Ok, today I am working on Chinking the cabin. For all you city dwellers, it is the magical stuff that goes between the logs to keep bugs, hot air, cold air, dirt, out of the house. My cabin was built in the 1930's. The stuff I am pulling out is at least that old. It is fossilized! Amazing the different materials used. It is cement in some places, fiberglass insulation in others, deep wholes in a few. It is dirty and time consuming - but the final result is wonderful! I don't know why I have taken such great joy in redoing this old place. The floors creak, the floors sag, I have mice periodically, a few window panes are cracked...but again this is paradise to me!
Casey is coming to help. He is darling, young and a stud. Good for me as I am not darling, old and definitely not a stud!!! I have been very humbled at the things that I can no longer do. My strength is just not there. Of course many of you will ask - what strength? I will have you know I did have my day. We just will not discuss how many days have come and gone since I had that day...
Bruising is almost a daily thing. The color of different parts of my legs, arms and hands is just such a kaleidescope of molteled colors. Again, we do not need to go into this - if you are obscenely curious, find an old person, examine their arms and Wa La - you have the colors I am highlighting here.
The hummingbirds fight me for airspace. They dive bomb, they chase, they sass at me continuously. Honestly, it is ok. They are absolutely amazing creatures. The other birds are just as scene stealing. The colors of all the birds is so vibrant this summer. I do not know the names of any of them except of course our Robin Red Breast...a true winner of all things spring and summer. I have a few wood peckers. My absolute favorite is the morning and evening fly by's of the Canadian Geese that live in the field and stream behind my house. They call to each other as they fly by. I am sure they are all commenting on that silly woman in the green house. I wear my rain boots, my big hat and always my lee 501's...and almost always a smile of pure pleasure!
I will try to figure out how to post our progress on the chinking...a truely mountain woman thing to do!
Barb, this is absolutely beautiful....I can see it in my mind's eye -- it really does sound like Paradise!!
ReplyDeleteI have a memory of you when you were a little girl -- you weren't very old -- maybe 4 or 5 and someone would ask you your name and you would say, Barbara Jean Dawson.....it was the cutest thing -- you said it very emphatically.....don't know why that has stuck in my mind all these years. You were such a little cutie!!
Be blessed in your paradise...
Susan