Posts from the ‘Front Porch Musings’ category

Hallelujah

This week’s outcome. How does a person move forward with any kind of hope for decency in the world?

I live and work somewhat hermit-like, in a semi-rural location in a somewhat rural state.

Still, I am not immune to my country’s emotional climate. And I work in an ethnically diverse group. Ultimately, I feel great pain for the un-humanity propagated by the -elect. I am embarrassed and ashamed by what has happened and the fear that has been instilled into persons of color and religious diversity.

The high road.

I’d very much like to take it.

For one thing, there is not much traffic up there!

First step: cleansing thoughts. Easier said than done, but thoughts lead to words which lead to action and so first… internally, I fight negative, mean thoughts. That does NOT mean that I have good thoughts about this week’s events, only that I continually try to shut down internal meanness.

Second step: compassionate thoughts. Compassionate thoughts towards humanity. I am not happy with myself when I have an internal dialog of meanness.

On November 7, 2016, singer, songwriter, poet and novelist: Leonard Cohen passed on. I knew of Mr. Cohen from his song: “Hallelujah”.

The Washington Post’s Julie Zauzmer writes:

How many of us, when we think of King David, hum the words, “I heard there was a sacred chord”? How many recall Sampson in the words, “She broke your throne, and she cut your hair”?

“Hallelujah” has been on the lips of the Jewish people since the days of the original psalmist. Leonard Cohen set this Hebrew word and these Hebrew stories to music that everyone wanted to sing — from Bon Jovi to Willie Nelson to Justin Timberlake.

I first heard Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at the end of an episode of the U.S. TV Series “House”. “House” often ended on a dramatic note accompanied by a relevant song. The “House” rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was a “Jeff Buckley” recording of the song. I bought it immediately after watching the episode and hearing the song.

After reading of Leonard Cohen’s passing, I listened to many recordings of the song. Although the Jeff Buckley rendition remains a favorite there are some notable adaptations…

Good Grief! Father Ray Kelly an Irish Catholic Priest. The above link vaulted Father Kelly to a kind of stardom: a record deal and some tv appearances. But, for me, the wedding video of his surprise singing of Hallelujah (his lyrics) – to the bride and groom – it gave me hope!

Northern Ireland is not exactly the poster child for peaceful coexistence.

So, if, in the midst of all of that, there can be what is portrayed in the video, maybe there is hope for the U.S. also. (*** 2:47 in approximately…when Father Kelly smiles at the couple … and then the end … his “O…kay”. Seriously human!)

And then. Saturday Night Live.

I don’t think I have ever seen SNL – live. I haven’t had tv for many years and even when I did, I don’t stay up that late. But, I read the news and SNL often makes the news. And thanks to the internet, a morning person can see what many night persons do!

Kate McKinnon in a cold open of this week’s Saturday Night Live, in character – somewhat – as Hillary Clinton.

Hallelujah.

New tricks

Tomorrow, October 24, Bear will be 12 years old! 12 is definitely senior dog but he has been acting like young dog these last six weeks.

Still, the back end is not working as well as it used to. Early in the summer, it was obvious that he couldn’t get in the motorhome. Part of the problem is he does not have stairs in the house, i.e. no practice. Plus the motorhome has large risers and the metal bottom steps and depending on leveling, the first step is not always the same height from the ground.

I looked at various solutions … some options were not doable “on the road”. I needed an option that I could deal with at rest stops as well as overnight. I had a ramp which we’ve used but Bear does not like it and it was somewhat short making for a steep incline.

Not too long ago, I found this longer ramp. It is 87 inches long – 27 inches longer than the old ramp which makes a big deal in the incline.

Since the prior ramp had bad memories, I decided to start from scratch, take it slow and hopefully make this ramp FUN!!

The new ramp arrived last Wednesday and after a day of just letting Bear walk around and sniff it, I laid it flat at the entrance to the house. Armed with very small pieces of hot dog, I coaxed Bear on the ramp and then walking in and out. As he got comfortable, I got a bit stingier with the treats and also no treat if you step off the ramp. By yesterday, in and out of the house on the flat ramp was a piece of cake.

This morning, I set the ramp up on the side of the porch so it has a very slight incline.

“Have you got the hot dogs? Let’s get started!!”

No problem with the small incline.

No walking off the ramp.

Hot dog!!

Enter Auggie.

One man’s ramp is another man’s tunnel.

Once was enough and Auggie left to do something else.

“I don’t care if he plays on the ramp, but don’t give him any of my hot dogs!”

Time to cozy up

Those would be snowflakes on Bear’s back.

A very balmy (55F) Sunday made it a bit hard to believe today’s Winter Storm Warning, but NOAA nailed the forecast

At my house, just light flurries, but other spots in the valley had 2-4-6-8 inches of heavy, wet snow that brought down trees and power.

The fuschia shrugged off snow and cold and persist in blooming madly!

Auggie chooses to ignore the weather outside…

The slash pile.

Thanks to logger Ben Thompson (Badger Cutting), working across the road from me, my slash pile is a bit better organized and just waiting for a good burn day!

After yesterday’s warmish temperatures, today went to cold. I had my first woodstove fire.

Time to cozy up.

More Fall

There is a bit of gold in the woods…

… the few aspen have turned and a lot of leaves are down. The larch are just starting to lighten on their own way to gold.

Weather has been beautiful: pleasant temperatures, soft breezes, mostly sunny days with that magic light of the Fall sun angle.

I missed most of the Farmer’s Market season this year, but this morning Bear and I headed to town and brought back an abundance of Fall produce:

Onions, a garlic bulb nearly as large as the onion, flowers, tomatoes, carrots, leeks, beets, greens, apples and a beautiful bunch of a variety of sunflowers.

Good stuff!

Later … the road home.

And from the same spot but looking a little more to the north.

More Fall.

Magic woods

I love my woods.

It is not really “my” woods. The woods is within the boundaries considered “my” property, but the woods belong to nature, to God … I am somewhat a caretaker but mostly they have taken care of me, of Karl, of Bob and now of Bear and Auggie.

During Karl’s last months, he and I were out 2-4 times a night. We walked and sometimes Karl just wanted to lie down and I bundled up and lay down near until he was ready to go in.

I have since marveled how comforting those times were, even in the midst of knowing that his time was probably short (my greatest concern) and that the nocturnal hunting creatures were out and about (I really did not think of this at all during those times). The woods and especially the woods at night – that winter and early spring – they were peace to me. I believe to Karl also. It is hard to explain how I embraced those moments of quiet … outside … in the night… in the woods.

This last weekend, two woodsmen: Fred Buck and his nephew Sean, worked in the woods. They took down 6 1/2 standing dead trees, split the wood, cleaned up and also cleared other downfall.

I’ve got firewood!

They felt horrible that they could not stack the whole bit.

The problem was that the motorhome would not start so I could not get it out of the way.

The second day, Fred brought some gadgets and we got her started and moved out of the way so 1 load of splits did get stacked. I made the decision for them to mostly work on getting up downfall as I can’t do that alone. Moving and stacking firewood – I can do that and it is good exercise and I enjoy doing it!

Fred and Sean will be back for a day in October when open burning is allowed. They will burn the slash pile and babysit the first day’s burn … it will burn/smolder for 10-14 days likely based on my previous experience with a large slash pile. But that first day, when the large pile of slash burns hot … I do NOT like to be on my own and will be grateful for experienced woodsmen to supervise. We will do this on a day when surroundings are plenty wet, but still.

Meanwhile, Auggie has a new venue for exploring!

So beautiful!

The area down the “hill” had been a tangle of downed trees.

Now it is clear.

I – they … leave plenty of “stuff”: stumps, and sticks and other kinds of downed debris – for critter homes as well as to decay and feed the woods. It is a balance of removing fuel that could cause the loss of the woods to fire and leaving enough to keep a good balance of life.

I have been fortunate to have the advice of several long time Montana woodsmen.

It was hard to be inside, hearing the saws and the BOOM of trees coming down and the truck…

It was exhausting :) !!!

Before Fred and Sean left, I said to them: “Ok, I know you will probably think me a crazy lady, but… do you think this woods is extra special … like magical in a way?”

And they said: “Yes.”

I don’t remember their exact words after that except that they did not think I was crazy and expressed that it was a joy to work here.

Magic woods.

Fall hath arriveth

The first day of Fall 2016: September 22, 8:21 a.m. MDT.

It was a gray and rainy morning, i.e. good napping weather.

Fall means pumpkin and and other winter squash.

I cooked my first pumpkin two days before official Fall and some of that pumpkin is in that little loaf of bread.

I add pumpkin to Bear’s food, any soup or stew or sauce for me … good stuff!

This year – pumpkin in the electric pressure cooker!

Give it a scrub, add a cup of water to the cooker and set the pumpkin on a steam rack.

Thirteen minutes at pressure with natural release and the skin slides off.

Perfect pumpkin!

Fall hath arriveth.