Back At It

I basically gave myself the day off yesterday.  I hadn't had one solid day alone here at home in an age, and it felt super good.  I tossed and turned last night, though:  despite clean sheets and a shower right before bed . . . the rising tide of anxiety, I expect.  Today I'm so stressed / crazy / nearly out of my mind that I can't even see straight (literally, it feels like).  So, I am going to do The Hours to work my way through the day.  And, once again, I'll use you here as my organization / accountability for those 60 minute chunks of time.

This current hour is being spent blogging and then General Clean Up / Organization.  The following hours of my day will switch between 60 minutes of work on the Electrical Disaster (?) in Office and Business Work.  Until the day is over.  But, somehow, I have to stop my head from spinning uncontrollably before I'll be able to concentrate on ANYTHING.  A walk outside with the dogs may be in order.  It's a lovely, blowsy day, so I don't think I'll even need to take my bug jacket (yes, they are beginning to abate).  I may need to do some - ohmmmmm - deep breathing, too, before beginning each hour's assigned work.  Yep, that's what I'll do!  See, talking to you about it IS having the desired affect I'd hoped it would!  Maybe I should lay off the coffee, too, and switch to water or herbal tea.  (Just for the day, mind you!)

Duh, in writing, trying to figure out WHY I'm so scattered . . . I just realized I've not taken my meds in a few days, too.  So, hang on, I'll be right back.  Okay, down the hatch they've gone.  What a brainiac I am (to have forgotten)!  Better living clearer thinking through pharmaceuticals?


The weather has finally broken, and we've all uttered a sigh of relief, I think.  The smoke isn't so bad with the cooler temps and higher winds, either.  (Over one million acres are burning just north of us in Ontario.)


I've missed the window of opportunity to transport some of Papa Pea's bees to Swamp River Ridge for the summer.  Even though it's only the end of July (an ACK! in itself), the growth and transitions of the trees, shrubs, and plants has been fast and furious due to the excess of water and high temps of late.  Already, many of the blooming plants (that the bees would need) are already going to seed.  Besides, Papa Pea told me that such deluges of rain actually wash the pollen OFF of flowers!  So, despite our wishes (Papa Pea's and mine), no beehives for me this year.  Case in point, I saw these goldenrod yesterday, already gone to seed:

The biggest struggle for apiaries up here is still over-wintering them.  Maybe, come fall, my instructor will let me transport a hive here to try overwintering them in the garage - opening up the carriage doors on lovely, warm days for their required cleansing flights.  I'd like to have a go at that (finding a successful way to over-winter).

Also noticed yesterday, the Brown-Eyed Susans are blooming - although closer to the end of their life cycle than the beginning now.

I'm happy with the appearance of this southwest hillside of my property although I rarely see it in the summertime as it's along the wintertime driveway (which I see enough of in the winter!).  Several years ago, the state bought the triangle of land I owned across the road from this hillside in order to perform a small redirection of the road here (not so sharp a curve).  When they'd finished, the hillside was bare, and so I seeded it with this wildflower mix that I'm tickled to say seems to be flourishing now!

Although you can't seem to see the flowers very well in this picture!

And, this is just the west end of the beautiful lake I drive by each day I go out in the winter, but I have few pictures of it in the summer as I almost always drive the shorter / more scenic way!

And, with that, I'll sign off for now.  Even tho it may not seem significant to YOU, I do feel better and a titch more grounded after having gotten these few thoughts rattling around my brain out and down on paper.


Thanks for listening to the ramblings of a 40-year old homesteader who's about to get a new job "off the farm" . . . to support the farm!