Spring Forward

Time is odd. We've skipped ahead an hour, I am surprised to be through the first third of March already, and then I realize over half a century has zoomed by in a blink of my eye. Odd.

Thanks to everyone checking my blog and leaving messages. I am sorry not to have replied sooner. A week was spent working a vigorous schedule out of town, while hosting a very ugly upper respiratory virus. Then last week at home with the flu 'bug'. This week starts out with both of us in good health and Jerry working out of town for a few days.

I have tried to post a few times but have found the Internet connection up here in the 'wilderness' to be very temperamental, unpredictable, unreliable, challenging...... a good sense of humor is a must.

We love it up here. Our list of dreams for the place exceeds our 'best case scenario' expected life spans.

The resident wild-life situation is another challenge.

The deer are not pleased with the horses in their pasture and the new fences in place. They abandoned us for a while but are slowly adapting to the changes and venturing closer.

The creature chewing, pounding about, and leaving piles of 'droppings' in the attic has been banished and is angry. He is currently, at this very moment, sitting out in an Oak tree screaming (obscenities, I am certain). A large grey squirrel. I saw him scurry away last week and found two openings in the wall that he was using to gain access to his home, which is now ours and we aren't sharing with the squirrels. Jerry patched the holes. We listened in the attic for a few days to make sure we didn't hear any baby squirrels up there (none) and we have been cussed out by the Mad-One daily.

When we initially moved in, I had to remove the remains of several unfortunate birds from the wood burning stove before we lit our first fire. Well, it is spring time here. The birds are abundant and the love-sick birds are seeking nesting areas. A favorite spot explored is our chimney. They slide down the stove pipe, and hurray, arrive safely in the stove. Currently, at this very moment, there is another bird banging about in the stove. The drill is, I open the door with fish net in hand hoping to catch the little devils immediately. I fail. The feathered devils then fly back and forth across the high peaked ceiling. They fail to figure out the escape routes on their own. It takes two of us armed with brooms, hours to get the foul fowl out. Now there is another one trapped and I have to be the bird police on my own. I am tempted to leave it there for a while, let it weaken with hunger and thirst and then grab it. *sigh* I really won't do that.

This morning before leaving, Jerry was out studying the chimney, which extends from the very steep side of the roof. He was figuring a way to get up there to put a bird screen over the opening. He scares me, I have a vision... Jerry dangling from the roof, a rope tied around his waist, me hanging on to the other end on the other side of the house.... honestly though, the man would never allow a rope to be tied to him. *sigh*

Since he rarely reads this, just looks at my pictures sometimes, I'll tell you what he did the morning after he blocked the squirrel's doors. We woke early to the squirrel screaching at us, Jerry went out our bedroom door to the back deck, climbed up the edge of the house where the logs meet at the corner, climbed to the roof line to make sure the squirrel had not gotten past his metal patch job, and did all of that climbing in his under-shorts, his white briefs. *sigh*

I really do love it here.

To my 'blog buddies', I keep reading but am having trouble posting comments. Know I think about you!

To my family, yes I know I should call more often. On our good days we seem to be in bed by 8 pm. When we aren't ill, we are exhausted. But I think of you all daily.

To everyone, enjoy your adventures today!