May 11, 2018 Shelving, Wild Flowers & Cutting Wood

New shelves in the outhouse.

A blooming arnica with a few
tiny prairie stars.

Our loaded wood cradle.

Wednesday 5/9. I had a nice long chat with Sande this morning.  Her weather in Santa Rosa has been much like ours - warmer than usual, then back to normal, then warmer, then normal, with rain interspersed.

I hung the laundry outside, then gathered a large bag of kindling and stacked it.  This will be going on for a while.

We put up the shelves in the outhouse that JB had cut a while back.  I had to buy brackets and screws for them last time I was Down There.  They look much better than the while box we had in there to hold necessary items.

The service berry bush in our yard leafed out last Friday, then bloomed on Saturday.  The arrowleaf arnica buds began popping today.  They look a lot like the balsam root, but there is only one flower per plant.  The sweet peas are also beginning to bloom, and the prairie stars are taking the place of the alpine Spring beauties.  So many flowers, and a few whose names I don't know.  Even the fire weed is popping up, but it should be another several weeks before it blooms.

Today was nice but very breezy, with a high of 66.

Thursday 5/10. It was a chilly 42 this morning with partly cloudy skies and a breeze.  A very cold breeze.

I absolutely had to attack my crafting area in the loft today, as it had become more of a "toss it in there for now" area.  I'll be sending another box of crafting items to my cousin, Suzann, as I am just not using them.  I did take a much needed break to go on the morning walk with JB and the dogs.

After lunch we cut the branch wood that had been sitting in the wood cradle all winter, then filled and cut it twice more.  I loaded the tractor bucket three times and JB drove the loads to the wood shed, where I stacked it.

Yesterday the wren was cleaning out the apartment-building bird house, but I haven't seen any activity there today.

The sun was warm when it was able to peek out from behind the clouds, but the breeze remained icy.  Our high for the day was just 60.

Friday 5/11. It is 40 this morning and overcast with the clouds coming in from the north and a wind gusting to 12 mph.  We were rudely awakened at 3:30 am when a mouse tripped the trap in the bathroom and just got its leg caught.  JB got up to take care of the situation, supervised by Dinga.

Thought for the day: I am a lead paint, no car seat, no seat belt, no bike helmet, bed of pickup riding, garden hose drinking survivor.  (You can add wooden spoon to that list for JB.)