Country life....

We had a great day yesterday! After church we headed home and even though the weatherman had said that it wouldn’t rain, we could see the bands of moisture over the hills as we began our assent up to the homestead.

After lunch I bundled up and headed outside. Not wanting to start a huge project with the uncertain weather. Besides I kind of  have ADD when it comes to projects around the place. I have so many that are half done it’s comical. I usually just do what I feel like doing and somehow it all works out.

So I decided to move a few small “volunteers” for a little project that wouldn’t take too long. “Volunteers” are what we call trees that sprout on their own from seeds dropped by the larger trees. We literally have hundreds of these of varying species around the property. Many of the small trees are in areas where they will never develop to maturity and will be shaded out by the larger trees around them, so they either need to be moved or eventually cut down. While they are relatively dormant now in the winter is the best time to move them.

            I get my tools together and put into the wagon that I tow behind the lawn tractor, then go to start the lawn tractor and no go, the battery is almost dead. I have been trying to nurse the 4 or 5 year old battery through one more winter, but my luck has run out. I hook up the battery charger and grab a bucket and a shovel and figure I will walk and get one tree while the battery is charging. I keep a mental note of trees that need to be moved just in case the chore I happen to choose on any given day is such.

            After digging up and transplanting the first tree, the battery is charged and I head out for two more trees. All were transplanted to an area that we have been clearing of Hawthorne and junk trees.

            On my way back to park the lawn tractor I stopped by the basketball hoop where Cody was practicing. We got into the age-old discussion (it’s been around since his older brothers were his age) about the need for some concrete or asphalt around the basketball hoop. You see our basketball hoop is definitely a “country” set up and is situated on a gradual slope of gravel, which is our driveway. I tell Cody the same thing I told his older brothers. “It helps with your dribbling skills because you never know where the ball is going to return when you bounce it”. Cody just rolled his eyes and continued practicing.

Lorelei had said that we could cook a pot of beans over the fire in the outdoor kitchen so I reminded Cody that when he was done that he could get the fire going. About 3:30 or so Cody has the fire going and a pot of tea brewing. I stop by the outdoor kitchen to get a large pot for the beans and notice that he has also brought cards and the yahtzee game outside. I take the pot inside and transfer the beans to it and then join Cody for a hot cup of tea. Lorelei soon joins us with a cup of coffee that she brewed inside and we sit around the fire and play a couple of games of yahtzee.

            Lorelei by this time is cold (we were all cold) and she heads in to make some cornbread. Cody and I stay with the beans and keep the fire going. We decide to play a game of Pinochle and Cody proceeds to give me a thorough lashing! It’s nearly 6:00 and almost dark when the beans are done and we head in to a wonderful dinner. Another great day in the country. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Glynn Jr.

A little of this and that........

We traveled to the Delphian private school in Sheridan last weekend for the regional chess tournament. Cody has been playing well but he knew it would be tough to get past the players of the Delphian school and make it to the state tournament.  Cody played (5) tough matches and finished in second place. Only #1 goes to the big show. He was disappointed but took it all in stride.







In other news around the place. I finally got some trees on the ground last weekend. There is a retired couple in the big city that buys 2 cords of firewood from us every year. They travel a long way to get the Pacific Madrone wood that we have so much of on our property. It is very dense and burns well but it is a pain in the rear to cut and split!

I was up on the knoll working last Sunday trying to get some of the bigger logs split. We don't have a hydraulic log splitter so all the splitting is done with mauls and wedges. I do some of the cutting with a buck saw and an axe, limiting the use of the chainsaw to the bigger chunks. I enjoy the exercise and the quiet of being out in the woods without noisy machinery. 

So Lorelei comes outside and walks up to the knoll to check out what I am doing. She sees the splitting maul laying there and asks "how heavy is that". I say "pick it up and see". So after a few funny noises she gets the thing off the ground. I give her a few quick pointers and the next thing I know she is attempting to split this big chunk of Madrone. After a few tries (hopefully she doesn't read this, but it was more than just a few) she gets the chunk split in two. To my surprise she wanted to try another! So by the time the second piece was split she was ready to call it a day. Well needless to say she has been in pain all week with a sore shoulder and wrist. I have been ribbing her all week about auditioning for Axe-men.

Not much other news. Lorelei has been working a lot. Adam stopped by a couple of weeks ago to help with a computer problem. Jon is busy with school and work. He travels this weekend up to Seattle to visit Seattle Pacific U. and of course to see Corina. He is taking the train so that will be a new experience for him. Cody's report card was straight A's again with excellent remarks from his teachers. They really enjoy having him in class.

That's about all for now.


Glynn Jr.