Frustating Weekend

Excerpt from email yesterday to my brother:

Our roof has a small leak - a cup of water the last rainstorm - around the furnace vent pipe. I was going to go on the roof today and look at it to determine what's the problem but I couldn't talk myself into it. I'll have to have roofers come out to give an estimate. Maybe if I study how they get on the roof, I could talk myself into it. I just had no idea about how to do the last part of stepping around the side of the 3' projection of the ladder over the roof edge. I have gotten on the roof before but that was long ago!

The extension ladder is a 16' one and to have 3' of the ladder above the roof, the ladder had to be fully extended and that didn't feel right. I wonder if I could have had less ladder above the roof and would have felt more comfortable. Spouse was going to steady the ladder. Now I have to research roofers with Better Business Bureau and ask hikers who they'd recommend and see who's willing to come out to look at it. I'm disheartened but maybe I'll get some one good and trustworthy who will fix it for once and for all. This problem was "fixed" after the new roof was installed but I wonder was it really.

Let small bird out of woodstove Saturday. It perched atop our photo frames singing until it finally could navigate out the open front door.

Spouse installed our digital converter boxes this weekend. Now there is a total of 5 remotes for the livingroom TV. Next year I won't be able to record shows off the big TV as it's too complex to have the signal hooked up to the VCR as well as the dvd player, the converter box, and the satellite receiver but I will be able to record off the little TV in spouse's bedroom. The TV in the bedroom now has a really good picture like it's on the cable or something.

All spouse's dithering with the digital converter box has made me want to get rid of all electronic devices. It's made me wish a lot for a simpler life.

Today we hiked the Coyote Call Trail. Spouse waited for me at Scooter Pass while I went out to the Alamo Boundary TH and back. I went up to several of the ponds to try to spot the peepers who were singing away but no luck. I could smell the wintergreenish smell from the much chewed upon downed aspen as I walked over it. The sun was bringing the smell out strongly. I would like to go up Misty Meadow to Rabbit Ridge and back down the RR Road to the Coyote Call TH, starting at Alamo Bdy TH. That whole area is so inviting. There are going to be a slew of irises when they finally start blooming. There were no vehicles parked at AB TH but 3 parked at CC TH. We only saw one couple on the Coyote Call Trail. Promising clouds were floating over Scooter Peak but they were stingy with their moisture.

Spouse was having premature ventricular contractions, probably from the coffee he drinks, and wasn't very talkative. He had to stop a lot going up the first hill to the upper Coyote Call trail loop. My right foot was hurting at the end but the left hip felt fine.

Oh, I have a heel spur but I don't think that's what's causing the instep pain. I had heel spur symptoms years ago but when the symptoms go away, the heel spur doesn't - your foot just gets used to it. I have some mild degenerative changes in the area of pain. I'm unsure what I'll do next but not happy that the pain won't just go away and stop harassing me!!