Another Lifetime to go

16th July 2022

I don’t know how I haven’t been killed yet.

Our bike rides are usually taken at a reasonable pace, that is until Kelli makes a last minute change of direction. I overtake, and then have to back-track. This is okay when the roads are empty, but a bit risky when there is heavy traffic. Kelli is like an automatic toy that moves in a random manner, this is the reason I’ve done more miles than her, just trying to keep up.

We stopped at an abandoned garden that used to belong to a local character. She had died several years back, her house was sold and demolished, but her garden remained unloved and overgrown.

Kelli’s brother Matt lives across the road and led us through the undergrowth. There are some wonderful mature plants hidden amongst the weeds. We want to preserve these and move them to an area in our garden so they will cared for.

Now we have to plan a time to help them escape.

Greer and Dylan came to spend some time in our pool, it’s much better here than the beach, less people and no sand in the food.

We finished the two side tables and took pictures, these are now live and waiting for a new home.

15th July 2022

It was important to get our ride in before the rain came. We headed down Southshore drive, checking out any gardens we thought interesting. There was one that was a masterpiece of planting compositions, it had water flowing from rocks that was either clever design or bad drainage.

I still insist on using the gears rather than the assist mode which often make me grunt a bit when there are hills, Kelli on the other hand is on assist all the time, and as I’m staining, I hear the slight hum of her motor as she come up beside me all calm and refreshed.

We got back just in time before the rain. This curtailed some of the spraying, but there was plenty to do.

That was the problem, for weeks my area of the garage had become a shithole, and I never had the chance to clean it up, stuff kept building up, and I could never see the bench top.

I would trip up on timber offcuts and build makeshift supports to balance things on which would invariably collapse, making me angry, so I needed to do some housekeeping.

14th July 2022

The time had come, it was decision day, should we change Kelli’s bicycle seat?

It’s four weeks now, and her bottom still hurts after the most modest ride, so in order to stop that happening again it needed to be changed.

The ride to the cycle shop is now a regular trip, the bikes almost are on automatic to get there.

They had quite a selection to choose from, should it be heated? should it have arms? Should a foot stool be included? We went through all the options. Finally she chose one, the guy in the shop fitted it, made a few adjustments, and off we went. Five minutes later we were back at shop, more adjustments were required, as she had a sloping bum the seat had to be tilted a little. Once that had been done, we set off again, this time it was better. I kept the old seat as a spare just in case mine exploded sometime.

We then drove to pick up some furniture bits from Elaine.

We were shown a bit more of the grounds surrounding the house including the lake filled with carp and goldfish. The party piece was the ringing of a bell to summon the fish for a feed. It was crazy to see the water become a swirling frenzy of mouths and gills.

13th July 2022

Another ride to Castle point to see the amazing properties built on the hillside. They are not small houses, but the terrain is so difficult they must have cost a fortune to build. Just to get to them there are hundreds of steps up, must be fun carrying the weekly shopping.

Checking the post only to find there is nothing in the box must be the ultimate frustration.

We got back to do some furniture work, output has been a bit slow this week although there are a few being progressed.

Gardening can be so difficult, just keeping up with the weeding is a full time job. Kelli must have picked up a skin irritation which is driving her mad with the itching.

I manage to pull a few weeds a day, but the growth rate overtakes me, I will have to make more of an effort.

A neighbour brought down a small shelf that’s all loose to be fixed. These things are usually just nailed together, so it should just need knocking apart and glueing up.

12th July 2022

Finding a new route for our bike rides is hard, I want to try to push Kelli to go further and build her strength. Today we needed to go the ATM to deposit some cash and this was on the other side of town.

There were a couple of major roads that we had to cross so a careful plan had to be considered.

The ride allowed us to view other people’s gardens and see what plants go together.

Not long after we started our journey, we were at a stop sign waiting to cross when the car next to us wound it’s window down and the guy started talking to Kelli, she wasn’t sure what he was talking about, he mention her dad and mother and next went on about his dad going out for cigarettes and not coming back. That was it, Kelli took a right and I followed.

“ Did you hear what he was saying?” She asked.

“ I did not understand a thing he was saying”

And that goes for a lot of things over here.

The worst is at the checkouts, they speak at a hundred miles an hour, and rather than ask them to speak slower and clearer, I just smile and give them a high domination note to shut them up.

Just when I thought we were done with plants and gardening, Kelli wanted to go to the garden centre to look for two plants in particular, of course we couldn’t find them so we came back with some wild grasses and some annuals to brighten up a plain border.

The grasses had to be planted in the pebbled area at the side of the house. It is great fun clawing at the stones that are boiling hot from the sun. So with blistered fingers I managed to plant the buggers, making another visual statement.

We couldn’t be bothered to cook anything for dinner, therefore we plumbed for the good reliable take away.

11th July 2022

“We have to collect a free dresser from the North side” said Kelli.

“Oh yippee “ I thought, “something else to squeeze into the garage”

So off we went.

The dresser was an old piece with a bit of veneer damage on the drawer fronts, nothing that a bit of hard graft can’t put right.

Now the lady wanted space in her garage so she persuaded Kelli to take another dresser.

It is rare to have the opportunity to get two free dressers in good shape, most are train wrecks, which means I conceded. I did make the provision that we sort the garage out as soon as we got back.

With the truck now full we headed to Menards to get timber for a three bay composter that I wanted to build.

Now the truck was well loaded, the timber on the roof rack and dressers inside.

We did stop off at Goodwill to see if there were any metal tables that we could put next to the pool. We couldn’t find any which was a relief, because it would have to be strapped to the back, how white trash is that?

We had some lunch at our favourite cafe then went home to start the big clear out.

First thing to tackle was the storage room, that was full of packaging materials that Kelli uses for her Marketplace sales. Once that was moved out the rest of the stuff was restocked giving us room to store our finished pieces.

We moved the tall dresser that still hadn’t sold (what’s wrong with people), and then it was time for the coffee table. I wasn’t sure it would fit because it was long, but with millimetres to spare we got it in.

“Just like budder” Kelli exclaimed in her deep southern accent, whilst my excitement was a little more graphic.

“Lick my nipples!” I shouted just as the Amazon driver handed Kelli a package.

He claimed he didn’t hear anything, but I bet it was the subject of a story back at the depot.

Now with the storage room sorted, I started on the garage, moving out large cardboard boxes that our bed and headboard came in.

Then re-arranging the furniture, and managing to fit in the two new pieces we were done.

All the cardboard boxes had been flattened ready for the recycling, but not this week, the bin is already full.

Then what always seems to happen when we have moved pieces into the storage room, someone wants to buy it.

Now we had to move the coffee table to get to the dresser and get that out ready.

Just time to give it a dust over before the lady arrived. She loved the piece, but needed help to unload it at her house, so I followed her.

Moving it into her house was easy, she showed me a piece that she wanted painted, it was full of bourbon bottles, it appeared that CJ (her name) was a bit of a expert, I was glad she didn’t offer me a drink as I don’t need a lot to fall over.

There were also a large number of stains and paints that were left in the house, we agreed that she would box them up, and I would knock off a bit from the repainting project.

I was eager to get back home for dinner, I was starving.

During the clear out we found a bag full of tennis and squash racquets, Kelli had no idea where they came from, so she posted them on Marketplace and lo and behold a young chap came round to collect them, boy it was a busy day.

10th July 2022

Off on another ride around the neighbourhood, finding new places I haven’t been before. It gives us a good opportunity to see what other people have planted in their gardens. I never thought I would get to this, I could never imagine being interested in plants and gardens. However I am discovering that garden design is harder than I thought.

Whilst having breakfast outside on the deck, I looked across at the elderberry bush that I planted in May 2020. This year it has gone mad with flowers the size of dinner plates, I can see some elderberry wine being made soon.

We finished and posted a large coffee table with liftable lid and a small side table that got snapped up straight away.

9th July 2022

We cycled out on the old Saugatuck road to find the house belonging to a friend of Kelli’s that I had never met. Like many of the older residents they spend the winter in Florida, so meeting up time is limited.

After four miles we arrived at large black gates and beyond was an impressive house and an even more impressive motor home standing in front of an impressive barn, all in all the place looked impressive.

Kelli spotted Elaine wandering in the garden, and called out, she finally recognised us and beckoned us in.

There had been some discussion about some work she wanted me to do, but I had no idea what that would be. After introductions she said that she had hired a carpenter, but wanted to show us what she wanted doing.

She opened the door to this forty foot long motor home, it was decked out luxuriously with white leather seating.

The ceiling was covered in hand painted images of sky and clouds.

It appeared that the work she wanted done was to finish the ceiling above the drivers seat and the bathroom. Thank goodness she got someone else, working on ceilings is not my favourite position, and all those complex curves? No thanks.

The house itself was wonderful, overlooking its own large pond, big enough to float a canoe surrounded by tall pine trees.

Throughout the house were paintings that Elaine had done, reminded me that I should have kept my art going like a lot of my school friends have done, but back to doing the furniture.

We got back home and Kelli finished painting the coffee table.

After that it was pool time interrupted by someone wanting to buy the rug that we had, free money, the best.

8th July 2022

Where we live allows us to see some wild animals that live in the woods nearby.

Often we will watch the wild turkeys walking down the road, sometimes finding seeds on our front lawn. When they bring their chicks it’s especially wonderful.

Recently a young Doe has graced us by nibbling the berries in Larry’s yard. Normally they only come out in the evening, so it’s rare to be so close to one.

Whilst out on our bikes, on south shore drive we saw a young Buck and Doe in a large area of grass just off the road. They seemed just as interested in us as we were in them, it was fantastic, I can’t believe people go out and hunt them.

Yes we are fortunate to be in an area that has trees, water and wildlife so close.

Today was the day to take some crap from the garage to the city dump. Armed with our voucher, we drove to the weighbridge, saw the man behind the desk, and deposited our crap into the skips full of other people’s. Then back on to the scales, then off to Fennville to collect a free dresser.

Fennville is a small town that is a dump on one side and very affluent on the other, we hit the middle ground.

The piece we collected was in reasonable condition, no major repairs for me to work on, so perfect, I have plenty to work on already.

We had another “no show” on the rug we picked up on the side of the road, so that pissed us off.

7th July 2022

There is a distinct smell down by the Heinz pickle factory, and it definitely isn’t pickles.

There is the smell of the water from lake Macatowa, along with the stench of rotting fish. The worst aroma is sewerage. Why it is wafting around the pickle factory? I have not found out.

We wanted to get a bike ride in before a potential customer arrived to view the two side tables.

The new white Nissan turned into the driveway, and two ladies got out. The one that was buying it asked all sorts of questions about it. What was it made from? Are the knobs wood? Would the paint wear off? Why is the middle drawer so stiff?

“I will rub some wax on the runner, that should free it up better” I said jumping into action, I wasn’t going to let the sale flush down the toilet. I carried the side table deep inside the garage to “add some wax to the runner” but in fact I just prized the central drawer guide off.

“There you go, it runs smooth now” I announced as I carried it back into the light.

I helped to load the tables into the back of their vehicle and off they went.

Then it was back to work in the humid heat.

Earlier we had to collect a large coffee table with an opening top. It was larger and heavier than it looked, and difficult to load. We had got it from the same place as the small table we picked up yesterday, maybe we should ask if they have anything else, to save us coming back again.

The pool was really refreshing, I decided to try to get some colour to my chest, I was envious of Kelli with her dark tan, but all I was successful in achieving was beetroot, I guess I have to start somewhere.