June 26

Well the new freezer was delivered yesterday as scheduled. We did have a bit of a hiccup with two odd almost back to back phone calls we thought were wrong numbers. The caller didn't identify herself or where she was calling from and asked for someone with a man's name. We don't have any men living here so Mom said "wrong number." The second call came at the same time the delivery men showed and we found out that the man the callers (1st and 2nd) wanted to know was if he had shown up to deliver the freezer. That got sorted out quickly and they guys hauled the old freezer out an put the new one in its place. It has the same volume (13 cu.ft.) as the old but it is taller, less wide and less deep. It also came with four adjustable shelves and a basket. We kept the basket we had in the replaced freezer which had come from an even older defunct freezer and it is now in the what-not room full of my crochet threat stash. The storage box the thread was in is now empty and ready for the sheets and other yardage I have accumulated to turn into other things. I am a bit of a pack rat and hate to throw anything away that might be useful. We have had a busy day getting everything into the freezer and generally rearranging things. 

The temperature is in the mid 80s today but muggy so I have the air conditioner on. We had rain from last night until just a bit ago when the sun came out but the forecast is for more rain this afternoon and tonight. Then off and on rain for the next week. My poor flowers in the gardens are bedraggled and pummeled.

June 28

It has been a busy weekend getting everything back to some kind of normal after the freezer emergency of last week. It rained almost all day yesterday which, with temps in the mid 80s, made it very muggy. I didn't do more that pick off some faded blossoms and pick the first ripe tomato of the season. I did get out a bit today to try an idea for creating cadges for a couple of plants that need more support. I use some of my trellis supports and the cross pieces to put a triangle structure around the buckets. It seems to be working. I did find one support that I had to throw away. Over time the plastic coating on these supports becomes brittle and cracks. The core is a light steel tube that corrodes easily. The one I threw away had corroded so badly it broke into two pieces.

Axios What's Next had an interesting bit: two thirds of dog owners have said they will quit if their employer won't offer remote work in the future. They and their pets (many of which were brought home during the pandemic induced remote work regime) want to keep the quality time they have achieved.

Watching a piece on the news about the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest. The temperatures are mind blowing. Evidently a couple of places not only hit the highest temperatures ever recorded there but blew past the previous records by 8 or 10 degrees. One hotel reported that all their rooms are booked because they have air conditioning. The Governor of Washington said Spokane has lost its electricity and that the heat and the drought is threatening the cherry crop. Our area is quite a contrast--mid 80s and frequent rain showers which are expected to continue for several more days.