Storming

The last couple of weeks have been a bit overwhelming.

We had a huge storm, in fact, I have never seen wind here like that.....someone said it was 92 mph, I don't know if that is true.  But the huge trees in my side yard were horizontal to the ground.
It came on quickly, and didn't last long, but it did a lot of damage.

The top of the apple tree fell on my car.
DH had a canvas garage for his car, that was destroyed and blew a ways away, scratching his car up in the process.
Several huge locust trees came down, one destroyed the stockade fence between my dog yard and the labyrinth.......and a couple destroyed one whole side of the black chain link fence I had put up for Roy.
When one of those trees came down, it pulled the entire electrical entrance and all the wires completely off my house.
So, no power for THREE days.

But as I walked through the yard, surveying the damage, I saw this.

And I smiled.

No power means no water means no toilet.
I've done this before.  I don't remember it being so uncomfortable.
In bed when it got dark, because you couldn't even read.
Very unpleasant.
Makes me realize how really spoiled we are.

So first the electrician, then the electrical inspector, then finally the power company.



Then the adjustors, for cars, for house.  Then the fence guy to estimate how much it will cost to replace the chain link fence.

Then having partial trees, that are now very dangerous, taken down.  And cleaning up a million little branches all over the property.
Stacking up the wood from the trees, hoping to find someone who wants it.

Yes, it has been quite the time.
I am longing for things to be back to normal.

When the power came on after 72 hours, it was heaven.
Roy hunkered down by the pellet stove.......I just enjoyed being able to read without a flashlight.

It's amazing, really, how spoiled we are, by all the conveniences that we have.
DH missed the TV, which is like nourishment to him.
I just missed having lights, and water.


We now have THREE cats outside.....one is a long haired black cat, who comes on occasion.

Bubbalee eats here most days......she is very independent, and has been coming around for 8 years.

Goldie, however, or Butter as I sometimes call him/her, is a permanent resident.

And desperately wants to COME IN.
Something I do not think the inside girls will appreciate at all.

My sweet boy Roy has had his issues of late......passed out four times in two days, scared us to death.

I called the vet, and he suggested cutting back on his blood pressure med, which I did.  He's been good since, so I'm hoping that was the problem.

I can't envision life without him, though I know that's inevitable.

I do what I can to keep him around as long as he's happy.

Some days I just hold my breath.

Happy day.

Sometimes a couple of days away gives me perspective.......
it always makes me grateful for my big, old house.   Home.

There is really nothing like it, is there??

If I lived near the ocean, I would walk there every day.  It is the most peaceful experience.

The sun, the sound of the waves, the wind.  Everything about it.   I center on the beach.   I think most of us do.

I spent a couple of hours sitting here watching the waves crashing in.  Doing nothing.

Then there is always the food in Maine.


Nothing like a draft beer......

With some clam chowda.

Roy is getting older, and while he is still the best traveling dog EVAH..........it takes its toll on him.

As soon as I got home, I finished this up.
It was waiting on my loom.
I took it off, serged the ends, washed and dried it, measured and hemmed, attached label and middle marker, then pressed it.
Packed it up, ready to go in today's mail.

I love this draft still.........watching the shells appear while I weave is magical.

The jury is out on my AVL home loom with compudobby.  I find it very hard to treadle.  Lois says I am spoiled by my E-LIFT on the AVL folding dobby.
That may be true.
But since both of us have had HIP ISSUES....damn this getting older sometimes.........I am being watchful.
She has woven on it for several days in a stretch, and after a week off it, she is going to give it another GO......but if it bothers her at all, unfortunately, it's going.

VERY SAD, because I love the loom in every other way......easy to warp, easy to thread, perfect size, 8 harness, and I love the compudobby.  I was very intimidated by it, only to find that it is no big deal, but how much easier it is to do complicated patterns!!!

I have called AVL......but they say they cannot make an e-lift for it.   I think the truth is, they don't want to, since they don't make this loom anymore.

We'll see...........

Apparently, summer is here.  Yesterday was brutally hot.  Time to make the ice tea.  And once the sun got low in the sky, and it cooled off some, it was porch time.

I spend a lot of quiet time out here with a good book.

Today I have a list of things.....silk to dye, bamboo that I just dyed to be dried in the sun, and bread to make for my youngest daughter.

She requested raisin/walnut bread.

For months now, I have been using this awesome organic flour.  I have to drive a bit to get it, but it's so worth it.

No chemicals, no crap.  The minute you start to knead it, you can tell the difference.

Funny what things make you happy when you get to this stage in your life.

Ha!

I'd better get to it.

All the news that is

The evening news is on.

I feel myself getting more and more agitated.

Bad news, and more bad news.

Is anyone else afraid of North Korea trying to destroy America????
Anyone???

And now he's fired the FBI director.  Hmm.   Who do you suppose he will put in THAT position??
Someone more inclined to cover up his connection to Russia??

Nuclear reactors?  Airline disputes?  Women being marginalized, over and over?


I can't watch anymore, I swear.  I'm beginning to understand how it feels for people in third world countries, to live their lives in fear and anxiety.
Something, up until now, I've never felt in this country.


On the home front, there is a stand off on the porch.

Goldie, being a very polite boy, while Bubbalee, the queen, eats breakfast.
They are usually growling and hissing and running, so this is progress.

 Here it is,  the new to me AVL Home loom, with Compudobby III.

It was a breeze to warp, easy to thread.
Getting it set up and communicating with the computer, well, let's just say it was a little stressful.
But it's done.

I am using Weave Point, and I must say that I am pretty impressed with how user friendly it is.

This is hand dyed yellow/gold cotton warp, with hand dyed cotton hemp in shades of blue.

The draft is "crackle".

I am pretty much smitten with crackle.

Rugs still get woven around here, not as often, but they do.

Lois whipped up this one and a few more like it.
Recycled blue jeans.

I think this is going to be a RUANA.
Again, it is crackle.  I told you I was smitten.
Hand dyed cotton warp. Tencel weft.

I have to stay grounded in my "tiny life".   If I let myself get too sidetracked with the political news, I find my stress level going through the ceiling.
I have to take breaks.

I like my life, my day to day is productive, creative, and mostly makes me happy.

I hate that I  worry about the things that are so out of my control.

  I like to feel that the world I wake up to is a safe one.

That's just not the way it is anymore.