Every afternoon around three, we walk down to the community garden behind the library and check on the tomato plants. The soil there has a lot of clay, so we mixed in some compost from the bins near the parking lot. My neighbor Ruth started a row of basil and now she can't figure out what to do with all of it. She asked if I wanted to take some for a pasta sauce. I told her yes, but only if she shows me how she makes that lentil soup with the lemon zest. Last week the sprinkler timer was acting up again and half the plot got flooded. We're meeting on Thursday to reroute the hose and maybe add some mulch.

We spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to fix the loose step on the back porch. I borrowed a cordless drill from a friend and bought some longer screws from the hardware store on Grove Lane. The wood underneath was still solid, but the old nails had backed out over the winter. We propped up the frame with a couple of bricks and went to work. My son held the board steady while I put in the new screws. After that we sanded down the railing and put a coat of stain on the top rail. It looks much better now, and the step doesn't wobble at all. Next weekend we might tackle the gutter over the kitchen window, but I need to get a taller ladder first. I was thinking we could pick one up from the rental place instead of buying it. That way we don't have to store it in the garage all year. Do you know anyone who has a good extension ladder? Let me know if you hear of one.