10/6-10/25 I went up to Camp Serendipity for 5 days: Monday through Friday.

After stopping for a few errands, I arrived at 1:30. I brought my gear up in one trip, hoisted the flag, unpacked my gear, and then had my lunch. After lunch, I went for a short walk and then went in for my shower and the end of the day.

On Tuesday morning the temperature outside was 27 degrees. I decided that it was time to call the masonry work quits for the season. That left me with a fairly open schedule for the day.

I started by spending quite a bit of time at the piano. I plan to try to regain my ability to play the repertoire that I used to play. A lot of it has been lost, in fact I have completely forgotten one of the pieces so that I don't remember the title, or where the sheet music is, much less know how to start playing it at the keyboard. Three of the pieces I can still play, after a little brushing up with them. Still others, I can play parts of them with a little help from the sheet music.

It was discouraging, but from now on, I will have the time to work on the recovery. I hope I can keep up the enthusiasm to do the work.

Next, I filled the 5 water jugs I had brought with me and loaded them into the truck. Using the trapper Nelson backpack, I carried all 5 gallons in one trip down to the truck.

Then, in a foolish move, I decided to finish harvesting the six stones that had angered the yellow jackets last week. I figured they had cooled down over the weekend, and I manipulated the stones using a hoe. I did get two more of the stones over to the wash station, but at least one yellow jacket wasn't having it, and he stung me on my right wrist. He had somehow wiggled himself between my glove and my shirt cuff and proceeded to sting me. I felt pretty stupid.

Casting a wary eye for more of the yellow jackets, I scrubbed the two stones and staged them on the scaffold without any more stings.

After going in for lunch and a nap, I walked to the grave nursing my itching right wrist.

On Wednesday morning, I started out working on the piano and made some more progress resurrecting parts of my repertoire. I learned that I have quite a challenge ahead of me, but I will keep plugging away at it.

Then, I went outside and wearing a net bee hat, I went after those last two stones and was promptly stung again on my right forearm. Now I really felt stupid.

After scrubbing and staging on the scaffold those last two stones, I went to work carrying a nearly full sack of mortar mix from the back stoop up to the utility room. It will stay nice and fresh in there over the winter. I used the same firewood carrier as before to lift the sack up one step at a time until it was at the top of the staircase. Then I dragged it through the door and stood it up alongside the full sack that was already in there.

Next, I took a big black garbage bag down to where I had stacked the old empty mortar sacks and the kitchen garbage bags I cover the mortar sacks with when I buy mortar. I filled the bag and after tying it up, I took it down and loaded it into the truck.

Then I had my lunch and a welcome nap and afterward walked to the grave.

On Thursday morning, I fertilized Tiger, worked at the piano, did some chores in the bathroom, and then went outside and used Cindy to cut a bunch of brush just below the masonry workstation.

Back in the cabin, Bill called to check on me, and we had a really nice conversation. Then I had my lunch and a nap followed by a walk to the grave.

On Friday morning I worked at the piano and took a short nap. Then I had my lunch and just happened to be looking out the window when I saw two big and presumably empty sheep-hauling trucks driving up the road. Evidently the sheep are done for the season, and they are going to be heading for their winter quarters.

I packed up my gear, closed up the place, and left for home at 12:30. Except for the stings, it was a productive week in spite of no stonemasonry.