It’s Memorial Day, so Liz had a holiday and I skipped out on work. This morning Luke and I went to Port Royal, but he didn’t want to stay very long. We were almost home when he fell asleep, so I called Liz and upon arriving home she came out to the car and joined us for a drive. Luke didn’t sleep for as long as I would have liked, but it was still better than nothing. After lunch and quiet time we went to Home Depot and Andy’s Frozen Custard in Spring Hill. Before dinner Liz and Luke played soccer out back while I planted vegetables into the straw bales. Dinner, bath, and bed times went well. I won’t drive to the Mountain until tomorrow morning.
Playground, downtown, nature.
This morning Liz and Luke made breakfast cookies and after eating them we went to Port Royal park and saw a father and son that we had met before. Hugo had a “stomp rocket” and was kind enough to let Luke play with it too. Luke really enjoyed that. From there we went to Publix and bought a few groceries. After lunch and quiet time we drove downtown and walked around the square. Luke loved seeing the fountains, especially the coins at the bottom of each. We drove next to the nature park and saw lots of wildflowers. We ate dinner on the back deck, which was nice in the shade and with a cool breeze. Unfortunately the wind died down and the mosquitos came to dine on us. Clean up was fast and Luke took another “shower bath”. He was a bit emotional at bed time, but did go to sleep much earlier than usual.
MuleFest fun.
Today was the second day of MuleFest in Columbia, I suppose a delayed, abbreviated version of Mule Day. After buying some things at the Farmer’s Market and taking them home, we returned to Riverside, parked at a church, then walked downtown. The area was packed, but in a fun, energetic way. There were classic cars, food trucks, and vendor booths all over. We found a comfortable spot and watched the parade go by. After that we got some food and enjoyed it at an outdoor table in the middle of the action. Luke seemed to enjoy himself. Later this afternoon we went to the new Co-op where they were having an open house and a little car show. So it was another good day.
Road Warrior.
This morning I hauled the half full IBC totes to the job site and unloaded them with my tractor. I also strung a chain across one of the driveway entrances. I went by the library to print my lumber quotes and also looked through their books for sale. After cleaning the cottage I drove down to Snead, Alabama to look at doors. I think I found a large front door that I like, and will return to buy it shortly. From there I drove over to Double Springs, to a place where I had previously bought windows for our house. Unfortunately they did not have what I need. I drove home and arrived just as Liz and Luke were finishing dinner. It was good to see them and we had a nice rest of the evening together.
Preparing for block.
This morning I went with Liz and Luke to Franklin, and took Luke to High Hopes while Liz went to the grocery store. After returning home I hooked up the trailer and headed to work. First stop was Home Depot in Manchester where I bought some padlocks. Next I went by a fertilizer distributor in Hillsboro to pick up some free IBC totes. Things were going great until I was almost to the top of the Mountain and blew a tire on my trailer. Fortunately it’s a tandem axle, so I was able to keep going to the cottage, where I had a spare. I spent the rest of the day putting water in two of the totes, emptying another trailer so I can haul sand, and hanging out at the Mountain Goat Market. This evening I am reading a new book on my phone. It is actually the first of a new series.
