I took this short video in my backyard today.

I hung these flags up over my Japanese maple a few days ago. I picked these up in Kansas City, MO on one of the many trips I made when my mom was sick. I got them at a store called Temple Slug a few blocks from the hospital. I remember hearing their ads on the radio in the 70s. They were one of the first stores selling waterbeds in the Kansas City area and they still do.

I had never been in there before that day but always wanted to go there. I had always thought it was waterbeds and what they used to call “head shops” back in the day – a place to buy bongs and other “smoking accessories”. I think they might have even sold concert tickets back then. Perhaps it was, but now they are selling decorative imported things for the home along with beds and futons.

I would like to get another set for the trailer. I actually bought these to put in the trailer and while cleaning and organizing I saw them and thought I would put them up in a special place. Japanese maples usually turn red and that was my mom’s favorite color.

Speaking of red, last night I cracked open a bottle of 19 Crimes shiraz from 2017. I had not had that one yet and wanted to try it. Unfortunately I discovered before it was too late that the bottle had a bottom and it is now all gone. It was pretty good but I liked the last bottle better. With the bottle ending up being empty I guess it was more than okay! I picked up another Dark Red one today.

I am enjoying one last long weekend before the change in my days off. It has been a busy two days and I did get quite a lot done so tomorrow is a down day.

I decided to not take the trailer out this weekend for a couple of reasons. It has been quite busy (meaning traffic and being crowded) with the nicer weather but the main reason is my broken license plate bracket. I ordered the parts but they did not get here in time. I could probably put it in the back window to get by but I don’t want to get hassled by the law either. I also needed to get a few personal things taken care of.

I got some things done yesterday; post office stop to mail some things, a storage unit run, a badly needed acupuncturist appointment. I also stopped by the RV repair place and they said it was going to be about $700 to fix the cracked shower pan in the trailer. Yikes AND damn!! Looks like I am going to have to attempt to try and fix it myself with that cost. I then got the futon out of the cabin and put it under the carport. It was just too big for the space so I removed it and got my recliner out of storage. That freed up a ton of real estate inside my cabin.

Today I went to eat at my other neighbors’ restaurant. Delicious homemade biscuits and gravy with home fries. They are the neighbors that gave me the cinnamon roll. They had maple bacon pastries, gluten-free and vegan items. A pretty good place to eat and I’ll be going back to eat at their place as well as my other neighbor’s restaurant.

After breakfast I flushed the water system in the trailer and I forgot just how long that takes. Flushing the water system is easy but time-consuming. Flush out the water line anti-freeze until the faucets run clear, fill the tank back up and sanitize by adding bleach and running the faucets until they smell like chlorine, then rinse until no smell and drain. The draining is the time-suck. It’s all done now. I started the process and while that was going I ran the old-time reel mower around the estate to cut the grass. There’s five minutes of the day shot.

Other time was taken up by oiling my new hiking boots for work so I can start the fun of breaking them in. Another coat tomorrow and then I am putting them on. They are the ones I tried on in Bozeman last trip there and I really liked them. Quite spendy but they ought to last for a long time. I have never broken in boots like this and I have heard about the blisters and such. I think I just might want to avoid that.

I replaced the stove bolts on the rear tube bumper with carriage bolts so the sewer hoses can actually fit in the bumper like it was designed. The heads of the original bolts stuck up inside the tube and were blocking the hoses from fitting inside. Maybe the sewer hoses that I bought are bigger than the ones that came with it and have a tougher time fitting. They are in there now!

I am kicked back in the recliner, typing this and watching “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” – a classic – for the umpteenth time. I think tomorrow I will get some supplies and cook up at least one dish. I’ll have to check my freezer space first. I’ve got a bag of salmon burgers at Costco a few weeks ago and have been grilling them but my freezer is not that big and they take up some space. I started to put recipes in my shopping list so I have some ideas always with me in my iPhone.

Well, Ferris is now asleep and I am going to put this thing away and relax. Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.