Good Morning!

It's a shocker, I know, that I'm finally here.  What's MORE of a shocker is that I'm up with hot coffee and beginning to write at 6:39 AM!  Maybe I'm making up for yesterday when I didn't wake up until noon after 13 straight hours of sleep!  Last night, I got just over 5, thanks to Dosie (the cat) who was tearing up and down the board walkway that connects the two decks, right underneath the bedroom window this morning.  How can 6 pounds of cat sound like an elephant when they do that?!  Then, of course, just as I was plodding downstairs to show her that I'd left the front door open a crack, specifically to avoid being wakened by animals wanting to go out or come in, she came scampering UP the stairs!  Sigh.  Kids!

I was just reviewing the pictures I've taken in the past several days to remind myself what to post about, and there's a lot!  But, you won't get it all right now: tooooo much.  Last Tuesday was the day my dad, Papa Pea, came out and when I started making some real headway cleaning up the front yard and prepping for it the summer.  Within this past week, we had our first real day of spring . . . and then it was summer.  I kid you not.  One day of spring, yep:  that was all we got.  Cold, cold, cold and then HOT (by my warped standards, anyway).

Last Wednesday, I shut down the outside wood furnace and made all the appropriate adjustments necessary to transfer production of the house's hot water to the water heater (which just serves as a hot water storage tank in the wintertime when it's heated from the boiler).  The mosquitoes arrived but not in droves, thank goodness.  I haven't had to wear a headnet or bug dope yet.  No blackflies, either, but I hesitate to jinx things by even mentioning that!  I also refilled the batteries.  Papa Pea had taken a look at them when he was here (I had some concern about the sulfuric build-up on some of the terminals) and cautioned me that they off-gas and, therefore, lose more of their acid/water balance as they age.  So, I need to keep a closer eye on that.  We also discussed a new physical layout for the batteries when I get my new ones:  as I've mentioned before, the 24 large, deep-cycle batteries are place three deep and eight across, and the depth is too much to allow for any sort of personal physical comfort when maintaining them.

We northeastern Minnesotans put our hummingbird feeders out around the 15th of May, and I thought I saw a quick glimpse of one on Sunday, but I couldn't be sure.  At any rate, I got their sugar water made and out on Monday, and I saw the first . . . and then a couple . . . little guy(s)/gal(s) yesterday morning.

My days before, during, and after the upcoming holiday weekend are gonna be a whirlwind of activity:  my oldest girlfriend and her family are coming from their home in St. Paul to put the second story on their cabin, just 9 miles east of me (keep your fingers crossed for good weather!).  She's a physician's assistant, and her hubby is a physicist, so their schedules are tight.  Due to that, they'd planned this trip last fall and booked me to nanny for their two little ones - ages 2 1/2 and, let me count, 9 months - for five of those days.  I begged off from the Saturday & Sunday of the Memorial Day Week(end) so I could be in my gallery in town, hoping to grab the first of the season's tourists.  AND, my uncle and his wife from California might be visiting over those same days . . . so it's gonna be a BUSY time!

I've really kicked it into overdrive concerning my business, too, and my days "off" seem to be more productive than my in-office days.  While I'm not necessarily complaining, the problem with being in my office is that friends know that I'm in my office!  So, getting things done there seems to be a bit ineffectual.  I think I'm going to start trying to change that by keeping the door to my office closed.  If that doesn't work, I'll have to start putting the word out that I really can't be visited.  And/or just really limit those visits.  It's my own fault, I know:  when they say, "I really shouldn't be tying you up!" . . . I tend to respond, "I know, but I never see you!"  So, WHY am I complaining?  Yes, I am in charge of my own schedule:  I need to learn to put a cap on things.  ;)

But, following a COMPLETE waste of limited time in the office last week, I've made the first two of my three consecutive days here at home count.  I've put myself on an hourly schedule, and it's all about my 60-minute timer.  I'll do one hour at the computer on business work, then one hour on Swamp River Ridge work.  Rinse and repeat until the end of the day when I'm exhausted.  Usually around 9:00 or 10:00 PM.  BUT, I am getting things DONE, and that feels good!

My "around the homestead" accomplishments these past days have been based around the good weather:  laundry out on the line to dry, high-pressure washing of the second and larger slate walkway, planting a border of lily bulbs in an area susceptible to erosion, intense vacuuming (while the sun shines & charges my w-e-a-k and desperately-needing-to-be-replaced battery system), keeping an eye on the chicks (haven't lost one yet although I did have to perform an "emergency procedure" on a very pasty vent Sunday night), weeding, pruning trees, putting rock borders around perennials and trees, and more general clean-up of the front yard.  Even though there's no substantial green on the trees yet, I could already mow some of the grass . . . which I think I may start today.

I took a short walk in the woods the other day to see what I could find poking up through the duff:  wood anemones only, so far.  The unopened blossoms are particularly pink this year.

The ticks seem to be out in force already, though:  while at The Peanut's & Bunny's house for dinner last Friday night, I had to rather suddenly excuse myself to the bathroom as I sqeaked, "Excuse me, I have SOMETHINGCRAWLINGUPMYLEG!"  Their dad just said, "Mmm.  Tick."  I dropped trou in the bathroom and The Peanut came zoomin' in to say, "Can I see?!"  Yep, first tick of the season.  I showed her how to CRUSH their hard shells to make sure it was d-e-a-d!  Then, last night as I was sitting here in this chair in the library crocheting, I felt something drop onto my neck.  Yup, another one.  (How many of you are starting to itch and creep out, reading this?!)  I'd felt something in my hair earlier in the evening but couldn't find anything . . . I suspect it was the tick.  Yuck.  BUT, I'll take ticks ANY day of the week over (shudder) spiders.  (As I look overhead to make sure there isn't one ready to fall down on me.  Spider, not tick.)

I took the new header photo last Thursday as I headed into town, less than a mile down the road from home.  At first glance, I thought, "Oh, a baby!"  I was even a little hesitant to stop to take the picture, wondering where protective Mama was.  But, then I realized that it was just a small yearling:  freshly kicked out of the nest.  Cow moose (meese?) keep their calves through the whole first year until they calf again in the springtime:  then the 1-year old gets kicked to the curb to fend for him/herself!

So, with that, it's time for pictures.  Let's see what I can find of interest to post.

I took this picture a week ago last Monday to show how things were starting to green up.  Yes, that is snow in the right-hand side of the picture.  But, it's - finally - all gone now.

The soft needles of the Tamarack (aka American Larch) are starting to pop.

I took this yesterday to show that there are no green leaves on the trees yet.  This, across the driveway from the chicken house and poultry yard, is where I'd like to build a small barn - just out of view at the far left.  The structure that you see was going to be the home for the bee hives, but I've since found a better spot for them.  Instead, I will use this as a small, enclosed garden area . . . once it's repaired from the damage caused by a huge tree falling on it a couple of years ago.

I got the large front deck completely cleaned up yesterday.  Outdoor rugs moved and vacuumed, spider webs cleared.  Then, moved as many houseplants as will tolerate the outside conditions out there.  Got the new cover on the table, too.  Now, aside from the furniture cushions which need to stay inside unless being used, it's user-friendly and ready to go!

Finally, I'll leave you with a picture of the kitties, curled up on the afternoon sun.  I love it when they cozy up together!

I hope you have a terrific Wednesday!

A Happy Day!

Happy May Day!

Good morning!  Happy May Day!  I wish the tradition of hanging May Day baskets on front doors was still a custom but, up here, those flowers would probably freeze more days than they wouldn't!  ;)  We got 1.2" of rain here yesterday - the first good soaker of the year.  And, FORTUNATELY, the overnight temp stayed in the high 30s here at Swamp River Ridge overnight, so NO white stuff!  Yayyy!  I think I may even attempt driving out the back way today in the little car.

So, what actually gets me up with the 6:45 AM alarms?  The opportunity to meet Bunny today!!!  His mama called me last night to say that they'd love to see me this morning, and so off I'm going!  Whoo-hooo:  I've been imagining what it will feel like to hold that little bundle in my arms, to smell him (you all know that baby smell I'm talking about!), and feel his little fingers wrap around one of mine!  And, of course, to let The Peanut know that she's STILL the most special little girl in the whole wide world . . . although I'll have a most special little BOY to love now, too!  :)

Pictures to come when I have 'em!

Anyone dancing around the May Pole today?

Nuthin' Much

Today was a GLORIOUS day, and I hung out clothes for the first time.  Even spend a bit of time in the yard raking and pulling dead stuff away from the day lilies pushing up.  AND ran the hose to the chicken yard finally.  The geese were SO happy to be in their little (kiddie-pool-esque) pond again!

Other than that, I was sitting here at the keys, hurting my brain over a customer's old website that's written in FTP and which I need to make some changes to.  I.  Hate.  FTP.  Can't say it enough!

Tonight, I threw dinner's casserole into the oven and then headed out with the truck to see if I could get through on the back way yet.  Got a little farther than last time but not much.  Decided not to "push it", either, 'cause I didn't feel like walkin', and I knew I'd get stuck.

This was as far as I went.

Good thing, too, 'cause look how soft the dirt/mud is!

I felt the truck sink so much as I drove over this spot that I stopped to take a look.  Just super soft AND there is a culvert there that's dropping.

Able to drive all the way up to the trapper cabin (and assorted storage) now, I came back home and loaded up with 2x12s to rebuild the bridge on the winter driveway.  The cave-in is 3/4 of the way across now, so I'll need to span the gap underneath both sets of wheels instead of just the one.  I'm curious to see how the rest of the road is tomorrow!

Other than that, not much to report today.  Wish I could have been outside more, that's for certain!  Baby Girl's mama called me tonight to schedule a play date, and the little one got on the phone and said (she's just over 2 years old), "I miss you, Bopee!"  Awwwwww, that's the first time she's talked that clearly to me on the telephone!  (And I don't think she was coached, either!)

Anyway, trying to get a few more things done tonight before I toddle off to bed.  No more sleeping past the alarm:  I've got to try to get to town tomorrow!!  :)

A Gorgeous Day!

I couldn't have chosen a better day than yesterday for my Mental Health Day!  It was BEAUTIFUL and 59 degrees in the shade:  WOW!  I worked outside in nothing more than a threadbare sweatshirt all day (okay, and pants & mud boots).  I was pretty much exhausted last night and fell into bed just after 10:00.  But, as usual, it took me fo-EV-ah to fall asleep!  It seems that, when I lay down, my brain starts up.  Ugh.  It was all "in order to do this project, I need to get this figured out, and then I need to do this, and then, and then . . . ."  BUT, I guess it was worth it (going to bed at an early hour) 'cause I woke up about 5 minutes before the 6:45 alarms this morning:  AMAZE-BALLS!  ;)

Even though I didn't get my whole list done yesterday (see previous post), I got a LOT done and felt really good about my day.  I like the feeling of being physically worn out by the end of a day:  lets me know I was productive!

I just now remembered:  I saw the first skunk of the year on the winter driveway the other night.  I HOPE the dogs don't have a run-in with one this year!

There was SO much melting yesterday, and the yard in front of the garage is about 1/3 mud now instead of snow.  Once it is free of snow, I'll change the winter's snow tires for the regular ones.  The late snowstorm at the beginning of this past week was actually a good thing because I wouldn't have gotten that final layer of ice off the winter driveway as early if I hadn't needed to go out and plow.  As a result, that 4 1/2 mile stretch of road is free of snow now (at least, the narrow track that my car fits through is down to muddy dirt).

Check out this illustration of yesterday's melting.  These pictures were taken 8 hours apart:

11:30 AM - My lilac bush and a white pine just off the slate walking path leading from the side door.

7:30 PM - And, LOOK:  the first of the slate walk (to the right of the lilac bush) surfaced yesterday!!  Compare the two images of the white pine, in particular:  in the morning, the bottom boughs were still encased in snow!

Random:  while I'm uploading these pictures this morning, I'm also pulling ClipArt from the Web for signs advertising my Easter cards . . . and check this out:

Ummmm, yeah . . . this is EXACTLY what I think of when I think of Easter!  What the . . . ??!!

Here's the messy end of the kitchen (yesterday) waiting for me to clean it up and put away all the groceries that have been sitting around for well over a week.

Ahhhh, clean!  (At least this end of the kitchen is!)  And, everything is put away properly and in its place - not just shoved into the pantry.  (The door to the pantry is tucked between the upright freezer on the left and the glider rocker . . . which I'll have to recover at some point.  Warm pink is NOT my kitchen accent color!)

Do any of y'all have a comfy chair in your kitchen?  Honestly, I NEVER would have thought to introduce one to the space had it not been for a little house right down on the lake that my folks rented the summer we moved from the homestead and into town (before they'd rented the place in town).  (Clarification:  the rental is NOT the house / property they own now just outside of town.)  That was the summer before my senior year of high school.

This old, little ramshackled house had THE COMFIEST, most adorable (red gingham, if memory serves), tiny Lay-Z-Boy-esque upholstered chair nestled into a corner of the kitchen.  After we moved from there (and STILL, to this DAY!), Mom and I talked about breaking in to steal that chair!  (Actually, she did contact the owners to ask to buy the chair but they said, "Nope!")  Since that time (eek, 23 years ago!!!), I think both Mama Pea and I have always yearned for a kitchen large enough to accommodate a comfortable chair.  After all, WHERE does everyone congregate?  The kitchen!  And, every single time I've entertained here at the Swamp River Ridge house, there's always someone rocking away in that chair and chatting while I finish up meal preparations.  I hope Mom's planning on including a comfy chair in her new kitchen design (I'll bet she is)!

A couple of other seasonal "firsts" before I forget:  I saw the first pussy willows of the season yesterday (they bloomed a bit earlier down by the temperate big lake), and, this morning, I hear red-winged blackbirds!  Their trill is my FAVORITE summertime sound!

Another project on yesterday's list was clearing the big deck.  The weather has started to turn so lovely that I want to be able to sit out here before bug season starts (all too soon).  But, since the 4+ feet of ice and wet, wet snow was so heavy (and required chipping off with the ice chipper as I went), I cheated and just dug a path from the door off the sunroom to the place my wicker rocking chair sits by the railing.

A slightly distorted, but effective, view from the southwest end of the deck looking back at the sunroom.

After all that hard, sweaty work, I cracked a beer and sat down to survey my domain!  :)

We'll end here for today with a view of the (very!) snow-covered walkway between the large and small deck.  I think I'll let Ma Nature take her course with that . . . or, at least, wait until she's done most of the work!  ;)  This side of the house faces S/SW, and the windows are:  master bedroom (top left), master bath (top right), living room (bottom left), and dining room (bottom right).

Wednesday

I've got nothing much to report today.  Yesterday was a grey, grey day that brought the first rain of 2011 . . . although it was nothing appreciable.  Even though the skies were cloudy, a lot of melting occurred, so that's nice!  Today looks to be a nice one, so hopefully the sun will encourage more of the snow to turn to water and soak through the snow mass.

With the loggers working 7 days a week at the cut just down the winter driveway, parts of the road were turning into a deep, mushy, slushy, muddy mess, and I was beginning to feel apprehensive about my ability to get through with the car.  But, yesterday, spring road restrictions were posted, and there's to be no more hauling as of midnight tomorrow.  I know that means that they'll be pushing it into overdrive these last 48 hours . . . and it will also mean I'll have no help keeping the road open should we get any more big snows . . . but, overall, I'm glad restrictions will go into effect.


Due to the wet, slippery weather (not ideal for chain sawing), I spent nearly all day inside yesterday.  I got the two new locks put on the aviary door, so, until Bonzi and Dosie learn how to flip them open (!), I feel pretty safe and have removed all obstacles previously preventing them from getting to that side of the unit.  In addition to that, I worked on cleaning.

The New Me knows that, as soon as I get one room completely clean, I should be able to keep that portion of the house in good shape during my work weeks by just picking up after myself (vacuuming, etc. will wait 'til my days off).  I've done fairly well with the sunroom and living room although the latter was a disaster following my partial dismantling of the aquarium a couple of weeks ago.  So, I got that put back mostly put back to rights yesterday as well as the sunroom returned to normal.  Did the same with the large foyer which is usually my dump-spot / catch-all at the ends of my days.  So, three rooms (pretty much) down . . . now I need to maintain 'em.  I'd hoped to make some headway on the kitchen, but no dice.  I hope I can squeeze that into my day today, during the breaks I'll need from office work.  Got some of my yarn sorted and displayed in a basket, too, and sorted through a bag of paperwork that had been residing on the kitchen floor for a couple of weeks.  EXCITING stuff, huh???  ;)  I had a great talk with my California cousin last night, too, for an hour and a quarter!  That was a treat.  :)

I'll leave you with some pictures of some of my latest hats that I now have for sale at the Chicken Mama Designs gallery.

Remember that one hat that I'd sold and then the customer admitted that it was too large?  And so I made a new one custom-made to fit?  Here's the new one:

 

Here (below) are the two of them for comparison.

The new one is the top one, the original on the bottom.

Looking at them like this, I'm concerned that the new one had too much of the multi-colored yarn in it and not enough purple.  Truth be told, I ran out of the purple and was trying to stretch it . . . but, even so, ended up finding a new purple that matched well enough that you can't even see the difference here.  (Good!)  But, I think I'll check back with the customer and make sure that she's happy with the new one.  There's nothing worse than ordering a custom-made item and then not being happy with it!  And, I have concern that she might not tell me so simply BECAUSE it was a custom order.  Yep, will definitely have to follow up on this.

I call the following baby hat my Kari Toyota hat.  I crocheted 85% of it one day while I was in Superior, Wisconsin at the dealership, waiting for some work to be done on the Yaris.  :)

And, here's another new(er) one.  I picture it on a fellow, but it's definitely unisex.  It was a fun, chunky wool to work with.

Anyway, that's me for today.  Over 'n' out.

First Dusting!!!

I was surprised, but not unpleasantly so, to find the first dusting of snow this morning!  I'll try to post pictures tonight, but no promises:  I've got a pretty full day in front of me.

Happy October 21st!

Photo Follow-Up

 Snow on the deck while the rising sun wakens the valley.

 

Snow on the lilac bush.

 And, assuming I didn't lie, proof of the date of the first dusting of snow for Winter 2010!

First Raspberries

I picked the first wild raspberries on Tuesday.

EVERYTHING is SO early this year!  Even the fireweed and the asters are in bloom now, the asters being the v-e-r-y last of summertime's flowers . . . and the first frost said to come when the top bloom of the fireweed opens (the individual flowers open from bottom to top).  Does that mean fall will arrive in August?

Wednesday Night

11:55 PM – Wednesday, May 19, 2010

How does one parlay a good work ethic with leaving work to live your life, i.e. tend your homestead? What I mean to say is . . . my folks, in huge part during the years that we were a family restaurant family, taught me a strong work ethic. So, now that I’m back out in The Real World as a Working Girl . . . and the business days are filled with random phone calls, unscheduled visits from vendors, and running in twelve different directions at once . . . how do you get anything done? It isn’t until business calls cease at 5:00 and foot traffic starts quieting down . . . and even the boss lady heads home . . . that I feel like I can actually make any progress on what I’d hoped to accomplish that day. So, case in point, I stayed and worked until 9:30 tonight because I felt like I had to. And I didn’t even make a dent in the proverbial pile.

I’ve discovered that the only way I “get anything done” (paperwork or thinking / studying / planning-wise) is to work here from home. Here there are no interruptions. But, now that I talk it out, I guess that the flip side to that is that neither am I in-office and AVAILABLE for all those (necessary) things that prevent me from (everybody all together, now) getting anything done! And, the problem, of course, is the timeline. We’re supposed to open for business on June 14th. Oi. Vey. Here I am, writing contracts and having meetings with renters when that sort of thing should have been taken care of WEEKS ago. I should be starting to worry about the scheduling . . . and, instead, monthly rental rates and commission percentages still haven’t been “signed on the dotted line” . . . for ANY of the five (minimum!) renters I’ll have. I did overhear the boss lady saying to a visiting friend today, “I should have hired Weslie a month ago.” Yup. I could have used those extra 30 days!

Even as I’m only just now getting my desk set up, I’m already beginning to wonder if I need to move it to the side room right away. I feel crowded where I am AND I just don’t think I’m out of the fray enough to REALLY be able to work. Hmmm. My option is really dark & disgusting (literally, not figuratively) at the moment, but maybe I can make it work. I’ll take a look tomorrow. Plus, that space is just storage right now (not making any money), and the area where my desk (table) is could be used for a small retail area.

BUT, there IS more to life than that, SO . . . !

I finally, after wanting to get there for the last SEVERAL days, got back into the flower shop this morning for a comprehensive inventory and restock of the cards I have there. There are 48 spaces, and if I keep 5 of each design, that will amount to 240 cards in stock at any one given time. I don’t have it that full right now (not 5 of each design), and I want them to all, eventually, be pre-printed ones (sympathy, get well, happy anniversary, blah, blah, blah). Right now, I only have 51 pre-printed cards stocked. The remainders are blank. So, that’s my other primary on-going project until I have it finished & a back-lay put by. Slow but sure, slow but sure. The owner mentioned this morning that she thinks she’s sold 8 or 10 . . . and that’s 8 or 10 more than I was selling w/o having a rack in there!  I want / need to get some ‘Congratulations’ and/or ‘Bon Voyage’ ones in next week in preparation for graduation. Then comes Father’s Day and weddings, and, and, and . . . . But, I really do enjoy doing those. (Guess what the dining room table is covered with right now?)

Oh, as my bladder demands one more quick stop before I shut my eyes for the night, I am reminded: I got up at 4:38 (I made a point of looking at the clock) this morning to go potty, and I didn’t have to turn on a light! It was THAT light out already! And we’re still a month away from the solstice!!! INSANE!

Okay, I’ll post this in the morning when I can plug in the Ethernet cable. A new wireless modem is on its way, though, thanks to Tom!

P.S. (Thursday morning.) In the light of day, no, I won’t try to move my “space” (at work) right now. I’ll work with it and see what happens.

P.P.S. I saw two hummers at the feeder already this morning!!

Sunday Night

It’s Sunday night, and I’m in bed in the dark, laptop propped up by my knees.  The window is open, and I can hear the spring peepers chirping out their song in the warm night air (it’s still 60 degrees).  From downstairs, I just heard Maisy growl at . . . ??? . . . something that went bump in the night.  Tucker has WAY better hearing than she, though, so if he didn’t hear anything worrisome, it’s not an issue.  She’s been “off” all day though, anyway – driving me just a leetle bit batty!  But, after all, she is the neurotic one in the family.

I worked Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this past week, and yesterday was the open house for this new business I’m (assistant) managing.  We held a pie social from 10:00 – 2:00, and for 95% of the time, it was just me out there, slingin’ slices o’ pie and hot coffee.  The boss lady was short-staffed due to it being prom, so she couldn’t leave the clothing shop. 

I’d forgotten how exhausting that exhaustion feels.  ;)  I felt like I was back in the days of the family-owned restaurant after a super busy summer day.  Last night, even tho I was so tired that I couldn’t think straight, I didn’t sleep well.  TOO tired, I guess, and probably not enough wind-down time.  Hmph.  Murphy’s Law strikes again.

The Partridge Rock chicks that were hatched around April 5^th got to explore outside of their brooder for the first time today!  They’re 6 weeks old now and big enough that I’m not too terribly worried about them getting picked on by the big, bossy geese.  Besides, that Cuckoo Maran mama is still being every inch such a fantastic mother that I suspect that anyone who dared hassle one of her babies would have a helluva fight on their hands!  I am a little worried about the wily ravens, though.  Each spring, they and I battle to get to the goose and duck eggs (because they are oftentimes laid outside) first.  And, when we lived at Hastings-on-the-Lake, I did have problems with them killing a few of my pullets when they were much larger than these chicks.  But, I had to cut the apron strings at some point, so only time will tell how many of these babies I lose to predation or other dangers.  (And, yes, I kept forgetting my camera each time I went out today to check on them . . . duhhh!)

I got the lawn mower gassed up and started for the first time today.  I HATE sweating, so lawn mowing is not a favorite pastime . . . even tho freshly cut grass is one of my favorite smells AND I love seeing the progress that a sharp lawn mower blade makes.  And, of course, today was the warmest one so far this year.  Anyway, I attacked it in a couple of different spurts, and that helped.  And, it’s always more time-consuming, too, when I bag the clippings and haul them to the chickens . . . something I hate messing with, but I love the happiness and benefits that it brings to the poultry and so I do it . . . even though that tips the scales towards making lawn mowing even a little more bothersome.  (And to think that I had a lawn care business for about 30 seconds back in my early 20s!  Hahahahahahahahahahaha!  Although, my business name WAS great:  Mother Earth’s Daughter.)

Rather than it being an annoyance, I was looking forward to my new, self-imposed bedtime tonight!  I think, I hope this is going to work out well.  I NEED the sleep and it’s just so nice to have a concrete END to the day’s work.  So, off I go to dreamland.  I’ll post this tomorrow (Monday) morning when I can hook up to the Ethernet cable in the kitchen* . . . while eating the zucchini bread that I can still smell, it having come fresh out of the oven only within the last hour.

*  I guess I forgot to mention, didn’t I, one of the reasons I haven’t been blogging much lately (the other is the simple lack of time)?  The wireless modem on my laptop died.  So, no writing and blog posting in the sunroom, in the library, or here in bed . . . my three most favorite places to do so.  In time, that will get fixed, tho, too.  G’night.  10:48 PM / 16 May 2010

#@*!

Dammit to hell and back!!!

THE BLACKFLIES ARE OUT!

I almost came in halfway thru my chores this morning to put my headnet on.  This is the earliest they've come out since I've been recording (Hastings-on-the-Lake is where we used to live, half an hour directly south and by the big lake):

2001:  May 24th (Hastings-on-the-Lake)
2003:  May 28th (Hastings)
2004:  June 2nd (Hastings)
2006:  May 25th (Hastings)
2007:  May 18th (Swamp River Ridge)
2008:  May 31st (Swamp Rive Ridge)
2010:  May 10th (Swamp River Ridge


Dammit, dammit, dammit!  (Claire, I'm SO sorry!  It's not like I could have done anything to prevent it, anyway, but . . . !)

Snow, Snow, Going Away . . . .

March is the snowiest month in northeastern Minnesota.

Ask me how much snow we've gotten so far this month?

None.  I did, however, wake up in the early morning hours today to the sounds of RAIN pitter-pattering on the roof!  Compare that to the winter of 2001-'02 when we didn't get the first SNOW of the winter until March 7th!!!

I snagged a new, temporary nannying gig yesterday for the sweetest little boy.  I'll post some pictures if his parents approve.  MANY thanks to M for thinking of me when the parents were searching for daycare!  I think I'm really going to have fun with him.  :)

Tom and I spent the day in Duluth yesterday, meeting with yet another lawyer.  It was a successful meeting as far as meetings go, but I just felt SO depressed during it.  Depressed that our life has come to this.  It just stinks.  I know it will be for the best for both of us once all is said & done, but if I don't ever have to hire another attorney anytime in my lifetime, I'll be MORE than happy!  


We were talking about pets at one point during the meeting (who Maisy & Tucker & Annie Blue would be living with, etc.), and the lawyer shared her fairly hilarious story, if you can handle black humor:  her goldfish died in a car accident!  She had just picked them up from a friend who was fish-sitting while she was gone.  She didn't think to belt the fish bowl in (who would?!), and, while taking a corner just a tad too fast, the bowl went flying.  She said one of the little guys was all bent up, his backbone having been broken in the fall.  Ohhh, poor little guys!  (But, how funny is that?  "My fish died in a car accident.")

Insert another bad joke:  A guy walks into a bar.  What does he say?

"Ouch."  ;)


Okay, must get on with my day.  The grey, grey, grey day that it is.  With this weather, the chicken yard is diss-guss-ting!!!  Any of you farmers know what outside pens look like in the springtime before things have dried up.  And, I don't want to spread fresh wood shavings 'cause that will just prevent the snow underneath from melting.  So, we (I and the critters) deal with it for a few more weeks.  

Oh, and speaking of weather-related messes:  road restrictions went on this morning at 12:01 AM.  That means that loggers, contractors, etc. (anyone with an axle weight of over . . . something) can't drive on any of the secondary roads until restrictions are lifted:  a mimimum of 8 weeks, and, in most years, not until June ('til the frost has completely left the ground)!  (Of course, restrictions generally go into effect much later than mid-March, too.)  Anyway, point being, yesterday would have been the last day for the boys to bring me my 8-10 cords of birch!  Was it neatly stacked up in the yard last night when I returned home?  Nope.  Dang . . . .  I think I have enough wood left for the Central Boiler to get me well into April.  I'll probably have to shut it down for the season earlier than normal, BUT I have been stock-piling a nice amount of wood small enough for the 3 inside wood stoves, so I can definitely keep the house comfortably warm with those.  Even though we say it every year (and are soundly proven wrong!), methinks it's gonna be an early spring this year!

Feels like Goin' Back to School

Today kinda feels like going back to school in the fall. It's nice to have a somewhat-set schedule again. Tom's started a gig that he'll be at for a while (except it's about 56 miles away!), and so the alarm went off before 6:00 AM this morning. Ugh. But, a pot full of strong, percolated coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup & cream helped. Speaking of that, I need another cup o' java. Hang on.

While I made an unplanned but necessary there-and-back trip to town yesterday (not so "quick" when you live an hour out, but it's all relative, isn't it?), Tom took the dogs down to the international border river for a hike. I urged him to take a digital camera with, and these are some of the pictures he took.

Here, you can see how the path is starting to grow up again.
It's always SO hard trying to stay ahead of Ma Nature!


Even tho it's super shallow, it's great to see that the river
seems to stay so nice and wide where our path empties into it.


Here, Maisy transports a large rock into Canada.
Hope you have your passport, dog!


Tucker's never enjoyed swimming, but, in the last year or so,
he's come to appreciate cool water on a hot day!

Yesterday being Tom's last "free day" before this new work gig began, we definitely sloughed off, but what a day it was to do so! Once I got home, we threw (okay, grunted & groaned) the canoe to the top of the Subaru and zipped down to "our river". It was a HOT day, but there was a strong wind which made it a truly lovely day to be on the water. And, truth be told, it was actually a MASSIVE wind. The highest wind gust was 22 mph, and I challenge you to try shoving a heavy, old Grumman (canoe) upriver against that! Yesterday's paddle was definitely the hardest we've ever had to work out there. BUT, it paid off in spades!


After figuring out the correct lure (Tom knew what to use right off the bat, but we only had one of those; it took more trial-and-error for me to find something suitable), we could not keep the fish out of the boat! Oftentimes, we both had one on our lines at once! But . . . riddle me this: in northeastern Minnesota, the prized fish is walleye. A fish no one fishes for (but us) because of the hugely massive amount of bones is the northern pike. Why is it, then, that the limit for northern (which, I repeat, FEW fish for) is only three . . . while the limit for walleye (which EVERYONE fishes for) is six???? Shouldn't it be just the opposite: that the over-fished species has a LOWER limit? Please, someone explain this one to me.

The wild rice is beginning to hang from the stalk
in readiness for the fall harvest.

Anyway, we had a GREAT day on the water and didn't pull in until just after 8:00 when the sun was down and we were getting chilled. And, after some truly unpleasant hot, hot, HOT days this past week, the mercury dipped into the 40s last night for sleeping. Ahhhh, heaven!

Okay, on with my day. Dirty dishes are screaming at me from the kitchen sink.

P.S. Oh! Do you know fireweed?


Each blossom opens from the bottom of the flower up in succession,
and woods lore says that the day the top bloom opens, so, too, will arrive the first frost!


Yikes!

Friday Catch Up

For some reason, I thought sure I'd posted since Tuesday! Huh. Oh, well . . . .


We had a great day of fishing with friends on Wednesday. (The first "catch" of the day was this submerged, lead-filled decoy from last fall!) It was overcast, but I ended up getting some sun on my face despite the clouds. (And Tom turns enviously brown as a berry the minute 15 minutes of sunshine hit him.) The day turned a little chilly in the afternoon when the wind picked up, but it (mostly) kept the blackflies at bay (!!) which arrived that afternoon! Aaaaaghhh! Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em!!! And, it turns out that they really enjoy burrowing into dread locks. Double aaagh!

The outdoor wood furnace finally got turned off last night, and we made the seasonal switch to no-heat-in-the-house. Of course we can use either of the three woodstoves strategically placed in the kitchen, middle room (between the dining & living rooms), and sunroom. That also means that we'll be using the water heater for our hot water again. In the wintertime, when the wood boiler is on, the water heater serves as a holding tank for the indoor water, but now, we'll have to endure the forced air fan that sounds like a 747 taking off. No complaints, though: at least we won't be running the two pump motors 24/7 for the infloor heat!

As you saw from the new video above, my Cuckoo Maran broody mama hen's chicks are beginning to hatch. She's SUCH a good mama! For the first couple of weeks, she was getting off the eggs long enough to eat and let another hen add to the clutch, but, for the last several days, she hasn't budged an INCH. It's amazing how Mother Nature allows hens to sit like that with no sustenance when required. I've been babying her, though, and bringing her food, water, and snacks. Although, she really hasn't been eating much. She knows what's best, though! Anyway, watching Nature take its course is so neat. It feels rewarding, too, even though I really had nothing to do with it!

I only have 12 layers right now (after the Pine Martin Incident), so I'm anxious to get some new hens out of this. (Normally, I would have ordered more birds this spring, but my pocketbook didn't allow it this year!)

For some reason, Blogger is not cooperating with me trying to publish photos today, so I'll try to post what I have here and then add more when I can.

Here we go . . . .

After purchasing a new bike helmet ("the most expensive one you have, please"), Tom got back in ye ol' saddle on Tuesday. He took his mountain bike down the road just a mile or so - a very short ride just to test his confidence. :)


I got some give-away plants last fall and stuck 'em in the ground, not knowing what they were. It's been fun to see them begin to pop up this spring. These flowers are TINY: about 1/4" wide. They're not Forget-Me-Nots. Anyone have any ideas?

Springtime Firsts

Last week brought the first American Robin of the year, and this week we saw the first Purple Finch, Chipmunk (yesterday), and thunder & lightning storm (last night).

What's YOUR 'Sound of Summer'?

I had a weird night's sleep . . . or weird morning . . . or . . . ? I went upstairs to watch a movie last night at 9:00 . . . and woke up on the couch this morning at 6:00 to daylight and the TV off! I vaguely remember trying to keep my eyes open through the flick ('The Secret Life of Bees'). Usually a good movie will keep me awake, but not so this time, I guess!

Anyway . . . .


This past week has brought some wonderful signs that springtime is really coming! First off were the pussy willows (already a week ago, at least). Then I heard the first bird song of spring - you know, the long melodious ones that entice you to get up each morning? I wish I knew bird identification well enough to know WHICH bird it was, but I think it was some sort of finch.

My favorite summertime bird has shown up (albeit a bit early, it seems): the Red-Winged Blackbirds. I guess they aren't the most striking of birds, even with the brilliant red and yellow wing bars, but their song is MY "sound of summer". What's yours?


The rhubarb and day lilies up by the garage started poking through. They're the only plants with enough southern exposure to have any hope this early: everything else is still buried under feet of snow! (You'll have to look carefully to see the green in the day lily patch below.)


The hard, skating-rink-like ice has been replaced by the soft-crumbling variety, and where there's no snow the mud is getting deeper every day. The 5% of the chicken yard that is free of white stuff is . . . well . . . disgusting! Here's Tucker standing knee-deep (okay, so that's not sayin' much!) in the mud and water on the driveway.


I've gotten in two long walks with the dogs recently - the snow finally being low enough that I can get around in many places inaccessible all winter.


Last Friday we headed over to a favorite destination that was logged recently. I was amazed at how low the snow was - didn't seem like I was breaking through much at all. Famous last words. Here I am, just about as deep as I could go!



Okay, I'll sign off for now. I feel like it's taken me about 3 hours to write this post this morning! Must have something to do with not going to bed last night. ;)