6:50 AM
Good morning!
Man, but it is DARK out there today! Seems exponentially so, but what's up with that? The sunrise couldn't be THAT many minutes later this morning than it was Friday, could it? I'll have to check that out, online, once we have Internet service again. (Update: there was only a 4-minute lag between sunrise's twilight Friday and today, so maybe the overcast skies made the difference.)
So, yes, we are still having problems with our satellite reception. It seems that I can get enough (reception) to receive & send e-mails (as long as they don't have attachments), but using the Internet with any success is fairly futile. And aggravating. Hence, I am writing this post in Outlook this morning . . . hoping I can post it later today.
As I was standing on the back step watching Tom get situated in the car this morning, pretty white flurries were falling around me. It's definitely time for that (occasional snow), but what a weird fall we've had! Due to the warm temperatures, we still have WAY more leaves hanging onto the trees than we normally would this time of year.
A really cool thing happened this morning just as Tom was retrieving his iPod from the garage: a sudden "oooooooOOOOOO" rose from just beyond the chicken yard and sounded like it was located about halfway down the driveway. The dogs and I both whipped our heads in that direction, and I was fully expecting the dogs to raise an alarm saying, "Wolf! Wolf! There's a wolf just over there!" when the sound broke away from the rising howl into some "OOOOh, hoooo, hoo!" sounds and then a babbling little "bbblllloooogh" (or something like that!). It was an owl and, judging by how loud its call was, maybe a HUGE one. 'Course, Murphy's Law & Mother Nature's camouflage being what they are, it was probably a teensy little thing! :) Anyway, instead of the canines responding, Turkey-Durk piped up with a very loud gobble shot back in the general direction of the noise.
Purdy neat, though, that's for sure! :)
The first snow of the year greeted us Saturday morning. SO pretty, as usual. I have pictures, but they'll have to wait until later when I can post them. The HughesNet (our ISP & satellite provider) technician is due to come out tomorrow, but I have some jockeying to do since I'm scheduled to work.
I took advantage of a cozy Sunday morning and was a COMPLETE slug-a-bug yesterday . . . hunkering down on the library's couch to watch all four episodes of my recent Netflix arrival, 'CSI': season 9, episodes 5-8. I did feel a bit guilty since Tom was out in the garage changing the oil & spark plugs in the Onan generator (our backup when the solar panels don't catch enough rays to charge up the batteries). We're going into the highest-use season for the generator since sunshine in these here parts is practically non-existent in the early & mid-winter months.
After that electrical system maintenance, Tom continued on with his get-things-done day and split a BUNCH of cedar kindling for me to have here in the house for the three wood stoves. Then, he spent the rest of the day clearing up the remainder of the felled standing dead (trees) that lay along both sides of the driveway that leads up to the Trapper Cabin. That meant chainsawing, then loading into the truck, then driving down to the woodshed & unloading and stacking.
Once I got my rusty-duster out in the afternoon, I got the Subaru Forester (parked back by the Trapper Cabin since we took the insurance off it a couple of weeks ago) started and hooked it up, via jumper cables, to the Subaru Outback which has been dead in the water for over a year now. It's (the Outback) such a nice car, sob! Fully loaded: all leather interior, heated seats, power everything . . . but it needs a new head gasket. Anyway, fast forward past NOT getting it jumped with the Forester to getting it jumped by the pickup . . . but it died every time we put it into drive, so we ended up towing it.
By now, Tom had taken a break from the wood work and was helping me with the extra vehicles. Our objective was to move the three dead ones to another parking area in the back 40 so that we'd have more space to plow snow by the Trapper Cabin this winter. And, we wanted to make sure the back-up plow truck, the '77 Suburban, was ready to go. Unfortunately, we need to order a new cable for that: the line leading from the gas pedal to the carburetor is frozen up. (Not literally FROZEN but rather immobile.) But, it's good that we know that and can proceed as needed.
So, while Tom fought with the Suburban diagnosis, I cleaned out the Forester (found a nice pair of embroidery scissors in the glove compartment that I'd forgotten about!) and drove it down to the new parking area. Then, we hooked the tow strap up to the '78 Chevy pickup and began towing that down. Unfortunately, a vehicle with power steering & power brakes isn't terribly maneuverable when the steering & brakes are pretty much useless due to the engine not turning over. End result? The truck is nicely parked in its new home, but it has a few more dents and there's a spruce tree along that road with a fresh, sap-oozing wound. Oh, well. It's on its way to the junk yard, anyway . . . just as soon as we get around to it. ;)
With the Forester and the old pickup in place, the Outback was next. Once we got the uncooperative thing out of (P)ark and FINALLY into (N)eutral, that move was uneventful and quick.
And, as usual, a quick "let's move the vehicles" task turned into quite the project, but it's done now and another To Do Before Winter job can be crossed off the list.
Anyway, that's the news for today. How was YOUR weekend?
Showing posts with label Season Changes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Season Changes. Show all posts
The Heat Is On
6:53 AM, Tuesday, October 6th
Good morning!
Yesterday was a big day: we turned the heat on for the winter! We knew it was time because, Sunday night, Tom and I (who normally sleep in the, well, ummmm . . . buff) both wore long sleeve shirts (Polarfleece for Tom) and wool sox to bed . . . and that’s sleeping between flannel sheets and underneath a down comforter layered beneath a heavy, heavy faux lambswool quilt. Oh, and I even wore a knit hat to top it all off! AND, an hour’s worth of heating pads for both of us! So, to say that “it was time” would be an understatement.
Now, for many of you, turning on the heat means that you simply push a button or move a little arm on your wall-mounted thermostat. Maybe you even check some part of the mechanization in the basement. But, for us? It’s a little bit more involved.
First off, Tom preps the outdoor wood furnace by scraping the past year’s accumulation of soot and creosote off the interior walls (a big, ugly, messy job). Then, he climbs a ladder to the top of the boiler and pulls the cover off the water reservoir, hose in hand. Manning the faucet on the ground and continually checking the wall-mounted indicator, I tell him when the reservoir has been filled to the proper level and then run to turn off the hose. Then, Tom loaded up the massive firebox with tinder and small pieces of wood (the top of a standing dead birch recently felled) in preparation for ignition. We did this on Sunday.
We were going to continue with the process then, but realized that since it was a cloudy day, it might make more sense to wait until yesterday to see if the sun would peek through, thereby charging the batteries that we knew we’d be draining by running the pumps (that circulate the water heated by the Central Boiler into the house) for the first time this fall.
Around noon yesterday, seeing that no more sun was going to peek through the cloud cover than already had, I began the final process.
First, I started the fire that Tom had set in the furnace. It took a couple of times checking on it, getting just the right amount of draft to get it really rip-roarin’. Then I threw larger pieces of wood onto the burning pile of twigs & wood scrap. (We can load the Central Boiler with lengths of nearly 4’ . . . but those can get to be really heavy if the wood is a large diameter, so we try to stick to lengths between 30” and 36”.)
Then I trooped into the house where I turned the water heater off, turned its LP gas line off, unplugged it (electric start), and opened the valve between the it and the heat exchanger. In the summertime, when the Central Boiler is off, the water heater works as . . . a normal water heater! But, when the wood furnace is in use and provides us with both the water for the in-floor heat AND our personal use / house hot water, the hot water heater serves as a holding tank. Clear as mud?
After double-checking that I’d done the above correctly, it was back outside to throw even more & larger wood into the furnace. It was also at this time that I popped the cover off the side of the furnace and turned on the electricity to it. This activated the temperature display that shows us how hot the boiler is. Optimal temp is about 180 – 184 degrees, and the LP back-up (more on that later) kicks on between 150 – 154. Turning the electricity on also activated the pumps that run 24/7, moving the water in the closed system of the in-floor Wirsbo tubes. (These pumps are our hugest power drain in the cold months and a BIG negative that we, unknowingly, didn’t anticipate when selecting in-floor heat.) Finally, I opened the LP gas valve that feeds into the boiler.
Most boilers have different settings, and we run ours on the Dual Fuel (wood & LP) setting. This means that when we don’t have a hot (enough) wood fire (generally due to wet wood) or if we are gone and can’t physically feed the fire, once the temperature drops to a certain level, an ignition switch will both open the internal LP valve and then light a HUGE blow-torch type assembly in the furnace . . . thereby keeping the system up to temperature. Once the mercury rises above a certain point, the LP automatically shuts off. Pretty slick, huh?!
At this point, everything is All Systems Go for the wood furnace. Now I hurry back into the house to tend the fires that I’ve started in the kitchen wood stove, middle room
“But, why build fires in the house when the in-floor heat system is on,” you ask?
Because of the energy drain of the pumps.
I’ve said that the Central Boiler’s two pumps run 24/7. With this kind of system, that is unavoidable. But, then there are also two pumps inside the house: one for the one thermostat downstairs, and one for the two thermostats upstairs. If I can get the house temperature up or nearly to the thermostat settings, then these two pumps won’t be continuously running in order to get the ice-cold house slab (cold from the summer months when there was no heat running through it) up to the thermostat’s setting. Make sense?
So, once I have the house temperature up, I take my screwdriver and go to each of the three thermostats in the house, opening them up, turning them on, and setting them at their appropriate settings (60 for the guest bedroom & that side of the upstairs, 64 for the upstairs bathroom & that end of the 2nd story, and between 62 and 64 for the downstairs . . . depending on whether or not it’s nighttime [62] or if I have fires going in any of the stoves).
And, voila! Done!
Now that the water from the Central Boiler’s reservoir has been circulating in the system for a day or so, we’ll take a sample to do a nitrate test (among other levels). Then, following the results, we’ll add whatever chemicals the system needs (in order to prevent rusting, etc.).
Tom was VERY happy to have a warm, comfortable house last night, and I was . . . HOT!!!!
Fall Has Arrived!
I know it’s nearly October, but fall finally arrived to the Northwoods yesterday. Autumn’s arrival is V-E-R-Y late this year. Extremely unusual. Matter of fact, I heard someone mention over the weekend that this has been the warmest northeastern
(Update: it's actually been the warmest September in recorded history!!)
Peak color for the maples was probably this past weekend or will be sometime this week. However, if the leaves’ stems were even the slightest bit weak, the brilliant colors will be GONE after last night. We had such terrific winds during the night (and still are this morning) that I reminded Tom to throw a chainsaw into the car this morning for his 60 mile drive to work. (Anticipating trees down along the route.)
In comparison with the maples, though, the birch are just turning yellow . . . and the poplars are still solidly green! Weird.
With the much-needed rain that the gusting winds brought yesterday, so too did they bring a drop in temperature. As Tom said last night, a somber tone in his voice, “I think the weather has changed.” Meaning, it’s finally gonna be chilly. Until now, we haven’t even been CLOSE to firing up the Central Boiler wood furnace yet . . . and that means we still haven’t had any heat in the house! And at only 2 or 3 days from October? Insane! But, if this weather persists, as we anticipate it to (you know when you can just “tell”?), we’ll be switching over to our “winter mode” soon. As it is, I have a cracklin’ fire started here in the sunroom this morning – the first morning I’ve actually NEEDED it vs. just wanting to take the chill off for a short time before letting the coals burn out. Today, I think I’ll keep it goin’!
Today is the 4th birthday of a very special little peanut: the baby who first started my nannying “career”. This summer has not allowed much visiting, and so I hadn’t seen her in an age (probably since June). But, this weekend was the final summer season hurrah at the local folk school where the peanut’s dad is the executive director (and Tom is on the executive board), and so I got to see her long enough to give her a BIG hug . . . but that was about it since she was headed home for her afternoon nap. She still looks the same, but she’s getting TALL . . . and with her olive-complexion (dunno WHERE she got that?!) coupled with her mama’s beauty, it’s easy to see the gorgeous woman she’s going to become.
Her birthday present is a very fun book called ‘The Perfect Nest’ by
There’s no birthday party to attend this year: her mama told me that in response to her parents’ query of “what do you want to do to celebrate your birthday this year?”, the birthday girl answered (imagine this in a tiny little sing-song voice), “I want to plant trees to help the animals.” Awwwww!! (She’s grown up in the aftermath of a fairly big forest fire in which many friends lost their homes, and annual tree planting celebrations have been a part of life up here ever since.)
Okay, it's hours later now since I wrote this . . . but I couldn't get satellite reception for the Internet earlier. I have fires snap-crackling in both ends of the house now (sunroom & kitchen), and when I did chores this morning my fingers were actually FREEZING inside my rubberized gloves, and you could see my breath whirling around me. It's official, I think: the season has CHANGED!
September 1st
Happy September Morn!
Now the calendar has caught up with the seasonably cool weather we've had this last week or two. There was a frost warning Saturday night, but we didn't even beat the coolest temp we've had yet (38 degrees), so no worries for us. The mercury did drop to 32 degrees where we visited friends northwest of us Sunday . . . but still no signs of actual frost or skim ice on the buckets. Yet.
In the middle of June, I made a post about things that I needed to / wanted to / and should do. For the last couple of days, I've been thinking of revisiting that list to see just what I've accomplished (or not) this summer! And, on a personal level, I think it will help me put a couple of things into perspective . . . things that Tom and I are working on in our marriage. For example, Tom says that I'm the Queen of I'm Gonnas. (And that's very frustrating for him and has actually resulted in a level of mistrust for him of me [in regards to what I say I'm going to do not very often being a dependable statement]). And, he's right. Somehow, the concept of TIME and I just don't get along very well (a direct chip off the ol' block from my Pops), and, as a result, things that I say that 'I'm Gonna' do never actually get done (in the eyes of an organized person, i.e. my husband). Of course, in the eyes of an Organized Chaos person (yours truly), they'll get done . . . in their own time. So, without further ado . . . posted on June 16th (my current comments are in italics):
I need to:
Thanks for reading my mental meanderings.
Now the calendar has caught up with the seasonably cool weather we've had this last week or two. There was a frost warning Saturday night, but we didn't even beat the coolest temp we've had yet (38 degrees), so no worries for us. The mercury did drop to 32 degrees where we visited friends northwest of us Sunday . . . but still no signs of actual frost or skim ice on the buckets. Yet.
In the middle of June, I made a post about things that I needed to / wanted to / and should do. For the last couple of days, I've been thinking of revisiting that list to see just what I've accomplished (or not) this summer! And, on a personal level, I think it will help me put a couple of things into perspective . . . things that Tom and I are working on in our marriage. For example, Tom says that I'm the Queen of I'm Gonnas. (And that's very frustrating for him and has actually resulted in a level of mistrust for him of me [in regards to what I say I'm going to do not very often being a dependable statement]). And, he's right. Somehow, the concept of TIME and I just don't get along very well (a direct chip off the ol' block from my Pops), and, as a result, things that I say that 'I'm Gonna' do never actually get done (in the eyes of an organized person, i.e. my husband). Of course, in the eyes of an Organized Chaos person (yours truly), they'll get done . . . in their own time. So, without further ado . . . posted on June 16th (my current comments are in italics):
I need to:
- Do some Chicken Mama's Graphic & Web Design work. Yes, I've worked on this since then, but only a very, very small fraction of the time I need to in order to 'I'm Gonna Get the Website Up'.
- Do some of the above - pro bono - for the local art festival. DONE! Yes, the website was updated in time for the 4th of July weekend fair, but it needs to be updated FOLLOWING the fair. You know: taking down the past dates, putting up the new ones, posting pictures from the fair, etc. I haven't done ANY of that. And, I now realize, actively thinking about it, that I'd quickly and easily pushed that to the back of my mind and not given it a 2nd thought since that first weekend of July . . . but now I realize that that's something that SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE right after the festival because it is a representation of the actual fair and the people behind it.
- Work in the garden (tomatoes, onions, and potatoes need to be planted). I didn't make this a priority. Why? Because the bugs were so bad this summer that I had to be covered in head-to-toe mosquito netting and long pants and shirts . . . which is just too uncomfortable in the hot summer sun. I only got one row of potatoes planted and a small patch of onion sets. The tomatoes made it into the ground, but I haven't done but a portion of a single day's worth of weeding, and now you would be hard-pressed to find the plants among the weeds.
Thanks for reading my mental meanderings.
When Yer Git Up 'N' Go, Has Got Up 'N' Went . . . .
Do you remember that TV ad - or was it a song from 'Schoolhouse Rock'? - that went, "When yer get up 'n' go . . . has got up and went (you hanker for a hunk o' cheese)"? Yup, that's been me the last couple of days. (Minus the cheese part.)
Since Monday morning, I haven't HAD to go-go-go like usual, but - instead of getting energized to finally GET THINGS DONE - my energy has taken a nosedive. Hmph. And, now that I examine the past days, I guess it only HAS been two days . . . Monday and Tuesday . . . and Monday was involved with other stuff, so, in reality, it's only been yesterday that I was lazy. And, today I have the spark of energy back, so I think I'll actually get some stuff done. Funny how that all works, though, ain't it? Guess I should have enjoyed yesterday for what it was and not tried to force the issue all day like I did. Sigh. Live and learn. Someday. ;)
We had friends over for dinner Sunday night - a going away gathering for the little sister of a good friend. She spent the summer here working, and I was just incredibly "taken" with her. She's an amazing young woman - way more mature and sensible than I was at 17. Definitely YEARS older than her number of birthdays suggest. She has a brother and a sister who have already moved here, coincidentally enough, and we're all trying to convince her to call this place home after she graduates from high school in the spring. (I don't think it will be too hard.) I do feel for their mom a bit, though . . . losing her kids to the North Shore!
I took this shot a week ago today . . . there's no doubt that fall is in the air, whether we're ready for it or not! Mother Nature waits for no one!
And, with that, I'm off. I think I'm going to have a girls' night cook-out on the beach tonight with the wife of the dear friends who came over Sunday night. And, I know I'll feel better enjoying the evening if I get a good amount of STUFF done today. See ya!
Since Monday morning, I haven't HAD to go-go-go like usual, but - instead of getting energized to finally GET THINGS DONE - my energy has taken a nosedive. Hmph. And, now that I examine the past days, I guess it only HAS been two days . . . Monday and Tuesday . . . and Monday was involved with other stuff, so, in reality, it's only been yesterday that I was lazy. And, today I have the spark of energy back, so I think I'll actually get some stuff done. Funny how that all works, though, ain't it? Guess I should have enjoyed yesterday for what it was and not tried to force the issue all day like I did. Sigh. Live and learn. Someday. ;)
We had friends over for dinner Sunday night - a going away gathering for the little sister of a good friend. She spent the summer here working, and I was just incredibly "taken" with her. She's an amazing young woman - way more mature and sensible than I was at 17. Definitely YEARS older than her number of birthdays suggest. She has a brother and a sister who have already moved here, coincidentally enough, and we're all trying to convince her to call this place home after she graduates from high school in the spring. (I don't think it will be too hard.) I do feel for their mom a bit, though . . . losing her kids to the North Shore!
Here we are, having dessert in the sunroom in front of a crackling fire. The visiting sister is on the bed, then J & his PG wife (due in December - I keep telling her that she needs to "POP"!), and then Tom . . . just getting ready to do his, "Is this EAR-itating?" to H. ;)
I took this shot a week ago today . . . there's no doubt that fall is in the air, whether we're ready for it or not! Mother Nature waits for no one!
And, with that, I'm off. I think I'm going to have a girls' night cook-out on the beach tonight with the wife of the dear friends who came over Sunday night. And, I know I'll feel better enjoying the evening if I get a good amount of STUFF done today. See ya!
Seems Like Fall's Arriving Early
We woke up to a lovely, 44 degree morning yesterday. Ahhhh, I love it!
These pictures are not great 'cause I had to take them through the window screen, but the river was displaying quite the gorgeous view for us from our bedroom window.
'Oklahoma' and other Mental Meanderings
I need to buy the original soundtrack to 'Oklahoma'. Can't believe I don't already have it, to tell you the truth. Surely, hardly a week goes by that I'm not singing, "Ohhhh, what a beautiful morrrrrrning; oh, what a beautiful dayyyyyyy . . . ." Such was the case this morning.
I know I love this place we've created here because, even though I was tired and I'm NOT a morning person, I couldn't help but be excited to get out of bed early (relatively speaking, of course!) this morning to go take a walk around ye ol' homestead. See, I've been gone. Yup, for two days and one night. So, naturally, I had to reacquaint myself with the place - see how the poultry was doing, what new wildflowers had opened, and how the garden was faring. :)
(I know, I know . . . pathetic.)
I nannied both Wednesday and Thursday this week, and there wasn't much sense in spending two hours on the road to and from home in between, so I spent the night - albeit an all too quick one - at our little cabin just outside of town. Silly me: I thought I'd have time to settle in with my book, glass of wine at my side. But, after a wonderful little catch-up with the peanut's nana & papa . . . and some computer work for my folks at their house . . . it wasn't until 11:00 PM that I stumbled up the path, unlocked the padlock, lit the oil lamps (no power or running water), and made a small fire to push the dampness out. I only made it an hour or so, reading. Sigh.
So, the first signs of fall are in the air. Ugh. No, not that I dislike autumn - on the contrary, I love it! But, I'm . . . not . . . ready . . . for . . . it! I still have WAYYYYYY too many summertime things to do!
Yesterday I took the peanut on a drive trying to find the new homesite friends are building on but had no luck (K & V, where IS the road / driveway?!). But, on that drive, I spied two displays of brilliant red and burning orange popping out on extended maple tree branches. Doh! It's too soon! (Although, in reality, I usually spy those early autumn harbingers at the end of July.)
The goldenrod is in bloom now, and the first buds of the summer's very last flowers - Purple Asters - are just beginning to open.
See the cows in my new header photo? Thursdays are usually the day I run to the dairy farm to get the milk & cream that I use to make cottage cheese & yogurt. These three calves have been kept in the same large corral this year. Dunno why, but I hope it's for a GOOD reason (i.e. not fattening 'em up to become veal!). Anyway, they're right next to my parking spot, so it's always fun to catch them doin' their thing.
Speaking of critters, not a day goes by that we don't see SOME kind of animal on our drives to / from home. At the very least, we'll see grouse. But, this year, the fox population has SKY-rocketed, and we see kits nearly every day we drive out. I am a bit worried, though, that their higher numbers will result in disagreements between them and me (i.e. Chicken Mama) come fall and winter when their natural prey might become more scarce . . . and the chicken yard provides an undeniable attraction for them!
The black bear numbers are up this year, too, and I haven't seen ONE that hasn't look absolutely, brilliantly (glossy black fur) healthy. A valley just up from the highway that boasts a nice little population of year-round folks was suffering from what they thought was one really bothersome bruin earlier this summer, but, after s/he was "dispatched", the problems continued . . . which explained the wide (physical) range of destruction. I haven't heard whether or not the 2nd culprit was caught. Anyway - knock on wood - we haven't had any problems up here yet from bears. But, on my way in to town Wednesday morning, I saw a large yearling pop out from the cool, wet ditch on my right and high-tail it across the road just about a mile from home here. Then, oddly enough, about two miles farther along, I saw a single little cub scamper across the road in front of me. Hmmm, where was Mama?? (But, generally speaking, you don't see two different families in such close proximity. Not up here, anyway. Could have been a coincidence, could have been illustrative of the current rise in population.)
White-tailed deer have been moving into our neighborhood, too, which is worrisome. Why? Because moose & deer don't share the same immediate forest, and so we worry that Global Warming is chasing the moose farther north and creating nicer habitats for the deer. And, we don't wanna lose the moose! Waaahhh!
But then, even though I've seen deer on both of my two most recent trips out, I was comforted to come upon a small bull and cow last night on my way home. The cow veered off into the trees almost immediately, but I followed the bull for 1/2 a mile or so until he finally turned off. It was lucky that I got ANY pictures, but these are poor 'cause the lens was open too long, and I was driving to keep up with him at the same time. But, at least you can get some sense of him in these shots. (Obviously, I had to tweak these to get ANYTHING to show, but at least you can kinda see him now.)
We're having dinner with dear friends tonight. She is pregnant with their first and can feel the babe move each day now . . . but we can't feel anything on the outside yet (although it's not for lack of all of us trying!) :) Baby is due around December 11th, and this "auntie" is awfully excited! Anyway, I've been asked to make my tapioca pudding, and I'll make homemade cottage cheese, too. A Shepard(ess) Pie that the mama of the (previously discussed) little peanut that I nanny for made us is coming out of the freezer for the ocassion, too . . . UNLESS I get the momentum to make something new between now and tonight. And, I need to get my jewelry-making supplies out . . . the little sister of the mama-to-be is visiting from Kansas, and this will be our last night to see her. She's a DOLL, and has completely taken to Tom. Or, should I say, "completely taken to PICKING ON Tom!" :) I'm gonna make her a pair of earrings or a bracelet to remember us by. We won't see her until her annual visit next summer.
Okay, I'd better get my rusty-duster up and movin'. Won't get ANYTHING done at this rate. But, for today, I'm just going to try to ENJOY living here at Swamp River Ridge and IGNORE all the "to-do" things! Right? Right. ;)
I know I love this place we've created here because, even though I was tired and I'm NOT a morning person, I couldn't help but be excited to get out of bed early (relatively speaking, of course!) this morning to go take a walk around ye ol' homestead. See, I've been gone. Yup, for two days and one night. So, naturally, I had to reacquaint myself with the place - see how the poultry was doing, what new wildflowers had opened, and how the garden was faring. :)
(I know, I know . . . pathetic.)
I nannied both Wednesday and Thursday this week, and there wasn't much sense in spending two hours on the road to and from home in between, so I spent the night - albeit an all too quick one - at our little cabin just outside of town. Silly me: I thought I'd have time to settle in with my book, glass of wine at my side. But, after a wonderful little catch-up with the peanut's nana & papa . . . and some computer work for my folks at their house . . . it wasn't until 11:00 PM that I stumbled up the path, unlocked the padlock, lit the oil lamps (no power or running water), and made a small fire to push the dampness out. I only made it an hour or so, reading. Sigh.
So, the first signs of fall are in the air. Ugh. No, not that I dislike autumn - on the contrary, I love it! But, I'm . . . not . . . ready . . . for . . . it! I still have WAYYYYYY too many summertime things to do!
Yesterday I took the peanut on a drive trying to find the new homesite friends are building on but had no luck (K & V, where IS the road / driveway?!). But, on that drive, I spied two displays of brilliant red and burning orange popping out on extended maple tree branches. Doh! It's too soon! (Although, in reality, I usually spy those early autumn harbingers at the end of July.)
The goldenrod is in bloom now, and the first buds of the summer's very last flowers - Purple Asters - are just beginning to open.
See the cows in my new header photo? Thursdays are usually the day I run to the dairy farm to get the milk & cream that I use to make cottage cheese & yogurt. These three calves have been kept in the same large corral this year. Dunno why, but I hope it's for a GOOD reason (i.e. not fattening 'em up to become veal!). Anyway, they're right next to my parking spot, so it's always fun to catch them doin' their thing.
Speaking of critters, not a day goes by that we don't see SOME kind of animal on our drives to / from home. At the very least, we'll see grouse. But, this year, the fox population has SKY-rocketed, and we see kits nearly every day we drive out. I am a bit worried, though, that their higher numbers will result in disagreements between them and me (i.e. Chicken Mama) come fall and winter when their natural prey might become more scarce . . . and the chicken yard provides an undeniable attraction for them!
The black bear numbers are up this year, too, and I haven't seen ONE that hasn't look absolutely, brilliantly (glossy black fur) healthy. A valley just up from the highway that boasts a nice little population of year-round folks was suffering from what they thought was one really bothersome bruin earlier this summer, but, after s/he was "dispatched", the problems continued . . . which explained the wide (physical) range of destruction. I haven't heard whether or not the 2nd culprit was caught. Anyway - knock on wood - we haven't had any problems up here yet from bears. But, on my way in to town Wednesday morning, I saw a large yearling pop out from the cool, wet ditch on my right and high-tail it across the road just about a mile from home here. Then, oddly enough, about two miles farther along, I saw a single little cub scamper across the road in front of me. Hmmm, where was Mama?? (But, generally speaking, you don't see two different families in such close proximity. Not up here, anyway. Could have been a coincidence, could have been illustrative of the current rise in population.)
White-tailed deer have been moving into our neighborhood, too, which is worrisome. Why? Because moose & deer don't share the same immediate forest, and so we worry that Global Warming is chasing the moose farther north and creating nicer habitats for the deer. And, we don't wanna lose the moose! Waaahhh!
But then, even though I've seen deer on both of my two most recent trips out, I was comforted to come upon a small bull and cow last night on my way home. The cow veered off into the trees almost immediately, but I followed the bull for 1/2 a mile or so until he finally turned off. It was lucky that I got ANY pictures, but these are poor 'cause the lens was open too long, and I was driving to keep up with him at the same time. But, at least you can get some sense of him in these shots. (Obviously, I had to tweak these to get ANYTHING to show, but at least you can kinda see him now.)
We're having dinner with dear friends tonight. She is pregnant with their first and can feel the babe move each day now . . . but we can't feel anything on the outside yet (although it's not for lack of all of us trying!) :) Baby is due around December 11th, and this "auntie" is awfully excited! Anyway, I've been asked to make my tapioca pudding, and I'll make homemade cottage cheese, too. A Shepard(ess) Pie that the mama of the (previously discussed) little peanut that I nanny for made us is coming out of the freezer for the ocassion, too . . . UNLESS I get the momentum to make something new between now and tonight. And, I need to get my jewelry-making supplies out . . . the little sister of the mama-to-be is visiting from Kansas, and this will be our last night to see her. She's a DOLL, and has completely taken to Tom. Or, should I say, "completely taken to PICKING ON Tom!" :) I'm gonna make her a pair of earrings or a bracelet to remember us by. We won't see her until her annual visit next summer.
Okay, I'd better get my rusty-duster up and movin'. Won't get ANYTHING done at this rate. But, for today, I'm just going to try to ENJOY living here at Swamp River Ridge and IGNORE all the "to-do" things! Right? Right. ;)
Updated at 'Seasonal Changes'
I spent a good portion of time both yesterday & this morning getting our weather-related blog, 'Seasonal Changest at Swamp River Ridge', updated. It's all there now - correct all the way back from May of 2008 - June of 2009! Take a peek!
Friday Catch Up
For some reason, I thought sure I'd posted since Tuesday! Huh. Oh, well . . . .
We had a great day of fishing with friends on Wednesday. (The first "catch" of the day was this submerged, lead-filled decoy from last fall!) It was overcast, but I ended up getting some sun on my face despite the clouds. (And Tom turns enviously brown as a berry the minute 15 minutes of sunshine hit him.) The day turned a little chilly in the afternoon when the wind picked up, but it (mostly) kept the blackflies at bay (!!) which arrived that afternoon! Aaaaaghhh! Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em!!! And, it turns out that they really enjoy burrowing into dread locks. Double aaagh!
The outdoor wood furnace finally got turned off last night, and we made the seasonal switch to no-heat-in-the-house. Of course we can use either of the three woodstoves strategically placed in the kitchen, middle room (between the dining & living rooms), and sunroom. That also means that we'll be using the water heater for our hot water again. In the wintertime, when the wood boiler is on, the water heater serves as a holding tank for the indoor water, but now, we'll have to endure the forced air fan that sounds like a 747 taking off. No complaints, though: at least we won't be running the two pump motors 24/7 for the infloor heat!
As you saw from the new video above, my Cuckoo Maran broody mama hen's chicks are beginning to hatch. She's SUCH a good mama! For the first couple of weeks, she was getting off the eggs long enough to eat and let another hen add to the clutch, but, for the last several days, she hasn't budged an INCH. It's amazing how Mother Nature allows hens to sit like that with no sustenance when required. I've been babying her, though, and bringing her food, water, and snacks. Although, she really hasn't been eating much. She knows what's best, though! Anyway, watching Nature take its course is so neat. It feels rewarding, too, even though I really had nothing to do with it!
I only have 12 layers right now (after the Pine Martin Incident), so I'm anxious to get some new hens out of this. (Normally, I would have ordered more birds this spring, but my pocketbook didn't allow it this year!)
For some reason, Blogger is not cooperating with me trying to publish photos today, so I'll try to post what I have here and then add more when I can.
Here we go . . . .
After purchasing a new bike helmet ("the most expensive one you have, please"), Tom got back in ye ol' saddle on Tuesday. He took his mountain bike down the road just a mile or so - a very short ride just to test his confidence. :)
I got some give-away plants last fall and stuck 'em in the ground, not knowing what they were. It's been fun to see them begin to pop up this spring. These flowers are TINY: about 1/4" wide. They're not Forget-Me-Nots. Anyone have any ideas?
We had a great day of fishing with friends on Wednesday. (The first "catch" of the day was this submerged, lead-filled decoy from last fall!) It was overcast, but I ended up getting some sun on my face despite the clouds. (And Tom turns enviously brown as a berry the minute 15 minutes of sunshine hit him.) The day turned a little chilly in the afternoon when the wind picked up, but it (mostly) kept the blackflies at bay (!!) which arrived that afternoon! Aaaaaghhh! Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em!!! And, it turns out that they really enjoy burrowing into dread locks. Double aaagh!
The outdoor wood furnace finally got turned off last night, and we made the seasonal switch to no-heat-in-the-house. Of course we can use either of the three woodstoves strategically placed in the kitchen, middle room (between the dining & living rooms), and sunroom. That also means that we'll be using the water heater for our hot water again. In the wintertime, when the wood boiler is on, the water heater serves as a holding tank for the indoor water, but now, we'll have to endure the forced air fan that sounds like a 747 taking off. No complaints, though: at least we won't be running the two pump motors 24/7 for the infloor heat!
As you saw from the new video above, my Cuckoo Maran broody mama hen's chicks are beginning to hatch. She's SUCH a good mama! For the first couple of weeks, she was getting off the eggs long enough to eat and let another hen add to the clutch, but, for the last several days, she hasn't budged an INCH. It's amazing how Mother Nature allows hens to sit like that with no sustenance when required. I've been babying her, though, and bringing her food, water, and snacks. Although, she really hasn't been eating much. She knows what's best, though! Anyway, watching Nature take its course is so neat. It feels rewarding, too, even though I really had nothing to do with it!
I only have 12 layers right now (after the Pine Martin Incident), so I'm anxious to get some new hens out of this. (Normally, I would have ordered more birds this spring, but my pocketbook didn't allow it this year!)
For some reason, Blogger is not cooperating with me trying to publish photos today, so I'll try to post what I have here and then add more when I can.
Here we go . . . .
After purchasing a new bike helmet ("the most expensive one you have, please"), Tom got back in ye ol' saddle on Tuesday. He took his mountain bike down the road just a mile or so - a very short ride just to test his confidence. :)
I got some give-away plants last fall and stuck 'em in the ground, not knowing what they were. It's been fun to see them begin to pop up this spring. These flowers are TINY: about 1/4" wide. They're not Forget-Me-Nots. Anyone have any ideas?
Seasonal Changes Blog
Okay, I'll admit it. I've done a downright lousy job at keeping our "weather-watch" blog, Seasonal Changes at Swamp River Ridge, updated. Matter of fact, I only got 8 out of the 12 'Same Photo For A Year' shots done . . . and very few of them were actually on the 1st of each month.
But, I really do miss not being able to see that monthly change in the scenery (and show it to you). So, this is my public declaration to do a MUCH better job of it over these NEXT 12 months (including adding some of the missing information from this past year).
You decide.
But, I really do miss not being able to see that monthly change in the scenery (and show it to you). So, this is my public declaration to do a MUCH better job of it over these NEXT 12 months (including adding some of the missing information from this past year).
Towards that end, I've decided that I'll do a shot from/of the chicken yard each month. But, which angle should I use? Check out these two and tell me which you prefer.
One is taken from the top of the chicken yard looking south out across the valley, and the other is taken from the bottom of the chicken yard looking east up into the trees.
You decide.
Finally!
It's me. I'm back. Believe it or not. I know how aggravated I get when the authors of my favorite sites don't update, so I do understand . . . and apologize.
So, what's been going on? Nothing. And everything!
We are into the "shoulder season" of heating. That means that it's too warm during the days to justify keeping the Central Boiler (outdoor wood furnace) stoked with wood. So, earlier this week, we did the switch over. Now, instead of coming as a by-product from the furnace, our hot water is produced by the massive hot water heater in the utility room . . . whose forced-air fan sounds like a 747 every time it runs.
The biggest cause-and-effect of turning off the furnace, though, is the temperature in the house (illustrated by the polar fleece jacket I have on over my floor-length bathrobe as I write): the mornings are chilly! Instead of having any sort of heat connected to the wall-mounted thermostats (which are turned off now until the fall), we rely on the three woodstoves for warmth: one in the kitchen, one in the middle area between the dining room and living room, and one in the sunroom. And, we let them burn down at night or when we're working outside. Bottom line, on cloudy days or until the warm sun starts streaming in the windows, the house is a wee bit on the "chill side" these days! (Oh, and did I mention that we awoke to snowglobe snow falling yesterday morning and about 2" of very wet white stuff stuck to everything? Yes, this is INDEED the year winter never ended! And, as much as I am a winter girl, I do have to say, "Enough, already!")
One of my best girlfriends has been working tirelessly this whole winter to open a deli / grocery store / restaurant in our little "blink and you'll miss it" berg on the main highway. I doubt she's slept more than 4 hours a night the last couple of weeks, but she reached her goal of opening last Thursday! Here is a shot of her -
work-weary - and Tom the evening of her opening when we stopped by for dinner. I can't tell you WHAT a treat it is to know that she is there!
For example, last night Mom & Dad and Tom & I met there for our Mother's Day dinner. Instead of us driving an hour in to Mom & Dad's (and then on to a restaurant) or Mom & Dad driving the hour out here for dinner . . . we all only had the hop-skip-and-a-jump jaunt to meet in the middle! Or, on Saturday when I was planning the meal for Mother's Day (at that point, we were still going to all gather out here), I wasn't worried about making sure I had all the ingredients when I was in town earlier on in the week: if I needed some last ingredient, I could just pop down to her! AND, we now have a place to go to meet friends and have a glass of wine or smooth draught Schell's in an iced mug (as we all enjoyed last night)!
Speaking of Mother's Day . . . . I'm SO proud of my mama! She is now a blogger! It's official! She made the mistake of mentioning that she was thinking of starting her own blog when they were out to celebrate her birthday at the end of April. By the time I went to bed that night, I had one created for her. It took her until yesterday to work up the gumption / find the right words for her first post, but she's off and runnin' now! Stop by A Home Grown Journal when you have time, and say hello to Mama Pea! ;)
Okay, I think I'll sign off for now. I have OODLES of deskwork to do this morning. Maybe I'll post again later today when I'm ready for a break . . . but no promises! ;)
So, what's been going on? Nothing. And everything!
We are into the "shoulder season" of heating. That means that it's too warm during the days to justify keeping the Central Boiler (outdoor wood furnace) stoked with wood. So, earlier this week, we did the switch over. Now, instead of coming as a by-product from the furnace, our hot water is produced by the massive hot water heater in the utility room . . . whose forced-air fan sounds like a 747 every time it runs.
The biggest cause-and-effect of turning off the furnace, though, is the temperature in the house (illustrated by the polar fleece jacket I have on over my floor-length bathrobe as I write): the mornings are chilly! Instead of having any sort of heat connected to the wall-mounted thermostats (which are turned off now until the fall), we rely on the three woodstoves for warmth: one in the kitchen, one in the middle area between the dining room and living room, and one in the sunroom. And, we let them burn down at night or when we're working outside. Bottom line, on cloudy days or until the warm sun starts streaming in the windows, the house is a wee bit on the "chill side" these days! (Oh, and did I mention that we awoke to snowglobe snow falling yesterday morning and about 2" of very wet white stuff stuck to everything? Yes, this is INDEED the year winter never ended! And, as much as I am a winter girl, I do have to say, "Enough, already!")
One of my best girlfriends has been working tirelessly this whole winter to open a deli / grocery store / restaurant in our little "blink and you'll miss it" berg on the main highway. I doubt she's slept more than 4 hours a night the last couple of weeks, but she reached her goal of opening last Thursday! Here is a shot of her -
work-weary - and Tom the evening of her opening when we stopped by for dinner. I can't tell you WHAT a treat it is to know that she is there!For example, last night Mom & Dad and Tom & I met there for our Mother's Day dinner. Instead of us driving an hour in to Mom & Dad's (and then on to a restaurant) or Mom & Dad driving the hour out here for dinner . . . we all only had the hop-skip-and-a-jump jaunt to meet in the middle! Or, on Saturday when I was planning the meal for Mother's Day (at that point, we were still going to all gather out here), I wasn't worried about making sure I had all the ingredients when I was in town earlier on in the week: if I needed some last ingredient, I could just pop down to her! AND, we now have a place to go to meet friends and have a glass of wine or smooth draught Schell's in an iced mug (as we all enjoyed last night)!
Speaking of Mother's Day . . . . I'm SO proud of my mama! She is now a blogger! It's official! She made the mistake of mentioning that she was thinking of starting her own blog when they were out to celebrate her birthday at the end of April. By the time I went to bed that night, I had one created for her. It took her until yesterday to work up the gumption / find the right words for her first post, but she's off and runnin' now! Stop by A Home Grown Journal when you have time, and say hello to Mama Pea! ;)
Okay, I think I'll sign off for now. I have OODLES of deskwork to do this morning. Maybe I'll post again later today when I'm ready for a break . . . but no promises! ;)
Spring MIGHT Just Be On Its Way
Despite the fact that it's still 90% winter outside our door (and that 7-12" of the white stuff is predicted to fall between tonight and tomorrow night), we have seen two sure signs of spring: the first robin day-before-yesterday, and four geese flying north yesterday. So, spring might still actually arrive to the northeastern
tip of Minnesota . . . sometime!
I posted the new April picture of the house/yard this morning. I surely thought that this picture would look MUCH different when I commented about how similar the December, January, February, and March pictures looked, but it doesn't! It was only on Wednesday that the warm sun melted through the snow-packed paths enough in one spot to reveal the slate walkways underneath (bottom right on this picture).
Tom and I have been trying to take walks each night when he gets home from work now, and we checked out the latest logging site that "our" loggers have been working on - just east of our place - a week or so ago. It opened up a beautiful new vista of our river from an angle that we hadn't been able to see before. (You'll have to click on the picture to enlarge it if you want to see the distant river and its tributaries.)
Tom (and the dogs - Maisy with one of her usual massive rocks in her mouth) climbed up to the top of one of the lumber piles to give a perspective of the size of some of the trees the loggers are taking. Fortunately, many of these are fast-growing trees that will replace themselves.
I'm sure it's Murphy's Law that the snow is lasting so long this winter/spring . . . because I want to get the greenhouse built on the south side of the chicken house. I can't wait! And, I'm sorely behind on chicken house up-keep. The nest boxes need fresh litter, and the couple of feet on the south side that has melted free of snow has now become a quagmire of mud and chicken poop. Nice. I've been trying to get to the local lumber yard to pick up fresh wood shavings for weeks, it seems, but one thing or another has interfered. It's getting to the drastic point now, though, and I'll absolutely have to get it done this coming week.
Tom and I went to Duluth (3 hours, one way) for dental appointments on Wednesday. The deer are SOOOO thick along the highway right now. We would have lost count had we tried to number them all, but I'll bet we saw easily 400-500 combining the down and back trips. At least it's "good" for the auto-body shops!
Anyway, Menards was having a door sale, so we picked up the door for the closet in the utility room ("Tom's closet") . We plan to put that in this weekend. Every little bit of forward progress counts, right?!
tip of Minnesota . . . sometime!
I posted the new April picture of the house/yard this morning. I surely thought that this picture would look MUCH different when I commented about how similar the December, January, February, and March pictures looked, but it doesn't! It was only on Wednesday that the warm sun melted through the snow-packed paths enough in one spot to reveal the slate walkways underneath (bottom right on this picture).
Tom and I have been trying to take walks each night when he gets home from work now, and we checked out the latest logging site that "our" loggers have been working on - just east of our place - a week or so ago. It opened up a beautiful new vista of our river from an angle that we hadn't been able to see before. (You'll have to click on the picture to enlarge it if you want to see the distant river and its tributaries.)
Tom (and the dogs - Maisy with one of her usual massive rocks in her mouth) climbed up to the top of one of the lumber piles to give a perspective of the size of some of the trees the loggers are taking. Fortunately, many of these are fast-growing trees that will replace themselves.
I'm sure it's Murphy's Law that the snow is lasting so long this winter/spring . . . because I want to get the greenhouse built on the south side of the chicken house. I can't wait! And, I'm sorely behind on chicken house up-keep. The nest boxes need fresh litter, and the couple of feet on the south side that has melted free of snow has now become a quagmire of mud and chicken poop. Nice. I've been trying to get to the local lumber yard to pick up fresh wood shavings for weeks, it seems, but one thing or another has interfered. It's getting to the drastic point now, though, and I'll absolutely have to get it done this coming week.
Tom and I went to Duluth (3 hours, one way) for dental appointments on Wednesday. The deer are SOOOO thick along the highway right now. We would have lost count had we tried to number them all, but I'll bet we saw easily 400-500 combining the down and back trips. At least it's "good" for the auto-body shops!
Anyway, Menards was having a door sale, so we picked up the door for the closet in the utility room ("Tom's closet") . We plan to put that in this weekend. Every little bit of forward progress counts, right?!
Monday Morning Tired
In the "readership" out there, is there any single one of you who actually wakes up rested and ready to go when the alarm goes off in the morning? Uuuughh! Mornings are SO painful! Especially when it's still pitch dark now when that annoying metallic ring penetrates your dreams. Soooo t-i-r-e-d . . . .
The frost sounded pretty thick on the windshield when I watched Tom scrape it off his car this morning. But, a heavy frost (brought on by a clear night) also foretells a sunny day ahead. And, for us on alternative energy, that means a laundry day for me! I can fire up the washer and dryer without too much concern for the drain on the batteries . . . since they'll be getting charged by the sun on the other end.
We had a productive and busy weekend. On Friday night, we had an impromptu homemade dinner with the parents of the wee babe (now a two year old) that I used to nanny for. The four (five) of us haven't all gotten together in . . . we couldn't remember HOW long! On Saturday, Tom logged all day - cutting down about 1/3 of the standing dead timber and getting it all stacked in the woodshed. That night, we attended a wonderful dinner party for ten. 1/2 of the couple hosting it used to own her own restaurant (and she's still a part-time chef), so you're always guaranteed a FABULOUS meal. This time was no exception, and the good wine and great conversation were flowing freely. But, by the same token, it was a relatively "early" night as we arrived home (after the one-hour drive) at 11:45.
Tom got a bit more miscellaneous getting-ready-for-winter yard cleanup done yesterday and then finished the paneling in his workshop on the south end of the garage. Stain and trim around the windows followed, and now he's ready for my help in moving the large workbench in that my dad so graciously donated to the effort. Once that's complete, he can move his tools out of the one (parking) side of the garage and drive his car in for the winter! Everybody all together now: "Progress, Progress!"
I, meanwhile, have been fighting getting sick and so slept in and took it easy on Saturday. Then, yesterday, I attacked the house which is a DISASTER . . . spending the entire afternoon on the livingroom alone (including cleaning out the fish tank, etc.). Now we have at least ONE room that is clean and comfortable in the house! More today, I hope.
The frost sounded pretty thick on the windshield when I watched Tom scrape it off his car this morning. But, a heavy frost (brought on by a clear night) also foretells a sunny day ahead. And, for us on alternative energy, that means a laundry day for me! I can fire up the washer and dryer without too much concern for the drain on the batteries . . . since they'll be getting charged by the sun on the other end.
We had a productive and busy weekend. On Friday night, we had an impromptu homemade dinner with the parents of the wee babe (now a two year old) that I used to nanny for. The four (five) of us haven't all gotten together in . . . we couldn't remember HOW long! On Saturday, Tom logged all day - cutting down about 1/3 of the standing dead timber and getting it all stacked in the woodshed. That night, we attended a wonderful dinner party for ten. 1/2 of the couple hosting it used to own her own restaurant (and she's still a part-time chef), so you're always guaranteed a FABULOUS meal. This time was no exception, and the good wine and great conversation were flowing freely. But, by the same token, it was a relatively "early" night as we arrived home (after the one-hour drive) at 11:45.
Tom got a bit more miscellaneous getting-ready-for-winter yard cleanup done yesterday and then finished the paneling in his workshop on the south end of the garage. Stain and trim around the windows followed, and now he's ready for my help in moving the large workbench in that my dad so graciously donated to the effort. Once that's complete, he can move his tools out of the one (parking) side of the garage and drive his car in for the winter! Everybody all together now: "Progress, Progress!"
I, meanwhile, have been fighting getting sick and so slept in and took it easy on Saturday. Then, yesterday, I attacked the house which is a DISASTER . . . spending the entire afternoon on the livingroom alone (including cleaning out the fish tank, etc.). Now we have at least ONE room that is clean and comfortable in the house! More today, I hope.
Nothin' Much
Wow, the winds were fierce last night! And I mean FIERCE! Now, anyone who's been up here knows that there's pretty much always wind on top of the ridge, but last night was scary. Like, I-don't-want-to-be-laying-under-this-bedroom-window scary. Freakish. LOTS more leaves are down, and Tom threw the chainsaw into the back of his car for the drive to work (not something most of you need to worry about during your morning commute, huh?).
Speaking of fall and Tom . . . while I was showing him the new work shirts I had ordered for him online at L.L. Bean last night, he saw the (new) house picture on the blog and said, "We need to get an updated fall picture up." Well, that IS the updated fall picture! I took it on Monday. Doesn't look much different from the previous one, does it? But, it's not like the colors of the house change with the colors of the season. ;)
And (another handy segue), the October picture I just posted on our other website, Seasonal Changes at Swamp River Ridge, is the last in the latest 12-month series. So, I need suggestions of what scene to make the next 12-month series! I've thought of a few great shots, but the problem is that the place I choose needs to be accessible year-round by car. The reality of me firing up the snowmobile on each first of the month in the winter (when we don't often use it and it needs prompting and TLC each time) is slim. And, ultimately, it should be somewhere close-by that I can walk to. I had thought of doing a shot of Lake Superior each month, but I would have to make a special 32-mile round-trip drive to do that. And, does that really reflect the seasonal changes up HERE on Swamp River Ridge? So, anyway, please suggest away. A different shot of the river? The view down our driveway? The view from the end of our driveway down our (generally) quiet road? Something up at the Trapper Cabin? You let me know.
My folks came out over the past weekend to help us with a day of woodwork, but we got rained out after one solid load with both the pickup and my dad's high-sided trailer. But, since they'd made the trip out and had expected a full day of work . . . that's exactly what we gave them! ;) Mom helped me sort through and organize some of the stuff we'd hauled home from Tom's folks' house, and Dad helped Tom finish wiring and insulating the large, south wall of his workshop in the garage. They got electrical wire run up through the garage, into the pub, and out the peak of the building, too, so that Tom - during a break in the weather - could finally install the motion-detector light there. And, now that daylight is waning so much earlier, we REALLY need it! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "What a DIFFERENCE the little things make!" Here they are using an OSHA-approved maneuver (ah-hem) during the installation.
Speaking of fall and Tom . . . while I was showing him the new work shirts I had ordered for him online at L.L. Bean last night, he saw the (new) house picture on the blog and said, "We need to get an updated fall picture up." Well, that IS the updated fall picture! I took it on Monday. Doesn't look much different from the previous one, does it? But, it's not like the colors of the house change with the colors of the season. ;)
And (another handy segue), the October picture I just posted on our other website, Seasonal Changes at Swamp River Ridge, is the last in the latest 12-month series. So, I need suggestions of what scene to make the next 12-month series! I've thought of a few great shots, but the problem is that the place I choose needs to be accessible year-round by car. The reality of me firing up the snowmobile on each first of the month in the winter (when we don't often use it and it needs prompting and TLC each time) is slim. And, ultimately, it should be somewhere close-by that I can walk to. I had thought of doing a shot of Lake Superior each month, but I would have to make a special 32-mile round-trip drive to do that. And, does that really reflect the seasonal changes up HERE on Swamp River Ridge? So, anyway, please suggest away. A different shot of the river? The view down our driveway? The view from the end of our driveway down our (generally) quiet road? Something up at the Trapper Cabin? You let me know.
My folks came out over the past weekend to help us with a day of woodwork, but we got rained out after one solid load with both the pickup and my dad's high-sided trailer. But, since they'd made the trip out and had expected a full day of work . . . that's exactly what we gave them! ;) Mom helped me sort through and organize some of the stuff we'd hauled home from Tom's folks' house, and Dad helped Tom finish wiring and insulating the large, south wall of his workshop in the garage. They got electrical wire run up through the garage, into the pub, and out the peak of the building, too, so that Tom - during a break in the weather - could finally install the motion-detector light there. And, now that daylight is waning so much earlier, we REALLY need it! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, "What a DIFFERENCE the little things make!" Here they are using an OSHA-approved maneuver (ah-hem) during the installation.Behind The Eight-Ball . . . As Usual
When I posted the August picture on our Seasonal Changes At Swamp River Ridge blog, I said that August is the last completely green month we'd enjoy. Wrong, wrong, wrong! The yellows and early oranges are EVERYWHERE, and I guess I needed to be reminded that we only have two truly and solidly green months up here: June and July. The rest of the shoulder months are either spent getting ready for summer or getting ready for fall!
Another one of those little "things" about living The Simple Life up here in the sticks . . . folks who see us around here will have noticed that I've been driving the 1-ton pickup everywhere instead of my zippy little Subaru. The reason is more than the fact that it has yet another flat that needs to be patched . . . but it's directly related.
Our own research has shown that my car - due to the size of the tires - cannot take a truly heavy-duty tire . . . the kind that are required for our gravel roads (unless we wanted to throw off the odometer, mileage, etc. - which we don't). Tom's car - his wheels being just a bit larger - CAN take a small truck tire . . . and therefore, a much stronger tire. What I'm getting at is this: we have decided that, in the summertime, I will drive the truck and park my car. Once the snow is on the ground, I will go back to my beloved little Zip-Zip (although I also enjoy driving the truck) and the 1-ton will again become the plow truck (the reason we bought it).
Many things led up to this, but two of the biggest factors were that I just wasn't comfortable driving the alternate routes home that I wanted to drive . . . for fear that I would get a flat TRULY out in the middle of nowhere completely off my normal route (and Tom wasn't thrilled with that, either, for obvious reasons). My tires were new at the beginning of the year, and they are already completely beat to hell. Not good. The other deciding factor was talking to a friend who also lives on these same slate & shale covered dirt roads (although not out as far as we are). I'd been wondering if all the flats were "just me" and so asked him how many he'd gotten. His "best" was 7 in a single summer - and TWO in one day! That clinched it. I would start driving the big ol' truck. So now, I wheel around wherever I want . . . only really missing the heated seats in my car . . . and flinching every time I fill the truck up with gas. But, I only go to town one day a week, so it's really not bad. And, peace of mind wins out over all those negatives! :)
Now on to the overdue Questions of the Day. Last Tuesday, the 14th, was a special day for many reasons. It WAS the 3rd wedding anniversary of dear friends (now new parents) who we haven't seen in ages. They live in the Cities but got married in historic Red Wing, Minnesota, and their reception was held in one of the few round barns built way back when (it was MASSIVE and gorgeous!). They promised a visit up to us this summer, but I'm thinking it might be fall now by the time they get up. We're anxious to meet that little peanut!
And, it wasn't the 60th birthday of my favorite uncle on my mom's side LAST Tuesday, but it was on the previous Tuesday, the 7th. I was just a little (everybody, now!) "BEHIND as usual"! Anyway, here is the birthday boy - my mom's brother - and his lovely wife at the celebratory b-day dinner. They still live in northern Illinois . . . "the Motherland" to both sides of Chicken Mama's family (and where she/I was born).
Finally, last Tuesday was, yes, as everyone who voted correctly guessed, the ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF TOM'S NEW JOB / LIFE living and working up here! No more Corporate America! No more traveling 300 miles - one-way - every couple of weeks! Maybe reminiscent of his driving days, Tom spent the day driving the 9 hours home from visiting his dad in southwestern MN.
Another one of those little "things" about living The Simple Life up here in the sticks . . . folks who see us around here will have noticed that I've been driving the 1-ton pickup everywhere instead of my zippy little Subaru. The reason is more than the fact that it has yet another flat that needs to be patched . . . but it's directly related.
Our own research has shown that my car - due to the size of the tires - cannot take a truly heavy-duty tire . . . the kind that are required for our gravel roads (unless we wanted to throw off the odometer, mileage, etc. - which we don't). Tom's car - his wheels being just a bit larger - CAN take a small truck tire . . . and therefore, a much stronger tire. What I'm getting at is this: we have decided that, in the summertime, I will drive the truck and park my car. Once the snow is on the ground, I will go back to my beloved little Zip-Zip (although I also enjoy driving the truck) and the 1-ton will again become the plow truck (the reason we bought it).
Many things led up to this, but two of the biggest factors were that I just wasn't comfortable driving the alternate routes home that I wanted to drive . . . for fear that I would get a flat TRULY out in the middle of nowhere completely off my normal route (and Tom wasn't thrilled with that, either, for obvious reasons). My tires were new at the beginning of the year, and they are already completely beat to hell. Not good. The other deciding factor was talking to a friend who also lives on these same slate & shale covered dirt roads (although not out as far as we are). I'd been wondering if all the flats were "just me" and so asked him how many he'd gotten. His "best" was 7 in a single summer - and TWO in one day! That clinched it. I would start driving the big ol' truck. So now, I wheel around wherever I want . . . only really missing the heated seats in my car . . . and flinching every time I fill the truck up with gas. But, I only go to town one day a week, so it's really not bad. And, peace of mind wins out over all those negatives! :)
Now on to the overdue Questions of the Day. Last Tuesday, the 14th, was a special day for many reasons. It WAS the 3rd wedding anniversary of dear friends (now new parents) who we haven't seen in ages. They live in the Cities but got married in historic Red Wing, Minnesota, and their reception was held in one of the few round barns built way back when (it was MASSIVE and gorgeous!). They promised a visit up to us this summer, but I'm thinking it might be fall now by the time they get up. We're anxious to meet that little peanut!
And, it wasn't the 60th birthday of my favorite uncle on my mom's side LAST Tuesday, but it was on the previous Tuesday, the 7th. I was just a little (everybody, now!) "BEHIND as usual"! Anyway, here is the birthday boy - my mom's brother - and his lovely wife at the celebratory b-day dinner. They still live in northern Illinois . . . "the Motherland" to both sides of Chicken Mama's family (and where she/I was born).Finally, last Tuesday was, yes, as everyone who voted correctly guessed, the ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF TOM'S NEW JOB / LIFE living and working up here! No more Corporate America! No more traveling 300 miles - one-way - every couple of weeks! Maybe reminiscent of his driving days, Tom spent the day driving the 9 hours home from visiting his dad in southwestern MN.
Thar's Yeller In Dem Dar Hills!
It was 36 degrees when we woke up this morning. Thirty-six, I tell you! In mid-August! Not only is such a chilly temperature about one month early, but, particularly given the heat and dryness this summer, it just seems . . . weird! On the other hand, it FELT wonderful!!! :) We have friends who recently relocated to County Durham, England (via a year or so - I forget the exact timeline - and a LOT of work on their house in France . . . which, yes, they did keep). Anyway, point being, could we ever give up Swamp River Ridge (which we COULDN'T), County Durham would be calling: they only had a handful of days OVER 70 degrees this summer. Now THAT'S my kind of weather! ;) And, I must have "felt" the cool temps coming on because I built a fire in the cookstove Thursday night for the first time in a while!
Speaking of heating the house, until we have the fireplace built, we need to find an extra heat source for the "shoulder months" . . . those being when it's not quite cold enough to warrant firing the Central Boiler wood furnace 24/7 but when it IS awfully darn chilly in the house! The cookstove in the kitchen isn't enough because, even when I have it really corkin', the heat it produces tends to STAY in the kitchen and not migrate into the rest of the house. So, what we'll do is install a very neat OLD coal-burning stove that had been in Hastings-on-the-Lake when we bought the place (and burn wood in it since northern MN isn't exactly a mecca for anthracite coal!). We'll put that where the fireplace will be and poke a hole up through the new roof for the chimney. (Sounds so simple, doesn't it!? Ha!) Anyway, with the house at 59 degrees this morning, that's next on the list. (Along with finishing planting the landscape plants and shrubs we bought [before it's too cold for them to get a good foothold], getting the woodshed filled for the winter, staining the soffits and fascia on the house and garage, and, and, and . . . !)
Along with the maples j-u-s-t beginning to turn into their fall colors and the birches and poplars quite comfortably already turning yellow (aaack!), the bear baiters* are back at it. (* I generally add a few descriptive adjectives to that term when we see them alongside the road - terms not exactly fit for mixed company.) Bear opener is September 1st, and baiting opened yesterday. Now, I understand that bear hunting is VERY difficult without the aid of baiting (read "dumping a bunch of candy and/or donuts or whatever sweet slop you can find in the woods and then coming back in a couple of weeks and shooting the bear that's grown accustomed to visiting that site"). But, it just DOES NOT seem very sportsmanlike to kill an animal that way. Besides, who'd WANT to eat a bear that had just consumed 500# of gummi bears?! Anyway, just one of my annual rants . . . .
Seems like there have been other little tidbits of interest to share with you lately, but my mind is blank.
Tom has been working SO many hours lately getting this new gaming system in. Quite literally, I hardly see him. And, when I do, the poor boy is absolutely exhausted. We're both hoping that we can "hole up" in September and get some things DONE around here!
Today is my papa's #66, and so we made a town run this morning (dump, recycling, etc.) and stopped to pick up a mess of "the world's best donuts" (and they really are!) before stopping by my folks' house to wish Dad a happy day. He was spending his special day much as I would have: taking the time to get a few things done that had been nagging at him up in his office . . . and then the same in the garage. The ol' apple does NOT fall far from the tree . . . terrifying as it may be! ;) Mom has been up to her armpits - quite literally - in canning and preserving this last week-plus. One day it's broccoli, the next peas, then pickled beets . . . and green beans up the WAZOO! She has so many green beans that she offered for me to come pick her clean, but I'm just afraid I can't fit it in right now. Argh! Anyway, she has a garden this year that would rival Martha's! Over noon-time coffee and donuts we commented about how we usually don't get to celebrate Dad's birthday on time because he's in the final end-of-the-summer push before he gets back to school. BUT, given his retirement this year, we COULD have celebrated today . . . had it not been for poor TOM'S schedule! Maybe NEXT year we'll be able to make it happen on the right day. So, for a week or two, anyway, his birthday dinner will have to wait.
Speaking of heating the house, until we have the fireplace built, we need to find an extra heat source for the "shoulder months" . . . those being when it's not quite cold enough to warrant firing the Central Boiler wood furnace 24/7 but when it IS awfully darn chilly in the house! The cookstove in the kitchen isn't enough because, even when I have it really corkin', the heat it produces tends to STAY in the kitchen and not migrate into the rest of the house. So, what we'll do is install a very neat OLD coal-burning stove that had been in Hastings-on-the-Lake when we bought the place (and burn wood in it since northern MN isn't exactly a mecca for anthracite coal!). We'll put that where the fireplace will be and poke a hole up through the new roof for the chimney. (Sounds so simple, doesn't it!? Ha!) Anyway, with the house at 59 degrees this morning, that's next on the list. (Along with finishing planting the landscape plants and shrubs we bought [before it's too cold for them to get a good foothold], getting the woodshed filled for the winter, staining the soffits and fascia on the house and garage, and, and, and . . . !)
Along with the maples j-u-s-t beginning to turn into their fall colors and the birches and poplars quite comfortably already turning yellow (aaack!), the bear baiters* are back at it. (* I generally add a few descriptive adjectives to that term when we see them alongside the road - terms not exactly fit for mixed company.) Bear opener is September 1st, and baiting opened yesterday. Now, I understand that bear hunting is VERY difficult without the aid of baiting (read "dumping a bunch of candy and/or donuts or whatever sweet slop you can find in the woods and then coming back in a couple of weeks and shooting the bear that's grown accustomed to visiting that site"). But, it just DOES NOT seem very sportsmanlike to kill an animal that way. Besides, who'd WANT to eat a bear that had just consumed 500# of gummi bears?! Anyway, just one of my annual rants . . . .
Seems like there have been other little tidbits of interest to share with you lately, but my mind is blank.
Tom has been working SO many hours lately getting this new gaming system in. Quite literally, I hardly see him. And, when I do, the poor boy is absolutely exhausted. We're both hoping that we can "hole up" in September and get some things DONE around here!
Today is my papa's #66, and so we made a town run this morning (dump, recycling, etc.) and stopped to pick up a mess of "the world's best donuts" (and they really are!) before stopping by my folks' house to wish Dad a happy day. He was spending his special day much as I would have: taking the time to get a few things done that had been nagging at him up in his office . . . and then the same in the garage. The ol' apple does NOT fall far from the tree . . . terrifying as it may be! ;) Mom has been up to her armpits - quite literally - in canning and preserving this last week-plus. One day it's broccoli, the next peas, then pickled beets . . . and green beans up the WAZOO! She has so many green beans that she offered for me to come pick her clean, but I'm just afraid I can't fit it in right now. Argh! Anyway, she has a garden this year that would rival Martha's! Over noon-time coffee and donuts we commented about how we usually don't get to celebrate Dad's birthday on time because he's in the final end-of-the-summer push before he gets back to school. BUT, given his retirement this year, we COULD have celebrated today . . . had it not been for poor TOM'S schedule! Maybe NEXT year we'll be able to make it happen on the right day. So, for a week or two, anyway, his birthday dinner will have to wait.
Haven't Written
I know I haven't written in a while, but that's because the last 48-72 hours have just been horrible. HORRIBLE. At the end of my very frayed rope horrible. And, naturally, no one feels much like talking (or writing) during those times!
In short, our emotions rocketed because the shower, tub, and toilet were FINALLY going to be installed in the master bathroom. Today marks exactly 5 months that we have lived here without being able to take a bath or shower in our own home. Yesterday was the momentous day - a truly spectacular way to celebrate Valentine's Day!
. . . Excepting for the one little fact that the day before, on Tuesday, the septic line froze. So, in these balmy temps (we haven't seen over 13 degrees during the day since the 1st), we have been required to piddle outside (very "refreshing" last thing at night or first thing in the morning in your bathrobe!) and do our other business in a bag-lined commode. Niiiiice.
I'll follow up / finish that story along with the posted pictures.
On the up side, spring is coming! The sun is beginning to warm and makes SUCH a difference during the day! The snow actually has melted away from dark, warm, south-facing exterior walls. And, the birds are starting to think about mating and breeding which means vibrant colors and amazing spring songs for us bird watchers. We heard the first "song of spring" come from one of the winter regulars as we lay in bed early yesterday morning.
In short, our emotions rocketed because the shower, tub, and toilet were FINALLY going to be installed in the master bathroom. Today marks exactly 5 months that we have lived here without being able to take a bath or shower in our own home. Yesterday was the momentous day - a truly spectacular way to celebrate Valentine's Day!
. . . Excepting for the one little fact that the day before, on Tuesday, the septic line froze. So, in these balmy temps (we haven't seen over 13 degrees during the day since the 1st), we have been required to piddle outside (very "refreshing" last thing at night or first thing in the morning in your bathrobe!) and do our other business in a bag-lined commode. Niiiiice.
I'll follow up / finish that story along with the posted pictures.
On the up side, spring is coming! The sun is beginning to warm and makes SUCH a difference during the day! The snow actually has melted away from dark, warm, south-facing exterior walls. And, the birds are starting to think about mating and breeding which means vibrant colors and amazing spring songs for us bird watchers. We heard the first "song of spring" come from one of the winter regulars as we lay in bed early yesterday morning.
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