Ron stepped in dog exhaust yesterday and tracked it around the house. After announcing “we” had a problem, which I disputed, he did a good job of cleaning up the mess.

Battles installed the drivers side mirror for half their estimate.

Summer water bill was much less than expected.

Watched the Affordable Housing Trust joint meeting with the Selectmen last night. Was greeted cordially by the selectpersons. Good conversation afterwards with Mike Richardson.

Eggs with mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes for breakfast. Cleaned up the kitchen from this morning – and last night. We’d porked out on more or less healthy snacks: nuts, seeds and raisins.

Got them working again this morning!

Plugged in the Chromecast. Found the correct input on the Dynex by (duh) scrolling through.

Started the vid on the phone and clicked on the “cast” icon. Can stream Youtube, Prime and Netflix. Found http://watchnewslive.tv/

Also changed the clocks. The only tricky one was the LaCrosse in the living room. Held down the reset, then when the “hour” was blinking, let go of the reset and clicked on “-“.

Ron diligently cleaned almost all of the window sills and the sliding door track.

Tomato soup, grilled cheese and a big salad for lunch.

Laundry. Changed sheets.

Getting cold.

Not much into Halloween decorating this year, but fortunately, others were. I took off around 7:15 to tour a couple of neighborhoods. The Bartletts at SPE had the most spectacular displays: fantastic! We had about 20 kids; plenty of leftover candy for us.

We did food shopping today. Ron worked on the compost; I picked up more starter.

We also pounded in more rebar and attached the wisteria trellises.

We – both of us – managed to get the hibiscus out of the kitchen and into the new room in the basement. There were, of course, the usual arguments, but I’m thrilled to have that done, and hope the plant will be okay.

Also did laundry and mowed the front and back yards.

Started testing and debugging MRS2020.

P&B’s 25th anniversary, and James’ second road test.

Washed and cleaned out the truck and brought a minuscule load of yard clippings from yesterday to the transfer station.

Ron and I put the right side shelf back on the Weber.

He also cut the prongs of a tomato cage that needed to be regrounded.

Vegetable soup and good bread for lunch.

Last “Civility” group meeting tonight. The moderator baited me, and I took it, hook, line and sinker. So much treacle from a couple of the “born luckies” that we all could have had diabetic seizures.

Ron spent most of yesterday trying to figure out his checking account/checkbook.

Watched “Maiden”. Quite a film!

Yesterday, we did transfer station runs for us, Peter and a friend of Peter’s. Lunch at Dunkin’.

I smashed my left side mirror yesterday at the transfer station. Brought the truck to Battles (Falmouth) this morning for an estimate.

Grabbed sandwiches at one of the new restaurants. Too expensive. I can get a whole meal at Subway for less, and enjoy it more.

Uploaded final files to NEPS. Sent a draft 2020 MRS schedule to Nicole.

Did some front yardwork: looking better, much better. Trimmed the bushes by the front steps and trimmed gone-bys along the fence, front and back.

Still struggling to clean the wound in my left ring finger. It’s been bothersome for over a week and a half.

After thinking about going to a vegetarian food event in Osterville, we stayed in yesterday. Phoned them; they sold out an hour before they’d planned to close, so just as well we didn’t go. The organizer was nice enough to give me a rundown of the offerings, which was helpful for future menu ideas.

We read the Times, did laundry, changed sheets: the usual. I started reading a Booker prize nominee, “Ducks, Newburyport”.

I stopped after four “readers”, though. It was surprisingly tiring.

Made a new friend; we had lunch at Crisp.

I did get to be a reader of two “books”, one a dentist who immigrated from Eastern Europe and a Mashpee woman who spoke about being Black on the Cape. The conversation with the second woman was more about her son who is handicapped. I was interviewed by a radio station freelancer.

Finished watching “The Spy” on Netflix.

Up at 6:45 to get ready to drive Robert to work. He looked pretty sharp in his purple shirt!

Washed the truck, much to Smokey’s displeasure; I think he may have been sitting under it.

Did laundry. After Ron finished his morning ablutions, we dropped off wood at the transfer station.

Salad and garlic bread for lunch.

I went to the Food Pantry this morning. On the way home, I stopped at Soares and picked up two healthy-looking Vitex “Flip Side”, a shrub that sports purple flowers and leaves, for Edgewater; 60% off, about the best deal around.

Ron and I spent part of the afternoon at Edgewater working on the front lawn and the grass garden.

Planted and watered the shrubs in the grass garden while Ron mowed the front. We mulched the new plants with the clippings.

I’ve been nervous about the increasingly cold temperatures; last night, it got down to the mid-forties, and we are very close to the average first frost for this area.

So, after a light supper of corn on the cob from the Pantry, I sprayed the potted hibiscus and mixed diatomaceous earth into the top inch or so. Ron brought it in to the kitchen until we get it set up in the basement.