Well Christmas has come and gone and now we count down to Little Christmas, January 6th. In my house Little Christmas is when we take down the Christmas decorations. I don’t think I will make it till then; I am over Christmas and ready to put this year behind me. This has been a less than great Christmas season for me. It was the first time in many years that I was not with my family, I messed up my Jeep and the nail on my Christmas coffin was the deer I hit on my way home from work early Christmas morning. I wasn’t even driving my own car, it was barrowed…… Ho Ho Ho (ya gotta laugh)

Any way life goes on. 2009 was almost as stressful for me as 1999 (divorce). As I sit here sipping on Corona I find myself looking forward to next year; I have visions of gardens, chain saws and cutting wood, you know all that work that comes with owning a few acres of land. Corona any one?

Well yesterday was interesting.......

I got the Jeep out with the help of my farmer friend and his tractor and was headed on my way to Christansburg when I noticed that the rear end of the Jeep seemed to be pulling. It felt like one of the brakes was sticking. Well I don't mess around with bad breaks (although I did not think that was it, I thought it was something worse) so straight to the shop I went. When the guys got back from lunch up on the rack it went and worse than breaks it turned out to be ; I messed up the differential. Cha-ching

I woke up this morning to a little bit of snow...

I shoveled some of the snow off the deck .....

so the dogs could be comfortable......

Later in the day, after talking to a friend who was cruising around in his Jeep, I decided to take the Jeep out for a spin after all it is a Jeep whats a little snow?
I got stuck at the bottom of my own drive way..
no photo, too embarrassing

The day ended with sun peeking through the clouds.

Tomorrow I will call a few friends and see if they can help me get my Jeep unstuck. I'm also going to order some tire chains!!

Snowy night and it has only just begun!!

weather channel photo

Welp it looks like we have a bit of weather heading our way. it should be an interesting next few days.

On my way to church tonight I noticed that the grocery stores were very busy. I thought about it for a moment, “ah that’s right” I thought “the Christmas parade was canceled last week because of the snow and rescheduled for this week, the parade must be just getting over, no problem it will be cleared out by the time church is over”. At church I asked one of the girls if she had seen the parade today. “The parade is not until tomorrow” she said. “Hummmm” I thought. After church I went to the store to get a rotisserie chicken. A rotisserie chicken will last me just about all week, leg and thigh for two nights, chicken breast sandwich on another, soup and any number of other concoctions for the rest of the week. It’s busy this time of year so the easier the eats the better. Any way the spot that normally holds the chicken was empty and the deli was dark. I actually looked around to see if the chicken had been moved. This had never happened to me. I could always count on rotisserie chicken. “Oh well I thought I’ll go to the other store they will have it for sure.” I get to the other store and no chicken there either. I took a moment and looked around; the bread, milk and other staple were in short supply also. “I guess the stores just reduce their stock this time of year,” I thought to myself “doesn’t make sense to me but…..” I got a gallon of milk paid for it and feeling a bit disappointed got into the jeep. “Damn what am I going to do for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow, I guess I’ll just call Jims and get something to take out” “I really wanted that chicken” “bummer” I got to Jims and picked up my dinner “Were all the stores busy?” the waitress asked “Yea they were” I replied, “I thought it would be” she said ”with the ice storm we might get tomorrow” “damn” I thought “if I had know that I would have stocked up while I was at the store. I think there were a few cans of soup left”

It’s a snowy day here in the woods. The dogs and I took a walk in the snow and I shot a few photos.

The cabin from the road this snowy day

Tried my hand at adjusting a photo. The top one is the original the bottom is the doctored one

I spent Thanksgiving at the beach with my family. It was really nice to see the boys and my mom but I was so busy working on my moms “honey do” list and getting things ready for dinner (cooking it) that I never even went to see the ocean. I am one of the few folks that can take or leave the ocean especially when the weather is inclement, and I think it was kinda cloudy but I was so busy I really can’t remember. Oh well I had a good time with the family and that’s all that matters at Thanksgiving!!

Things here in the mountains are good but wet. This area had been in drought for the last 5 years but this year there has been a reprieve. To me there seems like there has been too much rain but since no water flows into Floyd County and we with wells get our water from deep wells that have to be replenished from above, and those who use gravity and spring water had seen both those sources dry up I guess we can live with a little too much water. We shall see what happens next year.

I have been working on getting things ready for winter. Since I have been home I have been cutting fire wood. I lot of what I have is too long for my stove so I have to cut about 6 inches off the end and then I split that little piece into kindling. I have had a time learning how to use my wood stove. I have only used “home made” stoves in the past and while I had access to a stove my X and I bought years ago it was too big for my space and had its exhaust connection in the back so I had to buy a new one. The only ones I could find to heat my small space (that I could afford) where the kinds with the glass in the front. It is harder for me to get a good fire going. I have learned that I have to start a small fire and then add larger pieces as the fire gets hotter. The wood box is also smaller than I would like so the fire is only good for about 6 hours, which means that unless I get up in the night I will have a cool box in the morning. I miss the home made stove I used last year that thing held a fire for 8 hours easy and longer if I used locus wood. The one I have now is pretty. I find myself watching the flames through the glass and getting very relaxed. There are advantages and disadvantages to every thing.

Today rain or not I have to get under the house and put insulation around all my water pipes. I have known I need to do this for quite a while but I have been putting it off and we have some cold weather on the way so it’s gotta get done. I am also working on the plastic that was put down in the craw space by the builder. It was a half ass job at best. He used 1mil plastic some places and 6 mil other places. I am going to put 6 mil everywhere and use duct tape to seal the seams.

No Buffalo today
The low laying clouds hide the mountain. It makes for a nice temporary change in view.

Winter garden
A hand full of fresh greens makes a nice salad.

What’s a girl to do? I am off for the next 13 days, I wonder if I can keep busy? Yea I think I can find a few things to do. Today it’s kinda dreary but who cares? It’s a good day to read and cook chili. Not cold enough for a fire but you cant have everything.

I have been awake since 4am today. I was so tired last night that I was in bed by 8pm and asleep not long after that. I tried to go back to sleep this morning but for me 8 hours sleep is a lot of sleep so that did not happen. There was a nice side to waking up so early I was able to watch the sun come over the mountain and light up the Buffalo. The sun has not shown its self in 3 days but today promises to be mild and sunny. It will be a good day to be outside but first the inside things must be done and since I have been up since 4 one would think that I should have the inside things done but to tell you the truth I have accomplished nothing. I read for an hour and then I watched a show I taped. I am sitting here writing when I should be doing laundry, working on the dry wall we put up last weekend, sweeping the floor bla bla bla……

Right now I don’t feel like doing anything and you know what after I put that load of laundry in the washer and sweep the floor and get the trash out to the jeep I’m going to just sit down on that couch and read a bid more, of course maybe I will get down to the garden and pick a little broccoli, give the dogs baths, Trip did get into that skunk last week, I need to hang the peg board in the shed. Oh the heck with it where is that book!!!

Yesterday morning I sat down at the table and made a list of what I wanted to get done. I was going to keep it at 3 things but more and more HAVE to get done things came to mind and then to paper. Of the 6 things on that list only 3 got done. I started the list again last night and today there are only 5 items on it………..

I am trying to get my precepting done as an EMT so I spent a few hours down at station 4. This is the sunset view from the parking lot

Ever since I moved into the cabin I have woke up in the morning put my feet on the floor and not stopped until it was time again for bed. Last week while I was on my way back from a, gotta get something so I can do some work on the cabin, trip to Roanoke and flipping through the radio stations looking for an adult alternative radio station, which there isn’t one!!, I came across a motivational speaker who was basically saying that god wants us to have fun and enjoy life. Well he wasn’t teaching hell and damnation or fire and brimstone so I listened. He went on to say that we should simplify our lives and slow down. This caused me to think about my own life at this time.

My #2 son just got back from the Philippines and he commented to me that he loved the way the Philippinoes on the little island he was on always smiled and seemed happy. Other than scooters/motorcycles and cell phones they really did not have much. Back in the states he noticed how no one smiled or seemed happy and were always in a hurry. Their mood just seemed much dimmer to him. He misses the Philippines.

I moved to the mountains to slow down and simplify and I’m not doing that. I am busier than ever. I get so caught up in what I am doing that I miss what is around me. I don't smile that much. Starting today I am going to take a few minutes every morning and relax, drink a cup of Joe and reflect on the day. I have just started my life here I want to enjoy it with a smile on my face. I want the neighbors to wonder “what’s she so happy about?"

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My #1 and #2 sons were up to pick up my #2 sons dog that I had been taking care of while he was in the Philippines so we spent some quality time together yesterday morning shoot’en a shot gun. When you have sons you don’t spend a lot of time playing with dolls, gotta do what the boys like and shooting a gun is kinda fun. I wont kill anything but I do like to target practice.

This was taken last night around 6pm
what a nice fall evening

Friday was my last full time shift at the place I work. I am now back to as needed and I will be working "day" shift, mostly 10am to 10pm. I am so happy to be off nights and to be back to as needed. Of course I'm working full time but I guess thats good. I had hoped to only work a day or so a week this next month but when you are PRN you take the time when you are needed. At the beach I worked as needed for 5 years and never was not needed; we will see how things fare here.

my boys

I cant believe its been two weeks since I was at the beach. I had a great time but it was good to get home. Two weeks ago I was hot the boys were surfing and it felt like summer.

One week ago fall was in the air and today has been a rain day (no photo).

I am sitting inside my sons house here on the Outer Banks, sweating (I don't like hot weather...) I had a few days off and decided to hit the beach. I am enjoying visiting my friends and my mom but I have been so busy that I have not even touched foot on the beach. I haven't seen much of my boys, the surf has been good and what do surfers and sailers choose when the choice is surf or family, not family. Today I am taking "it off" and plan on hitting the beach for a little while this evening. Tomorrow morning I am going to catch the sunrise before I hit the road back home.

I have been to a few restaurants this trip; Striper's in Manteo was good, Colington has a new place called Skeeters that was GREAT! Last night per mom’s request we went to Awful Authors, I have never been all that impressed with them, and I wasn’t last night either, but my mom likes it there so what do ya do. We will all be getting together again tonight for dinner most likely at Tortugas Lye. How do you get a bunch of surfers and sailors to meet up with you, feed them.

Addendum; Tortugas was great!!!

It’s the last day of summer, my mind was thinking that yesterday was but I was corrected so here I sit looking out my windows at the clouds rolling over the top of the Buffalo wondering where the year has gone. Fall is my favorite season. I love the change in the air, the cool crisp mornings and almost blanket needing nights. I love the way the sun reflects on the tree leaves as they change color. I have been told not to expect much in the way of fall colors, we had a wet beginning of summer followed by a very dry mid August and early September and I have been told that that leads to a less than stellar fall show but I don’t care. On the beach we had two seasons summer and winter so any change is nice to me. I will say that fall on the beach is wonderful, just in a different way.

If all goes well I will get back to the beach soon, fall and spring are the best times on the Outer Banks!!

I was not able to plant a garden this spring so I am attempting a small fall garden. I may have planted too late but what the hay. The cabbage and broccoli are doing ok’ish the collards are not, all have been eaten by bugs so I sevens dusted them. I did not want to use the dust but it was that or no hope for cabbage at all. We will see what happens. That is one thing I missed about the beach this year, the early garden, of course by July it was almost too hot so I guess its all relative.

I have come to the conclusion that I like to work I just don’t like going to work and if I had my drothers I’d rather play. I can’t believe Labor Day weekend was last weekend. Time has just flown by. Last Saturday night I was in Floyd with “old” friends meeting new friends, listening to music and having a few beers. 1 week ago today I was at another friends house and again I was meeting new friends and enjoying a pot luck dinner. The food was sooo good. Last Monday, Labor Day I had an awesome 3 course lunch and a bottle and a half of wine with a few friends; we were going to hike up the buffalo before lunch but we decided to walk around my friend’s property instead, left more time to eat. I was going to hang some drywall but after all that playing I was too tired!! Of course having that long week end off means that this week is going to be hell; on Tuesday, off Wednesday, on Thursday off Friday, and so on and so on for 10 days.

I did do a little work I got some plants in the ground a few weeks back. I planted cabbage, broccoli and collards. I may have planted them too late but what the heck we shall see!!

Well off to bed, I'm too old for night shift!

photo from
advocacy.britannica.com/.../coyote005-004.jpg

Around 10pm last night a jet flew low near the Buffalo. Within seconds yips could be heard in the distance and at that sound both my dogs sat up, the girl dog began to howl. There are coyotes around where I live. Someone I know asked me recently if I had noticed the coyotes that were watching me as I was using my weed eater. The answer to that question was no; I would not have been weed eating if I had seen them.

There is a lot of wild life up here. I moved to the country in part to experience nature so when I hear about the occasional bear, or the rattle snake, or the coyote, a hint of concern does cross my mind but I don’t stress over it. I make a lot of noise, and if possible take my dogs, when I walk in the woods. The one time I remember getting “scared” in the woods was when a deer growled at me, a deer! I always thought the scene in “the Simpson’s” of Lisa is strolling through an idyllic wood much like the first part of “Bambi” and then suddenly the deer growl at her was someone’s ideal of funny, I did not realize it was real!

Lets face it the dogs let me “feel” safe but Trip the girl dog is 8 and Zeke the boy is 7 so in the next few years I will have to get another dog. I am thinking about the Great Pyrenees, over a 100lb of guard dog, that if well disciplined and allowed to associate with others, can make a good companion. And from what I hear you can use the fur to make sweaters!! This is just a thought; I won’t even start looking for a new dog until Trip is 10 and if she stays active maybe even longer. I do like the large breeds, and I do want something that can hold its own with the local wild life but it has to be able to be acclimated to people and animals and I don’t really want a hunter. The dog will also have to be a companion. My dogs are a part of the family. So what do I want and need, a big dog that will guard the property, get along well with other animals and people, and be my buddy. I have time to look so today it is the Pyrenees, tomorrow who knows.

Pyrenees Rescue

Oy, oy, oy…. On, off, on off. I can’t take this, I’m too old. Working night shift with an on, off schedule will kill ya, literally. There have been studies that show flipping from one shift to the other is not healthy. To me on again, off again is like shift work. I worked last night but I am off tonight so I feel like I cant sleep all day and "waste" a day off so what do I do? I sleep a few hours then get up and accomplish half of what I could have accomplished on a good night sleep. I cant do this any more…… Shoot me and put me out of my misery (just kidding) but I do have to find me a different job. I'm getting too old for night shift.