.............

I have been enjoying an entire day working outside.

Well, not the entire day. I went and picked up a computer chair cheap this morning.
After that, a stop at Albertson's for some boneless, skinless chicken breast on sale.

Then to Home Depot where I purchased a bottle of outdoor spray poison - the kind you hook up to a garden hose. I'm afraid that a paid exterminator is out of the question at this point.

Home, I went to work with the poison, covering the entire property. The bottle was empty just as I was finishing up.

I then attached another trellis to 2 beams I had cemented into the ground. After that, I got a stick of wood I had purchased to place on the beams - all of them together, to even out the array. I then took small pieces of wood I had bought to use as stakes - which I pulled out of the ground but did not throw away, and placed them between trellises as well to even them out even more.

After that, I got the shade material, 2 sticks of wood, measured the entire length of the trellises up so far. I measured that out on the shade material and then some for working room. Screwed wood posts into each end of the shade stuff and then proceeded to attach it to the back side of the trellises.

OH, do I wish I had bought more of that stuff. Well, that project as far as it's going without cementing more beams into the ground, I got to work on Mimi's window dressing. Specifically, putting the styrofoam over her window. Measuring it all out, I cut styrofoam pieces to size and then did all the work involved in attaching the southwest looking material to it with glue to make it look nice - instead of white foam looking not-so-nice. I am letting the glue dry out and then I will be attaching it to the frame outside of her window. She wanted it done - it makes a huge difference in the heat levels in her room during the morning hours.

In interims, I have been deep watering plants all day long. Out front, I took over Mary's "job" and started pulling weeds. I was a little surprised she had let such a great amount of that stuff grow out there. Grass and weeds everywhere. I got 90% of that out of the ground. I also cut back some tall grass stuff - I don't remember the name of that, either - but it looks good - it had grown out of proportion and it needs cut down to about a foot and a half tall length periodically. I also pulled out some dead plants.

Again, I was amazed that Mary had let so much of this go. I had been watching it, yes, but I didn't want to "intrude" on "her" grounds.

With all of that, I have the grill cooking some of that chicken breast on sale and pork steaks that were a manager's special at Albertson's - half off. They are "sell-by" tomorrow.

So, I have Mary's project to finish - but I didn't get any sand at Home Depot today, as I wanted to see what my finances are. Especially after dumping a mortgage payment in the mail and also facing a car payment and car insurance payment. Everything else is either current or paid-in-advance. I need more sand, anyway, to continue on with that project.

It may sound like a lot- and really it is - but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has taken my mind off a lot of things and has been a total release for me. I am headed back out there in a few minutes. I want to install the styrofoam, dig 2 more holes for more beams for the trellises, continue with the deep watering project all around the house (take 3 days to finish it), and continue to work on pulling weeds on the east side of the house. Everything cited in the complaint Mary made against me has been taken care of - it wasn't really much - excepting the car. Mom suggested just washing it and making it look like it's being used. So, I also took the hose today and bathed it down, including the tires and everything underneath it.

Actually, I have a huge list of things I want to accomplish today, tomorrow and Monday - but it is hardly burdensome. I have 2 people interested in Mary's room. I will be paying to have all of it removed out of there to a storage unit if she doesn't come for it tomorrow or Monday. I need the income, the money spent on getting that stuff out of here will be replaced by the next tenant's initial payment for rent. I have not heard back from Mary - either she is showing up tomorrow unannounced, or she just ain't showing up.

Regardless, I'm back to the races.
ben