The
stay at the farm (July 7-15) had its ups and downs -- literally. I took a tumble
in the barn last Saturday. Fortunately I wasn’t badly hurt and I’m recovering
nicely. I was most upset for the interruption in planned projects. The writing muse became challenged while the sewing muse pressed
on.
Next,
adding to the tedium, we ran out of high speed internet juice. I’ll spare you
the details, but I was probably the culprit, and Mike is sure of it. At any
rate, once you use up your allotment of juice, the system reverts to very poor
service, not only slow but intermittent. Discussion ensued. Some people would
just order more juice, but for us, the decision was a biggy. Eventually we
agreed to subscribe for the highest level of service which affords 15 GB of
juice per month, adequate for email, orders, look-ups, etc., but stream? -- probably not. In the process, we learned how to log-in and see our juice level. In
case you’re wondering, 1 hour of streaming costs 1 GB. Should you want to buy a
GB of juice, it’s $9.99. Ah! such is life in the country.
And
then we’re awaiting delivery of Mike’s new laptop, which didn't arrive on the appointed date, but that’s another story.
Mike
took adventure rides on his new Triumph Tiger XRx on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tuesday he got caught in the rain and came home soaked and chilled. So, we
fired up the seldom-used Jacuzzi and warmed him up. Some of the jets
didn’t work, but they do now.
Wanting
mushrooms for the venison shish kabobs we would have for supper Thursday night,
Mike decided to go to Orofino for them – on his bicycle. That meant riding the
graveled Gilbert Grade – down and then back up. He left about 8:30 and arrived
at the IGA in Orofino in 38 minutes. In returning, he climbed from the bottom of the grade to the top -- 8 miles -- in an hour and two minutes. He was quite proud of
this feat, citing his age, even though he was flat on his back in the grass.
While Mike was gone, Clearwater Power came and filled our propane tank. Now I’m ready for this year's autumn jelly-making and holiday baking and probably next year's as well.
While Mike was gone, Clearwater Power came and filled our propane tank. Now I’m ready for this year's autumn jelly-making and holiday baking and probably next year's as well.
Wednesday,
as I re-hung the hummingbird feeder, I looked south from the front porch and
saw a black bear in the field near the pond. This is the first time we’ve
actually seen a bear here. Mike happened to be on the porch, so he saw the
bear, too, but by the time I grabbed the camera, the bear was hastily lumbering
away.
And
then there are the deer. We used to see doe and fawn at this time of year and
not many bucks. This year we notice a lot of young bucks, and this morning one
brazenly walked through the yard to nibble in the south field. He may be the 
5 comments:
Oh no! Ouch! So glad you're recovering and it wasn't too bad a fall. Did you trip? (I have a talent for that.)
And oh no again! What a price to pay for your internet. And just to let you know how little I know, by streaming, do you mean watching something like a quilt video?
I fell backwards while descending the ladder from the barn loft. Landed flat on my back. Fortunately it was not from great height.
I don't know much about streaming either, but yes, I believe watching quilt videos qualifies -- also tutorials of all sorts (including motorcycle videos), downloading movies and television programs, YouTube videos, etc. If you have cable, you have no worries. Sending and receiving email messages is not a big deal, but opening email that takes you to a website is more costly. I do quite a bit of that. I also download podcasts, I think the system will bear that as long as they aren't videos.
Streaming is changing the way we watch television. I've heard from several sources that young people today simply stream the programs they want to watch through computer and don't bother with television.
You are so brave to climb that ladder!! I have so much trouble with heights and ladders are something I fear. A couple steps up and I freeze.
Hmm, I think I'd rather watch TV on a big screen (and ours isn't that big) from the comfort of my recliner than stare at the computer screen. But then, I think you can hook a computer to a TV with a cable and still watch on a TV? Guess I'm old school. Or maybe just old?
Really -- the ladder is only a few feet, but it doesn't have a handrail. I think I should go up again, but I will wait for Mike to come around before beginning my descent. I'm afraid of ladders, too, but I learned to manage a regular stepladder.
We only have one TV per house, so when Mike watches sports, I enjoy watching videos on my ipad or laptop. But I suspect that you and I both think of television as a structured schedule of programs, and that is going to go away. (Predictions by Kathy)
Mike and I do have a cord to connect my laptop to the TV set, and we have done it a few times. It's awkward in our situation, but we can do it, and it's fun if you want to watch a specific movie or program. Some people have smart TVs that hook up through wi-fi, and in our lifetime, we may have to accept whatever that brings us.
We just got back from an RV campout. There were about a dozen deer right in our camping area. They ranged from does to fawns, to yearlings, and finally, on the last day, a buck. They would come up to within four feet of us and eat treats. The site was a church site in the hills. Wonderful trip.
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