Dear Marion,

It appears that I've turned into a house painter, and the mental
effort which not long ago I devoted to writing letters is now
applied to purchasing paint, brushes, rubber gloves, and even
ladders of suitable lengths so as to make the work as efficient
and safe as possible. The red cedar shingles covering the sides
of this house are now 2011 - 1952 = 59 years old. They have been
repainted about six times. Where they are exposed to the onslaught
of the weather, some of the shingles are beginning to fracture and
will need to be replaced; whether in my lifetime, remains to be
seen. I started painting five days ago, attending first to the
areas that are accessible from the ground. I had misgivings about
venturing upwards on ladders, but the anticipation provoked more
anxiety than the performance, which turned out to be not at all
disconcerting. On the contrary, the various rheumatic symptoms
seemed to subside with the physical effort, and now having climbed
up and down the 16 foot ladder many times today, I feel better
than I can remember in many months past. Tomorrow, Margaret and I
will drive to nearby Abingdon, where I will buy an eight foot
ladder extensible to sixteen feet, and adjustable to any length
in that interval. I paint only three or four hours each day,
a rate at which, assuming no rain, most of the house should be
painted by July 4.

There's no news regarding the Nantucket litigation. The June 16th
hearing, cancelled by the court, has not been rescheduled. I'm
aware of the option of trying to rebut Mr. Ciarmataro's condemnation
with an inspection report from a professional engineer; however my
present inclination is to await the court's decision about the 
admissibility of Mr. Ciarmataro's vilifications. Footnote 13 of
the appeals court opinion which requires an inspection of integrity
and fairness with detailed accounting of facts and reasoning did not
stipulate the consequences if such an inspection was not forthcoming.

What time is not devoted to house painting and various household chores,
shopping, taking trash to the dump, - not called a disposal station, I
spend on my novel, at present, rewriting chapters 46 and 47. There is
much work yet to be done and I take pleasure in the effort, even if it
has no practical consequences.

I hope that you are well and enjoying the summer, and look forward to
seeing you in Boston a few weeks from now.

Jochen