Tenting

Home ownership is not easy. Especially when an old house is involved. Gotta hire lawn guy, electrician, handyman, pest control (termites, Palmetto bugs, mice in the attic, tent and gas the house.) It's exhausting.

Can't use the studio yet as first it was turned into a nursery, and now the electrician says the fuse box needs to be updated as the old one is dangerous, so can't turn on the ac in there. And it's too hot to be out there without cooling.

1.40pm

Just got up from a long nap. Awoke at 7.30, ate some grapes and had a cup of coffee and then went back to bed. I used to have days when I would do nothing but sleep, my "crash" days, but have not had very many in the past year since I arrived in StA. I cannot really nap if someone is coming over to check this or that, fix something, make a delivery. I have to have an almost empty day to do it. Today I have a therapy-via-phone session, and then take Camilla for a follow-up check for her tail wound and her test results.

It's too hot to work outside. A bit of rain is predicted, but I don't think it's going to happen. And they tell me it's only going to get worse. The camp kids have taken over the public pool, and it's too hot to be at the beach except for early morn and late afternoon. There's tons of stuff I can do inside, but I don't like feeling trapped by climate crisis.

Hydrochlorothiazide. The new high blood pressure drug I am taking, 12.5mg once a day. I think it has decreased my appetite, which is a good thing. It also helps retain calcium in the body but can deplete potassium. It's supposed to be "the water pill," a diuretic, but I'm not peeing any more frequently. I'm still a chemical soup. Can't be good.

From the local paper: "Gulf's Biggest Dead Zone Ever Predicted." "New Orleans -- Scientists predict this year's 'dead zone' of low-oxygen water in the northern Gulf of Mexico will be the largest in history -- about the size of Lake Erie -- because of more runoff from the flooded Mississippi River valley." And from my state's governor: "Scott Kills Grown Agency. To be replaced by developer-friendly department. After 42 years, the Dept. of Community Affairs, which is charged with monitoring housing and commercial development in Florida, will cease to exist." It will be merged with "several other agencies" to be called The Dept. of Economic Opportunity. Scott's approval rating is below 30%.

Yesterday I got a second opinion from a pest control company, and will get a third. I worked with the lawn guy for a while. We are removing the grass around my new plantings so that I can put down landscape fabric and then mulch to reduce the need for watering. Almost everything I've planted is doing alright, except it needs constant watering and fertilizing in this weather. A good deal of cash is going into this gardening project.

Spoke with M. from CT yesterday and R. from Oakland, too. So nice to chat with them. R. and F. may come visit in August, with a side trip to Universal Studios.

Spot and Solomon have been adopted to what I was assured are good families. They had to be split up but they are so well socialized that I don't think that will be a problem. I have kept Calhoun, and it turns out Misty is the one who has the most trouble with him, hissing and growling when he walks by her. He's a rambunctious little guy, likes to eat the big cat food, but is very good with using the litter box and scratching post. I also have been cutting his nails since early on and that helps. Those little claws are like needles!

5.35pm

Sky is dark; waiting for the rain. Went to the vet with Camilla. She needs a dental cleaning and a couple of teeth pulled. Has cataracts. Otherwise she's doing pretty well. Trying to switch the big cats over to wet food from dry. Vet says they should only eat wet food, and dry kibble was developed during WW II when there wasn't enough food for pets. The government wanted to euthanize all pets "for the war effort," but a guy named Morris said, don't do that, I'll come up with something. And what he came up with was dry kibble made mostly from grain. She said it's why a lot of cats get fat, because cats are carnivores and cannot use all that grain properly. So I just opened a can of rabbit and green pea wet food for Camilla and Misty and so far they won't touch it. The other issue is Camilla's tendency towards diarrhea, so have to be careful what I feed her.

Stopped at the Urban Back 40 Cafe and got a salad to go. Yum.

7.55am Friday

We had about a 20 minute "gully washer" yesterday. We need about ten of those.