Mon May 19 10:05 EDT 1997
Weekend Update: May 16-18

This past week, I put the finishing touches on a larger-than-life
mega-leaf compost pile.  Here it is mid-may and we're finally leaving the
leaves behind us.  Anyone interested in free leaf compost,
bring your truck.

The previous owner came over on Friday to teach me how to use the
in-ground lawn sprinkling system.  He informed us that we also had
two apricot trees.  That puts us at 2 plum, 2 apple, 2 apricot, 3 peach,
1 pear, 2 sour cherry, 1 sweet cherry, 2 seedless concord grape, 1 black
raspberry, 3 beds of strawberries, and 13 blueberry bushes.
(The chesutnut and walnut trees are probably too small for a crop this
year.) I wonder if I should open a farm stand.

Saturday was baseball picture day. Andrew had a baseball game
a few hours before pictures.  (Duh.  We washed his uniform.)  When I
watch Andrew's games, I think of my brother John's descriptions of coaching
little league. Rather than split a stitch this Saturday morning, we dropped
Andrew off at the game and went sailing (yard sailing).  Yes, the season of
picking through other people's unwanted treasures has begun!  I got a nice
telephone for $5 - the bargain of the day.  Joy got a new food dehydrater,
to make dried apricots!, banana chips, and cinnimon ornaments.

Yard Sailing is somewhat like the auctions I enjoy attending, except that
I drive hither and yon and come home with things like a cow noise maker.
The potential for a bargain most often exceeds that of any auction,
and there is no buyer's premium.  We did go to auction last Tuesday (and
will again).  We came away with $90 worth of stuff, most of which was
bought by my niece-in-law, and father-in-law.  Joy got a country bed warmer.
(I thought that was my job!)  Which reminds me: I never get anything at
auctions!  Joy always gets something.  At yard sales, I can always find
*something* for a quarter, four bits, or a buck.

Sunday afternoon was a delighful warm Spring day, unmarred by a few
irrascible breezes.  We hosted a cookout at the manor for the Sunday
School class.  I wanted to hand out pitchforks because our job this week is
to till the garden.  (Some people think I have a couple dozen pitchforks,
but that's a myth.)

---Joy's dad left Tuesday night after the auction, at 10 pm for his four hour
drive home.  He said that it was time, and so we knew it was. We called on
Thursday to see how he was doing.---

I've heard a bunch of people complain about the Spring weather that's hung
on for, oh, all of this Spring.  Usually by May, we've had a few summery
days, and I'd like to have them, too.  But it isn't winter and the leaves
are where I like them best (on the trees).  Without adding to the complaints,
I'm ready to open the pool for the summer.  Can't wait.

Mark
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