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Friday 6/27. Post my blog; feed the girls, feed the dogs, feed the humming birds. . . Finally I could pour my coffee and sit on the porch. The clouds were breaking up to the east, letting the rays of sun through. What a life!
The tall stalks of fire weed at the porch and the bird bath are now all in bloom. Such a striking color, not quite as pink as the wild roses, a little more lavender. And the roses this year are amazingly abundant. As are the Indian paintbrush and yarrow. Pink, orange, white and still a dab of purple scattered throughout the green are the landscape colors right now.
We have a rufus hummingbird at our feeders again. It is a stunning rust color with a fluorescent red throat, and the rust looks gold in the sunlight. Beautiful but very aggressive.
The dogs seem to have recuperated from yesterday's trauma. I thought Dinga would be upset with me, but even though I took her to the vet's, I also escaped with her and brought her back home. Jesse just seems to take it all in stride, although he was a bit aghast when they took his temperature.
Last night JB overcooked the quinoa pasta and now we completely understand why the directions say: "Do not overcook." Think jello. . .
I brought up more wood from the west slope. Then we put the old, small steps from the porch by the side door, which will do quite nicely until we build permanent ones. Probably in another six years.
Dark skies threatened and finally produced rain at about 2:30 pm. Got the laundry inside just in time. Then I defrosted the fridge and baked banana coffee cake, but this time I added chocolate chips. And, considering the results, I will continue to make it that way from now on. Yum!
I cut JB's hair so he would look more presentable playing Magic cards this evening, and not like some wild mountain man. Don't know if it was the hair cut, but he had better luck this time.
We had a high of 70 today, but it sure didn't feel like it.
Saturday 6/28. It was 54 and cloudy this morning with thunder storms in the forecast. And still windy, but that didn't keep us from sitting on the porch with our coffee.
Found we have three and maybe four more people coming on Friday for the 4th.
JB dropped eight trees to the north of the tipi and we trimmed six of them. The tallest was 53' and the shortest about 25'. All tall and skinny, in a place that badly needs thinning. We will cut them into rounds tomorrow.
Also gathered rocks for the fire pit in front of the baker. Used Miss Kitty to bring the larger ones.
Sunday 6/29. It was 52 and clear with a breeze this morning. It has been so windy so often this year. I am really getting tired of it. Enough already! But the baker is situated so we can sit in front, under the flap, and be sheltered from the wind. In fact I have been sitting there a lot since we put it up, in between projects and chores. It is as if we are camping and there is nothing to do but relax and enjoy, sheltered also from the world and daily cares. That lodge is so full of good memories that they tend to enfold me and sweep me back in time. Or perhaps simply mix with the joy of being Up Here. Whatever it is, it is even more deeply relaxing than being in the tipi.
As I write this in my notebook (paper & pen), I am sitting on the porch with my coffee, watching the sparrows and juncos collect dog hair for their nests. I brush the dogs every morning and it all goes floating out into the yard where the birds collect it in their beaks, creating huge mustaches for themselves. So cute!
I think the first batch of humming bird chicks has grown and left their nests, as there are a lot of smaller ones about and obviously just learning how to use the feeders. They are in competition with and not much bigger than the honey bees.
The wren's nest under the eaves is still occupied. I guess third time was the charm. In the last two years most of it fell down and the wren's had to build elsewhere. There must have been enough of those two nests left to successfully build upon.
And speaking of the cares of the world, I think I have become too sensitive to the foibles and troubles than mankind brings upon himself. I can no longer deal with the atrocities - mental, physical and emotional - that humans inflict upon other humans. I should have thought that after all these millennia, we would have evolved into more caring, intelligent and logical beings. Makes one wonder if the Universe will have much more patience with us. Some days I feel very emotionally frail in the midst of it all, as if being Up Here is the only thing that saves me. . .
But there is work to do and after lunch JB cut four of the downed trees into 16" rounds. I used Miss Kitty to haul the rounds over to the splitter where I stacked them. We plan to cut up the other four trees tomorrow.
Our high for the day was 71, but it only felt like it when there was a lull in the wind, which averaged 13 mph. Yesterday it was up to 17 mph.
Plans for July 4th have changed to four people arriving about noon on Thursday and two more on Friday. Getting better and better.
Monday 6/30. It is 58 with a clear sky and no wind this morning. No wind! Lots to do today.
Thought for the day: It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. Voltaire
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