Feeling "winter finding"

In the tradition of the northern past, what we know as Halloween was called "winter finding" and was the beginning of the winter season. It could be noted that they called only two seasons -- winter and summer -- but today I am definitely feeling that sense that the season of cold, dark and inward turning thought is on its way.

It is also "hunters moon" tonight, which did bring me to mind of Halloween and the beginning of the "Wild Hunt" of northern myth...

We have been working towards -- as a friend who visited yesterday said -- buttoning up the house. These trailer windows have no proper frame and this would not allow sufficient air space between the heat-stretched plastic "insider" storm window and the window glass, so we got a few 1x4s (the 1x3s being too poor quality to even consider) and I stained them walnut to go with the dark trim and dark metal windows. Yesterday we began installing them, having got the 3 north facing windows in the living/dining area done with enough pieces spare to do one remaining.

Next time I take the truck to town I will get more wood -- or maybe today if we feel like fighting to secure them to the roof rack of the car.

I still need to do some filling, touch-up stain and varnishing of the frames we did put up before I can secure the plastic... but we are in process. We also looked under my craft room floor to see why, when the heater came on the other day, that room got only lukewarm air and the rest of the house got warm. Turns out they used stove pipe -- uninsulated -- for the run to the floor grate. We also need to replace a bit of insulation under that floor, so some fibreglas will be on the list for today, I am sure.

Today is a town-running day; K has a doc appt in Milo early on and then I hope to stop by friends, and we will do town errands. Another couple of hex signs to be posted and another mail order check for one might be in the mail. We have a list for the hardware store and another short one for the grocery... nothing essential, just odd ends that I will pick up if possible.

We are beginning to get into the routine of one big shopping trip per month. I do need to get the animal food in sync though.

A couple of days off scything... yesterday it was wet and though scything goes well in the wet, I did not want to be soaked, as I knew I would be, cutting the stuff I am working on. And today, well we need to be out of here on the way to the doc at 7:30. We are also waiting for a part for the riding mower, which hopefully will arrive this week. It has been much abused and will have a shorter life for it, but the engine is strong and for $100 we can have a good machine for K to work on the remaining lawn area, and to hopefully mow down the stubble in the back once I have liberated the trees. I would like to try to keep the goldenrod at bay, let other things come up that attract wildlife and cover the ground between the trees we will plant.

'tis time to get after it I guess... if I can get beans on to cook today, I'll turn them into a pot of chili tonight for supper tomorrow. And if not, well there is tomorrow, as well.