It cooled off and was much less humid today, but even so, I’m wiped out. No idea why.

We moved one of the shower walls to the deck.

Ron water blasted and I weeded and watered.

He did laundry and we changed the sheets. Traffic was reported to be insane, so we stayed put until Ron went out for bagels quite late.

I roasted broccoli and acorn squash and made a salad for lunch.

Watched the US women’s soccer team win their championship and the first act of the Met’s February 8, 2019 performance of “Daughter of the Regiment”. Nice production and Javier Camarena’s Tonio got a standing ovation, and an encore, for hitting 9 high C’s flawlessly in “Ah! Mes Amis”.

I bought a very expensive drill bit so Ron could make drainage holes in our two ceramic pots. I ruined a beautiful pot last year by failing to do this, so was determined it wouldn’t happen again.

Had breakfast and more conversation with Gary before he left for Connecticut. So happy he came to visit!

We did laundry. I got bread at Andy’s. Traffic and drivers were a nightmare, so we stayed put for most of the day.

Gary arrived on his Harley around 3 as predicted, and reported that traffic was good on 495.

I’d made a deal with Ron that in exchange for his getting the second bedroom cleaned up, I’d take care of everything else: transfer station run, mowing the lawn, shopping, cleaning the bathroom, watering, setting up the air mattress, getting supper on the table: grilled veg burgers, potato and veg salads from Stop & Shop, leftover watermelon/strawberry salad for dessert.

We’re having a terrific visit. Gary has dozens of great stories about his time in the Navy and characters from the past.

He wanted to take us to dinner, but after I mentioned the outdoor shower value, he reinstalled it – without instructions or videos, only with instinct and experience.

I met our neighbor’s mother, Helen, yesterday.

Ron worked on cleaning the front gutters this week and did a good job of pruning the bushes in the process.

We hauled the brush to the transfer station yesterday.

Sprayed the roses yesterday with copper soap.

Potted a huge, gorgeous Stella d’Oro and transplanted a random bunch of something that I’d stupidly planted behind one of the big grasses.

I put the Stella in front of the shed so we can appreciate it.

Got blood test results back yesterday. High triglycerides.

Traffic was awful in Teaticket.

Saw a couple of butterflies yesterday. Plenty of bees.

I don’t remember much about it except that we did laundry and changed sheets yesterday. I hung out the clothes and we got them in before a thunderstorm around 4:15. Ron finished them off in the dryer.

I went to Meeting but realized that I’m not finding God in any house of worship, anywhere: Christian, Quaker, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim. For me, God is absent around humans.

I picked more strawberries this morning. The tomatoes, squash and day lilies have flowers. The little Monrovia that CL gave us last year is beautiful, even though it’s not fully in bloom yet.

Plants do assert their right to life.

The milkweed are almost in full bloom, and the bees love them.

The smaller ascelpias that I planted last year are not far behind.

Toolshed beautification: I rescued the last of the dug up daylilies that have been sitting at Soares for weeks (months?) Marcia let me have the lot for $5. They are soaking in their pots. I also picked up gazania for one of the window boxes and a BOGO six pack of portulaca. Did some watering.

Ron got his pension payments today. I got a check from MRS yesterday.

It’s a little after 4, and I’m tired. Ron brought “party food” because we planned to have our neighbors over this afternoon, but unbeknownst to her, he’d made other plans. Just as well, I’d have been one lousy host.

Picked strawberries today and will be glad when they are done, just because the “cage” that Ron built is such a nuisance.

Funny how beer quenches thirst better than water.

I hope to do something with the shower repair tomorrow.

I love my “den”. So far, it’s been comfortable, thanks in part to Ron’s adjusting the humidifier. I have an air filter machine and a fan.

Set up appointments for cardio tests in December. Happy about that.

Gloomy today. Good, I like it.

After doing the transfer station run, Ron surprised me by agreeing to visit Highfield so that we could see “A Passing Fancy”, the semi-permanent labyrinth built from 19,000 pounds of sticks from a willow nursery in upstate New York.

Ron further surprised me by agreeing to tour the gardens. After walking the building circumference, he suggested we take the Beechtree Path back to the van rather than the parking lot.

We stopped at the Alvin lead line so Ron could get some pix for Gary, then enjoyed playing instruments in the Music Garden.

On the way home, we did a shop at the Windfall and took the ocean roads back to Mashpee.

After some rabbit ate a stand of unidentified flowers in the corner garden, I put out deterrent.

Sprayed roses and the Asiatic lilies.

On the way to Home Depot to pick up items to fix the shower, we stopped on impulse at the Holly Ridge restaurant for their Portobello melt and fries. Good food, nice people, beautiful setting.

I was glued to the live broadcast of the hearing on Medical Aid in Dying yesterday afternoon.

Fortunately, Robert also was interested, and we listened to it as best we could, connectivity being iffy in this area, while I drove from his work to Edgewater.

In the evening, I attended an EDIC meeting, which was competently chaired by Carol Sherman, who allowed comments from visitors. Thank you, Carol!

Up early this morning for fasting blood work. I’m off schedule as a result, just had lunch.