Well! An Update!

Shocking, I know, but here I am after 4 months.  I still think about writing very often, but either exhaustion or other priorities trump me getting here.

(This is NOT a complaint as it simply has to be right now, but) my life is not my own these days.  The beautiful mama of the family I'm working for is not doing well with her cancer treatment.  She's been working SO hard - especially on the restrictive diet that the alternative treatment requires - and so it was heart-breaking to hear the results of the most recent scan.  I'm not sure what the next steps will be, but I hope - for her sake - that a new diet plan (should they choose that) will allow her a little more leeway and enjoyment!  She did splurge the morning after receiving the news and had a blueberry muffin that she said "tasted like Heaven and was the best blueberry muffin I've ever had"!  And her not having eaten any sweets, sugar or refined flour in 8 months . . . I can only imagine!!  :)

Bundle of Joy turned five in December, and she's a very mature 5 years old!  She's not on the best of terms with Bopee (yours truly) right now, though, which breaks my heart and has me questioning (in my weak, knee-jerk reaction moments) what I may have done.  But, once my brain kicks in over my heart, I totally understand where she's coming from:  the biggest reason for her seeming resentment of me is, I know, the attention I have to give the twins (and, therefore, not give her).

They are just over 17 months old now and still require 90% of my time.  And, even though I TRY to make time for just her and me (generally when the twins go down for their nap), invariably something comes up that I have to do, and she is - once again - disappointed and frustrated.  And, then, of course, there's the I-can't-imagine-WHAT horrors/fears/whathaveyou going through her little brain about her mama.  She sees Mama weak and sick some times or wearing bandages from surgeries, she hasn't had her normal time with Mama in these past 8 months, she sees her daddy scared and/or frustrated as a result, etc., etc.  It's just awful.  I can only hope with all my heart that, when she's grown up or even an adolescent, these memories (of the bad times and anxiety) will quickly fade.  All that said, she's really doing VERY well.  Considering!

The twins are a hoot, though, and - aside from the recent and occasional tantrums that the Little Man is throwing - doing oh, so well.  He's always been more "sensitive" to what is going on around him and so he, unconsciously, tunes into whatever vibe might be pervasive on any given day or hour.

They both have the majority of their teeth in now - the Little Lady busts 'em through like nobody's business and really handles the pain and discomfort like a champ!  She's just very laid-back - about pretty much everything!  (Unless you have to wake her up early from a nap for some reason!)  Sensitive Little Man seems to struggle through every tooth pushing through - especially those nasty molars.  But, I just think how WE, as adults, would handle such physical torture!  I'm sure we'd all be medicated up the ying-yang and flat on our backs!  ;)

They are both gabbling up a storm now - absolutely sure of what they're saying . . . although WE have no clue what that is!  Little Man started out with "bahh" for ball a couple of months ago and now he's up to "Bapah" for Bopee, and "uh!" for up.  ;)  His auntie, who covered the nights last week when Mama & Daddy were away for the medical appointments, greeted me with the news one morning that he'd strung 3 words together into a sentence!  I don't remember what it was, exactly, but it was something like "I drink milk!" when he'd finished his morning sippy cup.  I'm sure it came out something like "Ah dingh milh!"  :) 

Their mama was brilliant in teaching them sign language early, and I think this is KEY in communicating with babies who don't yet have verbal language skills.  We regularly use "more" (mostly for food), "please", and "all done" (eating).  It helps SO much!

We rather purposefully haven't taught them "no", so we have yet to hear this come out of their wee mouths . . . which is a blessing because, I know that once they DO learn it, we're going to hear a lot of it!

We had little real winter this year, and so, since spring has come early, we're often playing out on the deck in the mid-afternoon sun.  And, they HATE coming back inside!  Especially the Little Lady!  She hangs onto whatever she can and loudly OBJECTS when it's time to head back in.  :)

Speaking of the weather, look at what we're to expect this week:

YUCK!  We *do* need the moisture as we didn't get the regular amount of snow this winter, but . . . ugh.  So much for afternoons on the deck!

Excellent backing-up form!  ;)  This is the Little Man.  It was so warm on the deck on Friday that I was worried he'd get his fair little head burned.  We haven't pulled summer clothes out yet, so he didn't have any sun hats available.  And, since I was folding laundry out there while watching them and happened upon this t-towel . . . I made it into a handkerchief for him to wear!  ;)

They both feed themselves almost completely one their own, and here is a fun shot of the Little Man playing with his soup spoon.  He is absolutely a character and loves to be silly!

Bellied up to the bar:  I gave them popcorn the other day, and they MUCH enjoyed this over their organic mac & cheese with peas.  Note to Bopee:  food first, popcorn AFTER!  Little Man looks bigger here, but they're actually pretty much exactly the same height.  I think he will be stockier like his dad while she will be thin and willowy like her mom's side of the family.

Little Lady, waking up early from nap time, brought all the blankies and soft toys over to their dog and proceeded to (try to) cover her with them. 

Then, she sat down and pulled L's ear up to inspect inside.  :)  L is SUCH a good example of a Pit Bull mix who should help break all the awful stereotypes!

I talked Mama Pea into putting down her garden plans and come out for a visit last week.  Little Lady was very happy about it and passed right out in her arms.

Yogurt kisses / fish mouth!  He is hardly EVER this messy when eating, but I was letting him play with his almost empty bowl.  I couldn't get the camera out in time to snap a photo when he was wearing the bowl on his head!  ;)

Smiley Little Lady.

Tucker, who just turned 9, got his spring haircut a week ago, and now that I can see what size he really was under all that hair, guess who's on a diet?!

I had fun with this recent picture of Bundle of Joy and her little brother.  :)

I love this picture of Mama snuggling with her little man.  :)  She'd been watching something on her DVD player and he - who hardly ever sees TV - was enthralled, as you can see!

Bundle of Joy's daddy's favorite cookies are Peanut Butter, and since she wanted to make them the other day, we suited up and got down to business!  It was a nice treat for him when he got home.

The Little Lady LOVED her first-ever sip of apple juice that big sister Bundle of Joy shared with her!

My days off - which are generally the weekends although that also changes week to week depending on what's going on - are usually spent in a cocoon of as much isolation as I can get in plus work around my (as usual) disaster of a wee cabin.  I house and dog/cat-sat about a week ago, and it was SO much easier to eat properly just having, especially, the space to prepare food and work . . . but running water also made it nice.  I'm usually flat-out exhausted each work night and have no oomph to get anything DONE around here, so - since today is a rainy, inside day - I'm going to continue to work on getting things more organized and useable.

Yesterday was GORGEOUS, and I got quite a bit of outside work done - primarily cleaning out the chicken coop and doing a good bit of chainsawing, wood stacking, and cleaning up the yard.  (I sure can feel that chainsawing in the ol' bod' today!)

I'll leave you with this picture - I only tapped one birch tree this year, but it's started producing NICELY!  This is a half-gallon jar pictured below that I empty each night.  I was hoping to start boiling the sap today, but - since that needs to be done outside and today's weather is NOT conducive - it ain't gonna happen. 

May your sap flow sweetly!

Thanks for hangin' in there with me!

:)  XO - Chicken Mama

Anxiety on a Sunday?!

How-do.  I'm feeling some anxiety today which is VERY annoying.  Anxiety on an overcast Sunday just SHOULDN'T be on the books!  Nor should it be an issue on my days off.  But, as you all know, I guess there's no big surprise as to WHY I'm feeling it.  The difficulties of my life right now and all that rot.  BUT, I plan to overcome it today, by hook or by crook, as I'm determined to NOT let it spoil a precious day off!

Mama & Papa Pea and I celebrated Mom's April 30th birthday last night - the first free evening we all had in common.  And, though I know we were all exhausted, it was a really fun night with free flowing wine and laughter.  I made a REALLY simple dinner of hoagies and chips . . . but I don't think Mom would have cared if it had been PB&J sandwiches as long as SHE didn't have to prepare it!  ;)

After dinner, we had a great three (?) games of ping-pong (or gnip-gnop [pronounced guh-NIP, guh-NOP], as Mom and her friends used to call it when she was a teen).  I LUV ping-pong, and Dad set their table up in the garage a few weeks ago.  Can't remember why he finally hauled it out, but I'm SO glad he did!  We've been having tons of fun with it, even tho time allows for few games.  Here's a (maybe boring for you?) video I took last night when I was score-keeper and Mom and Dad played.  I didn't try following the ball - we would have all gotten motion sickness!!!

After gnip-gnop, we had presents and pie:

I didn't ask what Dad got Mom for her birthday because I'm GUESSING that all she wanted was "the living room finished"!!

Above, the annually-requested Banana Cream Pie.  I have yet to make The Perfect One.  Either I put the bananas on the top and they turn brown or the custard doesn't set up or . . . .  This year, it was the crust.  It didn't taste very good - I think my lard was old.  Blech.  BUT, the rest of it was yummy!!!

In other news, I *did* make progress on last Thursday's To Do list, but I spent too much time on the sorting / rummage sale prep because it felt so good to make house progress!  As a result, I didn't get as much computer / business work done as I should have.  So, guess what the majority of the rest of today will be spent doing?

Above, Maisy says, "Mom, I can't BELIEVE you're going to admit to the world what the house looks like with this 'before' picture!"

Now, Tucker says, "Ahhh, MUCH better!"  The pile to the left of the stove is a combination of 'what was there decorating the house' and the For Rummage Sale pile.  To the right is also 'what was there decorating the house' but also the start of the Packing To Move pile.

I really want to work on the disaster of the garage . . . so I can start putting boxes for The Move out there once they're packed.  But, there are other priorities that must come first.  It's hard not knowing when I'll have to be out of here - in regard to planning & packing.  I am in a holding / wait pattern as far as that is concerned.  The 1 month of the "30-Day Notice" is up, and now begins the six dreadful weeks of having my name & situation published in the local paper.  I thought it would begin with Friday's paper, but my folks said I wasn't yet in it when I saw them last night.  I should contact the credit union to find out where things are in the process.  That will ease my mind - the knowing.

In Where I Will Move To news, the nice place located 2 hours / 65 miles south of me is NOT a possibility for a Contract for Deed, after all.  I was waiting to drive out there because I didn't want to fall in love with it any more than I already had from the realty pictures, and I'm glad I waited:  now that I know it's not an option.  For now, the two properties that are the greatest possibilities are the one in the great location but with no well nor septic (did I tell you about this one*?) and another, a trailer house on 13 acres.  The location is kinda poopy, and there's nothing special about the property, but it would be a really good one for the critters with two small, rough outbuildings that have already been well-used for horses, chickens, and goats.  And, the interior of the trailer has been recently remodeled and all the appliances replaced with energy-efficient ones.  And there's a good well and a septic system (although it's probably out-of-date now).  I've snooped around this one quite a bit and am now going to make a date with the owner (a friend) to see the inside of the trailer.

*I've really fallen in love with a tiny, newly-built house on 5 acres.  It has a REALLY good "feel" to it.  Very me.  And, while only about 5 miles out of town, it's up a long driveway and PRIVATE.  The land is good, too.  But, the building, while aesthetically pleasing, was not well-built.  Shortcuts taken are very evident.  And, while it has electricity, it has no other infrastructure amenities.  Other than a nice biffy, though the tank seems to already be cracked (after only a year).  It's owned and was developed by a realtor who WOULD accept a Contract for Deed although we haven't discussed specifics.  I know that I should really go for something with EASE (water, electricity, space) right now, and the trailer is that one.  If I do end up going that route, I'll rent it, first . . . to see how I like it and if it grows on me . . . AND to bide my time to see if another option comes along.  Both the trailer with 13 acres ("lesser" neighborhood / topography) and the cabin with 5 (great location) are about the same price.

We've had warm, rainy weather lately, and it HAS prompted the "thar's green in them thar hills"!  I'll try to get some pictures.  Of course, it's greener nearer town (farther south) than here at Swamp River Ridge.

Finally, a few nice things . . . today is the 12th birthday of a dear, sweet girl I've known since she was born.  Let's see, do I have a good picture of her on this computer?  Let me look . . . 

Here's the natural beauty, a year ago this past March, at her mama's 40th birthday party.

While looking, I also found this from May 3rd of last year:

 

THIS spring, there ain't been no snow nor ice on any lakes around here for ages!

I've had to come back to finishing this post - trying to upload an image while simultaneously downloading an audio book from the library makes for s-l-o-w uploads!

I recently finished the first (for me) book by a great author, Sara Donati.  Book One of her Wilderness series is now under my belt, and it was a LONG one - over 30 hours and 912 pages!!  There's NO way I could have read this one "the old-fashioned way"!  It never grows old for me to say, "thank GAWD for audio books"!!!

Another "nice thing":  I recently sent two checks, concurrent to having enough money in my checking account, to the local electrical system guru.  I owed him the entire bill from the aggravating (for him) day he spent here removing the damaged inverter and hooking up the replacement (used) inverter.  He only charged me the amount he'd told me to expect before he worked all day on it, and I was hugely appreciative of that kindness . . . especially since the ~2 hour project took the entire day AND he had a generator guru with him the entire time (whom I'm sure he paid to be here).  So, I sent an additional $50 check that thanked him for all those extenuating circumstances.  (Of note is the fact that he and I have always had a bit of a difficult relationship - both of us having strong, stubborn heads.)  Anyway, I got an e-mail from him the other day.  It read, "I did receive your checks in the mail, but I will rip up the $50.00 check.  Thanks for the recognition for the extra help that was given, but at this point I imagine you may need it more than I. Consider it cause for celebration and have a little fun."  Now, that kindness goes a long way, eh?

Also of note, I finally opened the 'Open Last' letter than was included with Carolyn Renee's incredibly thoughtful, generous gift.  It made me LAUGH OUT LOUD which is an AMAZING thing to do on a dreary day!  I expected it to be filled with heartfelt condolences and empathy, and I think that's why (even tho those sentiments would be appreciated) I'd put off opening it for so long.  Oh, how wonderfully wrong I'd been . . . she knew JUST what I needed!  

"Chicken Mama, or whatever your "real" name is.  Although, I personally kinda like the idea of somebody calling for me across the frozen food section and screaming, "Chicken Mama!"  But, that's just me.  Because, you know, my real name isn't Carolyn Renee; it's actually Imogene Pyewacket.  Imagine trying to write THAT out on your grade school paperwork every day." 

And on it went . . . from her heart and imagination and sense of humor to ME.  I am one lucky girl!!

And, with that, and having taken the entire afternoon to write this post in fits and starts, I shall away . . . .

P.S.  My anxiety is 80% gone now.  :)  Except, I'm feeling lazy now and just want to watch TV and crochet.  Hmph.

An Insane Amount of Work

Good morning, all!

The amount of computer work I need to do today is flat-out comical.  Which, of course, is why I'm here - procrastinating!  ;)  Well, that and the fact that I actually feel like posting this morning, and I KNOW I won't want to spend my break times back at the computer later today.  So, you get my attention now!

First, a bit of phenology.  I took a walk up the driveway to the trapper cabin and then back through the woods two weeks ago today.  Even though these images are that old, springtime has not progressed hardly at all since then.

Blooming catkin on some scrub by the chicken house.

The woods are still brown for the most part.  Nearer the mild temperatures by the lake, some of the trees have started leafing out - but not so much that there is "green in them thar hills" yet.  Along the roads, there is some green grass trying to get a foot-hold but not even enough for a picture yet.

This was a very teeny (you can see the dried leaves on the right-hand side for size reference) mound of PRETTY moss/lichen starting its springtime push.  If I had the time today, I'd enjoy researching to find out just what kind it is!  (That's the kind of stuff I LIKE to do vs. the stuff I HAVE to spend my day doing.)

Here were the remnants of one of last year's goose eggs (I'm assuming) that a raven had liberated from the "laying barrel" in the poultry yard.

At work, it was a busy, busy week of orders coming in.  Even though our old-fashioned five-and-dime is not exactly what you would consider a "head shop", we are the only game in town for incense . . . and our county does boast a good number of ol' hippies.  So, enjoying such things myself, I had a fun time placing the order with this company for the first time (that I did it).  I was a little leery that I'd spent too much money and ordered too much fun stuff, so it was with serendipitous relief that the boxes arrived on a day that the bosses weren't in!  ;)  But, I was up to my eyeballs in incense for two solid days, unpacking and pricing and stocking, and I SWEAR I got high off it all!  I mean, how could that much strong sensory invasion NOT affect you???  At any rate, it's pretty much all finished, and, even though I chose the best ones to buy myself, I'm HAPPY to be done with it for now!  I was so stinky both Friday and Saturday nights when I drove to Mama & Papa Pea's to pick up the dogs that scent-sensitive Mom couldn't even hug me!

Then, my evenings have been chock-full of visits with friends (it was Bunny Boy's 1st birthday on Wednesday), computer work, property/house-searching and pretty much passing out due to exhaustion.

Regarding the property & house-searching, I have been combing the real estate ads in an effort to find myself and the critters an affordable new home whose owners will consider a Contract for Deed.  Due to my financial situation, I know I will end up with something that is not ideal for whatever reason (no water or no electricity or super small or ______), but better to be looking NOW vs. nearer the end of my stay here at Swamp River Ridge.

It's very interesting, thinking about where - in the county - I may end up.  I'll go wherever the housing option is the best, my only requirement that it be no farther from town than my current drive of one hour.  But, given the size of the HUGE county that we live in (just under 3,500 square miles!!!), I could end up living two hours and 65 miles south of where I am now!  (There's a neat house at that location that my realtor is checking on to see if the owners would consider a C for D.)  So, in some ways, possibilities like this make the move more exciting since it would basically be like moving to a new town!  But, time will tell.  At this point, I have NO idea where I'll end up . . . the stress of which is MUCH reduced by the knowledge that I can ALWAYS (thanks to incredible kindness and generosity) "fall back" on the little cabin just outside of town should I find nothing before I need to be out of here.

But, with that, I REALLY need to get going on the day's insane amount of computer work.  The platform that I've built the majority of my clients' websites on has been made redundant, and Microsoft is NOT transferring the websites over to their new platform.  And tomorrow night at midnight is the deadline for having all the webpages moved and when they will be deleted from their current homes on the Internet.  It's absolute B.S. and only results in a HUGE amount of busy work for web designers.  Sure, I'll be getting paid from my clients for the work (except for the three websites that I administer myself - my high school reunion site, the local arts festival's, and my business website), but it's (SHOULD be) completely unnecessary.  It's just absolutely ridiculous.  But, remember, computers are here "to make our lives EASIER"!  Grumble, grumble, grumble.

Spring Storm Non-Event

With howling winds down by the lake and a high of 25 at work yesterday, it was a little nasty out.  Still, I only got 3+ inches of snow here at Swamp River Ridge . . . although the temperature is just 10 degrees this morning!  Ahhh, spring in northern Minnesota!  :)

Heading out on the "summertime" driveway.

The highway:  i-cy!!

Returned home last night to no power.  Snow and a very overcast day made for ZERO solar gain, and the batteries couldn't keep up with the unexpected drain due to the extra heat the house's thermostat was asking for.  Ah, well.  I'm used to all this now.  ;)

Famous Last Words?

I want to post today, but it will have to wait until later (ergo my "famous last words").  There's a late-winter storm imminent that's supposed to dump 2-7" of wet snow on us.  So (!), I need to get outside to get some things done this AM before that (if it) happens!

Checkin' In

Just a quick how d'ya do to check in.  We've been in perfect sugaring (maple) weather lately:  days in the 40s & 50s and nights in the 20s . . . but that warm, warm snap we had those few weeks ago cancelled out any sugaring this year.  Methinks local maple syrup prices are gonna sky-rocket due to supply & demand!

I was home sick on Wednesday (horrible headache compounded by general exhaustion, I think), and so worked yesterday, instead.  I've been busier and busier at work - doing more computer work for the boss, doing my own orders for the book aisle, etc., etc.  That's mostly good 'cause it keeps me runnin' . . . but sometimes TOO much and I don't feel like I'm giving my "regular" department (housewares) enough attention.  But, that's a good problem to have and, lately, the days have been zipping by.

No segue (other than the weather & work), but I wore open-toed sandals to work on Monday . . . and it snowed all day!!!  Ahhh, springtime in the Northwoods.  None of it stayed on the ground, but I had to borrow a pair of socks for the way home!  :)

I hope none of you are too superstitious about today being Friday, the 13th.  It's a good day for the Pea family:  Mama Pea found out she was pregnant with me on a Friday, the 13th!  ;)

Over and out.  Hopefully I'll have time to post on Sunday.
 

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!

Some Videos

I forgot to post this 2nd moose video I took last month. 



And, here are the new chickie-chicks . . . although the red heat lamp bulb skews the colors!



And, lastly, the ragin' river on Monday!

A Good Day

Whoo-ee, I'm tired!  But, the "good" tired!  The physical, "I'm sore" kinda tired.  The kind of tired where, when I get up from typing this post and eating this slice of cold, homemade pizza and drinking my whiskey-7, I'll be movin' like an old woman!

I had a good day today, a really nice day!  My daddy, Papa Pea, came out this morning for some putterin' around.  Checked on this (the bee hive) and that (the old Suburban which is my back-up plow truck but which also lost its transmission and has been outta commission) and a few other things.  We started our morning with the requisite pot of old-fashioned percolated coffee on the 100 year old stove (for 14 minutes, thank you very much:  no more and no less).  Then, a late lunch while sharing a Newcastle, finished the visit.  We had cold pizza (I made a pizza last night and then was so tired by the time it was out of the oven that I put it directly into the refrig!) and homemade cottage cheese and homemade spiced applesauce.  Kind of a mish-mosh, but it served its purpose.  And I shared my Easter fudge with him:  it's DELISH!   

And, truth be told, that wasn't the very end of his visit.  Following a spirited discussion while looking at plat maps and Google earth, I did have to get in the car and follow him out, part of the way, so we could take a gander at a small body of water that he was convinced was a new lake and which I was convinced was overflow from the beaver dam.  (I was right.  Ha!  But, fair's fair:  I know the area a L-O-T better than he does.)  Dad left then, to get home in time for the first of the year's bee meetings.  Yeah, I am in the association, but I'm not gonna drive 2 hours on my day off for a 1 hour meeting.  Sorry.

After he was gone, I sat down and did about 45 minutes of office work.  I've got a client's new website n-e-a-r-l-y ready to unveil (and this is the time of year when tourists begin looking for vacation rentals - which is her business), but I've had to subcontract out for a little bit of FTP work (which I don't know and don't WANT to know!).  I checked the status of what he'd done and got back to him with a lot of "okay, the changes on Page A look good but the links still direct to the old site rather than the new one", blah, blah, blah.

Then, since the weather was loverly today (a high of 60 with a breeze - MY kind o' weather!), I headed back outside for yard work.  Uncovered the last of the day lilies which are about 3" high.  Raked and raked.  WHERE does all that JUNK come from between last fall and now??  Dumped two wheelbarrow loads full of same in the chicken yard for the geese to sift through.  Pruned quite a few trees.  (Dad, that tree you were asking about off the front path?  Once I was pruning it, I realized it's a Red Maple.)  Cleaned up all the lupines and removed the old stalks.  Took off their wire barriers now that they're well established and ringed them with rock.  (Now, if Maisy just doesn't go digging there, thinking those are HER rocks for me to throw!)  More raking, then hooked up the hose to spray off the one (most used) of the two slate walkways.  Didn't have much luck since the nozzle was kaput, and I had to use my thumb to "regulate" (and I *do* use that term loosely) the output.  That task needs to be re-done once I buy a new nozzle.  Then, did some "extra" of the "regular" chores (those of you on homesteads know what I mean) and finally, whew, came inside just before 8:00 PM.

Now I think I'm gonna relax with some CSI on Netflix and crocheting.

How 'bout YOU?  What did you do today?  (Besides feel earthquakes and/or jets falling on your house, Erin?)  ;p

Oh, and P.S.?  The end is near:  first mosquito bite of the year today.  (Noooooooooooooooooo!)

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!!  :)

File Under: I Put Makeup on for THIS?

I had a 5:00 meeting for the local arts festival last night.  I took my shower in the afternoon and put on makeup.  Got some images burned to a CD that a fellow artist needed, got my tablet & pen for note-taking all ready, asked the post mistress (and fellow photographer) to bring my mail to the meeting if I didn't make it to the P.O. by the time she left for it, and headed out.

And then the first bridge I drove over broke.  Underneath the front tire.  And the dogs and I all experienced a little loss of gravity as the truck sunk into the hole.

But, let's tell the story in the proper order.

I drove home a week ago tonight with no troubles.  Matter of fact, you can see exactly where the track of my wheels drove (at the sinkhole).  But on Friday morning, this is what I found.  For all I know, the impact of me driving over it may have caused it to finally break through as soon as I was across it!  If you enlarge the picture, you can see that even the moose was deterred as his/her tracks show an abrupt about-face!

A look-see told me that I had a solid 6" of so of hard-packed road gravel to drive on if I skirted around the edge . . . and so I did just that.  V-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y.  So, out on Friday?  Check.

That night, before heading home from town, I'd stolen a 2x8 from Papa Pea in case I needed to bridge the culvert sink-hole on my way back in.  Which was good because I DID need to use it.  (I had plenty of bridge building materials at home at Swamp River Ridge, but I was a little concerned about getting there!)

Here's my little car with the 2x8 and Maisy studiously ignoring the camera.

On Saturday, I knew it was time to see if I could possibly get through on the summertime route (10 miles long and not plowed).

I got this far, about 3/4 of a mile from home, before getting stuck.

I shoveled and shoveled and spread ashes . . . but the snow was just too wet and icy for me to get traction.  So, I gave up and hoofed it home . . . also knowing that the snow would (probably) be melted within a day or two enough for me to drive right out.

Once I got home, and knowing I would have to continue to use the wintertime driveway (until the snow melted more), I headed back down with the car and more bridge materials.

Here's a shot of the "bridge" I'd been using up until this point.  But, the hole was getting wider, and I knew my 2x8 wouldn't suffice forever.

Wider AND deeper!  Note the 2x at the top.

It was time for a bigger, better, stronger White Trash bridge:  a solid (HEAVY!!!) old door.

Voila:  new, sturdier bridge!  (Nuthin' but class around here; nuthin' but class!)

So, that bridge served me perfectly well . . . and my visitors (as I wrote in my previous post)!  Then came the prediction for more snow, though.

So, on Tuesday, the dogs and I hoofed it back out to the stuck truck as the snowflakes began to fall.

My Monday visitors were right:  I could drive it right out!

And then the snow came Tuesday night.

I took this picture yesterday morning.  Looks like a B&W one, doesn't it?!

Tucker surveys the 5 new inches of snow.  Maisy was too disgusted and so didn't even go outside for her morning visit.

There was too much slippery, wet snow to drive the car through, so I had to drive the truck.  Which brings us back to the present . . . to yesterday.

The door I'd used as the new bridge weighed 150 lbs., I'll betcha.  I mean, I had to WRESTLE that thing into and out of the car!  It was "solider" than solid!

Buuuuuuuut, not quite solid enough for the weight of a 1-Ton with a 9' Plow!

#*!@

Which led me to ask one of my office building-mates to stick this on my office door this morning:

Chicken Mama Designs

is Closed Today

I’m home-bound due to deteriorating road conditions.  Once this last snowfall melts, I’ll be able to drive out.  I think!

I hope (?) to be able to make it in on

Saturday & Sunday, the 30^th & 1^st.

In the meantime, I’m working from home.

You can reach me there at:

chickenmama@-------------

or (---) ---------------.

Thank you for your patience & understanding!

And, with that, I'll sign off.  It's taken me the entire day just to get this post written!  (Oh, and yes, I was able to get the truck out and home!)