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A View From the Field |
August, 2015 August 31 I was talking to Johanna today, and we both agree we can't believe it's the end of August already. Wow, has the summer gone fast! And I haven't done anything much.
I got to bed by 1:00 this morning and I slept fairly well. I got up around 9:00, and I knitted, with some difficulty. I was having problems counting today. I got to have a nice breakfast and do some of my surfing, and although I was a few minutes late, I made it to Johanna's. I feel much better for my massage.
I stopped at the post office, and there was a lot of mail, so I spent most of the rest of the afternoon reading it. When I went to get my dinner I realized I am out of cereal bowls, so I will have to get the dishwasher ready to run tonight, as well as wash my hair.
I still don't know what the official weather was, because the weather station is still down, but the temperature got into the middle 80s here today. There was a breeze from the southwest that I didn't realize until dinnertime, when I opened the south window. It was clear for part of the time, or as clear as it's been lately, although it clouded up some late in the day.
The guys were sleepy, and Louie got some lap time, but Grayson didn't for some reason.
So that was another quiet day in paradise. Now it's a cloudy, warm night in the field.
August 30 It was another late night. I got up around 1:00 and I knitted - and then I remembered that I hadn't filled the pill dispensers at the north end, so I had to do that. So everything got skewed. At 10:30, I just finished eating my dinner. Of course, it was something that had to cook for a while, but still. Tonight has to be earlier, because I have a massage tomorrow.
The weather was nice, but I can't quote many figures because the weather station is still down. I think it was around 71º or so all afternoon, with very light winds, probably from the north or slightly east of north. It was partly cloudy again, and after looking at the MODIS imagery, I'm wondering if what is clouding our skies might be smoke from all those fires in the west. It didn't look like any other clouds I've seen since I've been watching the imagery. This was thick enough that there wasn't much of a sunset, so I don't know.
The guys were very sleepy. Grayson got some lap time, but I haven't seen Louie yet.
Around 7:00 the Internet started bouncing. It was very frustrating. Since I haven't heard back from PastyNet, I gather that they know all about it - which I was sure they did - and are working on a fix. I don't just mean that I would lose connection - it was flat down. Then it would come back for a few minutes and go down again. Oh, the joys of supporting an online service! I feel for Jon and Charlie, but mostly I think it's Jon, because Charlie is downstate. I guess I'm glad it's not me.
So that was a quiet and truncated day, and I'm tired. it's a nearly calm, warmish, partly cloudy night in the field.
August 29 Oh, I did it again. I was earlier than the night before, but not a lot. I got up around 1:00 and I knitted four rows on the shawl. I'm sure that as it gets bigger, I will be doing two or even one row at a time.
Today was washday, but I had done so much wash during the week that there was only one load. I had an accident, and I washed what I had on, but I didn't finish it, so I'll have to do it tomorrow.
I don't think I'll be going to church tomorrow, since it's after 11:00 now and before I go to bed I have to fill the pill dispensers and wash my hair.
The weather was nice, if you were out in it. It's pretty hot in here, since the windows are all shut. Tomorrow I will have to open them. I can't give a compete picture of the weather because the weather station has been down for four hours. The high temperature was 73º, but it was around 70º all day. According to my thermometer, it's down to the low 60s now, but that's because it's clear. There was a little wind, up to as much as 18 mph from the north. It was mostly clear. There ought to be a full moon someplace up there right now, but I can't see it, so it may have clouded over a bit.
The guys were sleepy. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie came by when I was busy, so he didn't. I guess the trouble with cats is that I get to living like they do. It's nice.
The wash is mostly done, so I accomplished something today. Now it's supposed to be a clear night in the field, but I haven't checked.
August 28 I pretty much did pull an all-nighter last night. At least it was getting light when I went to bed. I guess it was around noon when I got up - not nearly enough sleep! - and I knitted for a while, but not as long as lately. I finished the second repeat of the pattern, and I now have something like 167 stitches. So I won't be doing so much from now on. I did have a small problem. There was something wrong with the way one bead was placed, and when I tried to fix it, I dropped something. Fortunately, it wasn't bad and I was able to recover without ripping. Whew!
Other than that I didn't do a lot. I had to go out to the breezeway to get some TP, so while I was there, I unpacked some boxes of pills and brought some canned cat food into the house. My back was killing me before i got in, and it's still sore, but relaxing in bed should cure it, and if it doesn't, I see Johanna on Monday. I still have to get the boxes out of there, but at least they're mostly empty now. Tomorrow I will fetch in the printer ink, which I need, and we'll see about the rest. Tomorrow is washday, although it shouldn't be too bad, because I washed a load of bottoms earlier this week.
The weather was so-so. The high temperature was 73º and there wasn't much wind, but it was cloudy all day and there was a teensy bit of rain late in the afternoon.
The guys were sleepy. They both got some lap time. Grayson was sleeping with me when I got up this morning, down by my legs.
Now it's a cloudy, humid night in the field.
August 27 I tried to pull an all-nighter last night. I didn't quite make it, but it was a ridiculous hour of this morning before I finally got to bed. I think I was trying to find an excuse not to wash my hair. I got up around 1:00 and I knitted, without many problems. I'm making progress on the shawl, but it will take a while. My goal is to get it done and blocked before Christmas, so I can wear it Christmas Eve if I get to go to church that night.
Otherwise, I didn't do a whole lot, because I didn't have a lot of time. I did make it to choir. It was a short practice, because Pastor isn't here, and he didn't leave us with a lot of stuff to sing. I guess I will have to go to church Sunday, which I don't usually do when they have a lay service. We'll see.
Anyway, I got home early, which was nice. It's getting to the part of the year that when practice runs late, it's getting dark before I get home. I stopped at the store on my way home, because I didn't have enough JD to last until Sunday, and I wanted some milk to have with my pancakes. I stopped because when I went by, there was nobody parked in front. I have a particular spot that I want to park in, right in front of one of the handrails on the steps, so that when I come down, I have something to lean on for that last step. That's hard when there are lots of cars parked in front.
The weather was better than it has been lately. The temperature got up to 66º briefly, and it was over 60º for most of the day. There wasn't much wind, from the southwest. It was sort of clear all day, with a lot of those high, hazy clouds that turn the sky white. However, on my way home, I saw the almost-full moon rising in a clear sky. Pretty. Now it's shining in the south windows, still pretty.
The guys were feeling good when I got up. Sometime in the past couple of weeks, Louie (I presume) chewed the end off the drawstring on my anniversary hoodie, and the last time I saw it, Grayson was running down the hall toward the bathroom with it in his mouth. He found it again this morning and had a great time with it. They were both sleepy later on. Grayson got some lap time, but I was busy when Louie came by.
So that was a truncated day, and I didn't get my full quota of sleep last night, so I'm tired. it's a clear (apparently) cool night in the field.
August 26 I guess 12:30 is my normal bedtime these days. However, last night, i couldn't get to sleep until I turned over. I have no clue why that happens, but every so often it does. Later in the night, I turned back and had no problems, so whatever it was, I don't know. Anyway, I think it was around 9:30 maybe when I got up.
I got right at the shawl, and I knitted for a long time - long enough to get back where I was Monday when I decided I needed to rip. Now everything looks good, even though there were a few extraneous yarn-overs that I had to drop. The patterns are both easy ones, which is why I don't know why I was having such problems with them. Having to do them over has helped get them into my fingers, so it should be easier from now on. I don't think I'll be knitting 16 rows from now on, because I already have 130 stitches and I'm increasing two stitches on each row - well, four stitches every other row, technically - except for two where there are four stitches every row. So the number of stitches is getting large, fast, and even though the patterns are easy, it takes time to knit each stitch.
That was about all I did. I did cook up a pot of rice, but I think I will bail and put it away tomorrow. It seems to pack better when it's cold. Or at least that's a good excuse.
The weather has slowly gotten better. it was still cold; the temperature was just about steady at 55º again, and there was a 15 mph or so wind out of the north. It was cloudy for most of the day, although it had nearly cleared up by sunset. It's supposed to be much warmer tomorrow. I hope so. By the way, while it was cloudy, the sun slipped back into the camera view, and it looks like it set right behind the end of Lighthouse Point. So autumn is coming. Sigh.
The guys were sleepy, although they both got some lap time. In fact, Grayson got a lot of lap time. Last week I noticed that Louie had a swollen lower lip that worried me, but evidently he just led with his chin again, because the one in front has gone down and now he has a swelling under his right incisor. Grayson has absolutely the sharpest claws I have ever known in a cat, and when Louie goes after him, he uses them. Those claws are very small - he has really little toes - but the ends are just like needles, sharp needles. Louie has claws, too, and his are big because his feet are big and his toes are very long, but they aren't nearly so sharp. He was chewing on them this morning, so evidently he's losing a claw casing. I got a couple more knots out of his back, too. He just doesn't wash there very much, and his undercoat is so fine and fluffy that it mats up very easily.
So it was a quiet day, and It was good to see some blue sky again for a change. Now it's a cold, clear night in the field.
August 25 It was about 12:30 last night, but I took a bath. I slept well, and I got up around 9:00, I think.
I got right at the shawl, and I had to rip back about 20 rows to get everything right. It seems like I must have hooked a strand with one of those teensy crochet hooks and pulled a loop on the back, and with this pattern and this yarn, it doesn't work very well to try to work out the loops. Anyway, then I knitted a few rows. I still have 16 more to go to get back where I was, but at least this time it will look right. That took me a very long time, since I had to unknit at least 4 rows stitch by stitch. At least this pattern is easy to see and it's easy to see where I am in it. Now I can forge ahead and hope nothing like this happens again.
It was another yucky day, but the blow is over, and hopefully tomorrow the gloomy clouds will go away, too. The temperature was just about steady around 55º, and while there was some north wind, up to 24 mph, the strong gusts were over. It was dark and cloudy, but it stopped raining around 10:00. Not too nice.
The guys slept, but Grayson got to sit on me twice and Louie was up once. They feel the weather even more than I do.
So it was another quiet day, and I'm tired again. It's a dark, cloudy night in the field.
August 24 It was midnight again, but I didn't get up until 10:00, so I got caught up pretty well. I knitted, but when I looked at what I've done, I decided I'm going to have to rip. The place where I ripped back one part of the pattern doesn't look right, and it will bug me unless I do it over. Tomorrow.
Otherwise, I didn't do much. I had an accident, so I washed a full load of bottoms which still need to go into the dryer.
The weather was just plain nasty. We are having another blow, and it isn't over yet. The high temperature during the day was 55º and there has been a big wind out of the north, with gusts up to 37 mph. It rained lightly off and on all day long. The humidity was awful. It was awful. It was dark and dismal all day long. All the windows except the one in the bedroom are closed now, and I was cold all day. My joints were telling me how nasty it was, too.
The guys slept, although Grayson got a lot of lap time. Louie got some, too, but he decided to lie only half on my lap and lean against my right hand, and I moved it, so he fell off, leaving claw marks in my leg, most likely. If I have to teach him how to lie on my lap, I'll do that, too.
So that's all I have to report. It's a dark, damp, dismal night in the field.
August 23 Well, I managed to fiddle around until after midnight, and then I woke up at about 6:40 and decided I might as well get up, so I didn't get nearly enough sleep. Then I went into zombie mode again after I ate, and when I came to, it was 8:50 and I was sitting in the studio in my nightie. I was in time for church to start, but I was much later than I usually like to get there.
Part, but not all of that was because just as I left the house, the heavens opened, and it rained ridiculously hard all the way to Delaware. I got behind some poor tourist who didn't know the road and couldn't see where he was going and was doing 30 mph in some places. I passed him where I shouldn't, and the way he reacted, I guess he never did know I was behind him until I went by him. There were a lot of people on the road today, for some reason.
Church was nice, and there was communion. I think the choir sang all right. We used a service we don't use much - setting 4 - but it meant there was less chanting, and some of the longer things are set to hymn tunes.
I had to get gas, which is still at $2.999 here, but I had a coupon for 18¢ per gallon off, up to 15 gallons, so I did pretty well. I had toyed with the notion of stopping at Pat's, but with the weather the way it was, I decided not to. I will have to stop at the store in town sometime this week for JD, but otherwise, I can make do.
The weather was, um, dampish. Before the day was over, we'd had 1.03" of rain, and I guess there is more on the way tomorrow. Most of that happened between 9:00 and 11:00, when we had 0.83". I mean to tell you, it poured. It was cool. The temperature went down steadily all night, and the high during the day was 67º, but mostly it was cooler than that. It was extremely humid, even when it wasn't raining. It was quite windy overnight, but not for today, except during the rain showers. I was glad to have my new tires, and I can tell the difference with the new bearing. I was glad to see the rain, too. We really needed it.
The guys mostly slept. I think there must have been a bit of thunder this morning, because when I went through the kitchen on my way to get dressed, Louie was sitting right where I have to walk, and I had to nudge him to get him to move. When I came home, he was sitting in front of the door to the basement, I suppose because he could quickly duck downstairs. Both guys got a lot of lap time this afternoon. I combed a lot of small knots out of Louie's flanks. He just doesn't take good enough care of himself, but I know his problem. When you're that fat, it's hard to reach some of those spots. And oh, does he hate it when I begin to pull his fur! Grayson is a little better at keeping his fur in order, and I haven't found any knots in his coat since the time when I first got him and he was shedding his outdoors coat.
I didn't do much of anything but read this afternoon, in part because I was so tired and in part because the cool dampness did a number on my joints. I did get some of the pots and pans washed, although I got one of them dirty right away tonight. Steve gave me a big pail full of local blueberries, which I guess means I will be eating a lot of pancakes for a while, but I will also freeze a lot of them, and I've been toying with trying to make some blueberry muffins and maybe a blueberry betty. We'll see how that goes. They have been so generous with the berries that I would like to give them something in return. So we'll see.
Now it's not so late, but I'm so tired that I hope I will go right up to the north end and crash. It's a cool, damp, possibly rainy night in the field.
August 22 I spent too much time staring at the floor last night, looking for more beads, no doubt, but I was late getting to bed again, and I'm tired.
I got up around 11:00, I think (or was it 10:00 - I hope not) and I got right at the shawl. I soon realized that what I did yesterday was wrong, so I did it over with and I finally got it back together. It still doesn't look right - the holes are too big because I pulled on the threads too much - but it's done and it's right. I knitted four more rows, just to get things back in order, so I was late getting dressed.
I was so late that I didn't do much of anything.
The weather would have been nice to be out in. The high temperature actually got up to 81º briefly, but the humidity was nicely low and there was a strong southwest wind, with gusts up to 27 mph. Nice. It wasn't exactly clear and it wasn't exactly cloudy. There was sunshine, but there were those high, amorphous clouds that make the sky look white. It seems like it might be clearing now, though. I guess we are in for some rain tomorrow, but that's all right. We need it.
The guys slept. Grayson sat on my lap long enough that I had an accident, and Louie got a short time, until I had to pee. Louie is consumed with curiosity about the corners of the porch, and I don't know why, unless he wants to eat cobwebs. That's a possibility, since he seems to have strange tastes.
I didn't find any more beads last night, but I stepped on one this morning and I found another one on the floor in the closet. I'm sure that will continue to happen for a while, maybe forever. Picking them up with the vacuum is the best way, although it works better with smaller beads. I think it would probably be better with a sheer sock, too, but all those are upstairs, so I used a trouser sock. It worked all right, but I could only get a few beads at a time. The last time I did that was on Champine, where the floor was carpeted, and the vacuum was the only way I could retrieve most of them.
So that was my nothing day, and I'm tired already. It's a sort of clear, warm, breezy night in the field.
August 21 I was late again, but not nearly as late as the night before. I got up around 10:00. Not enough sleep, but all right.
I noticed sometime yesterday that I had screwed up one part of the pattern on the shawl a number of rows back, so this morning I started to try to fix it. It was hard. The mistake was 10 rows back, and I had a hard time figuring out where I was, because it was on the last row of the setup. Well, that's not quite true; I think I probably dropped something when I was trying to start the body of the shawl, but it raveled back. So I found out where I was, and I had reknitted the two rows of the setup, when the box of beads - I think it's 100 grams, but whatever, it's an awful lot of beads - slipped off my lap and ended up on the floor. I didn't even swear. I only said, "Oh, no!"
It's amazing how far little beads - they're about 3mm in diameter - will fly when they drop on a tile floor. I managed to pick up most of them, which ended up mostly under my feet. I discovered, however, that when Adam regrouted my floor, he didn't do a much better job than the original one, and there are deep and wide grooves between the tiles. The tiles are set about a quarter inch apart, which I do not think is the right way to do it, even though these tiles are 6" or 7" square. I strongly suspect that they did it that way because they didn't order enough floor tile. And the grout Adam put in is crumbling off just like the original did. The only thing that's better is that I haven't had water get under the tiles. Yuck.
Anyway, there were still beads all over the floor where I couldn't reach, so later this afternoon, I got out the Mighty Mite vacuum and put a sock over the end of the hose and vacuumed up most of the rest of the beads. I missed a few, a few went down under the tub where there is a break in the grout and there are a few in the closet that got stuck to my feet this morning, but I got most of them. I also vacuumed up a lot of other stuff, from grout dust to cat hair, so I could only catch a few beads at a time. My back was killing me by the time I was done. And I still have to finish repairing eight rows of the shawl. At least I didn't have to rip back the whole thing. Maybe I can finish up tomorrow and on Monday, I can begin to move forward again.
The weather was nice. The high temperature got up to 74º and there was a breeze from the southwest with gusts up to 24 mph that has now died down. I could take a lot of this. It was clear for a while, but it clouded up late in the day - all not forecast by anybody - and it was still cloudy when I went to get my dinner. There was a little crescent moon peeking through the clouds, but it wasn't clear.
The guys mostly slept. In the cooler weather, they like to sleep in the bathroom because I keep it warmer in there and the tile is warm, and they prefer to sleep on the rugs. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie hasn't yet.
So that was my quiet day, and I hope tomorrow starts off better than today did. I thought I knew better than to have the box of beads on my lap when I wasn't using them, but no, of course not. Now it's a warmish, cloudy night in the field.
August 20 I was all ready to take my bath and go to bed when I remembered that I wanted to print a page from the instructions for my latest knitting project, so I went back to the studio and did that...and then I went into zombie mode and it was a ridiculous hour before I finally got to bed, without a bath. I still don't know why I do things like that. Tonight will be pretty late, too, because it's already 11:30. That was because I had to make dinner when I got home from choir, and what I decided to have took half an hour or more to cook.
I was late getting up, and then I knitted half of the first repeat on the shawl. That's eight rows, but it's increasing two stitches every row (four stitches on one row) and besides, I haven't mastered the pattern yet, so there were a few oops moments. How I can screw up a ten-stitch pattern so easily, I don't know, but I sure did today. Well - one part is ten stitches, one is eleven and one is thirteen, so I have to keep track of where I am. The bigger crochet hook works much better in placing the beads, and I'm sure I'll get the hang of the whole thing eventually, but for now I'm knitting slowly.
That meant that I didn't have much time to do anything else, especially since I had an accident - not too bad - and had to change my undies. I didn't read my funnies until I got home.
Ron came by with the mail, and we had a nice conversation that messed up my legs, but I was grateful to him, because I don't have to go out tomorrow.
My lovely silk yarn came, so I know what the next project will be, after the red shawl. Actually, the yarn is silk and camel, and it's cobweb weight. It's a very nice shade of light warm tan. I was dubious, because browns aren't my favorite colors, but this one is neutral enough that it will go with lots of things. The current issue of one of my magazines has a pattern for an Orenburg (Russia) triangle shawl that I just fell in love with, so I'll be getting ready to knit that. It's huge, though, so it will make a good winter project. It's done on a #1 needle, so there are a lot of stitches, but the result is just beautiful.
I'm hoping to get the one I'm working on now (hereafter known as the red shawl) done and blocked (!) by Christmas, so that if I get to go to Christmas Eve church, I will have something dressy to wear. Actually, the yarn is very dark red, almost maroon, so it's not a strident color, and the beads are ruby-red. There aren't a lot of beads, just enough to give a little sparkle to the dark yarn. It should be pretty, if I ever get the pattern into my fingers.
The weather was cold. The high temperature was 61º, but for most of the day it was in the upper 50s, with a strong north wind with gusts up to 30 mph. It was cold. It was cloudy and dull for most of the day, and we had a couple of very light showers. Not nice at all. However, tomorrow and Saturday are supposed to be summer again. It's not over yet...quite.
The guys were sleepy, so I didn't see much of them.
So that was a truncated day, and I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night. It's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
August 19 I didn't get to bed until around midnight last night, but I slept well, with only a couple of wakeups, and I got up around 9:00. Then I proceeded to knit for the whole rest of the morning, but I have a start on the new shawl. I restarted it on the same needle, but with a much better tension, and it looks fine. It's a little loose, but I think it will work out all right. The beads look fine, too, even though they don't match the yarn exactly. My only trouble with the beads is that the crochet hook the pattern says to use is so fine it has a hard time catching the whole strand of yarn, so I will try a couple of bigger ones and see how that works. It's a pattern that would probably look better in light colored yarn, but what I have is red, so that's what I will use.
Otherwise, the only thing I did was begin to try to get the dishes ready to put in the dishwasher. I waited too long again, and this time it was because I just didn't want to unload the clean stuff. Now I have a real mess, so we'll see if I can get everything in. I had a bunch of dishes that needed soaking for a while, so I still have to finish the load. The kitchen looks noticeably better, although I still have a whole lots of pans that need soaking.
The weather was so-so. The high temperature was 74º, briefly, and there was a bit of a breeze for a while, with gusts up to 29 mph from the south. It was mostly cloudy, although there was a little sunshine at times. Between 5:00 and 6:00 we had a short, heavy shower that gave us 0.39" of rain, which we sorely need. I guess there may be some more rain tonight, and that would be good. Then it cleared up quite a bit, and all the rain that seemed to be west of us has gone away, so I don't know if we'll get any more or not. Right now it doesn't look like it, but they persist in forecasting it, so we'll see. I don't know what they're looking at.
I had to reboot the computer this evening because the camera hung up, so for most of the afternoon there were no updates to the picture. I guess it was time; it's been two or three weeks since I last rebooted. Windows 7 itself is stable, but the driver for the camera is buggy.
I've forgotten to mention that the days are getting short fast. I noticed it particularly on Monday, when it was getting dark when I drove home at 9:00. The day is down to 14 hours long, and the sun is rising at almost 7:00 and setting at a bit less than 9:00. I changed the start and stop times for the camera again last night, lopping off an hour of darkness. Oh, sigh. Well, it was nice while it lasted.
The guys were mostly sleepy. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie only asked once, and since I didn't realize he was there until he left, he didn't get any.
So now I have to prep the dishwasher and wash my hair, but not for a while, maybe. It's a mostly cloudy, breezy evening in the field.
August 18 Wow, I'm tired! I was entirely too late getting to bed last night. I guess I just didn't want to take that bath. Then I didn't sleep as well as I should have, for some reason. I got up about 8:45, which wasn't nearly enough sleep, but I wanted to take my time.
I thought I started the new shawl, but I had forgotten the crochet hook I need to place the beads, and then I decided that the needle I chose was too big, so I tore out what I did. I will have time to start over tomorrow, this time with the right needle. The trouble with using too big a needle with these fine yarns is that you end up with a piece of fabric that looks like it's all holes, and seeing the actual pattern becomes almost impossible.
I was a little later than I wanted to leave, but after I passed two or three very slow cars, I was off and running, and I got to the hospital around noon. That was good timing, because nobody was there, and I got my blood drawn and used the restroom before I was off to the car place. It took a couple of hours for them to replace the wheel bearing, but it should be fine now.
I discovered that the people who bought that dealership a year or two ago and turned it into a Chevy-only dealership sold it to somebody from Minnesota. Now they are going to move to a new facility around Houghton, which won't be as convenient for me, but I talked to the general manager and he said they are thinking about some way to make it easy for people in the Calumet area to get their service. There is a GMC dealer in Hancock that I could go to - and any number of independent garages - but these people have always done a good job and treated me well, and their mechanics know my car by this time, so I'd like to stay with them. I find cars even more frustrating than houses.
The weather has turned cool. The high temperature was only 64º here, and it wasn't much warmer in Calumet. It was warm in the dealer lot, but that was because of all the asphalt and the sun. There wasn't much wind, but it was from the east. I've now had to shut the window in the great room. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow, so I can leave the great room open, but it's chilly around here. There was a little sunshine, but mostly it was cloudy and gray.
The guys were themselves. Grayson got to sit on me a couple of times, and when I got home, Louie came and sat on me for a long time and got brushed. The trouble with him is that he is so heavy that he makes my legs twitch, so eventually I have to ask him to leave. I was glad he came, though. He hasn't had any lap time for several days, and he needs that.
So that was my day, and now my car is back in shape and I can go back to my usual routine. The only thing that was good was that I got a lot done on the Ojo di Dios shawl. I haven't counted triangles, but I don't think I have more than five or six left to do, and then I can work on the body. The yarn is scratchy, which I don't like, and I don't like how the bottom edge looks, but the colors are very pretty, so I'll keep at it. I had to stop, though, because my hands were getting sore. Maybe I'll have enough yarn to do something about that bottom edge, but I'll just have to wait and see about that.
Now it's a cool, cloudy night in the field, and they keep saying it's going to rain.
August 17 I don't think it was much after 11:00 when I got to bed last night, and I slept well, although I was up several times. When I went to bed, the wind was shifting northward and the temperature was dropping, so it was comfortable to sleep, and maybe even a little cool.
I got up around 9:30, I think, and I finished the stole. I think it will be a pretty thing if it ever gets blocked. I'm glad to be over that project. I printed out the directions for the red shawl with beads today, and I will take that up to the north end, although I may not have time to start it tomorrow. It's late now, and I have to wash my hair.
I ended up not doing much. I had an accident, even though I promised myself I wouldn't, and that took time to clean up after, and then, just about when I was going to get up and begin to work on the dishwasher, Grayson came and sat down on my lap and went to sleep, so I couldn't do anything.
Tonight was the last Monday night vespers, and it was nice. I will miss that, although it will mean I can go back to my usual schedule of going to the post office on Fridays.
The weather was cool and cloudy. The high temperature during the day was 67º. It's surprising how cool that feels after yesterday. There wasn't much wind, but it was from the north, so it felt cool when it blew. It was mostly cloudy, so it was dull and gray all day. It's still humid, too.
The guys slept. Maybe they were trying to make up for their discomfort yesterday. Grayson went to sleep on my lap twice, but I haven't seen much of Louie since morning.
So that was a quiet day, and I have to go do now, because I have to be at the car place at 12:30, and I have to get my blood test, hopefully beforehand. So I can't fool around much in the morning.
Now it's a cool, calm, cloudy night in the field.
August 16 I guess I just can't get to bed before 11:00. I didn't, and I didn't sleep all that well. With all the windows and doors open, it felt like I was sleeping outside, and besides, it got very humid overnight. So I was up several times and I didn't sleep all that well in between. Then something weird happened to my alarm, and it was 7:10 before I got up. I think what happened is that the radio station went off-air before the alarm went off, so I was left with two very faint signals vying with each other. After I fiddled for a few seconds, the station I listen to came on just fine, but it meant I was late.
When I was up in the middle of the night, there was a very strong glow off to the north, which I couldn't see very well because of the trees. Then I heard a car go by, and it turned out it was Ron, off to take pictures of a very nice northern lights display. He stopped at the lighthouse overlook and then he went up on Brockway's Nose and he got some very nice pictures, although he should have exposed them a bit longer. He even got a picture of some curtains, which I didn't see. I could see something moving, though, so I knew I wasn't seeing things. Seeing was not good, which made things worse. The glow was actually strongest around 3:00, which I think was after Ron was out. Cool stuff.
When I got up, it was already warm and very humid, and it only got moreso. I made it to church on time, so that was good, and Pastor preached on the same subject that Prof. Nordling did on Wednesday - Jesus saying "I am the bread of life" and all that in John 6. Prof. Nordling was pretty positive about it, and I think I liked Pastor's take better. Anyway, we had an adult confirmation and four new members, so it was a nice Sunday, even though it was so hot in church that Pastor couldn't wear his robes.
It was pretty bad when we got out, so I just used the A/C on the way home, and I was not pleased to see that the further I got north, the warmer it got. I guess it was because the wind was from the southwest.
Anyway, the high temperature, officially, was 87º and it was right around there for the whole afternoon. The only thing that made it tolerable was that there was a very strong wind, with gusts up to 28 mph or maybe more out here at the east end of the harbor. The water cooled it down a little bit out here; I don't think it got over 84º on my deck. The temperature has now dropped to 80º and the wind has shifted to the northwest and it's marginally weaker. Once it shifts northerly, we'll cool down nicely.
I debated going back to bed when I got home, but I was hungry, so I ate instead. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon writing on George. I think I've nearly finished everything I was thinking about, so maybe I can put it to bed tomorrow. I had to kill off one of the characters, though, and that made me weepy. Now maybe I can go on to something else for a while. George has been gnawing at my mind for some time now, as I've mentioned, and it's nice to have all that written down, even though it's sort of choppy and not in any form that could ever be published. I have most of the important episodes done.
The guys were weird. Louie kept sitting out on the porch in the wind and crying, and Grayson kept coming and sleeping on my lap when I wanted to write. I know they don't like the wind, and this one was almost strong enough to move a little gray kitty around when it gusted. I guess I can't say much. I don't like it when the wind blows my hair into my face, either.
So that was a quiet Sunday, and I'm looking forward to a cooler night and cooler day tomorrow. There may be some rain, though, so it will probably be humid. Any lower temperatures will be gratefully received, though. The low overnight was only 71º, which is warmer than I keep my bedroom in the winter. I don't like it.
Now it's a cloudy, windy night in the field and it might rain a bit.
August 15 I was in bed by midnight last night, and I slept well, with only two wake-ups. I got up around 9:30, and I knitted a repeat and a half, and I have only a repeat and a half to go until I'm through with the knitting on this project.
I had a nice breakfast. I've been thinking about pancakes for a few days, so I finally had them and they were lovely. Unfortunately, my pork sausage had been in the freezer a bit too long, so it wasn't the best, but overall, it was a very nice breakfast.
I didn't do much; it was too hot. I did get out onto the porch and patched up the screens so that I think they will keep the cats in and the bugs out, but we'll see about that. There was a place on the door where the screen had been pushed in, too, so my feeling that it was something outside trying to get in that caused the damage seems to be right. It was so warm that all I wanted to do was sit in the breeze in the studio.
It was hot for Copper Harbor. The high temperature was 84º. There wasn't much breeze (under 10 mph) and what there was came from the southwest. I have almost all the windows I ever open opened up, and it's still hot. Fortunately, the dew point stayed about steady at around 60º, so it wasn't as nasty as it could have been, but it's just too hot for me. It was cloudier than they were forecasting, with those high, nondescript clouds, although there was still a lot of sunshine. Heaven knows how hot it would have gotten if it had been really clear.
You have to remember that you get acclimated to the heat in the summer, and we've had so little warm weather that I'm not acclimated, so anything over about 75º feels horrible. I can't stand hot weather, and I never have been able to. I sweat almost all the time anyway, and when it's hot I just drip. Fortunately, I was out on the porch before it got to its high temperature, but with the wind out of the southwest and the sun beating on the deck, it was hot out there. Between the weather and the cats, my porch furniture is in bad shape, but since I don't sit out there anymore, I guess it doesn't matter. Someday maybe I will make the covers for the bamboo furniture and the pads for the wicker pieces, but not this year.
The guys thought it was too hot, too. They were around when I went out onto the porch, but they were mostly lying down in the shade, and they didn't stay out too long, because it's cooler inside. Sorry, guys. I wish I could turn down the thermostat, but I can't.
I guess we are in for another day of this, and then it will cool down into the upper 60s again and I can close some of the windows.
Now I need to get up to the north end and take my bath and get to bed early so that I'm ambulatory in time to go to church. It has been nice to have a couple of days to do nothing. It's a hot, hazy evening in the field.
August 14 I was late getting to bed, of course. I should have just gone, or I should have been writing, but I just fooled around. Anyway, I didn't get up until after noon. I knitted one repeat on the stole, and I have three more to go, plus a thing or two I didn't like, and weaving in the ends, and I'm done. It will be almost three months, but that's about right for one of these things. Then I have to decide whether to work on the Ojo di Dios - the one with the triangle border - or start the red one with the beads. I guess I've decided on red for that project. The turquoise would be nice, too, but I haven't made anything in red yet and the beads are pretty.
Anyway, I was so late that I didn't do anything. I had an accident because I didn't go down the hall when I should have, but it wasn't a bad one.
The weather was not nearly as warm as yesterday, but it was very summery. The temperature got up to 75º briefly, but for most of the day it was in the low 70s. There wasn't a lot of wind - around 10 mph from the north until it went calm - but it's been very humid again. It was nominally sunny, but the sky has not been very transparent. I guess that's because of all the water in the air. It wasn't clear enough last night to see anything, at least when I went to bed. It was light before I got up for the first time. It's supposed to be even less transparent tonight. And tomorrow is supposed to be hot. Darn.
The guys slept, mostly on my bed, I think. They were glad when I didn't go anywhere.
So that was a quiet day, and I hope to get to bed early tonight. I'm still recovering from all my exertions this week and I'm tired.
Now it's a clear but hazy evening in the field.
August 13 Today is my mother's 98th birthday. She has been gone 22 years, and I still miss her.
I was really late last night. I started writing on George again, and I finally had to make myself stop, after 4600 words. Then I had to wash my hair. Ugh.
I finally got up around 11:00, but I was moving slow again. I went to chapel, but I hardly did any other surfing and I didn't read much of my email before I gathered up all my stuff and left for Hancock.
It turned out that I actually hit a very good time. I was the only person there, and it only took them about half an hour to put on my new tires. Not until I was ready to leave did I find out that they would have done the wheel bearing, too, but I decided to leave well enough alone. I know this place does tires well, but I don't know how good they are with other stuff, and the dealership changed the left bearing with no problems.
So then I continued over to Houghton. The price of gas is up again here, to $2.999 a gallon, and I thought it might be cheaper at Walmart. Wrong. It was 2¢ cheaper, but that was hardly worth it. Then I went over to Bambu for a nice early dinner. Oh, I do like that place! So besides what was left of my dinner, I got take-out, so I can have some more tomorrow. Yum.
I was really early getting to church, but I had the radio on and my knitting, so I was good until people started to arrive for choir. Choir was good. We are sort of in between as far as songs are concerned, but we will be doing some Bach pieces, and Pastor was surprised that we had very little problem with any of them. It's a small group but a good one.
The weather is hot. It was actually not bad during the day, with a high of about 75º here, but it has now gone up to 77º. There wasn't much wind. It got up into the middle 80s in town, though, and that was nasty. It was nearly clear all day, and I might be able to see some meteors tonight, except that the transparency is pretty bad. I might peer out some windows, but I'm not going outside to look. There was some wind, up to 15 mph from the north, although of course it died down at sunset.
The guys were not happy that I left, although they were both asleep when I went. While I was gone, somebody urped on the floor in the kitchen, and from the look of it, it was more likely nerves than hairballs. Grayson, especially, tries to play cool, but he worries every time I leave, especially when I'm gone so long and I don't come back until dark. He's always afraid I won't come back all night.
So that was my day, and I hit the credit card pretty hard. There will be another jolt on Tuesday, but I can't drive long with the bearing as bad as everybody says it is. And I couldn't drive long with the tire on that wheel showing steel. So I had to grit my teeth and do what I have to. I have to admit it's nice to look at my tires and see tread. I should have less problem getting through the drifts this winter.
Now it's a warm, partly clear night in the field, and it's time to go to bed. No George tonight.
August 12 I was late again last night, but it was mostly because I wrote 3600 words on George, and I only stopped where I did because I knew what would happen if I kept on. I got to bed around 1:30, and I got up around 10:30, so I should have had enough sleep.
I was moving slow, but I did get to go to chapel. I wanted to hear the preacher today, and I wasn't disappointed. His sermon was more like a lecture, on the Gospel for Sunday, but he had several insights that were really helpful to me.
Then I was off to the car dealership, and I will be going back on Tuesday. The right front wheel bearing is loose and needs to be replaced, and it has caused that tire to wear much more than the rest of them. So tomorrow I will be getting my new tires and Tuesday, I will get the bearing replaced. Not what I had in mind, especially going into the part of the year where I need large amounts of cash for taxes, insurance and my Internet stuff, but I can't do without either the tires or the bearing any longer. My only consolation is that it's cheaper than a new car. Sigh.
When I got home and checked my calendar, I remembered that it's time for my thyroid blood test, so I will get that either tomorrow or Tuesday, depending upon what the doctor says. The plan is, I will go down to Hancock for the tires in the afternoon, hopefully continue on to Bambu for a Chinese fix, and then go to choir practice. I hope it works out this time. The last time I wanted to do that, I ended up going without dinner. So we'll see.
The weather has warmed up. The temperature got up to 81º a while ago, and it was in the upper 70s all afternoon. There was some wind, though, with gusts up to 23 mph from the north. It was pretty humid for most of the day, although the dew point has gone down lately. I guess tomorrow and Friday are supposed to be warm, too. Oh, well, it's still summer. It was partly to mostly cloudy all day.
And of course it's cloudy tonight. Tonight is the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower, so of course we won't be able to see it. Drat. It was so clear at 4:00 this morning that I could see some of the stars in the handle of the Little Dipper, but it was cloudy when I got up. And it's supposed to be cloudy all night tonight. Drat.
I didn't see much of the guys, although Grayson got some lap time when I was at chapel. They don't like it when I go away, but they'll just have to cope.
So now it's a warm, breezy night in the field, and I will be off to the north end soon and hope that I can get up at a reasonable hour tomorrow.
August 11 Why I was so late last night I don't remember, but I didn't get up until 11:00, and then I knitted. So it was a truncated day, especially since I had a really nasty accident and had to clean up. So I don't have anything to report.
The weather was cool. The high temperature was only 69º and there was a moderate north breeze - up to about 15 mph. There were a few clouds this morning but the afternoon was clear and sunny and pretty before a few clouds moved in after sunset. It was very humid, though, and my joints were telling me so all day.
The guys slept, but Louie was very loving while I was knitting and Grayson got to sit on me for a time while I was in chapel. One reason Louie was so loving is that they had eaten just about everything in their bowls, so I filled them all and they did not go to the one I thought they would, so I still have no way to predict what they might want to eat. Oh, well. If the varieties they like best are gone, they will eat the other ones.
So that was my day, and it's a cool, maybe clear night in the field.
August 10 I don't remember why, but it was 1:00 or a little later before I got to bed last night, and I didn't wake up until around 5:00. When I got in the bathroom, a wan little moon was shining in, but before I went back to bed, it was beginning to get light. I got up about 10:00, and I thought that would be plenty of time. Johanna called me a bit later to ask me to come a bit early, but after I had something to eat and went to the powder room, I just could not stop running off, so I wasn't very early at all. I'm so glad to hear that she has plenty of business.
Anyway, I was very stiff when I woke up, but moving around plus some Tylenol plus my massage helped a lot, or I thought it did. It turned out that my knees were not in good shape and standing for any length of time really messed up my back. Oh, well. That was the weather.
When I got home, I called the place I got my last set of tires and their price was more than $50 per tire less than the dealership, so I had them order a set for me. Then I called the dealership and got an appointment to get my oil changed for Wednesday afternoon. My car has been nattering at me for a couple of weeks, saying it needed an oil change, but my hours have been so off that I never got around to calling them. I wanted to call the tire place first, to see if their price for the tires was less, and somehow, I just didn't have the time. That's the disadvantage of staying up all night and sleeping all day. Other people don't.
After that, I put on a big pot of rice to cook, and I got it into bags before I went to Vespers. It was still hot, though, so I didn't put it in the freezer until I got home. And I remembered that I wanted to get some more freezer bags yesterday, but they moved the plastic bags and I don't know where they put them. Well, maybe after I get my oil change, I can stop at Pat's and get some. I put some of the rice in regular storage bags, which I will use first.
Vespers was nice, and when I got home, I pan-fried my lamb chop and had some of my new rice with veggies. I didn't have a salad. I had enough trouble with my elimination today that I thought I would try to let the rice work for a while.
When I talked to Bettyann at church, she told me that she has to work this week, so I won't have to bother with that. It's a bit of a disappointment, because I had a whole list of stuff for her to do, but it will solve my problems with having to go to Calumet and Hancock. I'll just have to try to do some of those things myself.
I did get the stuff on the counter into bag, so I can see the sink side of the kitchen again. When I put that bag into the orange bag in the breezeway, though, it will be full, so I'll have to pull it into the garage and put a new bag into the bag holder.
The weather was nice, but not very warm. The high temperature was 72º. There was a little north wind, up to 15 mph. The big problem was the humidity. It was high all day. This morning, until around 9:45, it was so foggy I couldn't see anything. Then the fog rolled away and it was clear and sunny, but it was still very humid. Around 5:00 the clouds began to roll in again, but it was only partly cloudy when it got dark. The problem with the humidity was that my bod, particularly my knees, are a mess, but I feel it in every joint that I'm trying to move. One of the nice ladies who was a Vespers had to tell me it's OK not to get up all the time. I know that, but I want to do it as long as I can, and sometimes it's not such a problem.
The guys were mostly sleepy. I saw Grayson this morning, but I haven't seen Louie lately.
So that was a quiet day, but at least I managed to do something. Not much, but something. Now it's a coolish, partly cloudy night in the field.
August 9 I was moving slow last night, so it was later than I wanted when I got to bed - around 11:00. I slept well, but I was up several times. When I was up, I noticed it was a very clear night for a change. I could even see some of the stars of Draco between the Big and Little Dippers, although I had to look at a star chart to be sure what I was seeing. And this was through the screen without my glasses on.
When I got up, I couldn't seem to shut the radio off, but it must have been that I was groggy and I moved the slider one more notch than I should have. I should have known it wasn't going to be a good morning. I did most of my surfing - more than I should have - and between the closet and the bathroom, I dripped on the floor and me and my nightie. Yuck. I had to clean up the floor, of course, so that made me late. Made me mad, too.
I made it to church on time, but it was good that I didn't have to stop in the restroom. I think we sang good, and there was communion. Pastor's sermon was about anger and other destructive emotions, and it was a good one. We all need to be reminded of those things every now and then.
After church, I went shopping, and I got most of what I wanted to get. They didn't have any whitefish and I forgot to try to find out where they put the plastic bags, but I think I got the rest of the stuff. Of course, when I got home, I had to haul it all into the house and put it away, which was a problem. My fridge is full of probiotics and there isn't a whole lot of room for other stuff. I did manage to get it packed away, although when I make rice tomorrow I will have to bag it up right away.
I spent the rest of the afternoon doing nothing much, but I was tired.
The weather didn't help. The high temperature here was only 71º - it was a couple of degrees warmer in Calumet - but the humidity was horrible, and it felt a whole lot warmer. There was almost no wind. it was mostly cloudy. Yuck. I reset the start and stop times for the camera tonight, because we've lost an hour and a half since the end of June. Sigh.
The guys were sleepy, although they did get up when I came home, and they watched me unload the car. Grayson got a little lap time, but Louie didn't come around until I started writing, so he didn't get any. I'm sure it frustrates him, but his timing is horrible.
Now I'm really tired. It's a cloudy, humid night in the field, and we may well get some rain. At least it looks like there are some pockets to our south that may end up here.
August 8 I wrote some more on George, and then I fiddled around for a while, so I was later last night than the night before. I slept well, and I didn't get up until after noon. I knitted, and I'm making progress. I'm getting anxious to have this thing done.
In fact, I was so late that I didn't do much of anything. I did finally get my load of bottoms washed - they will go in the dryer tonight - and I cleared out the dryer so I can use it again. Someplace in that washbasket is one compression sock, but I will have to go through the whole thing to find it. Or, I hope it's there, because if it isn't, I've lost it, and that would be difficult.
While my pizza was baking, I finally got the tab put on my license. Only a week late this year. After I encountered two cops Thursday night, both of whom were, fortunately, doing something else, I decided I'd better get that thing on. Cops don't like expired license plates, and the registration was with the tab. So that's done.
I got the big bag of cat food into the house, and Grayson was almost jumping up and down with glee when he smelled it. At least he chirped at me, and when I put the bowl down, he dove right in. Those guys are funny. They will try almost anything new, but they really like the old stuff best. Otherwise, they slept, mostly on my bed I think. When I finished knitting and came out of the bathroom they were both curled up in the middle of the bed. Louie was taking a bath, but Grayson was dead to the world.
The weather wasn't bad. The high temperature was 73º for several hours this afternoon. There was not much wind until 5:00, when it picked up, with gusts up to 24 mph from the south. It was mostly cloudy, although there was some sunshine. There is the possibility of a little rain early tomorrow, but not much.
So it was a truncated day, and I'll be off to the north end shortly to get ready for tomorrow. It's a warm, breezy, cloudy evening in the field.
August 7 Oops. I was writing on George, and I almost forgot this.
I made it into bed by 1:30, which is a lot earlier than I have been all week. I slept well. I was awakened by a phone call around 10:30, which was good, or heaven knows when I would have gotten up. I knitted for a long time. Then I made the mistake of reading my email instead of going to the bathroom, so I had a nasty accident to clean up.
I had intended to go to the post office today, because I knew I had packages, but I didn't make it, so around 4:30, Ron turned up with my stuff. We had a nice conversation. I haven't seen him in several weeks, since I've been getting my mail on Monday evenings and until this week I haven't had any packages. We had a lot to catch up on.
As a result of all of that, I didn't do much else.
The weather was not inspirational. It was dull and cloudy and around 1:00 it started raining lightly and it dribbled all afternoon. The high temperature was only 65º and it got very humid once the rain started. There wasn't much wind. Blah.
The guys felt like the weather. They slept and I didn't see much of either of them. Grayson, of course, had to come and say hello to Ron, but Louie sat on the other side of the basement door and peered through the cat hole. He is just so timid.
I was trying to listen to Beethoven's Ninth from the Proms, but the signal kept dropping off, and when I checked it, my Internet speed was about half what it should have been. It was so frustrating that I finally gave up. It's from SymphonyCast on yourclassical.org, so if I want to, I can listen when the speed goes back up. I've wondered lately, and now I know. I don't know how that happens. I don't stream so much that I'm hogging bandwidth, so I don't think they did it on purpose. It seems better now, and before I go up to the north end, I'll check it again.
So now it's a cool, damp night in the field and I'm tired.
August 6 Last night, it was George. I started writing after I posted this, and I ended up with about 6500 words. That doesn't happen quickly, so I was very late again. I'm not trying to put it into a coherent story, because there is no way it could ever be published, but there are so many episodes washing around in my head that I just had to get some of them out. There are still a lot more, but at least I can go on without getting hung up in the ones I wrote last night.
Anyway, I got up around noon and I knitted a repeat and a half, even though that made me very late. Then I made the mistake of trying to go to chapel before I went to the bathroom and I had to clean up after that, so I had just time to finish chapel and read some of my funnies before I had to leave for choir.
There wasn't a lot of traffic in my direction, which I appreciated, because I was a little later than I like to be, and I got to church first, but just about the time Stuart and Nancy pulled up. On the way down, I passed a sheriff's car with its flashers going. He had just pulled a car over, and that reminded me that I still haven't put my new license tab on. Oops. And then, when I pulled into the parking lot at church, a Laurium cop drove through the parking lot! Geez, there are months when I don't see any cops at all! I have the envelope in a place where I will probably see it tomorrow, and I will try to put it on then. I seem to have this trouble every year.
Choir was good, and we got out about 8:30. I was on my way home, with a few slow drivers, when It suddenly occurred to me that I had a bill due yesterday that I forgot. Eek! Only I couldn't remember what the date was, and I thought it was due Monday or Tuesday. Doesn't matter - I will have to pay a late fee. That happens to me every so often. My mind, you know. Of course, I've been a bit groggy for the past couple of days, not that excuses me to the bank. So as soon as I had my dinner warmed up, I got right on and paid that bill and a couple of others that are due within the next few days.
The weather was nondescript. It was partly to mostly cloudy all day. The high temperature was 70º and it was in the upper 60s for most of the afternoon. There was almost no wind. I got a couple of drops of rain on my windshield on the way home.
By the way, I noticed that we've lost an hour and fifteen minutes of day since June. Pastor was commenting on how dark it seemed when we were leaving, and I said "No, it's not cloudy, it's August." Actually, we were both right. I sure do love those long days in June and early July, and I miss them terribly when the days start to get short.
The guys were sleepy, although Grayson slept on my lap for a while. Louie spent part of the night with me and he sat under my feet while I was knitting. Grayson still feels good. There are a couple of stuffed mice in the kitchen, and he plays with them a lot. Louie just looks at him. I don't think Louie ever really learned how to play.
So that was a truncated day. Now it's a coolish, cloudy night in the field.
August 5 This will be another short one. I got to bed three hours earlier than the night before, but that's not saying much. I had to wash my hair, and I spent a lot of time staring at the floor. I didn't get up until after noon, but I still didn't get enough sleep. Since all I have to do tonight is trundle up to the north end, I hope to be much earlier tonight. We'll see.
I was so late that I didn't do much of anything but knit. I did make barbequed pork chops tonight, and it seems that one reason they've been so dry in the past is that I was overcooking them. These tonight are fine, although one of them was so huge I could get almost two meals out of them, so I may get three meals out of my cooking. I don't like to do that; I get tired of eating the same thing, but I don't like to throw away good food, either.
The weather was nice, but still cool. The high temperature was 66º, briefly, and for the most of the day, it was under 65º. There was a bit of wind, but not much, from the north. It was clear and blue all day, but the humidity was rather high. Nice.
The guys were sleepy, although Louie sat under my feet all the time I was knitting. I have a knitting bag beside me in the bathroom, and he cuddles up and uses that for a pillow. Grayson got some lap time, but I had to move him when I went to the bathroom. Tomorrow their favorite food should arrive, and I know that will make at least Louie happy.
So that was another nothing day (there - I said it. I will again. If there's nothing going on, it's a nothing day. So there!). Now it's a cool, clear night in the field.
August 4 I pulled an all-nighter last night, so I don't have much to report. I got eight hours' sleep, but I woke up feeling worse than I did when I went to bed, and I'm really tired now.
The weather was cool, as it sometimes gets in August. The high temperature was only 64º. There was a bit of a north wind, up to 17 mph from the north. It was cloudy and dull until around 3:00, when it began to clear up, and I think it's clear now, although it's hard to say in the twilight.
The guys slept, of course. When I got up the first time and got back into bed, it was tough, because Louie had decided to take his half out of the middle and I had a hard time finding a place for me and the body pillow. Of course, he wouldn't move. He just gave me the evil eye and went back to sleep. Grayson got some lap time this afternoon, but Louie hasn't been by yet, so he probably won't.
And that's all I have to report. It's a cool probably clear night in the field and that bed looks pretty good.
August 3 I guess it was 1:30 by the time I crawled into bed, for no real reason. I slept very well, with only one wakeup, and In fact, I think I was asleep before I finished my prayers. That's always sort of a problem, because I lie flat on my back with no pillow while I'm saying them. Lying like that for a little while relaxes my back, but when I fall asleep in that position, when I wake up my shoulders and neck and upper back are practically frozen in place and it hurts. Moving helps, and after I sleep on my side, which is my usual position, I'm fine. Only it's better if I start out on my side.
Anyway, I got up around 9:30, so I didn't really get enough sleep, but I felt all right. I knitted a repeat and a half on the edging. I'm getting tired of this project, so I want to get it done as soon as possible.
I was late enough that I didn't do much other than my surfing. In fact, I had a couple of things I wanted to do that didn't get done. Well, tomorrow, maybe.
Then it was off to vespers. We had a nice number of people tonight. Pastor's sermon was good, but a bit rambly again. I'm sure he has other things on his mind. This has been a very interesting series, all about how the Old Testament foreshadows Christ, and the one tonight was about Yom Kippur. Good stuff.
The weather was cool and cloudy. The high temperature was 68º, briefly, but for most of the day it was in the lower 60s. There was about a 15 mph wind from the north. It was cloudy and dull and gray.
The guys were sleepy, but when I got to the kitchen I saw why. There was a dead critter on the floor - a whole one, this time, mercifully. I didn't look at it closely enough to tell if it was a mouse or a shrew before I bagged it and threw it out. Grayson was still playful tonight, playing with the catnip mouse that I'm not sure where he dug up. I think Louie is still asleep. He's older than Grayson and much heavier, so it will take him longer to recover from his exertions. He is still fast, though, and while Grayson may have offed the mouse, I'm sure it would have been harder for him without Louie's help. All this happened while I was asleep, of course. That's just as well, because if I knew what they were doing, I probably would try to rescue the critter and put it out, and I'm not fast enough anymore to do that. Grayson has been very loving all day, but maybe that's because I filled his dry food bowl and gave him some canned food.
I finally got my mail, and while there was a card from Arthur (thank you, Arthur!), the one Debbie said she sent in time wasn't there. I don't understand the vagaries of the postal service.
Now it's late again, but I had to make dinner when I got home, and then I had to eat it. It's a cloudy, dark night in the field. The clouds are thick enough that even the bright moon can't shine through.
August 2 Well, I might as well start this. Windows Backup took it into its head to do a complete backup (3 DVDs) and I didn't get the mount message for an hour, so it's still going, although it's coming close to an end now.
i didn't get to bed until 11:00 last night, even without a bath. It was just too late when I got home, and of course I had to spend some time staring at the floor. I was up several times, the last one at about 6:20. I hate it when that happens. I was just getting back into a deep sleep when the alarm went off.
So I got up, but I was moving very slowly, and I was late leaving and I got to church later than I wanted to, but at least it was in time to sit and take a few deep breaths. It was a nice service, Matins, which I like, but Pastor's sermon was a bit rambly. That's understandable, since his dad's birthday is this week and it's only been a couple of weeks since he died.
I had to get gas, and it's still a bit of a shock to fill my tank and only have to pay a little over $50. Gas is $2.699 a gallon at the station where I go. I suppose it's cheaper in Houghton, but going down there more or less defeats the purpose.
So I got home around 1:00, and I read my newspapers before I had a little lunch and finished reading my emails. I was so tired that I almost fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon, and I spent quite a bit of time with my eyes closed. Not enough sleep for the past couple of nights, I guess. I didn't do much else.
The weather was a bit unsettled. When I was up around 6:30, I was hearing thunder out over the lake, and there were a few drops of rain (about 0.12" total), but it wasn't even enough to wet the road under the trees. It was cool and very humid, so even though I took some Tylenol, I hurt. The high temperature for the day was 72º, but oh, was it humid! There was a bit of wind, up to about 17 mph from the north, but it wasn't gusty or anything. It was cloudy this morning, but after about 2:30 it cleared up and there was a lot of sunshine.
The guys mostly slept this afternoon. While I was in the powder room getting ready to leave, Grayson found a catnip mouse and began to play with it. He even passed it to Louie, who batted it a bit, but he wasn't as interested this time. There is a big catnip pillow on the floor in the hall, and that interests Louie. I guess it must be the catnip, although the thing is big enough that he doesn't quite know what to do with it. I love to watch cats play. Grayson was having a great time with that little mouse.
So that was a rather slow day, and if I can ever get the backup to finish, I will be off to bed. I am really tired, and it's a good thing I don't have anyplace to go tomorrow before 7:00 PM. It's a coolish (or at least it feels coolish to me), clear, breezy evening in the field.
August 1 I find it very hard to believe that not only am I a year older, July is gone. Where did it go? Where was I when it went? Sheesh.
I was late last night. After I published the journal, I started writing on George again, and that went on for some time, and then I wanted to wash my hair so I would look pretty tonight. Since Johanna was taking pictures, I'm glad I did.
So I was late getting up, and I knitted, but I didn't exercise. I got the first load of wash started before breakfast, and the dryer finished while I was at dinner, so that's done. Something happened to one compression sock, but I will probably find it when I unload the dryer. When I had to go up to the north end and change my underwear (not a big accident), I filled the pill dispensers, so that is done, and then I came back to the studio and filled the ones here. So everything I should be doing, except the dishwasher, is done, and I can do dishes tomorrow, maybe. See? I can put my nose to the grindstone when I want to. I just don't want to. I did that for 60 years.
Tonight I met Johanna at Harbor Haus and we had a lovely dinner with lots of laughter and good food. There was another party behind us who had a birthday, and when they saw Kelly bring in a piece of chocolate raspberry torte with a candle on it, they sang happy birthday to me, too. So I feel quite partied. And I will have a reprise of my lovely dinner tomorrow. It was a great evening. Johanna is such a wonderful person.
The weather was pretty good, too, although it warmed up much more than they predicted and it meant I had to change what I was going to wear. The high temperature was 77º and it was in the middle 70s for most of the afternoon. The weather forecasters are really missing it lately. There was a little north breeze, with gusts up to 24 mph, but that was fine. There was some sunshine early in the day, although it clouded over later in the afternoon and there could be a little rain overnight or tomorrow. Or maybe not.
The guys slept for most of the day, of course. When I drove into the driveway tonight, Grayson was sitting in the window of the studio, looking for me. Aaawww... I have a feeling he was actually watching the critters in the grass, but he was staring right at me when I drove by.
So that was a very nice day, and it was a lovely birthday, even if it was a day late. Now it's a warmish, cloudy night in the field and its time to go to bed. I still have to get up at 7:00 tomorrow...
Last updated 09/01/15 10:18 PM |