Lucky Me

Boy, I was counting my lucky stars yesterday.  Sometimes a messed-up plan turns out for the best.  If Tree Guy hadn't had trouble with his ropes on Monday, I would have gone down to Cameron Park.  If I hadn't been so tired after hiking the hills on Tuesday, I would have driven to P'ville for groceries.  I knew Truck's check-engine light had come on, but the gauges showed nothing.  Even though I wasn't too worried, I did make an appointment at the shop for Wednesday, yesterday  No fallen trees blocked the way on Omo and the only obstacles were the dadratted potholes.  Jane would give me a ride home, so I said goodbye to Truck and left him in Scott's capable hands.

A good portion of the day was spent watching the Cohen testimony.  Regardless of political position, it was history in the making.  I was a kid back in the 1950s.  We had a black-and-white TV with maybe an 11-inch screen.  I wanted to build a box kite and needed my mother's help, but she was glued to the television and the McCarthy hearings and she waved me away.  I got the kite built and crashed it on its first flight.  (Last time I ever dealt with a box kite.)  I didn't understand her fascination with a bunch of men sitting around in a room mostly yelling at each other.  Now I do.

When I could tear myself away, I turned up the volume and went into the kitchen to make a big batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies for Beau and the kids.  The rule is:  if you break a cooky, it goes to the baker.  Let's just say I got my share.  By accident, of course.

Jane called in the early afternoon to say Truck was ready to go and she'd come pick me up. Wasn't I glad to have Pause and DVR?  Back at the shop, she explained that Truck's water pump had failed and he had needed new hoses, etc.  She said he'd been leaking water, but with all the rain, who could tell.  If I'd driven to Cameron Park or even P'ville, I could have been stranded in the hinterlands alone and in real trouble.  Talk about lucky!

Beau came by later without the kids.  He'd been on another job and stopped here on his way home.  By himself, he stacked the porch rack to the top and even left a full wagon of wood, too.  Man, I'm set for the duration!  I gave him a cold beer for his work and sent him home with a big bag of cookies.  Aren't I the fortunate one?

Funny how things work out.  Even the wind and rain died down.  It was a good day.  It's been a good week.

Cry Uncle

I can handle days of rain.  I can deal with snow on the ground.  Most of what Nature throws this way does not  upset my equanimity.  I'm not ashamed to say, however, that the wind scares me silly.  Like a flood, there's nothing to be done to stop it and the results can be devastating.

It was a pretty gentle rain on Monday.  Yesterday wasn't too bad for most of the day.  I brought more wood to the porch and, believe it or not, I finally took down the Christmas tree.  It felt like  there were as many branches to take apart as there were on the ground in the pen (but I am prone to exaggeration).  It makes me sad to see the change in my skyline with the loss of the vulture tree.

Just about sundown (I'm guessing because there had been no sun all day) the wind hit like a freight train.  The forecasters had said to expect a pretty good storm, but that it should slacken sometime after dark.  They were overly optimistic.  Furniture on the deck has been moved from here to there and continues to bang against the rail.  Even with the comfort of Bess, Ralph, and Celeste, it was hard to get to sleep last night because I kept listening for falling trees.  The tarp on the woodpile is weighted down with heavy logs.  I just hope I don't find it in the next county this morning.  Like it or not, Truck has to go to the shop today.  I'm not looking forward to driving on Omo Ranch Road; it's infamous for downed trees.

I am shocked, but most grateful to still have power.  I made sure yesterday to charge all things battery powered just in case.  If we keep electricity, I'm going to bake cookies today.  Beau called in the afternoon and said when weather permits, he and the kids will restock the porch rack, and I'd like to repay their kindness with something tangible.

Enough already, Nature.  I'm crying uncle.  Please quit with the wind.

Change Of Plans

It pays to be flexible.  I thought I had this week pretty well lined out, silly me.  Monday:  doctor's appointment.  Tuesday:  Tree Guy.  Wednesday:  take Truck in for servicing.  Thursday:  collapse.  Sounded like a plan to me.

Tree Guy called yesterday morning around 7 while I was still at the computer and the sun wasn't fully up yet.  "Hey, we're due for rain tomorrow, my driveway isn't packed with snow, and I've got time to take down that tree today."  I explained that I did have an appointment down in Cameron Park at noon.  "No problem.  I'll be there in an hour."  Alrighty then.  I threw on some clothes and did a quick swipe in the kitchen.  TG and his coworker, Tom, arrived right on time.  The first order of the day was to get the goats locked into the big pen and out of danger.  Normally the girls follow me wherever I go.  Not yesterday.  They had coordinated coming into season and only had eyes for each other.  "I thought you said they were both females," said TG.  "They are," and let the guys figure it out for themselves.  "Oh."

After some finagling, the goofy goats were safe and the men set to work.  The tree was a lot bigger than TG had thought when he first assessed it and the root system that had pulled out of the ground was a problem.  They dug out the hole even farther to make room.  "Do you have an axe so we can chop some of these roots?"  I went back up to the feed barn.  "Do you have a hammer and maybe a crowbar?"  Back up the hill again.  Chain saws roared and limbs dropped.  Then it was time to get out the ropes and pull the main trunk off the barn roof.  You know how it goes.  If a thing can go wrong, it probably will.  Because his truck couldn't get through the gate, his ropes were well over 100 feet long.  The truck strained, the ropes pulled taught, and then with a sound like a gun blast, the ropes snapped, the tree dropped again, and the ropes snaked forward like a slingshot.  Yeesh!  Nobody was hurt; however, I went in and cancelled my appointment just in case I was needed to take somebody to the hospital.

The skies turned dark and an icy wind sprang up.  A second try with another rope was made.  Blam!  This rope snapped too, this time flying backward.  Okay, I couldn't watch this anymore.  Back up the hill to the house.  I wasn't there all that long before I couldn't stand it and went out again.  The guys had formulated a better plan of attack, climbing up on the roof to remove more of the weight and had set up a better system using more ropes and utilizing a telephone pole as an anchor.  Finally, the tree came upright where the trunk could be felled, falling forward into the pen.  Whew and hip, hip, hooray!  Taking my tools back to the feed barn and helping organize TG's stuff while they finished up made for a couple more trips on the hill.  I wasn't the one doing the work, but I was tired.  "Coffee, anyone?"  "Oh, yes, please."  Back up to the house.

Stove had cooperated and even the kitchen was warm when the guys came in.  Cups of fresh hot coffee helped.  TG said they'd come back when the weather allowed and we agreed that he'd do that work for an even share of the firewood.  The rain hit about an hour after they left.

The goats had been let back into the smaller pen where they now had branches to chew on, rub against, and stumps to jump on.  After logging a mile and a half, mostly uphill, I moved Thursday's plan ahead and just collapsed.  It was a good day.

Wasted Day

("Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," Freddy Fender song, 1993)

Looking back on yesterday, I see that I didn't accomplish one darned thing after barn chores.  Missy put in a welcome appearance.  I do get such a kick out of that teeny tiny cat.

NASCAR took most of the daylight hours.  It was a good race for Bowyer, who finished in the top ten.  After that I checked the TV guide for programs I'd recorded and was shocked to find that there were only nine hours left out of 250!  I have a tendency to stockpile in advance, but hadn't realized that there were so many.  There was nothing for it but to sit there and watch one after another so they could be deleted.  The cats were happy to have an all-day lap.  Serial programs like "Madam Secretary, "Chicago PD," and "Blue Bloods" are saved so I can watch back-to-back episodes and not lose the story line.  Beloved old movies are there to enjoy again when there's a dearth of anything good.  It was somewhat prophetic to watch "The Rains Came" (1939, Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, George Brent), as we're due for rain today and most of the rest of the week.  I don't know how many, many times I've seen that film.  At any rate, I cleared a lot of space so I can start over.  Maybe I can count that as an accomplishment.

Not much will get done today, either, as there will be another trip to Cameron Park to see the oncologist.  I asked for an earlier appointment just in case he springs another phlebotomy on me.  I'd rather stay home and watch old movies.

Questions

Why is it when you know darned well that you've finished your cup of coffee that you still pick up the cup one more time to see if there isn't just one more sip?  I do that every morning.

Where does Missy go when she's not here?  Wherever she hangs out, I know they're not feeding her because her bowl is always emptied, whether I see her or not.  She met me on the path yesterday and led me back to her room, showing me where to put her food and asking for a quick rub-up.  Her loud purr is all the thanks I need.

How is it that the sound of a loved one's voice can warm you more than Stove ever could?  Let's just say that I was particularly warm yesterday.

What is it with an animal's sense of timing?  Both cats will get on my lap just before Bessie wants back in from an outing and I have to get up to let her back in.  Boy, the looks I get when they're displaced.

When it's winter, why do we long for sunshine, knowing full well that when summer comes we'll wish for a rainy day?

My coffee cup is empty.  I know because I just checked...again.

Twinkle Twinkle

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star.  How I wonder what you are.  Up above the world so high.  Like a diamond in the sky."  (English lullaby, 1806)

There are benefits to getting up in the dark 'o morn.  One is getting a potential preview of what might be the weather for the day.  Nature does love her little tricks and might pull a switcheroo later on, "Ha ha, gotcha!," but a crystal-clear night sky like this morning is pure pleasure.  The half moon gave Bess enough light to see her way, and the stars did, in fact, twinkle like diamonds.  No wind howled and there was not a cloud to be seen.  Neither Bessie nor I stayed out long as the temperature is in the 20s, but it sure was pretty.

I got in the habit of rising early when I was working.  The morning hours were "my" time; the rest of the day belonged to my employer.  I haven't set the alarm clock in years.  I still consider the morning my time and write the blog, play solitaire, and check headlines and FB.  The computer doesn't get turned back on the rest of the day, except for the one day a month to pay bills.

There is just enough light now to see the outline of the hills to the east, behind which the sun will rise.  The stars are fading fast.  My coffee cup is empty and "my" time is just about over.  Bring it on, whatever "it" might be today.

Blue Skies

("Blue Skies" Irving Berlin, 1926)

I almost felt like Punxsutawney (type that three times fast) Phil yesterday when the sun came out and stayed out and I could see my shadow for the first time in days.  "Blue skies smilin' at me.  Nothin' but blue skies do I see" was definitely the song of the day.  Whatever brief clearing there might been during the week was quickly forgotten when the cloud cover came back.

The goats seemed as pleased as I not to be slogging through ice, snow, or mud.  Sheila was particularly needy, pressed to my side as we walked and demanding a longer than usual head rub at the gate.  Tessie was more interested in grabbing mouthfuls of the fast-growing green grass, finally bare.  A portion of the chicken pen was still in shade but clear of snow so I put their food down in a bright sunny spot.  How do those skinny, bony chicken feet survive in snow without freezing?

I spoke with Arden, asking if she'd like to come over today, but she is suffering with a bad cold and, inhospitable as it was, I rescinded my invitation.  There are some things that shouldn't be shared.

When I was reasonably sure the roads wouldn't be icy, I made a much-needed trip to the post office.  The timing had to be just right.  Our little rural, one person P.O. closes for lunch from one to two and is not open on weekends.  Between running out of stamps and the weather conditions of late, I hadn't been able to send birthday cards to Dave or Clay and wanted to get them in the mail.  I hope they like the Scooby-Doo stamps I selected.

As long as I was out of the house (and didn't that feel grand?) traveling up to Holiday was most pleasant.  The sunshine had the same effect on everyone in the store and smiles were everywhere.  Any cars on the road, mine included, were swerving here and there like drunks, avoiding the inevitable potholes we get after rain.  South County gets the hindmost when it comes to road repair, and some of those holes are big enough for a small child to hide in.

The sky is clear this morning and I intend to enjoy it.  Another week of rain is predicted and then it will be me who is blue.

It was a good day.

Snack Time

Popcorn, anyone?  Google tells me there are fifty words to describe snow, and I find that reasonable.  Big, light, fluffy flakes that float down; small hard pellets that hurt when they hit, that miserable wet stuff that aims for the back of your neck; and then there is this that for lack of a better term I call popcorn snow.

Overcast and cold for most of the day, Stove had chomped his way through almost all of the wood on the porch and I figured I'd best restock before I ran out completely.  I'd planned on my usual three wagon loads, but I'd no more than filled this first one when all of a sudden I was in the middle of a blizzard.  Okay, that's an exaggeration, but that's what it felt like.  Popcorn snow bounces when it hits, just like its namesake in a pan, and it doesn't melt.  One load would have to do, and Bessie and I headed into the house.

In the time it took to walk from the front door to the dining room, there was this much white stuff on the deck and it was still coming down big time.  Then, as suddenly as it began, Nature flipped the switch and it stopped and the sun came out, leaving me to ask "What the heck was that all about?"

Very shortly thereafter, Beau drove up and he and his four kids piled out.  They went to work like a drill team and completely filled the porch rack and Beau split kindling.  Talk about an act of kindness.  I get such a kick of of the youngest.  She chatters continually like a little bird and sometimes I have difficulty understanding her words (she's four) and I have to ask her to repeat something garbled.  "You don't hear so very good, do you?"  "No, honey, I guess I don't."  I'll bet it didn't take that young crew fifteen minutes to do what would have taken me the better part of an hour.  I tried to slip Beau a couple of bucks for the kids.  "Nope.  It's all about karma."  After hugs all around (I love hugs), they got back into the car and drove away, leaving me with wood to warm my outside and a very warm heart on the inside.

Tree Guy had called in the morning.  He had another job nearby and stopped here to assess his approach to the tree on the barn.  What seemed to me as a potential disaster didn't faze him at all.  Hey, he's the professional.  Walking back to his truck, he looked at the broken limbs under the tree by the driveway where the vultures sit.  Those huge branches have been sitting there for well over a year, maybe two.  TG seemed almost embarrassed when he asked if he could cut a few rounds to take home.  Like the mechanic who doesn't get around to fixing his own car, Tree Guy had run out of firewood at home.  "Please take what you need."  As Beau said...karma.

It's 26 degrees this morning.  The popcorn is frozen solid and Bess did a slip-and-slide on the deck and, trust me, she didn't stay outside long.

Abandoned

No one has run away and left me all alone, but the cats have abandoned my lap and moved to a warmer climate.  Oh well.  I'm sure that Stove appreciates being needed.  Even though the sun shone most of the day(!) and melted most of the snow, the temperature didn't rise much and Stove was working full time, day and night.

The path from the feed barrels to the chicken pen was in shade and still iced over and it was tricky going.  Even though they're still antisocial, I know the chickens were happy to get their breakfast.  The trail in the goat pen had switched from snow to mud and I had to watch my step there, too.  Both of the girls were lying down and basking in the sunshine.  Sheila seemed happy to see me and demanded a good head rub when I'd finished filling Missy's bowl.  The girls have been huddled in the barn during the worst of the weather and I didn't blame them.  Goats aren't necessarily affectionate pets, but it's very nice when they ask to be petted and Sheila will put her face up to share a huff of breath.  Tessie has always been more aloof.  To each her own.

Bess and my big adventure for the day was taking the trash down to the big road.  It could have been worse.  The dirt road was clear of snow, but was muddy and getting rutted.  We made it without incident.  There is one place on my steep driveway that remains shaded and still had a coating of snow, but I got a good run at it on the way back and it wasn't necessary to throw Truck into four-wheel drive.  Bess enjoyed Truck's heater.

I'm glad I got a look at the full moon rising the night before, because last night was the Super Snow Moon and rose nearly hidden behind a shroud of clouds.  I'm sure it was spectacular.

I can hear the wind howling outside and it's just light enough to see a heavily overcast sky.  Stove is well fed and cranked up.  Ralph and Celeste usually come back to the bedroom when I'm at the computer, but not this morning.  Abandoned again.  Sigh.

Another Turn

The carousel made another turn...same view yesterday as the day before and just about at the same time.  Nobody asked me, but I prefer this one.  Sunshine does a lot to lift the spirits.  (Remind me I said this during the endless days of summer.)  That early evening whiteout had filled in any gaps that might have melted and then the temperature plummeted so there was a pretty thick coating of ice on top of the snow, making for slow going while feeding the livestock.  I didn't see Missy in the barn, but her bowl was empty so I know she's been around.

Ralph has taken up a new career as a baker, something he has not done before.  Celeste jumps up on my lap and settles down for a nap.  Ralph is usually off doing Ralph things, but lately he's been joining his sister, but not to sleep.  He makes muffins on my arm, my leg...wherever Celeste has left space.  Pum pum pum, that rhythmic kneading motion that cats do.  It seems to make him happy and since he's very gentle with his claws I don't mind.  I wonder if his muffins are flavored with catnip.

The porch rack was down to the last few pieces of firewood and needed restocking.  Enough snow had melted off the driveway that I thought I could use the wagon instead of the sled.  Yeah, well.  The woodpile is under the shelter of a big live oak where the snow was still thick.  By the time I'd managed to bring three loads up to the house, the wheels on the wagon were twice their size with collected white stuff.  That's okay, I'm only good for three loads anyway.  Stove has had a full time job.  It's all of 26 this morning and I'm not sure we ever got above the 30s yesterday.  Brrr.  More snow is predicted for tomorrow.  Looks like we're in for another spin on the merry-go-round.

Merry-Go-Round

We seem to be on a winter carousel, seeing the same scenes on every turn and getting nowhere.  I needed the sled again to get alfalfa to the goats yesterday morning, and then care-ful-ly crunch my way down the slope to get to the barn to feed Missy.  It was hard to push the gate open through the six or so inches of snow enough to squeeze through.  The white stuff swirled through the air and I ended up looking like the Abominable Snowman, or at least like I'd been dusted liberally with powdered sugar.

Wasn't I grateful that Stove had cooperated and fired right up before I'd left the house?  And we had power!  Boy, heat and light make a big difference in my attitude.  Fortified with a cup of hot cider, I was happily watching the morning news when, oh good grief, the wind-driven snow filled the satellite dish and wiped out reception again.  On those occasions I can still see prerecorded programs and I keep a backlog on hand just in case.  The question was, would the dish clear before the Daytona race?  I knew Clay would keep me updated if it didn't, but the NASCAR gods were smiling and the signal came back with just minutes to spare.  Yay!  It was a helluva race.

The snow and wind stopped and the deck frosting began to melt.  My niece called toward sundown.  I was telling her about my misadventures with Stove, saying that I knew for sure when the house was warm again...there were no cats on my lap; they'd opted to stretch out by the hearth.  I could see that the sun (which had made an appearance) was going down and then, out of nowhere, we were in a whiteout storm!  Yeesh!

It's 28 degrees this morning and Bess fought her way over the snow on her early morning outing.  She sure didn't linger outside and yelped to be let back in.  I guess we're on the merry-go-round again.

Let There Be Heat!

I kid you not, by the time my daughter called yesterday morning I was shivering so hard I could hardly speak.  When this house gets cold, I mean it's cold, and it stays that way.  I left a message for Beau, hoping they hadn't gone for the day.  This goofy weather continued:  rain, wind, snow, wind, a little sunshine, more rain.  Being cold already, it didn't help to come back in wet at feeding time.  But we had power!  I could throw the "beanbag" in the microwave for a few minutes and thaw my fingers.  It saw a lot of action yesterday.  I was watching one of the Saturday cooking shows, wrapped in a heavy jacket, a muffler, and one of Dave's pig hats pulled down around my ears when Beau drove up during one of the brief breaks in the weather.  I could have hugged him!

He went up on the roof and did a second sweep.  We were both surprised and puzzled when no creosote dropped down.  What the heck?!  What could be causing the lack of airflow?  All of a sudden my brain light came on...Stove has a catalytic converter and it hadn't been cleaned in ages.  Stove was as cold as I was, so Beau took off the top plate and I got the converter and we took them outside to clean off the collected creosote with wire brushes.  We both held our breath when Stove was put back in operation to see if the wood would catch.  Oh boy, did it ever!  Yay and whoop whoop!!

Beau left taking a beer and my gratitude with him.  I was kept busy feeding Stove a gourmet meal of oak and cedar the rest of the day.  It took about four hours for the room to get warm enough so I could feel my cheeks and take off the hat, but believe me, I was one happy woman.

It's snowing again this morning.  I'm not going to hang out back here in the bedroom for long.  Stove is waiting for breakfast and I'm only too happy to comply.  I'm not asking for the moon, but the NASCAR Daytona 500 is running today and it would be lovely to be able to watch it.  Fingers crossed for power all day.  Ahh, the joys of country living.

Timing Is Everything

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes" ("My Favorite Things," The Sound Of Music, Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1959)

At daybreak there was an inch or so of snow on the ground yesterday morning and by the time the sun came up proper most of it melted away.  That meant I could use the wagon instead of the sled to get alfalfa to the goats.  It was pretty slippery getting feed to the chickens and down to the barn to give Missy her breakfast, but I got it done without incident in spite of the strong winds.  It was all in the timing.

I had a talk with Stove as I fed him, too.  Like so many of his kind, he said, "It's not my fault."  Turned out he was right.  It took three blocks of fire starter to get a blaze going and then, wait for it, smoke started coming out of places that smoke should never be.  Drat!  I hate, hate, hate to ask for help, but the chimney was blocked and there was nothing else to do.  The rain, wind, and snow had stopped so I called Beau.  He said he was just on his way out and would stop by and do a quick sweep.  How's that for timing?  (Think "Chim, Chim, Cheree" from "Mary Poppins," 1964.)  The wood I'd fed Stove continued to smolder so I couldn't reach in to pull out the accumulated creosote after Beau left, but at least the room was warm.

Not ten minutes after Beau had driven off, the storm came back full force.  I hate to think what might have happened if it had hit when he was on the roof.  This outburst didn't last long and that was a good thing.  In the spirit of "Be Prepared," I really needed to get to Mt. Aukum and fill Truck up with gas.  Like firewood and canned goods, it doesn't pay to let the supplies get low.  Mission accomplished, I waited for Stove to finish his meal.  He took his own sweet time.

Unfortunately, when I could reach in it seemed that Beau had compacted the creosote in the chimney instead of pushing it all the way down.  Hey, it happens.  Stove was completely choked so there was to be no fire for me.  If I hadn't wanted to call him in the first place, think how I'm going to feel when I have to call him back today.  Aarrgh.

Tree Guy called and said he'd try to come by this morning, if only to make an assessment on how to deal with the dead oak lying on the barn roof.

I had brought in groceries from my trip to the store, but cooking took some planning.  Stove top versus oven?  Oven depends on electricity when we have it and stove top even if we don't.  I opted for oven last night just in case.  It's all in the timing.

Jinxed

Well, I shouldn't have mentioned yesterday morning that we still had power.  My mother always said that thoughts go out into the cosmos and come back as action, and I guess there's something to that because after finishing with the computer, I was just ready to step into the shower when Blip! the electricity went out.  Phooey.

That hellacious storm was still raging, so the outage wasn't really a surprise.  I'd had my coffee, finished the blog, and flushed the toilet so I was in pretty good shape (for the shape I was in).  PG&E said to be prepared for an extended time without power.  Oh goody.  Going out to feed all the critters left me soaked to the thigh and a jacket that, if I'd had electricity, I'd have put in the dryer, but had to hang to drip dry.  Missy, the little barn cat, had met me at the door to her stall, yelling before I'd even stepped inside.  I'd been leaving her double portions,  but her bowl was empty and she was complaining about the service in this establishment.  As I've said, I live to serve.

After about three hours in the figurative dark, I checked in with Tinka to see if she still had electricity down in Fiddletown.  She did.  Tinka said that a huge branch had fallen during the night and nearly blocked her door to the outside.  (She has one door, I have nine...nanner nanner!)  She was able to squeeze past it to get out, but it was too heavy to move.  Like the tree that fell on my barn, it could have been worse.  She has good neighbors who could help her.  We were chattering like magpies and laughing when, omigosh, the power came back on.  Let there be light!

Stove picked the wrong day to get cranky.  He would fire up, but wouldn't stay lit.  I figured it might be because the wind had pushed the rain up on the porch all the way to the door and the rack, but it could have been his bad attitude.  When there was a break, I dashed outside and brought three wagons of dry wood to the house.  Stove and I struggled all day, so it could be the chimney.  We're just going to have to deal with it because nobody is going up on the roof until this spell of weather is over.

Camille called.  Did I need anything from Wally World?  She was kind enough to pick up a staple for me as she was going there anyhow.  She's braver than I to drive while the storm was at its peak.  Later in the day, the wind dropped and the rain stopped and I took a quick and uneventful trip up to Holiday.  There were other necessities needed and now I'm set for the duration.

There is a light dusting of powder on the deck this morning, and three days of snow are predicted.  Let's hope the forecasters are overly optimistic/pessimistic, but I don't want to jinx them.

Gale Force

I fully expect to see a green-faced witch pedaling past the window on a bicycle a la "Wizard Of Oz" or cows whirling through the air as in "Twister," the winds have been so strong for a couple of days now.  At times there has been accompanying rain beating on the windows and pelting the house.  The south end of the house where the bedroom is takes the brunt of any storm and I liken it to being on the prow of a ship at sea.  The house critters and I decided to take a trip on the good ship Farview last night and went to bed instead of falling asleep in the chair again.  We huddled together like refugees, listening for the crack and thump of a falling tree.  So far, so good.

The primary activity yesterday after barn chores was keeping Stove fed and cranked up.  Tree Guy didn't come by and I didn't blame him.  He lives up in Grizzly Flats and had been snowed in before the rain came.  Best not to travel in these winds.

I don't want to jinx anything by saying it out loud, but I'm amazed we've kept power.  There was a brief blip yesterday and I thought, "Okay, here we go," but it came back on soon.  Yay!  I've located flashlights in every room and have kept the cellphone charged, just in case.  The teapot is filled with water and the dishes are clean, by hand or the dishwasher.

Whether or not we get a break today, I've got to restock the porch rack with firewood.  Stove has a voracious appetite and it's important to keep him fed and happy, and that makes me happy.  Celeste is crooning up and down the hall with one of her piglets.  She has her own way of seeking comfort.

One Up, One Down

There was enough of a break in the weather yesterday for the crews to finish putting the branches on the cellphone "tree" in the neighboring vineyard.  Bess and I took advantage to make a quick trip to the feed store to replenish the birdseed.  Given the steep slope and icy conditions of late, I've had relocate the feeding station closer to the sheds.  It's easier for them to fly up than for me to slide down.  There is an auto repair shop next to the store and the nice man was able to run a quick diagnostic test for Truck.  His "check engine" light had come on while I was in P'villle on the weekend and I was naturally concerned.  Turned out it's nothing urgent and Truck is just fine.

If a bad thing was going to happen, this tree going down happened in the best possible way.  The tree could have crashed through the roof and possibly killed the goats, and it did not.  The entire root system pulled up and it must have happened in slow motion because the tree just leaned over and is resting on the still-intact roof.

The only real damage is to the little shed that had been to Louie's room and it's pretty well smooshed.  Louie was the pot-bellied pig who had moved up here with us.  That room is expendable as the girls only used it for shelter and shade, and now I'm leaving the door to the big room open for them.

Before going down to the barn, I'd put a request on the local FB page for a recommendation for a Tree Guy and almost immediately got at least eight-ten responses with glowing reports on one man.  I called the number provided and spoke with Tree Guy's wife (they work different shifts and both work only three or four days a week at "outside" jobs.  She left a message for TG.  He called me back in the afternoon and will have time soon to tend to this mess.  He's a certified arborist, licensed and insured.  Weather permitting, he'll come sometime today to assess the damage and possibilities of taking the tree completely down safely.

Weather permitting is the phrase of the day.  Boy howdy, starting last night it began to rain like crazy but the wind is the bigger issue.  The weatherman said it could be 40-50 mph and I believe him.  All I can do is keep my fingers crossed for all the other trees.  Rain-soaked ground and heavy winds are a lethal combination.  The house critters and I have spent the last three nights in the living room, with me and the cats sleeping in the chair.  It's been just too cold to go back to the bedroom.  As soon as I get this entry written, we're all going back to keep Stove company.

Timberrr!

Oh crum.  The tall skeleton of the dead oak tree down in the goat pen has stood guard for years, but the last bout of snow and ice was the final straw.  It wasn't immediately apparent when I slowly, and I do mean slowly, crunched through the ice to find that the tree had fallen over onto the barn roof.  It, too. must have gone down slowly because it didn't crash so much as it's leaning on the roof.  The only damage I could see is to the edge of the little room that was put there for pigs by the prior owners of the property and was the kernel around which Steve added on to build the barn.  The main roof seems to be intact and the goats are safe for the time being.  I'll be on the hunt for a woodcutter for sure, but with days of rain and then more snow due, it will probably be a while before help will come.  The vultures are certainly going to miss that tree.  It was one of their favorite places to gather and sun themselves.

It barely got into the high 30s all day yesterday.  Even with a good fire and Stove doing his best, the house never really warmed up.  In the evening, Celeste took over Bessie's favorite spot on the loveseat.  It's happened before and Bess walks away with a sigh, but last night she wanted up there and that was that.  Then I heard scratching and Bessie was pulling over the lap robes I keep there.  Smart little girl.  She'd figured out how to snuggle in and get warm.  I would have liked one of those robes, too, but decided it was best to let sleeping dogs (and cats) lie.

Whacky Weather

After I took that photo of the snow yesterday, it kept falling for maybe another inch.  Thank goodness I have the sled to haul feed or I'd have been in trouble.  Just getting to the feed and then to the chickens and goats was pretty dicey, and Bess and I were happy to get to the house with all parts intact.  My stumpy-legged little girl had been bounding through belly-deep drifts, ears flopping.  She was considerate enough to stay on the porch while pulling off her snow boots (literally, her legs were coated in snow).  There was a spell when TV reception was lost due to snow packed in the satellite dish, but it didn't last long.

It was light, fluffy snow and it started melting off the trees almost as soon as the sun came out.  Drip, drip, plop all day.  The trees were clear in no time, but there were a couple of inches left on the ground and the deck.  That is going to be a problem today because we're down in the 20s this morning and that leftover white stuff is frozen solid.  I could tell that this morning because Bessie Anne went out for a piddle and didn't even crunch through the surface.  I'm hoping the sun does a good job this morning.  I haven't been on ice skates since Hector was a pup and sure don't want a refresher course.

I had a number of calls during the day from friends and relatives.and it was so nice to have contact with them all.  My niece called in the evening and we had a lengthy conversation and a trip down memory lane.  She's only six years younger than I and our talk was full of "Do you remember?"

We're supposedly due for a day of sunshine, followed by days of rain.  I guess that's better than all rain or more snow.  I'll try to explain that to the goats.

While I Can

Oh boy, here we go again!  I absolutely had to go to town yesterday, but, me being me, I put it off longer than I should have.  It had rained off and on during the day and I was hoping for a break.  The hospital where I had to drop off the Holter monitor (only almost a week late) was having its own problems.  Many of the departments were closed and dark and there was minimal staff.  They must have been on generators, but it was eerie.

There were so many trees down along the roads you'd have thought there'd been a tornado.  The same neighbor whose tree hit the power pole during the last snow had another one go down.  It didn't hit anything, but blocked half of our already narrow dirt road.  So far, so good with the power.

Among a couple of other stops, I had to go to Wally World.  The locusts had come through and many of the shelves were empty.  I didn't get all the things on my list, but enough to survive...and cat litter!  It was raining hard by the time I was ready to drive home and it was getting dark.  I'm at that stage when I dislike driving in rain and/or at night, so I can't say it was a pleasant ride home.  The first splats of snow hit the windshield just as I turned at Gray's Corner, just a hop, skip, and jump from my house.  I'd stoked the fire well before leaving so I walked in to lovely warmth and the power was still on.  Yay!

The storm hit big time after dark, wind howling like a banshee.  I can tell from the flashing clock that there must have been a power outage.during the night, but I have lights!

Just took this, and more snow is falling.  It's about an inch more than the last go-round.  Sure is pretty.  I wasn't sure when I woke up how long the electricity would stay on, so I haven't even had my coffee yet, thinking I'd better write this while I can.  I'm off now for a hot cup of java!

I'm Ba-a-ck!

(Apologies to Jack Nicholson in "The Shining.")

The better part of a week without power sure makes a person appreciate modern conveniences like water, flush toilets, and light in the darkness.  And computers!  PG&E kept teasing...their automated calls would say, "Power will be restored on such-and-such a day at --o'clock," but it wasn't, and then another call saying a distant day and time...again and again.  Aaargh!

We got six to eight inches of snow, gosh, was it last Monday?  The power went out last Monday, that I know.  Time flies and drags.  I know I've read four books since the lights went out, reading by flashlight and headlamp in the early morning and after dark at night.  I've had to use a sled to get alfalfa to the goats and did a slip-and-slide to tend to the chickens.  Oh boy, at the risk of borrowing a phrase from "Streetcar Named Desire," I've had "the kindness of strangers."  Camille, who was brave enough to go into town, picked up my meds for me, and Beau came by one day to take my trash down to the big road.  Not only that, but another day he and his four kids came unannounced and completely restocked the porch rack with firewood.  Tinka and my go-to guy, as well as my friend Harold and my brother-in-law, called just to say hi (and make sure I was surviving).  I need to return a call from a dear cousin this morning.  Once all was right in my world, I fell asleep in the chair early last night and slept well (with the light on).

I was able to take a few photos before my cellphone went dead (talk about being cut off from the world!).  This was the after the first, but not the last, snowfall.

This dear little bird flew into the big window in the living room and knocked itself silly.  I looked, but didn't see it from inside, so went out and I'm glad I did.  It was almost buried in the snow and would have frozen to death.  It took more than five minutes of huffing warm breath over it before it revived enough to fly off.

It's light enough to see outside now, and what I see isn't reassuring.  We're due for more snow and it's coming.  Oh goody.

Thanks for all the well wishes and for hanging in there with me.

Judgement Call

Super Bowl referees weren't the only ones making calls yesterday.  The monitor thingy could not be removed until after three o'clock and by then the storm was at its worst.  You get a pretty good idea of how strong the wind is when the beating rain is going horizontal past the window.  I had fully intended to comply with the request to return the device on Sunday, but made a judgement call and phoned the hospital to explain that I felt it wasn't safe to drive over Bucks Bar in weather like that.  Not only did the gal understand, she actually told me that if I did show up, she would yell at me.

Off the hook, I was able to watch football with a clear conscience.  I usually fast-forward or mute commercials, but not during Super Bowl when companies bring out their best.  The Budweiser Clydesdales were, as always, my choice.  There were the usual texts going back and forth between the family.  Even Cam had gotten in on the high-stakes betting.  We were evenly divided between the two teams.  Dave tried bribery to get me to change my favorite, but I'm no traitor.  After the debacle of an obviously missed call during the playoffs, the refs were eagle-eyed yesterday.  Things got pretty tense at the end of the game with the possibility of overtime, but the Patriots pulled it out at the last minute and made me independently wealthy.  Dave, Clay, and Camille owe me a nickel apiece!  Wahoo!

I thought I'd caught a break as the rain stopped when it was time to put the kids to bed.  However, the goats were enjoying the respite outside and refused to go in the barn.  Like naughty children, they even ran into the big pen when I tried to coax them inside.  Okay, girls, have it your way.  I left the door open so they could get in when they were ready.  Even Stanley and his little harem weren't cooperating, but I was finally able to herd then into the coop.

The wind and rain started up again last night and continue this morning.  Yeesh!  I don't think I'll be going to town today, either.

Take It Back

Thank goodness for DVR and modern technology because I have to retract my adamant statement from yesterday.  Given that we are due for days of snow starting tomorrow, I will be going to town today to return the Holter monitor.  Discretion is, after all, the better part of valor.  Fingers crossed that we don't lose power.

The ongoing storm was a doozy yesterday.  Strong winds and torrential rain were the norm all day until sundown when, believe it or not, the sun came out for a last hurrah.  It made putting the girls (and one guy) to bed much easier.  I had been worried because my itinerant hairdresser had called earlier in the day and said she would be in the area after five and I didn't want her traveling in that weather.  She's a good friend, and we had a grand visit and I got a much-needed haircut.  It's been said that dogs and owners end up looking alike, and Bessie Anne and I were very much looking like shaggy-dog twins.  It could be worse.  Bess could have been a bulldog.  (Apologies to bulldogs.)  (And their owners.)

The wind is howling again this morning, still coming from the south.  There is one window in the bedroom that I was unable to close completely.  Yesterday the rain and wind were so hard water was coming in to the point all I could do was put down a towel to keep it from flooding the computer and desk.  Ufdah!

I am not looking forward to the trip today, but when do I ever?  Like the weather, it's a case of grin and bear it.  Oh well.

Wired

How's this for a way to start the day?

It's definitely not like that this morning.  Wind and rain have returned big time.  I am just glad the storm held off while I made the trip to town and back yesterday.  I even lucked out with traffic.  While there were a lot of cars on the road, they were coming in the opposite direction both ways.  Better than having some bozo crawling up your tailpipe.

The Fair Play tree is growing.  I get the pleasure of seeing my neighbor's livestock without having their care and feeding.  Those critters in the photo are newly shorn alpacas; makes for a bucolic scene.

Ah, the joys of a mammogram.  It is a completely painless procedure.  One learns to leave embarrassment at the door while having a complete stranger handle personal parts, adjusting here and there as needed.

Next was the fitting of the Holter monitor to monitor heart rate, again painless.  However, I feel like I'm wired for stereophonic sound.  It's more awkward than anything else.  The little gizzy with wires attached that runs the whole shebang needs to go in a pocket.  That created a problem this morning.  Ralph has a fascination bordering on obsession with wires and cords.  He thought I got a new toy for him when he wanted to come onto my lap.  Umm, no, kiddo.  They wanted me to bring the Holter back on Sunday.  Again, not gonna happen, not on Super Bowl Sunday.  I have priorities.

Down The Lane

Yesterday was a trip...a stroll down memory lane.  Tom called in the morning and said he'd like to stop by.  "Well, of course!"  He is the father of the girl who was raised on goat milk from the time she was a babe in arms, drinking from a bottle.  She's almost 18 now.  I haven't seen Tom for a couple of years so we had some catching up to do and had a lovely visit.

In the evening, my niece in frigid New Hampshire called.  Our conversation rambled and we found ourselves going back in time.  "Do you remember...?" and "Did you know...?"  As the last in line on my mother's side, I was able to fill in gaps about relatives and events for her.  My sister was sixteen years older than I and my niece is only six years younger, so we had somewhat of a shared childhood, but with different perspectives.  It amazed me when we hung up that we had talked for two hours!  That was quite a trip.

I'll be going down the road today, over the river and through the woods, as it were, but just to Diamond Springs.  It won't be nearly as much fun as yesterday.  Oh well.