This'N That

Wouldn't you know it, all through the summer months people were absolutely groaning over the (relative) lack of sun, harping on about how cool it was, how humid, how much rain we were getting. Now here's September, advancing us into fall with the cessation of summer and all the wonderful things we associate with those carefree days of summer, with schoolkids on the loose, and summer vacations in the offing, and before we are remotely aware, it's lapsed.

Suddenly we've got day following day of no rain in the forecast to anticipate, and clear blue skies. And that means sun, and plenty of it. Mind, night-time temperatures take steep plunges, and it's quite cool overnight, but as soon as day breaks there's a real leap in the temperature gauge. September also means that I've got to think seriously about getting out there with the canvass kit for the Arthritis Society.

And damned if I didn't get a telephone call this morning from a recruiter for the Heart & Stroke Society, asking if I'd agree to canvass yet again for that charity. Isn't it heart-warming to know how one's door-to-door talents in extracting charitable funds from reluctant neighbours' purses is appreciated? But this canvass doesn't take place until February, and here they're already lining me up.

I shouldn't complain, someone's got to do it and who better than someone that knows the street, someone who is retired and has become so inured to turn-aways that I'm the candidate. And I certainly am not complaining about the weather, it's nothing short of wonderful. And has been, throughout the summer months, irrespective of rain and cool temperatures. Well, especially because of rain and cooler-than-normal temperatures.

Which have helped enormously in allowing my hard-working husband to get along doing so much difficult work from spring to summer, to the present. His current project, installing another, larger garden shed for storage purposes would be a miserable job in searing sun, high heat levels and humidity as well. As it is, he's been able to do a whole swat of difficult jobs in good time and good humour.

Mind, if he hadn't decided on a five-sided polygon, because he felt it would make better use of the available space in our relatively small backyard, things would have progressed even better. As it is, because of the pentagon shape of the shed, it's far more complicated to measure, cut and install all the bits and pieces. At the moment, it's the particleboard or whatever it's called that's being fitted over the roof rafters.

When all of that is done, there'll be the asphalt shingles to be hammered over the roof, and then the aluminum siding to be put into place, over the sides of the shed. Of course there's also the doors that have to be built, and my husband is determined to build the two doors in a frame, inserting glass panels, to ensure there's ample interior light, and to make the shed appear more attractive.

The additional shed has cut significantly into the garden space, but not so much that I resent its presence. We have ample gardens remaining whose treasured plantings we will continue to receive great pleasure in working and enjoying.