Ahhhhhh.. I took the day off.. and really needed to.. I slept late (7 AM).
puttered around the house for a it (Diane was out helping friend Maureen move)..
I the wandered out and cleaned my lab.. It had gotten into an amazingly bad state over the past 3 weeks. I have the tesla coil build going, some stuff for the Haunted Forest pumpkin and a huge mess for various Halloween costumes. Cleaning the lab is like uncluttering my mind.. putting back all the components, tools and instruments back into their places is strangely soothing..
The clean workbench inspired me to finally debug our broken invisible fence.. We’d noticed the dogs getting dangerously close to the road.. I started by checking the wire continuity with an AM radio.. it’s a neat trick.. you can actually ‘hear’ the fence underground as you move the radio over it.. No breaks… hmmmm… I checked the loop with an ohmeter and confirmed it was connected.. so.. I took the whole unit apart.. After a bit of snooping, I found the culprit.. a 50 cent high voltage suppressor had blown and shorted.. I popped it out and the unit started right up.. (need to order a replacement) .. Very strange.. the only thing I can figure that might have done that was a lightening strike to the house.. our lightning rod ground goes right next to one of the lead wires to the fence loop.. pretty cool.. no ?
I managed to get in some more goofing around.. some meditating, a nap and a run.. I felt rejuvenated.. which I really need because I have such a busy week coming up.
Later in the afternoon, Diane and I walked over to visit neighbors Bob and Amanda.. You can always recognize Bob as he drives his orange truck.. I was tickled to see he’d decorated it with a pumpkin face.
Bob had been cleaning out his old house and his mothers old house.. so he had some cool stuff to show us.. like this old sign they used t to advertise all night barn dances in their barn. It’s on the ack of a very old map of Vermont.
He’d found an old teachers desk that he figures must have been from our house at some point.
He also had found a bunch of old books.. including a nice
collection of urns poems.. all form the ‘Jonesville Free Library’.. which we
just learned today was in the room we now use as a mudroom. How cool is that
?!?! How often do you learn a new fact about the house you’ve owned for nearly
30 years ?
It was great visiting with Bob and Amanda.. and checking out their new house.. They’re trying to sell Bob’s mom’s house right next store.. it’s a nice old place if anyone is interested in a real Vermont farmhouse. Here’s a mid-late 19th century map of our neighborhood.. Bob’s mom hous is labeled ‘S. Coly’ We’re the ‘Jonesville Academy’
Now.. just sitting around trying to figure out if we feel like going out for a Halloween party. .. or just staying here.. both sound fun..
Mmmm.. diane just pulled some cupcakes out of the oven.. one even looks liek a ghost.. maybe that means we should go to the party ?
OK.. that’s all for now.. more tomorrow..
Happy all hallow’s eve-eve
nite all, nite sam
-me