Rites of Spring...

The end of February is upon us. That went fast. But there are hints of Spring here in the Brown Dog Hollar. The daffs are almost in bloom, crocus are up adding their merry color to the landscape, bushes have just started to bud, and there's a pile of horse pooh in the garden. Seems like we only just got rid of last year's generous delivery, but horses are horses and in the interest of helping out a friend (who has horses) we happily take a portion of their "product". It's become a ritual of Springtime.

Speaking of the garden, John noticed hoof marks in the garlic patch. The skittish deer have likely found their way across the driveway now and we will see how it goes this year once the garden is planted. We haven't replaced the bird feeders all winter and I miss the many birds who frequented them. But although I enjoy seeing a bear, it seems like a wiser decision to avoid tempting them to be frequent visitors with the offer of a snack bar.

I made it to my week-long workshop in Bothell this week. The commute turned out to be fairly routine after the first day. The workshop itself was a fairly intense experience, bringing together a diverse group of people to dissect and improve a process. Next week brings 3 days of classes which I missed in my orientation (when the flu hit). So, I won't be back to my regular state until Thursday. John returned last night after a Tuesday to Friday trip to California. We met up at the ferry and rode home together to begin a proper weekend.

Should be a low-key weekend. I have some shopping to do and some projects I want to address. If the weather holds, John will work outside. After all, horse pooh doesn't shovel itself! Traditions....

Up Early...

Heard in the hallway today: "One of these days, we'll sleep in till 6 o'clock". Our present regimen is to be up by 4 or 4:30 and on the weekend dear Roosevelt doesn't know there's a difference. So, yes, we are still up way too early on the weekend days.

John was in California most of the week, returning Thursday evening. So we lived our long-distance lives this week: emails and phone calls, abbreviated dinners, and early to bed. I'm not complaining. The week goes along quickly.

The housecleaning service began this week. On Wednesday, I arrived home to a happy, fresh house. Not that we're particularly messy, but there were windows washed and the shower was cleaned and a myriad of other things that added up to a "new house" impression. Worth every penny.

The point of having the house cleaning service is to free up some time on the weekend. So, yesterday John and I scouted out a route to Bothell where I will need to travel for a week's workshop soon. It's across the water, so I wanted to at least set eyes on and practice my route once as I'll be on my own that week. We used the Edmonds ferry and I managed that well enough. And, as I wanted to avoid freeways, we took the local route through town to get there. We agreed to try the freeway route on the way back and it's much easier and much quicker. I really have to stop indulging in this notion that I don't like freeways. I didn't live in California for 30 years without learning a thing or two about driving on them after all.

The weather is supposed to be dry for a few days this week, Hopefully, some sun will appear as well. The lilac bushes have budded.Today, we're going to catch up with our breakfast friends who were MIA at least week's Farm Breakfast. And I'll fit a much needed massage in the day as well. I enjoy my commute but I find that my shoulders complain about carrying a bag to and fro. And then we start over again tomorrow!

February Begins...

Is that Spring I see? It's getting light earlier and dark later. I think (hope) we are out of the snow zone with days being a little warmer (it reached 51 degrees on Wednesday last week). The trees haven't started to bud, but there's hope on the horizon. The darkest days are behind us.

Finally, I feel like I have actually started my new job. That flu virus really knocked the stuffing out of me and John has felt the effects too long as well. Still, we mustered on. He will return to California this week and I will go on my merry way each day, crossing the water to work in the big city. Actually, Seattle, as cities go, is pretty nice. Lots of people about and interesting buildings to look at. I have discovered (with help from a work mate) some of the shortcuts through buildings to navigate the hills. Escalators and elevators. To get from 1st to 2nd Avenue, the elevator in the Exchange building will take you those four floors that is the equivalent of the hill between them. Two (long) escalators in the Wells Fargo building will likewise get you from 2nd to 3rd. San Francisco has nothing on Seattle when it comes to hills.

We went to the monthly Farm Breakfast yesterday (sans our usual breakfast buddies). Once home, I interviewed and hired a house cleaning service. They will begin on Wednesday! That will free up some time on my precious weekends. Oh, there will still be laundry to do and groceries to buy. But to have the house maintained will provide some breathing room. Ahhh...

I drove in the city last week! I was assisted by a colleague who navigated us through the rainy traffic to go to Kirkland, crossing a floating bridge as well. The hospital has loaner vehicles so those of us who commute on foot can get out to one of the satellites when necessary. I won't have to do that too often, and I'm sure it will get easier as it gets more familiar. It was an adventure ala Thelma and Louise. We'll repeat it again this week as we need to go out to another satellite, this time to Bellevue.

Today is the Super Bowl; lots of ads, some beer, buffalo wings, and chips, and a little football American Style. It's the second biggest "food day" in America behind Thanksgiving. Tailgating at home. It's a tradition based on consumerism. We'll be watching and cheering on the San Francisco 49ers.

Odds and Ends: My iPad and I are getting on better these days. I have found a jigsaw puzzle app that keeps me company on the ferry, and all my Kindle books are there for me as well. It's not handy for doing real work (no MS Office capability), but it's handy for staying connected while traveling as long as I find some free Wifi. And it's quite compact for packing in a purse. So, life has changed a little and we're rolling along with that. We have refinanced our mortgage, dropping the interest rate to a fixed 2.87% and the term to 15 years. We plan to have it paid off by the time we retire. Meanwhile, working had some advantages as it allows us the cushion to travel. We booked our flights to Italy in the Fall. Once again, we will go to Il Casolare di Libbiano and are looking forward to it! Life is pretty good...