We drove to The Lot on Saturday, August 12, intending to get a lot done. Unfortunately, when we opened the RV, we found mice had managed to find a way in.

An inspection of the bottom side of The Box located a spot where the mice may have entered; a piece of corrugated plastic that seals the bottom had broken away from the screws that hold it in place leaving a gap large enough for mice to enter.

While Pam began to clean the inside of the trailer, I drove into Fairplay to buy some large “fender” washers to put under the heads of the screws. Upon returning to the The Box I was able to remove the screws, put the washers on them, and put the screws back in place. This closed the gap and, I hope, closed off the entry way.

Jumping ahead in the timeline…I put out traps and caught 5 mice over the course of Saturday night/Sunday morning. (Last trap sprung at about 3:30 AM.) Neither of us got a lot of sleep, and when we left on Sunday I left the traps in place. We will see what gets caught (if anything) when I go up for my next working weekend.

Typical field mouse

So, due to the mice delay we started working on the property later than anticipated. Much was accomplished, though, as we loaded the trailer with wood to bring home, spread chips on the Birdhouse Ridge walking path to finish it, cut more standing dead trees, and moved the chipper to a new location. (The chips were from chipping during Felicity’s visit.) While I was cutting trees Pam collected and stacked a large pile of brush near the chipper. Homestead Acre is looking pretty good!

The goals for next trip include cleaning up where I cut the trees — getting all the limbs and tops in a pile ready for chipping. There are some chips left to spread; these will go on an area that seems to be washing out a bit. Another area, just uphill from the Grassy Knoll, has a lot of dead trees down on the ground. Most of these cannot be salvaged as they are rotten and will need to get cut and piled for future chipping. A few weeks ago I had cut several small dead trees around Pavilion Point; these trees will need to be hauled (by hand) out to an area where I can get to them with my ATV and cart so they can then be moved to a chipping pile. Lots of leg work and hauling is on tap for my next working weekend. I just hope that mice do not have a role!

In family related items:

My mother may return home due to financing issues with the care center; it remains to be seen if an arrangement can be made to keep her at the center. I don’t believe she can live at home, unassisted, any longer even if she wishes to do so. My brother, Jon, is executor of the estate and is working on this problem. Finding in-home help is both difficult and expensive; my mother does not have a large estate to pay for expensive care. We do not want her to use her assets down to zero and have the state step in and dictate her future. It is a quandary.

Locally, our bridge replacement project (in the city where both of us work) has entered a critical phase: the old bridge that crossed the Colorado River and was the main artery into Glenwood Springs has been shut down pending removal and replacement with a new, larger, modern bridge. For me this means a long delay in getting to and from my office – an hour delay during off-peak times is now normal, with much longer delays at peak times. While I can get most of my work done from remote locations there are some things that require my presence in the main office. It is going to be an interesting 95 days until the new bridge is placed in service.

Road closed, bridge out: Glenwood Springs, Co.

Pam is affected by the bridge closure as well and has arranged to work more days from home, cutting down the need to get to her office at all. She will come in from time to time to get a new load of paperwork and drop off the completed work – this requires a physical transfer of paper forms and records – but fewer trips to the office can only be a good thing while the bridge is out.

So life goes on, both the good and the bad. We have the physical work at The Lot but also have the mental and emotional pull of family and friends who are having end-of-life issues. We are not unique in facing these, but finding our way forward can be a challenge.

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

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

My friend-since-childhood, Mary, died this week due to cancer. The world will be way less fun now that Mary is not in it. I will miss her constantly going forward.  Calm seas and fair weather as you travel on, my friend.

There had better not be any more mice in the RV at Sanderling.  They are nasty little buggers.

Happy Trails.