Busy is a busy does

I've been working with a magnet, a rake, and a broom to clean up the concrete slab and the small bits of metal that are in the dirt around it. The 'good stuff' that was hidden in the garage included old rusted coffee cans full of old rusted nails of every size one could think of.

I do know that Rich's father also collected nails, even straight used ones. My Grandparents' generation never threw out things that could be re purposed or reused. My mom was the same way as was Rich's folks and Rich. For those that lived through very hard times, repurposing was not a fad but a necessity.

So, if the garage had never been crushed or inundated with water, most of those nails could have been useful to build something with the lumber that is in the dry confines of our machine shed.

Unfortunately, the clean up dropped a LOT of nails and chunks of miscellaneous metals all around the all garage. This weekend, I filled two 5 gallon buckets with pieces of metal, glass, and nails. 

Patrick will be back to do some more work this coming week in the meantime, I am looking for broken glass, metals, and sharp things along with metals. A good magnet on a handle is a great helper.

The dogs check on the progress and then go lay down on the porch. It is too tiring to watch me work.

I did manage to take some 'fun' time for me. On our morning hike/walk with my 4 legged pals, I took some toys.

Hannah is still learning to not always nose over toys while I am photographing. Charlie has that down pat.

The two shots below were done with a deep foggy morning and very little sunlight. I knew the fungi wouldn't stick around once the sun came out so I grabbed my 1:87 HO Scale mountain climbers and thought...this could be fun!

It turned out to be fun. Twice I dropped the tiny guy in the blue shirt. Thankfully it wasn't in a bunch of flowers and it was in the mulch where I could find him easily.

 I believe the fungi/mushroom is called Pleated Inky Caps. I find them often in the flowerbed mulch. They are doing a job enriching the soil and breaking down the mulch so I just admire them.

On the dog hike, I brought Qilin, the Mythical Creature from Lego. I built this not because I like the kid series Monkey Boy, but because the creature is posable and delightfully colorful.

I know that Qilin and the Ninjango character I acquired years ago seemed to just go together.

I carefully carried it out to the meadow. [Carefully, I didn't want to lose any pieces of this mythical creature!]

I think Lego missed the point in putting these characters in different toy stories. Definitely this guy and the dragon match in glowing and bright wonderful colors.

no dogs knocked this down!

I left the Mythical Creature at the campsite and followed the dogs deep into the woods. I let them be my guides. I should do that more often.

I found dozens of sights in my forest with Indian Pipes aka Monotropa Uniflora. I like the names: Ghost Plants and Indian Pipes better.

What an amazing background a group of them would make alongside a deer trail for my Princess Sara and her faithful bodyguard Joan of Knight.

Yes, Princess Sara rides a horse and carries her faithful stick horse which I am assuming has magical powers. She also has the little red dragon with her. They are on a mission and a journey to defeat some evil in the world.

After an early morning of tromping through the woods and getting soaked by the dew, we returned home to continue working on the cleaning the old garage site.

By late afternoon, I decided I'd had enough back breaking bending over work and charged up the mower to trim the yard. Over the week we had another half inch of rain along with humidity and heat so the grass decided to really get with the growing program again.

Now that it is out of the way, I don't have to deal with it until next week [hopefully].

I went to bed early. The dogs were exhausted from supervising all day.

But when I woke up around midnight, I couldn't help but stay up a bit longer to admire the Milky Way from the porch.

Looks like a busy short week ahead. 

I am planning this weekend to be joyful. With a celebration of my husband's life. Of course it will be bittersweet, but I carry him in my heart always.

Busy Day ~ Night Out

Another day with the scrappers, they filled the truck and the trailer from behind and in the little red shed.

The fella that sold this place didn't throw things away either. Imagine that. His old farm has old vehicles in the dry runs along with stoves, refrigerators, and various other things.👇

The scrappers felt they'd won the lottery. All those old mowers and mower decks... so many engines taken half way apart. 

All 'good' stuff. 

They actually dug down about 2 feet for some of the items. The sinks and toilets stayed.

 

Glen, the previous owner was a handy man that did remodel jobs as a business. 

Often the stuff he was to toss came home and landed behind the shed. I'm sure my husband did not collect over 40 mowers! Most of them were hidden in the dirt.

They found mowers, bed springs, couch springs, and buckets of big heavy bolts along with tranny covers and a few transmissions. Don was in heaven when he found a nice Pepsi sign and some 40 yr old truck plates. He will decorate his shed with them.

I worked around the house while they were mucking around in the old garage and the red shed. I did stuff that is boring but necessary to keep the house clean and clothes for me to wear.

The guys left around 12:30 and I decided to take the dogs out to stretch their legs. We hiked through our woods. 

We found that the wild geraniums were beginning to bloom.

I took these with my Lensbaby lens. I love the softness it produces.

Oddly enough, I did enjoy the little hike, but also didn't enjoy it. For years now, I've had low back pain on the left side. It is due to arthritic spurs on the spine. Normally I just get a bunch of twinges, but Wednesday it left me a bit breathless while standing up from bending over.

Hah.
I know better than to do that. I have to squat to avoid irritating that Uncle Arthur spot. Bending is not a good option ever for a back.

I hobbled home and got an ice pack out. The dogs and I sat on the porch bench and watched birds for a while.

I was surprised and please to see Siera following the red headed mules at her slow pace [she never really is in a hurry]. 

I called the Vet Clinic [this is a different one. Dr. Anderson had seen Siera years ago when she was not herself]. 

The receptionist said Dr. was pretty busy and I said it wasn't life or death, I just thought she should be looked at as she is not herself and either pulled or strained muscles and perhaps we'd need to give her some Bute if appropriate to help her move better.

Dr. Anderson saw Siera in 2014 when she 'tied up'. 

He is an excellent Vet. We had him out in 2009 when we nearly lost Cheyanne. He and his daughter treated her for dehydration with fluids until midnight. You can read about that here at: She's worth it. 

After all of that, we made out suppers. I wish I was like a dog who could just eat something simple like Kibble and get on with my day.

I made veggies with chicken and had ice cream for desert. Nothing fancy. Just eatable stuff.

I asked Charlie and Hannah if they wanted to go for a walk. They eyed me like...mayyyyy beeee....

I put their beeper collars on and we hiked out to where I am making my campsite.

We gathered sticks and made a little campfire. Charlie has been at a campfire before, but Hannah hasn't. 

This was a trial run to see how they liked hanging out with me in the forest.

Sniffing and digging seemed to be the most fun for them. The found spots nearby and dug. Hannah collected sticks to chew on. 

After that, they both wanted to sit in my lap.

Well. I will need a bench or a much larger chair. I think there is a folding camp chair in the trailer, so I'll grab that next time.

After much sniffing around and checking things out, they both wanted to sit in my lap.

My lap doesn't have much room for them.

But they were pretty content to listen to the birdsong, coyotes songs, owl calls, and hang out with me.

Smelling the forest in the evening is much better when you are on your master's lap apparently.

I intended to stay out after dark, but released that I had two black dogs that would be invisible on the walk back to the house.
Next time, I'll bring their collar lights.

This was probably the nicest evening I've had in such a long time.

The video is about 10 seconds long and includes the Eastern Towhee

singing its evening songs.

I ordered this for our next excursion into the woods to watch the sun fade and nightfall. 

This way, I can just use this pop up shelter to sit in with the pups. It is really for a beach or sitting outside out of the sun, but it is a pop up shelter. 

I think this will be easy to put up and take down. I even have a spot I can hang it from a tree limb so animals won't mess with it.

I am so incredibly happy that I had this Forest Mulching done. I plan to maintain the area. The mules can get to the pasture when the dogs and I aren't there. 

Here we are enjoying the evening. I set my little camera up with a self timer for this.

We are enjoying a bit of heaven in this world's chaos.

And yes, if you look, my hair is colored wild, just like me. I felt like doing something weird and unusual, so I did it.

We all fell sound asleep by 9:30. Hannah snuck onto my old jacket I'd dropped onto the bedroom floor. I let her sleep there. She surely is coming along nicely. I'm so very lucky to have these two friends to keep me company.

Just another ordinary week.

When one day feels like a whole week....

Sometimes I can get out for a walk and to beat the heat, the last few walks I've done have been at sunset. I set hubby up with a TV show and go for long walk on the ridge. The woods are thick with brush and skeeters at this time of night.

Usually there is a breeze on the ridge and if I am lucky, the skies are beautiful also.

The shot below is looking back at our house as I head up the driveway.

This one is taken at our mailbox on the ridge looking east.

I turn around here and head back home, I know how long I can be out and about and time the walk with the end of the show.

After putting him to bed, I headed back out on to the porch to see the moon come over the trees. It was nice to look at.

I couldn't resist trying to take another shot[s] of the fireflies. I guess they have been my obsession this year since I've been watching them since late May.

They were quite active. I imagine the heat and humidity keeps them going. [The moon was not that large, I put it there to hide the smear of light from the long exposure.]

I spent the morning working on the wreck of one of my favorite little pastures.

I am lucky that my mules obey one single hot wire and don't bother it. There is a fence in that mess, it is a 4 strand barbed wire fence that had a single hot wire running on the inside of it. The mules have lived with this boundary for 20 years and have no desire to push through it. They have plenty of feed on this side of the fence.

I put a single hot wire over the trees and inside the pasture away from the mess.

I went back to check on the forest and saw this.

I need a chainsaw gang to cut through this mess or just let the animals find a way around it. I'm going to shorten the availability of the forest and lessen my fencing work.

There are 3 more trees down across the fence above the creek. I'm going to pull the hot wire and this fall pull the posts. The gals don't need to go all the way down there any more.

I've made an executive decision to have the southern pasture [field] mowed. I'll hire the guy that did my trees last year. I have some work for him to do so this place doesn't look like a disaster area.

I did take a break and worked on my Echo weed eater.

I thought I had it fixed and ... I didn't. I may need a 'new' head for it. However, I did get the trimming done with only one line attached. When I ran into the tough stuff, the machete worked out well.

It seems that I get the yard mowed, we have inches of rain, humidity, ... I catch up a bit on the garden and the trimming ... and 

back to mowing. I have an inner sense of time. I do some work, run to the house and check on hubby, go back out, work...come inside, meds...lunch... and then chill out time for a bit in the heat of the day.

I DO find some time to chill out.

In fact I decided to take a hint from Aurora ... I decided to make a raft for my Legos. It was a way that my husband could be amused and I could spend some quiet time indoors.

Hot glue, strands of twine, moss to cover the mess.... and...

It looks like a pretty neat little raft...

It won't float for real..., but this guy can use it in his escape from dinosaurs...

at least when I get around to setting that up....

Here is this little piece of serenity. Bachelor Bucks in Velvet having their night out.

Today is Tuesday and I have a major car repair that can't wait. Wednesday sounds like a fishing day with Steve. Yesterday we saw the Social Worker and his nurse. I'll be firing our Respite Gal after today. I cannot cannot trust someone who is not responsible enough to get to her job on time with my husband's care. 

He doesn't trust her any more either so it is no longer a good fit.

The pressure is on and I am working details out on how to continue care here at home and do the things I need to do.

Last night I went to the hill north of the house to watch the sky and the field. The moon rose behind me and I enjoyed the show. 

I LOVE fireflies, this summer they have given me hope and courage with their bright lights and flickers.

PS-- Hubby needed my help while I was up there and he opened up the bedroom window and rang the cowbell.

😉😊😁😀...and that my dear friends worked so well!

Change of Attitudes and Thoughts

 

Tweet Tweet -- how we change over the years!

Years ago when Rich and I first lived in our cottage he said feeding the birds was such a waste of money and of course I agreed as we had a very tight budget. Bird feeders felt like a luxury as well as any seed.

Back then having dogs in the house was also a no-no. Pets did not live in the house. Farm dogs lived outside. If a dog came in the house it was confined to one room. 

Fast forward 25 years.
Rich invites Charlie to take naps with him in bed. Charlie has his own chair and 'owns' the love seat couch. 

The birds have a feeder and if I don't feed them, Rich reminds me that he can't see all the birds that visit our yard.

This was some fun on the first day the Orioles showed up. 27 seconds long.

On that first day, the Orioles were maddening! They really went nuts over the feeder. I may add a second feeder just to try and keep the peace.

I love that the birds land close by in the pine tree where we can see them from our table. It means hubby can sit and have coffee or just sit in a chair and watch the birds.

I get a running monologue of who is visiting our feeders and yard.

I get ---- Bluebird! Blue Jay! Cow Bird! Downy Woodpecker! Sometimes he gets so tongue tied he just says a partial word and points. Goldfinch! ... the list goes on and on as long as the birds are feeding.

When the Grosbeaks showed up we both got excited since we don't see them that often.

This year the Purple Finches [????] seem happy to stick around. So far.

The first hummingbird showed up on the 3rd of May which feels like it might be a bit early. However, we did have the feeder set out and we do see one returning often during the day.

When it gets nice enough for hubby to sit on the porch, he watches me work on our little garden around the porch and delights in more birdwatching. If there is a bird he can't identify, he has me get the bird book and look it up with him.

I could get the Merlin Bird app, but I could also just enjoy sitting with Rich and  the both of us page through the book together.

How things have changed.

A little pal dog and a fascination with birds.

Interesting

Well that was very interesting regarding the 'Retreat' Motivational Thing. I will give it credit as the ladies who are working on it are really working hard. And their program that is offered will resonate with a certain clientele. 

Speaking of Retreats and other events, our area has had quite the uptick of folks moving in from California, Chicago, and other areas. Viroqua became a magnet for a change of culture and people. Good article here:

How Hippies Saved Viroqua

On main street you can find the most interesting store fronts from herbalist to palm reading, art, eclectic antiques, Gelato, and more.

There are always interesting 'offers' that make you scratch your head and go...hmmmm...

There is a farm that lets you pay a fee and join other women to hang out in Hammocks in their forest and um...well...for a fee of something like $60, you can do Nature Journaling. You can find your connections to the natural world and learn that women are um 'magical'.

Here is another one: Dear Friends, you can now apply for an apprenticeship. The magical plant herbalism apprenticeship is now open for enrollment for a fee of $1600. She offers her best selling book also and claims that she is an award winning author. 

I did search out her name and looked for her awards and didn't find them.

Can you say, Snake Oil Salesperson?

Maybe I can offer something too! 

For a small hourly fee, I can take guide you through my magical mystical wild woods with my Goat Sven as a loving and endearing companion. 

Actually, I can only offer what I have learned in life. But it isn't for sale, it is free. 

I try not to give advice because I never spend time in another person's shoes. 

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for

...and the most you can do is live inside that hope."

Quote from Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams.

I am pretty pleased with how things turned out. Until I moved here and joined hubby, I was really afloat in that big outside world.

I find my days mostly pleasing.

Where else can you go and sit in the middle of a road and enjoy a sunrise??

Dirty Gerti and other things

 Mystery solved. Gertrude aka Gerti was a pup that Olive got. Gerti was an accidental breeding between a mini poodle and a mixed blue heeler. It happened on an Amish farm and since the farmer was breeding for other 'doodles' and had a hard time getting 'rid' of these pups according to the sources...

He proceeded to begin to 'shoot' the pups. A lady stepped in and got the crossbred dogs and began to find homes for them. This lady also had connections with Olive through work.

Olive's hubby said no. Olive said maybe. And then like any strong willed woman would do, Olive brought Gerti home with her. Gerti adores Olive's little boy and is amazingly gentle and sweet. 

Gerti and Charlie hit it off right away. Charlie did the butt sniffing inspection and after that, they trotted off while we hiked. Gerti followed Charlie most of the time.

Hello Gerti!

She has a blue heeler - ish saddle markings mixed in with her Poodle coat. 

She is adorable.

Olive was trying to explain why she needed Gerti and I said 'I get it.' Indeed, Gerti was exactly what the doctor ordered. Woman to woman...we understood exactly why Gerti was needed.

Gerti had no issues at all with playing in the creek or getting full of mud and sand.

Rich dubbed her as: Dirty Gerti

Gerti won't shed thanks to the mini poodle part of her. Olive and Gerti make a great loving team. I'm looking forward to many adventures with our two dogs.

The 11th was also hubby's birthday. As an extra special treat, I washed his skid steer which was really quite dirty and dusty!
I treated him to a culinary delight of strawberry shortcake, the Bisquick kind, along with Steak and Tators.

I also did some cleaning and reorganizing in one of the closets and rooms upstairs in prep for Ariel to come for a visit. I found Morris's old toys in a bag. I hadn't had the heart to toss them. 

And at first I thought Charlie would like to inherit them. 
Charlie has always been a tough on toys. 

If it has a squeaker and it is stuffed, the toy is usually torn apart in minutes.

One toy fell out of the bag and Charlie picked it up.  

He didn't mutilate it. Maybe now that he is 5 years old, he won't tear things apart like he used to?

Did you know that April 11th was also dubbed #happypetday by social media?

These eyes of innocence melt my heart:

Morris and some of his toys in 2011:

And now?

I'm caught up. This morning, I am sitting on the porch with a cup of decafe watching the sunrise color the sky by the old oak tree to the east.

Unplugged

My day started out with a pre dawn hike with Charlie to the ridge. I guess it really was just a walk as we weren't in much of a hurry. Charlie sniffed around and I walked across the crop land hoping for a colorful and blazing sunrise.

Well that didn't happen, but listening to the birds and watching the deer run across the unplowed land was just fine.

We went by the little tree and just watched for quite a while.

I was pretty grumpy and felt ornery and tired so I thought a walk would do me good. I wanted to cancel my gym class but decided to do it anyway. I had to get groceries in town, so I may as well suffer through a class.

I left my phone at home and was surprised at how I didn't miss it at all. No little dings letting me know that there was news, or email, or whatever.

CF put me in a good mood as did the sunshine. Between CF class and Mobility, I took off on a jog/run. Last week we had a run/jog WOD which I enjoyed immensely. I hadn't jogged in two years and I found my rhythm as if it had never left.

After lunch Charlie and I went looking for leeks in the woods and we found some above the creek. Yum! Looks like forest food is coming up! I picked some newly emerged nettles for tea and greens for supper.

Before heading back to the house, I sat on a mossy log and listened to the creek. In the past two years, it has been so dry here that this part of the creek was nearly dry and silent. I watched water bugs and listened to the creek music. 

10 second video of creek sounds and a woodpecker marking his/her territory.

Things are still without color mostly in the woods, but with this warm weather the plants will get a jump start.

Late afternoon I found my phone and discovered texts and emails. One was from our grand daughter Ariel. She is coming to visit us on her own, was that okay?

Another was from Olive. She wanted me to meet the new addition to her family. Gertrude or Gerti. She had Monday and Tuesday off, could we get together?

Being unplugged is nice, except when you miss something! I took care of the messages and brought the skid steer out of the shed and parked it next to the house running...

I told hubby that he needed to clean up the gravel pile that Frank had left and fill in the dip in the driveway as his granddaughter was coming to see him for his birthday. 

Wow! He got out! 
I'll be washing his skid steer today and making him strawberry shortcake for his birthday. I need to run to town to get Almond Milk for Ariel with a couple of other foods for her special diet needs.

I hope we get to meet Gerti too! Olive texted that she thought Gerti and Charlie would get along just great. So I am assuming she has a new dog!

Guess I'll plug back in.

At least I got rid of the Grumpies....