Life in the Bristolwood

Mark was a little disappointed that we made no plans to get together with extended family for Thanksgiving this year.  To be totally honest, I am tired from all of the activity last week, and I am happy to relax with Mark and the kids tomorrow.  I feel like I am coming down with a cold, too.

I logged onto the laptop just a few minutes ago, and got a flashing red alert on my Weatherbug.  Seems it is good we didn’t make any travel plans….might get a bit “dicey”! 

ALERT 1 - Winter Weather Advisory

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM EST THURSDAY

Event Start: 4:00AM EST, Thursday Nov 22, 2007
Event End: 4:00PM EST, Thursday Nov 22, 2007

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WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM EST THURSDAY
UNTIL 10:45PM EST
Urgent – Winter Weather Message National Weather Service Buffalo NY 237 PM EST Wed Nov 21 2007

A Winter Weather Advisory Is Normally Issued For A Variety Of Winter Weather Conditions Such As Light Snow, Blowing Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain And Wind Chills. While The Weather Will Be Significant, The Word Advisory Implies That Severe Winter Weather Is Not Anticipated. Stay Tuned To Noaa Weather Radio And Other Radio And Tv Stations For Further Details Or Updates.

Bulletin Issued: 2:37PM EST, Wednesday Nov 21, 2007
Bulletin Expired: 10:45PM EST, Wednesday Nov 21, 2007

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Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

Late this morning, I was washing up a few dishes at the kitchen sink.  Above the sink is a small window, facing to the north.  As I was working, I suddenly heard a loud *thump* against the window.  Ben was with me, and I told him it was a bird.  We have birds hit against the windows from time to time, but they usually just fly away.

Later, I was going outside with a handful of recyclables to carry to the garage. As I stepped on the deck, I happened to look down, and there was a little Titmouse!  This must have been the little bird that flew into the glass about half an hour before.

The poor little bird was fluffed up a bit, just sitting there.  I became so distressed, as I really didn’t want the poor little thing to die. I had no idea what to do, so I just prayed that the little bird would be okay. I also got a glove and picked the little fellow up and moved it over to the far corner of the deck where no one walks. When I moved it,(extremely gently) my little charge squawked just a little and bit at the glove. I spoke to it quietly, and it almost looked as though it was listening to me!

I don’t suppose I will ever get this close to a wild bird ever again, but my little subject just sat there blinking his eyes at me and watching…

The Titmouse is a beautiful little bird, but when one is feeding, they can be a little aggressive to other birds. I have seen them pecking at one another.

I was beginning to stress about the little fellow sitting there, and Mark said to not worry about it. A few minutes later, I went out to the deck, and the little bird was gone! I think the poor little one must have just been stunned.  I am so grateful to think that it has recovered and is now fine once again.

A rather short and stressful visit that ended well!

 Where did this past week go?  Yes, it was pretty much a blur! Last Saturday, we were in Erie, Pennsylvania, for Splash Lagoon. Upon returning home, we were in the woods, cutting firewood, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday, we went to Rochester with Mark, as his mom had a doctor’s appointment. Afterward, we went shopping for supplies for Michelle’s birthday party.

That brings us to Friday. This is how it looked, just before daybreak….

I had so many things to do, but first, I needed to make a fire in the house…..

 And, the garage….

The party was Saturday, so I wanted to get the garage heated up nicely. I figured if I got the stove fired up on Friday, I could warm everything up. 

After getting the fires going, I had to grab the pile of wood that was dumped inside the garage and stack it in the woodshed.  I did this as everyone else was still asleep in the house.  By the time I finished, everyone was awake, so later on, the kids began the transformation from cluttered garage to party house!

The kids worked hard, moving all of the tools and other stuff out of the garage. Michelle loaded all of the stuff to go to the dump into the back of the Explorer.  By the time the kids got everything removed from the garage, it looked terrific!

Mark came out and helped the kids unload the (250 pound) Foosball table he had bought for the party.  Oh, did I mention Mark loves playing Foosball?  By the time they finished, Ben was itching to play, so he and Mark remained in the garage till nearly 11 pm!

On Saturday morning, Michelle wanted to get up early to buy a couple of things she had forgotten. And, I needed to purchase butter and pepperoni. (odd combo, right?) 

We were up and out the door before 7. The greeter at WalMart told us we were smart shoppers, beating the rush. If only he *knew*! hehehe We got all of our goodies, paid, then wasted a few minutes….I had to take the stuff to the dump, which didn’t open until 9, so I wanted to stop on the way home.

I made a huge batch of Macaroni and Cheese and put it into the Crock Pot. I also made up a batch of Spinach Dip.  Carly and her son, Kyle, came shortly after 11. Carly was a terrific help, cleaning up the house and working in the kitchen. (hey, she works overnights as a baker!) Carly carried on, baking chicken strips, onion rings, and pizza bagels.

Kids began arriving around 2, and everything went along very smoothly! In all honesty, these kids were polite, neat, and just a joy to have! Everyone behaved quite nicely and I think everyone had a good time.

Here are a few pictures….

(love this shirt!)

 If all parties went this smoothly, they would be quite the pleasure! The garage was toasty and the good times lit the room and cast a very wonderful glow, as well as terrific memories for one fifteen-year-old and her family!

The Scottie boys were confined to their crates for several hours, and other than a little barking a couple of times, were very good boys.

This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving Day here in the US. The day after, the kids will attend a “Turkey Skate”. This is on Friday night, and they basically stay up all night, skating!

Saturday is Carly’s birthday and the following Thursday is my mother’s birthday.  November is a busy month here in the Bristolwood! So, then things settle down a little. Who am I kidding? Then, it is getting ready for Christmas!

Late this afternoon, I went to the mailbox to get our mail.  There was a large envelope in with the others, addressed to me! I was surprised to see that it was from a young friend who reads my blog.  Her mom is also an online friend of a few years!

I anxiously raced back to the house, my curiosity piqued!

Inside were a little package, wrapped in pretty tissue paper, and an envelope. I opened the package and found the CUTEST Scottie keychain I have ever seen!

 The keychain has several charms…a Scottie, one that reads I (heart) my dog, another, boasting Best in Show,  a tiny food bowl with a bone in it, a larger bone, and a heart! This is one of the prettiest chains I have ever seen! Thank you SO MUCH, Tay!

I opened the envelope, which had a beautiful butterfly hand-painted in the corner! And, inside was a lovely hand-painted card with butterflies on it. Tay said it was hand-painted by a friend!  AND, Tay wrote me such a lovely note inside!

This was a total surprise, and I am just so thrilled to have received such a thoughtful gift!

Thank you so much, Tay, and sending warm hugs all the way to your house from Angus, Murphy, and me!!!

Late yesterday morning, as we were completing the task of gathering our firewood, Mark and the kids left me alone in the woods for about half an hour.  It was one of those quiet times that I so relish….

 As I sat in the warmth of sunlight that made its way to me through shadows of trees, my mind began to race. As I looked around me, I wondered what this land was like 200 years ago. Our woods is quite young. I don’t believe we have any really old trees growing in it, although there are some white oaks several hundred feet back that have a very impressive stance.  I would guess they must be over 100 years old, at least.

Looking at the trees was not good enough, so I wandered about a little.  I found a branch that had fallen from one of those large white oaks. It was still suspended in the air, caught on branches of trees surrounding it.  The branch was huge, with a great deal of firewood to be cut from it. But that will wait until next year.

As I approached the tree, I realized that I was walking into what appears to be a big natural “amphitheater”! The area is actually a semi-circle and the land rises up gently, forming a bowl-like appearance.  It would be interesting to seat the family in various parts of this area and have someone talk from below to see if their voice really does carry.

I wandered back down to where I was supposed to be waiting, and as I sat there, my mind once again carried me off….this time, I watched as a bright green bug walked past me among the leaves.  Its coloration made me long for my camera, but it was safely awaiting me at home. I watched that bug for quite some time, realizing that the woods is so full of life. 

I began to see so many signs of life…..green moss that was growing on rocks that seemed to nearly “sparkle” as the sunlight played upon it, fading in and out.  There were tiny little bugs I had never seen before, and even a little spider worked its way across my path.  I watched a daddy-long-legs as he scrambled across a cut stump. As I looked about, I smiled as I thought that even the very soil beneath the carpet of fallen leaves is alive, supporting the trees and plant life surrounding me!

My nearly dreamlike state was interrupted by the sound of the ATV making its way through the woods….Mark was returning with the kids bouncing and giggling in the wagon behind. We worked some more, then Mark asked if we should split wood, or go inside.  The kids, so tired from working these past 4 days, both shouted, “Go inside!”  I smiled as Mark gave out a sigh….he admitted he too was exhausted from all of the activity!

I took Michelle to her Bible study later on and spent some time looking around TJMaxx. The store is full of Christmas decorations and gifts. This is the time of the year that I really enjoy just looking at everything.  I am not much of a “shopper”, but in the autumn and through the Christmas season, it seems like there are so many beautiful and rich colors! Oh, to have my camera with me!

The weather report called for rain, but we only had “drizzle” on and off.

This morning, I awakened at 4:45 to the sound of rain against the window.  Our ground is so parched,  the sound of rain almost brings a sense of “quenching”! I listened for awhile, then got up and took the Scotties out. They were reluctant to go out, and as they walked in the wet grass, Murphy looked back at the porch.  The smell of rain mixed with leaves and soil filled my nostrils and it was such a satisfying scent. Even more satisfying is the realization that all of the firewood is now tucked safely inside the woodshed and not getting saturated by rain!

The weather forecast says that we might be seeing a coating of the white stuff tonight and tomorrow.

Oh, and speaking of the rich colors this time of the year, I had a pleasant surprise awaiting me as I opened my eyes this morning! It might be early, but it is certainly appreciated!

 The weather forecast this morning called for winds kicking up and some rain this afternoon.  I was up before 5, and decided at about 6:30, everyone else should rise so we could get the firewood finished up. Mark agreed!

The temperature was agreeable….quite comfortable, with a brisk southern breeze.  I had some more cutting to do, so one of the kids stayed with me to cant logs up to cut, while the other loaded cut wood into the wagon behind the ATV and unloaded it in the woodshed. Shortly after noon, we were finshing up as the skies became dark and threatening.

Yes, we now have two rows of firewood! Some of it needs to be split, which we plan to work on tomorrow.

You may notice the “dark” wood….that particular batch has been a source of contention between the mister and me….*That* wood is basswood. Basswood is highly prized by woodcarvers for its ease to work. However, I personally find Basswood of little to NO value. It is soft, grows in the most twisted nearly impossible to stack way! Can you tell I REALLY don’t like this wood?

Two years ago, Mark made me cut up a gigantic basswood tree along one of our trails. I grumbled and complained the entire time…Last year, Mark said he was going to gather it and I grumbled and complained once again! Well, this year, I grumbled and complained *again”, but Mark insisted he was going to gather it. hehe…Ben grumbled and complained as he picked it up off the ground!

Mark said he is going to try splitting it to see if it is any good. My prediction?

Yes, that is a piece of that putrid Basswood with my finger inserted. What would YOU think? Back to the woods, I say! But, in the event that the Basswood leaves the premises, there is MORE wood sitting in the non-woodshed part of the garage to take its place! Mark might be obstinate, but he is forward-thinking!

We had to clear out a lot of stuff from the third garage bay so Mark could pull the ATV through with firewood. The garage looks *disgusting*! And, guess what? On Saturday, Michelle is holding a birthday party there!

A party in the garage? Oh yes! We have the little brother of our Jotul woodstove out there and the garage is nicely insulated! Once we get a fire, it turns into a cozy BIG area perfect for a big gathering! Stay tuned for this one….

After finishing the wood, I raced into the house and made up a big batch of Broccoli-Cheese soup.  The kids wolfed the soup down along with a turkey sandwich.  After everyone was done eating, I went out and fired up the mower so I could mulch the leaves again. I also raked a lot of the leaves (and there were sooooo many!) out of the flower beds. I was so thankful to get this all done before the rain came!

Upon completing this little task, Mark wondered about a box that supposedly arrived at our mailbox yesterday. He called the company that sent the box, as well as the post office. The mailman said he left it on the box, but it wasn’t there. So, I went out into the woods out front and looked around. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the box, but I sure saw some beautiful things! (Oh, and the company said they are resending the box so Mark will have it tomorrow!)

The oak trees keep their leaves well into the winter, and the colors on this one are outstanding! Because the woods in our area are mostly oak populated, the hills have a golden to reddish glow to them when the sun shines. It is so beautiful!

And there will always be plenty more oaks!

I have no idea what these red berries are, but the leaves on the plant are almost as pretty as the berries themselves!

Look at the pretty colors on the leaves of this tiny oak tree!

All in all, it has been a very satisfying day. The relief of knowing our wood is secure is tremendous! There were years when we were bringing wood in during a snowstorm!

As I was feeling so pleased about the day, a small streak of light shone through the window, lighting up the Christmas Cactus…as though “highlighting” one particular flower that is nearly ready to open!

Soon they’ll only be but a memory….

I recently decided that I need to do a “deep-cleaning” in our bedroom. Although it is a fairly large room,  I tend to pile *stuff* up and then I suddenly find myself feeling like things are out of control!

As I was looking in the closet, I came upon a piece I had crocheted two or three years ago. A Scottie friend of mine gave me a pattern for this piece, which called for a fine thread with a small crochet hook. It was made to be placed on a chair back….and yes, it is a very OLD pattern!  I decided that I would like to translate it into a curtain and used a thicker thread and hook. 

 In this photo, I placed it against the navy blue couch in the bedroom. As you can see, it really “pops” against that background!

So, here is the problem….This piece measures about 30″ across. My windows are all 36″ wide.  I initially thought of buying a plaid fabric and sewing the crocheted piece onto it.  That way, the crochet would look “framed”. But….would this look totally stupid hanging in the window? I mean, curtains usually are “ruffled” in the window, not “flat”. 

Perhaps I would do better to just frame the piece?

 Well, as long as we are in my bedroom, take a look at the Christmas Cactus! I have been flying about in such a hurried pace, I looked at this the other day and wondered where the buds came from!

This morning, we had a bit of trouble getting together and getting outside to begin working on firewood. It seems everyone was feeling a little fatigued after yesterday.

I had gotten up early, doing a load of laundry, washing some dishes and making meatballs for spaghetti and meatballs later in the day.  I raced around while everyone got in a few more minutes in bed! The kids were really disappointed, as they had no school today for Veteran’s Day.

As everyone headed out the door, I went to the freezer and got Angus and Murphy each a frozen marrow bone.  I figured since they were going to have to spend a few hours without us, I would give them something to chew on!  This is Murphy, lying down in the crate with Angus’s bone! Murphy always “finishes up” after Angus.  It is funny, because when we used to give Angus a bone, (before we had little Murphy) he would “bury” it in a plastic bag or perhaps under a pillow!  Since Murphy arrived on the scene, Angus now chews on his bone, but Murphy always has the *last* chew!

We worked for only about 2 1/2 or 3 hours today, as I just tired out much faster than yesterday. I toppled a couple more dead-on-the-stump trees and cut up some wood that was already down. 

Two years ago, Mark hired a Mennonite crew to add on to our garage. We originally had a “barn” style building with a gambrel roof.  Mark labored over an addition for some time before he came up with the idea of adding a shed roof along the side of the garage and extending the back to form an “L” shaped addition.  This gave a third garage bay, as well as a woodshed in the back.

Before the addition, we used to place pallets on the ground behind the garage, then we would neatly stack the wood on top of the pallets. After the pallets were stacked, we would cover the entire area with a huge tarp. Oh, the stories….

One night, after we had a brief thaw earlier in the day, I grabbed the bungee cords that secured the tarp down, then pulled the tarp towards me a little. BIG mistake. A chunk of ice swept down the watery tarp, landing right on my lip! I wound up with a swollen lip and bad temperament for several days!

Of course, there were the times when the thaws would melt the ice and snow just above the tarp. As I pulled the tarp back, it would form a funnel that often sent icy cold water right down the back of my neck!

As the pallets got older, they eventually would weaken with time (although they were mostly made of oak) and break.  This generally *only* happened at night when I went out back to grab firewood. The board would break, grabbing my boot at an awkward angle, causing my whole ankle to twist. Luckily, I have rubber bones!

Another great feature of the new addition is that if we open the garage door in the front of the garage, and the double doors on the side, air races through the building, creating a draft. This is so vital in drying firewood, and it also offers another bonus! We can run the splitter in the garage, away from rain, snow, or whatever the weather!

This is the splitting ram that travels down a beam and splits the wood.  Although it is relatively small in size, it does the job of splitting. When we first began gathering wood this year, while Mark was working in the office, I often came out and split the wood by hand. I just love splitting.  One of the major benefits of our young woods is that the trees often grow straight up, like poles. There are few branches, making hand-splitting a breeze! It is also such a cool way to get some exercise!

Here is a cross-section of the wood I stacked today. There is a good deal of ash in there, along with some maple and lots of red oak.

 And, this is the back wall of the garage, also known as the woodshed! We will wind up with two rows of wood stacked an average of 5-5 1/2 feet high.  The low areas are in front of windows.  So far, we have about 8 1/2 face cords gathered. We use about 10 face cord a year, although we never really figured it out “scientifically”.

We didn’t gather all the wood I cut today, so we may well have our 10 cords, but we will fill the entire area, ending up with about 14 face cord total.  Needless to say, we will celebrate when this task is complete! As I said before, we are so grateful for the warm temperatures we have had thus far this fall!