Living so close to the wetlands (close? rather, "in the wetlands"), I want to be as concious of what we're adding and taking-away from nature as possible. Bought a new push mower--the type that you really push, i.e., human-powered--and used it today. It works now that the grass has been cut to a reasonable level. Grass longer than five inches needs a power mower or string trimmer. I have a batter-powered string trimmer which works fine but which needs recharging at about 1/8 acre. So... mowing the lawn from now on will not use any electricity or gas/petrol. As long as I mow every few days!
I'm going to buy a clothes line. Maybe one of the whirlybird/umbrella types that we had in England. When I first arrived in the USA, no one but no one used a line for drying clothes. Everything went in the dryer. In California, with long very-hot summers, you put your wet clothes into a dryer to dry. I'm not denying that towels that have been tumbled dry are softer than when dried outside. But I should at least have the option to choose, and right now I have an electric dryer and no washing line and no clothes pegs. Will fix that this week.
The pond cleaning is in progress! A very muddy young gentleman is right now at the bottom of the drained pond. The fish have been rescued and are swimming in a small temporary pool. Will post pictures tomorrow.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Electrics
Anyone see that advert where the guy is testing a light switch and the garage door is opening and closing on some poor dear's car, several houses down the road? I think I'm living there.
Two days ago, the oil company guy came and serviced our oil boiler which is outside, under the deck in a little boiler house. I asked him to show me how to control the water temperature, and he did. He also left the light on in the boiler room, which we noticed that night. After it stopped raining yesterday, I went down to the boiler room, switched off the light and immediately shut and locked the door which had blown open.
We had hot water this morning, a little less hot than usual but I thought it was because we'd reduced the water temperature.
Then at midday I ran some hot water in the kitchen sink--except it wasn't "hot", it was "lukewarm" at best. Checked both taps/faucets to make sure I wasn't running the cold water. Wasn't that. Went down to the boiler room. Everything was quiet. Turned the water temperature up a little. Nothing happened. Turned it up a little more. Still nothing.
Thought, darn, I have to call the oil company already on the service plan. I'm glad I took out the contract.
Noticed that the light was still on. Thought I'd switched it off the day before. Maybe I'd just switched it on automatically when I opened the door.
I switched the light off again.
And the boiler came to life immediately...
The light is still on. It's probably the fourth switch from the right in the living room that switches it off. That's one of the twenty that I haven't found a purpose for yet.
Two days ago, the oil company guy came and serviced our oil boiler which is outside, under the deck in a little boiler house. I asked him to show me how to control the water temperature, and he did. He also left the light on in the boiler room, which we noticed that night. After it stopped raining yesterday, I went down to the boiler room, switched off the light and immediately shut and locked the door which had blown open.
We had hot water this morning, a little less hot than usual but I thought it was because we'd reduced the water temperature.
Then at midday I ran some hot water in the kitchen sink--except it wasn't "hot", it was "lukewarm" at best. Checked both taps/faucets to make sure I wasn't running the cold water. Wasn't that. Went down to the boiler room. Everything was quiet. Turned the water temperature up a little. Nothing happened. Turned it up a little more. Still nothing.
Thought, darn, I have to call the oil company already on the service plan. I'm glad I took out the contract.
Noticed that the light was still on. Thought I'd switched it off the day before. Maybe I'd just switched it on automatically when I opened the door.
I switched the light off again.
And the boiler came to life immediately...
The light is still on. It's probably the fourth switch from the right in the living room that switches it off. That's one of the twenty that I haven't found a purpose for yet.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What's going on with the floor? (Moving the stairs)
We have progress on the move-the-staircase project. One of the contractors bidding on the project came back today with his boss, armed with electric screwdriver, hammer and pry bar (crowbar). They lifted up the boards that were hiding the hole in the floor where the stairs used to be, so that we could see, once and for all, what needs to be done to put the stairs back in their rightful place--in the front entry hall.
This is the floor as it is today. A big plank of thick plywood which is higher than the surrounding badly-worn parquet tiles.
This is the floor as it is today. A big plank of thick plywood which is higher than the surrounding badly-worn parquet tiles.
See the light switch and the grease mark on the wall? These are the keys to understanding where the stairs used to be. The light switches were at the top of the stairs--you can even switch on the kitchen light from here. And the grease mark is from mucky hands rubbing against the wall as they went down the stairs.
Under the plywood--the hole. The supports are not right--they are not extended and bolted onto the main joists--hence the need for the support pole downstairs. The structure that we'll put in place when the current stairs are removed will be done properly, not like this!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Here's a really cool bird identification website: Rightbird--the online guide to identifying the right bird in your yard. It helps you to identify birds by shape, habitat, colour etc., and it has recordings of each bird's song too.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Pest control...
... and if your ant bait isn't working, and you have no bug spray in the house, then Awesome Cleaner works just as well ;-) Costs a dollar at the Dollar Tree and works better than any other cleaning product. Makes ants nice and shiny and rather dead.
Monday birds
The big birds are easiest to identify: the egret, the Canada geese, the gannets and various gulls. And the brightly-coloured birds too: there's the red-winged blackbirds that perch on the reeds, and a set of amazingly red cardinals that are fiercly protective of "their" trees (and which have been chasing Mystery Blue Bird around the garden since daybreak). There are swallows, and an owl (heard but not seen), and one mute swan. And the northern mockingbird that makes me reach for my phone...
The mystery birds: the one that sounds like a mini fog-horn in the marshes (must be a heron or bittern); the one that's building a nest under my bedroom; the one that did a huge poop on the deck walkway (that might well have been the gannet though we haven't seen him in action), and Mystery Blue Bird. Mystery Blue Bird is larger than the cardinals but smaller than a Californian bluejay (though he looks like a bluejay with more eyeliner). He has a two-note song and bobs up-and-down with each note. I don't know why the cardinals dislike him so much but they absolutly do not want him in their trees. (I'm guessing that he's a Long Island Bluejay and that he wants to steal their eggs.)
Here's some help with identification (and with knowing what birds to look out for): http://www.libirding.com/Identification.html
The mystery birds: the one that sounds like a mini fog-horn in the marshes (must be a heron or bittern); the one that's building a nest under my bedroom; the one that did a huge poop on the deck walkway (that might well have been the gannet though we haven't seen him in action), and Mystery Blue Bird. Mystery Blue Bird is larger than the cardinals but smaller than a Californian bluejay (though he looks like a bluejay with more eyeliner). He has a two-note song and bobs up-and-down with each note. I don't know why the cardinals dislike him so much but they absolutly do not want him in their trees. (I'm guessing that he's a Long Island Bluejay and that he wants to steal their eggs.)
Here's some help with identification (and with knowing what birds to look out for): http://www.libirding.com/Identification.html
The creeping vine
This vine is creeping all over the walkway to the deck. A neighbour told me he thought it was poisonous... I had thought that it was Virginia Creeper or something similiar and benign... I have someone coming to help tidy up the back yard on Tuesday, and didn't want them to come out in some horrible brown blister rash, so I took a sample to the local garden center (in a ziplock bag just in case) for identification. After fearlessly taking the leaf out of the bag, squashing it in his hands and looking it it closely, the garden-center guy declared "Virginia Creeper" and muttered something about people thinking everything is poisonous and that this creeper is actually a nice decorative plant. Once the deck is rebuilt, I will allow the creeper to decorate it. And will keep a look out for the real poison plants.
One thing we do have to look out for in the garden (and everywhere here) is TICKS. Ticks are nasty little creatures the size and shape of a sesame seed with legs. They jump onto warm-blooded creatures and start to eat. Blood. Have treated the pets with Frontline, which magically kills the darn things though still have to check them daily. There's no Frontline for humans, however, so we have to look for them carefully--they can carry Lyme's disease, which needs to be treated with antibiotics.
Ask Karli about her opinion of ticks... ;-)
Sunday, a week after the boxes arrived
We're starting to see some progress. Most of the upstairs boxes are now unpacked: the rugs unrolled and some picture on walls (they hide the drywall that will be fixed once everything else is done). (Note I say "upstairs" boxes--haven't started on the pile downstairs yet, but that is mostly garden equipment and tools.)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Fire Island Fire
To be truthful, it's Smith Point, not Fire Island, that we can see from here. But over to the right, it's Fire Island.
We were preparing to drive to the ocean yesterday evening to take the dog for a run: grey skies and clouds scudding. There was a big black cloud being blown to shreds across Fire Island. Looked really stormy. Then we saw the flames at the base of it. Then we realised it was a fire, not another cloud. Thick black smoke. Oily.
Arriving at Smith Point, at the area of the beach where you can take dogs, we found the Mastic Beach fire truck with a fireman standing on its roof, looking towards the site of the fire. "It's a car", he said. (There's an RV park at the point--maybe it belonged to one of the campers?)
The beach was deserted apart from a couple with a wire-haired Jack Russell that ran about 1/4 mile to corner Fury, who was still on her leash. She was not impressed and I ended up on my knees in the sand trying to keep hold of her. After the JR's owners scooped up their feisty little dog, we went for a long walk along the shore, looking at the empty horseshoe crab shells and wondering where their owners were.
Suffolk County, Smith Point
We were preparing to drive to the ocean yesterday evening to take the dog for a run: grey skies and clouds scudding. There was a big black cloud being blown to shreds across Fire Island. Looked really stormy. Then we saw the flames at the base of it. Then we realised it was a fire, not another cloud. Thick black smoke. Oily.
Arriving at Smith Point, at the area of the beach where you can take dogs, we found the Mastic Beach fire truck with a fireman standing on its roof, looking towards the site of the fire. "It's a car", he said. (There's an RV park at the point--maybe it belonged to one of the campers?)
The beach was deserted apart from a couple with a wire-haired Jack Russell that ran about 1/4 mile to corner Fury, who was still on her leash. She was not impressed and I ended up on my knees in the sand trying to keep hold of her. After the JR's owners scooped up their feisty little dog, we went for a long walk along the shore, looking at the empty horseshoe crab shells and wondering where their owners were.
Suffolk County, Smith Point
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Wednesday is cool :-)
Today is cooler, with a stiff breeze. The marshes have taken on a grey cast, not bright green like they are when the sun is bright. Grebes, geese, egrets all busy. Something huge just flew by, creamy-yellow, looked like a gannet.
I love water-bird names. Gannets. Boobies. Terns. Bitterns. Coots.
I love water-bird names. Gannets. Boobies. Terns. Bitterns. Coots.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
After the weekend
The furniture is all here. Some of the boxes are unpacked. If I said it was half-finished, I'd be optimistic--but we are getting there. I swear that yesterday, every time I unpacked one box, another two appeared. Like cutting the head off the hydra.
After rumouring that they would deliver Saturday evening. or then Sunday morning, the guys and truck finally arrived just before lunchtime on Sunday. Then it took all afternoon to unload, because they had to make two trips to the U-Haul place where they'd left the 18-wheeler. The streets here wouldn't cope with a big-rig--they had enough trouble with the U-haul box truck! Most of the boxes and furniture had to come upstairs, as that's the main part of the house. The ironing board however I wanted to be downstairs. I never use the darn thing. Don't know why I packed it. But the kind movers kept being helpful and bringing it upstairs. I think it went up and down about six times.
They did a good job--so far only found one glass broken and one picture frame and one vase. Nothing major. Considering it's all been from Sacramento to storage in Los Angeles and then cross-country to Long Island, it's not bad.
I now have an office with a desk, a home phone, somewhere to sleep and to eat. The kitchen is empty of boxes but there's a lot to be put away still. The living room is a total mess. It's not helped by having to keep a large part of the floor empty of furniture so that the contractors can see what they are bidding on for moving the staircase. And that is another one of the jobs where they come in, take a look at it, then put on a puzzled expression and scratch their heads and then go away to "think about it".... watch this space for more news :-)
After rumouring that they would deliver Saturday evening. or then Sunday morning, the guys and truck finally arrived just before lunchtime on Sunday. Then it took all afternoon to unload, because they had to make two trips to the U-Haul place where they'd left the 18-wheeler. The streets here wouldn't cope with a big-rig--they had enough trouble with the U-haul box truck! Most of the boxes and furniture had to come upstairs, as that's the main part of the house. The ironing board however I wanted to be downstairs. I never use the darn thing. Don't know why I packed it. But the kind movers kept being helpful and bringing it upstairs. I think it went up and down about six times.
They did a good job--so far only found one glass broken and one picture frame and one vase. Nothing major. Considering it's all been from Sacramento to storage in Los Angeles and then cross-country to Long Island, it's not bad.
I now have an office with a desk, a home phone, somewhere to sleep and to eat. The kitchen is empty of boxes but there's a lot to be put away still. The living room is a total mess. It's not helped by having to keep a large part of the floor empty of furniture so that the contractors can see what they are bidding on for moving the staircase. And that is another one of the jobs where they come in, take a look at it, then put on a puzzled expression and scratch their heads and then go away to "think about it".... watch this space for more news :-)
Friday, June 08, 2007
Friday, warm and foggy
Sun was bright at daybreak, but mist and fog rolled in from the water, and left us covered all day. The moving guy phoned to say they are on their way, will probably be Sunday when they deliver the furniture. Took most of the day off work--and then spent it trying to get cash or postal/money orders to pay the movers (they don't take other forms of payment for the delivery final payment). Found out that while you can buy postal orders from any Post Office with your ATM card, the amount you can buy is limited to the daily spending limit on your card. So if you've been shopping in past twenty-four hours, it reduces the amount of postal order you can buy. I bought what I could but was going to have to go back at two minutes before closing time tomorrow--twenty-four hours later--to buy the remainder. Can't withdraw enough cash from ATM machine because daily limit doesn't allow it... then had a brainwave. Took my United credit card to a Chase bank in next town, and they fixed everything. Now I can bail out my furniture... though knowing how many boxes I packed, I'm tempted not to. Am enjoying life without clutter. But a real bed would be nice. And a desk to work at. And a book or two... OK, bring on the boxes...
There is a skip (dumpster to Americans) in the front yard now, I rented it for a week: spent several happy hours this evening demolishing stuff in the garage. The bettle-eaten panelling: GONE. The empty cabinet next to washer: GONE. The big white melamine cupboard? GONE. And the carpet from inside the hall closet: GONE. The garage looks much bigger and brighter, and the floor is surprisingly clean and dry (that makes me happy).
Waiting for bids on the move-the-staircase job. Two contractors have seen the job so far: a third will come and see tomorrow. And a staircase-maker will be here Monday (he'll work in tandem with the first guy). Interesting to hear everyone's different opinions on how the house was originally designed. And on some of the DIY that the house has suffered.
I promise to look after you, house. You deserve some caring. Just keep us warm and dry.
There is a skip (dumpster to Americans) in the front yard now, I rented it for a week: spent several happy hours this evening demolishing stuff in the garage. The bettle-eaten panelling: GONE. The empty cabinet next to washer: GONE. The big white melamine cupboard? GONE. And the carpet from inside the hall closet: GONE. The garage looks much bigger and brighter, and the floor is surprisingly clean and dry (that makes me happy).
Waiting for bids on the move-the-staircase job. Two contractors have seen the job so far: a third will come and see tomorrow. And a staircase-maker will be here Monday (he'll work in tandem with the first guy). Interesting to hear everyone's different opinions on how the house was originally designed. And on some of the DIY that the house has suffered.
I promise to look after you, house. You deserve some caring. Just keep us warm and dry.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
First morning in new home!
Woke up to sunrise and the sound of birds. Nothing else. Just birds.
Blue sky. Six geese sitting in line on the bay.
Six a.m. and I noticed one neighbour standing in his backyard. And another neighbour sitting on their porch. (They are my only visible neighbours.) So I took my coffee and went and sat on my deck and watched the water and the trees and the plants and the birds. And it was beautiful.
Shopping list for today:
- a dehumidifier for downstairs--the damp walls may only be condensation (something that doesn't happen in Sacramento)
- a skip to put the nasty carpet in that we tore out yesterday (which probably fixed 95% of the damp smell)
Blue sky. Six geese sitting in line on the bay.
Six a.m. and I noticed one neighbour standing in his backyard. And another neighbour sitting on their porch. (They are my only visible neighbours.) So I took my coffee and went and sat on my deck and watched the water and the trees and the plants and the birds. And it was beautiful.
Shopping list for today:
- a dehumidifier for downstairs--the damp walls may only be condensation (something that doesn't happen in Sacramento)
- a skip to put the nasty carpet in that we tore out yesterday (which probably fixed 95% of the damp smell)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
We have the keys!!! :-)
Closing on a house sale in New York State is unlike anything I've seen during two house purchases and sales in California. Everyone--buyer, buyer's attorney, buyer's attorney's assistant, title person/notary, seller's attorney (and sellers if they haven't given their attorney power of attorney), buyer's realtor and seller's realtor, all sit around a big table and throw sheets of paper at each other for signatures. It looked like chaos, but it was organized in that none of the papers were lost, and I was only asked to sign one document twice (other than the required duplicates). Then everyone sat around waiting for about an hour until everything had been checked, approved, and checks issued--and I was given the keys to the house :-)
We went to the house (after a visit to KFC due to closing-induced starvation)... and found some unexpected dampness in the downstairs walls. Hadn't noticed this on previous visits, nor on the final walkthrough on Monday, when it was pouring with rain. So my priorities for remodeling work have shifted again--find the cause of the damp and fix it. It is possible that it is due to the lack of gutters on the house, but TBD. Contractor coming to investigate this evening.
The sellers kindly left me a set of new windows/sliding doors (need to replace the sliders to the deck) and other material that will help with the restoration work... it's going to be a long job, but the location and views are incredible, and will be well worth it. And it will be interesting to see what's in the garden as the flowers start to bloom... parts of Long Island are covered with blooming rhododendrons right now, there are sweet-smelling roses in my new garden, and I bought a new lawnmower yesterday.
We're going to spend most of today cleaning and mowing. And ripping up that dark-green carpet that seems to have been installed in all houses older than ten years. Don't know when the furniture arrives, it's still on its way from California.
We went to the house (after a visit to KFC due to closing-induced starvation)... and found some unexpected dampness in the downstairs walls. Hadn't noticed this on previous visits, nor on the final walkthrough on Monday, when it was pouring with rain. So my priorities for remodeling work have shifted again--find the cause of the damp and fix it. It is possible that it is due to the lack of gutters on the house, but TBD. Contractor coming to investigate this evening.
The sellers kindly left me a set of new windows/sliding doors (need to replace the sliders to the deck) and other material that will help with the restoration work... it's going to be a long job, but the location and views are incredible, and will be well worth it. And it will be interesting to see what's in the garden as the flowers start to bloom... parts of Long Island are covered with blooming rhododendrons right now, there are sweet-smelling roses in my new garden, and I bought a new lawnmower yesterday.
We're going to spend most of today cleaning and mowing. And ripping up that dark-green carpet that seems to have been installed in all houses older than ten years. Don't know when the furniture arrives, it's still on its way from California.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Soundtrack for Hauppauge
John Martyn--May You Never
John Martyn--Angeline
David Gray--Babylon
Marillion--Made Again
Marillion--Somewhere Else
Celine Dion--Pour que tu m'aimes encore
Long Island
Arrived on Long Island early Saturday morning. Dog travelled in the baggage hold, cat in the cabin. Staying in hotel... waiting to close on our new home this afternoon. Went for final walkthrough yesterday, the first time I've seen the house empty, the first time I've seen it with green trees and plants growing, flowering, not frozen-in by winter. The marshes are green and full of life. Sounds of wind on water and geese. There had been a huge rainstorm, the roads were major puddles, we may need an amphibious vehicle...
Friday, March 24, 2006
Soundtrack for a trip to England
March 2006
Paul Weller, Stanley Road
The Jam, singles collection
Sisters of Mercy, "More" on repeat around the M25
Paul Weller, Stanley Road
The Jam, singles collection
Sisters of Mercy, "More" on repeat around the M25
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Knitted hats
This week I knitted two beanie hats: one with Manos del Uruguay multi-coloured wool, one with two hand-spun wools.
The first, multi-coloured hat knitted up beautifully and fits me perfectly. It was a little smaller than I wanted... so I made the second, which is a real "head cozy" and will keep even the largest head warm in the coldest weather!
Hat one materials: about 2/3 skein Manos del Uruguay, straight needles size 5.5 mm
Cast on 42 stitches. Keep one edge stitch for each row in garter stitch. Knit in (purl 3, knit 3, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1) rib until work measures 14 inches. Next row (knit 2 together) across entire row. Thread wool through all remaining stitches, pull tight to gather top of hat, and then sew the seam. Remember to reverse the seam for the folded part of the hat.
Hat two materials: about 3/4 skein of two types of handspun wool. One was about DK/worsted weight, the other chunky. Cast on 50 stitches. Keep one edge stitch for each row in garter stitch. Knit in (knit 2, purl 2) rib until work measures 14 inches. Next row (knit 2 together) across entire row. Thread wool through all remaining stitches, pull tight to gather top of hat, and then sew the seam. Remember to reverse the seam for the folded part of the hat.
The first, multi-coloured hat knitted up beautifully and fits me perfectly. It was a little smaller than I wanted... so I made the second, which is a real "head cozy" and will keep even the largest head warm in the coldest weather!
Hat one materials: about 2/3 skein Manos del Uruguay, straight needles size 5.5 mm
Cast on 42 stitches. Keep one edge stitch for each row in garter stitch. Knit in (purl 3, knit 3, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1) rib until work measures 14 inches. Next row (knit 2 together) across entire row. Thread wool through all remaining stitches, pull tight to gather top of hat, and then sew the seam. Remember to reverse the seam for the folded part of the hat.
Hat two materials: about 3/4 skein of two types of handspun wool. One was about DK/worsted weight, the other chunky. Cast on 50 stitches. Keep one edge stitch for each row in garter stitch. Knit in (knit 2, purl 2) rib until work measures 14 inches. Next row (knit 2 together) across entire row. Thread wool through all remaining stitches, pull tight to gather top of hat, and then sew the seam. Remember to reverse the seam for the folded part of the hat.
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