Sleep?

 My hope of getting at least five hours of sleep last night was squashed when an email from work came just as I was settling in.  Someone at work has Covid.  It is not someone that I worked with apparently because I was informed with the group notification and not privately.  I'm thankful that I am vaccinated (athough that there are variations now is kind of scary) and that the company insisted that we all wear masks during this uptick in cases.  The bright side is that it is highly unlikely that I have covid.  Other happy things for today:

• The friend that is staying here temporarily was in Roman garb when I got home.  She is making it for an event.  It was beautiful and she looked beautiful in it.  Sorry, no picture.
• Another sorry, no picture, is the moon this morning at work.  It is still mostly full and its round orb glowed through the clouds as if breaking through.  "Take that, Henri!" the moon seemed to say to the dissipating former hurricane.  We actually ended up with no major weather from the storm.  It rained, but the wind had calmed a bit before getting here.
• I'm trying to turn in early so I will be fresh and feeling well when I go to work in the morning.  

☮

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

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

Green

 With all the indoor work I have been doing with the coif I feel I have missed part of spring.  It has been two days...  the leaves are opening and so many things are green!  My part of the stitching is done for this weekend, but Keziah will need help now.  Soon I will get to spend more time outside.  Getting outside was refreshing, other happy things for today:

• The coif is done and the outfit that Keziah adapted to be Elizabethan looks great!  Saturday there will be pictures.
• We have a guest for the next few days.  Being vaccinated means getting to spend more time with people.
• Gideon and Zed are putting together a computer.  What a wonderful father-son project and learning experience!

• 

  Apple blossom.

  
  

  

  Peach blossom (Marjorie).

  
  

  

  Cherry blossom (Tucker).

  
  

  

  Lilac.

  
  

  

  Norway Maple.
  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

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.

Staghorn

 It was a chill, overcast day with occasional sprinkles.  Most of my day was spent outside working in the yard.  Plants are starting to turn green, daffodils are blooming, and forsythia are bright yellow.  I saw robins, blue jays, mockingbirds, a morning dove, a woodpecker, and sparrows throughout the day.  Other happy things for today:

• Last year I tripped over staghorn sumac stumps in the garden.  Today Zed and I removed many of these stumps and some of the attached roots.  The battle to defeat the unwanted plants in the garden has begun!  But seriously, I made room for the zucchini.  It will be a bit longer before I put the zucchini into the ground that I prepared today.

This is not a gopher problem but a 
staghorn sumac root problem.

These are roots that will no longer
 be a problem in the garden.

• The section next to the garden that we are hoping to make into a pathway with grape arbors is a little bit more cleaned up.  Progress!

Before: The sumac wants to take over.

After: I'm doing what I can to keep it
under control.

• I went for a short walk out back before cleaning up from gardening.  One time around the back of the property is only half a mile.  It was just what my body needed after all the bending in the garden.

• My second vaccination against the Covid 19 virus was administered late this afternoon.  So far, I just have a sore arm at the injection site.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan

Stay safe.

Planting the Raspberry Bush.

 Yesterday's attempt at using the axe to cut a branch was more than what my body was prepared for.  My list of things to do today did not get completed because I took many breaks.  Breaks are important though, as was the nap I took.  Other things I am happy about:

• Keziah put the swings and hammocks up today.  Gideon has a new swing, just for him.

• I took a piece of earth, dug a hole in it, added some things (like manure, fresh potting soil and water) and then the raspberry plant.  This took most of the day because of breaks, but it is done!

Untamed earth.

A hole that is larger than needed.
I wanted to loosen up the nearby soil
and remove some weeds and rocks.

That stick will hopefully become a raspberry bush.

• Zed and I went for a nice walk.  We are working out a plan to get the trails a little more manicured on the property.

We walked a little over a mile.

• Keziah and Zed got their first covid vaccines today.  

☮

 Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

New-To-Us Couch

 Today I said goodbye to the couch I got from an aunt (now deceased).  Some of the legs had broken and the frame as well.  I'm not sure how long she had it, but I've had it for over five years I think.  Before seeing the cracked frame, I considered trying to have it kept in the apartment.  For the last 39 days though, I've been getting rid of at least one thing a day.  It isn't always easy, but it does seem to be getting a little easier.  It was easier for me to say goodbye to the couch today versus how it would have been 39 days ago.  Other happy things for today:

• We were able to get some sheep manure from a friend.  This will help the garden grow.  If all goes well, I will help that friend later in the week and either get more, or help someone else get some manure.
• Some of that manure went right into the compost bin.  I'm hoping it will help the compost break down faster.  While at the bin Zed noticed a crocus nearby.  There are a few coming up in a part of the yard that we didn't do much with last year.  Since we moved here last April, the flower was most likely already gone.  They are one of the very first flowers to come up in the spring.

One crocus so far.
There seem to be others to the left of that one.
Maybe after the rains I'll rake there.

• This afternoon Keziah brought a friend (Keziah's mother-in-law) and I to get our first covid vaccine (Pfizer).  We had an appointment and got there early.  There were no lines and we only had to wait (maybe two minutes) at the last station.  The process was relatively painless.  Even the shot didn't hurt much.  Tomorrow, who knows?  Today it went well.  Our second shot will be April 26th.
• While we were getting vaccinated Keziah got us Blizzards from Dairy Queen.  I love the snickerdoodle flavor, with extra flavor.
• As the sun was setting I went outside to appreciate it.  

• As the orange sky was darkening in the west, the nearly full moon was rising in the east.

• Saturday night was a pizza and movie night for us.  We all piled onto the new-to-us couch that they picked up today and watched Thor: The Dark World.  The couch is about fourteen and a half feet long.  Gideon says that it is a perfect couch for social distancing.  😃

There is room for two more people at the end-
or two cats.

☮

Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.

National Goof Off Day

Spring is here and so is some warmer weather.  The paths were only muddy in a few places when I walked with my friend, Amy, around Dorr's Pond today.  The park was quite busy on this sunny day.  There were parents with small children and strollers as well as older people walking around the pond and even a few bicycles.  

One lovely lady wished us a happy Spring as we walked by each other.  Little passing comments like that are such a welcome thing to me.  Other things I am happy about today:

• There are ducks that live toward the north end of the pond.  One was out sunning themself on some ice.

Mr. Mallard.

• Getting to spend time with Amy.   She saw the duck first.
• Keziah has been very adament about getting me signed up as soon as possible for the vaccine.  This morning New Hampshire opened up the registration process for people my age.  The website had some problems but eventually we got through.  My and Zed's mom's first vaccine will be at the end of the week.  Amy signed up to get hers soon too.
• Zed and Gideon decided to go to the Scout meeting tonight-outdoors, masked, and socially distanced.  This meant Keziah and I could start catching up on watching The Crown.  

There wasn't too much goofing off today.  It was a good day though.  😜

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.
Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.