by Judy Handley | Oct 24, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 297: Making the Most of Warm Days
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Weather: Temperature Dropping; High 63, Low 44 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
When I checked the weather forecast this morning, I saw that today is likely to be the last of our warm days, at least for the ‘forecastable’ future. Starting tomorrow the high temps will be in the 50’s—not cold, but not warm enough to do some of the outside paint jobs that have been waiting for me to get around to them.
So, I had to scurry today. Before I could get to work, however, I had to go buy the paint. That required a trip to a hardware store. I also wanted to buy a leaf blower and that required a trip to a specific hardware store, Home Depot in Hyannis. The trip took much longer than expected because traffic and the VERY long check-out line in Home Depot. By the time I got back, I barely had time to apply one coat of the redwood sealant to the sandbox and outside table before heading to the Baranowski’s Taj Garage for an early dinner. They were having friends over that I haven’t seen since the Covid lockdown began in March, so they invited me to join them. It was warm enough to sit comfortably in the garage with the doors open, so we had a Covid-safe gathering. Christina and Warren Brodie were the other friends and Christina suggested that the Baranowski’s might want to rent out their space. Peter bought a propane heater that he turned on once the sun went down, but it was more to show it off as we would have been fine without it for this event. But as the temps dip lower, that heater will be most welcomed. It was great to get together and the food was delicious. Christina brought shrimp for an appetizer and Karen made a butternut squash soup, followed by fresh ahi tuna, with grilled portobello mushrooms and peaches, plus a salad. Karen’s salads are always a favorite as she puts in so many extras. Tonight’s salad had crumbled goat cheese, edamame beans, and pomegranate seeds. Yum. But the ahi tuna was the hit of the evening. It was caught by a neighbor of Peter’s who fishes in the ocean waters south of Martha’s Vineyard. This week he caught a large yellow fin and shared the bounty. I brought the dessert which was a new recipe that sounded great, but ended up to be a challenge. I thought I had ruined it as the cottage filled with smoke while it was baking. I made a cranberry pumpkin upside down cake using some of the cranberries I picked on Monday. My problem was my choice of the pan I used. My thinking was that using a springform pan would make it easier to get the cake out of the pan successfully. That part worked, but while baking, all of the butter, brown sugar, and cranberry juices flowed out of the spring-form pan and into the bottom of my oven. I should have known better. I’m sure the cranberry topping did not end up being what was intended, but it was edible, just not spectacular.
For the next seven days, the high daytime temperatures are forecast to be in the 50’s with nighttime temps dipping into the 40’s and even the 30’s on a couple of nights. The redwood sealant only needs 24 hours above 35 degrees F, so I can apply another coat tomorrow. But I think the paint for the shutters requires a temp of 55 degrees F, so that I’ll have to take them down and set up a painting area in the basement. I should have made better use of the warm days this past week, but I didn’t. Some things will just have to wait until spring.
by Judy Handley | Oct 23, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 296: Here and There
Date: Friday, October 23, 2020
Weather: Warm and Sunny; High 67, Low 52 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Today was a day of running here and there. And I was able to do this thanks to friends, Peter and Karen Baranowski. When my car broke down on Tuesday evening, I rented a car for two days. I was supposed to return it this morning by 9 am, but my car was not going to be ready until late today or tomorrow. Karen called me yesterday and offered the use of one of their vehicles, so I took advantage of their kindness. I took Shadow to the groomer’s early this morning and then met Karen at the car rental place at 9 am to return the rental. Karen then drove us back to her house and turned her car over to me. I stopped at CVS on the way home to see if they had the double-strength flu vaccine for seniors. I have been checking for three weeks now, and finally today they had it. Check. Flu vaccine done. Then I went home and just before noon I got a call from Falmouth Motorcar saying that the cost of the repair to my Fit was going to be considerably more than anticipated, but that if I approved the work, the car would be ready in the early afternoon—much sooner than anticipated. I approved the work and waited for the call to let me know I could come get the car. I tried to call Karen to arrange a trade-off of cars, but I couldn’t get through to her. In the meantime, the groomer called and said Shadow was ready for pick-up. So off I went to get Shadow, then off to pick Ollie up after school. By this time, I had gotten the call to let me know the car was ready, but still I had not heard from Karen. Ollie came home with me for another work afternoon and just as I was getting ready to take him home, Karen called. We picked her up and then went to get my car. Ollie has been well trained. When I said we were picking Karen up, he reminded me that we would all need to wear masks if we were going to be in the car together. Sure wish our President was as Covid-safe as my eight year-old grandson! So, I did spend a day traveling here and there, but now I have my car back and am so grateful to the Baranowski’s for saving me the cost of another day of car rental. Thank you, Karen and Peter.
Tonight I finally made a contact that a number of us in my family have been working on since October 10th. It all started when my sister-in-law asked me if my sister Patsy was still in contact with her good friend from high school in Nitro, West Virginia, named Helen Stricklen. I assumed so, but when I asked my sister, she explained that the phone number she had used to reach Helen for years no longer worked. She hadn’t talked to her lifelong friend Helen for over five years. When Patsy and Helen were sophomores in high school, at age sixteen, Helen Landers decided to marry Bob Stricken. Because Helen was so young, they had to go to Kentucky to get married and my sister Patsy went with them to serve as their witness. That was in 1950. Tonight I found out that Helen and Bob are still alive, still married, and still living in Nitro,West Virginia. A nephew of mine had suggested trying to make contact through Helen and Bob’s church, the First Baptist Church in Nitro, so tonight I got on the church Facebook page and sent a message. Evidently the message went to all members of the church, and one of Helen and Bob’s granddaughters saw the message and got back to me. We will talk tomorrow afternoon and find a way to get Patsy and Helen once again in touch with one another. So again Facebook came to the rescue for me. It was invaluable during the weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and was once again invaluable in getting Patsy and Helen reconnected.
by Judy Handley | Oct 23, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 295: October Summer Day
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2020
Weather: Foggy Early, Then Warm and Sunny; High 70, Low 52 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
It actually felt hot today. The 70-degree temp, along with the sunshine, definitely made this an October summer day. I spent part of my day sitting down by the dock reading, soaking in the sunshine, and playing ball with Shadow.
I took a selfie photo to document the occasion. Shadow and I also took a long walk down a neighborhood path that took us through the woods, out onto the main highway, and then back through the neighborhoods leading home. I picked Ollie up after school and we then went to pick up Jonah. Jed was in Cambridge today and Heather took Sam to his rowing session up near Hyannis. Ollie, Jonah, and I headed to the skatepark, but both boys decided they wanted to drive to a skatepark in Sandwich. I tried to discourage that as we did it once before in late summer and the park so jam-packed with kids that we didn’t stay. But they wanted to try it again, so off we went. It was about a 20+ minute drive and it turned out to be a no-go. When we arrived, they both said, “No way. I don’t want to get Covid.” The park was packed, so we immediately drove back home to our Falmouth skatepark and spent the last hour of sunshine there. Then I spent my evening watching the last Presidential debate. My only comment is that I really, really don’t want to hear Donald Trump say one more time that the coronavirus is “. . . going away.” My response was simply, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” But I thought the moderator did a remarkable job and we finally got to see an exchange of ideas in debate form from these two candidates. That was a very nice ending to a beautiful day.
by Judy Handley | Oct 21, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 295: Visit with the Kanegsbergs
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Weather: Foggy with Some Drizzle; High 67, Low 58 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Jed came to pick me up around 9:15 am and we headed to the Enterprise Car Rental office. I rented a car, went home to pick up Shadow, and headed to Dedham to visit with the Kanegsbergs. I thought I was just going to take a walk with them, but I ended up being invited in for lunch afterwards. Since the Covid lockdown in March, I have only been in Heather and Jed’s home, plus a quick visit or two in the Baranowskis, and a visit in my niece Candi’s home after Lynn’s death. It is a strange feeling to feel awkward about going into the home of good friends, but then these are strange times. Alan and Helaine see almost no one, so the unease is on my part. Because the Goldpebbles are now in school and I see them on a daily basis, I know I am at risk and don’t want to spread that risk around. But Alan, Helaine, and I wore masks, stayed at least 8 feet apart, and enjoyed our time together. Our 2+ mile was delightful. The maple trees in their neighborhood are so colorful and I enjoyed seeing the community raised beds even though the only remnants of life are marigolds and a few plants left from the summer. And Alan enjoyed showing me his new remote controlled sailboat—his latest sailing adventure.
I got back with plenty of time to go check on my little Honda Fit. It was the 4th car towed into Falmouth Motor yesterday, and they were only on car #2. So, I won’t find out the diagnosis until tomorrow. I then picked Ollie up from school and we went to my house to have a work session. Yesterday Ollie expressed a desire to do some work to make money and I told him I have so many jobs that I can keep him busy until the snow falls. We started today by doing some fall yard work. After an hour, Ollie was ready to go home, but I hope he will return on an afternoon or two next week to continue the yard work. I still have to baby my back, so having someone to pick up fallen branches and bag the fallen leaves is truly needed. Tonight I talked to Linda Stuart, previous bike tourer now living a ‘normal’ life in Lakewood, Colorado, just to the southwest of Denver. We spent too much time talking politics and just got into how to best keep veggies fresh when our time came to an end. Next time we’ll talk more about food and less about politics. But it wouldn’t have made any difference what we talked about, it was just great to talk to Linda.
by Judy Handley | Oct 20, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 294: I VOTED TODAY
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Weather: Overcast and Rainy; High 62, Low 57 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Early voting in Falmouth started on Saturday. It continues this week and next, but since it was raining this morning, I thought maybe no one else would be there. I was wrong, but nothing could have made me happier. I didn’t mind standing in the rain to wait in line to vote. The poll workers said the line has been steady since Saturday. Great news. Falmouth voters are out in force!
Despite the overcast, rainy weather today, things were going along just fine . . . until my car stopped dead in its tracks and I heard a clunk and whrrrrr. Familiar situation. This same thing happened last June. I thought it was the transmission, but it was a broken axle, I think on the front passenger side of the car. Today’s experience was so familiar that I fear it is the same problem. I’ll find that out tomorrow, but for today it meant sitting in the car in the rain for about an hour and a half waiting for the tow truck. I was just leaving Heather and Jed’s neighborhood when this happened, so after the tow truck arrived I walked back to their house and Jed brought me home. It is one of those weeks when they need both of their cars, so I have reserved a rental car for tomorrow and Thursday so the show can go on.
Tonight I talked to Lynne Kirwin in New Zealand. She was very excited about the landslide re-election of the current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, leader of Labour Party. Ardern is only 40 years old and her “hard and early” approach to beating Covid-19 has made her extremely popular. Discussing the NZ election led to a discussion of the upcoming election in this country . . . too painful to write about. But Lynne is doing great. It is now spring in New Zealand. She is doing some house and pet sitting as well as visiting with friends. She was supposed to fly back to this country for the summer and fall, but due to Covid she is still in New Zealand. She is a dual-citizen and lived in New Zealand for about 15 years, so it is also home. I’m hoping she will be able to fly home to visit next summer and fall during the New Zealand winter. I love our phone calls, but I am anxious to see her in person again. Tomorrow is October 22 in New Zealand and Lynne’s birthday. So Happy Birthday, Lynne. Enjoy your special day.
by Judy Handley | Oct 19, 2020 | 2020 Life Logs |
2020 Life Logs, Day 292: More Cranberry Harvesting
Date: Monday, October 19, 2020
Weather: Sunny and Beautiful; High 61, Low 47 Degrees F
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Today’s focus was all about more cranberry harvesting—by dry harvesting by hand and wet harvesting done commercially. One of the wonderful things about living on Cape Cod is that come mid-October, we get to see the commercial harvesting of the cranberry bogs. And it is a spectacularly colorful process to watch. Here in East Falmouth, cranberry bogs seem to be just around every turn in the road. I spent the early afternoon returning to the community bog we visited yesterday and I picked more cranberries the way the Native Americans would have done it. Hard on the back and hard on the knees, but so satisfying. Commercial bogs are flooded for the harvest; natural bogs are not. Machinery is used to harvest the commercial bogs; your fingers do the picking in the natural bogs. It takes about 45 minutes of hand picking for me to fill one of those plastic containers that mixed greens come in at the grocery store. It takes most of the day to fill a huge cargo container in a commercial bog. There’s no doubt that the commercial harvest is more efficient but harvesting by hand for the first time has been a wonderful experience for me.
Today I discovered the commercial harvesting operation in the bogs near where the Goldstones used to live as I drove to the community bog to hand pick today. So, when I picked Ollie up after school, we drove by the bogs to watch the operation. The first time Ollie and I ever watched this harvesting operation was on October 9. 2013 when Ollie was one. Back then, I was taking the photos. Today I gave the camera to Ollie and let him document the harvest. The experience brought back those memories from the fall of 2013. If you are interested in details about the commercial harvest, you can read my log entry from that day copied below.
Day 340, Year 8: Cranberry Harvest in the Bogs
Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Weather: Still Sunny and Cool
Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Cranberry bogs are like beaches on Cape Cod. You don’t have to travel far to find one. It all started about 18,000 years ago during when the glaciers in this area melted leaving a sandy substrate. It is almost as if all of Cape Cod is one big sand bar with lots of low spots that have developed as ponds. Heather and Jed live one block away from Mill Pond and the adjacent low spot that has been developed into a cranberry bog. Cranberries are an evergreen dwarf shrub that can be dry harvested (hand-picked) or wet-picked with machinery as they are in ‘our’ bogs. And today was harvesting day. We didn’t know this, but due to a wreck on the main road, Jed and Jonah had to take the back road to get to Woods Hole. This took them by the bog and all of the activity. Jed stopped and called home to give us the heads up, so Heather, Ollie, and I walked down to check it out. Heather, Jed, Sam, and Jonah have seen this before, but not Ollie and me. Heather had to leave to go to an appointment, so with Ollie in his stroller, we spent the next hour watching the process. The bogs are flooded with water, covering the plants with about 8 inches of water. Then water reel harvesters run through the bogs, removing the cranberries from the vines. The cranberries float to the surface and are gathered inside a floating plastic ring that can be moved through the water. The corralled cranberries are moved near the edge of the bog where big trucks can literally suck the cranberries from the water.
20 Happy Ollie 1
After an hour of watching, Ollie was getting cold, so we headed home. Heather was not back yet, so we played and had just the best time. Ollie is so much fun to be around. He has this deep belly laugh that is absolutely contagious. So, we played and laughed until momma got home.
