Gray Day

Rain is predicted-I am fine with that.  Black Bing Cherry Tea is in the cup after two cups of java-my limit. I got my fence built. If anyone wants to get in anyplace they are going to do it but at least the fence will cost them some effort and leave evidence. The oasis is turning golden with accents of red-soon the leaves will be falling in the irrigation canal, creating a May chore. At 10:00 a.m. it is still 40 degrees- a little cool-ish for me to be out and about. Buddy is my soul-mate in this. He runs out, takes care of business, gives some fierce barks in every direction and heads for the house.  Honey is in her element.  She is an outdoor girl.

I have stayed a little too long for my neighbors. Harlan came down and confessed to the use of my root cellar. He is about to get carrots and potatoes so he needs a place to store them. I suspect my tiller is up at his house too. I didn't pitch a fit as things are tenuous enough and after all, I am gone part of the year. He has big money but is so cheap he infuriates me. He was bragging how they go to the Casino on Tuesdays and between him and his wife, they cash in their  free lunch tickets and get the open face prime rib sandwich to go  for 50 cents and take it home and split it. Of course they drive the Cadillac down there. I am sure he gets a stiffie when he does it. No room in my life for cheapskates

I have made a lot of progress but I have to admit the place is not ready for prime time. I will continue until I leave and look forward to doing more next summer.   I have survived and thrived here and see no reason not to continue until my battery runs down.  

What big Eyes!

Sent "his and her" yellow- Lab shirts for Jason and Lori's anniversary-celebrating their family. They  got there a little late -2 weeks but they will have some fun. They amuse ME. anyway.  I can see they are hanging around my house while the remodeling goes on. It is a comfortable, nice house. I am sure they are enjoying it.

We got RAIN today. The first legitimate rain with drops on my metal roof since I have been here. It was most welcome and it seemed a good day to put the swamp cooler to bed for the year. That is dang near all I accomplished-stayed warm, napped, read, played Word, did a little cleaning and cooked for us.

Yesterday was almost a bust too-though I did clean and putz around between football games-both my teams lost- but there was some good football. Then came the incomprehensible Emmy Awards. They succeeded in speeding it up but it was like a high school awards banquet. Didn't finish it. Without cable in either residence, I had little frame of reference.

Lazy Fall Day

 

 

Slept until 10:00-it was delicious but not  unexpected when one reads until 2:00. Guy came with his big pickup, after getting his horses shod and raking his hayfield and we loaded bag after bag of garbage and took them to the dump yesterday, bless him. Things are starting to look manageable.  There will be more but the van should serve for that.  Celebration for a big load off.

Caught this bird with a 35X zoom which is trickier than you might think. At that magnification, even your pulse causes wobble. It was either a juvenile bald eagle of which we have several or a big old hawk. Buddy keeps his eyes peeled for these predators.  The coyotes are howling in the various fields around here. The dogs work very hard from suppertime until I make them come in usually 9:30 or 10:30. Even Honey is ready for a rest.

It was close to 30 degrees morning before last-now we should really get some color. The days warm up nicely but do not seem hot  Gives you that nice fall feeling.

Fall is in the air

Chilly mornings have required space heaters, we are getting some color in the leaves, the plants are hardening off, homegrown tomatoes are ripe. It is feeling definitely like fall and  I love it.  The doggies are frisky and fuzzy. As the time for going south gets nearer I find myself trying to imprint the mountains on my soul and rushing a little to get time with my friends.The smoke continues and this time I can see the flames in the mountains. Ash is settling in the yard.  I am tired of that.

 As I am a gestalt-ish person, the preps to go and the buttoning up are ongoing in 12 different directions . I have decided to build a short fence to discourage visitors. Guy is going to help me haul my trash bags to the dump.  Guy and Janet had their annual pancake breakfast-Janet's sourdough pancake starter is more than 20 years old and makes great pancakes. Mrs. Gillette brought wild currant syrup and Janet's mom made old-fashioned syrup. Very nice people to be with.  They had a date to go help at a cattle gathering  near Midwest, WY so I fed their doggies and kitties Friday-Sunday.. My dogs wanted so badly to get acquainted with their kitties.

The trips to Fort Washakie were semi-productive. Nothing to sign yet. I have done all I can do in conscience and whatever will be will be. (Cue up Doris Day)

Denis and Ida brought me wild salmon and monkfish from Denis's Sitka fishing trip as a birthday present.  The salmon was broiled with butter and lemon pepper and was delectable- baked potato and Janet's homegrown tomatoes. Living high on occasion.

Jason called this evening. They are undertaking a massive remodel at their house. He told me I could dawdle awhile longer as they might well be spending some time at my house. It took a little pressure off because I was workng toward a deadline about a week away. I am happy here and I am happy there- so very lucky, am I.    

Matt is busy canning and preserving-he discovered drying habanera peppers is equivalent to spraying bear spray in the house. He is really into the urban gardening thing (and the eating well, thing)

I watched the whole Ring of the Nibelung on PBS. It was amazing in parts-kind of an endurance test in others. I had heard so much over the years about this music and how it inspired Hitler's Germany. It struck me that it could as easily been read as anti-authoritarian as well. Perhaps seditious. Glad  I got this 12 hour opportunity.  Have been reading the Hunger Games trilogy. PBS's Wallendar mysteries with Kenneth Branagh is good though my reading of the books renders a better Kurt Wallendar.

Still Learning

The dogs learned about skunks last night.  I learned about leaving on the air part of the swamp cooler overnight-damn cold in the morning. It seemed like a good idea at the time because the dogs were pretty fragrant. But things are manageable today. I will head up to Fort Washakie today. The road  is being constructed. As usual the Feglers are grasping and conniving. I hope to put an end to that. To add insult to injury I discovered that while I was on extended leave for my illness, they sneaked in and made improvements to my root cellar, in anticipation of my croaking and gaining the spoils.  There is no end to them. At the Fort I will make sure they know that the end slice of land is mine. They are attempting to get the tribes to put in a closed irrigation pipe that will circumvent my property and the trees.

Otherwise, I been making progress and squeezing in some fun. Delores threw a birthday party for husband Don (76)and me(69) . Sat in the garage and had a nice picnic.  Denis and Ida came up and we all had a good visit. Doggies got along. We had a good laugh at ourselves-it is not as if we are getting to be old-Ida had fallen off a ladder washing windows and was stove up. Don was tethered to his oxygen concentrator. As we were passing around his oximeter to measure oxygen levels and pulses- Denis and Ida's pulses were quite high-100 plus. We had to laugh- this is the entertainment for the older set!  Don's color was not good and he disappeared for awhile. He came back and announced he had a good dump!   He was looking better. Of course we have lots to talk about and do just that. Lots of history and changes. We do laugh.

Rich and Val went to Thermopolis to swim and over to Riverton to meet me at the Casino for lunch on Labor Day. It was a very pleasant visit. Valerie did well on the slots-I couldn't make mine work. Then she played Craps and won, then we all took a lesson on how to play Roulette.  Very agreeable time and I was so glad to see them.