Brilliant!

What a brilliant time of year it is up here! The temperatures have finally persisted in the high 70s to low 80s and only one day of rain in the past month. On Tuesday night, there was a sunset to rival all sunsets as it looked like the sky was on fire. The color was just a deep rose-orange contrasted with the deep green of the woods. It was a pretty sight. The mornings have been so clear when we have our first walk outside with Zoe at o'dark thirty that if I knew the names of all the constellations, I could tell you what I saw. They were all there. As it is, I can reliably identify Orion's Belt, and the big and little dippers. Not a cloud in the sky. So, it's against Mother Nature's finest backdrop that the rest of the week took place. Not a bad place to start.

John was in California Monday to Thursday and stayed in a noisy hotel. He didn't get much rest and arrived home pretty tired. He has shaken that off with a long and good night's sleep here in the woods and we'll enjoy catching up this weekend. While he was away, my days were pretty even with the exception of Tuesday night when the cat brought another mouse inside from the garage just as I was preparing to go to bed. It looked to be a pretty straightforward catch and release as Zoe immediately captured the little guy only to turn quickly and lose her footing on the hardwood floor. She went down suddenly and apparently knocked the wind out of herself. With her recent leg injury and slow recovery, her inability to get up caused me to think she had seriously damaged one, if not both, of her legs since they were out at odd angles. But she was shortly up and walking fine. However, I was not. By this time I had called John and was pretty shaken up at the thought of losing the Z-dog (even for those brief minutes) and, not forgotten, the mouse that was now "somewhere" but nowhere I could see. I feared the cat may have taken it upstairs to be alone with his prize. Fortunately, that was not the case. The cat sat staring steadfastly at the stove meaning the small darling was underneath. So, with John still on the line, the dog and I went upstairs, I barricaded all the doors with towels, then barricaded the two of us in the bedroom for the night. In the morning, the cat was laying outside the bedroom door and the mouse was laying on the kitchen floor. I don't like it, but there it is. So, I have obtained three "rodent deterrents" which emit a high-frequency sound said to be offensive to my tormentors and placed them on each floor and, importantly, in the garage.

We have no plans this weekend other than to catch up on needed chores. We have some folks lined up to refresh the driveway, lay some concrete by the side of the house, and to build a shed. John simply doesn't have the time to do that. It will be great to get the "stuff" that rightfully belongs in a shed out of the garage. Then maybe we can actually use the treadmill in the garage. And John will be able to find some of his tools which are still in boxes.

So, I'm off to participate in this lovely summer day. The rest will take care of itself.

Summertime...

Finally! Our temperatures reached the 80s yesterday. It has felt like summer for the month of August and worth every bit of waiting. There is just no prettier place with the sun shining and casting shadows through the woods, the water is brilliantly blue, and the mountains still have some snow on them.

Zoe has been diagnosed with age-related kidney failure and we have put her on the prescribed low-protein diet. She has responded quite nicely and her energy and appetite have returned. The vet reassures us that she might get another 2-3 years by following this regimen and that's good news. And we have decided that the former President (aka Roosevelt) does not need another cat to keep him company. He seems quite content to be the one and only feline on the house. It's easier to maintain his delusions of grandeur (being the alpha cat) that way.

I had a massage last weekend. There's a critical difference between a massage one might have at a spa somewhere and a "therapeutic" massage such as I undergo at these twice monthly sessions. It might be the depth at which the practitioner kneads the tissue or the laser sharp focus with which she seeks out the "problem" areas. Sure, there's lovely music playing and the room is darkened. But all similarity ends there folks. Don't get me wrong; I value these sessions. They are the best type of "intervention" for my money. I'm lucky to have found such a skilled (and determined) practitioner.

Yesterday we took our first trip to the local "landfill". It had to be the "classiest" visit to a dump ever. Really, it's a place where you take your "stuff" and put it into very large bins to be hauled away. No earth movers shoving stuff around and no smell! And all for under $20. We had to remove the large rugs that were rolled up in the garage before they were transformed into cozy mouse habitats for the winter. Without a truck and given the weight of the things, the resident tool man used the handy Sawzall to cut them in half so they would fit nicely in the back of the station wagon.

Following that, in the afternoon we traveled down to Bremerton to attend the annual wine festival that benefits the hospital's philanthropic arm. We made our way around the waterfront where it was held, sampled a couple of the wines and ruined our appetite for dinner with the restaurants' small tasters (like being at a classy Costco on Saturday morning!) before heading back home. So, from the landfill to the waterfront in one day; we have it all!

It looks to be another lovely day outside. We'll putter about and finish a few "to be done" items on the list. But we won't putter too hard. It's summer after all....

The usual blather...

Well, last week went along quite nicely. While John was away, there was work and pleasant, sunny days. Zoe is getting around pretty well and the restful days while I'm at work and John is not around the house do seem to help her leg recover. She's still more frail than she used to be and is sleeping more and eating less. But her spirit remains bright and we'll just support her and enjoy her company for as long as she's around.

I read a lot when I'm on my own. It's a guilty pleasure to become absorbed in another's story. Our friend Ian suggested a new author to me, Donna Leon, and I am enjoying her character Commissario Guido Brunetti. Set in Venice, it also allows me to go there for a while and recall a few of our experiences.The Kindle supports instant gratification; no more waiting to get to a shop or for a book to arrive by mail. There are worse vices, right?

This weekend has not been as sunny as "they" promised, but it is summer all the same. While John took the hand lawnmower to Bremerton for repairs (sneaky rocks will get you every chance) yesterday, I went to the annual Hansville Rummage Sale. This little community raises most of the operating budget for it's Community Center with this sale, so there are lots of people there and lots of "stuff". I didn't see anything I fancied and left empty-handed. But it was a good browse. After that it was off to groceries and then later we went to a local nursery (owned and run by our dance instructors) to select a fruit tree. Our attempt to grow an apricot tree failed in this climate, so we have replaced it with a cherry tree. Maybe we'll get some fruit. Maybe not. But the blossoms in the Spring will be lovely. And it's said to be hardy down to 10 degrees so it should manage the winter well enough. John mowed and trimmed back more of the blackberry brambles that grow at the speed of light and encroach on our clearing. I made some zucchini bread from our recent Farm allotment of veggies and an Indian salad/relish to use some of the cucumbers as well. John pulled some carrots from the garden for dinner and we grilled a steak and enjoyed the evening hours.

Today brings more "things to get done" but first I will have a massage to get the ever-present kinks out of my neck and back. Then a trip to Costco for a few staple items and back to the house. John will plant the new tree today and I will do some "inside" paperwork tasks since rain is suggested. We have also amassed quite a few peppers in our vegetable collection, so today I will create some dish to incorporate those as well for dinner. And then Monday will be upon us and the week follows its usual rhythm of work and evenings as it does. I can handle that...

The Other Man....

John is on his way to California this morning as is our routine these days. Later, I will take the other man in my life to the same airport pick-up location and he too will return to California. Son Jake spent the weekend with us and it was the nicest of times. He has managed to time all his visits with the monthly Farm Breakfast. This time we also got him up to Port Townsend for a wander and out to Seabeck where the scenery is outstanding. In between, there was a visit to Central Market to pick out some salmon and some ingredients for a Mexican dinner as well and a short trip over to Bainbridge Island in search of a store which has closed since my last visit.The weather was pleasant for the most part with just a hint of rain and overcast on Friday night.

There were also the usual homesteading chores during the weekend and Jake pitched in and gave John an assist doing most of the mowing on the shiny red tractor. It promises to be dry weather for a week or more now and we have lots to do outside. The jungle has encroached on the grass (or what passes for lawn) about 2 feet and we will work on reclaiming that portion. With a bit of luck, we'll have the driveway refreshed by the end of this week or next. Today I will contact a fellow to do some concrete work for us. John says we look to have a more abundant blackberry crop this year than last and I'll set aside a weekend day soon to can some jam.

Our goldfinches seem to have packed up and moved on this weekend. We have had possibly a dozen pairs this year, but like last year, they arrive in early summer and then leave all together about this time. It's much quieter outside without their songs. For now we are left with the wee Siskins and the brilliantly colored, but aggressive Blue Jays. Before long though, the Robins will return en masse and the Flickers will arrive.

I have the day off today. Tomorrow I will be back to work and that will make the days go by quickly. So, for today, I will enjoy every minute...

Unplugged in Poulsbo

I've discontinued my Facebook account. In truth, I wasn't finding social media to be all that social. In fact, most of those with whom I am social aren't even on Facebook. So, it's gone and I'm not sad. As a matter of fact, my cell phone has lately been unable to hold a battery charge and I have taken to just turning it off unless I specifically need to make a call. I haven't missed it either. No more instant contact. Just more space.

I'll continue to write in this blog as it provides us with a chronicle of mundane, yet somehow important, everyday life. But there are no demands on anyone to read it or interact with it. I like that.