Sep 15 - rock on

Dig, dig, dig. I was so happy when it started to rain and I broke for lunch. Then the sun came out again, unfortunately, and the project was calling to me so I got back at it. A 90 degree sort-of "V" in the rock as it sloped upwards gave me a slot where I could roll that big rock, so I dug out earth in front of it and gradually, using a pry bar and other rocks to hold it in place, rolled it into the V. The depression was just deep enough, before I hit bedrock below, to hold that rock. It now has a permanent home ... or at least I won't move it again.

By the end of the day I'd completed phase 1 of the excavation ... there may or may not be a phase 2. If there is, it will follow the deck line towards the lake to complete the retaining wall. Now I have to decide on how to arrange the retaining wall 6x6's, purchase same etc. etc. I should probably take some pictures at this point so that I remember what the underlying rock looks like.

After that, Abby and I went over to see Jim since I want his help dropping a tree. He'd called here in the meantime, but I hadn't gotten the message, saying that he wanted to bring his kayaks over and store them in the barn, so we did that and were chatting up by the barn as Sandy drove in and started unloading her day's grocery shopping.

Sometime in there I also took her car for a short spin; it was running fine, and when I attached the jumper cables to the spare battery the engine groaned, telling me that the alternator is working fine it was just the onboard computer & other electronics as well as her NAV that ran the battery down. She hadn't moved the car in the couple of weeks before we left for Europe and we were gone 4 weeks ... it's quite a common problem with these cars that there is battery drain w/o usage. I just didn't expect that much.

For dinner we had shrimp that Sandy had picked up at Tarini's in Sudbury. They were the blandest shrimp that either of us had tasted in quite a while, more-or-less still limp after cooking, very ho-hum. Oh well, we're looking forward to those fresh Florida shrimp when we get back.

Today ... it's 36F out there now. I've got a fire on since the inside temperature had dropped below 70F. Hopefully it will warm up enough for me to go for a ride; the last forecast that I saw had a projected high in the mid-50's. I'd better get used to that if I want to keep riding.

I exchanged emails with Alex about duck hunting and he might be here the October 1st weekend. Since he teaches during weekend evenings, it will be a Saturday a.m. arrival and Monday a.m. departure. Jean is going to the east coast to visit family and will be back by them. Their dog Murphy has cancer and the vet doesn't expect that she'll last much beyond Christmas, so he's reluctant to bring her up here. They've had Murphy for a long time; it will be hard for them over the next couple of months as she deteriorates.

That's it ... Onward !