A Busy Week

We've been busy this week in spite of the weather. There were a couple of those HHH days (hazy, hot and humid) and some wet and cold ones, too, but Jeff got more of the garden planted.  He had to put kick-walls around some of the beds coz Fanny can't understand that 'keep out of the garden' and 'stay in the yard' refer to the same area of ground. Now there is a trail thru the plants that she races around.  (She doesn't jump the walls although none of them are higher than 6"!) 

Jeff put a flower box around the apple tree in the center of the garden and I planted some wildflower/hummingbird mix seeds in it.  (Jeff maintains the planter is to protect the tree's roots when he tills around it).  He's trying a new method to grow potatoes this year: potato cages.  The
chicken wire cages are buried about 6" in the ground and filled in as the plant grows.  Easier than hilling and at harvest time, the cages just have to be unrolled.  No bruising the potatoes.

Jeff also built the 1st bonfire of the season one of those cold evenings and we sat outside until 10 pm.  (I bought some marshmallows yesterday so I'm ready for the next time!!)  I'm waiting for Tractor Supply to put the swing chairs I want on sale to finish the firepit area.

Monday Jeff had a series of injections in his spine.  Using fluoroscopy for direction,  probes were first  inserted in his back to locate the nerves. When they hit a nerve, a block was injected.  He ended up with 5 injections on one side of his spine.  He had a good reaction to the procedure and the pain level went down.  Monday the other side will be done.  Then after a couple of weeks it will be decided if a more permanent procedure can be done.  Of course, he hasn't been taking it easy this week...planting the garden, cutting up pallets, putting his sister's attic floor back together, etc, but his pain level has stayed down.  Hopefully the results from the 2nd procedure will be just as good and a permanent solution can be achieved.  

Every time we go to Utica...via the old road between Frankfort and Utica...Jeff points out a farm just before my cousin's house that has a nice pile of composting cow manure. Yesterday on the way to his sister's we stopped.  Come to find out, Jeff knew the guy from when they were young in Corn Hill!  So, on the way home from Sherry's we stopped and got a trailer load. It was a slow ride home thru the valley towns with the 4-way flashers going but the trailer and ol'Subarbu did ok...and we didn't get a ticket for overloading!!  Jeff would like to go back for another load when we need it. The price was right.  We got a lot more this way than when we bought that bagged compost from the transfer station...and we know this stuff is 'organic'!

Today my mechanical heart valve had it's annual check up in Cooperstown.  My bp is ridiculously low for someone my size (118/68) and the valve is clicking nicely.  Just got to work on lowering my cholesterol (and losing some weight)! I stopped at the shop afterwards to restock my shelves and found out that I had sold a toddler pullover this morning. My stock bag is empty but my shelves are full so I decided now is the time to try to knit a lacy ladies tank top.  The yarn is a beautiful sea foam green cotton/acrylic blend...soft and silky... but only sock weight and is done on size 3 needles!  I'd like to get it finished before my next work day at the shop which is a week from tomorrow.  We'll see....  (I had a slice of pepperoni pizza from Sal's in Cooperstown for lunch.  Good!!  Fanny had a paperback book...borrowed from Jeff... off the kitchen table for her's.  Not good!))

The mouse on my desk top PC is wireless and needed new batteries but not having any, I tried to plug in the old mouse...and keyboard...but that just made it worse.  The whole thing is now froze up!!  Jeff's trying his 'unplug' everything trick but we won't know til tomorrow if it's going to work this time.  This post is being written on my netbook but any photos will have to wait until the PC is running again.
(Photos added 6/8/2013)