I traveled down Route 6 this morning to see the dentist, stopping in Orleans on the way back for provisions at Phoenix. When I returned home, Sven was eager to show me three barrels full of cut branches from the old cherry tree that grew beside the Seagull Cottage parking area. Disease finally made us decide to chop the tree down over the weekend.
I also cut the last fennel flowers and placed them in a bouquet of store-bought flowers for Seagull Cottage. The tiny whirls of yellow are so delicate and add great contrast in texture to the daisies and carnations, don’t you think? Next I wrote the letter I posted to the blog yesterday and followed that with a second letter to State Senator Robert O’Leary, who had responded to my interest in banning “certain toxic substances” in a letter of his own. Then I wrote Alastair Sawday to protest changes to his online policy regarding establishments that are not in his print travel guides. A whole lot of writing going on! (I have firmly believed in the power of the written word since the day a letter of mine succeeded in convincing the high school principal at my daughters' school in France to install a condom machine!) I spent an inordinate amount of time reading blogs, emails from friends, and news on the Internet. Have you noticed how email addiction bites into your leisure time and spits you out frazzled and slightly droopy around the edges? I had intended to go plant tulips in the garden of a 90-year-old neighbor before the rain but simply didn’t have the energy. 
Meanwhile, Sven kept an eye on the bricklayer who was fixing the chimney prior to installation of our new wood stove. After three weeks without a single guest, the income fairy will visit this week. Hurray! I had planned to start cleaning for our Thanksgiving guests, two groups for two days each, but the day flew by and soon it was time to prepare dinner. Every once and a while I checked to see if my son had carved out an hour or two for the new Web site launch, but no. Guess it will have to wait until tomorrow …
