STAYCATING DAY 2: Monday, June 23

STAYCATING DAY 2: Monday, June 23

Mike and I (and the dogs, of course) came back to the farm today, and the most wonderful thing happened! Clearwater Power upgraded our satellite internet. Heretofore our connection has been s-l-o-o-o-o-w.  Posting to the blog was problematic. We couldn't watch videos. But no more! The upgrade is fast. But – I digress. This story is about last week when the dogs and I were “home alone.”

Did I mention that staycating includes a reward? Yes, it does. I’m considering that even as I write.

Well – “to continue and go on,” as Grandma Ina would say -- we slept well last night – apparently all of us. The rowdy coyote clan evidently moved on. I awoke on my own at 6:50 – that’s late -- and found Nellie on the “porch pillow” and Bess resting in the grass by the cistern. Their habit is to come into the house while we have breakfast, but after “good mornings” and hugs all around, Nellie asked to go back out and Bess followed. I would have expected them to beg for their morning walk, but instead, they seemed to disappear. I was concerned when I didn’t find them in the yard or at the pond, but when I whistled, they came from the north field.

 

That’s when it occurred to me that there was something in the north field – probably a deer carcass. But I tell you what – I wasn’t going to wade out there through tick-laden, knee-high wheat to investigate. We went on for our morning hike, which went well and was uneventful.

Five days of “home alone with dogs” seems overwhelming, but I know from experience that the time will pass quickly. I must keep moving forward with what I want to accomplish. I’m making a number of doll outfits and accessories for Emmy’s sixth birthday (July 6), now in varying states of finished. I'm having a good time.

As I sew, I listen to a podcast, The War, by Adam Graham who works out of Boise. I was born after WWII and I really don’t know much about the war or how it was on the home front. The podcast is not just about the war per se but also the political climate and public sentiment, etc., all illustrated by radio programming produced during the era. It can be hard to take. Sometimes I skip through the program to the commentary.

For weeks I’ve listened as the crop duster worked his way down the ridge. Eeeeee-ow-errrr. Today he came here making pass after pass over June’s field. I didn’t think he sprayed on this side of the lane, but maybe he did. He left and didn’t return.

Mike called this evening. He was cheerful and said that things went well. An email message an hour later was titled “problems.” He had noticed his back tire was going. He had replaced the front tire last week, so he must have expected the back tire to withstand this trip. KW