August 27, 2018 Rain, Labels & Just Taking My Time

All clear.  Woo Hoo!

Branches to be cut in the
wood cradle.

Friday 8/24. We worked on trimming and cleaning up the branches from the 90-ft. pine tree today.  After lunch the dogs and I walked down to our neighbors with the yurt.  They were over just for the day to get their outdoor kitchen upright again.  Our eleven feet of snow from two years ago had knocked it over, but now they have a cement foundation to attach it to.  I took some fresh eggs and blueberry jam to give to them, and helped them a bit.  She will be back for our BBQ a week from Sunday.

While I was gone, JB baked a pound cake.  It always turns out so good!

Our high for the day was a very pleasant 74.

We have good friends who consider themselves gun-toting, very LIBERAL Democrats, while I think of myself as a gun-toting, liberal conservative.  But the problem with labels is that they are very limiting.  Once you name something, it is now defined and suddenly it becomes this rock-solid thing with boundaries, with limits.  And neither of us really fit those definitions.  That's the problem with today's politics.  People are pigeon-holed and judged by adjectives that don't completely fit.  It's really quite sad that we can't just be people who have different beliefs but get along just fine.

Saturday 8/25. It was 50 and overcast this morning with smoke that had crept back in.  I needed a day off from clipping, so we mostly moved branches to the edge of the area across the drive and took the tiny stuff over the west ridge.

After lunch I did laundry and made chicken broth for the dogs.

I find myself walking slower in the past year or so.  Not because I have to, but because I want to.  I am rarely in a hurry any more after no many years of bustling about, and it is quite a joy to just take my time.

The wind picked up in the afternoon and by 2:30 pm we felt rain drops!  A lovey, lazy rain that lasted almost three hours.  We covered and closed up everything, and I brought in the laundry to re-hang inside.  But I didn't hurry.  It was just too nice to be out in the rain.  The smoke disappeared and the air smelled SO fresh!

Fall is definitely in the air and has been for the past week or so.  The bushes and undergrowth have begun to turn yellow and orange.  Our high for the day was just 67.

Sunday 8/26. It was 48 and overcast this morning with a very little smoke on the horizon.  We were outside early working again.  I trimmed the last of the large branches and JB drove them to the wood cradle in four bucket loads.  Then he pushed the smaller branches against the large swale, making room for BBQ parking next Sunday.  We were done by 10:30 am except for raking up the really small stuff.  It looks great!  And not nearly as much dust today, thanks to yesterday's rain.  Just as JB came in the house after covering and closing up everything, today's rain began.  It was very light though and only lasted about ten minutes.

After lunch Larry and Elsie drove up in their side-by-side and four-wheelers with their grandsons.  Their oldest, who is ten, has his own four-wheeler and he had a blast when I suggested that he should ride around our place on the mowed areas.  We all had a very nice visit.

Our high for the day was just 65 and the smoke completely disappeared.

Monday 8/27. It is 46 and clear this morning with a breeze.  We now have a 31 people coming to the BBQ next Sunday, including us.

Thought for the day: If you can't laugh at your mistakes, you messed up for nothing.