July 13, 2016 Swales & Patience

Collecting dog hair for
her nest.

Monday 7/11. JB's knee was much better this morning, so we were outside right after breakfast to move the pile of small branches (that was in the photo in this morning's posting) to the swale by the chicken run.  I loaded the tractor bucket and JB drove it over to the swale and dumped it.  That was our main project for the day and was one of those that didn't require a lot of time but used a lot of energy.  After lunch I smoothed out the piles on the swale to ready it for the dirt we plan to dump on it tomorrow.

We are both sure that JB's knee is not from gout, but rather something physically wrong that needs the attention of an orthopedic surgeon.  So he has an appointment with one a couple days after he gets back from the west side.

Tuesday 7/12. It was 54 and mostly cloudy this morning.  Again, we were out first thing to cover the swale by the chicken run with dirt.  This was the second time we had done so, but we have been building it up more with grass and branch clippings.  So with each load of dirt that JB dumped on it, I raked and stomped it down.

After lunch, we did the same thing to the newest swale on the east slope.  We were almost done when a brief but refreshing shower moved through.  We had a few more such sprinkles before the rain got serious and came down quite heavily for a couple hours.

While resting on the porch after our work these two days, we watched sparrows coming to collect dog hair for their nests.  I guess these birds have not yet laid their eggs.  We haven't seen the robins since before our BBQ on the 4th, so they must have raised their family and moved on.  The wrens are still both feeding their babies, and it sounds like they are trying to coax them out of the birdhouse.

Well, now that I have written about our day, I realize that I have committed myself to writing on different subjects with each posting.  How about patience for today?  I had never been a very patient person until after a few years on the mountain.  Patience is an attribute I would have never asked for, knowing what I would probably have to go through to develop it.  Perhaps it is partially due to getting older, but living Up Here, off the grid, and with JB and I being together 24/7, in the past year or so, I find myself actually quite patient.  

My wonderful neighbor in Illinois seemed to just float through life, saying, "It is what it is."  I am sure some of her attitude finally rubbed off on me.  Life on the mountain almost forces patience upon one.  In dealing with Nature, you simply have to accept it and work around it.  

We have had a lot of setbacks, but even more blessings.  It seems that with patience comes acceptance, or perhaps it is visa versa.  I have learned that the best thing to do is just let go and let God.  This is a wonder-full place to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Oh, politics and the like can set me off, but after I rant, I take a deep breath and then just forge on.  I think Garrison Keiler had it right, as I mentioned in my last posting, "The answer to many of our problems is simply to have more fun."  It tends to put everything into perspective.

Wednesday 7/13. It is 54 with clear skies this morning.  I hope to get started cutting branch wood in the cradle today.  Tomorrow I am going Down There.

Thought for the day: Life is not about hiding from the storm, but rather learning to dance in the rain.