Friday

 Work is done for the week--unless I decide to pick up extra hours.  Other employees are doing many more hours than my 45 hours this week.  I'm undecided on the extra time, but I need rest.  I had a good four hour nap this afternoon before spending time with the family for dinner and TF for Minecraft Friday.  These are happy things for me.  Then there is Winston, the orange tabby.  Apparently he was cold today.  When he came downstairs and the gas fireplace was on he decided that was the place for him.

A few minutes later Aesop, the dog, whose bed was just to the other side of that box on the floor, carefully moved his bed a foot or two away from Winston.  No picture, but it was adorable and it is great to see them near each other without being loud or angry.  Progress is good.

☮

Currently reading:  The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

If Cats Could Talk

 Gideon, Keziah, and I met some friends at a local cafe this morning to write and work on upcoming SCA things.  I added some words to one of my NaNoWriMo stories and worked on organizing a Yule event.  The food was good and the company, better.  Other happy things for today:

• There are things that we have been letting collect in the driveway because they needed the ladder set up to put them away.  Today we set up the ladder and put them away.  There are a few more things that need to be put away before the snow falls and we need to plow, but we are closer.  Yay!
• Keziah and Zed wanted a fire tonight.  I helped by building the foundation.  Then I went inside and had my accountability meeting with TF and then I made dinner.  I never made it out to see the fire.  I'm okay with that.  I took a picture of the indoor one to share instead.

• Before bed I still didn't have my steps for the day so I got ready to take Aesop for a walk.  Nanni was wanting attention.  After petting her for a few minutes she gave me this look:

What I think she is saying is, "Sure, just leave me here and go walk that dog!  I won't be here when you get back."   And she wasn't.  🤪

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Wildflowers

 As I write this, the family and some friends are outside setting off fireworks.  I'm happy to be inside, away from the fireworks.  Other things I am happy for today:

• The other half of the garden has a deer fence around it.  We finished getting it up as the heat of the day was starting to get oppressive.  It still needs work, and a door, but only so much could be accomplished today.  

Zed and Keziah helped set up the fence.

• While Gideon was cleaning the cat litter boxes, we found a new gopher hole going under the fence and into the garden.  Timing was good.  The litter got put into the hole and I am hopeful the gopher will move out.  
• Wildflowers are blooming.

Multiflora.

Blackberry.

Buttercup.

• Zed and Gideon were a matching pair today.

• Fire.

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Thanks for being part of my happy list.  Stay safe.

Star Flower

 It was another day in which motivation was hard to come by.  Eventually it did and I spent some time digging out weeds, grubs, and rocks.  I'm not sure why I pulled out some of the rocks, but they are out now and I will find a place to relocate them.  Things that brought happiness today:

• There are little cherries starting on Tucker, the cherry tree.  

• The autumn olive tree is considered an invasive species in New Hampshire and we plan to cut down more of them.  However, right now the little tiny flowers are in bloom and pretty.

Close up to the autumn olive flowers.

• Star flowers are blooming by where the trail cam is.  This is not considered an invasive species like so many other plants I seem to find on the property.

Lysimachia borealis.

• There are deer and a few other animals from the trail camera that I downloaded today.  I'm too tired to post any tonight.
• It was a good night to start a small fire and cook hotdogs for dinner.

This is a childhood memory making moment.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Things to Burn

 It was another busy people day.  Somehow I was able to ride out the social anxiety of being with people better today.  Perhaps only because I am physically exhausted, although I did run and hide a little, mostly I stuck it out.  Other things I am happy for today:

• I mowed.  Not the lawn, but some areas that last year I just mowed paths, I mowed a big section.  One way to help reduce the amount of ticks is to keep grass from getting too high-at least that is what I read somewhere.
• There is a section of land between the garden and a line of staghorn sumac that I have been trying to clear.  It is done.  

This last section had that pile of brush
as well as the multiple things growing up.

The brush is out, many of the things trying 
to grow are cut, and it is raked.
Now it will just be upkeep.

• Today was a bardic competition and between all the other things we were doing I was only able to catch a little bit.  What I saw was impressive and I hope to watch it later.  Two people I know from the state competed.
• Some of the people that came by today brought their truck and a chainsaw.  The fallen tree that was over part of the trail is mostly cut smaller and some of it removed.  Maybe next week more will get moved.  A dead tree was also cut down.

Dead tree.

Dead tree down.

• The dead tree made for good firewood.  We sat around the fire, some marshmallows were toasted, things almost felt normal.  So very thankful for all the help we got today.

🔥☮🔥

Currently listening to: Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer.

Stay safe.

Ash Wednesday

 Day one of the downsizing initiative went well.  We woke up early and started early.  Zed got his bag full of papers ready (bills and such) before having to go to work.  I went through one box and had a paper bag full of papers to burn.  When I went to put what was left away I decided to go through three other boxes that had paper stuff as well.  I now have two empty containers and one full of filing things.  I found places to put some things and there was about a half box that still had other things in it once I removed the paper from the top-that is for another day.  I came out of the gate running and possibly did too much.  The last thing I want to do with this endeavor is to burn myself out.  Other things that I am happy about today:

• Keziah and I delivered pancakes to a friend.  A very short visit was had, masked and distanced.  
• We also took the time to drop off the things we had already set aside to donate.  

• Back home, Keziah and Bel built a fire outside.  Probably because of the snow, it took a while to get going.  The papers have been burned.  It is quite possible that some are just scorched at the bottom of the fire pit in mud, but they are out of the house.  Yay!

It has been a few days since I have walked back on the property.
It is still there!

Sunset over the fire.

☮

Stay safe.