Second Shots

In an otherwise “ho-hum” week, we did have a couple highlights. We received our second COVID-19 shots and visited a home and garden show in Mason City.

On April 15th we drove over to Cresco, about a 25 minute drive, to receive our second COVID-19 shots. (The Regional Health group is issuing the Moderna vaccine.) We were warned that we may have reactions that were more severe than those after the first shots. Pam suffered more than I; she had a fever and cold flashes on and off for a day or so plus a sore arm. I had the sore arm and felt tired but did not have any more severe symptoms.

Be that as it may, we are pleased to have received our shots. In two weeks we will be considered to be “fully vaccinated” and will begin to expand our out-of-house activities. We will still mask and distance, however, for the foreseeable future.

We felt confident enough to attend the Mason City Home and Garden show on Friday. (Mason City is about an hour away.) While the show was fairly small and underwhelming, we did identify a house painter who does Victorian home exteriors by hand painting, not spray painting. We kept his card and will contact him for a quote sometime next spring, and see what he would charge to paint the second floor and gable shake trim. When asked did he mind painting at heights, he replied he used to paint water towers and the height didn’t bother him. As a bonus, he can also do minor repairs as needed under the eves and around windows. (Because, really, what are the odds we will need repairs on the entire second story, folks?)

Another find was a different source for cable TV. When we moved in we had signed a two-year contract with AT&T but now, after the intro period, they’re increasing monthly fees and decreasing offerings. An Iowa-based company has streaming plans starting around $35.00 per month (for two TV sets) and you get to choose what channels you wish to receive. Our current fee is now around $115.00 per month. While our current contract dies not expire until September, I will look into the “buy out” clause in our contract and see if it is worthwhile terminating the contract early and switching to the more local company.

The rest of the week was rather ho-hum. Pam continues to paint her ivy and morning glory details in the snug. I relocated a couple small bird feeders, filled them with finch food, and am pleased to see a few pairs of yellow finches visiting them.

Some yard work was done as I took out the riding mower for a first pass. This time of year the grass is ‘patchy’ with a few spots growing faster than others. The grass I planted last year near the garage additions is growing much faster than other parts of the lawn. A quick pass with the mower evened things out and picked up some of the leaves that had blown into the yard. The place looked much neater when I was done.

It has been dry enough to warrant bringing out the hose and getting some water on the plants that we relocated last fall and those we planted this spring, including the wisteria, rhubarb, and blackberry starts. I watered in a few areas where I had worked up the ground a bit and put in some grass seed.

A few days and nights have seen below average temperatures and we covered some of the more tender plants as temps dropped near or below freezing. Unfortunately, the upcoming week also promises to have night temps lower than 32 degrees so more covering is in the works. I guess we have to make up for the above-average conditions we had a couple weeks ago when temps approached the 80 degree mark.

The upcoming week promises to be a busy one for me. On Monday I go to the Mayo Clinic for a pre-surgery exam and consultation. Tuesday afternoon Pam will take me to my Rochester, MN hotel where I will stay the night, then be up bright and early (6:00 AM) to begin the Brachytherapy surgery process. Pam will have to make the return drive to Rochester that afternoon to take me home.

It’s hard to say what the first few days after the surgery will be like, but I anticipate I won’t feel like doing much. I will be starting radiation treatment but, as yet, do not have a schedule for those appointments. I would prefer to take them in Austin, MN, as that location is closer to me and the Mayo does have a facility there. We shall see.

Spring continues to progress. On our way to Mason City we saw a number of farmers working their fields. Our tulips are developing flower pods among the greenery. All of our hosta plants have poked shoots above ground, some up a couple inches. Other plants show spring growth in their new leaves and green buds. I’ve been able to open the garage doors to get some fresh air flowing through.

A trip to Walmart (in Decorah) resulted in bringing home some 12″ square paving blocks, a couple bags of topsoil, some spray paint, and a few other odds and ends. The pavers will be used in various places around the yard and the topsoil will be used as we plant more flowers. The catio door will receive a new coat of white paint. Projects and tasks continue as the weather gets better.

Nothing earth shattering happened this past week but small projects, along with Pam’s painting and my yard work, continued to receive attention. My next post will center around the Mayo Clinic experience.

Photo Archive

Many of my photos focused on “nature” photos such as the ones shown below.

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

Pam’s Penny

Lovin’ Spring, livin’ the retirement life. Hopeful being vaccinated will return existence to something near-normal. Toby should be fully vaccinated by next week, Felicity had her first “Fouci Ouchie” yesterday.

I try not to watch the parts of the national news that resemble a police blotter. A pandemic is not the only major problem we have in this country.

Be well. Happy Trails.