I’m not sure when you’ll get to read this post, but I’m writing it Monday night.
My oldest friend (35 years, we realized tonight!!!!!) and her husband just had their second and last (barring a “surprise” blessing in the years down the road) baby a month ago tomorrow (the 14th, if memory serves), and so Una (more on that to come) has come down to meet and cuddle the bundle of little girl goodness as well as spend some special time with the big brother of the new arrival who, at 2 years old, is suddenly feeling a little displaced!
*I love my moniker ‘Una’! Una means Up North Auntie. That’s me! Although, little E calls me Uni (OOH-nee) . . . which is juuuuust fine! Anything he might call me (ah-hem, let me qualify that!) is pretty much totally adorable coming out of his 25 month-old mouth.
So, ensconced in the downstairs office / come guest bedroom, I am spending some time getting to know my “niece and nephew” a little better.
And, with that paltry post, I think I’m going to sign off. I am soooo tired (which is pretty rich, considering what C & P are dealing with upstairs). But, I realized that this is the first time I’ve gotten away from home, from responsibilities, from everything since sometime last fall . . . and doing so has pretty much made me collapse. I even took a nap this afternoon (good help I am!!!), and it was alllllll I could do to FORCE myself to wake up and climb out of bed. Ugh. And, tomorrow will come quickly: we’re off to the Minnesota Zoo at 8:30 (which is why I took my shower this afternoon, thank you very much). I HAVE mentioned before that I’m not a morning person, right???
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Down & Out at Swamp River Ridge
I had a good day on Tuesday, my first day home from a loooooong stretch of working. It was yesterday that dumped me into Bluesville. Why? I have no idea. Well, that's not true. After the absolute JOY that was having a whole day at home on Tuesday, I think my brain and body finally responded to all the recent wear and tear and just went belly-up. Plop! That was it. I got NOTHING done yesterday except cleaning off the dining room table (no small feat) and enjoying (while Maisy shook like a leaf) the major DELUGE of rain that came through in the afternoon.
_________________
Damn, damn, damn! I wrote a huge, long post here yesterday and added 8, yes, EIGHT photos to illustrate the nearly 1" of rain Swamp River Ridge got in about 15 minutes on Wednesday . . . and just came in to add photo comments and then post . . . and it's all GONE! Argh! I don't have time to re-write it this AM . . . just know that I TRIED! I'm hoping (cross your fingers, toes, eyes, and legs!) to get my laptop back today, though. If that happens, I'll try to write tonight.
Happy Friday (feels like Monday to me after 3 days off)!
OH! Before I forget . . . the phone rang at 2:00 AM this morning, and, not recognizing the number, I let the machine get it (expecting it to be a wrong number) but jumped up when I heard Tom's climbing partner & roommate's voice! He (being the experienced Arctic explorer and having the connections AND knowing how to use a satellite phone once one could be borrowed from said connection) was going down the calling list for the other three members of the team.
They are all fine & healthy (whew!). He said they are "a good team". They are at 17,000 feet and expect to summit tomorrow, Saturday (Denali is 20,300 ft., I think). They're having some issue with sunburn and blistering on their faces and so need to stay covered up but their lungs are fine, etc. The temperature is -10° (F) during the day, but they lose the sun for a couple of hours in the dead of the night when it's behind the mountain, and then the temperatures drop.
It's amazing how it's taken them about 13 days to summit (or, it will) which puts them ahead of schedule - Tom thought they'd summit around the 27th, 28th, 29th - but only 3 days to descend! L said that I could expect a call from Tom on Tuesday when they'd be back down and in Talkeetna. So, that's the update from them. I wasn't expecting to hear from them until they were back down, and I didn't realize how relieved I'd be to hear that all is going well! I'm glad they called. :)
I stole this photo from the mcw.edu website, but it's taken from 17,000 ft. - where they are now.
_________________
Damn, damn, damn! I wrote a huge, long post here yesterday and added 8, yes, EIGHT photos to illustrate the nearly 1" of rain Swamp River Ridge got in about 15 minutes on Wednesday . . . and just came in to add photo comments and then post . . . and it's all GONE! Argh! I don't have time to re-write it this AM . . . just know that I TRIED! I'm hoping (cross your fingers, toes, eyes, and legs!) to get my laptop back today, though. If that happens, I'll try to write tonight.
Happy Friday (feels like Monday to me after 3 days off)!
OH! Before I forget . . . the phone rang at 2:00 AM this morning, and, not recognizing the number, I let the machine get it (expecting it to be a wrong number) but jumped up when I heard Tom's climbing partner & roommate's voice! He (being the experienced Arctic explorer and having the connections AND knowing how to use a satellite phone once one could be borrowed from said connection) was going down the calling list for the other three members of the team.
They are all fine & healthy (whew!). He said they are "a good team". They are at 17,000 feet and expect to summit tomorrow, Saturday (Denali is 20,300 ft., I think). They're having some issue with sunburn and blistering on their faces and so need to stay covered up but their lungs are fine, etc. The temperature is -10° (F) during the day, but they lose the sun for a couple of hours in the dead of the night when it's behind the mountain, and then the temperatures drop.
It's amazing how it's taken them about 13 days to summit (or, it will) which puts them ahead of schedule - Tom thought they'd summit around the 27th, 28th, 29th - but only 3 days to descend! L said that I could expect a call from Tom on Tuesday when they'd be back down and in Talkeetna. So, that's the update from them. I wasn't expecting to hear from them until they were back down, and I didn't realize how relieved I'd be to hear that all is going well! I'm glad they called. :)
I stole this photo from the mcw.edu website, but it's taken from 17,000 ft. - where they are now.
Quick Update
I haven't been on the keys since last Wednesday? Yikes! But, I have a good excuse - the last few days have been go-go-go. In short:
Last Wednesday: I was In-Office working in town. (I think - can't remember that far back!)
Thursday: Same. On one of the days, Bundle of Joy and her mama came to visit. Here they are in one of the seating areas of the coffee shop / community gathering space, playing with Maisy.
Friday: Nannied for both The Peanut and a little 21-month old boy. Before the 2nd pumpkin joined us for the day, The Peanut and I ran errands . . . including a trip to the dairy farm for "chalky moat" (chocolate milk). Evening with the parents of both kiddlies plus friends (family to The Peanut) who were up to their cabin from St. Paul.
Also on Friday, The Peanut being smack in the middle of potty training (diapers are only for bedtime!), we made a few extra stops during our town running (to prevent the need for an outfit change, if you get my drift). The prettiest stop was this one, just outside a horse pasture (one of the very few in the county).
Maisy wanted to get out and play with the horses.
Saturday: Essential clean-up of house, then packing and driving over 200 miles southwest to attend "My Girl's" high school graduation. Arrived about 11:30 PM (yikes). Tom stayed here both Saturday & Sunday nights, doing chores and taking care of the dogs. It was GREAT to not worry about things while I was gone! Also, he WORKED while he was here! More on that later, but the logging road is FIXED, the upstairs of the garage is SORTED, and the lawn is MOWED! Whoo-hoo!!!! It was beginning to (no, it DID) look like an abandoned house in the height of summer around here. It seemed to take forever for the grass to be high enough to warrant cutting . . . but now . . . oi vey! It was embarrassing.
Sunday: Graduation . . . MIS-ER-ABLY hot and humid. Hellish. (Pictures to follow in another post.) Not so bad as My Girl's sister-in-law's experience, tho, who was in Iowa attending her sister's college graduation . . . where people were PASSING OUT the heat was so bad!
Monday: Packing up and leaving, errands on the way home capped off by a really nice visit with an old friend who is in the hospital (lucky to be alive and/or not paralyzed after falling backwards into the deep end of an empty pool during its spring cleaning while she worked around it). Returned home after midnight.
Tuesday / Yesterday: Nannied oldest / dearest friend's little guy (also 21 months old) while his mom & dad worked on their cabin 9 miles away. Miserably hot & humid day again. 85.8° in the shade on the north side of the house here. FORTUNATELY, a big storm came through in the late afternoon and dropped the temperature to 71° in about 10 minutes! I can't WAIT to get into the cold fog that the big lake is spreading over those living on its shoreline (which includes town when I'm at work)!
More tonight, I hope . . . or tomorrow.
Spring, Sprang, Sprung
Has spring really sprung? I'm not too sure. Last Wednesday was positively glorious with the temperature in the shade of the north side of the chicken house reading 56 degrees! But, Thursday was cooler (although still lovely) and Friday brought temperatures that froze all the hoses I'd hooked up (albeit a tad prematurely). Sigh. Now we're having weather that, I'm guessing, is fairly normal: cold at night and in the 40s during the day. (Maple syrup season!)
I arrived home from a weekend away last night at 10:30, an oddity for me (being gone). But, I had a really enjoyable time! My Girl (pseudo-adopted daughter) is in the final months of her high school career, and this past weekend was the performance of her high school play. So, her oldest sister and I took the 4 1/2 hour road trip down and over to the central third of the state. A brother and his wonderful family (who visits up here fairly often) lives there, and so we stayed with them. It was a very laid-back, casual visit punctuated by tours of the town and meeting Mom and Dad, Grandma & Grandpa and other family members.
And, with that minimal description of the weekend, I feel like I need to get going. The house is a DISASTER, and I have to get lots of paperwork together for meeting with the tax preparer tomorrow. Hopefully, the creative bug will strike, and I'll write a much more interesting & comprehensive post about Life at Swamp River Ridge later. :)
I arrived home from a weekend away last night at 10:30, an oddity for me (being gone). But, I had a really enjoyable time! My Girl (pseudo-adopted daughter) is in the final months of her high school career, and this past weekend was the performance of her high school play. So, her oldest sister and I took the 4 1/2 hour road trip down and over to the central third of the state. A brother and his wonderful family (who visits up here fairly often) lives there, and so we stayed with them. It was a very laid-back, casual visit punctuated by tours of the town and meeting Mom and Dad, Grandma & Grandpa and other family members.
And, with that minimal description of the weekend, I feel like I need to get going. The house is a DISASTER, and I have to get lots of paperwork together for meeting with the tax preparer tomorrow. Hopefully, the creative bug will strike, and I'll write a much more interesting & comprehensive post about Life at Swamp River Ridge later. :)
A Wonderfully Lazy Saturday Morning
I am enjoying the ultimate in decadence this morning. In my comfy pink bathrobe and lambswool bedroom slippers, I am nestled under a wool blanket that my husband bought for me one Christmas years before we were married. I've built a crackling little wood fire here in the sunroom while the front door in the main part of the house is wide open, allowing the dogs & cat to come and go at will through their flap cut into the screen door. Beside me is a quickly dwindling cup of coffee fresh off the cookstove percolator . . . and a junky white donut. Ahhhh, bliss. ;)
We had that one miserable-hot week near the end of June but, since then, it's been cool again. Lovely for humans, not so good for the garden. It's 58 degrees outside this morning and just 61 inside . . . which is why the little fire feels so good!
Outside, the first of the peony blossoms opened this morning. Tom's dad, Ernie, had quite the green thumb and always grew beautiful flowers that lined the lawns at both their house in town and out at the lake. When Tom and his brother sold the house in town following Ernie's passing two-years-ago-this-fall, we dug up two of the peonies and one teensy maple sapling from the yard. We weren't sure how they would transplant from the temperatures that they were used to in southwestern MN to northeastern MN, but they've all three been successful. The peonies didn't bloom at all last summer, their first, but I'm glad: seems they were rebuilding their core strength. Anyway, it's a real joy to see the brilliant pink of the peonies, and I always take time to give 'Ernie's tree' an extra look when I cross the front walkway between the two south-facing decks.
In the field around my garden, the Sweet William is in full bloom, and the lupines are beginning to show more pod than blossom. I've seen the Goldenrod shooting up, but no blooms yet.
There's a large bush at the entrance to my garden which I've loved since I found it a couple of years ago. Last year (or was it the year before?), I pruned it in the spring, hoping it would grow lusher and more compact. It worked - the blossoms were thick and tight. Then, the runty little yearling moose we named Morty and only saw for a few weeks, came along and chomped all the blossoms RIGHT OFF. Hmph. But, who knows? Maybe Mother Nature knew best . . . because this year, it is lush and lovely. I haven't lost any of the blossoms (knock on wood), and they are now forming berries. The only problem is that I don't know what it is! My Dad tagged it as an Elderberry, but the one resource I looked at then to identify it as such was definitely NOT accurate. Since then, though, I've found some online Elderberry references that DO look remarkably similar to it. So, Dad may have been right! (I know, should I ever have doubted him?) ;) Anyway, I'll post some pictures that I have of it on my other computer and then you all can add your two cents. If it IS elderberry . . . what can I make with it? Jam? Wine? Have any recipes you'd like to share?
Speaking of jam, the wild thimbleberry production is WAY up this year, and if the berries ever get enough sun and warmth to turn their salmony-pink, I want to pick enough to try to make jam. I know they are generally tart enough that they take a huge amount of sugar, but still . . . . Again, any recipes you'd like to share?
Hang on, my fire needs tending to . . . . (Seems I need to take out the ashes.)
My favorite husband is finally home here at Swamp River Ridge (currently enjoying the flannel sheets that a lazy Saturday morning in bed has to offer). Until last Sunday at 3:00 AM, he hadn't been home since June 20th! Following a week-long house/dog-sitting stint for him, we drove down to Minneapolis on Saturday, June 27th, for the family reunion. Sunday night, we drove back up to Duluth and stayed at a dumpy motel (yes, it IS worth the extra $20 or so for a nice place!) in order to be at the airport at 6:00 AM for his 3-stage flight to Durango, CO. (Duluth to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Denver, Denver to Durango.)
There, on June 29th, Tom began his two-week "interview" with this consulting firm based out of Houston (and Denver and Aztec, NM where he was). (And, no, we still don't know anything regarding whether or not he has the job. We're guessing that it's dependent on whether or not the company gets this particular contract in Ghana which would take 4-6 men out of "the field" in New Mexico . . . thus requiring replacements, i.e. Tom + a few others. Keep your fingers crossed!)
Anyway, he returned to Duluth on Friday, the 10th, and - after they lost his luggage somewhere in Denver (which, incidentally and we know now, is an airport infamous for losing luggage) - arrived into town just after noon on the 11th (thank you, B. duNord!).
I, in turn, pulled in to my folks' yard just after 2:30 that afternoon, wishing there was the time for a proper hello and "Hi, Honey! How ARE you?" after 3 weeks of being apart. Instead, it was, "Here's a razor, shaving lotion, and a toothbrush. Here are your clothes. Jump in the shower and get changed!" We all had to be at a wedding by 3:30!
Fast-forward past the large church wedding and the poor woman passing out just as the service ended. She was carried out on a stretcher. "See," I said, continuing to fan myself with my program as I had been all afternoon, my pearls sticking unpleasantly where they lay on my neck, "I TOLD you it was hot in there!" Let's hope she was suffering from nothing more than a particularly nasty hot flash, too, but given her age . . . .
Anyway, off to the 400-guests-strong reception we went. The rented tent had 5 (count 'em, F-I-V-E) peaks, it was so huge! And, allowing for seating for 400 guests, the head table, a small dance floor, an overflowing gift table, and two buffet tables . . . it was necessary! (Also, keep in mind, for comparison's sake, that the wintertime population of town is only 1,500 - 2,000 people, all tolled!)
The food, once we finally gave up waiting for our table to be properly "released" and just jumped in line, was FAB-OO-LOUS, no pun intended. Check out the website of one of my high school girlfriends, Fabulous Catering. (She's catered to some of the famous: Jessica Lange & Mikhail Baryshnikov's daughter's wedding and, just last fall, The Republican Convention. Pretty good for a small town girl who used to cook at our restaurant, huh?!) She came up to do the food, and was preparing it outside on a MASSIVE wood-fired grill. I don't know HOW she got the pounded chicken breast SO tender, but it was melt-in-your-mouth. She said she marinated it all the 6 hours up from Minneapolis, but still. It was heavenly. Word is, too, that she donated her services to the family as a wedding gift. Her folks are dear friends with the bride's parents, and her sister, who made the to-die-for wedding cakes (check her out here), was the flower girl at said parents-of-the-bride's wedding years ago.
Anyway, I digress. The yard in which the wedding reception was held and my parents' back yard share the same acreage. The parents of the groom are dear friends (their two children are identical twins). We figured that we could tell who was who at the wedding 'cause one would be in a tux . . . standing with the woman in white! But, when they were away from their respective ladies, both wearing tuxes, it was still impossible. Tom focused on their different colored sunglasses; I looked for a shiny, new wedding ring. :)
[Again, I got off on a tangent (as usual). Continuing with the story . . . .]
Months ago, the groom's father asked my dad and Tom if they would, as a wedding gift, be willing to ferry guests home / back to their motels, at the end of the night. He didn't want ANYONE drinking and driving . . . and made a speech as such at the beginning of the dinner. In addition, there's a very small Mom & Pop bus company that runs up and down the North Shore . . . who had given THEIR services as a wedding present. So, she (the "Mom" - as the "Pop" just died last year) began bussing folks around 8:00 PM. By this time, Tom, exhuasted from his past couple of weeks and most recent travel, was sound asleep on the couch in the middle room at my folks'. I, in turn, was sound asleep on their couch in the living room. Mom had changed out of her "wedding clothes" and was nearing the comfort of her jammies. Poor Dad was left to walk over, periodically, "checking in" on the situation.
The Mom & Pop bussing company stopped running when the bulk of the guests were throwing in the towel, around 10:00 PM. The remainders were the closest friends and family . . . the die-hards. Dad said that the line around the open bar never shortened, even as the majority of the guests said good-night. Finally, the DJ stopped at 1:00 AM. That was when my dad and Tom jumped into action, using Dad's two, comfy Suburbans that he had prepped just for the night. And, as it turned out, their runs were minimal and easy, both of them struggling to turn down the tips that tipsy, grateful men tried to shove into their hands. Tom ended up with a $5-er that he just couldn't return. ;)
It was a long night, especially for my dad who was kind enough to do all the "checking in", back and forth across the backyards during the evening. But, all in all, it was a special night, and it felt so good to help out friends.
By the time they both pulled into the yard after their last drops, it was 2:00 AM. Tom and I loaded the dogs into the car and headed home . . . flopping into bed at 3:00. Dawn would start breaking in about 90 minutes.
Welcome home, Honey!
We had that one miserable-hot week near the end of June but, since then, it's been cool again. Lovely for humans, not so good for the garden. It's 58 degrees outside this morning and just 61 inside . . . which is why the little fire feels so good!
Outside, the first of the peony blossoms opened this morning. Tom's dad, Ernie, had quite the green thumb and always grew beautiful flowers that lined the lawns at both their house in town and out at the lake. When Tom and his brother sold the house in town following Ernie's passing two-years-ago-this-fall, we dug up two of the peonies and one teensy maple sapling from the yard. We weren't sure how they would transplant from the temperatures that they were used to in southwestern MN to northeastern MN, but they've all three been successful. The peonies didn't bloom at all last summer, their first, but I'm glad: seems they were rebuilding their core strength. Anyway, it's a real joy to see the brilliant pink of the peonies, and I always take time to give 'Ernie's tree' an extra look when I cross the front walkway between the two south-facing decks.
In the field around my garden, the Sweet William is in full bloom, and the lupines are beginning to show more pod than blossom. I've seen the Goldenrod shooting up, but no blooms yet.
There's a large bush at the entrance to my garden which I've loved since I found it a couple of years ago. Last year (or was it the year before?), I pruned it in the spring, hoping it would grow lusher and more compact. It worked - the blossoms were thick and tight. Then, the runty little yearling moose we named Morty and only saw for a few weeks, came along and chomped all the blossoms RIGHT OFF. Hmph. But, who knows? Maybe Mother Nature knew best . . . because this year, it is lush and lovely. I haven't lost any of the blossoms (knock on wood), and they are now forming berries. The only problem is that I don't know what it is! My Dad tagged it as an Elderberry, but the one resource I looked at then to identify it as such was definitely NOT accurate. Since then, though, I've found some online Elderberry references that DO look remarkably similar to it. So, Dad may have been right! (I know, should I ever have doubted him?) ;) Anyway, I'll post some pictures that I have of it on my other computer and then you all can add your two cents. If it IS elderberry . . . what can I make with it? Jam? Wine? Have any recipes you'd like to share?
Speaking of jam, the wild thimbleberry production is WAY up this year, and if the berries ever get enough sun and warmth to turn their salmony-pink, I want to pick enough to try to make jam. I know they are generally tart enough that they take a huge amount of sugar, but still . . . . Again, any recipes you'd like to share?
Hang on, my fire needs tending to . . . . (Seems I need to take out the ashes.)
My favorite husband is finally home here at Swamp River Ridge (currently enjoying the flannel sheets that a lazy Saturday morning in bed has to offer). Until last Sunday at 3:00 AM, he hadn't been home since June 20th! Following a week-long house/dog-sitting stint for him, we drove down to Minneapolis on Saturday, June 27th, for the family reunion. Sunday night, we drove back up to Duluth and stayed at a dumpy motel (yes, it IS worth the extra $20 or so for a nice place!) in order to be at the airport at 6:00 AM for his 3-stage flight to Durango, CO. (Duluth to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Denver, Denver to Durango.)
There, on June 29th, Tom began his two-week "interview" with this consulting firm based out of Houston (and Denver and Aztec, NM where he was). (And, no, we still don't know anything regarding whether or not he has the job. We're guessing that it's dependent on whether or not the company gets this particular contract in Ghana which would take 4-6 men out of "the field" in New Mexico . . . thus requiring replacements, i.e. Tom + a few others. Keep your fingers crossed!)
Anyway, he returned to Duluth on Friday, the 10th, and - after they lost his luggage somewhere in Denver (which, incidentally and we know now, is an airport infamous for losing luggage) - arrived into town just after noon on the 11th (thank you, B. duNord!).
I, in turn, pulled in to my folks' yard just after 2:30 that afternoon, wishing there was the time for a proper hello and "Hi, Honey! How ARE you?" after 3 weeks of being apart. Instead, it was, "Here's a razor, shaving lotion, and a toothbrush. Here are your clothes. Jump in the shower and get changed!" We all had to be at a wedding by 3:30!
Fast-forward past the large church wedding and the poor woman passing out just as the service ended. She was carried out on a stretcher. "See," I said, continuing to fan myself with my program as I had been all afternoon, my pearls sticking unpleasantly where they lay on my neck, "I TOLD you it was hot in there!" Let's hope she was suffering from nothing more than a particularly nasty hot flash, too, but given her age . . . .
Anyway, off to the 400-guests-strong reception we went. The rented tent had 5 (count 'em, F-I-V-E) peaks, it was so huge! And, allowing for seating for 400 guests, the head table, a small dance floor, an overflowing gift table, and two buffet tables . . . it was necessary! (Also, keep in mind, for comparison's sake, that the wintertime population of town is only 1,500 - 2,000 people, all tolled!)
The food, once we finally gave up waiting for our table to be properly "released" and just jumped in line, was FAB-OO-LOUS, no pun intended. Check out the website of one of my high school girlfriends, Fabulous Catering. (She's catered to some of the famous: Jessica Lange & Mikhail Baryshnikov's daughter's wedding and, just last fall, The Republican Convention. Pretty good for a small town girl who used to cook at our restaurant, huh?!) She came up to do the food, and was preparing it outside on a MASSIVE wood-fired grill. I don't know HOW she got the pounded chicken breast SO tender, but it was melt-in-your-mouth. She said she marinated it all the 6 hours up from Minneapolis, but still. It was heavenly. Word is, too, that she donated her services to the family as a wedding gift. Her folks are dear friends with the bride's parents, and her sister, who made the to-die-for wedding cakes (check her out here), was the flower girl at said parents-of-the-bride's wedding years ago.
Anyway, I digress. The yard in which the wedding reception was held and my parents' back yard share the same acreage. The parents of the groom are dear friends (their two children are identical twins). We figured that we could tell who was who at the wedding 'cause one would be in a tux . . . standing with the woman in white! But, when they were away from their respective ladies, both wearing tuxes, it was still impossible. Tom focused on their different colored sunglasses; I looked for a shiny, new wedding ring. :)
[Again, I got off on a tangent (as usual). Continuing with the story . . . .]
Months ago, the groom's father asked my dad and Tom if they would, as a wedding gift, be willing to ferry guests home / back to their motels, at the end of the night. He didn't want ANYONE drinking and driving . . . and made a speech as such at the beginning of the dinner. In addition, there's a very small Mom & Pop bus company that runs up and down the North Shore . . . who had given THEIR services as a wedding present. So, she (the "Mom" - as the "Pop" just died last year) began bussing folks around 8:00 PM. By this time, Tom, exhuasted from his past couple of weeks and most recent travel, was sound asleep on the couch in the middle room at my folks'. I, in turn, was sound asleep on their couch in the living room. Mom had changed out of her "wedding clothes" and was nearing the comfort of her jammies. Poor Dad was left to walk over, periodically, "checking in" on the situation.
The Mom & Pop bussing company stopped running when the bulk of the guests were throwing in the towel, around 10:00 PM. The remainders were the closest friends and family . . . the die-hards. Dad said that the line around the open bar never shortened, even as the majority of the guests said good-night. Finally, the DJ stopped at 1:00 AM. That was when my dad and Tom jumped into action, using Dad's two, comfy Suburbans that he had prepped just for the night. And, as it turned out, their runs were minimal and easy, both of them struggling to turn down the tips that tipsy, grateful men tried to shove into their hands. Tom ended up with a $5-er that he just couldn't return. ;)
It was a long night, especially for my dad who was kind enough to do all the "checking in", back and forth across the backyards during the evening. But, all in all, it was a special night, and it felt so good to help out friends.
By the time they both pulled into the yard after their last drops, it was 2:00 AM. Tom and I loaded the dogs into the car and headed home . . . flopping into bed at 3:00. Dawn would start breaking in about 90 minutes.
Welcome home, Honey!
The Big City
In the big city for 24 hours.
Remembering the things I enjoyed when we lived here: Barnes & Noble, Target, good liquor stores, good restaurants. Basically, selection. Oh, and long business hours.
And, anonymity. That's the BIGGEST thing I miss.
That's not to say that there aren't greater goods that come out of small communities. I whole-heartedly recognize that and couldn't agree more.
But, there's something to be said for being able to run to the grocery store and not having to stop to talk to nearly every person you see, you know?
(The people watching's pretty fun in a big city, too!)
Remembering the things I enjoyed when we lived here: Barnes & Noble, Target, good liquor stores, good restaurants. Basically, selection. Oh, and long business hours.
And, anonymity. That's the BIGGEST thing I miss.
That's not to say that there aren't greater goods that come out of small communities. I whole-heartedly recognize that and couldn't agree more.
But, there's something to be said for being able to run to the grocery store and not having to stop to talk to nearly every person you see, you know?
(The people watching's pretty fun in a big city, too!)
Odd Little Shout-Out
We are new fans of Hampton Inns!
Seriously, if you're traveling and like to stay in the "big name" motels, the Hampton Inns are the way to go. We stayed in 3 of them during our four nights on the road. Generally speaking, they're under $100 (at least at this time of year), and they have terrific amenities including thick, comfy, cotton duvets instead of those plastic-y polyester "quilts" most motels get by with for bed coverings. The rooms are thick-walled and quiet, and there's good coffee for the in-room coffee makers . . . and good tea to choose from, too.
Anyway, just a heads up to you travelers out there. We used to be Holiday Inn Express people, but we've converted!
P.S. We stayed at Hampton Inns in Durango, CO; North Platte (I think!), NE; and Brookings, SD.
Seriously, if you're traveling and like to stay in the "big name" motels, the Hampton Inns are the way to go. We stayed in 3 of them during our four nights on the road. Generally speaking, they're under $100 (at least at this time of year), and they have terrific amenities including thick, comfy, cotton duvets instead of those plastic-y polyester "quilts" most motels get by with for bed coverings. The rooms are thick-walled and quiet, and there's good coffee for the in-room coffee makers . . . and good tea to choose from, too.
Anyway, just a heads up to you travelers out there. We used to be Holiday Inn Express people, but we've converted!
P.S. We stayed at Hampton Inns in Durango, CO; North Platte (I think!), NE; and Brookings, SD.
Day 5: HOME!
Thank gawd! We made it!
We got to my folks' house about 10:30 last night. Traveling from the southwest edge of Minnesota to the northeast tip made for a l-o-n-g day! After a visit with my mom & dad, we loaded up the dogs for the 1 hour ride home arriving about 1:00 AM. A quick perusal of things, and we were in bed by 1:30.
Tom woke up early this AM asking for a pain pill and then we both passed out again until NOON! So, I'm really functioning as though it's only just 11:00 AM now at 3:00 PM!
But, I've got the car all unpacked (although we had to leave about 1/2 of its contents with my parents last night in order to fit the dogs in!), and now I'm going to tend to the disaster that is this house (and find out WHAT the smell is here in the kitchen!).
Tom came outside when I was almost done with the car, but he's disappeared now, so I'm assuming he's sleeping and hoping he's getting some good, bone-mending rest. Sitting up in the car for 5 days was NOT exactly what his body needed!
We got to my folks' house about 10:30 last night. Traveling from the southwest edge of Minnesota to the northeast tip made for a l-o-n-g day! After a visit with my mom & dad, we loaded up the dogs for the 1 hour ride home arriving about 1:00 AM. A quick perusal of things, and we were in bed by 1:30.
Tom woke up early this AM asking for a pain pill and then we both passed out again until NOON! So, I'm really functioning as though it's only just 11:00 AM now at 3:00 PM!
But, I've got the car all unpacked (although we had to leave about 1/2 of its contents with my parents last night in order to fit the dogs in!), and now I'm going to tend to the disaster that is this house (and find out WHAT the smell is here in the kitchen!).
Tom came outside when I was almost done with the car, but he's disappeared now, so I'm assuming he's sleeping and hoping he's getting some good, bone-mending rest. Sitting up in the car for 5 days was NOT exactly what his body needed!
Day Four: Are We Home Yet?!
We made it up thru Nebraska today and into South Dakota and a-l-m-o-s-t to the MN border. But, it really would have been pushing it to stay in Marshall tonight. So, instead we were wise, and we're in Brookings, SD.
Home tomorrow, come hell or high water! Our little Yaris gets tinier with each day we're on the road! ;)
Day 3 On The Road
Today was pretty exhausting, so this will be BRIEF!
As my mom wrote (thank you!), we made it only to Walsenburg, CO yesterday - despite traveling nearly the whole day (thru a blizzard).
This morning, we drove north instead of our desired route of east. But, this succeeded in getting us out of the snow after about 75 miles.
Tom had his most uncomfortable day so far on the road, but he felt better tonight than this morning, so we count ourselves grateful for small favors.
We're in North Platte, Nebraska tonight and have traveled from deep snow and horrible roads to green fields! What a change! This country continues to amaze us!
We're hoping tomorrow night finds us within the Minnesota border . . . .
As my mom wrote (thank you!), we made it only to Walsenburg, CO yesterday - despite traveling nearly the whole day (thru a blizzard).
This morning, we drove north instead of our desired route of east. But, this succeeded in getting us out of the snow after about 75 miles.
Tom had his most uncomfortable day so far on the road, but he felt better tonight than this morning, so we count ourselves grateful for small favors.
We're in North Platte, Nebraska tonight and have traveled from deep snow and horrible roads to green fields! What a change! This country continues to amaze us!
We're hoping tomorrow night finds us within the Minnesota border . . . .
On The Road Home: Day 1
The day dawned beautifully in Sedona this morning,
and we were greeted by hot-air ballons in the sky!
and we were greeted by hot-air ballons in the sky!
After getting the thumbs-up (as expected) from the doctor's office right away in the morning, we spent yesterday preparing to close up and leave our friends' wonderful Sedona home.
My folks provided us with our wake-up call this morning at 6:00 AM our time / 8:00 AM their time. (I never did figure out that dang alarm clock at our "vacation" place.) Our first day behind the wheel took us up to Flagstaff, first, to get the oil changed on our little Yaris. Then, we were "on the road".
The Coconino National Forest was one of the most beautiful areas we've ever seen in the States, but I was too busy maneuvering the switchbacks and trying to not freak out over the drop-away cliffs (I'm scared of heights, and it's getting worse as I age) to take pictures while driving (not a safe endeavor, anyhow).
The entire drive today was beautiful save some areas of the Navajo reservation which must be kinda like living in the middle of a gravel pit. Makes you really proud of the American government. Not.
Anyway, I'm gonna sign off for now. We're in Durango, CO tonight. These are all the shots from the day. Monument Valley was incredible! More tomorrow.
All of the above are from Monument Valley.
I'm not sure Tom agreed, but I was downright pickled tink to see snow again once we got into Colorado! The snow-capped mountains are unbelievable. Although, we are a little surprised there's not more green popping out here yet.
Mass E-Mailing & Pictures
For those of you to whom this will come as a surprise, here's the brief (or not so brief, knowing me!) synopsis. For the rest of you, skip down for the latest news near the bottom.
A shot of the prop-plane / puddle-jumper I flew out on.
After a brief visit to the ER in Sedona, he was transferred down to a terrific (and much larger) hospital in Cottonwood. I arrived there Thursday night (the earliest flight I could get thanks to Spring Break), and the wonderful staff set me up in an alcove of the private room with my own hide-a-bed. From that point until his discharge on Sunday evening, the 16th, I got to be his personal nurse 24/7 and never once left the hospital!
Tom's hospital room.
You can see my little bedroom alcove behind Tom in his hospital bed.
At his request, I shaved Tom's head once when he was still completely bed-ridden, but this was his first foray into having it done in the bathroom . . . as you can see by his position, it was a rather exhausting excursion.
I call this pose our version of 'The Thinker'. ;)
Here's a good shot of the icky yellow hue that Tom's bashed-up shoulder took on. He never turned black and blue but instead skipped right to this.
Tom on the first day home, Monday.
We came "home" Sunday night to the home of dear friends here in Sedona. They left on their cross-country bike trek on Wednesday morning and, since then, we have been slumming it (ha - hardly!!!) alone, recouping in the sun ever since.
With our friends in their back yard the night before they left (Tuesday night).
P waits - not too patiently - for D to open the champagne!
Tom feels better each day although he suffered just a bit of a set-back when we got out of the hospital - no IV pain meds and trying to get comfortable in a "regular" bed. A couple of mornings were hard, and Tom ended up laid out on the cool floor of the bathroom the first morning (by choice, fortunately). And, we had to adapt to setting an alarm for during the nights so that Tom could keep on top of the pain with his meds . . . vs. sleeping through and then being absolutely MISERABLE waiting for them to kick in when he awoke.
Tom doing his exercises that keep inflating his lung
and preventing it from collapsing.
The chest tube incision site the day we got to remove the bandage: Wednesday.
No stitches, no nuthin'!
The first short walk down the road.
I've been updating folks via our blog, and I'll repost this e-mail there with photos. Go to www.swampriverridge.blogspot.com.
Everyone both here (strangers!) and back home has been truly amazing regarding stepping in to do ANYTHING they can to help us. And, I wouldn't be able to be here helping Tom if my folks weren't taking care of Swamp River Ridge, so a HUGE thanks goes to them.
Tom drove out to Sedona, Arizona leaving on Saturday, the 7th, and arriving on Monday, the 9th. He came out for some mental R&R and to get in a little bit of road bike (bicycle) training with his friend whom I've previously written about.
A view of our house at home the day of Tom's accident.
On his second day here, Wednesday the 11th, he and Don were just down the road a mile away from the house when the front tire of Tom's bike ultimately came off! Tom was catapulted into the ditch, first striking his head (thank god for helmets) and then absorbing the impact with the front right of his torso. Besides some pretty good road rash, the crash resulted in 6 shattered ribs, a badly broken clavicle (collarbone), and a collapsed lung. If he hadn't been wearing his helmet, he would have been paralyzed . . . or gone.
A view of our house at home the day of Tom's accident.
On his second day here, Wednesday the 11th, he and Don were just down the road a mile away from the house when the front tire of Tom's bike ultimately came off! Tom was catapulted into the ditch, first striking his head (thank god for helmets) and then absorbing the impact with the front right of his torso. Besides some pretty good road rash, the crash resulted in 6 shattered ribs, a badly broken clavicle (collarbone), and a collapsed lung. If he hadn't been wearing his helmet, he would have been paralyzed . . . or gone.
A shot of the prop-plane / puddle-jumper I flew out on.After a brief visit to the ER in Sedona, he was transferred down to a terrific (and much larger) hospital in Cottonwood. I arrived there Thursday night (the earliest flight I could get thanks to Spring Break), and the wonderful staff set me up in an alcove of the private room with my own hide-a-bed. From that point until his discharge on Sunday evening, the 16th, I got to be his personal nurse 24/7 and never once left the hospital!
Tom's hospital room.
You can see my little bedroom alcove behind Tom in his hospital bed.
At his request, I shaved Tom's head once when he was still completely bed-ridden, but this was his first foray into having it done in the bathroom . . . as you can see by his position, it was a rather exhausting excursion.
I call this pose our version of 'The Thinker'. ;)
Here's a good shot of the icky yellow hue that Tom's bashed-up shoulder took on. He never turned black and blue but instead skipped right to this.
Tom on the first day home, Monday.We came "home" Sunday night to the home of dear friends here in Sedona. They left on their cross-country bike trek on Wednesday morning and, since then, we have been slumming it (ha - hardly!!!) alone, recouping in the sun ever since.
With our friends in their back yard the night before they left (Tuesday night).
P waits - not too patiently - for D to open the champagne!
Tom feels better each day although he suffered just a bit of a set-back when we got out of the hospital - no IV pain meds and trying to get comfortable in a "regular" bed. A couple of mornings were hard, and Tom ended up laid out on the cool floor of the bathroom the first morning (by choice, fortunately). And, we had to adapt to setting an alarm for during the nights so that Tom could keep on top of the pain with his meds . . . vs. sleeping through and then being absolutely MISERABLE waiting for them to kick in when he awoke.
Tom doing his exercises that keep inflating his lung
and preventing it from collapsing.
The chest tube incision site the day we got to remove the bandage: Wednesday.
No stitches, no nuthin'!
The first short walk down the road.
We went out to run to an outdoor store and then the grocery store Wednesday evening, but it was really too early for Tom to attack all that, so I took him home in between the two errands. D & P's house here is only 5 miles out of town proper, so everything is quite handy.
The view out the car window on my way to the grocery store.
Today we took a little walk on the red rock trails across the road. So, like I said, a little more each day. We have a good friend from home who lives in Flagstaff now (and surprised the HECK out of us by showing up to visit Tomin the hospital last weekend!) and who we were planning on visiting tomorrow night. But, based on our experience with "overdoing it" so far, we made the executive decision today and asked if she would come down to us. We know it would be too much if we tried to do the drive there, the actual visit, and then the drive home.
The view out the car window on my way to the grocery store.
Today we took a little walk on the red rock trails across the road. So, like I said, a little more each day. We have a good friend from home who lives in Flagstaff now (and surprised the HECK out of us by showing up to visit Tomin the hospital last weekend!) and who we were planning on visiting tomorrow night. But, based on our experience with "overdoing it" so far, we made the executive decision today and asked if she would come down to us. We know it would be too much if we tried to do the drive there, the actual visit, and then the drive home.
On Monday, the 23rd, we drive back up to Cottonwood for another set of x-rays and a meeting with the doc. At that meeting we hope to be given the thumbs-up for Tom to travel. When he was released this past Sunday, there was still a small portion of his lung that was collapsed, and I think the repair of that will give us the go-ahead travel home. (He's had a little lung exercise machine that he uses several times a day and, during our walk today, he said that he could feel that his lung HAS healed, he thinks.)
Fortunate for us in this situation, Tom drove out here from Minnesota to Arizona, so we have wheels. Once we're given the all-clear we'll head home, but it remains to be seen how much Tom can comfortably travel each day (and how much driving I can keep my eyes open for since Tom does 95% of our long-distance driving). I know we'll need to take our time, though, so we've looked at the map to see how much of it we can do on designated Scenic Routes. But, if all goes as well as we expect/project, we'll be home around a week from tomorrow, I'm thinking.
I've been updating folks via our blog, and I'll repost this e-mail there with photos. Go to www.swampriverridge.blogspot.com.
Everyone both here (strangers!) and back home has been truly amazing regarding stepping in to do ANYTHING they can to help us. And, I wouldn't be able to be here helping Tom if my folks weren't taking care of Swamp River Ridge, so a HUGE thanks goes to them.
Hope to see you all soon . . . and keep those helmets on!
xox Weslie & Tom
Timber Tommy
Well, as you can see, I've been playing with the blog format lately - looking for a new one. And, as of this post, I haven't found the perfect one yet. Still working on it. (P.S. I think I've found it - I'm happy with this one.)
Today is a banner day: the first starting up / getting going / use of the sawmill that Tom and a friend built . . . oh, 2 years ago? It's a shared venture: we paid for many of the materials, and the friend built it. But, for now, the mill is living here at Swamp River Ridge.
I can't remember if I wrote about the big spruce we had to cut down in the front yard or if I just posted the video on YouTube. At any rate, that is the tree Tom and my dad are out working on today. We'd thought the tree was hollow given the large crack in the side that caused us to cut it down (before it fell on either the garage or the solar panels), but it's as solid as can be . . . which bodes WELL for producing some good lumber!
The first test section was a 10' length, and they ended up with a rough-cut 5 x 5 . . . as well as some good slabwood for kindling AND some heavy, thick slabwood that can still be milled more for 1xs (1" bys), etc. So, very excited progress around ye ol' homestead! The first "go" at any big project is always the worst (i.e. takes the longest) with the steepest learning curve.
It's a beautiful spring day today - the first of June!! But, horror of horrors (it was only a matter of time), the blackflies came out yesterday. Ala Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining', "They're heeeerrre!"
There have been SO many things going on lately, and I've just been too busy (or tired) to write (as you've noticed). But, this is the big bang-the-drum, give-us-a-drumroll news: Tom has LEFT the Rez! Quit. That's IT! See ya later, buh-bye. He gave his notice on Monday, May 5th, which made his last day Monday, the 19th! I know!!!!!!!! BIG news, huh? ESPECIALLY since he left to . . . start his own business!!!
He and a friend (who is now his business partner in an LLC) are developing what will be an annual event here in our local tourist town: the Ice Film & Book Festival! It will be held the first weekend of each May. The first dates are set for May 1, 2, and 3rd of 2009 - less than 12 months away! Ack!
So, two days after Tom's last day at work, he and L left for Telluride, Colorado to research (i.e. steal as many ideas as possible) their mountain film festival. And, while ours will be focused on Polar and Arctic regions and the environment, Tom and L both really like the format of the Telluride festival. After being gone six days, they returned in the wee hours of the morn this past Wednesday - chock full of ideas and visions. And now the hard(est) part begins: getting sponsors!
So, that's the biggest news of late. I really MUST get on with my day, but I'll try hard to be back sooner than later.
Today is a banner day: the first starting up / getting going / use of the sawmill that Tom and a friend built . . . oh, 2 years ago? It's a shared venture: we paid for many of the materials, and the friend built it. But, for now, the mill is living here at Swamp River Ridge.
I can't remember if I wrote about the big spruce we had to cut down in the front yard or if I just posted the video on YouTube. At any rate, that is the tree Tom and my dad are out working on today. We'd thought the tree was hollow given the large crack in the side that caused us to cut it down (before it fell on either the garage or the solar panels), but it's as solid as can be . . . which bodes WELL for producing some good lumber!
The first test section was a 10' length, and they ended up with a rough-cut 5 x 5 . . . as well as some good slabwood for kindling AND some heavy, thick slabwood that can still be milled more for 1xs (1" bys), etc. So, very excited progress around ye ol' homestead! The first "go" at any big project is always the worst (i.e. takes the longest) with the steepest learning curve.
It's a beautiful spring day today - the first of June!! But, horror of horrors (it was only a matter of time), the blackflies came out yesterday. Ala Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining', "They're heeeerrre!"
There have been SO many things going on lately, and I've just been too busy (or tired) to write (as you've noticed). But, this is the big bang-the-drum, give-us-a-drumroll news: Tom has LEFT the Rez! Quit. That's IT! See ya later, buh-bye. He gave his notice on Monday, May 5th, which made his last day Monday, the 19th! I know!!!!!!!! BIG news, huh? ESPECIALLY since he left to . . . start his own business!!!
He and a friend (who is now his business partner in an LLC) are developing what will be an annual event here in our local tourist town: the Ice Film & Book Festival! It will be held the first weekend of each May. The first dates are set for May 1, 2, and 3rd of 2009 - less than 12 months away! Ack!
So, two days after Tom's last day at work, he and L left for Telluride, Colorado to research (i.e. steal as many ideas as possible) their mountain film festival. And, while ours will be focused on Polar and Arctic regions and the environment, Tom and L both really like the format of the Telluride festival. After being gone six days, they returned in the wee hours of the morn this past Wednesday - chock full of ideas and visions. And now the hard(est) part begins: getting sponsors!
So, that's the biggest news of late. I really MUST get on with my day, but I'll try hard to be back sooner than later.
Saturday Morning Tired
I'm tired. T-I-D-E "tiiiide".
Tom got home last night from a couple of days in the Cities for training with some of his staff and some others from work. They had a late-season snowstorm Thursday night that made driving a bit messy and slow yesterday morning . . . about 4-6" of heavy, wet snow, I think he said. Here at home, we are still very firmly ensconced in winter - despite Thursday being the first day of spring. I'll post some pictures (illustrating that) later.
The house is an ABSOLUTE disaster. I kid you not. It's bugging the heck out of me, but I either haven't had the time nor energy (yet) to get to it. I'm still not supposed to vacuum, and it seems that I forget to nab Tom for the job when he's around. But, by hook or by crook, SOME improvements will be made today 'cause I simply can't function in it the way it is any longer!
I did an abbreviated "town day" Thursday afternoon. And, it being Easter time (doesn't it seem REALLY early this year??), there were extra eggs to deliver to my customers for coloring. So, in preparation for the deliveries, I washed and packed 9 (that's nine!) dozen eggs that morning! I saved all the lightest colored ones for the folks who wanted to hard boil and dye them. Even though the deep brown ones are beautiful, they certainly don't take on much of a hue when colored. The picture I've posted here is of a cool little egg anomaly. I think the "bumps" are a concentrated calcium deposit from the formation of the shell.
One exciting upcoming project I haven't yet had a chance to write about it is the semi-permanent greenhouse we're going to put up this spring! Here's the background to the story: we've always had plans to put up a real (glass & perhaps Victorian style) greenhouse . . . probably somewhere near the barn (or, more to the point, where the barn will go). We've also had plans to put in a field garden across from the pond. The greenhouse project was going to wait a couple of years, but I wanted to get the field garden started this spring/summer. Buuuut, after some discussions about all these plans - and taking into consideration all the other things that need to be done around here (and should, perhaps, have a higher priority) - and the fact that I'm still recovering from being sick for a couple of years . . . Tom talked me into NOT starting the field garden this summer. But, the fact remains that I need garden space. Enter the compromise: the "first" greenhouse.
We'll build it off the front side of the chicken house, using that (outside) wall of the chicken house as the back wall of the greenhouse. It will be 14' wide (the width of the chicken house) by 10 feet deep. The height will be 8' (the height of the front of the chicken house) with a shed roof dropping down to 5' to help the snow slide off in the winter. And, besides serving as an actual greenhouse, the space will perform a double duty: helping keep the chicken house warmer in the winter months! So, that's one of the main reasons I can't WAIT for the snow to melt so that we can start construction! (I took this picture last Saturday, the 15th, from the pub balcony [upstairs of the garage]. It will provide a great location to document the greenhouse construction!)
Tom got home last night from a couple of days in the Cities for training with some of his staff and some others from work. They had a late-season snowstorm Thursday night that made driving a bit messy and slow yesterday morning . . . about 4-6" of heavy, wet snow, I think he said. Here at home, we are still very firmly ensconced in winter - despite Thursday being the first day of spring. I'll post some pictures (illustrating that) later.
The house is an ABSOLUTE disaster. I kid you not. It's bugging the heck out of me, but I either haven't had the time nor energy (yet) to get to it. I'm still not supposed to vacuum, and it seems that I forget to nab Tom for the job when he's around. But, by hook or by crook, SOME improvements will be made today 'cause I simply can't function in it the way it is any longer!
I did an abbreviated "town day" Thursday afternoon. And, it being Easter time (doesn't it seem REALLY early this year??), there were extra eggs to deliver to my customers for coloring. So, in preparation for the deliveries, I washed and packed 9 (that's nine!) dozen eggs that morning! I saved all the lightest colored ones for the folks who wanted to hard boil and dye them. Even though the deep brown ones are beautiful, they certainly don't take on much of a hue when colored. The picture I've posted here is of a cool little egg anomaly. I think the "bumps" are a concentrated calcium deposit from the formation of the shell.
One exciting upcoming project I haven't yet had a chance to write about it is the semi-permanent greenhouse we're going to put up this spring! Here's the background to the story: we've always had plans to put up a real (glass & perhaps Victorian style) greenhouse . . . probably somewhere near the barn (or, more to the point, where the barn will go). We've also had plans to put in a field garden across from the pond. The greenhouse project was going to wait a couple of years, but I wanted to get the field garden started this spring/summer. Buuuut, after some discussions about all these plans - and taking into consideration all the other things that need to be done around here (and should, perhaps, have a higher priority) - and the fact that I'm still recovering from being sick for a couple of years . . . Tom talked me into NOT starting the field garden this summer. But, the fact remains that I need garden space. Enter the compromise: the "first" greenhouse.
We'll build it off the front side of the chicken house, using that (outside) wall of the chicken house as the back wall of the greenhouse. It will be 14' wide (the width of the chicken house) by 10 feet deep. The height will be 8' (the height of the front of the chicken house) with a shed roof dropping down to 5' to help the snow slide off in the winter. And, besides serving as an actual greenhouse, the space will perform a double duty: helping keep the chicken house warmer in the winter months! So, that's one of the main reasons I can't WAIT for the snow to melt so that we can start construction! (I took this picture last Saturday, the 15th, from the pub balcony [upstairs of the garage]. It will provide a great location to document the greenhouse construction!)
Scanner: Up & Running!
Thanks to one of Tom's techno-weenies at work, I finally got my scanner up and running today (after hours of aggravation of trying to fix it myself).Here's a (scanned) picture from "back in the day" when we used to go to England.
March of '99, Leeds Castle.
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