I am sitting here with an upset belly and the chills. I am curled up on the couch under blankets with a small fire in the wood stove, watching movies and drinking hot tea. A friend sent her husband by with chicken noodle soup which was quite good. It has taken this stomach “flu” to slow me down. Spring has been a blur. Taking care of 4 ½ acres doesn’t seem that big a deal until you start. It is work that I love. Cutting grass on hillsides with a weed eater, building steps to the garden and to secret spots in the woods, building raised beds to garden in and having friends over to build a deck. Spring is wonderful here.

we went from this

to this....

I have GREAT friends!!

Every night on my way home from work I expect to run the deer gauntlet, I don’t expect to experience a Monty Python and the Holy Grail rabbit scene. (I warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it?) On my way home tonight every rabbit on the 40 miles of road I traveled played chicken with me. Those bunnies better stay off the road are they won’t be around to say Happy Easter. I did not hit any of them; no thanks to them!!

first day of spring

I had fully intended to blog on Saturday, it was the first day of spring and all but it was beautiful day and I kinda hung outside. As I am writing this now it is “snowing” well more like “flurrying”. When I look up at the Buffalo I can tell that is it is much colder there than here; the trees have a white coating of snow or ice on them. What a difference from just yesterday when it was cloudy but much warmer. Spring is a turbulent time. In just the past week we have had 60 degrees and sun, torrential rain and now cold with snow.

I have been working on the cabinets I had been talking about. I want to get a coat of stain on them this morning. I have never made cabinets before, I’m glad these were to have a “rustic” look because they do look “rustic”. I have mad 3 3foot cabinets so far. I get a little better at making them as I go along so if you take a good look you can tell that each new cabinet looks better than the last. I have 1 more small cabinet and 1 pantry cabinet left to make. I am saving the pantry for last; I want it to be really good. When the cabinets and book shelves are done I can bring the stuff in boxes down from the loft and finish the loft.

I need to be getting the garden in shape. With the weather being so nice I have wanted to plant but I knew better; at the beach you can plant around tax time here you don’t plant till after May 15^th. With the nice weather we had the past week or so I was itching to plant but today is reminding me that this is not the time for me to plant. Ahhh spring.

Spring is in the air and calf's are everywhere.

Everywhere I went today I saw these small guys next to their moms or frolicking in the fields. I fully expect a shoe to drop and there to be at least a few more cold days but for now I am enjoying the warm (upper 40's) weather.

It has been quite a while since I last posted on the blog but I have been busy. We have had quiet a winter up here in the mountains, lots of snow and now…. rain. I have been cleaning up from this year weather and getting ready for next. On good days I have been getting wood ready to split so I can be warm next year. I have been cutting paths in to the hill side so that it is easier to get to the wood. Like they say, wood warms you more than once. I spend every bit of time I can out side, this year there aint been much out side time. 4 ½ acres doesn’t seem like that much but it keeps me busy. There is always something that needs to be done; First thing this morning I was down clearing debris from where the little stream I have running through my property crosses a fence; this area backs up when we get a lot of rain. I also have a bunch of wood along the drive way that I need to get down to the wood pile. I roll the logs down the hill to the driveway where I put them in my trailer and take them to the wood pile. These logs are about 18 inches long and vary in width, a few have over shot the drive way and landed near the barn. When the weather gets better I am going to finish wiring the shed, plank the deck, spread a load of gravel, plant grass, you get the point, there’s a lot to do.

Of course the weather has been very stingy with good out door days so this past while I have also been doing stuff inside. Right now I am working on cabinets and book shelves. I keep putzn along with the loft, there is a bed up there but the floor is still plywood and I need to paint the drywall and then finish the trim.

Now it hasn’t all been work I did have a dinner party that was GREAT! I love having friends over. I am also reading a series of books by Terry Goodkind, he’s not Terry Brooks or Tolkien but I have been enjoying the books. I’m on the 8^th one now. For a little change of pace and to help my mom for a few days, I took a quick trip to the beach; the weather wasn’t that great but it was nice to see mom and the boys.

Well I’m off to bed, tomorrow I have to sand and stain the cabinets and start on the cabinet doors. I also have to clean every single dog blanket and floor covering; dogs, rain and red mud a mess do make!!!

I tried to catch some of the sparkle but I was not very successful

As we grow up many of us hear stories that deal with magic. Cinderella, Snow White, The Wizard of Oz and Shrek are just a few of those stories. We hear about magical places where the air is full of sparkling wonder. Humans have been telling stories of magic for most likely all of human time and this year I am realizing that the wonders that nature provides us are the basis for the magical wonders authors of the stories of magic weave for us.

This winter I have seen ice crystals float in the air on a clear sunny day sparkling as I walked through them. I have seen snow reflecting the color of the rainbow in the path of my Jeeps head lights. The other day I saw fields sparkle in the sun. It looked like someone sprinkled clear glitter over the fields.

The magic of nature is wonderful. It makes my soul feel happy and sometimes sad. Happy in the beauty and sad at the struggle all the parts, animal, vegetable an mineral must go though to survive.

Yesterday I was listneing to the Weather Channel and it seems that things aren't going too well in Vancouver Canada, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics; they are havening to truck in snow. Us here in southwestern Virginia on the other hand are in for 3-5 inches of snow and ice. On my way home from work last night I bought wheat & rye flour and will be spending the day baking bread because I don't think I will be getting out today!!!

I thought I would give this a try. Here are the dogs this morning in the snow.

It has been a nice day today. We had around 8-10 inches of snow last night and into today and I am loving it.
The dogs and I spent some time outside walking around the property, just taking in the view.
I shoveled the deck, twice so that Zeke would have a nice place to rest while I removed the snow from the Jeep.

I spent a good deal of the morning on the phone and plan on spending the rest of the afternoon and evening reading as I stay warm by the wood stove.
Stay warm all!!!

Sunday we had some big time rain by Monday all the snow we had gotten last December was finally gone and temperatures were in the 50’s. Today we have snow flurries with temperatures in the 30’s. The saying back at the beach was if you did not like the weather wait a minute and it will change, this saying seems to be the case around here for now. To be honest the snow flurries are very pretty, the snow is coming from the west and the sun is shinning in the east so the snow seems to be glowing. Tried to get a photo of this but it did not turn out. I want a better camera but its way down on the want/need list for now.

I have some happy kinfolk down in the Big Easy, the Saints are on there way to the Super Bowl. The family in PA are a bit disappointed they had hopes for the Eagles but we know how that went......

Just a taste of winter

and the view it gives me

The weather was so nice last weekend that it gave those who were looking for it a false hope for an early spring. Yesterday dashed those hopes. We got another taste of winter; we got a bit of an ice storm. I had to work yesterday and as luck would have it we were very slow and I was able to go home early which was a good thing because it took me more than 2 hours to get home, 45mins of that was spent going the last 3 ½ miles. A friend of mine had attempted to call me on my cell but I did not turn it on so I missed the message about not trying to get home. To be honest the major roads were fine up until I reached Dugspur that’s when the ice on the road began to become more obvious. By the time I got to Willis it was bad. The ride home became a white knuckle 4 wheel drive night time adventure that I don’t care to have again.

One thing good about this weather is that the ground is frozen so the dogs aren’t bringing in mud, annnnnd I cant roll logs down the hill annnnnd its too cold to work in the shed soooo I get to spent the day reading and not feeling guilty about it!!!!!

I got a birthday card from my #2 son yesterday. The card he sent me at Christmas came 2 week’s after he sent it, not through any fault of the US post office mind you; my son addressed it to “mom” and then put the wrong address on it. The post master looked at the address and noted that it was a non existent address then looked at the return address, noted where it came from, could think of only one person that was from that area, knew she was out of town for the winter so he sent the card to that persons daughter. The daughter called me and said she thought she had a card that belonged to me. This could only have happened in a small community.

The card I got yesterday was still addressed to “Mom” but it had the correct address this time.

We are having a bit of a January thaw here in Floyd County VA. I spent much of the morning and early afternoon cleaning the shed and rolling logs down my back hill. I had DZ tree removal come over and cut a bunch of trees that were either on the ground or about to be on the ground into fire wood size pieces that I then rolled down the hill (I will be rolling the wood for quiet a few days but it is the only way to get it down). I will then split them so that I will have fire wood for next year. It’s a lot of work but I can’t see buying a lot of wood when I have my own trees that need to be taken care of. I think when you factor in paying to cut the logs then rolling them down the hill, then splitting and stacking the wood it would have been more cost effective to have just paid for firewood but the trees are good fire wood and it would be a waste not to use them so I don’t mind burning a few calories.

After all that work I spent a little time on the deck enjoying the sun, a magazine and a glass of lemonade. Ahh feels like spring.

The weather around here has been shall we say.. nippy, but today at least the sun was out . I can take the cold but the lack of sun is a true downer for me. Any way it has been too cold to spend any unnecessary time out side and I have a touch of cabin fever at least this year it’s in a real cabin. Well as I am sitting around in what should be the cleanest house on the block, its not I hate house work, I have been thinking of gardening. I know, I know, there is dry wall that needs to be finished and then trim that needs to be put up along with a wall of cabinets that needs to be started, I mean I have tons of things that need to be done inside and I should not even be thinking of gardening but I am; sooo today I made a kitchen composting box. I don’t know how well it will work but what the heck I’m gonna give it a try.

I took a spair storage container

Put a bunch of holes in it...
added some paper (brown stuff)
and some kitchen waste

and in a few months I shall see what I get....

to be continued..........

It’s another day in paradise with cold temps, no sun and a good chance of snow but although it is cold it is warmer than it has been sooo if this warm up continues and we get the mid January thaw that seems to come every year I will be really happy. I am ready for the thaw. I am hoping for a little sun and a chance to get out side. I am in need of a little fresh air and I want to try out the electric chain saw I recently ordered. I am looking forward to putting it to the test. A friend loaned me his electric saw and it was so easy to use that I ordered one for myself. Burning wood is a great way to heat the house but it is a hard work and I am hoping this will make it a little easier. I know I will need a gas saw but this will help with the stuff that is already cut and just too big for my stove. Its relativity quiet, light and easy to use, the only draw back is that it has an extension cord.

Wild turkeys

I came across these guys on my way home from a drive today.

Last year was a… shall we say stressful year for me. I am glad it is behind me and I look forward to a good 2010. The past few days have been good. I have spent them in the company of friends enjoying food, drink, great conversation and movies. The new year is opening burr.. cold but the sun is shinning the wind has let down a bit and a walk this afternoon is not out of the question. Happy New Year, let’s all make it a positive one.

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