Freecycling pedals on, jammed doors and mystery plantings

I think our local Freecycle has come back with a roar. After several years of flagging interest, declining membership and some less than friendly encounters, then the long almost total shutdown since early last year, the spirit seems back.

Yesterday's success with the painting materials encouraged me, instead of traipsing all the way, across two towns to the thriftie, why not offer the bags of yarn that were out there in the car.

Which I did, complete with a picture..

In literally minutes half a dozen polite and friendly requests all giving day and approximate time as requested, came flying into my email. 

This is so much better than before I dropped out, that I'm thinking of not doing thriftie runs at all, at least for identifiable stuff, in enough quantity to be of interest.

And when I offered the bag to the first comer, fair's fair, she replied with great enthusiasm. And it was gone a few minutes later. Yay! 

I had used all I could of the various yarns, and it seemed wrong to cling when another person could really enjoy them. The taker said they were just the thing for some projects she had in mind. This one wasn't a difficult process.

This is how Freecycle was a few years ago, and I'm glad it's back.

Cleaners here today and I went to the Preserve between showers, and provided snacks for biting insects, while getting pictures of wild plants in a special area for insects, butterflies and birds.

There was an absolute congregation of bees working this area

And I need to ask who can identify this? 

Two pictures for ID purposes.

The cleaners, aside from their usual great cleaning, not too hard in the house of a single pet free person, but welcome anyway, managed to jam the patio door lock. This happened when they came last month, too, and now I know it must be them.

Someone, instead of leaving the lock in the horizontal locked position, forced it up the channel completely past the tolerance of the mechanism. I suppose they thought they were securing it, since they're very conscientious about security. I know they meant well. It could have broken the lock.

Each time, I have had to get my (large, strong) contractor friend to come, physically lift the heavy door up from the track, shake it till the lock dropped back in place and lower it. It takes a powerful man to put right the goof of another powerful man!  This door took three burly installers to handle when they put it in.

So all's well, my heart's back in my chest, and my rescuer left with a pot of plum jam. That stuff is currency! And I sent an email asking the  cleaning group please not to do that again. They'll be mortified, but I think we'll recover.

Never a dull moment!