Today I got the bilge cleaned out once and for all. There was a section of the bilge that I couldn’t get at while the compressor was on, and even with it out, it was a reach. It was the area underneath the transmission, which required me to climb under the engine and stretch out as far as I could in a space only as wide as my chest. Once I wedged myself in there I actually started to worry a bit that I wouldn’t be able to wiggle my way back out. Fortunately I was so covered in oil and grease that slipping back out was no problem. Anyway, I emptied the last of the “soil” out of there and am hopeful that this will banish any and all “mulch” odor for good.

Lowe can sit up for minutes on end now as long as he’s got something sitting right in front of him to keep him entertained. Generally anything belonging to his sister will suffice. And he’s crawling now. I won’t call it officially, but he’s getting up on all fours and today on a couple separate occasions he took one crawling stride forward. We’re all excited for this development. It will go a long way towards him and Ouest being able to play and interact a bit more.