June 21, 2023

Dental work, sunny day, neighborhood busy getting spruced up.

Daily Diary, Day 1024: Second day in a row that was very sunny and in the mid 70s (although supposed to be cooling trend starting tomorrow.) This cooling trend seems to last about a week, then forecast is for mid to high 70s, sunny for awhile, so maybe we have finally started to get regular summer weather. Appropriate for Summer Solstice.

I found myself noting on the walk today that suddenly there is a rash of home remodel stuff going on. At the beginning of Covid there was a lot, then it died down, and I guess last summer another uptick. But I suspect the long rainy winter had people postponing doing anything. But on walks yesterday and today I noted several houses getting their solar panels up, the neighbors across the way are doing a bunch of stuff. There were remediation (asbestos, mold, etc) trucks last week, and a whole bunch of boxes (which looked like maybe flooring) delivered. Yesterday a truck that seemed to be a company putting in solar skylights was there. A house up the street 2 days ago started having a pool put in back yard. Busy times.

However, I had a slow start to the day, with dental cleaning at 8 am, where I got to hear about hygienist's surprise marriage proposal, up in the Alps, a couple of weeks ago. Also learned I need an old crown replaced, which I will go in and get done tomorrow morning. I would say that about 5 years ago, I started needing to replace old crowns almost once or twice a year. Makes sense to me, since I suspect many of them were put in originally decades ago. Much better and less expensive to replace when they are starting to get cracked, etc, than have cavity develop and end up not being able to save the tooth and having to have an implant done, which happened to me last year.

Anyway, after getting home, doing daily morning clean and walk, I found that suddenly most of the morning is gone! Waiting for a call-back on when the landscaping work we are having done is going to start, so I thought I would do this post, rather than try to start writing.

Once we get the landscaping done in the front yard (which will include repairing the bottom of the stone facade that is crumbling, and replacing a small retaining wall along the sidewalk), we will have really done all of the main exterior work the house has needed. This leaves one major remodeling task, making the bathrooms better for aging in place. But I think I am going to have to write and sell more books before that happens (smile.) I will try to remember to take some before and after pictures of the landscaping to put up.

Here is a bloom from a bush where pretty much all the blossoms were way past their prime but this one, and it was already looking a little sun blasted!