Author: peterb51

9th June 2020

The table people came early to agree on the colour they wanted. It was all agreed in a few minutes and as happens they chose the only stain I only had the dregs left, so I had to go out a buy the right stain.

Whilst we were out we delivered a dresser to a buyer to put in their “cottage”.

She didn’t really notice it as we carried it into the garage, it could have any old thing.

8th June 2020

I have never re-strung a washing line before, and it is not something I would want to add to my resume of life.

I watched a few YouTube videos but only one was the same design as ours, and that was rubbish.

This meant I had to work it out for myself.

Trying to knot, loop and feed one hundred feet of line through the rotary frame was difficult in the heat. Kelli was running about pulling the line in all directions working up quite a sweat.

Next it was a trip to Menards to purchase tins of wood stain so that the table people can decide what colour to finish their table.

When we got back we unloaded the dresser that Kelli had bought on Sunday. It was a neat piece that needed the minimum of work in order to re-sale.

7th June 2020

With the relaxing of the quarantine restrictions many places have started to open for business, although the wearing of masks are still encouraged.

There have been the usual spate of lake accidents including a girl who got her leg chewed up by a boat propeller, and two drownings, and its only a few days into June.

The lake looks so inviting on hot days, and it draws the weak to do stupid shit, and die.

Kelli was having a day out with Greer in Grand Rapids leaving me to do a few small jobs that I have been meaning to do for ages.

I did a bit of finishing to the large dresser before dragging it into the house to take some pictures.

The main task I wanted to do was erect a rotary washing line. This thing had laid on the hard standing since we move in, so armed with a spade and a bag of ready-mix concrete I started digging.

The ground around the lake is so sandy, it’s a wonder anything grows on it.

Luckily I had enough to finish the job, but the sun had taken its toll on my white skin, it was time to get out of the heat and into the air-conditioned luxury of the house.

Later when Kelli returned we had a family turn up to collect a bookcase that we had for sale.

After that we took a cycle down to the lake, the holiday rentals are now starting to fill up meaning the area has a few more frying bodies laid out on the sand.

I was shocked at the amount of erosion that has occurred, rows of trees have been undermined and lay dying on the beach. The water level has stayed high since last year, meaning many of the million dollar homes have parts of their garden submerged with the rising water, sucks to be them.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 80

6th June 2020

We both were up early as we had volunteered ourselves to help with the restoration of her mother’s front garden.

The local members of her church were going to do a “Make-over” and we had the honour of doing the main piece on the front lawn.

When we arrived God’s team were already well into it. Out went old unwanted trees and shrubs, Eden was being transformed.

I surveyed the site, we had to construct an oval shaped centre piece incorporating a large boulder.

With the aid of a piece of rope, I scratched out two arcs and eye-balled the rest. The hardest part was cutting the steel edging, with a hacksaw blunt as a badger’s arse.

Bathed in sweat I managed to make the cuts and fit the edging. Finally a bit of mulching, and some re-planting, and it was finished.

We bagged the leftover mulch and headed back home.

Just for a change we mulched our own flower beds.

It was so nice to have a shower afterwards, I looked forward to a quiet peaceful evening to nurse my sunburn.

Of course nothing goes to plan. We had just finished eating when a friend dropped round to tell Kelli that there was a free dresser on the side of the road.

That was like the sirens went off, we were off, shoes on, truck started, the search was on.

We drove off so fast we missed it the first time as we were told it was a couple of blocks down the road, when in fact it was a lot closer.

The dresser was a little ropy, obviously it had come from a damp garage, but that is what we do, take crap, and make it beautiful again.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 79

5th June 2020

I had a letter from the USCIS informing me that I had to provide some additional information yet again. This is so draining, it takes the wind out of my sails, and ruins a perfectly good day.

On top of that the printer ran out of black ink, so we could even print out the new forms, I think the universe has it in for me.

It was time for a break from furniture, and as Kelli was off doing stuff, I took a ride on my bike.

I went to visit Dave.

I remembered where his plot was because there isn’t a stone yet, they like to leave it a while for the ground to settle. The grass that had been sowed was a little patchy and long.

He would not have been pleased about that, and I’m sure he would have complained to someone.

There is always a sense of calm at this place, particularly today, it is warm and there is an abundance of red flowers in the pots dotted around. There is a slight buzz from the traffic and even the birds tweet with reverence.

I found a stone bench and sat contemplating the events of the day.

I had removed stain from drawer fronts and a top because there were swirl marks from the sander, that only become evident once the stain was applied.

That had gone well so I was happy with that.

The large dining table is now fully stripped, so the day has not been wasted.

My thoughts went back to Dave’s plot and what kind of stone he should have.

There is a uniform style that all must conform to, but he wouldn’t like that. He would like a monument that says something about who he was, therefore something large. It would have to be solid, to match his temperament, and shaped like a Maytag washing machine to match his humour.

I called him the king of washing machines because he would search all over the ads for these fifty year old devices, and then sell them to the Amish.

I miss him.

He would chuckle at my funny stories, and often would re-tell many of his own, I would always laugh, mainly because I knew what came next.

There isn’t anything to fill the space he left, but I guess like the plot, it has to settle.

As I was leaving, I smiled at the thought of him having to deal with the Bob Evans restaurant only able to serve take outs, for him that would have been the last straw.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 78

4th June 2020

It was sanding the bloody big dining table top day, and boy was it a dirty job.

I equipped myself with goggles, face mask and ear defenders and set about the task.

It was three hours of pure hell as the area around got covered in a thin film of dust. I regularly changed the sand paper hoping that it would cut through the thick layer of polyurethane. Gradually I wore through it until the raw wood emerged. As the final strips of raw timber appeared there was a feeling of triumph, the table top was exposed.

Sweeping the dust from the floor into piles, then collecting it into a dust pan, was the final act of victory. I didn’t even look at myself in the mirror fearing for the worst, confirmed by Kelli.

I needed a haircut, and fresh from pruning the larch, but not using the same equipment, it was decided that tonight was the night.

As tuffs of grey hair fell on the floor, I reminded myself that I should cut the grass tomorrow.

A lot of business will start to open. Bars and restaurants begin Monday with limited numbers, but hairdressers remain closed.

Distraction, that is the name of the game. Two weeks ago Covid 19 was the headlines, a day to day review of the death toll kept the mind focus on what was out there. The media kept everyone on tenderhooks as the total neared one hundred thousand. The bells and whistles went off when the number was hit, but then the next news hit.

Suddenly all the attention shifted to the death of George Floyd.

The aftermath of which highlighted another American virus, racism.

The anger that the majority of Americans have for the systemic virus has obscured the deadly pandemic one.

The government here are incapable of leadership, they are already distracting attention away, trying to get the country back to work and grow the economy, at what cost to the people, especially the black and Latino?

The social contract, the American dream faded years ago, it is now a nightmare.

At least the British government have kept their eyes open and imposed the quarantine period on everyone entering the UK. That may be difficult for some, but at least is a rule, over here there is nothing laid out.

Fhew! That was a bit deep, maybe losing a bit of hair disturbed my equilibrium.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 78

3rd June 2020

The carnage continued. Not the political and moral unrest in America, but in the garden at Central Bay.

Following our brutal attempt at pruning the lilac, we thought we’d continue on another poor defenceless plant.

This time it was a Japanese weeping larch, it had looked sad and uncared, so we took our implements of doom and started to cut away years of neglect.

Things were going well, Kelli was using her newly acquired skill in hairdressing to clip away the dead foliage. Gradually it started to look better, the tree develops new growth on the outside in layers so it was easy to see what needed to be removed.

Kelli directed me to cut a branch that she thought was dead.

Snick! Went the loppers jaw, and swish as the branch fell, unfortunately it was full of green.

Kelli was devastated. With tears in her eyes she felt the loss, I tried to re-assure her that the tree will still live, and next year it will be wonderful again.

We sold the bloody heavy entertainment centre that we had so much trouble attaching the doors on to. The buyer had brought a back-up person to help lift it into their vehicle. I’m sure, judging by her bulk, she could have done it all by herself.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 77

2nd June 2020

I got on with sanding another table leg. All the apron parts are complete with just one leg to go.

To make life a little more interesting I re-assembled the large dresser. I had to make a few new parts, and to my amazements everything fitted as it should, even all the drawers, now it’s down to Kelli to transform it.

The most significant part of the day was the complete and utter butchery of the lilac. It had been left for many years and needed some tender loving care. I had watched a YouTube video last night, so armed with my loppers, and a saw I commenced the bloodbath.

Kelli kept making alarming sounds as the branches fell away, I kept repeating “ it will be fine, it will grow back” with my fingers tightly crossed behind my back.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 76

1st June 2020

Kelli had been given a number of perennials by a friend, so the first thing that had to be done was digging a new border to plant them.

There is a lot of pruning that needs to be done, then I can complete the border and sit back and enjoy it result.

This meant I took a day off from sanding table legs, and instead went with Kelli to collect a large bookcase, it was a pleasant change.

We took a bike ride down towards the lake. We passed some impressive houses with magnificent lawns. Obviously they are professionally maintained, but they are all perfectly flat and even with no marks of the mowers at all. It is like the man and machine hovered above the grass using laser precision.

Pete and Kelli’s social distance day 75

31st May 2020

There were protest riots in Grand Rapids last night, the downtown area became a battlefield. Most businesses experienced some damage with a number of police vehicles set alight.

Across the country there were identical protests against the police murder of George Floyd.

I see the evil side of this country, the people paid to protect the citizens are the ones who can kill without remorse. It is no wonder that the only recourse people have is to riot. I watched a YouTube video by Trevor Noah who is the host of the Daily show, which is a comic look at the news. However he set aside the jokes, and spoke from his heart. It captured the essence of the problem, he should know having being brought up in South Africa during Apartheid.

The video is entitled “George Floyd and the dominos of racial injustice”, it sums up the issues so well, it begs the question, Why don’t politicians talk like this?

Kelli had so images sent to her by a friend of the carnage, and Greer, Kelli’s daughter, who now lives in Grand Rapids was giving us an up-to-the-minute report of the situation.

Many have opinions, I don’t condone the looting and the vandalism, I understand, the establishment has let the people down, and this is the only voice they have, it’s a sad day.

I used the day to trim the edges of the grass that the mower cannot reach, and some small jobs on a dresser re-build. I noticed that some new grass I had spread started to come through, which made me happy, and gave me some encouragement to seed more bare areas.