If it wasn't a COVID-19 climate around the world I'd suggest visiting your local parks or museums to volunteer, or explore the tutoring programs for K-12 kids. I did both of those up until early this year, when it all came to a crashing halt. Now I'm looking at volunteering in an outdoor situation in the botanical garden. Last year I hobbled painfully on those tasks, but the new knee is ready to go for some leaf-raking or tulip-planting activities.

Today my backyard greenhouse needs to be put into order, the vents covered, and potted plants moved in because our first freeze is expected over the weekend. This is as late as I ever remember a first freeze. We usually can plan on early to mid-November, and last year's mid-October hit was a true disappointment, but this has been remarkable. How do you plant your winter crops when the summer crops are still happily producing?

The faucets need to have the freeze covers put on, and I need to change the washer in the back faucet, it has had a slow leak forever (drips only, but they add up.)

Shopping - I am one who never goes to a store on "Black Friday" ever if I can possibly avoid it. (I need dogfood soon, but think I can wait till next week's "senior shopping" hour at Tractor Supply.) There are movements that celebrate small business days and homemade crafts days and such, I don't pay attention to any of them. I did most of my small item shopping in October and my closet is stashed with bags to wrap and pack and ship soon. It's all small stuff this year, there isn't really anything big most people need.

Thanksgiving dog story: those roasted vegetables I made last night were probably my favorite part of the meal. I have enough for another meal or two for me, and since it was a holiday I decided to give the dogs a treat. They usually get some kind of cut up, often cooked, vegetable on top of their dry food for the extra moisture and fiber, so each got a chunk of roasted carrot. The dog food bins live in an antique trunk, so I fill the bowls on top of the bins, collect them, close the trunk, and set the bowls on top of the trunk while dogs bark or dance around behind me. Since the two big dogs have been getting an antihistamine because they were itching so much this fall, I stuffed the Benadryl into Zeke's and Pepper's carrots, dropped them on top of the bowls, then proceeded with our meal ritual.

Zeke first, he sits and shakes hands, then I put his food down. I put down Pepper's bowl and she gives me a kiss on the cheek, then I put down Cookie's bowl and she gives me a nose boop on the cheek. They are to wait until I tell them "eat" and they dive into their bowls, and beforehand they leave each other's food alone, though Cookie always checks out Zeke's bowl to see what's for dinner before moving away. This time she went in for the kill and I wasn't fast enough to block her before she snatched and swallowed-whole that cooked carrot off of the top of his dish! She doesn't seem the worse for the dose, though she did take a long evening nap. Clearly these carrots are irresistible and will become something they get for special occasions - though I will distribute differently!