Monday is New Knee Day.

9-17-24 SHORT HILLS: Truthfully, it’s been more of the same as the last post. More doctor visits, more chores, the wasps survived the attempted extermination. I have had my pre-op exam with blood work and X-rays—apparently all OK. Surgery for installation of the new knee next Monday at HSS. 

We had dinner with Bette and Lonnie at Lorenas and dinner here with Lynn and Bill—Judy dazzled us with king crab legs. We’re looking forward to a visit from Siobhan this weekend. Judy has done more dog visits. The pool cover pump is not pumping. I tried to get it started today but will have to try again.

I was very impressed with Kamala’s debate performance. We should have expected her to do well as an ex-prosecutor, but she was brilliant.

Burning Bush are turning early, which makes we worry that they're not well.

One of several flower clusters at the top of the crape myrtle.

White snake root is growing all over the yard. It spreads widely and grows in any conditions, but has no stickers or burrs or thorns, so I am not calling it a weed.

Abelia, a nice shrub that slowly gets bigger each year, but blooms in the fall with lots of white flowers. Definitely a keeper.

I saw something pink in the midst of snake root. It's a rosebud. I think the rosebuds are prettier than the roses.

Opening Up.

9-6-24 SHORT HILLS: We’ve been back for a week yesterday and have been busy seeing docs doing chores in the house and yard, had the plumbers over for a water heater flood [not fatal] in the basement, had dinner with Lynn and Bill, and had dinner with Bebe and Ronnie, got flu shots. Judy has done a dog visit. We both have more medical visits up coming. Monday I have pre-op evaluation at an HSS extension in Paramus before the new knee. Even the dogs have had vet visits. 

We had a wasp nest next to the house treated. My car was serviced. Next  week looks to be as busy as this one was. I filled the bird feeders, and the birds emptied them in two days.

In bloom: abelia, Rose-of-Sharon, clematis, white snake root, crape myrtle, caryopteris

Cardinals are back, as are all the usual suspects, including the grackles, who got most of the seeds.

We never see these critters in VT, too many predators, but there are always some here.