Random List: Winter Sound Effects

Sounds I hear only in Winter (and a couple I imagine):

• sleet rat-a-tat-tatting on the metal barn roof
• icicles shattering into oblivion after falling onto the walkway 
• boots punching through ice-crusted snow
• tv/radio droning on with school delays & closures
• cacophonous bird shrieks as they swarm seed-filled feeders
• full length zipper on snowsuit growling up and down
• heavy hush inside snow-covered greenhouse
• crackle of ice coated branches as they shiver in the wind
• hollow thump of snow plow knocking mailbox off post
• whir of electric meter spinning wildly

4-26-03: Gravel Down, Groundhog Out, Greening Up

Saturday April 26, 2003
11:00am  I’m sitting in the sunroom watching David lay plastic & gravel on the patio site. He picked up some very pretty pea gravel yesterday—kind of has a redish/ivory hue that looks good with the bricks. I’ve been picking up in the house and starting some laundry.

Tip: watching gravel be unloaded is easier than doing it

We actually got up early this morning (early for us…) because there was an auction around the corner on 50 that we wanted to drop into. No intentions to stay, just wanted to looky-loo at all the stuff listed in the ad that this one guy had accumulated. David kept pleading with me to kill him if he ever started collecting so much stuff. The farm was so big, but the house quite small, and we kept trying to guess where he’d stored all that crap. Our barn was visible in the distance, past a giant cornfield.

All the farmers in the area have been plowing their fields this week. A few fields have a crop started, but it seems for the most part just old corn going under.

Farmer working the land that abuts our west and north fields

It was supposed to rain yesterday—I guess it finally did in some areas near Columbus—but our ‘banana belt’ syndrome continues to hold. I was really hoping for rain to water all the newly planted trees. By the way, I just read where I wrote that planting 40 trees “wasn’t too hard” and I laughed at myself because my body was pretty darn tired that night. What I meant was that each individual act of spading open the ground, maneuvering in the tree roots, and closing the gap, was not in itself difficult; it was, however, a hard day's work.

Anyhoo, due to the ‘promise’ of rain yesterday (it was a bit chilly) we made it a shopping day. Talk about Ma & Pa Kettle Go To Town! The Volvo was loaded with fencing, project supplies, grocery items & beverages. We are doing well at ‘stocking up’ and have really minimized our shopping trips.

[David had most of the gravel laid out, now has decided that the plastic gets too exposed when the gravel squishes aside, so he’s out there undoing all his hard work… I think I’ll go make him a tasty sandwich for lunch in a little while.]

Big News! Yesterday was Groundhog Day! No, not February 2nd, but the day our dogs brought down a ground hog. David & I do not know any of the facts surrounding the death, but David went to find Tessa yesterday in the back yard where she hangs out, and found a newly dead GH on its back. Dead, but no blood. He said Tessa made like she was going to grab it & bring it to him, but he called her off. 

He brought me out, and after looking at it closely we decided possible broken neck or back, plus there was a small stomach puncture. David said Pav was in the area at the time, so for all we know it was a group effort. No marks on the dogs, so we’re acknowledging the possibility the GH crawled out & died of old age. As proud dog parents, though, we prefer to believe Tessa waited by the hole (as she will for hours), pounced when it showed its head, and shook it hard.

The landscape is really greening up, and the view just keeps getting better & better. All of David’s hard work on the pond has paid off, and the level seems to be holding well. The little tree outside the kitchen window that Dad & Elsie say is a dogwood has not bloomed yet. Either it’s not a dogwood, or maybe they bloom after they get their leaves. The “temporary garden” is doing well, and it’s fun to guess what the heck all those things are that I transplanted into it are. There’s one plant David is convinced is a weed, and I say not, so we’ll see how it turns out.

11:36 am  Well, I’ve got a lot more trees to plant today and apparently need to water all. Tessa is still sitting by the GH hole—been there since we got home at 10am. 

[Looks like the plastic is all out, so I’ll go whip up some lunch.]

End of Entry

4-24-03: Cleveland vs Seattle

Thursday April 24, 2003


10:42pm Watching the Cleveland vs. Seattle baseball game on TV—fun to see some of our old favorites. We’ve decided to root for Cleveland in general this season, but anytime the Mariners are involved they get our vote. We’d really like to see them get to the World Series—especially while *Edgar is playing.

Yesterday was chilly but dry, so David dressed in layers and mowed grass for hours. I did some housework then went outside and placed markers for the trees to be planted. Hard to make decisions on something that will change the landscape but fun, too. We also marked an area in the N field that I’ll use for dog agility stuff. Dinner was pan fried Tilapia and fresh veggies.

This morning (& yesterday) there was light frost on the ground but no trouble because the sun shone bright & early. Nothing delicate is planted yet, and the strawberry plants are small but strong enough to stand some cold temp. It became yet another beautiful day, and David split his time between lowering the pond ledges by digging out very heavy clay dirt, and continuing to prep the patio area for the gravel we’ll be bringing in.

I planted 40 trees… It wan’t too hard and the suggested planting method (from a SWCD flyer) worked well. A spade and a boot, and a dog to supervise my work.

My supervisor, Vince, is sleeping on the job.

Give me a wheelbarrow, dirt and kneepads,
and I'm a plantin' fool. 

11:00pm  4th inning, 2-1 Indians

*Edgar: Edgar Martinez (we named our male sheep after him!)

End of Entry

Random List: Noise Pollution

From left to right, sounds I could hear today while taking my lunch 

break at the employee picnic table in the warehouse: 

• Tech's van radio (pulled into shop bay, rock guitar)
  
• Shop Manager's boombox (hip-hop)
• Testing equipment (powerful metal-on-metal strike, intermittent)
• Fire extinguisher having pressure leaked off (piercing, loud hissing)
• Shop tech's radio (sports "talk" radio--more like shouting)
• Equipment cart with uneven metal wheels being pushed around on concrete floor
• Shop Manager's desk radio (different talk radio station)
• Shop tech and customer laughing
• Different tech's van radio (in other shop bay, pop rock)

Can't wait for better weather so I can go outside for lunch and hear myself think!

4-22-03: Cape Cod My A$$

Tuesday April 22, 2003

7:35pm  Vince is like a Fountain of Love. You can tap into him anytime, anywhere. Unlike humans—or any other creature—who can be distracted or unreachable due to their own circumstances, Vince is always available to give and receive love. He is a sweet, original, uncopyable being that brings so much joy & sensitivity into our lives. I can’t imagine there ever being another Vince.

This morning we picked up our tree seedlings from the SWCD. Due to the cold temps predicted for tonight, we’ve left them soaking in a bucket in the garage until tomorrow. It was a chilly, cloudy day, and after arriving home with the trees David suggested we take a day drive to look at the two properties of interest for Lars. Nice drive, not nice properties. On the way home we went through Marysville and picked up listings from two real estate offices, and have since highlighted some properties. (The 2nd ‘possibility’ gave us a real laugh—1920’s “Cape Cod” style dump—no wonder they didn’t include the house in the picture, which was taken from a far distant corner of the property…)

Tacos for dinner (homemade) and a new Frasier on at 9:00pm.

*gave us a real laugh: Not nearly descriptive enough. As I recall, we sat in the car, parked down aways from the place, and HOWLED with laughter. The kind of laughter where you can no longer breathe in, and you're nearly choking to death and not minding. Tears from the eyes, sore belly muscle laughter. Fantastic!

End of Entry