first saw her and purchased her. The same agent and friend that sold her to them for Mark and I is the same agent and friend who will attempt sell her this time. They sent photos and she looks great. And they wanted me know that I will always be their “sailing fairy godmother.” Maybe the book I am writing really is a fairy tale! It is certainly the story of a woman who was incredibly reluctant to sail around the world and transformed into a woman who thought sailing around the world was the most wonderful way to see the world and get to know her people.
I picked Ollie up after school and he came home with me to cut the grass in Shirley’s side yard before I took him home. While he was cutting the grass, I played ball with Shadow. Then when I took him home, I got to see the kittens, Mel and Leo, at play. They are doing great and are so much fun to watch. And then I came home to quickly get dinner for Shadow and for myself and tune into a Zoom presentation presented by the Harwich Conservation Trust. It was advertised as a presentation to help you learn how native plantings can create a more inviting and healthier yard for birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife. The talk was by Doug Tallamy who has written bestsellers on enhancing your eco-friendly yard. His books include Nature’s Best Hope and Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens. I was definitely convinced that turning your yard into a native plant haven is well worth the effort—less grass and more native plants.
