FLITTING

Little Canyon

One thing leads to another. I need my shoes from upstairs, so I make the trip count by carrying a stack of books as I climb the steps. Maybe I just set the books down; maybe I put them away. Maybe putting them away leads to cleaning out a closet. Then I’m thoroughly off on another tangent and still in my slippers. Maybe I’ll eventually remember I was after my shoes; maybe I won’t. I could do this sequence over and over again with dozens of different items. I flit from this to that. I’ll spare you the details.

We got up to steady rain on Tuesday, and I was grateful Mike had pressed for loading the pick-up on Monday. It didn’t take us long to pack the remainder of the food and get on our way. We traveled the Clearwater River in rain. We climbed the Gilbert Grade in rain. We unloaded at the farmhouse in rain, and it continued to rain well into the evening.

"The prettiest sight..."

I took care of the perishables, hung the holiday wreath on the door, and hooked my “Thanksgiving” lights into the kitchen window. And then I was about finished for the day – except for fixing supper, including baking an apple pie.

Mike read the low here at the farmhouse as 11 on Nov. 11. It’s warmer now and that’s a blessing. With the propane wall furnace and a fire in the fireplace, we soon had the downstairs quite comfortable. We had no plumbing problems whatsoever.

Bess gnaws bone in the rain

So I sat down to look over my Christmas granny square afghan, an unfinished project. It’s been stored in the closet of my sewing studio in town, but I decided to carry it with me this trip -- just to check it out, see what I need to do next OR IF indeed I want to do anything. I lifted out skein after skein of red, green, and white yarn, eventually coming to skeins of off-white. Then I saw it -- Arrgh!! The dreaded mouse sign!

Little Canyon at sunset

Two years ago, a couple of mice came into the town house, probably carried on the wood. I’m sure that’s what was happening because once extra precautions were taken the phenomenon ceased. Well, one of them found her way to the back closet and explored this very tote bag full of holiday yarn. Though I did clean the closet – honest! – I obviously didn’t think about the need to check this tote (or any other tote, for that matter). Or – maybe I just didn’t want to. Anyway, one block and one skein of yarn were obviously affected and went immediately into the trash. The tote is in the washing machine with a load of towels, and the rest of the yarn I’ll use, even though you may think it’s contaminated by association.

A view to the east

Now it’s Thanksgiving Day. Mike and I are grateful to have had contact with all five children. And we’re especially grateful that son Milo and Jenny will be with us for Thanksgiving dinner and the weekend. They’ll be here soon – but not before I make several more trips upstairs . . . KW