Dog Days of—-February?

As I write this it is 66 degrees outside; normal for this time of year is 42. For the first time I can remember, in February, we have had a night or two when the temps stayed above freezing. This makes the weather the big story in this part of the country. Orchard owners are concerned the warm temps will encourage their fruit trees to bloom early, which brings the chance a “normal” frost could damage or wipe out an entire crop. The rest of us are just enjoying the moderate temperatures! This week is supposed to see a cooling trend with temps in the mid to upper 50s, closer to average but still above norms.

I drove up to check on the mountain lot yesterday. There is snow on the ground but not as much as one might expect for this time of year. Many areas, exposed to the southern sky, are bare but the driveway and lower parts of the lot are still covered in white.

The Lot – February 7th

Lower end of drive

I didn’t bother to try and open the gate but walked up into the lot to check on the shed and the circle drive. My bench was clear so I sat on it for a while and smelled the pine scent; it was warm enough to start bringing that out. Time well spent!

I have just a few other notes to round out this post. Pam is out shopping right now;  I picked up a flu bug that is causing abdominal cramps that have taken away much of my energy. There may be a sick day or two in the immediate future.

My mother, now in her upper 80s, had an episode that kept her overnight in the hospital. She was having shortness of breath and, given her history of heart problems, thought it best to get checked. A new medication was prescribed and Mom is now back home and says she feels OK.

The last of foster kitten batch #25, KitKat, had a visit with the vet this past Friday for her spay operation. She is recovering nicely — but still is not any friendlier. Adoption is out; Pam has found a barn home for her (this placement is still some weeks away, waiting for consistent warmer temps) and I hope KitKat adapts to an outdoor life.  Pam will likely move the cat pen out into the garage in a few weeks, to give KitKat a taste of what is to come.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

In addition to a quick check of the Sanderling property, Fields was sent on a mission yesterday to drive by several homes currently for sale in Como and Fairplay.  I’m trying to wrap my mind around what kind of house makes sense to build up there.  There are plenty of log homes in the area – prow shaped and rectangular.  There are numerous unimaginative square cabins of the tarpaper roof variety (with the seemingly mandatory junk around the structure).  I think what we build will need to fall somewhere in the middle price-wise, and will have to rely on interesting architectural details and creative landscaping to stand out from the rest (while still blending in with the surrounding woods).  A bit tricky, that.

Happy Trails.