I woke up to more snow this morning. At 6:13am I sent a text to my son wishing him a happy birthday at the exact time of his birth. I don’t always remember to do that but today I did.
I am looking forward to spending time with him and his family for a birthday dinner. I hope we can still get one day of skiing in before it is too late. I didn’t go last year because I was too busy with work. I haven’t gone this year because of all the time needed to care for my father. His birthday is tomorrow. February and March are filled with birthdays in my family.
In the meantime, it appears I slept through the shower curtain rod falling again. I went down to the local hardward store at 7am this morning to look for one as well as get a new dryer vent duct and hose clamps. The contractors are supposed to install the washer and dryer in our newly remodeled guest bathroom/laundry room area. It will be a big improvement to have in-home laundry.
Kitchen cabinets are supposed to arrive later this morning too. They were supposed to be here on the 17th of February but were delayed a week. They were supposed to be here on Tuesday but six inches of snow caused the freight company to cancel all deliveries that day.
Two of their employees had accidents on the way into work so they shut everything down for the day. Sarah and I just keep plugging along.
The lack of a kitchen has caused us to change our eating habits. We don’t do large portions or seconds anymore. It turns out eating modestly is a good diet to be on. We’ve both lost weight and feel better. Hopefully we can keep it up even after the kitchen is finally back in operation.
I decided to find an image of snow to mark today with. I made this image during our last epic winter of 2008. We had so much snow that year that I had to get up on the roof to shovel it. When I was finally done I could just step off the roof down to the snow berm.
That year I decided to explore my rural neighborhood with my Mamiya C330 Twin Lens Reflex camera and black and white film. I came across this man plowing with a 1958 Ford Tractor. We chatted for a minute as I asked him if it was okay to make a photo of him.
Even though we live closed to downtown we are in a rural area where there is a need for a bit of self reliance. I am not the most self reliant when it comes to home matters. I’m good on a camping adventures or motorcycle trips and I can start a fire in almost any weather, but when it comes to being a handyman I am seriously lacking those skills.
Our contractor is a giant of a man. His name is John and he reminds me of the song Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean. I’ve decided that my body was built for management, not labor. Too many injuries and surgeries in my youth have limited my capabilities.
Sarah and I are blessed to have such great neighbors who own tractors and plows and are willing to help clear our driveway in exchange for a bottle of wine now and then. If they ever move I’ll have to consider buying a tractor.
After I got home from the hardware store Murdoch convinced me to play in the back yard with him for a few minutes. He loves snow. He turns 7 this spring which will be another birthday to celebrate. His dog years means he is catching up to me in age although he is still much more fit than I will ever be.
I took a look at the clawfoot bathtub pond and saw that the Goldfish are not hibernating. A big orange one greeted me before swimming for cover. The white cloud minnows were also active.
The water level was low so I grabbed a shovel and put snow in the tub. Remembering how little water comes from snow I decided to get some steps in by making laps between our bathroom tub and the outdoor pond tub with a pitcher of water. Normally I fill the tub as I water the flower garden around it. It’s still too early to turn on a hose. Only a few more weeks to go.
I topped off the water level and checked the trough heater and left the fish to enjoy themselves. I’m happy to see the fish like I am happy to see the robins flying about. Soon the birdhouses will be filled and new nest will be built. Hopefully in the next few weeks our own nest will be finally put together too.
Happy Thursday!
Ira
