Island Update Ending July 15, 2007

Correction to week ending 8 July, in other words last week. Last Thursday before Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Dick left, Dong came by and after much analysis we managed to get the riding mower working. He was driving it around like a little kid. Anyway, Hooray!! I will have to explain all we had to do to actually get it operating.

Monday was fog, rain, drizzle, thunder - not a nice day. We did go for a walk with Denise and went to the Senior Pot Luck and that was pretty much the extent of the day's activities. By Tuesday the weather hadn't improved, but eventually it did clear up and the sun came out. We both worked outside, Mom in her garden and Dad trimmed one hedge. We also decided to have the house painted, but will start with a sample gallon of dark gray just like it was painted before.

Wednesday was Farmers Market day with lunch at the Village Cafe where Mom had Minestrone soup and Dad had fried clams (didn't get any last year). For some reason or other we didn't get to that restaurant last year where we both particularly like what we had. When we got home Dong had already brought the gallon of paint and painted a small section. In the evening we went to a Music Association show at the 5th Maine entitled Julie Goell and Friends (a one girl comedy) a real riot. Thursday Dong showed up with another gallon of gray, 10% lighter, although you couldn't tell for sure. We are going with it. During the rest of the day, Mom decided to attack the kitchen curtains and windows while dad continued attacking bushes. He also managed to cut the electrical chord. Really not too smart on his part.

One must be careful when making decisions with Dong because he showed up Friday morning with 20 gallons of paint, 10 gallons of oil base undercoat and 10 gallons of latex finish paint, along with some other stuff and a power wash unit to use on Saturday. Dad looked it up and the cost of the paint is nearly as much as Grandfather paid to have the whole house painted in 1968. Today Mom attacked windows and curtains again, this time the black (now white) curtains in the back bedroom and Dad did some more trimming and a little work at the 5th Maine.

Saturday was the Peaks Island to Portland swim starting at 0830, actually started at 0825. Kind of fun and very colorful now that they use kayaks and coded color swim caps. Dong power washed the house, an all day operation. Mom and Dad did miscellaneous stuff around the house although Dad did have to take time out to repair the power washer. He hasn't lost his touch completely.

Now Sunday turned out to be a rather interesting day because it started out real nice, a bit humid, but nice walking to 0815 Mass. Our usual breakfast followed with Millie invited. Afterward we went looking for 2 open houses. We located the first and while there a clap of thunder let go and we decided to go home which turned out to be smart because we had great thunder storms all the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. As we were getting supper ready there was a crash in the kitchen and two pieces of the left slate counter of the sink crashed to the floor. What are we going to do now you may ask. We have no idea, but we do wonder what our reaction would have been if it as given way in the middle of the night.

That is more than enough for this week. Dong will be here bright and early tomorrow to start painting, but I am afraid the house is too wet after today's storm.

Love, Mom and Dad