It is happening!

Day 88, "Every picture has a story"

Of course it came about because of hurricane Irma.  We got a phone call a couple of days after the 2017 hurricane and our home watch people said they were inside the house and there did not appear to be any damage.  We arrived about October 7 or so and they were correct.  No damage to speak of and the electricity had only been off a day or so and that meant NO mold of any kind.  During the late season of 2017 and early 2018 we begin to hear from people who had a tiny leak here or a problem there in their home.  It seemed like it was time to have the roof inspected.  Terry and I left in late May and the roof was to be inspected soon.  We drove the south route going to St. Paul and the day before we arrived in St. Paul Terry got a message that the check was in the mail.  The good part was the inspector from Heritage Insurance felt the roof was damaged to the point of having to be replaced.  The roof was probably due to be replaced anyway in a few years so that was good, to get the insurance to pay for it.  Well you could guess that their estimate to replace it was BELOW the real cost.  That is still to be worked out but Terry did receive a check in the mail in early June for the replacement minus the deductible.  Anyone would know there is ALWAYS a deductible!  Well that was WAY back in June and now we are into a new year and finally the tiles arrived.  They will be put up on the roof today and maybe will be installed next week or the week after.  The contractor did seal the roof during the summer so we have had NO leakage of any kind.  I did park our car in the villa pool parking lot as I am not sure we would be able to get out when they start work today.  If one is wondering how the cost of a roof with shingles vs a roof with tiles I am not sure but I do know that here the tile roof, with material and labor, comes to somewhere north of $30,000.  Thank you insurance!

Terry and I went to Bonefish Grill yesterday and had our dinner (supper in ND) during happy hour.  The tennis team usually gives me gift cards and Terry and I are not so good at using them.  Occasionally they ask if we have used them and I have to say NO.  So this year we will be sure to use them.  Last week to Flemings and yesterday to Bonefish.  We like the happy hour as, in our mind, you get more bang for your buck and "for sure" makes the gift cards stretch into more visits!

No tennis today and tomorrow.   Monday starts the 10 weeks of league and I am excited about that.  My goal is to stay away from injury, win some and have fun (is that the right order Dave?).

The year was 1954.  Mom had told us last night that we were going to visit Grandma and Grandpa Lee to help them finish getting things out of the garden.  We were already well into October and it was time to wrap things up.  We had finished harvesting the millet October 2nd and last Saturday Dave and I had helped Dad finish picking the corn.  I always liked the fall harvesting as there usually were nice days with no wind and the fall crops were NOT itchy as was oats and barley.  We usually never worked on Sunday but Dad had made an exception as he wanted to string the one wire electric fence around the corn field and then let the cows eat the corn on the ground.  I should add that Dad NEVER went to church during the fall hunting season as it would not have been unual for hunters to stop on the road and shot towards our house if a pheasant was in the trees.  There was more than one BB mark on the east side of the house!.  So, as Mom and we went to church Dad strung the fence and by the time we arrived home to Mom's fried egg sandwiches and dill pickles Dad had the cows in the corn field west of the farm.  So today, the 16th, we would spend much of the day helping Grandma and Grandpa clean up the garden, pick the last of the apples and IF there were any berries left we would do those as well.  By the time we arrived, about 10:00, Grandpa had already driven through the large potato patch with the plow so all we had to do was do a little digging and gather the potatoes into gunny sacks.  Grandpa would then take the sacks and store them in their dirt floor cellar.  Hopefully there would not be a skunk in the cellar as there was last year.  There would be enough so Halvors and we could stop by in the winter and get a sack of potatoes.  Of course Grandma had lunch which consisted of bread, cheese and meat and then there was always cookies for dessert.  I thought we would head home early afternoon and then Dave and I could play baseball against the east side of the corn crib BUT there were other plans.  Grandma asked if we wanted to help her dig horseradish in the trees across the road.  Well of course we were always ready to do whatever Grandma wanted us to do.  She showed us what a horseradish plant looked like and we were in business.  In a short time we had enough plants to feed most of Sargent County I think.  Grandma showed us how she would clean them and then grind them up after peeling.  Oh oh oh my you had to keep your head as far away as possible from the grinder as the aroma, I think aroma, from grinding would enter your nose and mouth and then travel to you head with a BANG.  Grandma gave us a pint jar to take home and Mom said she would surely use it.  May she and Dad did but I do not remember eating it.  As I think back it could have been used to help one wake up in the morning!  The story goes that Grandma sent some to Aunt Raga and not knowing what it was she opened it and stuck her nose into the jar.  There was a falling out after that!

So much for our Saturday.  Not any thing planned.  I have many papers spread out on the couch and maybe I should get them taken care of.  They have been there for a week+.  I mean how can one get any work done when there is tennis to play, bike to ride, pool to swim in and more?

The FP was, as usual, a delight and it is gone so will sign off.