Entropy (morning writing)

[elainegrey]

Long weekend was a battle with entropy and chaos. No attention to the fig tree which is covered with tatters of rotten and moldy and wasp eaten figs.  (Slight exaggeration. But i have some suspicion that removing ripening figs stimulates more production?)

Despite heavy weed and cutleaf coneflower pressure the Lycoris radiata (Red Spider Lily aka Huricane lily) are blooming.

Thursday after work. Flue and COVID vaccine. Met up with my seeeester and chit chatted. Good to see her after her eldest has flown the coop to NYU.

Friday work was intense and by the time we could "leave early" i had a headache. Possibly vax related, although there'd been some headache and trimengial neuralgia flare prior. So, 3 pm, with the heavy rain outside, i sat on the couch to buy Kindle edition of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance feeling confident that i would be feeling a warm glow at the end. Couldn't get it to load on my mac, so i started reading via "kindle for web" -- and the power went out. We attended to a variety of needs (lanterns, UPSes, bucket catching water just in case). Looked like power would be back at 8:30, which was just a little too late to make dinner so, yay, pizza for dinner!

I finally got the book downloaded to my phone, and Christine went for a nap -- and then there was a terrible thud. I couldn't imagine what could make that sound. Christine was well, and we realized maybe it was outside. Yay, the solar panels hadn't ripped off. Back inside i glanced out our one west facing window and didn't see the pine snag: the one i mentioned Thursday morning, the one i watch hawks and crows alight upon, that woodpeckers work on. And then i saw a snarl at the edge of the orchard.

The tree obliterated the corner of the orchard fence. Christine's anxieties about the pets getting loose and lost went through the roof. I also noted all the snarls of poison ivy: the branches must go five feet out from the trunk of the tree. Also, bleeping berries all over it.

Pizza. was lovely and the sparkle tree lights lasted almost until bed time. Book was comforting. I decided it was more important to have a fan running than some hours of CPAP for sleep so rigged that for bed. Power back at 1 am, and then the CPAP.

Saturday: contact our tree guy about hauling away poison ivy, chip all the branches of the tulip poplar it pulled down. Measure for temp fencing. Christine chainsawed the 2' diameter trunk that was in the way of the temp fence and hauled off those logs and the smaller logs that were the over 3" in diameter branch trunks i couldn't chip. I checked the spare fencing: about 25' rabbit fence, 25' Tenax deer fencing.Need 40'. Do have a 8' t post to use to hold up the span. Lowes for more fencing: eventually, heavy wire rabbit fencing pinned down, then the tenax on one side and the other rabbit fencing on the other. This creates a fairly solid lower fence. I seam the fencing together with twine - better have a permanent solution before the hemp rots. The 8' height is what turns out to be easily torn netting. Fie. But, it is enough to create a little more of a barrier once the tree mess is gone and deer get curious.

Sunday we cleaned and had my sister in law and her husband over. It was his first day he's been allowed to drive since his health issues at the beginning of the year. Cleaning. Roasted rye berries. I swear they smelled like brownies. Chocolate notes indeed. Another storm through. Prepared throughly. Only blinks. I am so superstitious: can't help but believe getting dinner out of the fridge with icepacks on it and water ready and lanterns ready keeps the power from going out.

Monday: FOUGHT ENTROPY. Cleaned up the vinegars, one had gone moldy and was trashed.  Baked bread. Rye is for next loaf. Cleaned more of the porch. Christine and Elephants off and on all day. So thankful they are so rare these days!