Suddenly, it got hot.  One day it was +32C.  The cloud hanging about made it sultry, but on the occasions that the sky is clear at night, it freezes.

My knee improves all the time, but I am still a long way from walking properly or being able to take a step without pain.  However, I am now limber enough to be able to do  a few chores about the place.

These two switches were installed by different people.  They ended up being at different levels, and the wood in between became damaged.  So I tidied them up and cut a plate out of a piece of roofing metal and put it behind.

I put facing boards around the door.

And I installed a low shelf.  This might not look much, but it was, I felt, a considerable achievement as I cannot kneel so must sit or lie to work low down, and have to get up and down from the floor with an awkward sort of one-legged downward dog yoga pose.

The salad garden I planted before the operation (nearly 3 months ago, now) is thriving.  How luscious these fresh-picked greens taste.  There are arugula, kale, spinach, and various herbs.  (I am not fond of lettuce.)  (The sticks are to prevent the dogs from lying on it.)

Another job was to fetch my truck from the highway.  Over a year ago, during breakup, I skidded the van on ice and mud and ran into a tree.  The all wheel drive had not been working, and now the steering was shot.  I had to have the van towed into Williams Lake.  At considerable expense, both items were apparently repaired, but the steering was terrible – finally I took it to another mechanic and got that fixed – and when winter rolled around it was obvious that the all wheel drive was still not working either.  Finally, I came to an arrangement with the first garage to redo his work for no charge.  A friend drove the van into town.  Now I had to get it back: I finally felt I could handle the driving but needed a ride into Williams Lake.  Another friend could fit me in – if I was at the end of my road at 5.00am.  Although I have been hiking quite a bit, I did not feel I could walk all four kilometres to Highway 20.  So I drove the truck to the meeting point.

I got the van home, but now the truck was at the highway.  I got it back over a period of three days.  I drove the van 2/3 of the way, walked to the truck, and drove it back to the van.  On the second day, I encountered very fresh black bear tracks in the dust.

You can even see the little wrinkles on his feet.

We had all been congratulating ourselves at the lack of mosquitos – the Chilcotin is famous for its bugs –  but the hot weather has brought them out with a vengeance.

They are pouring into the house: I have hunted and hunted for holes.  I have to sleep under a net, and on the muggier days must sit under the net to read.

And when I go outside, I move so slowly that I cannot keep ahead of the bugs and must wear my Serious Bug Net.  Over the years I have designed a number of creations but all the others restricted vision to a greater or lesser degree.  I got some frames and had plain glass put in them, then glued a net around the edge.  It works very well.  It looks frightful!

 

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