[Note: this is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]
2/27/21
Aloha All –
Well, after more than a year here at home – the longest we’ve spent in one place in many, many years – we’re making plans for a spring trip to the mainland. One of our bucket list items has been to see Biltmore Estate in North Carolina and to explore that general area, and this seemed like the time to finally do it since international travel would be exceedingly difficult and risky. The timing will hopefully coincide with the annual blooming of the dogwoods and azaleas and include a heavy dose of some of the highly regarded gardens in that area, including the Biltmore itself. Our plan so far is to fly to Cincinnati, then travel by car to Knoxville for a few days to enjoy the dogwood bloom and some great barbeque. This part of the itinerary we’ve done before when we lived in Ohio, but it was a quick visit on our way further south. We will then head for Asheville North Carolina, Charlotte, Boone, and the Smoky Mountain National Park before returning to Asheville and staying for several nights at the Biltmore Estate. Hopefully the experience will include great scenery, flowers and gardens, and LOTS of really good barbecue. We’ll then return to Ohio for a visit to old friends. It’s kind of fun making these arrangements again – we’ve really missed it!
The other main focus this week was been our preparations for our termite tenting that is scheduled for next Thursday and Friday. It turns out there is a fair amount of effort required on our part to get ready. On Thursday the company dropped off a stack of special plastic bags that are for food items that will be remaining in the house during the fumigation, like stuff in our freezer and refrigerator, plus anything else that the gas might get into, like pasta and cereals. This is just a precaution – the gas dissipates completely and leaves no residue except for a small amount of fluoride, which I guess might be harmful if ingested in large quantities. Anyway, for weeks we have been trying to reduce our freezer inventory and thin out the other food so that we won’t have to bag as much.
The other preparations involve the house itself, including cutting back plants from around the house so that the tarps will be close to the foundation and form a tight seal. Also, the gas is deadly for many kinds of plants, so we’re moving anything we want to keep safe. Right before the tenting we will turn off our gas supply to the house and also our pool equipment, open all the cabinet doors and windows so the gas can circulate more freely. Once the gas is introduced nobody can be inside, of course, and since it stays sealed for 12-14 hours, we’ve made arrangements to check into a nearby hotel for the night. The next day (Friday) the gas is cleared out and the tent is removed, and the house is aired out until it is deemed safe to re-enter. It all sounds a bit scary, but this is done all the time here and it hasn’t led to any casualties that I’m aware of. The gas breaks down when it mixes with air and this lessens – but doesn’t eliminaste – the negative environmental impact of the fumigation. Companies are not allowed to do this treatment unless there is clear evidence of termite activity, which we have. Our house was last tented 20 years ago when we bought it. These are drywood termites, which are much slower than the subterranean type. In our climate and region it isn’t a matter of IF you get termites, but rather WHEN and How Bad. Another cost of living in paradise...
I didn’t hike this week, but Karen and I did go to Planet Fitness on Thursday. She also played golf on Monday. Our new Covid 19 cases remained in the single digits again this week, with a couple of 0's and 1's. The highest I think was 7. Sure makes things more relaxed.
Ok, that’s it. Next week’s missive may be a day late because of our tenting discombobulation.
Stay well and hang in there....
4 comments:
I hope to see you when you are in O-town.
when r your approximate Oxford times?
I love your blogs, Dick. They are well written but breezy. Enjoying them has helped keep me sane this past year. I've also enjoyed reading your readers' comments. You have helped keep us connected. Thank you.
my sister and I did a similar trip a couple of years ago,and the Biltmore gardens are lovely. I especially liked the upstairs-downstairs thing of mod cons like walk-in freezers downstairs while upstairs looks more traditional. My favorite social point was that there were NO mirrors in the changing rooms for the swimming pool because, naturally, you would have a servant there to check and tell you you looked ok. Have an awesome time and I hope to see you if you pass through oxford town. By then I should have all my shots.
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