Well, here's to a day "off"

... and another sort of work.

Yeah, it seems like I am always working doesn't it? All of it needs doing, most of it I enjoy and much of what I do as hobbies or pass times, other would likely call work anyway.

Today, as the wind as abated as much as it ever does here on the Hill, and the temps are not in the single digits, we will be putting up plastic around the foundation. This is something I have not seen done anywhere else I have lived (even in other, northern and snowy climates, but seems to be commonplace here in Maine). Folks do it for a variety of reasons, it seems... to keep the snow from direct contact with the foundation and to reduce freezing drafts under the buildings would be the main reasons I guess. In our case, it is the latter...

The way the skirting was installed, there are gaping holes between the wooden panels. Now, many of these were supposed to be closed up by vertical strips of wood nailed on to the panels, but it just isn't happening. So the breezes blow and the wind chill helps freeze the pipes, I think.

This is a bit of a learning experience year for us -- especially for K. Though he went to school in NH for a bit, he was not there for an entire winter and during that period, he was a teen and did not have to worry much about the "getting ready for winter" part of things. He commented recently that this was the first place he had ever lived where one had to get ready for the season. and it is obvious that one of the lessons for this winter is learning the extent to which this is necessary.

Part of what was/is going on, of course, is the fact that his deteriorating health is in direct opposition to his desire to help and his perceived energy levels. In other words, he WANTS to do much more, and THINKS/EXPECTS that he can, but in the end just can't. For example, our riding mower was "put away" dirty (with grass and weeds still embedded under it, and it remains so) despite his desire and intention to not do what had been done to it before.

My intention for this coming cycle is --as we learn what is necessary for the winter -- to have a list and get it all done before Samhain this year... the final mowing, cleaning of the tools, most of the tilling, readying of the house for winter, etc.

Of course all this will have to be dovetailed with work (~ 30 hrs a week at the store, who know how many projects for Vision IPD and hex signs for Dutch Hex Sign), daily chores, etc.

On a totally different thread, I was just thinking yesterday -- before the pipes thawed -- how glad I am NOT to be having to go to a "city job". You know the kind... where you have to dress up, put on makeup, etc and mingle constantly with folks whose only relationship with what I think of as the real world -- the Earth and it's weather and seasons -- is when they bitch about the inconvenience of snow or rain or the discomfort of heat. The folks at the store and the customers all live here in the boonies. Many of them work outside as farmers or loggers or in construction, and they understand much more, I think.

Anyway, time for breakfast and to get on with the day. Have a good one, all!

PM EDIT:

I tried to get to the PO as I need to have a larger envelope weighed, and the POs here all take lunch break about the time I head to work, so I keep missing them. They DO have Sat. AM hours, but, of course they are quite short (the closest is 9 - 10:30) and of course I arrived 4 min too late and the window was closed. GRR... well it will have to wait until the City trip on Tues.

Had made arrangements to meet one of my coworkers at the store at the start of her shift (1 PM) today, to get eggs, as her mom's hens have started laying, so that I really couldn't get started on the plastic until after that. Scored 2 doz "pullet eggs" for $3. Yeah they are small, but I have always loved pullet eggs... the beginning of the egg cycle, often in the depth of winter.

Then we finally got to the plastic trip. I had spent most of the morning cutting the 100' long, 10' wide roll into two pieces each 5' wide and re-rolling. Fun. We were supposed to have a relatively still day, but I should have known better. The wind is seldom still here and the local weather service was reporting 11 mph at a temp of 23 degrees, so it was rather brisk and dealing with the plastic was unwieldy. We got the west end done, starting at the access panel on the south side (the 'cat door') and around to where the addition (Craft room) starts. What with having to add furring strips vertically to help secure the billowing plastic, and said wood being wet and frozen (it had been stored out of the weather, so it came wet), it was a challenge.

I put on extra layers of thermals and sweats on my legs and doubled up the gloves, so was warm pretty much everywhere (except for a couple of cold spots in my fake Uggs) with my fur lined cap and big jacket. K layered as well but with his circulation and nerve issues, got numb before he felt any cold.

We are both pretty beat, but are planning (hoping) to continue again on Monday, as I don't have to work until 4 pm. We tucked the roll of plastic up against the house, and temporarly tacked the last bit of foundation wrap down, so that we can continue without having to join plastic, when we are able to start again.

After a supper of turkey enchaladas, a hot bath and bed are the order of the evening.