Playing Catch Up

It has been a busy week, a productive week and a scary week for Denny and I. While in Cincinnati to do yard work and more work on garden preparation, Denny's dad told him that "the old ticker isn't working right and I'm having some pain in my chest", so off we went to the ER. The doctors kept him overnight and did several tests which turned out negative for heart problems, so they sent Dad back home. This is the first time we've ever heard him complain of chest pain, so it's worrisome.

Denny did get some cauliflower and broccoli planted but we're going to wait until next week to plant tomatoes in the hope of avoiding any remaining chance of morning frost. May 15 has always been the date by which farmers planted in this area of the world and it works for us. We're a bit late at starting the butter crunch lettuce seed for later planting, but it'll work, at least as long as we can keep Patches out of the tender seedlings once they sprout.

I found my moss roses at a local grocery store; portulaca apparently is no longer popular as an annual so most places no longer stock them. I dug up some of the lilies of the valley that have spread too much at my mother's house, so those will get planted under the tree with the portulaca to provide a bit of fragrance to enjoy. We've had a lot of rain the past couple of days so that will make it easier to dig in the old soil here.

Speaking of rain and bad weather, the tornado sirens went off yesterday afternoon and when I dug out the weather radio the robotic voice informed us that a state trooper had spotted a funnel cloud touching down at I-71 and US 68, which is just about nine miles north of us. There are no concrete buildings here at the campground so it would be a toss up whether to stay here in our trailer nestled in the trees or run down to the wooden clubhouse with the big glass windows in the middle of an open field. Hmm.

Finally, last week we did our part in bringing the economy back; after receiving our tax rebate I ordered a central vacuum cleaner for our trailer. Yep, there is such a creature and after a whole lot of frustration and sweat Denny was able to get ours installed in the laundry closet yesterday. Now I'll be able to sweep the upholstered ceiling with ease (fabric for sound baffling purposes) as well as the carpets. That also means we'll have to keep this trailer instead of ever trading it off because it has everything we want. Denny wants to install a second vacuum outlet in the outside storage bin so he'd be able to hook up the vacuum hose there to sweep out the truck, but we'll fight with that another day since he has to figure out the mechanics for that one.

If the rain holds off today I'll get my flowers planted, finish packing up the upright vacuum and the little hand held vacuum to take over to my mother's house to sell at her next garage sale (creating more clutter here in the meantime) and give that new vacuum a good workout. It's time to give the truck (and our pockets) a break; are diesel and gas prices as ridiculous where you are? $3.79 for unleaded and $4.19 for diesel. Sheesh.