“WORK?!”

 

As I was raking the farm yard on Sunday (March 1), Maynard G. Krebs came to mind. Maynard was the beatnik character played by Bob Denver on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Some of us will remember how he would screech, “Work?!”

Maybe you’re tired of hearing about the weekly “fallen tree” tasks on the farm. Well, I’m tired of it, too. On Sunday, Mike sectioned the big tree in the north field into 8-foot lengths while I loaded slash piles in the yard into the 4-wheeler trailer to be hauled to a burn pile in the field. I was not an enthusiastic worker, I’m afraid. I think I only loaded three trailerfuls.

It was another warm day (55 degrees), but it had snowed earlier in the week as evidenced by a few piles of snow in shady spots. The temps are so mild that we think we could de-winterize the house before long. It would surely be easier to manage our visits if we did.

Anyway, I allowed myself the opportunity to pursue some interests in the house. Daughter Hallie purchased an electronic piano and has undertaken to renew and expand her skills, so I selected a few books from my family’s collection of music that I think she can use. Naturally, she can have what she wants, but I included just a few slim books in the box with Silas’ afghan.

And then I went upstairs to go through an old pattern file inherited from my mother – patterns from the ’30, ‘40s, and ‘50s, a number of which are “Laura Wheeler Designs.” These were sold through newspapers – another fun feature that disappeared years ago. I’ve looked through that box many times, but yesterday I realized that my grandmother, “Mrs. C. O. Portfors,” ordered several apron patterns, and since I like vintage aprons, I immediately felt a link to her. I have apron patterns, too, and my current quest is a pattern for “Mrs. Hall’s apron.”

And while I was upstairs, I checked out the master bathroom which is currently torn apart and startled a pair of starlings – or did they startle me? I yelped and they squawked. Later, Mike opened the window and spoke to them, encouraging them to fly out, but they didn’t leave while we were present. We hope they are gone. It begs the question as to how they got in, but the contractor will have to address this.

Besides warming soup for lunch, I heated the oven and baked a package of Nestle’s refrigerated cookies.

The early daffodils are in “gooseneck” stage – signs of spring. KW

PATCHES ON PATCHES

 

The Silas

Mike wears coveralls when performing his dirtiest tasks and rightly so. He buys them used for a pittance from Blue Ribbon Laundry, so they are already on their way to the rag heap when he gets them. Then it becomes my job to keep them serviceable.

I was at a standstill in my sewing room, so I asked myself where the buffalo was lurking. Aha! Mike had asked me to mend his coveralls, and I simply didn’t know where to begin. They had great gaping holes above and below the reinforced waistline.

Now, we have known for thousands of years – Jesus even said so – that you can’t sew new cloth onto old, but Mike entreats me and I try. I just didn’t want to step up to that mending job, but it was standing in the way of progress. Once I decided how to proceed, I accomplished it fairly quickly. I ironed patches onto the back side of the fabric and zigzagged away.

I also had another mend waiting for attention – Mike’s lined cargo pants. This was an even more daunting task. He wears lined pants in winter for extra warmth, but the lining – lightweight flannel – wears out, undoubtedly due to the action of thrusting his foot down the leg, but how else is he to put them on? Well, flannel just isn’t going to last as long as the outer fabric, and that’s all there is to it. This mend was a time-consuming chore, and I served notice that I won’t do it again. (Hmmm. Didn’t I say that the last time?)

Crab stitch edging

At any rate, the buffaloes are now finished, and I’m free to move on with more rewarding work. On that note, in the process of finishing the Silas Pattern Blanket, I ran out of gray, the base color. Searching my favorite online yarn outlets, I discovered that the total cost with shipping for one skein would be $12.00 but that I could buy a pack of three skeins from Amazon for $12 total with my Prime membership. Naturally, I ordered where I got the best deal, and it was on my doorstep the very next day. As sad as it is for the world of retail, it’s hard to argue with that.

So, I finished the Silas Pattern Blanket, and so now I have extra gray yarn which I’m using to crochet an edging on my original “pattern blanket.”

The leftover colors from the Silas Pattern Blanket are now stored for the next project (if there is one), and there’s a rather large bag of them. I tell myself that supplies are an asset in this unsettled tariff-ridden world. KW

LUMBERJACK AND JILL

 

Mike said that Sunday (Feb. 22) would be a warm day (in the 50s) and therefore the best day to work in the wood. So that’s what we did. Again, we went in the big old Dodge Ram pick-up – Mike, Bess, and me. It was 50 when we arrived at the farm about 10:00 – 48 in the house. The afternoon high was 56. I dressed warmly and didn’t need a coat. Naturally, what little snow was on the ground was quickly melting.

According to Mike’s plan, he delimbed the big pine branch in the grove, discovering that it was bigger than he thought. He hauled the greenery to one of our many slash piles with the 4-wheeler. (He said ten trips; I said five.) Then we proceeded to cut and load the wood. We took a break for lunch at noon and then went back to it. It took longer than Mike thought, but that phase is complete except for the final clean-up of the grove.

Work for another day

It was 1:30 or so when we went to the bottom of the lane where Mike cut the previously stacked limb wood into lengths for firewood. I climbed (or is that clambered?) into the pick-up bed and I stacked the firewood as he tossed it to me.

Stack of wood at pond

Mike had hoped to work some on the tree in the north field, but we didn’t have time. He briefly mentioned the stack of wood on the other side of the pond, but we didn’t dare try to drive there due to the soft ground.

It was nearly 4:00 as we started back to town. The trip proved easy enough – not much traffic, and we were grateful to have leftovers to warm for supper. We were in bed earlier than usual.

On Monday, Mike unloaded, stacked, and covered the firewood ahead of the predicted rain.

We continue to see a mild winter. Regional ski hills have given up hope of opening. It rained yesterday (Monday), and this morning we had a rain/snow mix. However, the forecast shows highs in the 50s (some days almost 60) over the next ten days. Meanwhile, we watch as the East Coast is devastated by extreme winter weather. And while we might appreciate this mild winter, we will pay for it one way or another. It’s just that no one talks about it unless it’s real devastation. KW 

SILLY OL’ BESS

Bess as we walked at the pond last week

You never really know for sure what a dog is thinking, and as they get older, an element of dementia seems to come in. Mike notes that the older dog also becomes more independent. Perhaps she’s thinking to herself, “You never really know what your humans are thinking, and as they get older, they are so unpredictable! I’d better think for myself.”

For the first twelve years of her life, Bess’ evening routine was to curl up on her pillow after supper and nap until bedtime. Some months ago, her routine abruptly changed, and she began to go out after supper and put herself to bed in her kennel. Mike would go out later and close the gate.

That is, unless it’s raining. Rain seems to confuse her. It rains so seldom that it’s not a big deal, but it was raining the other night when she was ready to go out. At first she hesitated when I opened the door, but then she decided to go out anyway. We figured she’d be right back, so we watched for her, but when she didn’t show up right away, we began to worry. Mike went out to check the kennel and call her several times within 20 minutes or so, finally blowing a whistle. (It doesn’t help that she’s deaf.)

Just as we were wondering what to do next, our neighbor rapped on the door. He said that Bess had shown up at their back door, wet and whining, so they took her in and dried her off. He heard Mike calling her, and as he brought her home, she slipped into her house and he closed the kennel door.

So, Bess has a new evening routine imposed by her humans for her own good. She can either stay in the house and nap on her pillow or she can go directly to her kennel. KW 

A HUNDRED FEET OF PINE

 

Mike, Murray, and I went to the farm again on Thursday (Feb. 12). The guys lifted heavy limbs into the bed of our old pick-up. I helped some with the slash, but I couldn’t do the heavy lifting. I felt a little useless.

Mike says 100 feet of this tree lies on the ground. That doesn't count the snag that still stands. It's 100 years old, so we'll say it came to be about 1920, perhaps as the family was setting into their new house.

At some point it had rained, and the mud was even worse than heretofore. I wear “duck boots,” and I carried them back to town to be cleaned under force of water. If the ground is going to freeze, I think the temps will have to drop and stay below freezing for a while. It was 45 Thursday afternoon. 

So now, much of the work has been transferred to town. Mike unloaded the wood to be cut into lengths for firewood. Naturally, it’s green, so it won’t be ready to burn for a while.

And that’s about all I have to say. Sometimes when the work is demanding, all you can say is that you worked hard. In the end, it might be rewarding, but it’s not fun while you’re going through it.

I suppose I should add that the contractor had been there and started the repair to the ceiling in the master bathroom. And we found only one mouse in trap. KW

 

THE “PATTERN BLANKET”

I’ve made progress on the afghan, or “pattern blanket,” that grandson Silas requested. He and his mom called to face time with me the other day, and I showed the afghan to him. I explained that I have to keep putting on rows until it’s long enough to cover him. It should be long enough to cover his toes, he said, and I assured him that it would be.

I told him that I want it to be long enough so that he can still use it when he’s older and taller. He would like to use it when he’s a man, Silas said. His mom advised him that he won’t be a man for quite some time and by then he might want a new afghan.

“I’d like a travel blanket,” said Silas, and I began to wonder if he’s  ordering yet another afghan. His mom and I assured him that this blanket will work at home and in the car, too.

“I need a new bed,” said Silas, and I agreed that he should probably have a bigger bed before long and left it at that. 

And then he asked to see the blanket again, so I spread it out on the back of a chair and let my phone show it to him.

What with the Olympics and the Super Bowl, our household is focused on sports at this time. Mike is into all this competition, but for me, it's a chance to finish the pattern blanket. On Super Bowl Sunday, I made dips and set out chips and veggies. The spinach dip was supposed to be baked, but Mike ate about a fourth of it before it saw the oven. I also filled a graham cracker crust with a no-bake cream cheese filling and made a sauce of frozen sweet cherries.

After the Super Bowl, an explosion of fireworks occurred in our neighborhood. “What’s with the fireworks,” I wondered aloud, and Mike explained that this was in celebration of the Seahawks’ win. KW

STILL WORKING ON THAT TREE

 

“We should have taken ‘before and after’ pictures,” said son Murray as we left the farm on Tuesday (Feb. 3). Taking pictures of our work to delimb the big tree in the north field is problematic. It’s so big that it’s difficult to show our progress (or lack thereof), and it’s also difficult to manage the camera when I need to keep up with the work.

Mike and I worked at the farm on Saturday (Jan. 31), and son Murray helped us on Tuesday. Progress seemed slow until Mike started removing limbs from the lower part of the tree, which actually lies uphill. It’s hard work when you’re senior citizens, and Murray also fits that description, but Mike wants to do it.

Farmer Kyle came in on Tuesday, and he and Mike discussed the best way to cut the tree so that it can be hauled out of the field and into the yard near the barn. Kyle said he would do it as soon as the ground freezes, and I wondered if he was kidding. We’re having such a mild winter. It was in the 50s as we worked – in the 50s at altitude in central Idaho in early February!!! Murray took off layers of clothing – jacket, sweat jacket, sweatshirt – until he was down to his shirtsleeves.

People have speculated that we would have winter in January and February. Well, January is gone with neither snow nor rain, and I find it hard to believe that these springlike days will turn to winter. I saw crocus in bloom today and daffodils making an appearance. Yesterday it was 60 degrees in the Valley. However, I see that around Valentine’s Day, the forecast is for highs at altitude to be in the 30s with lows in the 20s, so maybe it will happen. If it does, what will it do to the fruit trees? We’re running low on elderberry jelly. KW

STILL ANOTHER WORKDAY

At the farm on Tuesday (Jan. 27), Mike and I delimbed the downed 100-year-old pine tree lying in the north field. We made a burn pile and another pile of limbs to cut for firewood.

It was not as cold as previous work days. The afternoon high was 45. The sun was out, which helps a lot. The frost was gone from the trees, leaving a world that was warmer but bleaker. The ground was somewhere between frozen and mud.

Without running water, it’s difficult to manage food prep and other activities of daily living. The dishwasher is full of dirty dishes. I plan to use disposables for the duration.

Mike lit a fire in the fireplace, which gradually warmed the house. I really love being at the farm. It’s just that it’s cold, the house is disorganized, and I’m not a manual laborer. My mind wanders while I work.

And where does my mind wander to? Well, I have happy places. I still think of making that sock doll. The other day I bought a package of three men’s work socks in off-white at Goodwill for $5.97, the best option I have found to date. Even so, these socks don’t work for the instructions I want to use. At least for the price I can afford to experiment. Whatever I do, it probably won't be as cute as the dolls in the drawing. Just the way it is.

Of course, my priority project is Silas’ “pattern blanket.” I try to work on it several hours a day. I would love to finish it soon so that he can have it before he forgets he asked me to make it.

Otherwise, I have had my frustrations in adjusting to Windows 11. I’ll spare you the details. KW

AND YET ANOTHER FARM WORKDAY

Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Mike insisted on another trip to the farm, so son Murray went with us. This was our third trip to the farm within a week. It was another dreary sunless day that didn’t budge from 27 degrees. Really, it’s too cold to work outside, but Mike will do it.

I mostly stayed in the house. Mike lit a fire in the fireplace, and the house became tolerably warm. After correcting a winterization oversight, Mike and Murray spent several hours working on the downed trees. We started back to town at 3:00.

We found two mice in traps again, so I reset the traps and set several more, one in my upstairs sewing room where last year the mice stole batting from a kit I left on the bed. Honestly, I don’t know their egress to these rooms, but nothing is sacred – NOTHING! Incidentally, daughter Hallie tells me that she has been trapping rats in the backyard of her Seattle home – five in two weeks. I have read that Boise is also fighting a rat infestation.

As I waited in the house, I looked through our cabinet of music inherited from my dad, whose career was devoted to teaching piano. I continue to store a variety of books, magazines, and sheet music, and I came up with a book of trombone “swing” exercises published in 1935, which I gave to Murray. So much is available online these days that we hardly need the books.

The trees, laden with frost, still stood in winter beauty, but I didn’t venture out to take pictures due to the cold. KW

ANOTHER WORKDAY AT THE FARM

 

We have been using the dining room evenings this cold weather. It is so much warmer, but I’m going back to the living room as soon as possible. – Ina Dobson, 1936

Mike and I went to the farm on Saturday (Jan. 17) to work in the wood. We tackled the downed pines at the pond, delimbing, cutting firewood, and carrying limbs to the burn pile, also located near the pond. It didn’t involve a lot of heavy work, but we were on unstable ground and our backs aren’t what they used to be. We were careful.

Mike was in his element and cheerful as he worked. The work is meaningful and accomplishment is always satisfying.

However, it was COLD! It was 27 degrees and foggy when we arrived, and the sun never did totally burn through. The day remained cold, but we were there to work, and we weren’t going to let the cold keep us from our mission.

Having winterized the house, we were without running water, but I heated soup in the microwave so that we had a hot lunch. We ran the wall furnace to take the chill off the dining room. As my grandparents knew, closing off the living room makes the dining room warmer.

We worked late into the afternoon. It was 4:30 and growing dark as we left the farm, and we decided to travel via Hwy 95 instead of the Gilbert Grade. As darkness fell, the fog grew denser. Visibility was poor until we finally drove out of the fog when we reached the valley.

And then we were back at the town house, safe and sound. I was glad of a warm shower, a hot meal, and a warm bed.

Oh! I nearly forgot the rodent report. We found two mice in traps, which we rebaited and reset. KW

A DIFFICULT START TO A NEW YEAR

 

Change! The older we are, the more difficult seems the adjustment. Despite the fact that people we know and love pass from our lives with increasing frequency, other unhappy circumstances exist that are beyond our control. I could do with a visit to JoAnn’s. A quick walk-through always gave my spirits a lift, and nothing takes its place. And it was so easy to visit JoAnn’s because it was right there in the little shopping center where I bought my groceries and got my hair done. The hair salon closed, too, and now the center includes an Auto Zone. “Nuf sed,” as Ina would say.

On Wednesday (Jan. 14), a lovely springlike mid-January day, we went to the farm and winterized the house. It remains to be seen if we really needed to winterize this year, but Mike doesn’t want to worry about it, and this is a valid reason to do it. The sun shone brightly in the southern sky. The afternoon high temp was 47.

Typically, we winterize the house in November ahead of a cold snap, but knowing that a mild winter was predicted this year, we left winterization until late in the hopes that we could have our Christmas celebration there. It didn’t work out due to the windstorm of Dec. 17 which blew down pine trees and left us without electricity for a full week. And with some preparation, we could probably manage all right without electricity. It might even be an educational retro experience, but without electricity, we have no water, and that’s a deal breaker. 

Ordinarily, we would not even try to visit the farm in January due to snow and cold. This year, there is no snow. The distant mountains show only a patch of snow here and there. It’s a bit scary since it means we’re in a drought.

Winterizing was all we did at the farm. Mike suggested delimbing the tree in the north field and/or cleaning the eavestroughs, but in the end, we decided to return to town. After all, he is still recuperating from a mild stroke and the flu, and as it was, it was after 3:00 when we arrived back at the town house. I had work to do in putting away pantry items and other things that I brought back, and Mike washed the Jeep. KW

A BOXFUL OF COLORS

 

Oh! I had so many plans for the week after Christmas and so many plans for January. It was going to be such fun to finish a wallhanging, an apron, a doll outfit, or even to make a doll. The possibilities seemed unlimited and I looked forward to it.

Unfortunately, I came down with the flu. On my worst day – New Year’s Day – Mike experienced vertigo. I couldn’t do a thing for him, so we called son Murray who looked after his needs. He had a mild stroke due to a clot and spent two nights in the hospital for observation while I convalesced at home. Once Mike came home, we realized he also had the flu, so we’re now taking care of each other – and Bess. (I’m thinking that Bess can do without all those walks she gets, at least for the duration.)

Anyway, enough about that. I took advantage of quiet hours to crochet on Silas’ pattern blanket, and it grew to 12.5 inches, but decisions regarding the repetition of colors became bothersome for me.

“Well, we can use a randomizer,” said Hallie. There’s a randomizer? Who knew? So, Hallie submitted a proposition regarding my project to Chatgpt, and it came back with an immediate color plan.

“You could ask it yourself,” said Hallie. “Just go to Chatgpt.com and submit your proposition.” And the more I thought about it, the more I liked that idea.

So, instead of asking the wizard (AI) to build on my work in progress, I submitted a proposition based on my general plan and the colors on hand. The wizard responded immediately, telling me what a lovely project it was and supplying a list of appropriate color changes. It even shared its rationale regarding how certain colors enhance one another.

“I can do more for you,” it said. For instance, it could tell me the yardage I would need for each color. It could tell me which color to substitute if I ran out of one. I took it up on its offer to supply a printable chart. Then it wished me well, affirming that my project was wonderful and would turn out beautifully and inviting me to return if I needed anything more, such as a suggestion for the border.

It just boggles my mind. What next?

So, yes, I have restarted the pattern blanket. In fact, a little error at the start was bothering me, so I corrected that and then began with the color chart.

What else can I ask it? KW

THE “PATTERN BLANKET”

 

Our grandson Silas, visiting us at Christmastime, came running to me talking about the “pattern blanket.”

“Will you make me a pattern blanket,” he asked.

“What’s a pattern blanket,” I asked, to which his mother responded that he meant the striped afghan we put on the bed we made for him in Mike’s office. In recent years I’ve made several striped scrap afghans – color stripes alternating with gray. I made the first one – the one Silas was talking about – for myself. Son Murray admired it, so last year I made one for him.  

Of course, I assured Silas, I would make one for him. Hallie was dubious, implying that this was a thing of the moment and that he would forget about it. This may well be true, but I know from experience that all too soon the children stop asking for the simple things I do. Moreover, that stash of leftover yarn is still available – and I would love to buy more. And besides, how could I ever say no to such an earnest request from one of my favorite people?! I was on it in a flash! 

The thing with a scrap afghan is that it doesn’t truly work unless you buy more yarn. I figure each scrap afghan costs $40. And then you have leftover yarn again, and this just continues to feed on itself. With the finish of each scrap afghan, the stash of leftover yarn has grown but some colors have to be replenished. It’s really rather fascinating how that works.

“And,” said Hallie, “he isn’t going to care what you do.”

Sure he cares, I think to myself. He wants a “pattern blanket” that Grandma made just for him, and a pattern blanket he shall have. Maybe Hallie just doesn’t understand how easy it is to make my “pattern blankets.” It’s a stitch, not a written pattern. Or, maybe she meant that I don’t need to overthink the color combinations.

I must have restarted Silas’ “pattern blanket” four times, but this is necessary. To start rightly is to end rightly. I practiced with hook sizes, holding the yarn tighter, and measuring my beginning row. At last, I was satisfied and it began to grow.

How long will it take to finish it? Let’s just say that I hope to finish it while Silas still remembers he asked me to make it. Meanwhile, I bring it up on our facetime visits. This morning I sent a message to ask if he wanted the pattern blanket to include white and black or just bright colors. Hallie said he didn’t have to think twice. “Just bright colors.” KW