Summer Microcosm

     That jar has to go downstairs.

      I had my morning chores all lined out.  The dirty work clothes were in the washing machine, now my clean work shirts and jeans, waiting to be hung online to dry.

      There wasn’t much rush since rain showers the past two evenings meant it would be afternoon at the earliest before I could go stir the dirt with tractor and plow.  Hanging out the clothes was first on my mental list.

     But wait, that jar needs to go downstairs.  Jar in hand, down I went.  Then I saw it.  Or rather, I didn’t see it.  Mouse bait was gone.  A check of other sites in the trap line revealed two of them had been visited overnight.

     Now I had to rebait the two traps.  That meant a trip to the garage to get bait.  On the way to the garage, I decided I might as well check out the cellar door, one of the most frequent rodent entrance points. 

     There were some places where the dirty rodents could be getting in.  First things first.  I grabbed the bait and returned to the basement to freshen the traps.  Back to the cellar door. 

     Some caulking had loosened its grip on the decaying wood.  A mouse could easily squeeze itself through between the sagging caulk and the old wood.  Back to the porch for caulk. 

     The open tube in the caulking gun had dried caulk in the spout.  Attempts to force the caulk out failed.  I grabbed a knife and sliced off the tapered part of the spout.  Then the dried caulk shot out like a cannonball and the fresh stuff threatened to splat on the floor.

     The old caulk in the cellar door joint was soon removed and replaced by fresh stuff.  There were a couple of holes that would need steel wool to fill the gap.  Back to the garage.  When I grabbed the doorknob, the same one I had just used to access the mouse bait, it didn’t exactly come off in my hand.  It did flop around loosely in the door.  It didn’t retract the bolt from the latch.

     I thought of garage door opener remotes near me, but I managed to get the knob to engage the bolt well enough to open the door.  No need to open the big door.  But, one more chore lined itself up in front of project number one, hanging up the laundry to dry. 

      Having crammed steel wool into possible moue ingresses, I returned to the caulking gun, which soon ran out of caulk before I had completed my task.  Another partially used tube of caulk proved more difficult when it came to dislodging the dried goop from the spout. 

     Eventually, I succeeded with the caulking gun and had closed several possible leaks in the doorway.  Now for the garage doorknob.  It shouldn’t be malfunctioning.  I removed it only a few months ago when I painted the door.  I lubricated and adjusted it when I replaced it.   It should be in good shape.

     Straining to see anything in the dark interior, I recalled that I needed a straight blade screwdriver to release the catch on the knob.  Back in the porch to get the screwdriver, I glanced at the washing machine.  Oh yes, I was going to hang out the laundry first thing.

      When I removed the knob, the escutcheon dangled loosely and the entire lock mechanism flopped around, held in place only by the bolt.  A couple more trips for a Philips screwdriver and a flashlight and I was able to see and reposition the escutcheon and tighten the screws to hold it in place.

      Now all I had to do before getting to my first chore, the laundry, was put away tools, steel wool, and caulking gun.  As I finished at the clothesline, I glanced at my watch—after nine o’clock.  No need to worry about getting an early start on the day’s work.

      And that is pretty much the way my summer has gone.