Too Much Sadness

 Yesterday, I learned that my best friend from high school has been struggling with cancer for the last year.  We have only rarely kept in touch with happy birthday messages and occasional phone calls.  Today TF, my best friend in Texas, found out that her son has died.  There is a lot of grief in me right now.   There is a bunch to process and I am just on the outskirts.  Holidays are hard.  Hug your loved ones, tell them you love them-often.  Message someone you haven't talked to in a while.   

Earlier today there was happiness as we set up the Christmas tree outside.  Since I am fighting a cold (I had another negative Covid test today) I kept coming inside to get out of the cold and snow.  We are expecting somewhere between four and eight inches.  I'm looking forward to the lights on the tree getting solar charged so I can get a nice nighttime picture of the tree lit up.

☮

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.

Mountain and River, Oh My!

 Somewhere along the road the rocky summit of Mount Chocorua seemed to start taunting me.  I could see it pop through the trees or hover over the road like a distant road block in front of me as I got closer to my destination.  My trip to REI took me past the mountain and the trails to it.  It reminded me that I was hoping to climb Mount Chocorua this year and didn't.  It was also beautiful.

Other happy things from today:

• I have new hiking shoes!  The trip to REI was for either new hiking shoes or hiking poles.  The nice employee must have pulled out six different pairs of shoes before I finally found some Merrell shoes that fit me the way I wanted.  I also got some EXOspikes that I hope will keep me from sliding around once things get slippery.
• I've been having a problem with the Bluetooth on my phone.  It will randomly turn off.  The road trip was almost two hours each way and it only turned off once.  Perhaps whatever is causing this problem is over.
• Before heading home I wanted to get my 10,000 steps in and reach my daily goal.  I found a trail, the Conway Rec Path, that was nearby.  

The trail followed the Saco River.  I set a timer so I could get out before dark and head home so I couldn't hike the whole thing.  It was a lovely walk.

Some trees had some interesting
growth patterns.

Saco River.

Proof of Life.

The rocks can be seen through the water
 and I thought it was pretty.

The branch on this tree starts in one direction
and then turns and goes the other way.
It has led a life full of turns.

Holes.

Sunset.

Foot Print.

Bridges.

• This morning Aesop, the dog, and Winston, the cat, almost got along for a little bit.

☮

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

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

Black Cat

This morning I counted the boxes for me to go through.  There were nineteen.  I have only reduced that number by one.  I went through just over three boxes.  I don't think that is good odds.  There are more things to be donated and a bunch to burn or recycle.  That is good.  Other happy things from today:

• There are Halloween decorations up around town.  Out on my walk, next to a mailbox, I saw a stack of three pumpkins and a black cat silhouette.  The cat silhouette was just right, with the tail curved hook like and a slightly arched back.  I thought about how as a driver, in the right lighting, I might be concerned that the cat would run in front of the car.  Walking I observed the foliage and when I looked back, the cat was gone!  It was a real cat that looked from my distance like a decoration.

I wish I took a picture while the cat was there.

• Leaves fall onto evergreen bows and decorate them like Christmas trees.  Seeing this, I always wonder if this is somehow part of the beginnings of decorating trees.

• Without using any hair ties, I attempted the last Viking hairstyle from this video.  I've done variations before.  I'm kind of pleased with how it came out this time.

• More fall foliage pictures and sunset (and my fingers).

Sunset.

☮

Currently reading: Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.


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

New to Me Plant

 It is good to have a day off.  I've had three days of work and already I want to be home instead.  I'm sure that there is a lot that someone could read into that... Anyhow, Keziah and I spent some time clearing out the bittersweet, the trees the bittersweet killed, and the general area along the south fence.  There is more pick up to do tomorrow, some equipment had problems and our energy waned.  

Keziah cutting things down.

So much bittersweet at her feet!

Bye-bye tree!

Having help today made a huge difference with what got done.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Since the zinnia I planted yesterday didn't get eaten by the various rodents that seem to think I am planting for them, I planted a couple more and one of the marigold plants.

• I discovered a new-to-me clover today.  I didn't realize they came in yellow.

According to Lens this is large hop clover.

• The crab apples seem to be doing alright.  We did a bunch of pruning of the trees earlier in the spring as well as removing some bittersweet and Norway maple.

Lens identified this as a crab apple.

• ANother thing I did earlier in the spring was to clear out the area between the garden and the sumac trees/grape vines to make a pathway.  To the other side of the sumac and grape vines are tiger daylilies.  I imagine that many years ago this looked much different and not the jungle it is now.  

There are many, many daylilies.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Happy May Day!

 Keziah and I took a ride to Maine today.  We had one task, to pick up an item to deliver to someone in Southern NH.  We have the item and will deliver it tomorrow.  It was a nice day to drive along country roads.  Tulips and daffodils are still mostly blooming as are magnolia trees and leaves are just beginning to open.  Color is returning.  Other things that I am happy for today:

• It has been two weeks since I received my second covid vaccine.  My understanding is that I can hug vaccinated people other than those in my family unit now.   
• After putting burlap on the part of the garden that I recently turned, removed weeds, and tried to prepare for seeds, I realized that I had something else to do before planting.  There used to be trees in the corner of the garden.

An autumn olive tree and maybe 
a black locust tree and
bittersweet.

I took them down.  All the cut branches are all over the place, but the tree will no longer be casting shadows over the garden.

The tangle of tree trunks will have to stay for now.
The fence and trees have grown together.
There are even wire tomato cages grown in there.

• I'm enjoying watching plants awaken after the long winter.

☮

Currently listening to: The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer.
    

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.

Bluet

 To my pleasant surprise, some of the zinnia we planted the other day are already sprouting.  I'm hoping that this year the things I plant will grow better than last year.  

Just two or three so far.
Trust me, they are there.

Other things I am happy about today:

• This gorgeous tree is out by a nearby art school.  

It might be a magnolia,
I'm not sure.

• Cats are adorable as they sit by the door watching the birds go by.

• On Saturday we noticed some bluets were out.  I found more today.  If my memory is correct, Mom and her sister used to call them pissabeds.

• Sometimes walking through the back property I see something and notice something new about it.  There is a rotting stump that I am sure has been there all along but today it looked different.  The angle I saw it from maybe gave it a different appearance.  I decided to take a closer look.  It turns out that it was once part of a fence.

It was the different shapes that caught my eye.

Getting closer I realized that it was not
 a completely natural formation.
It is possible that it is a fence pole or
a tree that grew around the parts of a fence
or a tree used as a fence that grew around the parts where the wire is.
There is wire coming out of it and it is 
rotting in interesting ways.

• Soon there will be more green.

☮

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

Stay safe.