When I boot up the computer in the morning, the first thing that pops up, whether I want it or not, is the Weather App channel. I didn’t program it so I don’t know why the first weather it gives me is New York City. 73 today in the morning in New York and I allow myself a quiet moment of angst and my visual memory which is very keen conjures up the look of a perfect, sunny day in the city of my dreams. I cried when I got my Florida’s driver’s license – registering as Florida residents allowed us to claim a homestead tax exemption which is substantial. It was the prudent thing to do. But I cried. Then I click over to Cape Coral, the community adjacent to our island, and get the local weather. Daily rain but sometimes the rain doesn’t happen.

The quirky thing about Florida is that you can be looking at the sky out of your rear windows and it is sunny and clear and goes on forever, and then you walk out the front door and the wind is up, the sky dark, and a storm is about to come down on you. And the threat can sometimes just blow away and you can continue to hear the thunder, but the rain disappears.

We are getting our pool re-lined. Ed has made the commitment and is just waiting for a check that is coming in to give the order to begin the work. It will be about $7,000. The pool water is now jade green. No amount of care from the Pool Doctor people has changed that. They said the only way to clean the water of nitrates (which have built up over time) is to drain the pool and refill and since we were advised to re-do the ancient pool lining, we decided this was the time. I will take pictures and, with any luck, can post them. Incidentally, when I look at old posts, both here and on Blogster, pix I posted in the past have disappeared.

Our neighbor, Gary, was out on our back lawn spraying our weeds this morning. He told me they were community weeds and he had the right to do it. I didn’t chase him off. Then he told me that the mildew on our pool cage supports could be dealt with by zapping them with Zep (sic), that I can buy at Home Depot. He brought over his stuff and sprayed a few supports. He came in through the door where an overgrowing flowering bush interferes with entry and a bee stung him. But he was brave. I have to cut those branches. Max, our only kitty now, was there and Gary wanted to know if he would be attacked. Then Attack Cat, ran away. He only terrorizes people he knows and loves.

Ed is gone until Saturday, attending a meeting of guardians at a resort in St. Petersburg. Sol, my tutee (I am helping her with English on her school assignments – we are getting A’s), encouraged him to take me along. I shut her down. There are a lot of chores I can do with Ed gone that I never get around to. I cleaned out a drawer last night, for instance, instead of cooking and cleaning up, and ate a deli sandwich for dinner and put it on a napkin instead of a plate. I’m low maintenance.

Also, about 5 o’clock every day I am walking John’s dog, Buster. John is a local resident I became friendly with during my daily walks. He is going in for a pacemaker on the 17th, has to take it really easy till then, and has a nurse come in every day to check his vitals. Buster, a kind of terrier, is a sweet thing and is always happy to see me. It’s a mitzvah. However, with Ed away, I will walk Buster around 6:30 instead because the heat doesn’t abate till then. The heat has been brutal.

xx, Teal