Lately each morning starts with the red squirrels. Either the gray squirrels are eating elsewhere first things or they are sleeping late.
It started out clear, with a fresh dusting of snow stretched out beneath blue sky. The shadows stretch long across the pastures and today’s sun will only climb 24˚ above the horizon here at “high” noon. A 24˚ storm is coming over the western horizon, promising 15″ of snow. Temps all below freezing, hanging around 15˚F.
Jan 10th, the wet snow had coated every twig and as the day went along, cloud shadows opened and shuttered the sun in different places.
NPR, the wallpaper of my indoor life, sends me twirling in the kitchen, succumbing to the need to boogie in the living room. 15˚F outside keeps me dancing indoors and the music moves me often, thoughts of my adventure adding momentum.
Squirrel, who wants in, looking unconcernedly at M’Weec sitting below
I’m grateful that the world keeps presenting me with interesting things. After this last snow there are lots of bits of the spruce tree outside my living room lying on the snow. I’ve seen red squirrels around recently, so I blamed them and lo and behold, when I looked it up, in times of scarcity, red squirrels bite off twigs that have buds on them, then they bite out the center of the buds and discard the twig.
I’m grateful that the bank’s appraisal came in at $10,000 more than I’m paying for it. My realtor called it “instant equity.”
I’m grateful that I now have a lovely smaller covered dumpster, almost gleeful!
I’m grateful for the show in the back yard this afternoon. I tossed out a few handfuls of peanuts when I filled the bird feeder, and tossed some sunflower seeds under the spruce tree. Sure enough, many of the little twigs have buds nipped out, although some didn’t seem to have buds.
I haven’t had red squirrels around much, which is nice, they are like quarrelsome neighbors. There are two sitting out under the spruce, eating sunflower seeds and yelling at each other to beat the band. For a while they were sitting about a foot apart and while one chewed and swallowed the other went chattering on non-stop. Meanwhile the peanuts I threw out next to the garden have been greatly reduced in numbers by one diligent squirrel who has been gamely running to them, picking up one and dashing off in different directions to bury them in the snow about an inch down. If a plant grew in each location they would be scattered all across the yard, I can’t imagine that the squirrel will remember where they all are, or that others won’t loot them. After a while it started hunting around for nuts buried in the snow near where they were lying and took several to distant places. Then, a good job done and about 6 nuts left, it was time to stop and savor some left over peanuts for lunch.
I’m waiting for Nancy to call about the negotiations. I got up early, so it feels like I’ve been waiting a long time, still, it’s only 11AM there.
I’m pleased that I got the shoveling done, it wasn’t as easy as I’d hoped, because everything that had been plowed had more saturation and needed to be broken up before it could get dug out. I’d been reluctant to go out because there was a lot of gusty wind around, but fortunately the temp being around freezing, it was warm enough for me to be able to take off my coat, once I got going. Now everything is open.
There’s a big porcupine haunting my winter world although waddling as it does, makes it harder to really haunt. It’s surprising how high they will climb to grab a meal, I don’t mind it so much in the woods, but I hope it won’t start eating some of the trees near the house. This one was just passing by, going down hill. There is a crust on the snow, so getting around right now is as easy as it gets for a porcupine.
I saw a lump in one of the oak trees in the yard.They are really uncomfortable if you want to look them in the face, they insists their backside is their best side.
The morning is bright and cold and quiet. There is a wealth of seeds from the bird feeder scattered about, as it was tossed and wacked all night in the gusts, and birds and squirrels abound this morning enjoying the feast.
(Wheels within wheels, levels upon levels, turtles all the way down . . . . ) Above a suddenly quite yard, the Cooper’s Hawk spent some time overseeing the back yard. Suddenly my bird feeder had become a bait station. I reached the man who will sand the driveway, I was planning on going out today, but I didn’t want to try the gleaming ribbon of light that winds between my house and the road. I’m grateful he remembers me, and he’s grateful that I don’t need sanding until tomorrow, so I’m first, right after his coffee. Wearing my spikes, I walked down the driveway easily enough and got 2 days of mail and newspaper.
Looking forward as I am, to going out west in Feb, I am starting to wonder if the government shut-down will affect my flight. It’s put off until Feb 15thso barring weather, I hope to get there. We’ll see about getting home.
Mid Feb of course, means weather, and potential delays. I may have to make lemonade from it all, and I expect I will get to practice my calming techniques.
I’m grateful that the Air B&B people agreed to return my month’s rent if they get someone else in. Anyone want a B&B in Oregon City for April?
I paid a month’s rent when I thought I’d need a base to house hunt from. I did know I might get caught, but they seem like good folks, so I think they’ll treat me fairly.
Gratitudes abound
There was no standing water in the basement, the furnace didn’t get flooded and all the wood was stacked up on risers.
I’m glad I found out the tops on the dumpster had blown open last night before more than the 4” of water already collected, was increased.
I’m glad the gray squirrel is as annoyed by the constantly yacking and yelling a red one this morning. Not that I’m happy that the gray is annoyed, but after a few gray chases, we both have a bit of peace, although I’m sure the red one will be back soon. Red squirrels are as much an aural experience as anything and . . . I’m so happy I don’t have that sort of temperament!
Not only was I embarrassed about falling on the Post Office steps, but this elderly gentleman tried to help me up and ended up hurting his back. When it was clear that I had a major injury to my hip, we agreed I should just stay quiet until the ambulance came. Once I got to the ER, the x-rays showed an uncomplicated fracture and they arranged for surgery this morning. They gave me meds through the night, which was a long one and made me itch all night, I hardly slept.
Hospitals scare me. if I get a hospital acquired infection I might be hospitalized weeks longer and since they will be doing surgery on my hip (ie bones,) if an infection gets in there, I’m done. Forming a pulmonary clot is also a big risk for this sort of injury. I know too much.
So now I thirsty and I can’t eat or drink anything. I’ve been awake on and off all night, my hip hurts. I had to call Mo because he was supposed to meet me to clear out the garage. I’m going to be in the hospital for a while and the closing for my new house was next Mon which I won’t get to and I may even need to go to rehab. Looks like my trip to Oregon in 2 weeks is off too. Realistically there’s no way I’ll be mobile enough to get my house ready to sell and pack it all up to move by April.
All of the above is my lemonade factory. All of that unreal scenario would be true if I had actually fallen, leaving me sitting in a hospital bed in pain, wishing I hadn’t slipped and fallen and thinking how easily one’s life can radically change in an instant. But! Instead, I’m sitting at home in front of the fire, Mo came by to take away some more stuff to the transfer station and I’m finalizing my decisions on how I want my new house painted. I often fail to appreciate the enormity of some of the disasters I have narrowly missed and the gratitudes I never think to have.
Also, I’m grateful for a lowered total of expected snow tonight
and that Mo took some more stuff to the transfer station.
That I have picked out the colors for my house and will probably get it painted when I’m visiting, before there’s any furniture.
And I’m realizing that I have some wonderful things for my new house that have stayed packed or have not had the pride of place they deserve in the general chaos of my house.
