End of the Road Farm

[sKePTiKal]

OOOF. Sorry about the taxi disaster Lighter! Sounds like you just kept right on rolling, though.

Weather has been totally fabulous the past couple days. Cool crisp mornings warming up to "comfortable" during the day without being hot & sticky or oppressive. The oak pollen has been bothering me some; but not like in year's past. We'll see if pine pollen diminishes too. Different varieties here.

Last week's "fun" has turned into a struggle to get started again. Mower problems yesterday completely shut me down. But an online friend who repairs them, suggested one more thing for me to check out as the possible cause and the correction. The water issue at the garden hydrant was stupid simple: neither electrician or I had the strength to lift the rusted handle far enough. So while the plumbers were here, we worked out a plan to move that hydrant to a more convenient place. That'll save me dragging about 30-40 ft more of hose... and be less likely to get hit by someone backing up.

Compost is still MIA. The nursery had a big open house over the weekend and the rain just POURED... so it may be too wet to get a whole truckload loaded up. I still need to design a woodshed, put together a materials list, find someone to cut enough trees that I can split for next heating season.

I have company threatening to come again too... and the house just feels dusty from pollen season. And I really do HAVE TO finish up the caulking, poly finish on the interior of the new windows, paint the inside of the doors downstairs, and think about juggling the flooring job/replacing washer & dryer at about the same time. And there's a whole bunch more "dominos" involved there.

Meanwhile the garage projects are languishing at the bottom of the list.

LOL.

[sKePTiKal]

I have GOT to get Freddie his own brush. Cute little boy is shedding like crazy. I just cleaned all the pollen off the porch and now stray cat hairs are floating around... sigh.

Finally got the lawn mowed around the house... and it's on to the trimmer. Lots of places are too steep for the mower. Cut off a multiflora rose that's growing next to a tree stump. Still lots of things to build, fill, plant and prune/cut down around here. But I'm going to need to make a grocery run this morning and Ronnie said after he takes care of some business this morning, he'd be back to cut a tree that fell across his path in the back 40 and "spot" me while I get some hours on the bobcat.

Work is going to have to be with equipment or pretty light for me today... it's supposed to be stinky hot.  And I continue to chip away at the housework. I'll check the weather for the month again...  it might be time to switch to a/c.

[Hopalong]

I'm finding I'm good with 80 degrees indoors during the day, with fans.
At night, though I hate running the AC, I'm doing 74 for sleep. Impossible without it.

[lighter]

Ahhhh, so much going on, Amber.  Makes me tired reading it.  I assume things get easier and easier as you plug away.  You have a vision, and you're working toward it.

How is Holly doing?  Did she take the job?

Lighter

[sKePTiKal]

I guess I spoke too soon about the viking. LOL.

Claims he was in the hospital with kidney issues... said he missed chatting with me... still don't know how I feel about so much space in this arrangement. But maybe that doesn't matter. Decided to just not worry about it.

Tree pollen is working overtime. And while we had some thunder & showers last night - clearing the air - now I've let all the pollen in the house by leaving the windows open. Again. LOL. That's the trade-off for my practice of trying to acclimate to the outside temps... by not running the a/c. I did just turn it on, because of the humidity though. I can actually taste the pollen, so I know it's pretty bad. Lots and lots of dusting & vacumning have to happen now. Clean the ceiling fans.

OH WELL... it's going to be pretty hot & muggy the next couple days anyway.

The step-daughter's ex called; it's his weekend with the littles; to wish me Happy Mother's Day. That was really nice. But I seem to run out of things to talk about pretty quick.

[Hopalong]

Is it possible his kidneys were damaged by very bad music?

I know.

I'm evil.

Want you to be somebody's Viking PRINCESS, and minimal communication from your basic ungrownup...doesn't sound like what you deserve....(first takes, not fair I know, mind open....)

Big hugs
Hops

[sKePTiKal]

Oh, I know Hops. I'm not terribly emotionally invested in our "pen pal" situation either. No idea if there would be a spark, meeting face to face. And perhaps that doesn't matter either. I think we're both looking for an easy companionship, he & I. Not a lot of expectations, or hoops to jump through, just talking... like two grown-ups. Even if he does have different taste in music. Mike was a big Hendrix and Zappa fan... neither of which, I can endure for a whole album. But there was plenty of music in common we liked too.

Hey, I've sent him theme music from Outlander - in Gaelic! LOL. And some Steeleye Span. And Nick Cave. So the music compatibility isn't a make/break issue, as it shouldn't be. I don't like a lot of Holly's music either. And it's not like musical taste defines a lot of pieces of important character.

At least the viking isn't "emotionally needy" - LOL. I can respect that. Within reason of course.

[sKePTiKal]

It seems like I haven't updated the goings-on for awhile. But it was y'all's turn to be busy I guess, while I cowered in misery & lethargy from the pollen and basically didn't do a thing during the days & days of rain. The pond is so full, the dock is almost underwater.

I've cleaned the worst of the pollen off the porch that is my second living room. I've started cleaning the pollen off the windows - it was in the 90s here and I finally broke down and turned the a/c on, but it's since cooled off to barely 70 now - so I can leave them open at night.

Real early this morning, the power company showed up to install the meter and turn the rest of the barn wiring over to the electrician. Of course, it's been raining the last 1/2 hr - it's breezy and chilly too - and the guys are in their trucks. This is the hurdle I needed to get past to keep that project moving along. Plumbers rescheduled moving the water hydrant back closer to the barn, too; till Monday.... because of the rain.

So I've been stuck inside and not doing much. Removing pollen from the INSIDE of the house - LOL. Washing. Re-watched all 7 seasons of Game of Thrones again. LOL. I can't find anything at all I want to watch on Netflix or my live wifi channels. My roses are still in 1/2 a 5-gal bucket of potting soil and most of the herbs in their 4 in pots. It's just TOO wet right now. The roses are really starting to leaf out, so I've got to get a plan together for where I'm planting them. That dump truck load of dirt doesn't look like enough for what I want to do! But I will use it all before I make that call. The nursery still owes me a truckload of compost - but since it's mushroom compost I guess they have to wait for the mushrooms to get harvested before they have that much again. Then, he said he'd bill me. I just realized I haven't paid him and when we talked - he said he knew where I lived. LOL.

So, I guess I'm still just puttering around inside at organizing the downstairs, clearing it out for flooring (in July), and cleaning. Till it dries up enough around here to mow & move dirt.

[Hopalong]

You awe, awe, awe me.

I'm going to offer to share this morning's poem by PM if you like, let me know...

Believe it or not, it could be called, Why Don't I Work Like Amber? just as easily! 

Hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Oh, clearing those hurdles, Amber!  It's marvelous to read as I sip coffee on the old time seawall this morning, facing the Atlantic.  YES, and yes to finding places for your roses soon.  I find I do best after researching for days, then sitting things out in patterns, thinking on it again, then re checking morning v afternoon shade patterns, winter leaf patterns and so on.  I'm still trying to find the right place for neighbor's glorious green Hydrangea bush gifted from her huge healthy specimen.  She has the perfect shade and sunny spot I don't share in my yard. 

Anyway....so excited for you.  Moving ahead again...
Amber leading End Of The Road Farm expedition.  Yes😀

[sKePTiKal]

Ugh. It's STILL raining. Day 4 of 24 hr Chinese Water Torture. Still, it feels like this massive amount of rain was something needed here. Not a bad thing; all part of keeping the balance - balanced. It's just me, that finds it "in my way".

Hops yes... go ahead and share your poem!

Well, today's attempt to keep myself occupied and not going stir-crazy (beyond imagining the rain totals as snow instead) is making an excursion to town to recycle cardboard, and replenish the kitchen stash of goodies to eat. I'm on a broccoli slaw kick right now. Maybe more later; we'll see if I can break the hypnotic spell the rain has me under.

[lighter]

Amber:

I looked at the weather radar and the same swath of weather is dumping on you, and Hops, and me...goes all the to Washington, blowing over my children....over me.  It's huge.

Oh well..... I should have been planting palm trees.

Lighter

[sKePTiKal]

Soooo.... my subscription to the dating site expired Saturday. Which means I can no longer access the messages section to see if the viking has replied to me. I have a fenced-off email address I can use to continue conversation and I was going to send him that, but I missed the deadline.

OH WELL, crap happens. Except, in the back of my mind... I can see him maybe wondering where I got off to. And maybe feeling the same way - c'est la vie. And he does seem to be a pretty nice guy despite the head-banger music. He has a life and a family he dotes on. A garden to tend; wood to get in for next winter - just like me. Perhaps some medical issues. Don't we all have those creeping up on us?

So I'm trying to decide - renew the subscription for the short-term, send him the email address (his sub expires in July and he's not re-upping) and enjoy having found a new friend without worrying if it goes beyond that - or just let it go, it's not like I don't have enough to keep myself busy, right?

Except that it DOES seem to matter to me, that someone cares enough to engage in conversation and start a "technically-speaking" relationship... even if it might be different than either one of us was hoping to find. And someone else caring... seems to be necessary for my motivation to "keep going". I still haven't mastered that kind of "self-caring" for myself... although it's definitely better than it once was.

I could continue dithering about this until it doesn't matter, but I think I'm going to give myself a deadline of the end of the day to make up my mind. After shuffling through all the profiles & pics that I have... he was the only one to kinda "grab my attention" in more than a fantasyland way. (Mostly THEIRS, about what a good catch they are.) Some of them can't even spell and many of them advertise themselves as "God's gift to women". Blech. Viking seems downright normal and average comparatively speaking. There are worse things than being a Buckeye fan - LOL - I am so OVER football.

ETA: NEVERMIND... I'm in a "just do it and stop thinking about it" mood today. Just sent him the explanation.

[lighter]

We'll, whatever happens, happens.  You have choices.  You'll do what feels right. 

I'm curious......do you notice a heavy or light feeling when you think about the Viking?

Lighter

[sKePTiKal]

Hmmm. I would say I'm curious about him. It would be a truly tough thing to live through, waking up to find your spouse died during the night. And then raising his kids alone. But he doesn't seem any worse for wear these days - 15 years later. When I get messages from him - assuming he's not hired a service to write them (I don't think he has) - it's light and fun.

He doesn't press me for information. We talk about what we're doing that week, sometimes reminiscing about the old days. He asks pertinant questions but they don't seem anything more than curiosity about me & my situation here.

It's very very easy to talk to him. And he says he enjoys my babbling! (That's a plus, right?)