My to-do list from earlier had a lot of outside chores — mostly outside chores. Trimming things. Painting things. And that’s why I spent the vast majority of the day outside today. I worked on the Leyland cypresses, which, truth be told, are just kicking my ass. I have to cut the top 10 feet or so out of them, which means cutting branches that are several inches in diameter. I topped the main trunks years ago: these are simply additional branches coming off of where I topped them initially. And I know, I know — it will happen again.

Today, I also trimmed several other things that needed it — I can only work so long in the cypresses since have to wear long pants and long sleeves to keep from getting scratched to pieces.

And I mowed. And K and I finished sealing the deck, with a little help from E while L was at work. And K collapsed into bed, and I cleaned up the kitchen a bit, poured, some scotch, lit a cigar, and wrote this.