The Leak, the Furnace, Lobsters, and a Tornado
Friday, Woody discovered a leak from a water pipe over the furnace. He called Larry who has been our plumber for 25 years. He told Woody he is now a local plumbing inspector and couldn’t come Friday but would try to come on Saturday, although he had an off-Cape appointment.
Saturday, Woody did not have his cell phone with him when Larry called him. By the time he saw the call, Larry didn’t answer. Woody must have called twelve times and got no answer. He was really freaking out. We were to be at Gigi’s gallery in Harwichport by 6 pm. When Gigi invited us for supper a month ago, the dinner as to be in their home in Brewster. But the woman who subs for Gigi at the Cross Rip gallery was not available Saturday, so Gigi had to work up until 5:30 instead of cooking. She ordered lobster dinners to be ready the next day to be picked up just before we arrived. Woody said he wouldn’t go. I persuaded him to go as it wouldn’t be even slightly fair to Gigi and Ralph to back out when lobster dinners coming.
He said the leak would short out the furnace and burn the house down. I talked him into shutting off the furnace and going. We were eating some delicious smoked fish when all the cells went off. TORNADE WARNING. TORNADO IN 10 MINUTES. TAKE SHELTER IN BASEMENT. But neither they nor we have abasement. We diecded to just go on eating and drinking as there was no way to find a safe place. Actually the tornado touched down in Hyannis and then went off to Martha’s Vinyard like a summer tourist.
Just before we went to the table, Larry called. We had left the house open and the lights on and the furnace off. He fixed the leak while we were eating. Calm restored.
Woody is putting the gardens to sleep this week. He has finished the lower garden—take drip hoses up, dump manure into the raised bed. He also has an interview with a novelist for WOMR this week -- he hardly ever does novels, only nonfiction books. During the Covid lockdown the WOMR studios were closed so like many broadcasters he began doing his own engineering, actually something he’s kept up because it gives him much more freedom to schedule and the sound quality is good.
I have continued writing a mix of short poems including a couple of haius, but mostly just under 10 lins, and medium length poems this week. I am essentially done with garden work except for mulching tree peonies. I’m just taking care of the herbs and ornamentals I potted and brought inside. Putting the gardens to sleep is Woody’s job. We ate the last salad from my garden on Wednesday. Now only leeks and Brussels sprouts are left in his.
He did most of the shopping for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, although he’ll still have to pick up the turkey he ordered. I’ve settled on my recipes. Dale is making hors d’oeuvres. Melenie will help me cook again this year, after we missed last year. Just six this year, but better than last with just 2 friends on the unheated sunporch in our winter clothes sharing a duck during a rainstorm. I’ve already picked out one of our pumpkins and pureed it for the pie. Also selected one of the blue ones I grew for the first time this year to stuff. I do an apple cranberry sauce instgad of straight cranberry, as it’s mellower and doesn’t need as much sugar.