And back to my happy place

We went back to my Dad's, mostly to go to our mountain.

We went to work.  The field needs to be cut this time of year to get it ready for winter.  The blackberries are not as overwhelming as lower down the mountain but they are still a force to be reckoned with.

The colors!  The temperatures!  We actually stayed in the machine shed one night.  Small boys, Tall Short Person, my Beloved, and myself.  We had forgotten our gear in the madness of packing for a plane ride and we just did not have the right anything.  We went back to my Dad's afterwards and came back up to work.  But during the day it was so nice to wear a sweater.

We have been back a week and I have been trying to play catch up since.  I will say that it was wonderful and I need to go up there more often when I am at my Dad's.  It is just for soul healing.  We are considering getting a kit cabin to put up on the mountain.  Something that we can put up quickly and maybe heat.

The next two months are going to be crazy for work and travel.  We have been invited to a few holiday markets but it does usually end up being a six to seven hour day for me.  I will be traveling to  my Dad's at least once before Christmas.  And the healing continues.  The endurance is sslloowwllyy coming back and I get dizzy less often.

Went to Washington, came back to more face masks

We went to Washington to be with my Dad.  It has been about two months since I saw him.  He is doing okay enough for where life has him.  It is hard to be okay after my Mom's death.  But he likes having us.  We go different places then he normally does and there are people in the house.  I liked having my Beloved and Koda Bear with me. 

My Dad does better with boys around.  And the first day there I had food poisoning.  I slept most of the day and it was not until evening before I could really drink and eat.  Having the boys there helped or my Dad would have been very worried.  I did get checked on the whole day but most of the time I was so out of it I did not even notice.

The boys worked with my Dad on things that needed to get done.  Trees were pruned.  A tree was cut down.  The back steps were replaced.  A lot of chess was played.  School work was done.  Not very different from what happens at home.

We did get up to the mountain twice.  My Dad came up with us the first time.  He actually climbed up into the loft to sit in my rocking chair.  Watching your 91 year old father climb a ladder is scary!  I clipped back blackberries and went for a ramble with Koda Bear.

The second time we were up there more work was done.  My Dad decided not to come with us.  I worked with the scythe until my shoulders said to be careful.  The boyos weed whacked and cut down more trees.  The trees were dead or dangerous so they did need to go.  Definitely a theme of tree cutting for this trip. 

Maybe next time I can lobby for the covered picnic area we are planning.  Walls and fireplace will be included so short humans could sleep there if they wanted.  Or if we have more then just the normal count.  I am going to experiment with a rocket stove and a thermal mass bench in that space.  Being able to sit out in the snow with a warm bottom could be pretty fabulous.

While we were up in Washington, I decided I needed a hat to travel home in.  I get cold on planes.  The hat helped.  It also helped that I could crochet at my picnic table while the boyos wandered.  Lots of tramping went on.  

I found on the mountain that I did not suffer from anxiety when planes flew over.  It is part of the flight path from Canada to the US and beyond.  Which was pretty wonderful after everything that has gone on.  My lungs eased.  I could breathe easily.  It has not been true since I have gotten back.  Planes and breathing are difficult.

I got back and I had more face masks to make.  I have a feeling that it is part of the new normal.  I just read an article where Texas is the number 1 state for risk of COVID19 numbers to rise rapidly.  Second wave.  It does not surprise me at all.  More face masks.  More hand washing.  More staying at home.  Though I really wish to go surfing, camping, and walking in the mountains.  Walking helps.  For whatever reason, working on the computer is hard.  Maybe that will change.

counter

In the machine shed on the mountain, we have a loft.  We sleep on the loft.  We have a long counter so we cook there.  My Beloved decided that he wanted to add counter space in the "kitchen."  It really is not a kitchen but it is always protected from the rain which really helps.  Wind not so much but I am okay with that.

He and Koda Bear went foraging supplies for this build.  There was a maple tree of the right size that was not in the right place.  Or the best shape.  There was a butcher board type counter top from the ReStore.  Boards and screws from other projects.  The chainsaw came out and the boyos went to work.

The wood glue had curdled and did not stick.  There was discussions that maybe lumber should have been placed differently.  The shelves were probably installed in the wrong order to make life easy.  But in the end there was is a counter.

Due to the end shape of the counter and the colors of all the wood, it has an Asian or modern feel to it.  It reminds me of the angles in some of the roofs and stools I have seen.  Or the lanterns.  I like it.  Not bad for time and ingenuity.  The counter top was the only thing that we had spent money on and not even this trip.  We had purchased it a while back.  So you could say the cost was $25 plus time.  And trees and leftovers from other projects.  

I do have to admit, the boys were bored due to the broken tractor.  I mostly helped with design, holding pieces in place as they were screwed in, and supervising.  I worked on my sweater in my rocking chair watching them.  

I have been doing a lot of resting since we have gotten back.  In some ways, it is still like I am on vacation.  I have three appendages with blisters so my normal morning walk has been difficult.  We have also been doing some video watching and reading late into the night.  Next week will be more normal.  I am just hoping the allergies are better too.

a touch of fall and waiting for weather

I got to go to my quiet happy place!  The mountain.  It was a bit of a wild week.  Koda Bear came to the mountain for a day.  Maybe a little more.  Then, we went and took him back to the Tall Short Person's for school to start.  Then back to the mountain we went!

It was mostly summer there still.  But the nights were cooling way down.  There was a touch of autumn in the air.  I did take a few minutes to sit by a small fire and work on a dress.  A very small fire.

Up until the very last, the nights were gorgeous.  It is so funny when needing a blanket brings such joy!

I learned a lot this trip.  I drove the tractor for the first time.  I used a chainsaw taking out trees.  I have so many more trees to take out.

My Dad listened when I said I wanted a scythe.  He found me one at a garage sale.  It is too big for me.  It is probably the wrong blade for what I really need it to do.  But it is one of my favorite tools.  It is the best tool I know for cutting down salmon berries and cutting blackberries.  I found it was more work to use the chainsaw!

The night before we were to leave it started to rain.  The mountain is the first mountain or hill in the Cascade range out of the Frasier Valley from Canada.  There is interesting weather there.  This rain was part of it.

The broadleaf maple on the road was green when we got there.  It had changed color by the end of the week.  Autumn was definitely coming there.  I miss it.  

Waiting for weather in my title is that there is a depression that may bring a lot of rain in the Gulf.  The funny thing is, the local news stations are saying we may get weather from Florence.  Specifically rain.  I am a little concerned on Issac.  I am not sure that I am ready to sit out another storm.  Especially a large storm.  I will just keep watching and waiting.

Maybe I will just pretend I am here.

and I am back

I am back from the mountain.  I do not really wish to be even though there is much work to do.  Me and my trusty grass whip were out wacking a lot of weeds.  I need to learn how to use a chain saw as well.

But berries got picked and I made jam again at my parents.  Any of the berries that had gotten a lot of sun were done but if there was any bit of shade or just not as many hours of sun, berries were still there.  Blackberry and thimble berry.  My parents think this low lying blackberry is the most tasty.  It is similar to what I pick in Houston but the thorns are not as deep.  There were many less wounds.

I am going to need to start practicing with a shotgun again.  There was a bear seen down lower that was the largest healthiest bear my neighbor had seen.  His Dad did not say that but he did.  She just kept going her way. 

The more worrisome animal was the cougar.  The cougar that I was told looked like a bear wearing a cougar suit it was so large.  There were pictures.  The cougar was walking down our road.  Like nothing else was going on.  Bears can be scared off.  They do not like noise.  Cougars are not the same.  My father was consulted for what the right firearm would be best for me to use for both bear and cougar.  Now, I need to practice. 

For this consultation, my Dad sent mending home with me.  He asked if I would make short sleeve out of long sleeve shirts for him.  I have to laugh because I obviously do not fall for from that tree!

So Koda Bear was kept more in sight then normal.  He helped dig out the blackberry breed that I do not wish on the mountain.  Rain would have helped the digging to be easier but the roots were gotten out.

He asked to go to the park.  When the park has this view, yes.  There was also tea.  Ice cream and doughnuts after.

It was such a fast trip.  But this sunset over Colorado was so pretty.  I need to go back already.  About six weeks.