We now have 6 waterbottles with covers for the 6 kid bunks (thank you Susan and Lesley).
The deers of Orcas have gifted us a very bright led lantern for walking out to the guesthouse in the dark (so we don't run into them).
Added the new North Shore Preserve to the Things To Do webpage.
Updated the "birds" tips to include the large nyjer finch feeder outside the back door.
A new dvd: That Thing You Do - A romantic comedy written and directed by Tom Hanks.
Planted some new water-plants in the pond: 2 Akimatsuri Iris (yellow with red flowers), an Ann Chownling Iris (scarlet flowers), 1 Prarie Sunset Rain Lily (peach flowers), and some Fringed Willowherb (small pinkish or white flowers).
Lesley reorganized the pantry and did a major fridge cleanout - throwing out everything passed its expiration date. There were many random boxes in the freezer that had just one item remaining in them ... these were all consolidated into one place. In addition, she suggests that we have enough mayo, mustard, ketchup, syrup, pickles, soy sauce, hot sauce, maraschino cherries, jams, jellies, and tartar sauce !
A new dvd: The Brother From Another Planet. A classic John Sayles low-budget movie.
The upright carpet vacuum is fixed and back in working order.
Several new dvds: Wallander series, Good Morning Vietnam, and Twin Peaks Series.
Three new jigsaw puzzles, and an Orcas cribbage board.
A new dvd: This is Spinal Tap. It's one louder !
Hard copies of the Open-Up and Close-Down checklists are hanging near the keys on the side of the hutch.
A new sickle, kept in the garden shed.
Two new dvds:
A new larger finch feeder. Currently it's hanging near the other finch feeders, but it may move. It takes only nyjer bird seed, not the "normal" finch blend.
A new propane tank and weed-burning propane torch. Currently both live in the garage. The torch manual is in the House Manuals binder. The first envisioned use is to get rid of the grass/weeds invading the driveway gravel.
The problem with playing music through the cealing speakers using the bluetooth dongle has been solved ... it works again now.
A new pressure washer. Lives in the garage. Manual is in the House Manuals binder.
Bought a new "old" Foley Mill for the house for making apple sauce. It's in the bottom shelf of the corner cabinet to the left of the kitchen sink, along with an apple corer/peeler.
Removed "plugging in the hot water recirculating pump" from the house instructions lists. I find the hot water is hotter if it's not plugged in ... I think recirculating the hot water through the pipes constantly cools the water off. And I can live without instant hot water at the bedroom showers / sinks.
Two new dvds:
A new dvd: Sing Street
Two new dvds:
Lesley sent out a couple large tablecloths which should work when more leaves are added to the dining room table. They're with the other tablecloths - bottom right cupboard of the hutch.
A new kitchen scale for cooking.
Cataloged the house dvds onto a webpage: House Movies on DVD
A new movie: The Intouchables (French, with English subtitles).... An enjoyable feel-good movie.
One more adult / teenager size bike helmet.
Two more adult / teenager size bike helmets.
Two new dvds:
Added a new item to the close-down checklist: drain the hot tub if no one else is showing up right away.
New kiddie bike helmet - size 8.
Added a new item to the close-down checklist: make sure the large electric overhead garage door is completely closed and has turned itself off.
Added a Tips - Rats page. Still under construction.
Added a Tips - Caterpillars page. Still under construction.
Added a Tips - Ants page. Still under construction.
Added a Tips - Things To Do page. Still under construction.
A "real" compost bin for food scraps was installed outside of the greenhouse. Use it in addition to the existing black barrel.
Bryan bought a nice Ortho sprayer. It's stored in the hot tub house along with the Scotts sprayer. The manuals for both are in the house manual binders.
A light-duty electric chipper / shredder - best for things 1 inch or less in diameter ... like grape vines. Manual is in the house binders above the computer.
A little hand-held chainsaw for pruning, cutting branches off downed limbs, etc. So far just kept in with the gas cans. Manual is in the case with the saw.
The little Lost and Found container has moved into the cabinet below the TV.
A new meat thermometer
A new little Lost and Found container. So far the only thing in it is a tiny pair of mittens.
Two new movies: Mary Poppins and Darby O'Gill and the Little People (a very young singing Sean Connery!).
Two long-handled shoehorns, hanging inside front and back doors ... for the old folks.
Susan donated a nice family-size electric griddle. It's in the cupboard below the cutting boards and espresso machines.
I planted 12 very small tree seedlings out by the little gate at the end of the raspberries... 2 crapemyrtles, 5 eastern redbuds, and 5 white flowering dogwoods. Hopefully they'll live. When they're larger we'll transplant them to their permanent locations. (For no particular reason I also planted the rosemary out there too.)
The close-down checklist has some changes and additions.
There's a few new things at the house:
All the bike accessories have been gathered into a
plastic bin in the garage - helmets, bike locks, reflective vests, etc.
(See pic.) Bin is currently on the bottom shelf of the southwest corner cupboard.
Megan left a Pack n Play and a couple sheets for it at the house. It's currently
stored in the master bedroom closet.
A digital multimeter. Kept in the top right shelves of the hutch in the
"Electrical Test Instruments" box.
Another step-thru ebike; this one is silver and has speeds and shocks - more civilized
than the old one. I put the manual
for this new ebike, and the manual for the old one-speed green ebike, on the shelf
above the computer. Haven't installed the front basket yet.
Added a Tips - Pumphouse doc.
Two mattocks (pick axes) - one normal size, one small size. Kept in
garden shed.
New movies:
Various small hose parts were gathered together into a plastic container labeled "Hose Parts" ... It's in the garden shed.
Renick bought and left a machete at the farm for whacking weeds, brush, etc. It's stored in the garden shed.