Earlier this week, Kyle turned twenty-eight. Today we celebrated with a special meal prepared by Jeanine followed by a yummy lemon cake served with mango sorbet. We missed having Nico at the table; at last check-in, he was headed for Mount Hood in Oregon. Kyle has settled into working remotely and all the challenges that come with it. Like us, he has decided to postpone his plans for buying a home in anticipation of significantly lower prices and better inventory next year.

I spent the better part of the day decluttering my workshop which included burning off enough scrap wood to build a small house. Jeanine suggested I use an antique copper cauldron that we own as a fire pit rather than selling it on Craig’s List as I had originally planned. It turned out to be a great suggestion allowing for a very compact and controlled burn.