September Island Trip – Day 8

Last night’s peek under the house reveals an absence of standing water. It’s cool, meaning the water table is high, but we knew that. It is also absent of yucky smells. Go Island pest company! The mold on the wall by the fireplace wiped up easily, with (my new favorite thick style) bleach. I’m thinking the mold may be caused by a siding or chimney leak rather than under-floor water. The mold is only in this one area… When water is under the house, it’s under the whole house.

I was at the dump at 9AM. It was sad and cathartic. I recycled boxes (always the boxes) for computer equipment and accessories that were probably 12-15 year old.

Upon returning to the house, I packed out, emptied the dishwasher, took some beer back to a neighbor, who’d brought it over for dinner the other evening (she was very pleased), ran through the 20 point check list etc. I hosed the truck bed out, refusing to take rat poop dust back to our property… It will take a long, long time to remediate, clean, edit, sift and make choices about the 50,000+ things that remain in the house and outbuildings.

Previously I wrote about my mother stating that there was “nothing left in the barns.” This last week the Wonderful Neighbor helped me understand where this statement originated from. The next time I was in the barns after dad passed (at least a year later), they looked like a nightmare. Mom’s ’empty barn’ statement made no sense. The Wonderful Neighbor asked me the other day, “Doesn’t the upper barn look great?” I replied that it looked like shit. He then told me when he and mom opened  the upper barn for the first time after dad passed, it was full to the door. Like, they couldn’t enter the building, it was so full of stuff. This structure is at least 50 by 50 feet square feet. Now I get it. Comparatively, the barn is empty and looks great!

In the middle of my pack out, the property manager stopped in with the tile guy. It turns out (spongy) grout is far less expensive to replace than installing new counter tops! Hooray!!! We looked at the fireplace surround, and brainstormed about how to finish it. The hearth tile has always given the impression of being a greasy textured black. I told the tile guy I’d apply oven cleaner and let him know what its true colors are. Not bad!

The run home went well. Our ferry system has puzzles out all over the boats. I am a puzzle person. It’s therapy to work a 1000 piece puzzle knowing you are only part of the goal, and others will add to the project and finish it.

The truck is emptied. My Sweetie is serving me dinner. Namaste 🙏