rainy days, organizing garage

The last two days have been rainy, and while I went outdoors, both days the skies opened up on me!

I'm in a really bad phase with poison ivy, by the way. The only saving grace is that it's not as bad as west coast poison oak, which I also had in Oregon. Bad enough, tho. Week 2 of it, and by Week 4, I guess it'll be gone.

So the last two days I've spent my work time on the garage. It was a laughable disaster. For one thing, I have 10 new electric tools and want to keep the boxes in case they die quickly so I can return them. That pile of boxes is still there and not pictured.

But the tools hanging against the wall are up now, so that shovel will quit falling on my noggin every time I grab something else!

The white cabinet on the right (free, from Sister #2) is filled with garden stuff--tiny tools, poisons, plant markers, tomato and flower food, extra gloves, and whatnot.  Getting just those two things done is a big improvement. And third from the left of the tools, the smallest of them, is a gift from BIL #1, FENCE PLIERS, which are like my second favorite tool EVER. I had some in Oregon but sold them. So smart a design! My favorite tool ever is to its left, a hand hoe/straight claw, heavy enough to also kill an attacker with. I took out a big bush stump with only that and the loppers. I've never seen another, and you couldn't buy it from me for a thousand bucks. I had it with me the whole time in the RV, not because I needed it but because I knew I'd never replace it if I gave it away.

The next two days are supposed to be cooler and dry, so I get to mow again. I actually haven't quite finished the mowing from last time, but it's time to do it all over. However, the weather is forecast to be cool enough I can stay out five or six hours each day and catch up. My BIL keeps telling me if I buy a rider mower, I can knock the whole yard off in an hour. I don't want one tho. I'll kill myself on it.

Every ten days, I have a task list to get through:

1. mow front, side, & back
2. weedwhip/edge ... and turn the compost pile
3. leaf blow the driveway
4. pick up the GD sweet gum balls, which never ever stop until I murder that tree
5. clean the house
6. shop for groceries

And then the other four days, I get to do maybe one fun thing, and I write most days, check the veggie garden daily and water containers every other day if it hasn't rained and leafblow the back patio....whew! With the time left, I have to try and make headway on the flower beds that I've barely touched, spray Roundup some more, etc. (That poison ivy is fighting for life, so it'll take two doses at least.) I have a list of other chores, repairs and high-priority improvements. It's long. Between being rained out some days and "heated out" on others, I may be done with the list by the time the ground freezes in December.

Bad news in cleaning out the garage: they left me over 20 empty paint cans. (or cans with two inches of paint in them, which is worse).

Good news in cleaning out the garage: I'd been frustrated at thrift stores looking for cutlery. I finally bought a 20-piece set at a Ross for $9, but that really won't help me if I have a crowd here (and I have a crowd of relatives that would overwhelm 8 forks. But among the paint cans and casters that go to furniture that's long gone and curtain rods I don't want, I found this:

Aha! Ask and ye shall receive, apparently.