APRIL 2021
Wednesday 2021.4.28
Basil
In Sunday's blog I wrote about the basil clippings I was rooting in water. After four weeks the roots were well developed. It was time to transplant them to soil because they can't live forever on water alone. And so I returned to the notes I wrote while watching a video about growing basil.
When I separated the rooted clippings, there were four and all of them had good roots. I plugged in my soldering pencil and melted three holes in the bottom of four plastic drinking cups (you know the ones, those 16-ounce red beer cups you see at parties and keggers). I nested the plant cup into a second cup, without holes, but with a stone in the bottom, as a catch cup to contain water that might drip out of the bottom.
After filling the planting cups with potting soil, I placed one rooted clipping in each and arranged them beneath the grow lamp. How many hours each day should a grow light be used? A little research on the internet answered the question — 12 to 14 hours per day. That's good. My grow light is set to 12 hours.
What's next? Eventually the potted plants will grow to a height at which I can harvest more clippings for rooting. Then the cycle begins again. The plants that are growing well will eventually be moved to a large planter outdoors. By fall I hope to harvest enough basil to make more pesto.
Next year the plants will have entered their second and final year. They'll flower and produce seeds before dying (basil is a biennial — it lives only two years). The plan is to harvest those seeds to grow more basil. Then the old plants can be pulled up and tossed in the trash. They will have achieved their purpose.
Living Herbs
I've blogged about it before. I suspect those Living Herbs plants sold in the grocery stores here might be sabotaged with some sort of slowly dissolving crystals, such as salt — harmless to humans, but deadly to plant roots.
A thought occurred to me. If I buy a basil plant at the Home Depot Garden Center and plant it, it does well. When I've planted the Living Herbs basil (without washing the roots), they fail to thrive.
What About the Basil I Started From Seeds?
So far, of the 12 seeds I planted, four sprouted. It's not a good success rate, but that's four more plants added to my little herb garden. Meanwhile, I clipped the remaining drying flours from my basil plants outdoors and harvested more seeds. I'll start those germinating soon.
And How Goes the Landscaping?
A little each day. Yesterday I cleared more gaps of Dymondia and weeds. Later today I'll mix up more mortar and fill in some gaps. On days when I use mortar (first I have to clear space for it) I'm feeling fairly comfortable using 30 pounds of mortar per day.
Modern-day Conveniences
I can't help but appreciate the conveniences that make life easier for us. If there is life after death, what do the people of the 19th century think of us?
This past week I wheeled my portable washer into the bathroom, hooked it up, and did a few loads of laundry. After vacuuming my floors I used my electric floor scrubber to wash the kitchen tiles. Later I plugged in my Instant Pot and made six cups of marinara sauce. And now I sit at a computer communicating with you. Ahh, life!
Uh-Oh!
I couldn't help noticing a big dirt mound in the middle of my neighbor's yard. It's too big to be from gophers. Later in the day I saw squirrel eating the fallen seeds below the bird feeder. I wondered when they would attract rodents. Ground squirrels can do more damage than gophers, especially in a mobile home park. Their tunnels can weaken the ground beneath a home, causing the support pillars to collapse.
And the family just bought ten more big bags of bird seed. It should be an interesting summer.
However, during the past few days I've been checking their yard occasionally. There have been no sightings of the squirrel. I'm wondering… Did the local hawk get it? Did the family dog scare it away? Or did it decide not to live so close to people?
Sunday 2021.4.25
Chicken Chop Slop
On Wednesday I blogged about my experience with the second Moderna vaccine injection. After the side effects, though mild, I felt I needed some comfort food. I made something I affectionately call Chicken Chop Slop. I rarely make it, but the time seemed right, and I had the ingredients.
On the way back from getting my vaccine I stopped at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I normally avoid the stuff, but it had been more than a year and I felt like I needed a treat. I prefer the drumsticks and thighs.
There are always leftovers; so I like to debone the meat, chop it up with the coating, mix it with heavy cream flavored with a little chicken bouillon, then heat and serve it over rice. My pet name for it is Chicken Chop Slop because it looks so awful and there is probably little nutritive value — maybe protein from the chicken meat. But it's soothing for the soul, which is a quality of comfort food. The recipe, called Trailer Park Chicken, is in the Recipe Archive.
The Great Purge
Now that I feel like I have my life back, I want to start simplifying my life again. There are a couple reasons why. I saw an episode from a TV show about hoarding and there was an AARP magazine article about discarding stuff.
I'm not a hoarder, thankfully. I'm not even a pack rat. My home is fairly neat. It's not perfect, but after giving it a "deep cleaning" (mentioned in Wednesday's blog) I feel quite comfortable inviting vaccinated friends in for coffee or a meal. However, there are many things I really shouldn't keep.
The AARP article listed 13 things to throw away. They weren't specific items, like old shoes, but more like subject areas, like things you don't use anymore or clothes that no longer fit. Last year I did a purge of trousers I was keeping. Let's be honest. I'll probably never have a 32-inch waist again.
One of the 13 subject areas was "Anything that doesn't add value." The choice of words is important. Had it been "Anything that has no value" I probably would have balked. There are some items that have personal value to me, but they add no value to my life.
My old LPs from the 1960s are almost treasured items, but I haven't had a turntable in years. Nearly all the songs are available as downloadable MP3s — at least the "hits" — and the albums have no value (I checked Ebay); so it's time for them to go.
I used to collect movies on laserdisc, but I haven't had a player in years. Compared to the DVDs and Blu-rays available today, those low-definition movies wouldn't be enjoyable anyway. So, out they go.
And this brought up an important question: What is recyclable? It turns out that "plastic" doesn't necessarily mean "recycle." Black plastic, especially vinyl, is considered non-recyclable. Most recyclers won't process it; so it just ends up in a landfill somewhere anyway. Those clear plastic CD cases are easy to recycle, but many recyclers don't want the CDs. They are made with unsafe plastics, not suitable for recycling into containers. If a container once held water or food, it's recyclable. All others need extra thought before going into the recycling bin. On the other hand, it might be better for my conscience to toss all those items into the bin anyway and let the recyclers make the decision. They know what they're doing.
What about items that have very little value? I buy a package of cup hooks for 89¢ at the hardware store. I use three of the hooks. There is one left over. What do I do with it? Put it back in its package and store it in a box labeled "Hardware". However, I'll probably never need that hook, and if I do, a package of hooks is inexpensive. So, don't save it.
I can't do it all at once, of course, but therein comes a handy little proggie for Windows — Sticky Notes. I put a note on my computer desktop that constantly reminds me to recycle something. I need that daily reminder because I get distracted so easily. And, so far, everyday at least one thing has gone into the trash or the recycling bin. When I'm satisfied I have decluttered enough of my home, I'll tackle the shed again.
If you're in the same mood I'm in, wanting to take back your life after the stress of the pandemic, look for decluttering tips on the internet. There is a lot of useful advice out there.
Basil
How are the basil clippings doing? You might remember from earlier this month — my blog entry on the 11th — that I had some clippings just starting to root. The roots are now well developed. The clippings are ready to go into soil.
I also wrote (on the 14th) about the original Living Herbs plants I bought at the grocery store and how the plants were dying. I suspected some sort of slow-dissolve things, like salt pills, were in the soil to eventually sabotage the plants and prevent them from being used to raise more basil. I cut the two surviving stalks and put them in water. They immediately perked up and started forming roots. Soon those will be ready to transplant to soil too.
And Finally, a Tiny Dilemma
In an earlier blog I mentioned moving my tomato plant outdoors to a container (a five gallon bucket) with a tomato cage. While the plant was indoors under the grow light I noticed a couple flowers budding. I removed those so that the plant could concentrate on growing leaves. This week I noticed four more flower buds. Remove them or let them develop?
The plant hasn't grown to the point at which it depends on the cage frame for support. Four tomatoes, assuming the bees find the flowers, might pull the small plant down. It might be better to encourage the plant to mature some before allowing it to produce fruit. However, I decided to wait and see. If anything, it could provide an opportunity for photographs as I document its progress.
Wednesday 2021.4.21
Owie Again
Yesterday I got my second Moderna vaccine shot. Oh joy! In two weeks I will be considered fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. What a year it has been. I feel liberated. I feel like I got my life back.
The doctor who gave me the shot said there is a 50% probability of mild to moderate symptoms. They would start in about ten hours. I knew I was in trouble when I woke up at midnight to use the bathroom and I couldn't stop shivering — and my home wasn't cold, 71°F. It was a rough night. Today, although I have some mild flu symptoms, I feel a lot better.
Everyone has their own pandemic story. I was determined not to be a victim of the coronavirus. I kept myself isolated. I limited my shopping errands to only one per month. I stocked my freezer until it was full. Many of the foods that went into cupboards or out to the shed were purchased online.
I worried, but I got through it. Now, according to CDC guidelines, people who are fully vaccinated can gather in the same room without wearing a mask or social distancing. I can invite friends to dinner again. Which also means it's time again to do what I call a "deep cleaning" of my home. I'm not an immaculate housekeeper — I wish I was — so some areas have been somewhat neglected during the past year. They're getting a thorough cleaning now.
I have a lapel pin that says "Vaccinated" that I will now wear when I go out. I still wear a mask when I go shopping. It's required here and everyone is cooperative. I never see anyone in a store not wearing one. But my mask is no longer for my protection. For me, it serves two purposes. It reminds others of the need to wear one and it might help protect others who aren't vaccinated yet.
Landscaping
I took a week off from working out in the yard. My efforts to fix my car put some strain on my back. On Sunday I wrote about my efforts to solve a problem with the brake light switch. To get to that switch I had to move the driver's seat all the way back, put a milk crate on-end on the ground outside my car door, and then crawl on my back under the dashboard to work on the problem. I did that several times until the problem was permanently fixed. My back was not happy, but thankfully I did not injure myself. I've been mobile, although a little stiff.
I'm upping my game a little. I was mixing small batches of mortar, using 7½ pounds of mix for each batch. This week I doubled that to 15 pounds per batch. My goal is to eventually lay down 30 pounds of mortar each day. At that rate, it will still take many months to complete my entire yard, but I need to see more progress. One or two little batches per day aren't enough.
And While I'm On the Subject of Landscaping
Very soon I will move the Buddha's hand citrus tree to a newer pot. I figured springtime might be the best time. The tree is doing well. I solved the aphid problem. There are new leaves and branches, and even some new fruit. The tree seems healthy enough to be transplanted.
Some of you might wonder why the tree is in a planter rather than the ground. I live in a mobile home in a trailer park. According to mobile home law here, it is illegal to plant a tree in the ground without written permission from the manager or owner. The reason is because all tree maintenance is the sole responsibility of the park owner. If I plant a tree in the ground, I create a potential liability for the owner.
Sunday 2021.4.18
Thankfully I Ain't Too Stoopid (or is it "stewpid"?)
I noticed my car's brake lights were on. They must have been lit all day because the battery was too low to start the engine. I was more than a bit worried about that because on Tuesday I'm supposed to drive down into the city for my second Moderna vaccine shot. In fact, that night I was awake in bed worrying about it.
I found the problem. A little plastic pad attaches to the bracket holding the brake pedal. The pad is thick enough to press against and disconnect the light switch when the pedal is released. Without the pad, the switch stays connected and the brake lights stay on. The plastic piece is about the diameter of a penny and three times as thick. Would three pennies suffice? There was only one way to find out.
I glued three pennies together using epoxy cement. After charging the battery (see below), I tested the pennies loosely in place. The brake lights did not come on. Satisfied the pennies would work, I glued them to the bracket.
I could have ordered the part. I found them online for $10.24 each. That seems very steep for less than 2 grams of plastic, especially when I was able to fix the problem for 3¢.
It's an old 1993 Nissan Pathfinder — 28 years old. I rarely drive it. It really does have fewer than 70,000 miles on it. It's not worn out; it's mechanically sound. The metal parts are all good and the car was well maintained. Most of the car is probably good for a couple hundred thousand more miles. But it's old. The cars they sell today aren't built to last 30 years. There is too much plastic.
For comparison sake, I think of my old black Singer 31-15 industrial sewing machine. According to the serial number, it was built in 1942. There isn't an ounce of plastic on it and nearly 80 years later it still works perfectly.
Who doesn't like a reliable car? My Pathfinder served me very well for many years. I bought it new and it has been one of the most reliable cars I ever owned. But lately I can't trust the car. It's little things. Last year a little rubber boot on the door switch deteriorated. That caused the interior lights to stay on and drain the battery. I fixed that easily enough. Now it's a "rubber stopper" on the brake pedal. What will fall apart next?
As for the battery, it only charged to 80% and wouldn't start the engine the following day. I tried using the charger again, this time selecting the battery repair function. It wouldn't work, reporting "Battery Failure." I knew it would need replacing soon anyway; so I called a local auto parts store. They had one in stock for $150. I exchanged batteries in the parking lot and all is well again with the car — for a while.
It's such a dilemma. When the car is working well I really enjoy driving it. It's a simple car. If there is a computer somewhere in there, it's equivalent to a Commodore 64 at best — maybe a Sinclair. It's not as easy to work on as an old VW Beetle, but it's not impossible either. And I drive it so little, all I really care about is that it will start and be usable when I turn the key.
Who knows what might fail next? I don't like needing to test my car a few days before I need it. I tested it again yesterday morning to make certain it would start. It did. At least I feel confident enough to drive the car to get my second Moderna shot on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, my attitude is that I only need to limp my car along a little while longer, then I'll buy a new car. I'm thinking of a Toyota. Maybe toward the end of the year I can get a good deal on a 2021 model. I like the 4Runner best.
More Sprouts
On Thursday another basil seed sprouted and this morning I saw a third one breaking the surface of the soil.
Wednesday 2021.4.14
Do You Like Conspiracy Theories?
Here's one for you. I suspect the makers of those Living Herbs plants sold in the grocery stores here put some sort of time-release pellets in the soil, like salts, that are not harmful to humans but slowly dissolve and eventually kill the roots of the herbs, thus preventing shoppers from placing the plant in soil and growing their own herbs.
How can I make such a daring assertion? Almost without exception the original basil plants still rooted in the Living Herbs pot have died. I was hoping they would continue to grow beneath the grow light — like they did in that video I watched — and give me more branches for clipping and rooting. There has been no growth, only a struggle for survival.
Seeing the futility of my hope, I snipped the last two surviving stalks and put them in a jar of water to root. Meanwhile, the original clippings continue to grow roots. In another two weeks those will be ready to transplant into pots of their own (without sabotaged soil). As for those last two surviving plants, I've been watching them. They perked up quickly in water and one is already starting to grow roots.
Should I experiment? I wondered if I might plant one rooted clipping in the original Living Herbs pot and another one in fresh potting mix I bought from Home Depot. Let the two plants live side-by-side beneath the grow lamp and observe what happens. If one withers while the other thrives, then something really is rotten in Denmark. I kept the original soil, in case I feel like experimenting.
And While I'm On the Subject of Gardening
Although it's early, so far the Early Girl indeterminate tomato plant appears to have survived the transplantation to a five gallon bucket in my yard. It's in an area where it will get plenty of sun (when the sky is not overcast).
A time will come very soon when I will have the end of my driveway cleared of some stuff I no longer need. I'll move the container onto the sunny side of the driveway to live for the summer until the sun sinks in the sky as winter approaches. Then there won't be enough sun because of the shade from my home. So, it will go back out to the southern part of my yard.
And something surprised me. I mentioned in Sunday's blog that I put one of the onion plants in the bucket with the tomato because onion supposedly helps keep pests away. I didn't notice it at the time (it was after sunset and getting dark), but the onion is pushing up a flower stalk too. I might have onion seeds soon.
Li'l Sprout
In Sunday's blog I mentioned having harvested some basil seeds and planting them in some potting mix. That was April 8th. Yesterday, five days later, the first of the seeds sprouted.
The information I found online said five to ten days. It was correct. There are a dozen seeds in that soil. I'm curious to see how many sprout. They're fresh seeds, just harvested from a basil plant, not bought in a packet at the store; so the success rate should be high.
As of the beginning of July I will have been retired for ten years. Some retirees travel, others take up gardening. I guess I'm of the latter ilk.
Another Made in China POS
I was disappointed this week when a desk lamp failed. The LED bulb died. I was even more disappointed when I learned the bulb cannot be replaced. Not only does the bulb burn out, the whole lamp becomes garbage, or at least recyclable material. The bulb had a date printed on it — 2012-12-29. So, okay, I got eight year's use out of it. Maybe it was worth it. However, the lamp's replacement will have a replaceable bulb.
Taxes
Even though the deadline for paying our 2020 taxes was extended from tomorrow to May 17th (due to the pandemic), I filed my taxes anyway. I know how my brain works. I need to do it when it's on my mind because otherwise I might forget and end up paying a penalty for filing and paying after the deadline.
I owed the feds $380 and I got a small refund of $28 from the state. The state doesn't tax Social Security benefits; the feds do.
Sunday 2021.4.11
Basil
It's rooting! I put basil clippings in water on March 28th and checked them often. Nothing. Finally, on April 7th I not only saw roots, but I saw a lot of them. They weren't very long, but they're there. It was time to increase the intensity of the grow lamp.
I even had a dream about basil. I was trying to figure out the seeds. I removed some of the dried flowers from a plant outside and looked at them carefully. There were clusters of little brown seeds inside, more than enough to start new plants.
I decided I needed to do some research on (where else?) the internet. Basil seeds are not like I dreamed them to be. They're tiny and black. I went outside to my fading basil plant and cut off one of the branches with brown flowers on it. Then I followed the directions I read online and harvested a dozen little black seeds (and two spiders).
I plugged in my soldering pencil and melted three drainage holes in the bottom of a plastic cup. Then I filled it with fresh potting mix, planted the seeds, watered them, and placed the cup beneath my grow lamp. Germination is supposed to take place in five to ten days.
Green Onions
Almost a year ago I planted some green onions I took from a neighbor's yard (they didn't want them). I didn't think much about them, but I did water them as often as I watered my herbs. Once or twice I cut a green leaf and used it in cooking; otherwise, I mostly ignored them. Recently two started to bloom.
As usual, I went onto the internet to learn more. Green onions are biennials. They grow leaves and somewhat of a bulb the first year. In their second year they flower to produce seeds and then die. I already knew that green onions do not produce a usable bulb. They are grown for their green leaves, which are used in cooking or chopped raw for a garnish. I like them chopped and cooked in my Egg Rolls.
The flowers are edible, having a mild onion flavor. They might look and taste good in a salad. However, leave the flowers in place until they turn brown and then harvest them for their little black seeds.
One web site said to place the seeds in the freezer for a couple days to kill any insects that might be present, then let them warm up to room temperature and store in an envelope. When fall arrives, plant them and enjoy more green onions the following summer. So that's the plan.
What Are They?
A few years ago someone gave me their citrus trees. I have five. I know what four of them are — Buddha's hand, dwarf tangerine, grapefruit and orange — but one mystified me. It produced fruit again.
They are pale yellow and the largest is five inches in diameter. Could it be more grapefruit? Intrigued, I harvested the largest one and cut it in half. The rind is white and really thick. The edible part is mildly sweet, not bitter, and doesn't taste like any citrus fruit I know.
It isn't grapefruit. So, another trip onto the internet might have solved the mystery. It appears to be a pomelo.
Two citrus trees I would really like to own are lemon and Meyer lemon. One of my plans is to replace the four ugly plastic pots someone gave me. Home Depot sells a really nice resin planter I like. I own one (my orange tree grows in it), but it's expensive — $100 each. The wide ugly pots might make good beds for growing basil.
Do You Remember the Tomato Project?
Late yesterday afternoon, a little before sunset, I put the indeterminate tomato plant into a five gallon bucket with good soil. I followed the directions I saw online, adding some gypsum for calcium and some rock phosphate. I also mixed a small amount of tomato fertilizer into the soil. Then I positioned the tomato cage around it. I included one onion plant, which still hadn't formed a bulb because, supposedly, onion is good for keeping pests away from tomatoes. The other onion plants were put into cups and placed beneath the grow lamp. If they survive, they might find a home somewhere in my yard, perhaps sharing a planter with my future basil.
By the time I was done and all the tools were put away, it was a little too dark for photography. I'll do that later.
Water
I'm on the subject of plants; so what's the water situation here? According to the county, we're at an all-time low for our 10-year average rainfall. Another drought could be coming. All the more reason to remove the Dymondia from my landscaping.
Quick Addendum
I had to buy more mortar mix at Home Depot yesterday; so I checked out the planter I like. The price was $10 less. I bought one.
Wednesday 2021.4.7
Landscaping
I am building up stamina. I started by doing one batch of mortar per day, each batch about 7½ pounds of dry mix to which I added water. Sunday I did four batches. I was tired afterward, but not too tired to cook dinner. I treated myself to some fried chicken wings prepped with my Finger Lickin' Chicken coating mix.
Vaccination
Yesterday was day 14 since my first Moderna vaccination against COVID-19. Current data indicate I am up to 90% protected from the virus. The protection rate from just one shot is so high, some agencies are considering delaying the second injection in favor of getting more people vaccinated with the first shot. When my time comes for my second shot, which will be around April 20 (see below), I'll get the second shot. My health insurance pays for it; so why not?
No Grout About It
The grouting with mortar continues. Some days I do more than others. Monday, after using 30 pounds of mortar mix the previous day, I went a little easy on myself. I did one batch — 7½ pounds is still progress. I also used part of the morning to pull up more Dymondia, enough to fill a five-gallon bucket. Then I collected loose soil and sifted it for leveling stones. In some areas the sandstone slumped almost an inch because of the gophers tunneling beneath it. For proper drainage, it needs to be raised until level with the road.
I continue to use small stones and pebbles to decorate some of the grout. They're embedded deep enough not to create a tripping hazard. It's easy to see where I was working. The grout looks dark gray while it hardens. By the following day it has a light gray color, similar to concrete.
The color of the sandstone annoys me now because it looks so dirty. It's not from the mortar. I carefully sponge with clean water around the seams when I finish grouting. The discoloration is from dirt that settled into place beneath the Dymondia as it grew over the stones. After the mortar has had time to fully cure, which takes up to 28 days, I'll hose it down and maybe use my pressure washer to clean it.
Meanwhile, I asked a friend to tell me when he next plans to shop at Costco. I don't need anything at the store, but it's in the same shopping center as Home Depot. The hope is that he'll meet me out front and help me with some bags of mortar mix. They're 60 pounds each. I can handle one, but if I have his help (he's a lot younger) I'll buy four bags — fewer trips to the store. He shops at Costco often; so getting his help shouldn't be difficult.
And One More Thing
This morning I scheduled my second Moderna vaccination shot for April 20th. I also ordered a "Vaccinated" lapel pin from Amazon.
Sunday 2021.4.4
Happy Easter
When I was a child in New England Easter was an important time. It wasn't just the tradition of the family dyeing Easter eggs. There was a special mass at church. We usually visited my grandmothers in Webster, Mass. My mother's mother sometimes gave us some Greek bread, in the middle of which was an egg died dark red.
My mom sometimes said she wondered how the Greeks got the eggs so red. A little research on the internet provides one answer. They collected the skins from red onions, sometimes taking some of the skins that fell off into the onion bin at the grocery store. There is a simple method for extracting the red color and then using it to dye the eggs.
Reminiscing
Now that I feel like I'm beginning to make some real progress in my yard, I went back and looked at the photographs I took of the initial work in 2015 — digging up all my lawn, sifting the dirt to remove roots, leveling the ground, and placing big pieces of heavy sandstone. Then there was all the Dymondia I planted and watching it grow to fill in the gaps. It was a lot of work. It took two months and cost me about $6,000 in materials. I did the labor myself. And I had a beautiful yard — for a while. Then the gophers moved in.
Looking at the photographs gives me confidence I can complete this new project. Six years hasn't made too much of a difference in my health. Yes, there has been an entire year of sitting in front of my computer everyday and watching TV in the evening like a couch potato. How many of us have seen our activity decline and our waist size expand during these past 12 months? I plead guilty.
In the next few weeks I hope to have some new photographs to share again. Some work has been done already, but not enough to be worthy of photography.
Maybe after another month we will enter the days when the sky is overcast because of the marine layer. It's a bank of low clouds and fog that moves in from the ocean at night and it doesn't leave until around noon the next day. Some days it lingers all day. We call it May Gray and June Gloom. Some people find the cloudy weather depressing, but I see it as an opportunity to work outside more. I need the fresh air and the exercise. Hooray for gray!
And I'm looking forward to even less maintenance. I got rid of my lawn because mowing and weeding was too much work. Now, even trimming Dymondia seems like too much effort. At most, I might need to pressure wash my stones once or twice each year, and that can be done in a single day. As for the debris that falls from the Juniper tree, it will be even easier to clean up. I will have a beautiful yard again.
Meanwhile…
Thursday was a good day. I laid two batches of grout, using up the last of that bag of concrete mix I mistakenly bought. I started early; so I was done by 10AM. And a good thing too. The day was predicted to be warm, 79°F, but by 2:00 in the afternoon the temperature had climbed to nearly 90°.
So, after a light lunch and a cup of coffee, I drove to Home Depot and bought some mortar mix, type N. That's the stuff I should have bought initially. A 60-pound bag is only $4.60. I bought two. Sixty pounds was so difficult to manage, I wondered how I got a 90-pound bag of concrete mix into a shopping cart a week ago. Then I drove to a gas station to fill my SUV's tank. You might not believe this:
I drive so little now, I fill my tank only once per year. I keep my receipts. My last fill up was March 15, 2020. I even checked my credit card history to make certain I hadn't lost a receipt. And that's why I need to charge my battery with a trickle charger occasionally. I don't drive enough to keep it charged.
Friday and yesterday were even better. I did two batches of mortar — 15 pounds each day — in the morning and prepped more area for grouting the following day.
Ode to Mortar
Inexpensive, soft as clay.
Easy mix and easy trowel.
Go you gophers, run away.
Or dare you linger and cry foul.
It really is easy stuff to work with, and the working time is 90 minutes — plenty of time for me to fuss with it. I anticipate a day may come when I can use up an entire 60-pound bag in a single day. Maybe June.