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
daily senryu
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.
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.
I tried to enter a comment here, but I wasn't signed in, so it disappeared into the fall ether. I read down through your latest post--you had written about the raccoons in your latest note to me--and then I scrolled down to see the fall pictures around hanging woman creek. I love the colors of fall. They are sometimes so soft and unexpected. And I love how the shapes of the trees, which have been screened by leaves start to appear. Some cottonwoods, old ones along creeks and around old homesteads have such exquisite and almost arthritic shapes. I'll try to stop being the congressional pimp and write more in my blog.
ReplyDeleteDear Chris, I clicked on the "Add Comment" words and nothing happened so I'm using the "Reply" tag. I so enjoyed this posting for you made visualize the winter as its coming into the West and to our homesite.
DeleteI'm sorry to learn that the house hasn't sold yet, but maybe another winter there is just where you need--for some reason--to be.
And this line of yours is a keeper: " I hope I see them again in the next life, when I leaf out in a new place." Thank you for this new image your've given me. Peace.
Thanks dee - I am happy to add something to your life just as your comments do to mine.Chris
ReplyDelete