Let's start with Sunday. Heavy rains kept us inside, but we had plenty to do. I caught up on house things and Larry cleaned his building. The evening was fun with family, celebrating Derek's birthday.
38 candles make quite a glow, and did you know they can also melt icing? Amy made a carrot cake and cream cheese frosting from scratch. M-m-m-m-m-m doesn't begin to describe it.
Monday morning leaving for work I found this:
The creeks were a little high, but unfortunately not high enough to keep me home, so off to work I went. The water had subsided by the time I got home and I pulled weeds in gardens and spread a few bags of mulch before dark.
Tuesday evening was Haley's track meet, so we enjoyed some rest as we waited for her to run. I was pretty tired so we watched her race once before heading home. My camera is acting up these days, so I ended up without any good photos of her running. Drat. Time for a new camera, methinks.
Last night we worked at the cabin, hauling off more wood to be burned and piling up wood we can use and salvage metals. Larry had a helper who was a lot of fun to have with us.
Tonight we were back at the cabin, getting down to the end of the old kitchen. We should finish that part of the job by the middle of next week, and then the real work begins--taking down the logs. When we came home it was still light enough to pick raspberry leaves for drying, transplant pepper seedlings into pots in the greenhouse, and relax by the firepit.
Friday night we'll be home getting ready for a visit from our daughter-in-law and granddaughters. The weekend promises much family fun--and a good bonfire with all that old wood.
Plenty to burn here! But isn't the chimney lovely? Hand-cut stone, probably 150-200 years old.
That's the week so far. How is your week going?
You are always so busy!! I find it hard to keep up with your blog!!!
ReplyDeleteDo tell, for what reason do you have for drying raspberry leaves?
themac
Raspberry leaves make a nice tea. Many herbalists claim medicinal properties for the tea, especially for women. But I just like it for its flavor--it's a little similar to green tea, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI like to combine raspberry leaves with rose hips and orange peel for a tangy taste.
Blackberry leaves also make a good tea, but I think I've missed them this year because the blackberries are already in bloom. It's best to pick the leaves before the plants bloom, and on a dry, sunny morning for best retention of oils and flavor. But my days don't allow me to be home every often on bright sunny days, so I have to get them when I can.
Oh, one other thing--my house is sadly neglected right now. Larry does a lot of the cleaning, laundry, etc but he's outside a lot too, taking care of gardens and other work. So in spring many cleaning tasks have to wait for a rainy day.
ReplyDeleteYou are extremely lucky to have Larry. (I'm sure you know that!)
ReplyDeleteAs my friend says to me all the time: A clean house is a sign of wasted life.
Sounds like a busy but fun week, hope you have an enjoyable weekend with your family visiting. I'm doing pretty much nothing as have hurt my back and now that the osteopath has done her bit rest is the only thing that is going to sort it out - frustrating with the garden beginning to resemble a jungle!
ReplyDeleteOh no, Rowan! I hope that your back heals quickly. Seems like the time of year for injuries--just when we're busiest.
ReplyDelete"But isn't the chimney lovely? Hand-cut stone, probably 150-200 years old."
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes! It is lovely, Sue. Tell Larry I'm putting in for vacation and will be there soon. How much vacation will I need? 3 weeks? 4? lol Guess you and Larry will be taking those logs down without me! But document it, please? And post it? So I will know what you are feeling and doing?
We will, Nance. I'l be taking pictures as often as I can, and writing about the process. The last time we did this I did take photos but not with a plan in mind to document the whole thing. This time I hope I can do better.
ReplyDeleteLatest finds--the soap dish and the large single bowl cast iron-enamel sink that had spigots that were not in the sink, but mounted on the wall above it. And a doorknob-lock set still in the box with the old skeleton key. The box was disintegrated, but the rest might be saved.