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It's Converse Shoreland tenny pumpers for me.

Sometimes brown leather biker boots or soft luxurious cowboy boots....gifts from my Mother.....a mountain trip....her mountains.

I have a pair of her fancy fur boots....black.  she had many. A pair of green sub zero boots, with inserts, that were my father's....never worn.

I used to wear sandals, a lot, but my toes rebelled, ending that.

I'm not having a great day.....storm prep.  Kids not committing to leaving mountains with me, so I can shut off water into house, and drain the pipes......I want to kick the new instant hot water heater to death.....straight natural gas is SO SMART cause one still has hot water when power goes.  This new tankless thing requires I blind unscrew front panel and reset button A to get to B to raise water temp back to HOT, bc it only gets warm on default setting. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The handyman, who cancelled when I was halfway home from lake house Monday morning to meet him, is here an hour late, using my leaf blower and shovels.  I was shocked he brought gloves.  Not shocked he left his message board icon picture, him, appearing to angrily look down at viewer, like one is stuffed into the floorboard of a vehicle.  He was a short man....quiet.....worked a shov l like a 5yo with a trowel....asked to leave at ,3:00.....explained his day this way:  High blood pressure, worried he was stroking out, wanted to come back in the morning.  I wasn't up for it .....have him and extra, newer shovel, and wished him well.

No hot water this am..... there's some kind of baffling mystery around the electric wire used to tie in power for the unit......a huge PITA so far.  "Fixed" for now.  Will see.

During yesterday's heater install....the contractor answered a call from him s basement renter, then ran out the crawlspace, bc his wife and a dog got "tore up" by other dogs....hospital .....just ran.

He cam back, but was shaking.....kept repeating...."lawsuit, not gonna recover from this."
His dogs killed his renter's shitzu.....OMG.

And so it was we finishedthe heater install  that failed this morning.

I'm having another coffee......a terrible idea, but the warm comfort is apparently worth the increased caffeine stress.

The wrens are back, checking out their watering can nest.  Reminding me to breathe, and carry on with what I can do.....to give gratitude for the lovely things you n my life.

I've stopped worrying about the ice and snow.  The kids will survive.

I'll be at the lake, prioritizing self care and upcoming projects.....
or, as quoted from Strange Brew, the movie...."I'll be in the kitchen, selling smokes."


 

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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on January 24, 2026, 11:53:01 AM »
This made me think of both of you, Amber and Lighter, though tastes vary and y'all are waaaay post hippie, still thought you'd relate in some ways to this woman and her B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onqPvEFnFHE

It was a pleasant, peaceful story to wake up to and have my coffee with.

Off to a big local diner-ish spot with my pal, who has anticipatory cabin fever, LOL.

hugs
Hops
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on January 23, 2026, 11:09:10 AM »
Hope you'll be careful too Amber...it'll be a yikesey, sounds like. I'm not looking forward to it as my block "turns off" too often. Ironically, since there's a power station close by. Oh well. I'll be under the covers with Pup and we'll just tough it out. No choice really.

I can't clear snow or ice so all I do is wait for it to melt.

I'm also very affected/addicted when I lose the internet. I'm very dependent on being online to feel connected to much of anything.

Stay safe and warm and enjoy snuggling and vegging out with B!

hugs
hops
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by sKePTiKal on January 23, 2026, 07:35:08 AM »
I hope you ladies are ready for the ice storm. Lighter, you'll probably see the worst of the ice on this coast. Power outages expected; probably trees down in places. And freezing (near zero) temps. Fortunately, I don't think there will any strong wind.

Cold is already settling in here. We're in the mostly snow range - a foot or more. That puts B and maybe Hol on plowing duty. I can shovel around the decks and jeeps. C needs picked up from the airport - Sunday was original flight. Storm is expected to continue here & north into Monday. LOLOL. A person just has to work around the weather! I'm probably gonna have to reschedule eye appt Tues if my jeep can't get out to the highway.

We went out Tues/Wed to prepare to be snowed in and total slugs. MIGHT lose internet - our starlink is on a plug that's not on generator. The ipad has it's own cell chip - so as long as the tower is up, I have my "lifeline". LOL. Hol and I did a radio check yesterday (handhelds) just in case.

As long as there's no wind... we should be good. Even with the arctic temps.
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on January 22, 2026, 11:50:07 AM »
That's so cool, Lighter!
Hope you do it, and for once, I'll track every detail, promise.

hugs
Hops
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by lighter on January 22, 2026, 11:46:44 AM »
I researched mushroom logs!  I'm fascinated by the idea, Hops!

Lighter
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on January 20, 2026, 04:25:41 PM »
I've seen really cool raised beds made of stock watering troughs perched on sawhorses, or something like that. Actually waist height, which sounds so wonderful to me. Guess I could set up a couple of those for salad stuff, wouldn't mind! (Of course, my helper would do the lifting part.) Might be some of those around second hand, do you think?

Ex BF M and I enjoyed a mushroom kit I got him on Amazon. He loved it, it popped all over with oyster mushrooms and lion's mane (good for ADD) was to be next. When it was spent we tossed the debris (and spores) in his woods to do what they would. He'd add them to omelettes, stir-fries, anything he did with meat...happy boy. But not for y'all, so you'll find something you love better to grow. BTW, if you do anything about a raised-to-waist height bed, I'd really love to hear about it.

This is what I fantasize about (don't ask me if I used AI...aaaack):
 Elevated Trough Planters
If you prefer a standard trough but need the 3-foot height for ergonomics, use a trough with a built-in stand.
Tarter & Behlen: Produce "elevated" planter versions of their stock tanks.
Stands: You can find 2-pack horse troughs with 3-level adjustable height stands that can bring the rim to approximately 3 feet.
Gardeners Edge: Sells a trough-style raised bed on a rustic stand that provides a waist-high gardening experience.

hugs
Hops
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by sKePTiKal on January 20, 2026, 11:18:15 AM »
Even 18" tall "raised beds are actually low to the ground. We don't eat many mushrooms.
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: facing the world
« Last post by Hopalong on January 19, 2026, 04:19:28 PM »
We had a snow "shower" yesterday (right after I wrote "no snow here") and it's all gone now.

I wrote a poem this morning about the mulberry trees in snow looking like something out of Tolkein, ready to pull up their roots and "walk outta here."

hugs
Hops
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on January 19, 2026, 04:15:35 PM »
I LOVE the greenhouse idea, and who could do it better? Waist high "table" beds, bravo!
I accepted that I can no longer garden in the raised beds out back, because a 6" "raise" is no help to my back. Had I the resources I'd create what you're contemplating for sure.

How about a mushroom log or two? SO easy. Spores available online, wonderful harvests.

hugs
Hops
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