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| An October sunset |
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| Fire Weed's Autumn colors |
Then: The Rest of October 2010
Our main project for October was cutting fire wood. We had the three 20'X6' rows stacked in back of the house. And by the end of the month we had the porch all stacked as follows: two 8'X4' rows on each of the south, east, and north sides, and one 3'X4' row of branch wood on the east side. Each Fall we want to be ready for winter by November 1 and we have accomplished that with our fire wood.
On the 19th I walked down the road picking rose hips and ended up with 4-1/2 pounds. I only picked the largest and ripest, and really didn't have to go very far to find all that I wanted. That afternoon I made the puree for rose hip jam. The next day I canned 8 pints of jam, and it is very tasty. Getting further and further out of my city mind. . .
I have been writing in my journal when the dogs want out first thing each morning, which is usually about 5:00 a.m. It is very quiet with just the first promise of dawn teasing the mountain tops. The birds are starting to awaken, and I am alone with my thoughts. A perfect time for writing and enjoying our little piece of heaven.
We honed our list and shopped for our winter supplies. I keep our pantry full throughout the year, always replacing what we use right away, but for the winter we need to be sure that we have a 6-month supply of paper products, canned goods, flour and other large and/or heavy items that would be cumbersome to bring up on MAX. Each year I get better at planning for our needs, so I am hoping that his year JB will only need to bring up perishables and mail.
At the end of October we always take JB's Jeep off all but the minimum insurance coverage for the winter. We won't driving it off the mountain until the road thaws in Spring.
October has been a bit more windy than usual but we haven't had the snow that we had last year. Just a few days of rain. Our first snow wasn't until the 28th and it was mixed with rain. RJ's birthday was on the 28th and this is the first year he did not come up to his cabin for his birthday. Mike wouldn't have been able to come with him due to his football schedule, and RJ's schedule was full too.
I always loved Halloween Down There. We would decorate outside a little, but the best part was that I would dress up in a skeleton mask and black robe. Few trick-or-treaters ever expect the person on the other side of the door to be in costume, so I always got some great reactions. A few years ago in Illinois, the mother of a very small toddler screamed and ran away when I opened the door, leaving her child on the porch. The little girl just laughed and said, "Twick or tweat!" So when Larry and Elsie happened to visit on Halloween night, I met them at the door with my mask and a bowl of candy. Another good ending for another good month.
Now: August 6, 2011
The patient is home and resting after yesterday's ordeal. Wasn't really that bad, but the aftermath always seems to be the worst. JB can only have soft foods and liquids for a few days, so he may miss out on the Italian sausage sandwiches on Sunday - even though he will be the cook. He spent yesterday afternoon in a Vicodin haze, so I doubt he is even thinking about that yet. Larry and Elsie came to visit and bring some chairs up for Sunday, along with some fresh onions from their garden. They were celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary with a leisurely drive around the mountain on a lovely summer's eve. We always enjoy their company, I just hope JB remembers they were here. . .
I will finish the little bit of mowing that needs to be done today (unless JB feels up to it), clean house, and get ready for tomorrow's BBQ. We may have up to 20 people, which would be our best turnout yet. The weather is supposed to be nice, mid-seventies Up Here and mid-nineties Down There. Usually in another month it is definitely Fall Up Here which would make for a very short summer this year. Maybe we'll have an Indian Summer later on. Although with all the extra undergrowth, cool and damp is good.
Speaking of mowing, when we were still in the planning stages of moving Up Here, I was thrilled that we wouldn't have a lawn to mow. In fact, I almost sold our lawn mower at our garage sale. Talk about not having a clue! We actually have a much larger area to mow than we ever did at any of our homes Down There. It may not be lawn, but it needs mowing. Thankfully, JB insists it is his job, and I don't argue.
Our main project for October was cutting fire wood. We had the three 20'X6' rows stacked in back of the house. And by the end of the month we had the porch all stacked as follows: two 8'X4' rows on each of the south, east, and north sides, and one 3'X4' row of branch wood on the east side. Each Fall we want to be ready for winter by November 1 and we have accomplished that with our fire wood.
On the 19th I walked down the road picking rose hips and ended up with 4-1/2 pounds. I only picked the largest and ripest, and really didn't have to go very far to find all that I wanted. That afternoon I made the puree for rose hip jam. The next day I canned 8 pints of jam, and it is very tasty. Getting further and further out of my city mind. . .
I have been writing in my journal when the dogs want out first thing each morning, which is usually about 5:00 a.m. It is very quiet with just the first promise of dawn teasing the mountain tops. The birds are starting to awaken, and I am alone with my thoughts. A perfect time for writing and enjoying our little piece of heaven.
We honed our list and shopped for our winter supplies. I keep our pantry full throughout the year, always replacing what we use right away, but for the winter we need to be sure that we have a 6-month supply of paper products, canned goods, flour and other large and/or heavy items that would be cumbersome to bring up on MAX. Each year I get better at planning for our needs, so I am hoping that his year JB will only need to bring up perishables and mail.
At the end of October we always take JB's Jeep off all but the minimum insurance coverage for the winter. We won't driving it off the mountain until the road thaws in Spring.
October has been a bit more windy than usual but we haven't had the snow that we had last year. Just a few days of rain. Our first snow wasn't until the 28th and it was mixed with rain. RJ's birthday was on the 28th and this is the first year he did not come up to his cabin for his birthday. Mike wouldn't have been able to come with him due to his football schedule, and RJ's schedule was full too.
I always loved Halloween Down There. We would decorate outside a little, but the best part was that I would dress up in a skeleton mask and black robe. Few trick-or-treaters ever expect the person on the other side of the door to be in costume, so I always got some great reactions. A few years ago in Illinois, the mother of a very small toddler screamed and ran away when I opened the door, leaving her child on the porch. The little girl just laughed and said, "Twick or tweat!" So when Larry and Elsie happened to visit on Halloween night, I met them at the door with my mask and a bowl of candy. Another good ending for another good month.
Now: August 6, 2011
The patient is home and resting after yesterday's ordeal. Wasn't really that bad, but the aftermath always seems to be the worst. JB can only have soft foods and liquids for a few days, so he may miss out on the Italian sausage sandwiches on Sunday - even though he will be the cook. He spent yesterday afternoon in a Vicodin haze, so I doubt he is even thinking about that yet. Larry and Elsie came to visit and bring some chairs up for Sunday, along with some fresh onions from their garden. They were celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary with a leisurely drive around the mountain on a lovely summer's eve. We always enjoy their company, I just hope JB remembers they were here. . .
I will finish the little bit of mowing that needs to be done today (unless JB feels up to it), clean house, and get ready for tomorrow's BBQ. We may have up to 20 people, which would be our best turnout yet. The weather is supposed to be nice, mid-seventies Up Here and mid-nineties Down There. Usually in another month it is definitely Fall Up Here which would make for a very short summer this year. Maybe we'll have an Indian Summer later on. Although with all the extra undergrowth, cool and damp is good.
Speaking of mowing, when we were still in the planning stages of moving Up Here, I was thrilled that we wouldn't have a lawn to mow. In fact, I almost sold our lawn mower at our garage sale. Talk about not having a clue! We actually have a much larger area to mow than we ever did at any of our homes Down There. It may not be lawn, but it needs mowing. Thankfully, JB insists it is his job, and I don't argue.
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