Springing into Action

Historic Plymouth Harbor, low tide

I am convinced spring is really here. The temperatures seem to be stabilizing plants that have been hiding underground have been poking out of the soil.

Mayflower II at anchor

Shana and I are starting to make our plans for summer activities. We've got a few landscaping projects scheduled - a fence and the installation of some privacy screening evergreens, some grading and additional gravel for the driveway to alleviate the low spots that get us wet feet in the spring and treacherous icy pools in the winter. We are replacing some worn out fencing and adding some fencing to allow the dogs to run freely in the back yard. This should be quite amusing when we try to call Mitzi inside as she is militantly resistant to coming when called! We've started looking at kayaks and will probably pick them up this weekend. We've got a few summer visitors planned too.

It was a trip to look at some kayaks at Dick's Sporting Goods that took us to Plymouth last weekend. Shana goes there for business fairly often but I have never been there. It looks really nice, and I look forward to going back to visit again.

April 7 garden

I already had a spring cleanup which left most of my yard and all of the beds pretty much bald as an egg. Not quite to my taste, but just how Shana likes to see it. She prefers a more formal look, I like the overgrown jungly effect. No accounting for taste, I guess. The project today was to be power washing the house to keep the mold and moss from taking over on the shingles. We don't have much trim to paint, but the shingles last longer if they are cleaned from time to time. In order to do this we must have water available on the premises. Last night I turned the well pump on for the first time this season and NOTHING, so no washing. We called my well service, which was closed due to a death in the family (which turns out to be my well guy). Another recommended company came out and said I had lost my priming, and gave me the number of another well service to call to help be as they had two larger jobs waiting. This guy was to come either today or tomorrow. Since he did not come today I will assume tomorrow. Home service providers of all kinds on Cape Cod hew to a few kinds of scheduling. Some will never return your call. Since they all know each other it is very helpful to have another name you can use when you try to arrange service. When they do call they will schedule for some convenient time and will almost never show up the first time. They will either call (several days later) to make another appointment  or wait for your call. They will generally show up for the second appointment. The other popular option is if they have assured themselves it will be a small job they will tell you they will call to set  up a time, then they will spontaneously appear whenever they happen to drive by. Yesterday I had the cable guy show up a week early. This morning I had two guys appear at the door as I was emerging from the shower. They looked at the problem and recommended the other guy. During the winter there is little business, and all the guys clear driveways and drink. In the summer they pick up as many jobs as possible but will stand your little job up for a bigger job, or one that promises to be recurring.  Cape Cod Time, I call it. Sometimes they require a down payment on the job if they don't know you well, but it might take a month or more for them to send the bill for the balance. The whole procedure is like nothing I have ever experienced.

Plain socks, Zauberball

I thought this winter had us behind on spring, but comparing this week's pictures with last year's it looks OK. Time to plant peas, and I am going to see if I can get collards and parsnips off to an early start. I just lack a bag of manure to get going!

I have finished a pair of socks and my alpaca Clapotis. I have not blocked or photographed the Clapotis yet, but I will probably block tonight and take pictures tomorrow. There is enough yarn left over for a pair of wrist warmers, and it's somewhere between a scarf and a shawl. I will be able to use it for either. Today, as part of the Game of Thrones marathon I plan to cast on for a pair of mittens for me for next year.