May 2022 Island Trip – Day 3

The day started with another trip to town. Economy support are us! I now have the piece of sheet rock I need to finish up the lower barn, a hose to use around Stella that will reach all the way around her, and is flexible, a secondary sprayer for Not herbicides, insecticidal soap concentrate for the tent caterpillars that have taken up residence in the apple trees, teeny garbage bags for our teeny garbage can in Stella, and gas for the mower.

Of course, the day included Lots of mowing. Got the meadow below Stella done, the meadow to the east of the house done, and around the house mostly done, and well as other areas.

I also finished Stella’s exterior wash. I was able to open the front window covers (plexiglass rock guards, essentially) and clean behind them. Wow, what a difference! Once the cleaning was done, I deployed the tire covers. Sun and rubber are not good friends. It’s amazing how the tires have degraded in less than two years…

The tire covers were a pain in the butt to install. I had to remove the tire stabilizers, put the cover over the tire, use the tool for deploying the awnings (has a grabber) to grab one of the hooks on the tire cover, and then contort parts of myself around the tire in order to attach the grabbed hook on the opposite hook on the other side of the tire cover… Behind the tire. Four times. Then put the tire stabilizers back. Thank God we don’t need to do this often.

Local wildlife featured nicely today. This morning a red fox trotted across Stella’s meadow while I was in Stella. Late this afternoon, while I was reading in a chair outside of Stella, the same fox, I assume, made the same meander. I had to shoo a swallow out of the lower barn three times today. Uh, no, you are not gonna build a nest in here!! On my way to look at the apple trees, the two bucks my AN told me about were hanging out. They were pretty tolerant of me, while keeping their distance. I’m used to deer vanishing into the woods when they see me, much less if I walk towards them. They looked good after last year’s deer viral devastation. I think they’re twins. Bucks are usually very competitive, and these two were besties.

Got to some weeding on Stella’s slope (just a smidge), made an appointment to meet a potential weed whacker tomorrow morning, walked part of the property to look for little trees I planted… Found one partially alive. Gonna take the two little ones I brought with me this trip back home… repot, bring back and plant in late September.