June 21, 2013 A Tractor!



Wild roses along our road where
their fragrance is so heavy.


Wednesday, 6/19.  Our washing machine was fixed by 10:00 am and JB was on his way Down There.  No wash today but I did run the well pump.  The cistern is only about half full, so I am going to do several loads of wash at the laundromat til we can get it full again.

While JB was gone I trimmed a tree on the east slope that had some branches hanging down low.  The tree really needs to be cut down.  Worked on clearing grass and other growth from my "rose garden" to the south of the house, through which our path to the garden runs.  Took a full wheel barrow load of cuttings to a compost pile, not the garden compost pile as there are too many seeds in the grass I cut.  Am also starting to pull up balsam root leaves now that the blooms are all gone.  They will be good for the garden compost.

A pair of wrens has somehow successfully built a nest in one of the nooks under the eaves on the south side.  The way they are flying back and forth, there must be hatchlings in it.

JB was home by 1:30.  The overcast broke up into clouds and by mid-afternoon the sun managed to shine for a while.  But it soon became all grey again and our high was 58.  I put a fire in after dinner.

The current issue of "Countryside" is, in my opinion, their best ever!  Very informative and exceptionally entertaining, with a couple of hilarious articles about living in the country.

Thursday, 6/20.  A nasty, overcast morning; windy and 39.  And that's not taking into account the wind-chill factor.  Definitely a morning for a fire.

Yesterday, while JB was Down There, he stopped in at his favorite tractor shop for some information in order to convince me that we could actually afford to buy one.  And it seemed we could, now that we have medicare and don't have to pay through the nose for health insurance.  So today, after our morning chores and lunch, we dug our our heavy coats again and drove back Down There to get all the details.  We ended up buying a Yanmar 2400 with a bucket and a mower.  With a financing deal of 72 months and no interest, we could hardly turn it down!  It will be delivered next week.

Mother Nature is helping us water the garden again this evening.  It was warm enough in town so we didn't need our coats, but we had to put them on again as we made our way back up the canyon.  Our high for the day was only 46.

Friday, 6/21. Mostly cloudy and 41 this morning, but it is the Summer Solstace!  Long light to start our way back to winter.  At least it will be a warmer journey than getting to this point of the year.

Thought for the day:  Instant gratification takes too long.  Carrie Fisher