Good Riddance!

Bye Bye 1968 Chrysler Newport

 Yes, moss and lichen were growing on it.

Bye bye moldy oldy camper.

 All the plywood was moldy, delaminating, and it was inhabited by carpenter ants.  (At least something found it yummy.)

The junk/scrap metal truck driver's eyes lit up when we showed him the heavy duty hitch parts w/anti sway bars.  Now his pickup truck won't have to go swimming when he launches his boat.  I bet his boss will never see that hitch.  At least the hitch will finally get used!  Hey, at least he did a really quick turnaround and came back for the camper, even though the scheduler mistakenly thought it was a pop-up; there's a really big weight difference between a 1960's camper and a pop up folks.  I know those hitches are pricey, but it was worth it to get those two white elephants out of mom & stepfather's yard.

Mom and stepfather bought the car and trailer from uncle Chuck shortly after they got married.  Not sure what they were thinking because neither of them are the camping type.  This is what happens when good intentions are allowed to sit around and decay for 20 years.  It is sad, but that is what happens to anything that isn't properly maintained.  The more stuff you have, the more it costs to take care of it - or this happens.

Well, now there is a clear drop zone for the tree removal folks to do their work on Thursday.  Yeah - they're finally coming!

The storms on Aug 7th really backed up their schedule.

Tan Lines

What, not what you were expecting to see?

It seems that apples can get tan lines too.

Simple Pleasures

for a day of rest

Some salsa made with those little yellow tomatoes and a few red ones, some colby cheese, a fresh cortland apple, and some tortilla chips.

Went to church this morning, gave mom her shot once she came home from eating lunch out, stopped at the library to select some DVD's to watch over the next week or so, and spent a couple hours on the couch anchored by Chloe.  Usually she prefers to anchor hubby to the couch.  I guess she was feeling desperately lonesome because he had to work today.  Maybe she will let me have the couch to myself this evening if I clean her ears.  She usually avoids me/feins hatred toward me for a few hours after that is done.

On another side note, does anybody know if there have been any more recalls on diabetic test strips that give incorrectly high readings?  Mom's brand was not in the initial list, but it does make me wonder.  Since I opened and started using the second bottle of Freestyle Lite test strips in the package, mom's glucose levels have been reading rather high this week.  She may have cheated a little bit earlier in the week (she had desert at a restaurant one evening).  (The restaurant has been called and reminded that if they want to keep their valued customer alive, they should not serve her sugar.)  However, that does not account for the other days this week when she had spikes.  Now I am wondering if there is something wrong with the test strips, if the meter has been knocked out of calibration somehow, or if mom's diabetes is suddenly getting worse.  (Of course the fourth possibility is that mom has another secret stash of carbs somewhere which I have to search out and destroy yet again.)  There are way too many variables in this equation!

Just When You Thought It Was Safe

to go back in the garden, because the beans and broccoli have been evicted from the fridge and sent to the freezer,

the garden grew more stuff.

Imagine my surprise yesterday when the cortland apple tree had a couple fully developed apples on the ground below it.  I tested it, the apples on the tree were ready for picking - a full two weeks ahead of schedule!  I picked the whole tree today rather than risk the vagaries of windstorms, thieving squirrels (hubby saw one dragging an apple away the other day), and thieving grade school girls on scooters (the younger one narked on her friend).  It should be interesting to see if the girls notice that one tree is empty now?  I hope they leave the winesap tree alone, it has another month go before the apples are ripe.

Over the last week the gardens have gone into overdrive; the beans and cucumbers are trying very hard to go to seed.  If these signs are an accurate indicator, winter may make an early and vicious appearance.  Get ready folks.