Back into the Storms

Snow on the hill

Once again - Birney in the snow

This morning - a rabbit tunnels in the snow beneath the bird feeder

He finds a little bird seed

winter bird

drinks from melting icicles

drinks part of my heart

After that lovely interval of warmth and mud, last Thursday we headed back into a snowy landscape once more. We had 6' on the ground by Friday, and added two more during that day. This morning another 4 inches with blowing and drifting. I have not seen my herd of deer in a while - my guess is they are in the brush near to the river where they have water and are sheltered. The rabbits are seeking food and one comes to seek the birdseed under the feeder.  Luckily for him I replaced the seed in the feeder with a better quality food and dumped the rest on the ground, so there is fodder there for him to reward his digging. 

My Townsend's Solitaire was drinking drops of water from the icicles last week, so poignant.  I saw him this morning eating snow and berries from the Cedar in front of the window. Winter seems so long that I know I will look back and just see it as a big blurr in my mind; I do the same things each day, work out on the treadmill, do a crossword, and read or write. So the days meld together with nothing much different from one day to the next. 

The critters in the house are still around. I thought that Fred had found a new home in the shower, but it turns out he has relatives - this Fred also has a Fredericka - or maybe Fred is Fredericka and the new one is Fred Jr. I am getting confused as I don't know how to tell a male from a female garden spider.When I worked with mice all I had to do was turn them upside down - doesn't work with spiders! The original Fred isolated himself in the bathtub again last week and had to rescued before I ran my bath water. I have also started to feed live Box Elder bugs to the shower spiders as they will not come out when I leave the door open. 

All my friends and I spend quite a lot of time on the phone. Without face to face contact with others we share our stories by e-mail and telephone and support each other as the snow comes down at a slant and the wind makes little whirligigs in its fine powder.

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snow and more snow
friends reduced to images
across the phone line

Today the temps are headed down and into a night forecast well below zero.  So I just turn a blind eye to the electricity bill and turn on the electric blanket and I am a lot warmer than all the spiders in the shower! 

Thawing Out

Mud season has arrived

 

 A doe sheltering from the storm

 Rabbit eating Yucca

Icicle sculpture

   

Evening visitor

 

 Resting Doe (taken from 1/4 mile)

Cottontail enjoying grass

 

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busy bunnies
chase each other in the snow
they have spring fever

 

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shell pink sky
early sun gives way to clouds
warmer air moves in

 

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It is a long time since I posted on my blog - but it's been a long winter and certainly is not over yet. Today it is sunny and 49' - I keep waiting for it to reach 50' ( a psychological barrier)  but it is resisting.  Prior to this we've had snowstorm on snowstorm with rain and ice in between. The roads have been dangerously covered with ice and my friend Nan and I decided we are getting too old to try being pioneer women any longer; so if the roads are badly iced or if there is a storm brewing we just stay home.  I have adapted well to this routine, relaxed, read, and just enjoyed having the time to myself. I have not enjoyed the sessions at 20-30' below zero and groan at the propane bills, however my gas (petrol) bill is half as much with less driving and the welcome drop in gas prices. I suppose I can't complain, other places in the US have had worse, right now the SE is suffering terrible ice storms and loss of power. I think 30' below is preferable to that as long as the propane lasts.

 

 My friends in the house don't seem to care about the weather.  I've seen Fred all over the house to where I am thinking he has a gang with him.  Currently he is in the shower stall. I left the door open so he could get out but a week later he has been joined by one of his mates and they seem to be enjoying the new apartment!  Box Elder bugs are slowing down but they got to the point where I had to use the vacuum. Prolific little critters.

 

I think it is possible that my properties could sell in the next month or two. I've had some showings and recent viewers seemed very enthusiastic.  It would be nice to be able to move come spring.

 

The photos above were taken with my new camera, bought with birthday gifts from family and friends. Just a point and shoot but it has an awesome zoom lens and most of the animals above were taken through the windows.

 

In many ways I don't want winter to end - I love the lazy life it has offered - but I might have to go back to being a pioneer again!

 

 

 

 



Living with Fred

FRED VALENTINE

haiku

when we live alone

we have some strange bedfellows

one way conversations

This fall I have been talking to the insects around the house and there sure are many of them. My friend Zeke Nile says "It's time to move to town, Chris!"  He's probably right.

The Box-elder Bugs  are the most prolific.  I generally put up with them as they are friendly little things and seem to seek me out when I am at the computer.  They perch on the monitor or walk across my hand when I am typing.  About the time they litter the floor so badly that I can't walk around them, I get out the vacuum.  This morning, one of them got onto the screen and followed the cursor around; he seemed to enjoy watching the changing light as I looked at pictures and text.

Boxelder bugs, Boisea trivittatus, are familiar insects to most people. They are generally not noticed during summer, but often can become an issue when they try to move into homes during fall as they search for overwintering sites.

My main friend is Fred, a large garden spider that lives in the bathroom ( see photo above) We are very compatible and he amuses me by dashing around while I sit on the toilet. He is also a voyeur; hides between the bathtub and the wall then comes out and walks along the edge of the tub when I am taking a bath! What a guy!  Now and then he gets into the empty bathtub and can't get out. So several times I've had to construct a ramp with a small towel so he can walk to freedom. This morning he happily scuttled up the towel and hid behind the hot air deflector - must be like a trip to Hawaii for him there!

I notice bits and pieces of box elder bugs on the bathroom floor, so I think he is eating them. A bit of a dirty eater I'd say, leaving the rest on the floor; sort of like medieval feasts - eating the meat and throwing the bones over your shoulder for the dogs! Might have to sew him a spider-size napkin.

Yup - all in all it's getting time to move to town!

Colors and Critters

 Sunlight through plum leaves yet to feel frost

 Chokecherry leaves against Montana blue

 He thought he was invisible!

 Young rattler hiding his wounds

Box Elder bug

 Centipede

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trees in their glory
against the rain-sodden sky
a golden pathway

More than halfway through October and fall colors are beginning to fade. The river that wove a golden path towards the Big Horn Mountains has now turned more bronze but is still beautiful even as it fades.  Plums and Chokecherries are shedding leaves and the Ash tree at my office in town, flamed gold, then in one night dropped all it's foliage.

Along with the colors come the critters. In the house, flies, wasps, box-elder bugs, spiders and centipedes roam freely.  There is a large spider that keeps me company in the bathroom. He loves the new vinyl floor and runs full pelt across it while I sit on the toilet in the morning. He's a real show-off! I am not quite as tolerant with the centipedes. They appeared about five years ago, everyone complained about them; that year we had dozens of them. Now, they just seem to appear one by one. Not sure if they are a different species to the large scuttling ones or whether they are babies that will grow larger later; they get picked up in a Kleenex and flushed. 

Outdoors the rabbits run freely again and I have seen a couple of snakes. A pretty young Bull-Snake 

disappeared into the rock wall two weeks ago and yesterday I encountered a young rattlesnake. I tried to chase it back into the long grass, but it was stubborn, and I injured it, so it may still be out there - I surely hope not - that is one breed I don't like to have around the house. As long as they keep out in the rest of the acreage they are fine. 

Tomorrow the furnace technician will visit. In October 2006 he disturbed a rattler lying on top of the door frame to the basement utility room.  He came running up the stairs yelling, left, and said he'd come back when we got rid of it. Our neighbor came up and obliged, and an hour later the furnace at last got serviced for the winter. We gave him the rattles to impress his friends at work!  Two years later we had another in exactly the same place, called our neighbor who dispatched it once more, and we all hunted, found where they were getting in, and plugged the hole. As always, tomorrow the furnace tech will delicately ask "Any rattlesnakes down there?" before he'll go to the basement and do his work!

Early Snowstorm

daily tanka

rain in the night

blanket of snow this morning

heavy and wet

possible power cuts now

thaw out soup get some dry logs

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crashes and bangs

raccoon at the bird feeder

wish they'd grow wings

When I got up this morning I felt like writing on my blog - so I went with the feeling and am typing away in my bathrobe! The sun is shining, although the morning temperature was a chilly 25'. 

Yesterday was a stormy day. The past two days dropped about 1 3/4 inches of rain/snow on us. The snow in Birney mostly melted as it came down, but Sheridan to the south being higher, got over a foot of it along with power cuts.  

Power cuts were on my mind too, as wet snow often precipitates them in our rural area, so I decided to stack some dry wood in case I needed to heat the house in an emergency. I went to the wood pile and gathered an armful of dry wood from a lower level, went to put it in the house and the door was locked! Oh my. It is a combo screen door and storm door and has a little catch on it. I had a problem once before with the lock slipping and now here I was in the cold with snow coming down. I used my October allocation of swear words in one minute!

After determining that all the windows were locked and swearing some more, I remembered what my neighbor down the hill told me the time before when I banged myself up forcing a window open with a crowbar...... "Take the door off the hinges".  I looked at the door and indeed the hinges were on the outside, thank God.  So I hunted around and got a hammer and screw driver, got the door off it's hinges and unlocked it. But the worse part was getting the door back on again. It is quite heavy.

Once indoors I decided not to chance driving down the hill to get the mail, it was thick mud and while re-hanging the door I could hear drivers spinning their wheels. One adventure was enough for the day!

In the afternoon I ventured out and put the last of my birdseed in the feeder, thinking the birds would eat it before the raccoons found it. Not so! As I was checking my e-mail before going to bed I heard an almighty crash, knew what it was, and sure enough there was a big fat black body underneath eating birdseed! I swear they can smell birdseed a mile away.

There has not been much activity on selling my house recently.  So I face the fact I may need to winter here again.  At the beginning of this week I had a visit from my bluebird family; three males and a female. I think they were making plans for next spring and checking out the nest under the eaves. They sat on the fence and preened, it was a nice surprise. I had not seen any bluebirds for over a month and thought they'd gone south already. The bats are gone and one afternoon I did the odious chore of cleaning the shed of their guano for another winter.

The trees along Hanging Woman Creek are now bright gold and the cottonwoods along the river beginning to turn as well. Last night I dreamed I was talking to my cousin's wife.  It was only when I woke up that I remembered that she died this summer. Again I was reminded of all the friends and family I have lost over the last three years. So many riches gone. Like the trees they are dormant. I hope I see them again in the next life, when I leaf out in a new place. Meanwhile I'll enjoy winter in this beautiful and very rural area.

First Day Of Fall

This looks like an impressionist painting!

Hanging Woman Creek - Box Elders beginning to turn

In spite of the muddy water, I loved this reflection. Almost heart shaped.

The beauty of my friend's Maple hedge

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bright full moon sinks west
ten degrees above freezing
in a silent landscape

One morning at 34' and another at 36' have shoved us into fall, and today, September 22nd, is the official start. Only a week ago we were in the 90's every day and my body is objecting to the sudden drop in temperature!

Two of my fledgling bluebirds came to check out the nest before flying south. I thought they all ready had, so I was surprised and overjoyed to see them perching on the fence one morning. One last visit and maybe goodbye as I am not sure if I will be here next spring.

I usually don't turn on the heat until October or if the house hits 60', but I am having some re-flooring done and I felt sorry for the workman - Mike (as well as my typing fingers :-) with the house at 63', so a couple of mornings I did run the furnace and take the chill off the inside air. Of course by 4.00 pm I was turning on the a/c unit.  I remember when I was working for the N C Tribe, I needed the car's heater in the morning and the a/c in the afternoon for the drive back and forth. 

Now it is cooler I must seriously start looking for a new place in town. I've had some people to look at the house and one seems serious. We'll see. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy my morning walks in the cooler air.

Late Summer Wearies

Wild Sunflowers

Jerusalem Cricket

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a great deception
cool breeze lies about daily heat
equinox laughing

Late summer is upon us and things are changing - in the landscape and in my life. The continual heat, 90's every day and sometimes hot nights, leaves me feeling tired and self critical because I don't accomplish enough each day.

Hanging Woman Creek is at a low point and is muddy and weedy, but I did see a large fish this morning working the weeds; about 20" long, and judging by the shape of it's tail it was a carp. Hardly any birds around and the bats have left for different climes.

The house invaders are here - mice, and at present Jerusalem Crickets. The crickets are ugly - often called Earth Babies or Baby Bugs because of their large head.  They compete with the mice for the peanut butter in the mousetraps! Inadvertently they spring the trap. The first one cut itself in half and I found it dead. The second one managed to get out of the trap by eating its own body - here is a close up of the poor thing.I put it in the wood pile but I doubt it will live - just become a part of the food chain.

Yesterday despite the heat, I plugged a hole in the basement wall with spray foam to stop the advance of more mice and possible snakes, which made me feel a lot safer! 

There is interest in my house - one couple "walked through" - and two others may be scheduled for this next weekend. This of course leads to being more careful about tidiness and housework.  In between all this I look at new places to live, online, and as soon as the weather cools, I will be spending time looking for a new place to live in Sheridan, WY - 60 miles away.

Life has changed also for my dear friend Bruce.  His family insisted that he move to assisted living. He hated leaving his own house but is adjusting pretty well to his new apartment and having people around all day.

His son came from Texas to help with the moving process, flew his plane to Sheridan which he built himself. He took Bruce up for a spin and despite limited vision he was able to see the town below.

Bruce and son Peter

In his new place

So  the landscape is morphing towards winter and so are we. In my depressed moments, leaving here does feel like a step towards death, but I have come to believe I am just entering a new phase of my life and it could well be exciting.

Procrastination

Tomorrow - I’ll see the lawyer about my will

Tomorrow - I’ll see the undertaker about my funeral

Tomorrow - I’ll write last letters to the children

Tomorrow - I’ll write my funeral service

Of course tomorrow never comes,

The deeds fester in the wind.

Facing death today is a hard chore,

I’d rather look out of the window

At green hills,

River valley,

Feel the cool morning air through the window,

Smell the java,

Taste this side of life today.

Hell – who cares about the vultures

That fly above my head;

Why should I give a dam about

Where I’m buried?

Keep the feeling,

It could be a poem some day.

© C. Valentine 6-20-13