Archives for January 2021

Hey Darlin’,
Got up nice and early today, in the mood to do some heavy work, so I decided I would pressure wash the back of the trailer, something I haven’t done since we bought it. I’m just about out of hay and the feed cans are low, so I knew I’d be able to move everything okay. After breakfast I started clearing everything out, then got busy cleaning. The worst part was the stall pads, they had so much grime on them I had to pressure wash, then soap, then scrub, then pressure wash again. I even put Armour-all on them just to leave them nice. I started at 9:00 and didn’t finish putting everything away until after 5:00, a LONG day. There are still a few odd things I need to sort out, and I still need to clear out the tack room and the storage areas to clean and reorganize, but the part I did looks a whole lot better. The rest is for another day! Shouldn’t have much trouble sleeping tonight. Took my shower early to get off the bug spray I had to put on because it was mosquito hour by the time we fed the critters, Jeff and friends finished pouring the concrete lid for his septic tank so he was running a little late. At least we got it done before full dark. Settled down to a nice balance meal, watched a move and a Heartland episode, but now I’m ready for bed! Good night,sweetie! Love you!

Hey Sweetie,
A good night sleep, though it did get pretty chilly outside, but I kept the fireplace going all night so it was nice and toasty in here. Treated myself to some blueberry pancakes, and was hoping to have some of the famous ribs from Uncle Mick’s, really got my appetite going for that, because every Sunday since I’ve been here Jeff and James had had them and I’ve always turned them down. But I decided I needed to make some changes in my diet (my cholesterol is a little high) starting tomorrow, so today was my last chance to get some, but in the end, it didn’t work out. I thought Jeff was going to pick some up when he went down to Home Depot for some supplies he needed to finish off the septic tank, but when he got back he hadn’t got any, and didn’t bother to let me know he didn’t, so by the time he got back it was too late for me to run in and get some, so I missed out on that, darn it. I spent most of the day reading, finished off a fun fantasy series I’ve been reading, though I decided not to go riding, just because I’ve been physically feeling better lately so I decided to rest one more day. Kirsten and her friend asked if they could take Apollo down to Riverbend for a ride, and I agreed (he needs the exercise), but they got here kind of late so it was getting dark when they got back. I was just about finished feeding the other critters, got the goats put away (Jeff was still busy in the back), and Flash was just finishing, so it all worked out. Settled down for the evening with pirogues with Alfredo sauce instead of ribs, which is fine, they’re a pretty quick meal anyway. Settled down for the evening, now I’m ready for shower and bed, so good night, babe! Love you!

Hey Babe,
Wasn’t sure what I was going to do today when James delivered the two new gas struts for the awning. I spent the afternoon, with some help from Jeff and his buddy the other Jeff getting them on. It took awhile because the push nuts I bought at Home Depot were much more solid than the push nuts that came off, so it was challenging. After it was all done, though, they didn’t really behave any differently than the old ones, so I’m not sure this job was even necessary. So maybe a waste of time and money, but at least I’ve got new ones. I’m leaving the awning not quite out so far, because when I bring it all the way down the door scrapes on the awning, and I’d rather not start that problem again. Not sure how I’m going to do it when I want to put up the screen room, since that brings down the awning quite a bit more. I’ve got to analyze the problem some more and see if there’s a solution. Anyway, I put the blankets on the horses since they’re calling for lows in the low 40’s, and it’s usually a bit cooler out west here, so maybe even high 30s before it’s done. Guess we have to have a bit of cold weather to make us appreciate the warm stuff! I was listening to a northern Alabama radio station yesterday and they were talking about snow at the elevations, so you know it’ll be white back at the old house! Makes me extra glad I’m down here! I’ve got more deliveries coming in, and I’m trying to keep up with all the stuff that needs doing, but I might just take a ride tomorrow on Flash, for a change. Both horses are so covered with burrs they look ridiculous! I combed out Flash’s mane just because it was such a mess, but I can’t get Apollo to stand still long enough. I had to sneak up on him when he was eating dinner just to get his blanket on. Going to bed early tonight, at least I intend to try. I hear thumping music somewhere, I’m thinking one of the neighbors is having a party, so that may be distracting, but I guess I could always put my earplugs in, though I haven’t needed them for awhile. Off I go! Love you, darlin’! Good night!

Hi Sweetie,
A good night sleep, a quick morning of chores, then I was off to doctors appointments and errands. First to Walmart in Jupiter to retrieve an item that I apparently left behind last week, (at least I haven’t been able to find it), which was easier than I thought it would be, then Walmart in Lake Park to pick up the right hose connector for my new sprayer, then down to a little out of the way appliance parts store for a part for Jeff’s dryer he had asked me to pick up since I was going to West Palm anyway, then finally to the doctors offices downtown. I had three appointments lined up, but the last one cancelled because a family emergency so that’s been rescheduled for Tuesday. Of course, that was the one I needed the most, for my knee, so I was bummed out about that one. Arrived home to find two packages, green coffee beans in the mail and a new laptop battery by the gate. My old battery is only lasting a little over an hour, so I figured I was due a new one. I’m taking advantage of having an address where things can get delivered, so I’m getting everything I can think of to get me through another year. Jeff and James were working late again, so I took care of the critters, then settled down for the night. Just a regular mundane day! Heading for shower and bed soon, trying to get back to getting into bed earlier, it’s been getting increasingly later lately, and I’d really like to get in the habit of earlier nights. So off I go! Love you, baby! Good night!

Hey there, my love,
Hard to believe a year has gone by since you left me to go exploring “the undiscovere’d country, from whose bourn no traveller returns…” Tried to keep busy, did some bookkeeping, made a few phone calls, laundry, ordered some stuff. I was going to wash Apollo with a new sprayer I ordered, then hopefully get him dry enough to clip him, but the sprayer didn’t come with a quick connect for the hose, even though it required it to be used, so I’ll have to get that tomorrow. I was going to bathe him anyway, but he wouldn’t let himself be caught, not even with mints, so I decided to forget it for today. I tried to sit by the pool for a bit, but the water was too cold and the flies came out, so I just came back to the trailer. I fed all the animals today, Jeff knew he’d be late on a job today, so it was prearranged. Finally settled down for the evening with a movie and the latest series I’ve been watching on Netflix, Heartland, filmed in western Canada about a horse rescue ranch. A busy day tomorrow so I’m heading to bed early. Trying hard not to be melancholy today, sweetie, so I’ve been mostly thinking about some of our happiest times together, and doing more smiling than is probably culturally expected, but that’s just the way things always were with us, forget the past, look to the future for more joy and enjoyment of life. But I still miss you, love you, and wish you were still here physically as well as spiritually. We had a great life together, no regrets, never boring, just like you promised. Promises made, promises kept. Good night, my love.

Hey Babe,
Ended up getting to sleep late last night, but still up at a reasonable time this morning. Got quite a bit accomplished today, though not all of it was on my main list. Halfway through breakfast, the light inside the refrigerator went out, so I had to spend a little time fixing that, just needed to sand down the bulb holder, then it worked fine. You remember that the starter on one of the burners on the stove has never worked, well another one quit in the last few days, so yesterday I did some research and learned that the most likely reason for that happening is that the wiring to the starter gets frayed and grounded out, which prevents it from sparking. So I took the top apart and discovered, lo and behold, that there was nothing wrong with the wires themselves, except that they had come off at one end! I plugged them back in (the oldest one needed a bit of tape to hold it in because the pin wasn’t holding it in well enough, simple enough), and viola! All three burners are now working great! Of course, once I got the top off I went ahead and did a really good deep clean on it, long overdue, but now it’s practically spotless and looks great. I ran a couple of book orders down to the mailbox (the Buick “Panther” is running great except for that one little whine when I decelerate, but Jeff has a friend who’s a mechanic coming over to look at his Bronco and suggested I have him look at mine, too, while he’s here), repotted my Citronella plant into a nicer hanging pot that I left here last year, did some more research online for some other things I need to get while I have a shipping address, like a new battery for the computer, which I ordered, and some replacements struts for the awning, although no one seems to have those in stock. James helped with the feeding today because Jeff was busy making ductwork for a big job he has, then I settled down for the evening. So a good busy day, the way I like it. But it’s over now, shower and bed coming up! Good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hi Darlin’,
A kind of busy day today. Got up a bit early, did the morning chores, no breakfast because my first appointment was for labs that required fasting. Decided to take the Buick today, since it was a short trip, and Jeff asked to borrow the truck because his Explorer isn’t running again for some reason. He left early with the Dodge to get some pipes for the sewer drainfield he’s putting in first, guess there was a reason he didn’t want to take that to wherever his appointment was in the afternoon. Anyway, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy driving that Buick! What a thrill! It jutters a little at higher speeds, but it seemed to improve during the day, so maybe it is just the brake rotors or calipers loosening up. Meanwhile, I did my labs, then had lunch at the nice little Hong Kong restaurant we went to a couple of times (since I’d been fasting!), then found a place nearby to get my hair cut. The woman, Cheryl, at the Hair Cuttery did a nice job. Then I stopped at the auto parts store from some fuses, I blew the same fuse I’ve been blowing, there’s obviously a short somewhere that I’ll have to look for at some point. By then it was time for my appointment at the dermatologist to look at a couple of spots I thought might be problematic, but the doctor didn’t seem that concerned, though he took a tiny biopsy just in case. A quick trip to Walmart for a couple of things on the way home, and I got back just after Jeff did with my truck. He was a bit worried, apparently when he was in Home Depot, a woman backed into my truck (or thought she did), and was leaving a note when Jeff came out of the store, which was nice of her, but I looked and couldn’t find anything that she could have caused. He was a bit worried, though, since it’s the first time I let him borrow it, he couldn’t believe someone had hit it while he was in the store! There’s a little dent in the bumper, but that’s been there for a long time, so I don’t know what caused her damage (Jeff said it was pretty significant), but my truck was fine. I’m thinking someone else may have backed into her coincidentally. Anyway, it was almost time to feed the animals, so we got busy doing that, and pretty soon it was time to settle in for the night. A pretty good day, perfect 70 degrees, though it’s going to get cool again tonight. Good sleeping weather! Off to bed, good night, sweetie! Love you!

Hi Sweetie,
Got up a bit earlier today because I wanted to try and get my new awning fabric installed before I headed out for a mammogram this afternoon. I had studied several videos, and one I even wrote down all the steps and printed them so I would have a reference, then I headed out and started working even before breakfast. After I did the first few bits that were generic to pretty much every video I watched, I discovered that the one I had most studied had a completely different hardware sysem, one that was actually much easier than the one I had been watching, so that helped a lot. I did about 95% of it on my own, only seeking out my brother when I needed extra hands for taking it down and putting it back up again, mostly (of course, as always, he was critical of the way I was doing everything he was involved with when it didn’t go absolutely perfectly the first time, as if that ever happens on ANY job!), but at least it got done, and it was peaceful for the 95% I did on my own. I had to abandon it in the middle to run down to WPB for my mammogram, but it went pretty quickly and I was back in good time. Got all my tools put away and the yard cleaned up just as it was reaching horse feeding time, so it worked out perfectly! The horses had been left in the paddock because Kirsten and her girlfriend came out and took Apollo and Frost for another ride today, and I told Jeff to leave them in the paddock when they got back since I had left all my tools around and the awning on the ground, and I didn’t need Mr. Curious Apollo knocking everything over and stepping on everything, so it worked out well. It’s a nice graduated green awning, and it looks great. The other one had chunks falling off it when I got it down, so replacing it happened not a moment too soon! And it solved another problem. I’ve been having trouble getting the awning all the way in, because the metal shield had somehow slipped forward and was keeping the arms from closing all the way, but now it’s aligned perfectly and closes all the way. Glad about that improvement! I think it may need new gas struts, though, because the motor is working too hard and the awning isn’t staying as high as it probably should, you remember how it scrapes the top of the door. I don’t want that to rub the new awning if I can help it, and I think new struts will help, but have to do some research on it. I’m trying to get everything working perfectly, and even hoping I’ll have a chance to empty out the back horse area and give it a good pressure washing, something I haven’t done since I bought it. So it was a busy and productive day, which is always good! Took my shower this afternoon, so I’ll be heading to bed here shortly, lots to do tomorrow, too! Good night, babe! Love you!

Hiya Babe,
Read late last night and this morning, had a pretty quiet day. It’s the warmest day we’ve had for awhile, into the 80’s, and there is a cool front coming in soon, so I decided to take advantage of the hot weather and float around the pool for a while. I blew up my river raft floating ring that I got for the Loretta Lynn Ride last summer, downloaded my book series onto the Kindle, and floated around for a couple of hours getting some sun. Haven’t done anything that laid back for awhile, even if I haven’t been doing much work. Got me out of the trailer for a bit, anyway. Not much else to report, today, very quiet. It’s probably good that I’ve rested and recharged the last couple of days, though, I have a busy week coming up, lots of appointments and things to do. Off for my shower and bed, now, so good night, darlin’! Love you!

Hey Darlin’,
Had a good night sleep and a mostly lazy day. I did a tiny bit of cleaning, but just couldn’t get myself in the mood. Mostly read and did some work on the computer, trying to straighten out some bookkeeping stuff. Jeff’s boarder Kristen brought a friend over, and I told Jeff they could take Apollo for a ride if they wanted to go together, and they did. He could use the exercise, and I’m really wanting to rest my knee until I see the orthopedist at the end of the week. It doesn’t hurt as much, but it’s not getting better, and I’m sure a ride wouldn’t help much. I’ve been watching a silly kids series called Free Rein, only because it has horses and beautiful scenery in it, it was filmed in Wales. Just out of curiosity I looked up where the show was filmed, then I found a horse vacation touring company in Wales called Free Rein (though it wasn’t really near where they did most of the filming), but they had some really cool tours that have piqued my interest, because you can go out on your own, no guide, just a map and one of their horses, going from one inn or B&B to another. Apparently the population in Wales has been so depleted that you can ride for miles and never see anyone. Sounds like paradise! I’m going to keep that in mind for when they start to allow international travel again, I really like that idea. You don’t have to go in a group, you can go on your own, and you know how that appeals to me! Anyway, my quiet day ended equally quietly, now it’s time for my usual ablutions and bed! Good night, sweetie! Love you!