Lock-down Day 282

Nature woke me early, I answered her call, then turned over. And finally got up around seven. Sigh ... Tonight I really must go to sleep earlier!

No rain during the night, either - but at least it is cooling down! I was beginning to wonder, whether my thermometer was broken, as I hadn't seen it go below 30. Now it's showing 27. Nice!

There were a few drops of rain earlier today, and I'm also feeling the pressure / migraine waving around my head. Fortunately, it's not staying. It's overcast, and I'm optimistically hoping for rain ...

Cookie day! I've brought everything into the bedroom, I use my breakfast tray for the dough and a baking tray for the cookies. The darker dough (where I used cocoa powder) is very crumbly. The lighter dough (where I used chocolate chips) feels perfect. Somewhat tough to break off smaller portions of dough, but much less messy and more pliable.

After baking, I added my special touch: half a piece of baking chocolate pressed in the center. The darker cookies crumble - some fell apart. The lighter cookies are perfect! No crumbling, no resistance, just perfect!

I've tasted both, and the darker ones are not as sweet as I like. I'm certain that I simply used too much cocoa powder. That explains everything. Why the dough is too dry, and why it's not as sweet.

I rolled the rest of the dark dough, ready to bake another batch. The first batch has cooled down enough to put it in the container - it's full. No need to bake another batch! So I've put that 2nd batch into the freezer. Once frozen, I'll vacuum pack it!

Ziva just came in - wet! I looked outside, and there's a bit of a drizzle going on - not much, not exactly rain, just a light drizzle. It's not even covering the ground completely, I still hope more will come!

My headache is coming again, as well, though bearably. I was feeling hot, like I have a temperature. I checked, it's normal. I think Mewthos is also affected by the weather, he's very grumpy. Or should I say: mewly! He comes in, goes into their play room, and mewled pitifully! He quiets down, when I pick him up and hold him. Then goes off somewhere for a while, before repeating the cycle.

I suppose I don't need to mention that my lawn still hasn't been mowed, do I? Sigh ...

Well, I've finished with the cookies. One batch is frozen and vacuum packed and another batch is rolled and in the freezer now. Yeah, it's nine in the evening.

I didn't do much else today, just relaxed and played a game I had sort of stopped playing for a few years - and re-discovered the pleasure of it. I've been playing that game for over a decade, one and off. It's very simply, just a lot of mindless clicking ... quite relaxing, actually.

Around five I went outside to see whether mippies were ready to come in - they all sprawled over the grill! Ha Ha! As I often do, I stood thinking what should be my first priority, or next step. I said before, that, as soon as we get some rain, my next step should be to finish clearing the bed by the grill and place my succulents there - but as I stood there tonight, looking at that dead tree, I realised that there is no way to take down that tree without that bed being trampled and destroyed.

I don't think I'll be able to take that tree down by myself, and there is not one person I know of, who would seriously make any effort to avoid trampling over the bed, stomping on and over any plant in it ... that kind of multi-thinking is simply not in the make-up of anyone I know, who could help me. Mind on one task, is standard. So, that tree will have to come down before I place my succulents in that bed.

But how? Well, I won't be able to figure that out, until I can actually see the tree itself - the branches, the trunks ... all of which is currently completely covered by that creeper! As I stepped closer, pulling some strands off, to get some idea - Janey jumped from the fence onto the carport roof ... and strolled onto the house roof!

And didn't know how to get off again! She walked all over the roof, looking for a way down - at one point, she went towards the bedroom side, and I feared she might try to jump onto my neighbour's carport! If she jumps into their yard, those dogs ... 

Well, she didn't. She walked and mipped and searched and mipped ... I got the ladder, but - unlike Ziva - she wouldn't let me pick her off! I'm not sure whether it was just her strong desire to be independent = find her own way off, or whether she didn't trust me to not drop her - or maybe just didn't want the discomfort of being picked off. Well, I went inside and lugged the big cat tree outside and put it there, by the corner, for her to jump onto. She wouldn't. I shlepped it to the car port ... no go ... I placed it on top of the dryer in the carport, which made it a simple step-down for her ... no go! With that tall tree, with the four beds, she really could have simply waltzed down, walk-in-the-park style! That's what convinced me, it's her desire to show me her capabilities, her independence, that kept her looking for another way!

However, at that point, there was nothing more I could do, so I called my mippies inside and gave the three their treat. Janey strolled down the way she got up - via the wall / fence. Only ... she went to the front door, which was closed! I had to unlock the front gate to let her in! Then I lugged the cat tree inside, followed by the ladder, before I could lock the back porch gate and close up!

Well, tomorrow is the last day at home ... I should do a load of laundry, maybe bake some muffins, but definitely make myself pizza. Which still leaves me time to garden - I think I will work on that tree I need to take down. Clear the area around it and get rid of as much of the creeper as I can.

Today, we had all of half a mm rainfall! Sigh ... I still hope for more ... it's overcast, so not completely impossible!