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The game of Uno lasted deep into the night, as the micro snow balls, once individual flakes now grouped together, made a pattering noise as it hit the roof of the popup camper. Four people gathered around a lit table laughed and teased each other in whispers as a young boy slept nearby, unaware of the fun he was missing. Finally, after a day of setting up camp, a rollercoaster-like drive through the curving valleys and a beautiful autumn hike, three of the players let the fourth win the game, if only to dash out into the cold to visit the bathrooms one last time before turning in for the night.

Memories of the day and the young one learning the name of the good-smelling tree as the PennyRosa, drifted through the conversation as each bide the others goodnight. “Stay warm” was the hopeful farewell of the owners of the new heated popup camper. The other two laughed, and headed off into the freezing dark to the two person tent and insulative sleeping bags.

The morning revealed just under an inch of snow and frozen condensation on the inside of the tent, and the five people, the young one now awake and laughing, gobbled up a breakfast that would have otherwise been ordinary if it had not been for the location. For reasons unknown, food always tastes better when camping. As they packed up camp, the snow began to fall anew, and thick layers of it gathered in any newly exposed place, whether inside or out, needing to be brushed off and shaken out before the owners of the camping equipment gave up, and threw everything in the cars and drove carefully off. Everything would be damp or wet, and would need to be hung out to dry upon arriving home. But, the rhythm of the five people and their ways of camping together had begun to fall into place, and the discovery of that brought smiles to the adults’ faces, and their thoughts drifted to next spring when they could all go explore a new place, together once again.

Doug and I have decided to invite our families for thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. Many consider us brave or stupid- I figure it is utilitarian- what better way to show off what we have been doing with the house. It also makes a hard deadline as to when a few little things have to be finished up. I like setting tables for parties, and am good at making it look festive. We have also never hosted thanksgiving dinner either. I am hoping to bring both sides of our families together- my three and granny and Doug’s family also and grandmothers. It aught to be interesting, that is for sure. What goes good with turkey… Margaritas anyone?

FIRST THE BAD NEWS
WE REMAIN MADLY IN LOVE AND
have decided to continue the marriage and as such, will not be
returning any of the fine gifts to you who so generously gave them.
However, as the rhetorical structure goes, there is also good news.
We absolutely adore what you have so kindly given us. Thank you,
many times thank you. It will most certainly give us a jumpstart on our
initial attempts at adult lives and help us remain that excessively
happy couple you see in picture frames for sale at the grocery store.

by Squibnocket, a card company

“And they’re here.”

The surprise in Doug’s voice was evident. Two minutes later, and we would have been in the car, headed to the home supply store.

Sure enough, they were there, pulling up in their car in front of our house. We had spent the beautiful Sunday morning doing minor cleanup, like laundry and dishes. We didn’t know when they would arrive, but had planned on the evening. The surprised look on our faces was due to the fact it was early afternoon instead of evening.

My parents seemed to enjoy their visit. Their first impression seems to be along the lines of “good job, it is looking nice.” They both had suggestions of course, some of which we already have down on the list of things to do, and a few that we hadn’t thought of yet. Mom identified the bushes on the side of the house as serviceberries so now I know what bushes are refusing to die. Overall, I think we all had a good time and I am glad they came up to visit.

…has to be special ordered, but the rest are white 6 panel doors with curved brushed nickel handles now.
And what a difference! Out of the corner of my eye in the kitchen, there is a bright space, and I can’t figure it out until I turn and notice the new door, making the back door-panty area feel much brighter and bigger. Wow, what a difference replacing 10 doors make! It suddenly updates and modernizes the house.

Doug also finished cutting all the trim, and has put it in place. Though it needs to be painted and nailed in, if you don’t look closely, it’s done. The bedroom furniture is finally in the master bedroom, the tools are back in the garage, and all the boxes of stuff are in storage instead of in the living room. Looking around at a home, instead of a construction project and an apartment, it feels done after six months. the best part is being able to look around abd both main rooms are clear of stuff, and the master bedroom is quiet and peaceful.

Camping with Ron, Michelle, and Josh was awesome! It is 39d 5’0.95″N by 105d 6’14.75″W according to Google Earth which is northwest of the springs about 24 miles as the crow flies. The wild flowers were fantastic and it was wonderful to just relax for a while.

Doug and I got our clothes and things moved downstairs to the closet after rearranging the shelves to fit the length of our shirts- we are both tall. Half of the bedroom is now down there, and I am sure the rest of it will follow this week. Moving in time has finally arrived!

The tree across the street has its top branches touching the ground- it is very heavy with peaches that are just about perfectly ripe and falling off the tree onto the grass. The neighbor let us gather as many as we wanted. We now have five colanders full of peaches. What to do with them? That is WAY too many peaches to eat, so we are going to freeze them for pies and try turning them into jam as well. I am thinking that some fruit trees are in the future landscaping plans.

Here is another fairly low-res (crappy?), but informative video on our new closet.

Enjoy!

Unpacked from our camping trip, and taking a break between setting up the new closet shelf system, we were sitting outside for dinner- a rare treat between the projects and everything else. “Is that a ground squirrel?” We don’t have ground squirrels where we live, so I turned to look. There, at the bottom of the stairs, curled up like a cinnamon roll, was a tinny squirrel that fit easily in the palm of my hand. Taking a closer look at it, I called up to Doug- “Quick, call Sara! It’s a baby squirrel.” Doug joined me on the lawn while I talked to Sara, who is learning about wildlife rescue. He located two other squirrels, one was scrambling around with his eyes still closed. Doug chuckled because it looked drunk. Sara told us to put them all in a card board box with some rags inside and sit the box on a heat pad, and to leave it until sunset in hopes that the mom would be back for them. She didn’t come and get them, and they made it through the night in the box with a lid in the kitchen on a heat pad, and I took them Monday morning to Greenwood- a rescue place for wild critters. She said that they don’t usually make it if their eyes aren’t open. One of the three had its eyes when we found him, and another must have heard us saying he wasn’t going to make it if his eyes are closed. He must really want to live- he got his eyes open by the time I got him to Greenwood.

The new shelves we purchased we finished putting in last night- shinny new Elfa closet system. The master bedroom’s walk in closet is now complete, and the people at the store in Creek where we got it from said it is a bigger closet than what they normally sell. When we go to sell the house, I want the potential buyer to know that there is new carpet, new doors and handles, new lighting, two full bathrooms although not a master bath, and there is a walk in closet to die for. I want the woman to go bezerk over the closet.

Camping with David and Sara was a blast. They brought Summer, their dog, who is usually shy and nervous. Except apparently when she is out in the wilderness and then she is right at home. She got wet muddy loam from the bog near the spring all over her legs when we got there. Sara loves throwing marshmallows into the flame to watch them expand to three times their size. David hauled a huge rock from the hillside to have next to the fire to sit on. We walked a short distance into the Comanche Peak wilderness area beyond the rancher’s fence. It is gorgeous up there and really peaceful and quiet. We found the perfect way to keep Summer from yanking our arms off in her excitement- attach her to the hip belt on my backpack, and then she can pull my hips along. I think I am going to go back up sometime soon and take a shovel and do a bit of husbandry- the spot we like has been infested this year with tall thistles from some pack horses who had been eating feed that is not weed-free.

Ok, they are off white for now because of the primer color they come as. But, there are no more old flat panel dark doors in the basement. What an amazing difference it makes. Most of the books that we own are on a large book case with 18 shelves, looking more like Masterpiece Theater than anything else. The computer is off the dinging room table and back downstairs where it should be- on the desk. Really, the only thing left is the trim in the main room, the trim in the cats’ room, a white door on the linen closet, some clean up, install closet shelving, and moving downstairs. Yeah… just in time for cold weather. The initial project wasn’t supposed to take this long, but we did so much more than just replace the carpet and paint a few walls.

I was so excited to have my uncle and aunt visit our house on their way back through the area after their vacation. Doug showed them around and told them what we had done to the house and my uncle, who knows a lot about that kind of thing, was impressed that we had done most of it ourselves in such a short amount of time. My aunt liked the paint colors we chose, and one of their sons liked the new curtain closet doors. Afterwards, we took them out to dinner and gave them the pictures from their renewal ceremony, and gave their daughter the Rubix cube she had asked for as a birthday present. It was nice to see them again and to show them our house. Of the people invited from my branch of the tree, only they and Granny have seen our house now, and both groups like the colors, which is good for any future sale of the house. We are so close to being finished with the remodel of half the house. It is nice to have the validation that other people like it, not just us.