Covid Tests Are NEGATIVE and Fence is Done

As I mentioned in my last two blogs, both Steve and I had been sick. It had been going on too long.  We had been sick for 8 days and it was not getting any better.  We were worn out and depleted.  Digestive issues, fatique and coughing topped the list. No fever, no runny nose and no shakes. 

Although we are mostly isolated and not out in public places, we try to be as cautious as we can. We could not figure out where we could have picked up covid, so we didn't really think it was that. 

We did take care of the youngest granddaughter for 2 days the week before last, and she had a cough.  She had just been covid tested as a pre-surgery precaution, and was negative, but she still was coughing up a storm and bleary head stuff. She needed to be isolated before her eye surgery and could not be in daycare. So Grandma and Grandpa to the rescue and we watched her for two days, while she was sick. Then on top of that, we next found out that we were inadvertantly exposed to a person who had been exposed to a positive covid tested sick person. 

So it was time we call the doc and make the appointment for a covid test for ourselves.  We went through the checklist at 4 p.m. and got set up for the next morning at 8 a.m., how nice is that? 

We did the drive up thing and it was the easy nose swab, not the deep nasal cavity one. Whew.   It was done and over in seconds.  Then we only had to wait less than 48 hours, and each of us had a NEGATIVE!!!!!!

We celebrated with a TOAST....

Steve has since started to feel better, just about back to normal. I am still coughing up phlegm 13 days later. We are both weakened and not sure when our normal strength will be back.  But we can't just sit still, you know that!   We are working on little things, a bit at a time.  

In my last blog, I was writing about putting up 4 fence panels to prevent our dogs from barking at the neighbors. They were used fence panels, a bit beige color, so I primed and painted them white last week. Since Steve was feeling better, he said that it was time to get them up. That means, with me sick or not, I would be there helping.

We started with the first post.... and of course he hit a lot of big rocks right by the foundation. 

 

What is interesting, is that once he got down about 12 inches, the dark silty dirt changes over to white sand!!!  Yes, we are close to the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.  One time long ago, this was all once water and sand.... and receding lake levels many many centuries ago left the sub floor now exposed as land. With global warming, hope it doesn't fill back up again!!!

Once we got the first post in, the next post hole now found a bunch of tree roots.  The nearest tree is wayyyy far away, but those danged roots traveled a lot further underground than the farthest reaching branches of the canopy overhead.   Steve found out that using a sawzall reciprocating saw down into the hole worked well to get in and cut out the offending roots. 

YAY....

one panel into place! 

The dogs had to come out and inspect the progress.  They didn't like us messing with their little potty yard.  It is their "domain" and they have staked out their territory as their own. 

We took a little coffee break and then dug the next post hole.  This one only had one tree root this time, as compared to three in the last hole.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and the work was pleasant and not too much of a strain.  I was more the leveler-gal and the tool-hander-gal while Steve did the digging.  Then we both carried the panels from the garage where I had painted them last week. We moved the old mesh fencing panels back one at a time while we worked, so the dogs wouldn't escape. 

We had a guide string on stakes to stay in a straight line from the house, and used a spacer board between the posts the right width of the panels. It didn't take long and we were setting the last post and putting the last panel into place. 

We eliminated three of the mesh fencing panels, and pulled the remaining panels straight across now to the corner of the She Shed. Those were originally heavy store display racks of plastic coated steel and worked well for fence panels.  We will use them for suspended shelving in the garage again, like we did at our last house in Chilton.   The dogs were let loose inside and walked all around the perimeter.  They can still see out to the east, but there is nothing back there to bark at, it's just our own big backyard and then the nature preserve. 

From the street side along the side yard it looks kinda nice. It effectively blocks the view from the doggy potty yard up to the front street.... 

They settled in nicely after sniffing all over.  Now the entire view to the south is blocked off.  They can't see into any of the neighbors backyards anymore, nor bark at their dogs, their grandkids or the granddoggy who comes to visit two doors over.  

What is amazing, they laid out there in the grass for half an hour!!!  Previously, they have never laid out in the yard, they just patrolled the fence and barked their fool heads off.  This time, they never barked, they just laid there and relaxed!!!!

We put up a temporary gate for now, which is a baby gate flipped vertically. Steve will build something later from some scrap wood he has in the garage.  That is a project for another day. 

After about half an hour, Binney got up from laying in the grass and walked over to the screen door of the She Shed.  She seemed to say:

"Excuse me, can I please 

speak with management?  

There seems to be nothing at all 

to bark at out here....."

My response:

"Entertainment is now effectively curtailed"

I ordered three 2-packs of these solar post lights to put on top of each post. I am going to first paint them red and then we will set them up. I think they will look cute and help illuminate the area at night.  

Steve did mention we could go out there now and nude sunbathe with the fence in place.  Where does he get those kind of ideas??? Geesh! 

~~~~~~~

Well, fall is upon us.  Soon I have to start clearing out the front window boxes of the geraniums so I can use the long plastic planters for putting my coleus plants in for wintering over in the basement.   

I almost hate to pull them out, they look so pretty yet.  But soon they will be frosted over and need to get pulled out anyhow. I need to get the rooted coleus from these jars planted and growing good. 

I set the coleus window boxes in the basement windows facing south and they grow pretty good over the winter.   I have kept this same strain going since the early 1990's from my friend Connie.  

All too soon the cold weather will be here, and frost and then snow.  I love the fall days, especially when the colors change.  My side flowerbed that grandkids helped plant is still so pretty and has not been touched yet by frost. 

Oh, another tiny project I did was resurrect this huge old handyman's tool caddy into storage for my She Shed. I got it for ONLY TWO DOLLARS at a rummage sale a while back.  I added some soft felt pads on the bottom to prevent scratching, and put a layer of contact paper inside to cover the age old stains of whatever oil, grease or gunk from years of holding tools. 

 

I am not sure yet what I am going to put in it, 

perhaps weaving shuttles and weaving tools,

or maybe cones of yarns?

Or it could be stacks of fabric blocks as I work on a quilt. 

I don't know. 

Anyhow, I just loved it and couldn't pass it up.