WET AND COLD

Note snow on the distant mountains. Green fields are not planted.

Mike and I returned to town last Thursday (May 12) but not before Mike, who was wandering around the house in his stocking feet, discovered that the mat in front of the sink was sopping wet. Investigating, we determined that the disposer was leaking and would have to be replaced. I can get excited about new kitchen appliances and gadgets, but the disposer is not one of them.

We spent the weekend in town doing town things – weeding, cycling, working on motorcycles, organizing the next sewing project, buying groceries and supplies (including the new disposer), etc. A storm Sunday evening (May 15) dumped a quarter of an inch of rain in half an hour. It rained a little more Monday morning.

Tuesday (May 17), we returned to the farm. We left the town house at 7:55, just before time to get my 8:00 o’clock steps, so when Mike stopped for gas, I got out and marched around the perimeter of the store. An employee greeted me cheerily and said, “Getting your steps?”

I couldn’t believe the steady stream of traffic on the highway heading west into town as we traveled east. The traffic wasn’t bad going our way.

I like to tour the farm yard as soon as we arrive, and as I did, a hummingbird buzzed me. Both feeders had been drained, so I quickly boiled some nectar. We see the hummers regularly now – at least four at a time – and yes, they fight with one another.

Of course, our first real chore was to install the new disposer. Mike installed one in the modular home a few years back, and it was a fairly quick project, but this one was terrible. He was on his back under the sink trying to lift and manipulate the heavy unit while I assisted. It was especially difficult to get the snap ring in place. We watched tutorials. We read tutorials. We were finally successful, but it didn’t seal well around the sink, so we have to do it again. Not looking forward to it.

As if that grueling work wasn’t enough for Mike, he then mowed the main yard. And after that, we took Bess for her afternoon walk – her favorite time of day.

Fruit trees and daffodils -- my meadow

And while we were out on the road, Farmer Kyle drove up, and we commiserated with him over the chilly weather and wet ground. He said the weather would be fine if it were March instead of May. He can’t plant when it’s wet because the ground gets hard as it dries out. It just needs to be warmer – at least 70 – and the prediction is that this won’t happen consistently until the first of June, and that’s too late to plant. Another downside of the inability to plant is that it throws off the crop rotation. Meanwhile, more rain is in the forecast. It rained today, and the high was a chilly 50 degrees.

Still swampy under clothesline; note rhubarb.

Mike went out to finish the mowing at 8:00 this morning. He said it’s the first time he’s had to wear a jacket and winter gloves to mow. It’s so “swampy” that he couldn’t mow near the barn or in other low places.

Meanwhile, in the house we have settled into rural domesticity. We have a fire in the insert, and the house feels cozy. KW