Magnolia, Wood, Solar, Wiring, Soffit, Gate, Knee.

8-13-23 VERMONT: There’s lots of news, some good, some not. Matt and Hillary moved the new magnolia over the bridge with a tree hand-cart. We laid planks across the swamps on either side of the bridge to get it across. We planted it on the slope where the original red maple had been, now dead and gone. They dug, and I sawed off the many roots that appeared. We back filled with potting soil. The site was damp but not wet. We have had 2.9 inches of rain since the last post.

We bought a half-cord of wood from neighbor Dwight, who delivered it on Monday. I stacked it in the wood shed over the next few days.  

The Solarflect, solar energy people, were here again on Tuesday and the latest possible plan from the head electrician is to run the wiring to the big barn and replace the inadequate wiring in the conduit that runs from the barn to the house. New plans are in the works. 

Tyler the electrician was here and put a new line in the kitchen so that the microwave will not flip the circuit breaker.

Scott and Cedar were here Friday to repair the soffit on the back of the old house that always forms huge icicles. They took out some of the insulation in the eaves, unnecessary, found no mold, great, and closed it up after repainting. 

Seeing Scott reminded me that I had promised a new gate in the deck railing. I built it on Saturday linking the two rails with cross pieces and a diagonal, cutting one side free and mounting hinges, then cutting the other side free an mounting a closure. During that last step, my rickety step ladder wobbled, and I fell off the ladder, about two steps above the ground. 

My Apple Watch knew that I fell, asked if I was OK, I wasn’t, and called for help. Turns out, after an ambulance ride to Dartmouth- Hitchcock, that I broke my right tibia in a few places within the knee joint, similar to the accident I had on the left knee while skiing a few years ago. Sunday, today, orthopedic surgery did an external stabilization that will be followed by definitive repair in the neat future. I am totally non-ambulatory now.

New blooms: gooseneck loosestrife, monkshood, white-star clematis, more echinacea, late anemone, blue lobelia, black-eyed susan. 

All the dogs--Maizie, Blanca, Blue, Bally.

The pond bank beds are getting full.

Me stacking wood with help from Maizie and Blue.

All ready for the fireplace.

Knee repair Erector Set. The ankle is out of the frame on the left.