One Last Day In The Garden!

Posted on Monday, June 10, 2024 by Paul

It’s not quite 1950s music, but it certainly captures the essence of the last few days. We’ve spent 6-8 hours a day tending to our various gardens, and one entire day was dedicated solely to the front yard.

I always dread gearing up for the gym, especially when squeezing my iPhone, car keys, and wallet into my ninja outfit’s tiny, shallow pockets. It’s like trying to solve a puzzle while wearing spandex. It’s a workout just trying to fit everything in there!

The workout session went about as well as a cat wearing socks. I mean, they had to use a gag on me to stop my screams of pain. It was like a scene from a comedy movie, but we survived and managed to crawl to the car.

Since we were practically neighbors with Home Depot, we swung by there first! We needed to restock on flowers and veggies because a sneaky rabbit had a feast in our garden last night. I can’t blame the little guy for having good taste, but he’s not getting seconds!

The Silver Fox continues to be treated like a pickup truck.

Mary fixed a great breakfast consisting of tamales, hard-boiled eggs, fried tomatoes, a beautiful mushroom, and some slices from the Chinese radishes.  Everything was on a fresh bed of Swiss chard.

Breakfast of champions!

We started the yard at noon. The first item on the agenda was to remove the sweet peas and save the tomato that was entwined inside. After trimming this monster, we officially ran out of trashcan room.

Before

With surgical precision, we were able to clean out the sweet peas and, at the same time, save the tomato by putting its branches on the trellis.   Probably 50 Roma tomatoes on the plant were invisible before the surgery.

Roma tomatoes develop few seeds and dense flesh, making them perfect for a food processor. With a low water content, Romas are ideal for spreads, ketchup, and sauces. These tangy tomatoes are just as great served fresh on bread and in salads. We like them sliced in half and broiled/fried with Chef Mary’s magic herb mixture.

After, gone but not forgotten.

Did You Know” The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, which derives from the English word tomato.

Now we get serious. While contorting into obscene shapes at the gym, I remembered I bought wire fencing for the garden two years ago. It was stashed behind the garden cabinets at the back of the lot.

Finally, it comes out of its container and goes to work after two years!

Well, with the help of my heavy-duty fencing pliers, I now have bunny-proof cages!  I made them so they could be taken apart at the end of the season and stored neatly.  They ought to last for years.

We made five cages to protect our little veggies and keep the rabbits away!

Mary went all green thumb and planted about ten veggies, then headed to the patio for more gardening shenanigans. I thought I was a pro with Miracle-Grow, but when I tried to shut off the water, the knob wouldn’t cooperate! That cheap Chinese hose bib strikes again – the third time’s not a charm!

So, I went to Home Depot, and the car was on automatic. I swear, that car is so independent that it even knows where to buy its own replacement parts!

The hose bib was replaced, and everything is now well!

At 6:00 p.m., we were shot! We somehow managed to get to the hot tub and soaked for an hour. We called Robin and talked to her for a while during that soak. We did not do dinner as it was too much work!

This was day four of gardening, about eight hours a day. I thought we were retired, not hired as full-time gardeners!

Lights out, we are done!

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Never On Sunday!

Posted on Sunday, June 9, 2024 by Paul

Another day in the garden.

“No, no, I screamed, please, not a walk in the garden!” My dramatic pleas were ignored entirely. Alas, another walk in the garden (translation: build a list of all the things that must be accomplished today)! Such is the life of a reluctant gardener.)

It’s not so much reluctance as the fact that my body is not forty years old anymore. My sores have even started complaining about having sores of their own.

After the ten-minute walk, we decided the last of the sweet peas must go, and we had to replace two plants because that damned rabbit ate our brand-new zucchini and cantaloupe.

Help Daddy Paul and Moma Mary save us from the Wascally Wabbit.

Amazon to the rescue. Animals instinctively avoid certain smells and tastes. Urine from mammal predators, meat protein, egg solids, and garlic all possess sulfur-containing compounds that trigger prey-response behaviors. Putrescent egg solids and garlic, both ingredients in Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellents, are highly effective in deterring these animals before they even browse treated vegetation.

Let me jot this down for you: “If this doesn’t work, I’ll sleep in the shed with my trusty Red Rider Single Shot BB Gun! It’s my secret weapon for dealing with stubborn problems.”

Please work; the Shed is cold!

We worked from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm in the garden and yard.  We planted, trimmed, mulched, abbreviated, clipped, cropped, edged, margined, mowed, nipped, overwhelmed,  scattered, and shortened everything in the garden and yard.

The sweet peas had to go.  They were pooping out, plus powdery mildew was getting the best of the greenery.

The back forty sweet peas are gone, filling almost a 90-gallon container.

Tomatoes grow, and they tend to lose their bottom leaves, which turn yellow and invite pests to have a meal. Mary and I meticulously went through each tomato plant and removed the Bad branches, so everything is now green again! Bye-bye bugs!

We spend several hours cleaning out the tomatoes.

We had a small breakfast and then returned to the yard, removing the sweet peas to see how much room there was underneath the brush. OMG, we found two more large Mexican zucchinis that were invisible from the top!

We did a super-secret spy mission to Home Depot. We successfully acquired the top-secret hoses needed to connect the super-powered rotary garden and Ophelia (who may or may not be a very sophisticated robot) to the top-secret timer on the side of the house. Mission accomplished!

Home Depot, our favorite store, is less than three miles away!

It should be mentioned that on the way home, I whispered “burrito,” and as the sound gently floated over Mary’s side of the car, she suggested Del Taco. Well, the Silver Fox slowed to a crawl, activated its own GPS, and took us to this amazing restaurant. One burrito and three Del Tacos later, we arrived back at our passion and devoured the goodies. Now we are ready for work!

Mary worked on the patio proper while I put on my plumber’s hat and hosed up the vertical and Ophelia.

The verticals are not on a timer, and Ophelia (our rubber plant) also gets watered once a day.

We had some blight on the gardenias, so we cut them back severely and sprayed them; they are hearty!

While there, we found an apple on the ground and ate it; it was crispy and gave us an idea of what the rest would taste like in a few weeks.

We ate our first apple today, just like Adam and Eve. The snake was asleep on the patio.

We planted some new goodies, including a brand-new cantaloupe.  While in the spa a little later, we spotted the (&^%$^^&)# rabbit hopping along without a care in the world and me in the spa without my trusty BB gun!

Look at what that rabbit did WHILE we were in the yard.  NOTE: We had not put the Liquid Fence here yet; it was a chore left to post-spa activities.

Look at that; it was a healthy cantaloupe!

We are so happy the rabbit abstains from alcohol because the grapes are just a few feet away.

I must get the vat so Mary can squash the grapes while singing Italian songs.

The rabbit seems to have beef with beets.  They do not go near each other!

Oh dear, they were hidden! Borscht is on the menu soon!

Tomorrow, you are going bye-bye! The flowers are pretty, but you need a ladder to get them, and the bottom is pretty ugly!

The flowers are OK, but powdery mildew is on the lower extremities.

“One more “before” shot – it’s like a vegetable jungle here! We discovered a tomato plant trying to blend in with the sweet peas, so we’re in for some plant surgery. I’ve scheduled an appointment with Dr. Mary to perform a sweet pea ectomy, with strict orders to spare the trapped tomato. This should be quite a garden drama!”

The before view.

We went back to the patio, and both of us trimmed it. We decided to move the water feature outside for this summer and did so. While Mary prepared a glass of wine, I used the trusty hose to apply Miracle-Grow to the patio flowers.

It was past 6:00 pm when we finally sat down and gave ourselves a rest.

Pur water feature now lives on the patio.

Spa time – hooray! With plastic wine glasses in hand, we gracefully slithered toward the bubbling hot tub, dreaming of the miraculous healing powers we desperately needed. My body crackled and popped like a bowl of Rice Krispies as I inched my way forward. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any more dramatic, I spotted a ladder. Watch out, world, here we come!

We barely made it into bed, and by 8:00 pm, we were sawing logs!

 

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Work Work Work Work! I Thought We Were Retired!

Posted on Saturday, June 8, 2024 by Paul

OMG, the day started without us!  How can this be?

We were up early and examined the outside temperature. Since it was under 70 degrees, we huddled by the fire. After it got above 70 degrees, we went to Home Depot and went to work!

But first, we need a quick survey of the garden in case we need something else at Home Depot.

Hollyhocks are easy to grow. They grow best in a location with full sun and well-drained soil. Given their tall size and tendency to flop, they also benefit from having protection from the wind. If planted in a location exposed to wind, they may need staking to prevent damage.  You notice they are against the wall for wind protection.

Did You Know? Hollyhocks symbolize fertility, ambition, and spirituality. The plant’s seed boxes can contain seeds that are different colors from the parent plant, which is another reason for its association with fertility. Hollyhocks are also believed to bring good fortune and protection and to ward off evil spirits.

Last years Hollyhocks are doing great!

The red maple tree is living its best leaf. We’re jealous of those red leaves – they really know how to stand out in a crowd.

Did You Know? Only some people know that red maple foliage can also turn yellow or orange in the fall. Red maples are fast-growing trees that usually reach 60 to 90 feet (18 to 27 meters) in height. The largest ones can grow over 120 feet (36.5 meters) tall. Red maples are native to the eastern deciduous forest.

Every year, the tree grows another 10-14 inches!

The other tree, a Chinese Maple, will turn red when winter arrives!  Keep on growing, big guy! Next year, it’s ornament time and your very own Christmas tree light show. Just don’t outshine the rest of us!

After summer, the leaves drop, and the entire tree turns bright red!

Inside the fence, we fertilized the planters and examined their health.  Everything is A-OK!

We did some slight trimming and oiled the whirligigs in each of the three major pots.

While checking out the front yard, we spotted some compelling evidence of tiny birdies using the picket fence as their personal bombing range. The fence looked like a war zone! Luckily, it was hidden from street view, but any passersby with a keen eye for avian mischief would definitely get a good chuckle out of it.

That means a trip to Home Depot for some serious bird-problem hardware. Mary and I jumped in the Silver Fox and went shopping.

We got three 35″ pieces of steel rod 3/16th in diameter, a length of 22-gauge steel wire, and a turnbuckle—just another casual shopping trip. Oh, and as a bonus, we also had to pick up some additional cantaloupes and some flowers – because you never know when you might need those elusive flowers!

The Silver Fox is used more for a pickup truck than a passenger vehicle.

We stumbled home just before lunch and decided it was time to get down to business. Mary whipped up a legendary turkey sandwich to fuel our endeavors, while I hauled our stuff from the car. It took two trips using Mary’s garden cart, one to the front yard and one to the back. I swear, moving all that stuff was more workout than I’ve had in months!

Thirty minutes after noon, we hit the yard like a buzzsaw!

As you can see, I stretched a thin wire (not visible from the street and hardly visible from the sidewalk) about three inches about the pickets and tightened it using the turnbuckle.   When the evil birdies try to land in the fence, they will undoubtedly pass it by, and the wire will block their runway!!

I only put it on the right side and plan to wait a week and see if it works before doing the other side.

The wire is tuned to F# over middle C.

It was hot and Mary needed to be covered so we put up our brand new 10’x10′ awning.  We bought it two years ago and never used it until today!

The shade and slight breeze made it easy to work in the yard.

After the fencing, I did my best impression of a superhero and took the left-hand side of the front yard while Mary went for the right-hand side. We tackled those pesky weeds, planted like we were auditioning for “Gardening with the Stars,” and trimmed our way to filling a 90-gallon trash barrel!

At 5:30 pm, we tapped out and retreated inside, feeling like we had been in an epic battle with nature for five solid hours. While Mary whipped up a mini-appetizer for dinner and poured us a glass of wine, I channeled my inner plant whisperer and doused the entire front yard with Miracle-Grow. It’s safe to say the yard and I are now best buds.

There was not a joint in our bodies that didn’t hurt. We headed for the swim spa and did two cycles before leaving at 7:00 p.m. We headed for the rack and turned on the big TV in the bedroom. We attempted to watch Die Easy (one of our favorites), but I think by 7:30 p.m., we were catatonic.

Good night and birdies and rabbits will be gone!

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Friday Has Arrived And We Are Ready!

Posted on Friday, June 7, 2024 by Paul

I had difficulty sleeping last night because I was going for a blood test at 10:00 am, so I decided to study to ensure I passed.   Mary got me up early, had me shower, and changed my underwear; she said, “You never know!”

What do you say when two red blood cells get married? Coagulations!

After the blood test, which, by the way, I passed with flying colors, we passed the pharmacy, and it had an amazing display of what they say is old stuff. Hells Bells, I recognized each one and used the products over my lifespan! “Old Stuff,” phooey!

Just a few years ago, when I was young, I used to mix Phillips Mike Of Magnesia with Vodka to make a Phillips Screwdriver.

The local pharmacy has a great display!

We departed the testing facility quickly before he discovered I substituted Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon for y blood.

Laguna Hills Nursery is interesting as they always have an eclectic mix of veggies, and we have several plants to take home.

We needed some last-minute supplies.

When we walked into the house, Scout was cowering behind the sofa, staring at the squash, which he thought would attack him. We assured Scout that there was nothing to fear. This week, we shall be cooking a lot of squash (and this is after deliveries to friends of an equal amount!).

We picked, and OMG, we are overloaded.

We made an amazing, astonishing, astounding, fabulous, fantastic, fantastical, incredible, miraculous, phenomenal, prodigious, stupendous, unbelievable, wonderful, wondrous breakfast. Mary had fresh greens and fried three beautiful rooster eggs. I, on the other hand, prepared two breakfast steaks!

We dined and talked and just planned out the day.

Afterward, the kitchen looked like a crime scene from a spaghetti western. I bravely volunteered for cleanup duty since it seemed like a job for someone with a strong stomach. Meanwhile, Mary transformed into a gardening superhero with her outfit complete with a cape made of leaves.

Right AFTER breakfast!

We worked in the garden from noon until almost 5:00 p.m., planting, and mulching where the sun had reduced the straw to dust.  At 5:00 p.m., we declared victory and went VFR to the patio for vino!

Mary bugged me about washing my hands, and I reminded her that germs were healthy!

Gloves? What are gloves?

After a swig of wine, the iPhone and I returned to the crime scene. The iPhone insisted on using its “find my wine” feature, but all it kept locating was a bunch of grapes.

The green beans are snaking up their support and blossoming like mad. The watermelon is beginning to spread, so we will keep an eye on it so it does not become too leggy.

How does our garden grow?

“Attention, peas and cucumbers! Please remember to climb the trellis in an orderly manner, if you don’t mind. No pushing or shoving; we want hanging vegetables, not a vegetable brawl. I appreciate your cooperation!”

It looks really good; we will be full of tomatoes in another month.

And one of our favorite beds, the berries. They got so big that they took over the strawberry patch, so maybe next year, we will move the strawberries somewhere else.

Turn black!

Returning to the patio, Scout (aka Luigi) was lounging around like a furry diva, getting pampered by Mommy, who was busy brushing him and collecting enough hair to knit a new cat on the side.

Spoiled baby!

After the brushing, Mary and I again visited the garden and set up the rabbit trap.   If that little turd shows up again, I am going into the garage and get the electric fence which will light up his life with 25,000 volts of electricity.  You have been warned!

Fried green tomatoes are in the future.

What is the history of fried green tomatoes? – Fried green tomatoes are usually associated with the South, but if you were to look in Southern newspapers or cookbooks before the 1970s, you wouldn’t find mention of them anywhere. Jewish immigrants brought This dish to the US in the 19th century, later appearing in Northeastern and Midwestern cookbooks.

The bird machines are working well; we have had zero bird issues. However, we are looking for a bunny wheel!

We need one of these to scare the rabbits away!

We were aching, and that meant going to the swim spa. We entered the water aching and departed refreshed. It was 8:00 p.m., so Mary decided to assist me with finishing off our Ireland Adventure website.

She read and suggested/corrected while I feverishly attempted to keep up with the iMac’s overload. It took us an hour, but all is well. PLEASE JOIN US!

 

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Off To The Elks Between Errands!

Posted on Thursday, June 6, 2024 by Paul

I wake up every morning being just a little more in love with Dr. Mary!

We had a mission today, with a ton of errands to tackle. We rushed into the shower, dressed, and did a ready aim fire! The day started with a splash; hopefully, the rest will be less eventful!

Before we headed to the Elks, we had to make a pit stop at the Post Office to send off our quarterly taxes. Dealing with taxes always feels like a slow roast – the government takes 33% of everything we make and then splurges it on the most questionable stuff. We seriously need a superhero like Howard Jarvis to save the day!

From the post office, we went to Trader Joe’s to restock our wine supply. Turns out, doing errands is thirsty work! From there, we went to Dianne’s house to drop off some veggies and her Irish travel gifts, but on the way there, we stopped at the dry cleaners. Because nothing says ‘fun adventure’ like running errands, am I right?

As we came up the driveway, the Clampetts had just arrived.

Uncle Jed was at Dianne’s, so we visited.

We went down the hill and off to the Elks for Girls Night Out. Today, we had George, Bob Carlson, Iris, and Will because Capps was on vacation, and the Zs were just returning from back east!

Iris is always in rare form! She will be 98 on December 31st!

Departing the Elks, we are back on our continuing mission!

First, we went to Home Depot to see what veggies they had that we needed. We filled the back of the Silver Fox with greenery!

“Hey! I am NOT a pickup truck!”

We had to hightail it home by 2:30 pm because Juan was swinging by to inspect our sad excuse for a car fleet. Let me tell you, all three cars were dirtier than a pig in a mud bath!

After an hour, the cars were new looking and shiny like a dine in a goats butt.

We are not done yet. At 4:00 p.m., Dru popped over, and we visited, taking her to the back forty and filling her with a bag of veggies! She enjoyed visiting with us.

Nope, I’m not done yet.  AT 5:00 pm, Robin popped over to stay the night and assist us with the upcoming birthday party!  We were so tired from errands that we decided to go to Renada’s for dinner.  Besides, Luigi needed to have some fresh spaghetti to top off his dinner,

Scout, you are one spoiled baby!

Of course, Mary had the veal.

Robin went for the salad!

We brought a plate of food to our neighbor Jeff and left it at his door. By the time the sun set, we were more tired than a cat after trying to catch a laser pointer.

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Wednesday And Time To Travel!

Posted on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 by Paul

After last night, we slept late.  My eyes did not open until 7:45 am, and Mary was still sawing logs.  I crept into the office and began work on the Ireland Adventure website.  Soon after that, Mary came in, reminding me we had to leave the house in 20 minutes to get to the gym!  GYM??  On no, I forgot.

We were running on “gym time,” so we made it to the gym a fashionable 60 seconds late. We did our best and managed to lift a bag of chips to our mouths numerous times, so I’d say it was a successful workout. After that, we headed to CVS, the land of endless receipts and impulse buys, where I picked up my prescriptions for a cough that sounds like a pack-a-day habit.

From there, we went home and changed into our fanciest banana costumes. Mary packed a picnic basket with all the essentials – bananas, banana bread, and banana-flavored smoothies – and we were off and running to beautiful downtown Victorville. The locals gave us some strange looks, but we didn’t peel under pressure!

The drive was pretty!

Why Victorville? After Leon Brander passed away, his wife of 150 years was placed in a care facility in Victorville to be near her daughter. When we met up with Marcia, she was doing great – much better than the last time when the change in her lifestyle was new to her.

We sat together and reviewed the status of all her friends: Vicky and Jim, Donna and Bob, Mike and Bridgette, Jan Mongel (no change there), Ed and Betty Roberts, Neda, Nill and Mary Capps, Bob Carlson, George and  Beverly, and a host of others.

Marsha says, “Hello to everyone; miss you!”

We returned to civilization around 3:30 pm and worked in the garden!

The squash was easy to pick as they were huge!

The squash here is out of control!

Mary calls me “Scruffy”! She wanted me to grow a beard for Christmas, so I started right after the wedding. Two weeks in and I still look like I got in a fight with a lawnmower! Mary’s solution? She puts a Von’s bag over my head when we go out – I guess that’s her way of saying, “don’t worry folks, he’s normally better looking!”

Happy in the garden; where was Grumpy?

We enjoy spaghetti squash because it makes delicious spaghetti and meatballs with a third of the calories.

The spaghetti squash is waiting to be picked.

Ah ha! I found Grumpy. When the garden gets overgrown, I suddenly develop “back problems,” Mary heroically offers to dive into the foliage with her machete to retrieve the goodies. The foliage is so dense that she ends up diving in headfirst!

I found Grumpy busy picking more quash!

No, really. That is Mary behind the squash and in front of her Sweet Peas. Next time, I plan to put a tall stick with a flag so I can find her in the bushes.

She is back in the bushes, finding the pesky veggies.

This is the first truckload of the harvest.  While picking, we filled up two ninety-gallon waste containers that will make their way to the dump tomorrow.

It was loaded to the gunnels! The kitchen will be busy today!

We stopped at 5:30 p.m. because we needed to rest, and my gardening uniform was not keeping me warm! We had a glass of wine on the patio and just talked. What’s nice about living with your best friend is that we can just sit together and enjoy ourselves.

By the way, she took the bag off my head when we sat down, although she did turn her chair the other way!

After a brief glass of wine, we went into the swim spa for three cycles to relax our backs. Today’s never-ending picnic basket prevented us from having to make dinner. We were in the sack by 8:30 p.m. and slept through the night!

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We Are On The Treadmill Again!

Posted on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 by Paul

We’re “almost” recovered from the trip, but Becky called to say that some people got sick after the ceremony, and two had COVID. I had a chest cough, so we worried I might have caught it. We believe that alcohol kills bugs, so we weren’t too concerned, but I still took a COVID test just to be sure. It came back negative, so we were relieved and could move on from the scare.

We toiled in the garden until it was time for our first big event – a date with the doctor. Can you believe it? We had appointments with Dr. Tong, the acupuncture magician. He’s the only one who can turn our garden-weary backs into iron rods and my sciatica into a distant memory.

We had tickets with Vicky and Jim to see Funny Girl at the Segerstrom, so we decided not to go home. We went to South Coast Plaza and met up with them at the Silver Trumpet.

It had wonderful food and excellent service!

The Silver Trumpet is within walking distance of the theater, so we zipped over to the Segerstrom, where we saw Funny Girl.  The story is about the life of the 1930s comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of New York to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies.

The performance was terrific.

After the show, we walked back to the restaurant, met up with Vicky, and then drove directly home. It was almost 11:00 p.m.

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It Be Monday, A New Week And 205 Days Until Christmas!

Posted on Monday, June 3, 2024 by Paul

It’s Monday morning, so it’s time to listen to one of my favorite songs from the 1950s. Today’s pick is  Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado, released in 1955.

In 1955 I was in the sixth grade becoming a very fart smeller, oops, smart feller!  Junior High School was right around the corner meaning I was soon to be smarter that Mom and Dad (or I thought so back then).  Now the older I get the smarter they were.

Mary and I strolled through the garden after waking up, getting ready for the day’s adventures in the enchanting world of the garden.

The apple tree is growing vigorously, and I estimate that we are about two to three weeks away from harvesting.

We can see apple pie in the near future.

As we walked among the planters, you could see how large the tomato plants have grown this year. Mary will be using our portable ladder to harvest them.  Most of them tower over her.

The tomatoes are higher than an elephants eye!

The berry planter is in the early stages of maturation, and we can already spot a few black berries nestled within the foliage. These berries are currently unripe and will likely take approximately two to three weeks to reach full ripeness. Once they do, we can expect a plentiful harvest throughout the summer months.

Did we say berries?

The Sweet Peas continue to be abundant and will probably last another month until we have to pull them out.

We have flowers galore!

After our Irish vacation, my poor little body somehow attracted six pounds of blubber, which had to go away before our Caribbean adventure. Mary claimed she lost weight, but when she was on the bathroom scale, she was holding onto the towel rack!

We are off to Peak Performance, our personal training group.  As was waddled in, they pointed and giggled.  We knew we were in for trouble.  These people are first class, they know their stuff and even through we feel like a dish rag when we leave we feel better every day!

We only use the most updated equipment!

We went to Ralph’s market to get a quart of milk, but $350 later, we rolled out with seventeen bags of goodies. Next time, we’ll make sure to have breakfast before going to the market.

Breakfast! Yeah!!

We spent a good hour putting everything away because we prefer to label the dates that are often hidden on the packaging. After that, we had lunch, which included ten California rolls from Ralph’s, a local specialty containing a good number of quality ingredients.

At 1:30 pm we headed to see Dr. Rose to see about surgery on Paul’s hand to get rid of the arthritis pain. A trapeziectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the trapezium, a small cube-shaped bone in the wrist that connects the thumb to the wrist joint, to treat thumb arthritis. The surgery is usually performed under general anesthetic and can take 60–90 minutes.

Returning home, we visited Jeff and brought him some of Mary’s stuffed squash. We stayed about thirty minutes and finished off a glass of wine that we had just picked up from Trader Joe’s on the way home from the doctor.

We are still recovering so we crashed around 9:00 pm!  Tomorrow we should be back to “normal!”

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The Recovery Process Begins!

Posted on Sunday, June 2, 2024 by Paul

My mind has yet to leave Ireland!

[wpcode id=”76760″]We woke up bright and early, driven by an unknown force, almost on autopilot. After sharing a cup of coffee with Robin, she headed out around 9:00 AM.

While Mary stayed inside to do the laundry, I decided to spend some time in the garden. I carefully made my way through the garden beds, removing plants that had gone to seed and those past their prime. The sunlight filtered through the leaves as I worked, and I could hear nature’s gentle sounds. It was a peaceful and rewarding experience.

I got the berries and the first planter ready to go. Four more planters to go, plus the back forty!

We both emptied our suitcases, and Mary did at least four loads of washing. I assisted Mary when she needed heavy things to be moved. As the day progressed, the suitcases were moved to their original homes upstairs in the ballroom.

I am impressed by how effortlessly she manages to look absolutely stunning within just a few minutes. It’s amazing to see her transform into a picture of beauty and elegance  even when planning to work around the house!

Bright eyed and bushy tailed; ready to go work today!

Ready to rock and roll!

We strolled through the garden today and were amazed at the growth of the spaghetti and regular squash. The tomato plants are loaded with green tomatoes, indicating that we’ll harvest them in about a month!

The spaghetti squash is doing just fine.

I picked beets and Swiss chard for dinner tonight, brought them inside, and washed them for Mary.  The chard looks especially green.  After two weeks in Ireland, we know our greens!

Swiss chard before it goes into the pot.

We have over fifty beets, but these are pretty large and will take about three to four hours to bake. I wrapped them in foil and put them in the oven at 400 degrees. Once baking is complete, we can chop them up and use them in a salad or put them in a small bowl and add goat cheese as an appetizer.

Four hundred degrees for 4 hours ought to do the trick!

We love cold beet soup. This Polish cold beetroot soup is traditionally served with hard-boiled eggs. You can also enjoy it on its own or with hearty rye or pumpernickel bread. This soup makes a great starter and is perfect for a summer party.

The soup is very refreshing and is certainly an eye catcher!

Dog-A-Puss, aka Scout aka Luigi,  came out to help but once he saw my efforts involved WORK, he mosied back to his bed on the patio and went to sleep.

Scout checks out all the noise I was making!

I ceased gardening around 4:00 pm as my old bones were creaking fiercely. As I walked to the back door, the noise sounded like firecrackers going off! Poor Scout ran under the bed and hid!

Indeed!!

Upon returning from the garden, I joined Mary in the kitchen to help her prepare dinner. My assigned task was to carefully half the squash and skillfully removed the seeds.  Meanwhile,  Mary expertly crafted the stuffing from scratch. She meticulously blended in cheese, beans, corn, and other ingredients she had gathered from the refrigerator.

Mary made stuffed squash this evening.

We had a delightful dinner and topped it off with a glass of champagne!

Following our evening meal, we indulged in a relaxing soak in the hot tub. We completed two cycles, spending a total of about 30 blissful minutes in the warm, bubbling water. I anticipate that we will have a restful night’s sleep as a result of this tranquil experience.

Tomorrow morning, we have to head to the gym at 8:15 am.  We can already feel the pain and suffering but it is well deserved after spending two weeks in Ireland.  During the trip, I gained six pounds due to reduced exercise and an abundance of food and spirits.

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Day 12 – We Fly Away!

Posted on Saturday, June 1, 2024 by Paul

Our Irish Holiday: Day 1 – Day 2 – Day 3 – Day 4 – Day 5 – Day 6
Day 7 – Day 8 – Day 9 – Day 10 – Day 11 – Day 12 

It’s been a wonderful week plus in Ireland meeting great people and seeing exciting things but all things must come to an end.  We hit the sack around 11:00 pm here in the land of green and made sure we would get up at 4:30 am by setting three alarms , having the front desk call, and we asked Colleen to call at 8:30 pm her time (in New Hampshire).

We woke up early this morning in Dublin. The alarm clock went off at 4:30 am, and all the other alarms started going off at once. It was a cacophony of sounds that could have woken up the dead. I looked out the window and saw that it was already light outside. The sunrise is at 5:00 am in Dublin, and sunset was at 11:00 pm the night before. No wonder we were  tired!

We had to repack our bags and wait for the hotel to bring a baggage trolley to take our bags to the waiting taxi. Unfortunately, the hotel couldn’t find their baggage trolley, so three men came up and carried our bags to the waiting taxi.

It was an interesting ride to the airport.

After driving in Ireland, the taxi drivers efforts were not scary.

My bride looks so beautiful in the morning and she gets better all day long.

We arrived at the Dublin airport and had to wait in line for an hour because we were traveling internationally.  The airplanewas out on the runway so we have to take a buss to get to the boarding area.  After the bus rider we had to walk eleven minutes to the shuttle gate to board the plane. The plane was a Ford Trimotor, which was quite an adventure!

We finally got to a small terminal and were getting ready to board.

Awaiting at the gate.

We boarded the plane at the gate. There was no moveable gate or walkway, so we had to walk to the plane. The flight to London was nice and only took 90 minutes.

That’s our ride.

We had to go from Terminal One to Terminal Five at London, and it was an adventure in and of itself. We rode another bus and then took a ten-minute subway ride that went under the runways and popped up at Terminal Five.

The airport was huge and required a lot of walking!

We had to take a bus to the terminal where the A380 was waiting. The bus ride took 11 minutes. But before we could board the A380, we had to take an elevator to the upper level.

Heathrow was a nightmare for the unfamiliar!

We had never been on am A380 before. The Airbus A380 is a wide-body, double-deck, full-length passenger aircraft that’s considered the world’s largest and most spacious. It has a typical seating capacity of 525 passengers, but can be certified for up to 853. The upper deck of the A380-800 model typically has first class, business class, and premium economy seating.

The experience was amazing! Business or First, the only way to go!

Mary and I were sitting next to each other on the plane, facing opposite directions. Right after we got seated, we each had a glass of wine.

Mama is in her seat and ready to go!

We were in Row 15 and had room to lay down and sleep. Plus, we had internet and an entire AV experience.

The A380 is quite an engineering marvel.

Mary yelled, “Get this sucker moving, we wanna go home!”

Ready for takeoff.

There were an endless number of airliners at Heathrow.

Did you know more than 70 million passengers pass through Heathrow airport every year? That is almost 6 million more than the total population of the UK. And the number of employees at the nation’s busiest airport is nearly equal or more than the population of many towns or cities in Great Britain! Every 45 seconds a flight lands or takes off from Heathrow and the airport’s 6th terminal is reserved only for royals and a few celebrities.

There were a load of British Airways airplanes at Heathrow.

Up, up, and away! Mary wondered about the slipstream going over the wing. The air over the wing is at lower pressure than the rest of the air around the plane, and this drop in air pressure also causes a drop in temperature. This, in turn, reduces the amount of water vapor that the air can hold. If the temperature reaches the dew point, excess water vapor will begin to condense, forming a visible cloud.

During takeoff the wing produced slip-stream was fascinating.

We were tired after our twelve-hour flight.   Robin picked us up at LAX and we headed home. We were supposed to stop at Vicky’s, but the plane had suitcase unloading issues and we didn’t leave LAX until after 7:00 p.m., so we went straight home. We had a glass of wine and talked to Robin about our adventures. We also spoke to Dianne to let her know we were safe.

Robin is going to South America after the first of the year, and we may join her for a two-week cruise around the bottom of South America.   That reminded me of my South American project from 1955, so I went to the library and found it.

They got a kick out of reading it, and remember, the report is seventy years old and I was in the 6th grade (for the second time).

Robin told is of her upcoming cruise to South America.

Mu very talented mother and I did the front of the report which was done in copper and attached to a plywood front and back page.

I suddenly remembered a school project I did back in 1955.

They read every word and proceeded to point, laugh, and giggle at my early attempt at writing. They had a good time and I was happy to share my work with them.

My spelling has improved since then (not by much)

By 10:30 pm, we were dead, so we got ready to crash.

Time for bed!

 

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