Another Lifetime to go

31st May 2023

Off on an early bike ride, and no disaster, we rode to the cemetery water the plants and retrieved the small flag that that we planted.

However some bugger stole it, or the city crew gathered it up with all the official ones.

Then it was back to do more jobs. I wanted to add the doors to the sink unit. This went better than I thought and ended up looking quite good.

It was a hot day, so warm that it takes a lot of effort just to breathe, but I love it.

The dry weather takes a toll on the garden, the lush green of the grass has now patches of scorched Earth, so needs regular watering to keep it from disappearing altogether. With no rain in sight for the foreseeable future, the hose is vital.

30th May 2023

A quick drive to town to get the puncture repaired at the bike emporium. It is a popular place, mainly with the older clientele. I’m not sure if it’s the last ditch saloon for most of them, but good on them, going out in a burst of speed is the best way, I say.

We left it for them to do the repair, and headed home, we had a dresser to deliver.

Back in the truck, we headed to the north side, to an estate of condominiums. These are even more uninspiring than most new housing estates. These are run by a council of home owners who set strange rules, like all garage doors to be close when not in use, no loud noises, no unruly gardens, all the things that we would not be welcomed at.

Anyway, we delivered the dresser, then headed back to the bike shop to collect my machine.

I was determined that I wouldn’t be caught out in the future, so I asked the assistant for an emergency repair kit, like the stuff they supply in new cars instead of a spare tyre. It is horrible stuff, in the time I had to use it, when I had a puncture, and took it to be repaired, the white goop was all over the floor, not popular with tyre fitters.

It was amusing to see the emergency kit was called Goop, so clutching the canister we left the store.

Once we were back home, and before we started jobs we went on a bike ride so that Kelli could deposit her cash in her bank’s cash machine. It was quite a long ride, and we only had to cross one busy road.

My aim for the day was to work on the under sink cabinet. It needed cleaning out and painting. I removed the doors and dummy drawer front and prepared the frame ready for paint. I was impatient, and wanted to fit the new doors, but that has to wait for another day.

29th May 2023

I have one memory on this Memorial Day that I won’t forget, I had a puncture in the rear tyre of my bike. We were planning a ride to the cemetery to take pictures of the flower arrangement. We got halfway when I felt the back wheel go squelchy, disaster. Of course I didn’t have a pump or an emergency puncture repair, I was marooned.

I turned the frame over and checked the tyre for the cause. I slowly rotated the wheel and eventually found a metal staple embedded in the tread.

That put paid to our ride, whilst Kelli cycled home to get the truck, I started to walk back.

When we met up, I loaded the heavy frame into the back, something that I have become an expert recently, and drove home.

That episode did put us out, I had plans to do a lot. With the hot weather comes a routine of watering everything, everything get so dry very quickly, and even the mulch doesn’t help.

I managed to fit another drawer front in the kitchen , and Kelli found another free desk for conversion.

I finally washed the deck, getting rid of all the grime that had built up, then it was getting out of storage any remaining items that we wanted on the deck, like the large umbrella and the fire pit, now we are all set for summer.

28th May 2023

We took a trip to the cemetery to plant new flowers on Dave’s grave. His plot is situated close to the edge under a large tree, which is well shaded. We planted a small flag which is the tradition on these special holidays.

Then it was back to the house for a bike ride down to the park. There was no activity in the garage today as we were invited for dinner at Chris and Jill’s. Kelli had made an amazing artichoke dip and salad, whilst Chris grilled some Scottish salmon to perfection. I managed to drink the entire bottle of Chardonnay that I brought, not my fault, I didn’t want to waste it.

We had a lot of fun sitting outside with Morgan, their super active daughter running about excitedly and talking at a hundred miles an hour. I think it was my turn to keep her attention. We talked about Greek mythology and world travel, all the things I’m an expert at.

It was a fun, the wine certainly played its part, I shouldn’t have much trouble falling asleep.

27th May 2023

It was time to get the pool out. It’s the time of year when you have to remember where things were stored over the winter. The pool was stored in a large plastic box that was underneath a load of stuff, meaning everything had to be moved out in sequence. Finally I got it out, then I had to put everything back again.

After all that I was ready to set out the pool. But first I needed to find the tarpaulin to go underneath. I thought I knew exactly where it was, I remembered it when we cleaned the garage out, but I couldn’t find it now. I looked in every possible place it could be, it had disappeared. My only option was to buy a new one. Kelli was champing at the bit to start filling it up, so I got in the truck and headed off to the store. I was expecting the roads getting there to be clogged with cars because it was Memorial Day weekend, when everyone works on their garden, but even the store wasn’t crowded. I selected a medium grade tarpaulin, because I wasn’t cheap, and it would last a decent time. Just for a laugh I went to where all the mulch was stocked, thinking all the piles of bags I had seen yesterday would be gone. I was surprised to see some of the black stuff still there, so I loaded four bags of that into my trolly.

I had to stop off at the corner shop to buy some milk, that place was heaving, I guess the locals are happier buying food, than buying mulch, and it does taste better.

Once the tarpaulin was laid out, the pool could be positioned and the filling began.

With the temperatures due to be in the eighties next week, all the effort will be worth while.

26th May 2023

We took a drive down to Saugatuck, Kelli wanted to buy some plants for her vegetable garden. It was a glorious sunny day, although the breeze was cool. She also wanted to visit the book store where she worked part time before the pandemic. It had moved to a spot in the main downtown, unfortunately the owner, was not there, but we did have the chance to look around. I like Saugatuck,it has a cool seaside vibe about it, and when the sun is out it’s even better with the fancy shops, bars and restaurants. I miss that Kelli doesn’t work there anymore, I used to enjoy going to the cafe for a drink and a cake, oh what memories.

Having selected the plants we headed back to do some jobs.

Whilst I was putting the finishing touches to the white dresser, Kelli was busy planting her new vegetables.

We also managed to plant a number of strawberry plants in the long box I made last week. Of course I got distracted and started helping tidying up the flower beds and collecting leaves from the pebbles surrounding the deck. That had been bugging me for a while, now I can rest easy.

I had a visit from the guy I refinished a table for a couple of years ago, he wanted a chair repaired, he intends to bring it round sometime soon.

25th May 2023

The bike ride was chilly around the chain wheel on our morning ride. We raced from shaded to sunny area in order to make it bearable. It’s that time of the year when the temperature fluctuates wildly from cool to hot in a matter of half an hour. However it’s wonderful to be able to do it again, so we will put up with it.

I decided to make some changes to the width of the sink unit doors this meant dis-assembling them and inserting an extra slat, fortunately with this design this can be done easily.

I went to Menards in the late afternoon to get some bags of dirt and mulch, well it’s a holiday weekend and if I leave it till Saturday or Sunday everything will have gone.

I also got some small paving stones that I can now put under the fire pit so that it doesn’t burn a hole in the deck.

Kelli finished the dresser that we got free during the week, it was quite a state when we started but it has been transformed.

24th May 2023

It was breakfast, and then a bike ride to Kollen park, and it looked good. We passed an angler who had just landed a big fish, not something Kelli likes to see, even though we now eat fish.

All the lawns on the way were being attended to, and bulk deliveries of mulch were happening everywhere.

Back at the ranch there were jobs to do. May has been a light month for sales, I have been wrapped up on the kitchen build, leaving little time for anything else, and our output has suffered.

We received handle samples this morning, this left us with a choice of satin nickel, dark nickel, and the original oil rubbed bronze. We whittled it down to satin nickel and oil rubbed bronze.

In the end we settled on the bronze, because they were less obvious and I liked the way it aged, with the handle area showing the bronze slightly brighter.

So the final step in the revamped kitchen agreed, now the painful task of ordering and paying for them. At least it will guarantee work for some five year olds in India.

We finally sold the dark dresser with the ash top to a couple with a couple of young children and another on the way. They were happy with it, haggling with the price, but we settled on a compromise and the drove away happy, we were happy with the sale.

23rd May 2023

Kelli wanted to get her bike checked out. She had complained about a pain in her tail bone after the ride yesterday.

I was the lucky one to load the bike into the truck. It is a heavy bugger, it almost gave me the same back injury.

We arrived at the bike shop, it’s like walking into another world, a place of shiny derailleurs and Lycra. The sales assistant was tall and lean, not an ounce of unnecessary fat, he knew his way around an allen key. He called the bike technician over, he was the expert who could diagnose Kelli’s problem and make the necessary adjustments.

He lifted the bike out of the truck with no problem, as if it was made of plastic, one grunt and it was out. I looked in amazement, and felt totally unmanly. Kelli made the comment that it was alway easier to unload it, that failed to make me feel better.

A few minutes of intensive surgery and we were out the door, and once again I had to lift the thing into the truck again, my back will get better soon.

Next we had to return to Nature’s Market to return some organic cashew yogurt that we purchased yesterday. Kelli was making our breakfast smoothie when she noticed mould on the inside of the carton. Putting that aside she opened the other one. Peeling back the aluminium foil seal, there was mould on that one as well. That was a huge disappointment, but what was more alarming was I had made a evening snack, previously with the yogurt. I hadn’t noticed the contamination when I poured it into the bowls and added the fruit on top, for all we know the mould was included in the snack, and could be the reason why we didn’t sleep that well. It might also explain why I had dreams about giant mushrooms.

22nd May 2023

Oh the sun, the sun, the glorious sun is shining down, ideal for spending time in a supermarket.

For the last three weeks Kelli has been buying the saddest, close to death potted flowers in Aldi. There is usually, this time of year, a display close to the entrance, the weakest collection of flowers in the whole of Holland.

“Mother” Kelli has made it her mission to give as many pots of flowers a home. She cannot bare to leave them all dry and wilted, and she has threatened to buy the lot. It’s only that we would starve to death that stops her doing that.

She gives them a good soak and soon they are revived and looking good again. It certainly brightens up the driveway at a fraction of the cost of buying from a garden centre.

Well we got that over with and stopped at Natures Market, a store of expensive things that don’t contain anything bad. We loaded up a couple of bags and headed home.

Breakfast was a sad and sorry sight, there was nothing left, I even had to pinch off the dodgy parts of the bread before I could have toast.

In other countries food parcels would be dropped to us, normally Kelli can find something at the bottom of the fridge and turn it into a meal, but not this time.

That is why once we’ve bought the food, we are back in heaven again. The fridge is full and we are looking forward to another six days of nourishment.

I had ambitions to do lots today, but we were late getting back. I got the bikes out of hibernation and fitted the batteries ready for the first ride of the year. It was glorious, we rode down to the beach where bulldozers were levelling the sand ready for the late spring rush.

Riding back I remembered the pain in my arse that I got last year, same place, only hurts when I cough. But that will soon be forgotten once everything toughens up, or remains numb for the rest of the summer.

I did a test fit of the pull out spice rack, and it seemed to work okay, a bit of tweaking and it’s a good un.

Inspired by an idea given to me by my sister Nicola, for growing strawberries. She planned to grow then in hanging baskets, but I decided to go a little bigger. I had timber planks left over from building the composter, so I made and eight foot window box to hang on the fence. This should be large enough to transplant all the plants that have self set themselves around the bed that I thought would contain them. This will free up the bed to be used for growing more vegetables.