Frustrations and Successes!

 This is a very mellow, soft day. The temperature is in the 60s and the prediction is that it may reach 70 this afternoon, although I think here at Joe's Pond that is a stretch. Most of our leaves are gone, but the air is so moist and fresh, there's a feeling of peacefulness just in not having leaves flying off the trees or crunching underfoot. We have some fog hanging over the hillsides, and almost no wind, at least this morning. That may pick up later.

This week started with a host of frustrations for me. I had a small project ready to go, which was putting stairs in my garage so I could reach the overhead storage area without climbing a steep ladder that has served every since Fred and I moved here. I'm frankly too darned old to feel comfortable on a ladder. I have been wondering what my parents used to get up there. I know they stored stuff there, although they didn't use it for all sorts of overflow like I do. Anyway, after getting all the wood out of the garage to make room for the stairs, I discovered that the cement floor had sunk and the back wall of the garage is in really bad shape. 

Bill Jones, who was ready to start work on the stairs this Monday, advised me to postpone the stairs until I get the floor fixed. So since I had him available, I decided to have him insulate around my office window. He did my kitchen windows earlier and it has made a huge difference, and this window in my office has been notoriously breezy - plus, there seemed to be an easy passage for flies, no matter how well I tried to seal it up. Bill did the work, finishing up yesterday, and already I can feel a difference - and no flies or lady bugs!! I had thought about doing something about this window even years ago, but it was daunting to move all my office machines out of the way, and especially now when I don't have Fred to take care of the technical stuff. Fortunately, I labeled everything and took pictures of the back of the computer modem, so when I set everything back up late yesterday afternoon - everything worked!!

That wasn't the case on Monday, though, when I had a cluster of little red lady bugs high on the ceiling in the corner of my two living room windows. I've never seen such a crop of lady bugs as we have had this year, and for a while I was able to use a "capture and release" method to control them, but Sunday they had just flocked in somehow - probably finding an opportunity every time a door was opened. They are harmless, but so irritating when they fly blindly into my hair or land in my coffee. I figured it would be easy to get them with my stick vac, but it kept cutting out and had very little suction, so I knew something was plugged. I just couldn't figure out what. Rather than waste time, I grabbed the big vacuum that I never liked but that was ok because Fred was happy to use it. I got all set up with that, clicked the switch, and nothing happened. I fiddled with it for a while but nothing worked, so I decided I'd bring up the ancient Electrolux I keep in the basement. It has never failed me, old as it is. I had forgotten how heavy and combersome it is, but I got it up into the living room, plugged it in, and nothing happened. I tried a different outlet, and still noting. Then I realized there was no electricity. I had power in some parts of the house, but not in the living room.

I knew the cord was in bad shape, and really wasn't surprised it had tripped a breaker, but it took me a while to find which one. By then, it was time for Bill Jones to arrive, and with lady bugs still crawling on my walls, I met him at the door and was relieved that he had is big shop vac with him. He took care of the insects first and then went about getting the window fixed.

Jamie stopped in the afternoon and figured out there is a second filter I hadn't known about in the stick vac, and once I got that cleaned, it ran just fine. The newer vac that Fred used is a modern-day throw-away, and that's headed for recycling. Jamie took the Electrolux home and will replace the cord. Chances are good that will work fine then. Those were made to last!

With three machines failing all at the same time, I figured I must be jinxed, so it was not a good day to try anything complicated, new or the least bit dangerous. I'm not really superstitious, but I was very, very cautious the rest of the day. Now, with everything working well, my window snug and tight, I'm enjoying my organized office space immensely. One thing about a project like that, it forces me to get organized and clean places I've been ignoring for a while. Another accomplishment was that I was able to untangle power cords to the computer, printers, scanners, phone, etc. Success feels so good!

We had a bit of excitement over the weekend. I noticed increased traffic and what appeared to be emergency vehicles going by Saturday evening - in both directions. I made a few calls to neighbors, but nobody knew anything. Finally, when Luke Persons stopped by  with his son-in-law, Nate, Sunday morning, they told me there was a pretty good sized fire in Richard Spaulding's sugar woods. I still haven't found out if it was his sugar house that was involved, but apparently a forest fire was raging for a while. Fire fighters from surrounding communities were called out, and they got it under control, but it could have been really serious because there are homes in that area, and a lot of mature maple trees. We had very dry weather for several days, so with all the leaves on the ground in that maple orchard, a fire would spread very quickly. I haven't heard how it started - it could have been that someone picnicked there - it is near the covered bridge, and a lot of people visit there, especially this time of year - or it could have been a hunter carelessly tossing a cigarette; we may never know.

Right now, all those leaves on the ground are getting a nice soaking. I just noticed that it has started to rain lightly again - this will be a perfect afternoon to settle down with a good book. I'm presently reading another of Lael Morgan's books, this one is Eskimo Star, about the Eskimo Ray Mala, who became a well-known movie star and cinematographer in the 1930s. It is very interesting. Having met Lael Morgan a few years ago, I was curious to read her books, and this is the second one I've read. The first one I read, Wanton West, was not as interesting as this one. Either is a good read on a rainy fall afternoon, though.