Back to Work

I have enjoyed the time off from work.  I had high hopes of getting a lot accomplished during this time off, but the weather chose to give us alternate activities, leaving those I had hoped to accomplish for another day.  Yesterday the snow, which began falling on Christmas, finally melted away with the rain and the warmer temperatures.  I am glad to see it go, thank you very much!

Snow Melting, New Year's Eve

Still, the time we spent indoors, keeping warm by the wood stove, was quite delightful.  We took the opportunity to play some games of Scrabble, played some music together and watched some movies on TV.... And in between all of this relaxing, I did manage to get some much needed "clean-up" performed in my eBay store.  I had been wanting to do this for a while, but was too busy doing everything else... so, one more thing has moved from "to-do" to "ta-done!"

Keeping Warm and Playing Scrabble

Joe Gets ALL the Triple Score Words!

Last night the wind blew.  It blew hard and I had visions of the Three Little Pigs... however, no houses blew down, well, except the old dog house, which, this morning, I found had been blown over.  I guess Talice, my daughter's dog, who we are babysitting, knew what she was doing when she opted to sleep in the goat shed. I fixed the dog house, fed Talice and played with her a little.  She is such an easy dog. HOWEVER.....

The first couple of days with Talice were fine.  She refuses the indoor quarters where our other pets hang out in the garage.  She seems obsessed with being outside... the door closing her INSIDE makes her start trembling.  So, she is in the goat pen, on a dog run, since, she does not know the area, and I do not want her to get out and get hurt or lost.   During the days I take Killian out to play with her, and, for the first couple of days, all went well (to be honest, they spent most of the days sleeping in the goat shed).  At night, I bring Killian in and feed Talice.  On day number three, before feeding/bed time, I heard dogs barking.  This is not unusual, as there are plenty of dogs in the area, and when one gets barking, they all chorus in.  Still, I kept thinking I heard Talice's bark.  But that could not be, because it was coming from the neighbor's property.

When I went out to feed Talice that night, the only dog in the goat pen was Killian... on the dog run was Talice's collar, which she had slipped and then, apparently, made her "escape" through the break in the fence.  Killian, still on her dog run, was not Houdini enough to follow suit, so, while Miss Talice pranced around the neighborhood, getting all of the other dogs riled up, Killian waited patiently to return to her quarters in the garage.  I was now officially worried.  I brought Killian in and then Joe and I set about figuring out how to find a dog that really does not know us, and who is happiest running through the woods at night.

I had noticed that Talice would SIT on command, and hoped this meant she had also picked up a few other "good habits" along with her not-so-good-habits of artful escapes.  So I whistled, I called her name, and I listened to the hound dog chorale answer my calls.  I tried again, feeling as if I could not call loud enough or whistle loud enough to be heard, still I tried.  And to my great delight, I heard the sound of approaching dog paws on wet icy snowy gravel.... thankfully, Joe had cleared the roads so I could hear her moving on them.

Then there was the new dilemma... how to catch her so I could re-collar her.  She, my daughter had proudly warned me, would come ONLY to my daughter.... all other humans, she would run away from.  Great, so here she was, six feet away from me and sure enough, she wasn't coming any closer.  She ran off, but returned as soon as I called, but never close enough for me to catch her. After a couple of minutes she took off again, this time running full tilt to the dog house in the goat pen... the dog house where she is fed every day.  "Good," I thought, "I can make this work."

I carried the pail with her food and the jug with fresh water out to the goat pen with me.  Once in the pen, I closed the gate behind me and headed for the dog house.  Talice, free to roam as she pleased at this point, watched me with anticipation, awaiting my stoop to fill her food bowl.  Instead, I took a few grains from the pail, holding them out to her in my hand.  She came over easily and ate from my hand.  I took a few more grains and she came to eat those.  At this point I scooped her up (she is HEAVY) and carried her all the way back to the garage where, once inside, I closed the door behind us.

Talice was VERY patient as I tried to figure out a harness I had on hand.  I decided the collar was ineffective, so wanted to try the harness.  But it took me a few minutes to figure the thing out, and Talice was a model prisoner.  When I told her to pick up this paw or that, she obeyed....and before long, she was sporting the brand new, very fashionable, royal blue harness.  I clipped on the lead and together we returned to the goat pen, where I reestablished her tether on the dog run, this time to the harness rather than to a collar.  Talice could have not cared less.  She was happy to eat, drink and sack out in the goat shed for the night.   And so far, so good... no more escapes for Miss Talice!

Today was a beautiful, blue sky day.  Though it was chillier than the weekend, still, the sun was shining and I suppose Talice decided sleeping outside in the sun was her preference.  She dragged hay out of the goat shed, making herself a comfortable bed to soak up the rays.  Joe caught a pictures of her during her completely comfortable nap time.  Tonight, when I went to feed her and to say good night, she had returned to the warmth of the goat shed.

Talice from the Window in the Garage Apartment

Talice, Snoozing in the Sun

Back in the garage this evening, after securing more wood this afternoon, Joe and I set about sorting through about fifty boxes he will transport to the semi trailer tomorrow.

Got Wood?

In one of the boxes were three LP records.  I have not owned a turn table since 1997, and this December, right before Christmas, I bought one of those units that has a turntable from which I can record to CD.  We decided to give it a try.  Visibly, the record was warped, and yet, the needle rose and fell with the warp, and the sounds of the Eagles soon filled the garage with the familiar, now 40-year-old, tunes.  Joe grabbed his accordion and I grabbed my guitar, and we played along with every song.  While we played, I tested the recording mechanism, and we were pleased with the operation.

And so tomorrow, well, OK, today, I return to work and will have only the evenings to enjoy the relaxation in front of the wood stove in the garage.  And next weekend Jenn and Benoit return from France and my grand-dog Talice will return home.  And, I suppose, we will start tackling the next project... there's always a next project here... trust me!

Sunset from Deck on New Year's Eve

2011 New Year's Day

We started 2010, working hard on New Year's Day, taking apart a kitchen in an 1825 house that was going to be demolished by the new owners of that property.  We worked through the night to get the cabinets and appliances out of the kitchen and into the storage shed on the same property.

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

The Czechs have a belief that what a person is doing on New Year's Day, so shall he do for the rest of the year.  I knew about that belief last year, and still we worked, in that freezing old house, without benefit of heat.... it was hard work and naturally, was pouring rain when we were trying to move everything from the old house to the temporary shed storage.....  I suppose then I should not have been surprised that the rest of the year was spent, pretty much in the same posture.....

Moving Through the Rain

By the end of January, we were supposed to have closed on our old farmhouse, but, as fate would have it, we did not get to close until February 2.  This is significant only because the folks in whose shed we were storing the items removed from their old house, were anxious that we have them out of the shed by the end of January, when the old house demolition was to begin.  So, rather than being able to move all of this stuff into the giant garage at OUR new property, we had to move it to yet another temporary storage....  With the weatherman predicting snow on Friday, we rented a U-Haul truck on Thursday and spent all night moving all of that heavy stuff from the shed to a rented storage unit.

Items in Storage Shed on Old House Property

Items in 26 foot U-Haul

Everything Packed into 10 X 12 Storage Unit

And indeed it DID snow that Friday and we had to dig out to get to the closing for this old farm house.

Pier in Snow

Pond House in Snow

Killian on Frozen Pond

Closing Day at Old Farm House

February and March were cold and wet, and we worked and worked and worked on this old farm house property.  We had to dig trenches and build roads to access different areas on the property, and always, it seemed, we were freezing and wet while we worked.

April brought warmer weather, and we were finally able to actually move from the pond house over to the garage apartment at the old farm house.  We had a busy, busy Spring and Summer, working to get the pond house ready to put on the market, and working to transform the old farm house property into a livable, home.

Joe Working on Pond House Prep

By the end of the hot summer, we had made major changes to this farm house property, just in time to be subjected to the wet season again.  The incredible rains that flooded the property at the end of September, meant more road work, and more trenching.  Thankfully, by this time, we had acquired a tractor and were no longer having to do all of this road work by hand.  By the time we left for California, for work and for a visit with friends and family, the water had receded, but it was still pretty mushy.

September Flood

More of the Same

New Deck above the Flood

On our drive back from California in the rental box truck, we once again ran into torrential rain.  Counting our blessings that this was at least better than our last cross country drive, in January 2008, when we'd driven through ice and snow storms, and then torrential rain storms, we drove through the rainy days and nights, and finally made it back to the old farmhouse.

November was spent preparing for winter, and cold weather, trying to catch up from a month on the road and trying to complete projects delayed by rain.  And before we knew it, December was here and it was cold, snowing more than I recall it snowing in December in the 22 years I have lived in this area.  Joe cut and split the wood for the newly installed wood stoves, and, by the time the big snow fell on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, we were ready.

Joe, Waving from the Comfort of the Garage Apartment

Joe Clearing the Roads in the Freezing Cold

We've spent the last week keeping warm, venturing out into the cold snowy outdoors only when necessary.  Joe worked in the freezing temperatures, clearing the roads and driveways so we and our neighbors could get out if we needed to, but we opted to simply stay in.  Today it finally warmed into the 40's and the melting is well underway... which means we have more road work ahead of us.

However, this New Year's Day, I think we will spend the day just relaxing and taking it easy.  If the Czech belief is correct, we will then enjoy a relaxing year????

Happy New Years!

It Will be Warm Again....

Talice in Snow

The weather this year has really been crazy.  I am not accustomed to having so much snow or snow so early  in the season.  We had three snowfalls with accumulation before winter officially arrived this year.  And, at about 3PM on Christmas Day the first snowflakes of this storm began to fall.  They have been falling ever since, but started falling more heavily this morning.  At 9 AM I went out with the yardstick and verified it was 7 inches deep.

First Measurement this Morning

I went out to the goat pen, where Talice is the guest visitor.  She is opting to sleep in the now-vacant goat shed, rather than the heated dog house.  She watched me as I approached with the bucket, in which she knew I had food.

Talice in the Goat Shed

Goat Shed with Straw Bedding

Once I'd opened the gate, she bounded out of the shed, frolicking as only dogs can do, in the deepening white stuff.

Gate to Goat Yard

Talice, Bounding Out to Greet Me

Talice, Catching a Smell of the Food Approaching

I filled her bowl, placing it back in the dog house, protecting it from the falling snow, and she was right in on that food!  The empty bucket was of no interest to that dog!

Talice, Chowing Down

Empty Bucket in Snow

The old farmhouse, her outbuildings and the property look so lovely in the snow, but I'm still not a fan of the white stuff.  I know that with the snow come the power outages and the accidents, both on the road and at home.  We are just not really well equipped to deal with snow in these parts.

Old Farmhouse in Snow

Outbuildings in Snow

I have been cooking this morning, in anticipation of losing power.  The wood stove is cranking out the warmth, and if it should be that we lose electricity, we will still stay warm, and be able to heat food on the wood stove.

Providing Winter Warmth

Talice appears thrilled with her accommodations.  She returned to the straw-filled goat shed when she'd finished eating.  The others, Killian, Benson and Miah, all just looked at me when I walked back into the garage.  They are keeping warm in the 60+ degrees the wood stove maintains for the garage, and they refuse to venture out into that cold, white powdery stuff!  What little wimps I have for pets!  They could learn a thing or two from my "granddog" Talice!

Talice, Loves the Snow!

The Day Before the Day Before Christmas

Saturday my daughter, Jenn, was to drive from her home in Madison, VA to ours in Mathews, VA, bringing her dog, Talice (pronounced TAH-LEASE) for us to dog sit while she and her husband spend Christmas and the first week of the New Year in France, with his family.  However, as seems to be an annual ritual, travel plans were thrown awry by weather.  Benoit, traveling to France ahead of Jenn, was to leave Friday night.  His flight was canceled and after persevering through the airport hassle of getting another flight, he finally was able to board a plane, 24 hours after his originally scheduled flight.  So Jenn spent Saturday, waiting in their home, in case he was unsuccessful in getting another flight.  We agreed to do the Talice delivery on Sunday.

Sunday, with Benoit safely on his way to France (he got stuck in a seven hour delay in Zurich) Jenn and Talice set out for our place.  They stopped to visit with friends in Richmond, and, in mid afternoon, Jenn called with a new plan.  She didn't want to be without her dog for several days while she was still at home, so the NEW plan we agreed to had her driving here on Wednesday, spending the night and then having me drive her to the airport for her flight on Thursday.

Yesterday afternoon Jenn called.  She was closing up the house and getting ready to load Talice into the car and make her way here.  She would see us in the early evening.  After I got off the phone, it occurred to me that it might just be simpler if I drove there, picked them both up, drove her to the airport, and came home with Talice.  So, I called her back and we all agreed on the NEW, NEW plan.

This morning dawned cold, and windy, but clear and beautiful.  I set out at about 9:15 AM and made the trip to Madison, arriving just after noon.

Madison Bound - Picturesque Country Roads

Mansions

Ancient Farmhouses

Blue Ridge Mountains

Snowy Foothills

Horses in the Fields

Jenn and Talice were standing outside, Jenn wrapped up against the bitter cold wind, when I arrived, and within a few minutes we were on our way to the airport.

Jenn and Ben's place in Madison

Jenn's Workshop

Jenn and Talice Waiting Patiently

Jenn and Talice -- Ready to Go

We stopped for lunch about twenty miles from the airport and enjoyed a delicious bowl of black bean soup, a Greek salad and a nice visit.

I dropped Jenn at Dulles Airport at 3:30 PM.  Her flight was not scheduled to leave until 9PM, but she assured me she was happy to be there early and would have no trouble keeping busy.

The drive home required much more patience than did the drive there.  Garmin announced, as I pulled out of the airport, that I should arrive at my destination at 6:31 PM..... I pulled in at 8:30 PM.  Still, though the traffic on 95 in northern VA was the typical traffic jam, I couldn't shake the feeling that this had been a really enjoyable drive.  I had spent the trip to Madison listening to a book on CD, and I listened to the rest of it on my way back from the airport.  It had been a long time since I listened to a book while driving, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  And while I am, most decidedly, NOT a fan of the busy roads and hustle and bustle that is northern VA, I absolutely LOVE the countryside on the way to Madison.  So I was happy to be able to get a few pictures, en route.

On my way home, my friend Kitty's husband called.  Kitty is back home from the hospital.  She has had her surgery and WILL make it for Christmas Eve service tomorrow.  Tom wanted me to know that we are STILL invited for Christmas Eve dinner at their house before the service.  When I asked what I could bring, he said he'd ask Kitty, and then reported that she replied that I should, "Bring Joe!"  

Back home now, everyone is settled down for the night. Talice is quiet, snuggled in the heated doghouse, surely wondering about her new "vacation" digs, but we'll get her more acclimated to the place tomorrow in the daylight.  She does not like to come indoors, even into the garage where our pets hang out at night.  She is happy outdoors, so outdoors she is. She is a model traveler, and though she did offer up a few hound dog bays when she was investigating her temporary yard, and dog house, she ate well, drank happily and is now sleeping.

Jenn, on the other hand, called to tell me her flight has been delayed until 2 AM......

Simple Christmas Decorations in Gordonsville, VA

Watching the Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

I watched from the window, too chicken to venture out into the sub-freezing temperatures, regardless of the opportunity of a lifetime.  Joe, on the other hand, braved the bitter cold to capture photos of this historic show.

The earth's shadow took only about an hour and a half or so to make her trip across the moon. Joe's first photo was when the eclipse was already about thirty minutes underway.

12-21-10 2:07 AM

12-21-10 2:08 AM

12-21-10 2:09 AM

12-21-10 2:21 AM

12-21-10 2:23 AM

12-21-10 2:40 AM

12-21-10 2:40 AM

12-21-10 2:41 AM

By the time the last photo was taken, the earth's shadow was totally covering the moon...but the image, while not clear, shows the whole sphere, rather than the sliver visible just a minute earlier.

As I saw it through the window, it appeared I could see the whole sphere of the earth's shadow as it approached full coverage of the moon, but could see nothing, once the moon had been eclipsed.  Interesting.