April 21, 2009

It's Tuesday night and Spring is bursting out all over these meadows and hills. Everyone here has been cutting, splitting and stacking wood for next winter for the last month. Now the trees are budding out and wood cutting is over. Pete has over 10 cord put away. I remember how good that felt from the time many years ago when we heated our house with wood. I claimed two stumps with hollow centers which I have put in my yard. I plan to plant in them. I used up the mulch I had from last year as well as the sheep manure from my neighbor. I am expecting another load this week from the sheep farm across the road. Pete is making two more raised beds for my yard. That will bring me up to 4 beds and 8 tires for potatoes. I hung two more bird houses tonight. The Bluebird is already nesting in one of my last year's houses down in the Locust Grove.

It was lovely having last week off. I was able to jury rig the automatic leveling jacks up on the bus and move it up by the house where the hose will reach. I dragged the ladder up and hauled a bucket of rubber roof cleaner up topside. I scrubbed and rinsed it but as I did a layer of some kind of coating kept flaking off. Now I am trying to find out what it is and how to get it all off safely so I can recondition the roof and seal a few cracks. I washed and waxed the rest of the coach just before the rains came. It really looks great.

Since I had the last botox injections in my eye lids in February, my eye condition has worsened and it had become very difficult to get around. I gave in and called the doctor. He injected me again last week. In the 13 years I have been receiving the injections, I have never had this much. It has worked as far as opening my eyes but the downside is I am not blinking enough now. Consequently, my eyes hurt from dryness and strain especially at night. I have to wear my mask to keep them closed. All of this is worth it though to be rid of the spasms.

The effectiveness of the latest treatment came just in time since I have been offered a long-term temporary position at the Saratoga BOCES office. I am going for a day tomorrow to see if I like it. It is about a 40 min. drive but the weather is good now. My car is economical to drive and the money is much better for BOCES jobs. I think I will take the job unless it is just impossible for me to handle.

I will be mowing grass by the weekend. Whoopee! It has been a long winter. We are supposed to be 80 degrees in a few days. Seasonal changes happen very quickly here.

It is very nice having my sister Gloria back home. We went to lunch once already. Social calendar around here picks up rapidly when the winter ends. We will be busy. That is a huge switch after several months of doing jig saw puzzles.

Happy, happy --

Spring Break

It is warming up nicely today. Easter dinner was a success. I had 17 family members stuffed in my house. The food was super duper. I notice each time the grandkids are here, they haul out all our old family photo albums. They sit for hours going through shots of themselves and others from the past. I find myself wondering if all the digital photos I have stored on dvd will be as popular as those old albums. All my anxiety was for nothing since it turned out to be a perfect gathering.

I have been out on my bike a couple of times. I have been riding route 40 since the shoulders are wide and the road quiet. I don't have much stamina yet but it will get better. I want to go over to Hudson Falls to ride the Adirondack bike trail to Lake George this week. I just wish I had someone to ride with. It is a lot more fun with a companion.

My plan is to move "the bus" up into the driveway today. I want to begin cleaning it, inside and out. A big job. The water supply is up here away from the barn.

Last year, I mowed my grass on April 23rd. I don't think it will be quite ready by then although this week of warm sun will certainly bring the grass along. I still have branches to pick up down by the barn. I also want to make a path to the small creek that flows down there. I couldn't reach the creek last summer due to the intense weed and grasses. We have too many ticks in environments like that.

I made some lamb broth from the leftover bone and meat. I will add some fresh veggies and whole grain for a soup.

Enjoy the day.

Palm Sunday

It has been awhile but not a lot to tell you. It seems like the work week is full and I come home tired. Then the weekend is there with many chores and obligations. The blog posting gets postponed once again. I wanted to mention that I looked through an issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine. In the latest issue is a wonderful article on our County, Washington County. It is a nice read with some good photos. We are meeting in our communities to attempt to map out a plan for the future while preserving our rural life and beauty. The article will, no doubt, lure people from other places to this special place. As the urban areas deteriorate with over crowding, pollution and crime, folks will be looking for the quiet life of rural counties.

Some of the bushes are budding; daffs are beginning to bloom and tulips are showing up. We have deeply rutted muddy back roads and frost heaved, pot holed paved roads. All sure signs of spring in this area. I went for a bike ride the other afternoon and was thrilled to hear the tad poles singing their little hearts out from all the ponds I passed by. We had rain yesterday for much of day. Pete and I ventured up the hills to a birthday party last night in Belcher. Yes, I spelled it right. You haven't lived until you have visited Belcher. The elevation is probably not more than 200 ft above my house but it was snowing and sticking to the ground. The wind was blowing and visability was poor. Felt more like early December rather than April. As soon as we dropped down to our level, it was quiet and damp. Still cloudy this morning but supposed to have sun this afternoon. I am going to church this morning.

I plan to host Easter dinner at my house for my family. We will be crowded but the weather is going to be great and we can spill out onto the porch. Besides, being cheek to jowl for awhile is not a bad thing. Especially, when we don't see each other very often. Ham and lamb are on the menu.

The puzzle that is currently on my dining room table is about 2/3 finished. I may have to clean it up before it is finished since I need the table for Easter. The one we have at Pete's house has been neglected for weeks. Pete and I have been watching the video reruns of the TV show,24 hours with Keifer Sutherland. We are into our 5 dvd now. The puzzles have taken a back seat to the perilous adventures of Jack Bauer. Actually, for me, the tension is such, that I need a sleeping pill after watching it.

So goes life up here in these hills with the cows, the sheep, the chickens, pigs and llamas/alpacas.
Happy Spring everyone!