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"Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."
- Unknown

"That which does not kill you, makes you stronger."
- Handed down through the ages.

"Life's tough. It's even tougher when you're stupid."
- John Wayne



Monday Catch Up

Good morning!  

So, in no particular order . . . .
  • I finally fired up the outdoor wood furnace on Saturday night when I got home.  The house was down to 52 degrees on Friday, and not being home much to stoke the three house wood stoves meant a cold house.  I'd put it off as long as I could (trying to save money since the batteries are so old which means the generator will have to run more in order to provide the 24/7 electricity the boiler requires), but it was time.  Obviously.
  • This past week brought the first snow flurries to Swamp River Ridge, and it was even flurrying this morning when I put the dogs out.  Temps have been as low as 26 (or was it 24?), and it's in the 30s today.  It was a GORGEOUS day on Saturday, though:  beautiful blue sky with the sun sooooo warm on your face.  During my lunch break from the Roe House, I was sitting in my car with the window open.  I decided to put my seat back and close my eyes for a minute while the hot sun shown down on my face . . . but quickly realized that would noooooot be such a good idea!  Lunch time over:  where's Chicken Mama?!  ;)
  • Friday night marked my 4th moose sighting in 24 hours!  I'd seen a nice, super healthy bull on Thursday night and then a mama and BIG yearling calf (almost her size) on Friday morning.  That night, as a drove a different way home, taking the circuitous route in order to make sure no tree had fallen on the canoe I'd sold for friends, I saw another cow.  NICE!
  • Yup, I sold the Grumman canoe I'd posted for friends on eBay for FULL PRICE!  Whoo-hoo!  The buyer and a friend drove all the way up from Owatonna (southeastern MN) on Saturday to pick it up . . . about 370 miles, one way!  Super nice guys:  the buyer has 3 grown daughters and 1 grandchild with one more on the way.  He wanted a solid, dependable canoe to take on trips when the girls and their families come home to visit.  PERFECT!  His friend was a real character (read that as a positive), and I vowed right then and there to make sure he and Papa Pea never meet:  it was outfitting tips and tricks here, trucker's knots there, and folbots in between!  By the time I got home and checked in with my folks, Papa Pea said he was giving me until 6:30 before he sent out the search team.  It was 6:25 - whew, needless trip avoided!  ;)  Super neat meeting these two guys, though, and I'll make a bet that they'll be coming back to the area in the not-so-distant future!
  • I've hardly been in my office at all these past few days.  I think I got one solid day in.  I made a spur-of-the-moment decision on Wednesday night to make a run down to Duluth for supplies on Thursday.  FINALLY!  I hadn't been down since the spring, I think, and I so desperately needed to stock up.  I plan to make a post about the deals I got for the (little) money (that I hardly have) spent.  I got home, wiped out, at 12:09 AM Friday morning.
  • The Roe House isn't yet up to full steam (no long days yet), but I already feel like an old pro there, at least when it comes to roe picking.  I *have* discovered that I feel much less beat up at the end of the day if I wear my glasses while I strain to find impurities in the roe.  Next up and as money allows, bifocals, I fear.  But, at least then I'd be able to see the roe AND the person across the room!  ;)
  • Yesterday was a very short day at the Roe House.  All we did was salt and pack.  Wait for a story on that part of the process to come.  And some super interesting facts and perspectives I'm getting from a new friend there:  a 23-year old Russian woman.
  • Since it was a short day spent with fish eggs yesterday, I got into my office AND got in a visit with My Girl . . . all before arriving home early enough to get a decent bit of wood cutting and stacking done!  Blessed be the daylight!  I'm planning for a wood cutting day with Mama & Papa Pea, but my hope is to get all the birch cut before they arrive so I have them to help me with the maple that remains.  Those trees are BIG, and so it's going to be interesting cutting and stacking it:  the normal ~15" size that I'm cutting the birch to ain't gonna fly with that huge maple.  I think I'll have a lot of funny-looking 8" rounds . . . any larger than that is gonna be too large to comfortable manage.
  • Annnd, what else?  I think that's about it.  The new header of Tucker was taken during one of our potty breaks during my Duluth day last week.
  • I only have five things on my list today although a couple of them could last for days:  get a website live for a client, wash my Roe House clothes (pee-yooo!), clean the house (this is one of the 'could last for days' tasks), get a particular pile of long-waiting paperwork finished, and work on the woodpile.
Other than that, I sure am looking forward to the "quiet, winter months" (insert great laughter) when I can catch up on what YOU'VE been up to lately!  :)

7 comments:

  1. I also love that picture of Tucker. Nice. :)foxylady

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  2. I can just imagine sitting in the car, seat back, sun on your facezzzzzzzz. Good thing you talked yourself out of it! Hope you can keep up the momentum - when you stop, be sure you're close to your bed or a soft surface...LOL

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  3. Susan, EXACTLY! It was such a joy to sleep in this morning . . . but, even with that, I had to FORCE myself to get up!

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  4. Fun post, Chicken Mama! I love hearing about everything you're learning at the new job. You've got to tell us all what you've been learning about your new Russian friend. Now I'm curious! It's so interesting to learn from people who have a whole different set of experiences and way of thinking. Thanks for finding time to fill us in. :)

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  5. no catching up needed on my blog, I've been absent for 2 weeks! OWATONNA for a canoe? Those are my stomping grounds and driving that distance for a canoe made me giggle, cause we all know how hard it can be to find a canoe in the state of Minnesota heheehee! But I would gladly drive up just to see you! Glad you and the roe house are making friends, and love that pic of the Tuckster!

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