Dupont: STILL!

R has not had time to go back to Beaver to fix the septic. I have pretty well missed June in a blue funk. I mentioned my distress at being in Quebec - highest covid in Canada - on another forum and a fellow pmed me; for some reason his two brief emails triggered something and I decided it was time to rejoin the living.

I have managed to get plants and seeds into the ground and things are growing in spite of NO rain for ages! Putting all the geraniums outside had de-cluttered the window sills. There is a great need for window covers on west and south windows, which plants make more difficult. Of course, I now have to water the outdoor house plants almost daily.

Out back, the numerous tomato cuttings are potted - 3 to a 12 inch pot and are on the railing of the deck, with a few small peppers and tomatoes coming along. MORE watering! The seedlings in front flower bed have sprouted and will live or die; will not be watered! Many flowers on the four zuke plants but without rain... Most of the bulbs and plants I planted on the bought pile of soil - I call it a dinosaur grave - are being very successful with a nice succession of colour. The peony clump has not lasted a week; I wonder if the lack of moisture?

The garage project is on hold. 2 weeks ago R found himself with a kidney stone and I waited on him for one whole week as he suffered great pain. Then one day the pain was gone but he shows no sign of getting back to work. An op is scheduled for Friday and last Friday we went to hospital for pre-op tests. He reads and sleeps - a lot! Fixed a couple leaks in plumbing - a great help to the damp basement.

The K faucet leaked but I had no idea what it was doing until I saw dampness in the cabinet! Expecting it to be dry, I had stored a large bag of oat flakes - original bag perhaps 50#! When I pulled it out the bottom disintegrated and R gets 10 gold stars for rescuing what could be - 15 large yogurt containers and taking the rest out to the woods. He LOVES cleaning up messes!! Oh, JOY!

The house is moderately clean; we are eating very little that needs much cooking; I still use the distiller as we need the water but now put it on the stove next to the vent with a fan to pull hot air out of the house! I never knew there was such a thing but it is great!! Cooking odours and heat ...GONE!

Oh, Big thing was we hosted a young raccoon for 3 weeks while searching for a rehabber. bottle feedings to solid food and PHEW! A wonderful woman took him to a new home for us just as R was hitting the worst pain. He was wonderful but too much. "moderately clean" includes paw prints in various places, some of which, "I washed that twice already!" I miss him; it was quite enchanting to see his brain working, problem solving. I hope he has the best possible raccoon life! He needed a peer group and wanted to be outdoors; he could smell it.

Now our only pet is a huge brown/black spider that R found in the cellar. It looks like one someone called an Inspector Spider years ago. R wants to show it to someone then let it go. I hope back in the cellar.

I took a bath a couple days ago and got an unusually good look at the state of my body. R agrees it is horrible. I have asked him to put all the cookies where I will not find them. I have gained much weight in the last two months and it was bad before. Crisis time. Maybe I can go back to the only diet that ever worked for me. One day at a time.

R installed a portable AC in BR today and found the large fan which we can use in the TV room. Right now I am trying to get it to bring the cooler air up from downstairs, which would bring cooler air up from the cellar. Hot air can go into the attic and out the "hot air chimney" up there - an early 1900 tactic built into the house!   There is another AC for his office, in which some progress has been made - y'all know - papers everywhere!
I cannot breathe if the temp is over 73 so any improvement helps. I spend time opening and closing windows and drapes. The "cool night air" is currently around 71 but it does help.

As for SRS and her DIY projects: Sure is hard to find someone who does it the way we want and as well as we can!