Transition to Fall

We had snow flakes in the air this week so I guess summer is over and we are well into fall. The week was a mixed bag of traveling, medical issues, and lawn clean up. There is also a new kitten video, so let’s get to it.

We’ll begin with the kittens. Tuesday they traveled to the vet and received their next set of shots. Both Stirling and Vienna traveled OK and were not traumatized by the visit. (The vet tech commented they were two of the best behaved kittens she had handled in quite some time.) Within minutes of returning home they were running and playing as if nothing had happened.

I tried to get more exciting “kitten video” but ended up with shots of the pair just exploring around the house. (Nothing very exciting in this video, but I include it due to popular demand for kitten videos.)

In medical news, Pam and I received the latest COVID-19 booster shots this week. Both of us had mild reactions, which we were expecting based on reactions to past shots. Sore arms primarily, but Pam had a few other side effects as well for a few days including tiredness and slight nausea. We are both OK now.

In dental news, I had my broken front tooth removed through oral surgery. Due to my high A1C levels, brought on by my treatment for prostate cancer, I could not get the implant post installed at the same time. I have a retainer that holds a fake tooth to fill the gap for now and will complete the implant process next spring. Getting old is not fun; everything breaks down.

I mentioned in my last post that I had brought our generator and fire pit home from Colorado. I did not say how. These items were trailered in the utility trailer I built 7 or 8 years ago. (Long-time readers of this blog may remember it.) The trailer is currently filled with leaves that I removed from the lawn this past week. To use the trailer in its new role I did some modifications, including removing the top level of the side boards and lining the bottom portions with a wire mesh material to keep leaves and other debris inside the trailer.

Speaking of trailers, I took the “big” trailer paperwork to the county seat and traded the South Dakota title for an Iowa title and plate. Cost of this included Iowa sales tax, $30.00, a title application fee of $25.00, and actual license plate and registration for another $30.00 bringing the total to $85.00. I also applied for and received a plate for the utility trailer, the first it has ever had. (In the past I used an Arizona “permanent” plate I had found in a ditch.) The cost of getting the D-rings ($50.00) welded to the big trailer, done when I was in Colorado, came to $100.00, about what I was expecting. I finished bolting on and wiring in the side marker lights ($25.00) so the big trailer is now street-legal and ready to be put to work. Investment to get to this point is about $820.00, a reasonable price for a tandem axle equipment trailer.

Pam continues to clean flower beds and cut back plants as they die, due to the below-freezing nights NE Iowa is experiencing. Both of us had been hoping for a mild autumn but it appears that is not to be. (Maybe we can hope for an Indian Summer?) We hate saying goodby to the plants and flowers that have been such a treat all summer.

The upcoming week promises to be active. Daughter Felicity and her companion Peter will be visiting us for a few days. Pam is preparing for their visit by locating and laundering additional bedding; she plans a thorough house cleaning before they arrive. (I help where I can but I don’t clean to Pam’s higher standards.) My contribution will be the grocery run early next week for additional supplies. Look for photos of this visit in the next post.

I have a few maintenance items to do, such as changing oil in the RAV-4 and working on my lawn chipper / vac which needs a new fuel pump. Winterizing the house will be an ongoing project which involves installing the window inserts and putting up windbreak tarps around the back door and dog run. The back door protection helps keep the cold west and north-west winds from hitting the door directly and we found it helped a great deal last year, the first year we had tried adding this wind screen protection.

I will note the passing of my cousin, Dennis Rohland, who passed away this past Wednesday. Dennis (one of two cousins by that name) was in his mid-’80s and had been ill for some time. I did not have a close relationship with him due to differences in age and distance, but he was a good guy.

Photo Archive

A couple more photos from the mid-’70s starts us off.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

I’ve been asked how I integrate new cats into the household so they all get along. Mainly I don’t stress about it, just give incoming cats their safe space(s) and correct confrontive behavior when it occurs. Cats can’t be trained in the way dogs can be trained, best not to even try. Having said that, I sure am enjoying the luxury of time to interact with these two kittens. (I love retirement in that regard.)

All the paint cans headed down to the basement this week. No reason to keep them in the laundry room or on the basement landing. Exterior painting is OVER for the year, and interior paint projects will not be attempted until 2023.

Happy trails.