I tried to google search jackb the same way I did Nyboy...but didn't find anything. But Nyboy was a more public person as he had his dog business.
Didn't jackb say he had a son who is a forest fire fighter?
I also worry about the oldtimer members who suddenly disappear from here.
How old is your son? When I lived down on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, with 3 kids...NO a/c....We would do anything we could think of to stay cool. One fun thing was fill up a kiddie pool with water, pour in some baby shampoo....gotta have the bubbles....and let them have at it.
Or, squirt...
Yes. Stainless steel polish. You should be able to find it in the household cleaner section or any local hardware store. I started using it years ago....when part of my job included keeping the water fountains shined up in the assisted living buildings I worked in.
When it is foggy here, I almost always find a dead bird that has accidentally found a window. We have bunches of cardinals here. I have even had to rescue them from the chicken tractors.
Have you looked at xeriscaping? Maybe planting (in pots), succulents and ornamental grasses around the manhole area? Using decorative stones and gravel for accents? It looks like an arid area in the picture you have posted...
Oh, mc...so sorry for your loss! It sounds like you and your father had a wonderful relationship. I hope the will drama will not be too awful in the end.