Early this morning as I started work, I heard the sound of a mouse rattling the bars on the non-lethal trap. I picked up the trap and saw the mouse inside. I don't like going outside in the dark to let the mice out of the trip, and I know there was little chance of the mouse starving in the next couple of hours, so I waited until after sunrise. I ( Read more... )

This morning, very light snow (not enough to stick) was falling when I went out to wave at Amtrak coming through. Little bits of cold rain, sleet, or snow fell off and on throughout the morning. There was a break in the weather and around 1:30 PM we decided to take a shot at getting that firewood unloaded.

( Firewood, Completed )

Today, we planned on finally unloading the pallet of firewood from the utility trailer into the wood box.

( Preparation for Stocking the Wood Box )

The temperatures have dropped low enough and stayed that way the the electric heater cannot stave off the cold any longer. Yesterday, I gave in and got the fireplace lit for the first time this season.

( Burn, baby, burn )

After a day of extreme discomfort where I spent about 16 hours alternating between my bed (where I could lie on my side, it being the only way I could get comfortable) and the bathroom, I am more or less back to normal. I'm going to get another dose of magnesium citrate, though, and stay close to home for most of today. OTOH, I felt good enough ( Read more... )

Yesterday morning, when I went into the kitchen to turn the hot water pot on for coffee, I was startled by a mouse. The mouse was startled by me as well and scampered away, but I could hear it running around somewhere in the area. I got the humane mousetrap that sits on the floor of the kitchen and put fresh crackers into it, then put it on the ( Read more... )

Yesterday I worked my way through a pile of mail that I thought was all bulk/advertising. Imagine how I felt when the letter from the Lyon County Treasurer's office with the property tax bill fell out. That's the property tax for both Fernley House and the East Lot ( Read more... )

Lisa and I were married on a Vintage Trolley on the Portland light rail system on this date in 1996. This year we are obviously far apart from each other, as Lisa is at sea in transit from Denmark to Iceland. We have been able to stay in contact, and I see that Kuma Bear is watching the ocean for fishes ( Read more... )

This afternoon, I heard a quail calling with the distinctive "chi-ca-go" call that they used to call in their flock or attract a mate. I peeked through the front door and saw him perched on the rail of the fence.

( Photos Before he Noticed Me )

On Sunday, after having breakfast at the Wigwam, I had just barely enough energy to try and cut back some of the summer's growth. Eight weeks of summer gave our trees a lot of time to expand.

( Before and After )