My Birthday

 It was a rough day.  Here are some happy highlights:

• First thing this morning I went outside with Aesop, our dog, for his morning quick walk.  I love the freshly fallen snow and Aesop seems to as well.

• It has been one year since we got our cats Nanni and Winston.  Of course I didn't have my camera when they were being cute this morning.
• I forced myself out of the house in the afternoon for a nice walk with Aesop.  Despite having a cold I really wanted to have more of a real walk in the snow.

Turkey footprints.

• Keziah colored Gideon's hair and he is super happy with it.  It looks great on him.

Christmas green!

• Keziah and I held an online court today where we officially gave out three awards.  After, we kept the Google Meet open and got to virtually visit with many friends from the Barony that we haven't seen in a while.
• Getting love and support from --K and other friends and family.
• The sun shone and now the Christmas tree is lit up.

• I took some coughing, sneezing, stuffy head, fall down on the floor and go boom medicine...

☮

Currently listening to: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, as told to Jeff Guinn.

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

Hanukkah

As the first person awake this morning I got to take Aesop, the dog, out for a little walk.  I took him once around the property on the mostly frozen ground.  I considered bringing the weedeater out and working on the trails but did not.  From what I have read when the ground is frozen is the best time to take down trees as it does less damage to the ground.  I'm not planning to take down trees at this point.  It is a good time to burn brush though, once there is snow on the ground.

Morning sun.

It was a good, contemplative walk for me.  Other happy things for today:

• Both Gideon and myself are feeling much better.
• I found Nanni, the brown tabby, on my bed asleep.  She looked as if she were a babe sucking her thumb.

• In the evening we visited some friends for some latkes and to be there when the last candle on the menorah was lit for Hanukkah.  After we played a fun game of Munchkin.  

☮

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.

Look to the Sky

 This morning Keziah and I took Aesop to a local dog park. ALL the dogs were much larger than Aesop. He would have fun, then seem a bit overwhelmed, have fun, overwhelmed. We brought him to the other side of the fence and he played with one of the big dogs through the fence. Eventually we took him for a walk on the trails near the park. They are brand new trails with big bridges near the river.  It is a beautiful area.

We let Aesop be on the long leash.

Deer prints!

Other happy things from today:

• Zed, Gideon and I got up before dawn to try to see the lunar eclipse.  The rain had stopped and the clouds thinned when we first went out.  We got occasional glimpses of the moon, mostly a dark orange color with a sliver of it bright and silvery.

As usual, the camera on my phone doesn't capture the moon well.
The batteries needed charging on the other camera.

• The moon had a magical look when thin layers of clouds would glide between us and the moon.
• The sky got clearer as the time passed.  We all saw at least one shooting star.  These were most likely part of the Leonid meteor shower that was at peak the previous night.
• The constellations were also big and shiney once the clouds went away.

Much of Orion.

• After Gideon went back to bed, Zed and I saw four different satellites.  I Googled where the International Space Station should be and it is unlikely that any of the satellites were it.
• While the sky was performing above, we performed a ritual below.  Zed decided to take an old shirt that he should have just gotten rid of and burn it.  So, I decided to burn something too.  There was a nightshirt of my mother's that I put into my rotation of night clothes after she died.  It was threadbare and tearing but still extremely comfortable.  I recently purchased some new nightshirts and was going to get rid of it then, but didn't.  It had a Halloween-ish theme, so maybe after that, nope.  Maybe it was more autumn and could wait until after Thanksgiving... I have a problem.  It is gone and before Thanksgiving because Zed wanted to burn his shirt.  These two items of clothing as well as some sticks and old mail are now ash.  Zed saved some of the ash, he has a plan.  The rest is for me and it will go to feed part of the garden.

Ash...

The nightshirt went up real fast.

Burn!!

• Another lovely sunset.

☮

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

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

Walking in the Rain

 Again, I have stayed awake longer than I should have.  My bedtime on a Monday should have been a little over an hour before sitting down to write this.  It was a rainy day, but there are things-other than rain- to be happy about.  My day started with a walk with Aesop, the dog.  It was raining steadily then, and we didn't walk for long.  It was a good walk though.  Other happy things:

• Planning out my day this morning I was ready to go dig dirt and plant bulbs in the rain.  It was then that I saw the reminder on my phone about my appointment with the optometrist.  Instead of playing in mud, I woke up Keziah, took a shower, and we headed to the appointment.  They had to dilate my eyes and I wanted Keziah to drive me home.  This was a follow-up exam from six weeks ago and all the tests came back good.  
• Later in the afternoon Keziah and I took Aesop for a walk on a nearby paved rail trail.  Aesop hasn't been the best behaved lately.  He was doing better though towards the end of the walk.  Progress is good.
• I was wearing dark sunglasses for the walk because of the earlier dilation of my eyes.  I took a few pictures and just now, looking at them, they came out pretty well.  There was detail missing with my eyes being the way they were, the camera did a good job.

☮

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


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

Frosty Morning

 Last night was the first frost of the season.  I'm not ready.  There are things I want to plant.  The cold also made it hard for me to sleep last night.  One of today's tasks became making sure all the radiators were cleaned off and now the heat is on.  Other happy things for today are:

• Being the person to take Aesop out first this morning gave me a chance to see the beauty of the tiny ice crystals clinging to the plants.

Frosted black-eyed Susan.

• After lunch, I met a friend at the Tower Hill Pond Trails and we caught up.  We walked the loop around the pond but there are many trails that spur off.  

• As the sun was setting I noticed part of a cloud formation.  To me that one part  looks like one wing, like that of an angel.

☮

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

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

Baronial Birthday Oops

 Keziah and I visited a local park with Aesop, the dog, this morning.  It was for walking with a little bit of training.  From some of Aesop's behaviors, we think that the hunting/bird dog part of whatever mixed breed he is, is strong.  He really wants to chase ducks, geese, or turkeys.  

Aesop and some ducks.

It was a nice walk in the park.  Aesop is responding a little better to some of the training we are trying to give him.  Other happy things for today:

• There are huge Asian aquatic lotus in the pond at the park.  Although they are pretty, according to a Google search, they are also invasive.  I'm glad I got to see them before they go away.

• Today I went on three walks.  The one at the park, one by myself, and one with Aesop.  Outside can be a good place.

I'm noticing more foliage.

• For the last few days I have been thinking that the birthday of the Barony was on October 3rd.  Yesterday I looked it up and saw October 4th.  This morning Keziah and I made Facebook posts about the birthday of the founding of the Barony and then someone corrected us, it is really the 3rd.  Then Facebook went down and I have not been able to respond.  So I got a lesson in checking my sources.  I looked at the wrong site to check a date and assumed that my memory must have been off a day.  Guess what?  My memory was correct and that makes me happy!  Yesterday the Barony of Stonemarche turned 34 years old.  Happy Birthday a day late!  In less troubled times, we would have had a small event to celebrate.  I will have to remember to update the site that is wrong over the next few days or find someone else to.

More colors.

☮

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

   -- It is believed that the first people summited Mount Washington in 1642 because the mountain was sacred to the Native Americans and they wouldn't climb it.   

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