A couple of days ago we went to the DMV and got our Wisconsin driver's licenses and plates. It felt so strange when they punched "void" on my AZ driver's license. Wow! Does this make it official? Are we Wisconsinites?! A red barn on our new plates instead of the cactus!! And NO WAITING in line!!
When Jonathon called the local exterminator he answered his phone and said, "I'm at a funeral, can I call you back?". He showed up one day while we were gone. We hadn't hired him! No appointment! Turns out he'd been there a few hours knocking down hornets nests and spraying. It was his last day before he put his equipment away until the spring so he thought he'd come over! Incidentally, I was stung by one of those hornets before they died out for the winter.
The appliance guy, Marty, who came to check the gas oven, has a brother who is Matt's DJ for Paddle Quest!! For those of you who don't know; Paddle Quest is an annual backwater scavenger, fantasy, eco adventure in canoes started by Jonathon's brother Matt at least 10 years ago. You can check it out here: paddlequest.org
Marty shared stories about the critters one encounters here in the woods. Seems I'll be trading in scorpions and geckos for mice and maybe flying squirrels???
Marty shared stories about the critters one encounters here in the woods. Seems I'll be trading in scorpions and geckos for mice and maybe flying squirrels???
Our handyman, Jason, lives down the road a bit. He's done several small jobs for us. Recently he told us that the snow in front of our mailbox (down on the main road) would need to be shoveled so the mailman could access it. Not something we would think of. The next day it had been shoveled! :) He is also the Garden Guru and will help us start our garden in the spring.
We have someone who plows our driveway and clears the roads out here, too. I'm learning to drive on these ice and snow covered roads. From what everyone tells me the key is DO NOT use the BRAKE and also DO NOT ACCELERATE. I guess I'll be doing a lot of coasting!! Once you get into town it's not so bad, but a little slippery here in the woods. Oh, and driving here is quite different. I don't miss the freeways and the fast, crazy traffic, but the streets are very narrow and not well lit and many of the intersections do not have street names posted and the 25 MPH speed limit is a challenge for this lead foot!
We have a septic tank and a gas tank on our land. We have terrible internet connection and the cell phone service can be sketchy. But we also have the most delicious water from a well. And a neighbor (JK's mom Joy) who often invites us over for meals and sends us home with leftovers!
Joy equipped us with bright orange hats and vests to wear hiking these last few weeks during deer hunting season. The shots echo through the woods and sound much closer than they are...but still! I prayed every day for the deer to be safe. Don't tell the hunters.
I've finally chosen paint colors to paint the interior of the house. Nice warm colors that are like the sun and light. Even the names are yummy; apricot butter, fragrant coriander, birdsong blue and paradise green. As I'm adjusting to living in this pre-fab or modular house, the song "Little Cottage in the Woods" keeps streaming through my mind. I think I learned it when I was a girl scout. This cottage in the woods, this place so green and quiet is a gift, a rare opportunity to experience something completely new and organic and miraculous. I just have to keep my eyes open and see the beauty all around. I'm a city mouse in a country house! But I've always known that deep inside I'm a country girl.
Today I learned the term fog frost. When the fog is so thick and the temps drop it covers the trees in the most gorgeous lacey silvery-whiteness.That's fog frost.
We have a septic tank and a gas tank on our land. We have terrible internet connection and the cell phone service can be sketchy. But we also have the most delicious water from a well. And a neighbor (JK's mom Joy) who often invites us over for meals and sends us home with leftovers!
Joy equipped us with bright orange hats and vests to wear hiking these last few weeks during deer hunting season. The shots echo through the woods and sound much closer than they are...but still! I prayed every day for the deer to be safe. Don't tell the hunters.
I've finally chosen paint colors to paint the interior of the house. Nice warm colors that are like the sun and light. Even the names are yummy; apricot butter, fragrant coriander, birdsong blue and paradise green. As I'm adjusting to living in this pre-fab or modular house, the song "Little Cottage in the Woods" keeps streaming through my mind. I think I learned it when I was a girl scout. This cottage in the woods, this place so green and quiet is a gift, a rare opportunity to experience something completely new and organic and miraculous. I just have to keep my eyes open and see the beauty all around. I'm a city mouse in a country house! But I've always known that deep inside I'm a country girl.
Today I learned the term fog frost. When the fog is so thick and the temps drop it covers the trees in the most gorgeous lacey silvery-whiteness.That's fog frost.
Last night Mom, Jonathon and I went to the George Winston concert. He's long been one of my favorites. I closed my eyes and listened as he played the Charlie Brown Christmas music, Carol of the Bells, Thanksgiving, Autumn and so many more. Afterward, walking outside in the cold, crisp air with snow on the ground it truly felt like the Christmas Season.
