August 6, 2016

The grass is long. I went to Lowe’s to buy a mower, since nobody has replied to my requests to hire lawn care, but at the store I remembered that I hired out in the first place because of aversion to the machine itself. I rather liked to mow the lawn when it was dad’s machine and he took care of it. The idea of adjusting a spark plug. . . of setting blades. . .of attaching a handle. . . putting gasoline in a can. . .cannot face it right now.
   
L flew to Europe having left the window of my studio open, the fans on, needful items missing and everything in disarray so I had, once more, to spend the first part of my limited time there restoring things to working order. Steven thinks that more than photography is going on there: too many naked boys at one time. Pigeons had flown in through the open window, and had to be shooed, and their droppings cleaned up. They were right who said, “no good deed goes unpunished.” But, it looks like the toxic Celia has been rooted out, though she’s taking a scandalous long time in vacating. Did paint well and long into the afternoon, nevertheless. Surprising number of people vacationing up from Florida, who called this weather “refreshing.”
   
Watched the opening of the Olympics last night.
   
Cannot spend the rest of my life fighting just to stay afloat.