In Which Miss Ingu Welcomes the Vagabonds Home

They're home! Home from Honduras. Went to the airport for their midnight arrival on Sat/Sun. Each face was beeming. Glowing with a great trip behind them. I'd expected weary and ragged-out faces. It was very exciting to greet them and take them home. Wish I'd taken a picture of them. SEI chattered away and told me about parrotsandmonkeysandlittlelizardsandglass-bottomboatrides. Sunday I got to see photos and hear more stories in between playing games and building tents with SEI. Hapapapa and SEI showed me a huge conch shell they found on the beach and brought back for kaliedoscope's own. And much as I've resisted having chicken decorations, they brought me a really sweet little ceramic hen on a nest that I really like and is perfect for a new kitchen window sill. Welcome back to tu casa, mis amigos!

In Transition

That little house in Portland is becoming a bit more than just a dream. I drove over there Saturday to just walk around it. The blinds were all pulled so I couldn't see inside, but I puttered around the back yard thinking of things to plant and how to build a tree house. I was surprised to see a lot of birds - guess I've been thinking I was leaving all the birds behind. And then I saw an eagle overhead. Really. With a bright white head cruising high up in the sky, sweeping the surrounds with his eagle eyes. Must have been St. Joseph sending a good house warming wish.

Blue and I returned to the farm last night. We'll be back in Portland tonight and tomorrow, then back here for a few days. The neighbor dogs have made friends with the man who is renting the green houses. It's the first time I've seen Zeus with a ball in his mouth and a smile on his face. Brownie and Molly were hanging around, too. So Blue had a lot of peeing to do to make sure they all know who's home this really is!

Blue and I went on a long walk this morning, going a little deeper into the woods than usual. Every walk is getting to be a bit nostalgic. Sort of like it might be our last chance to get down there. I've had a song in my head for days that's like background music for this transition time - Joan Baez's "Deportee". The words don't really fit, but the tune and refrain do. The song keeps playing as we walk:

...Goodbye to my Juan,
Farewell, Rosalita.
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria...

We'll have to have a Grand Farewell Party when the time comes to really leave here.

We saw a pileated woodpecker on our walk. My first! And a crazy, huge, red-headed fellow he was. We heard him first. His call was so raucus that I thought some bird had had his nest raided. Then I spotted him and was able to follow him. Maybe he was following us! Anyway, he really makes a lot of noise when he's in flight. Then when he's on a tree he's still rapping away, but a little lower like he's humming to the bugs inside the tree. The sounds of his pecking are loud enough to be the masterful strokes of a crazed woodsman He followed us from the end of our trail right on up to one of the large trees near the shed.

While we were on our walk we ran into Mr. Beachy and his daughter. They looked miserable. Apparently the weather completely destroyed their house under the blackberries and they's been wandering around homeless, wet, and distressed for days. I felt so bad for them, but their sad little faces perked right up when they saw us. Noble Blue right away attacked an old tree stump and dug them quite an entrance. I'm not sure if it was a cedar tree, but the wood inside is a warm and invting red color. The Beachy's were ever so pleased and bowed to both of us over and over in that peculiar way they have. This stump will work for a temporary shelter until we're all moved back to the city. They didn't want to leave before we did. Isn't that sweet

Do You Know What Pure Joy Looks Like?

Answer: Three dogs jumping out of the jeep and running through the fields at the farm. I wish they could put words to how they feel. It is so much fun to see how excited they are!

Been away from the farm and the internet too long, so we decided to drive up here today for a few hours. It's strange how addicted I've become to having www capabilities. And nothing has changed out here on the farm, so I'm relieved. I'd worried that the pipes might have frozen or something disturbed while I've been gone. It's funny how wet it's been in Portland, but the ground out here is still frozen and large patches of snow on the ground. The dogs and I walked all over (well, that's not quite accurate...I walked, they ran circles around me as I walked) to check out Blue's and my trails. I found another bone to add to my collection - will write about that sometime soon. We filled the bird feeders and dug up the rose and clematis so they'll be ready to take to a new home when the time comes.

We are sorely missing our little family, but we did get an e-mail from them today. They are warm and having a wonderful time...no kidnappings or banditos. Can't wait to hear their stories. They'll be back Sat. at midnight, which means I'll return to the farm Sunday or Monday. Talk to ya'll then.

Quick Note

The kids left for Honduras last Tuesday night and I've been at their house without internet access. They told me "if it goes out, just push the plug in farther". Didn't work. I'm at the library now and only have 7 minutes left for today. All the dogs are fine. Hammy is sleeping a lot. Waylon (the cat) hasn't been making as much noise as when k-girl is here. The snow base on Mt. Hood is 200 inches. I think we are snowed-out of the farm, too, because it's been snowing here and sticking a little. I've been ODing on cable TV. There's so much to watch! I'll be over it soon, I hope. Guess I'll sign off now and hope to figure out how to use my lap-top at a coffe shop soon. Bye.

Equal Time

Noble Blue

Hammy

Best hamster ever!

More Details

Still looking for that fat lady, but it looks like this house might happen. It sure is a lot of work - all the negotiating and inspections, etc. Yesterday I was over therer while the electrician and sewer scope guy were there. I sketched out the floor plan. Doing that reminded me of my fireling who always sketches out her moves. I've always thought it was good that I didn't have a house to furnish and decorate, because it would occupy so much of my time. And.....yes....I already bought a chair for this yellow house. I will really have to restrict myself.

It is a tiny yellow house across the street from a church that I go to every once in a while. The church happens to be one that I went to one long ago Christmas eve when I was visiting kaliegirl. I remember the sermon was about Harry Potter....but can't remember what the context was! Anyway I am so excited about being that close to a church so I can go to daily mass again. Masses are few and far between out here in the wilderness. I will stay a parishioner of the Downtown Chapel at least for now.

The neighborhood is laid out like Wash DC with the quilt-like angles leading up to turn-abouts. There's a large rose garden in the middle and four smaller ones at north, east, west, and south. The south one is just a block from me. And there's an off-leash dog park that isn't too far to walk....Blue will have some new friends!

One reason I like this house is because it is still very simple and farm-house looking. The kitchen has old cupboards painted white and a couple built in shelves that don't show up in the picture. It looks bright, too, which is sometimes rare in a Portland house. The living room floor is beautiful wood and it has an old "fake" fireplace that the electrician says can be repaired. I'm hoping to find a set of electric logs like my friend sweetfairybee has in her home. There are 2 bedrooms...I think I'll fix up the guest room so it makes a cozy sitting space for reading when visitors aren't here. And there's a mud room at the back of the house that really looks old fashioned. The little garage will one day become a very sweet art studio and green house. It has walls and ceiling that are still unfinished and very pretty red (cedar?) wood. I could live in it!

I'm sure that fat lady's somewhere.......

Over Hill, Over Dale, As We Hit the Dusty Trail and The Caisons Go Rolling Along

(there's a ferocious domestic cat in this tree)

Yes it's true.....Miss Ingu and Blue are moving. I guess it's not a done deal until the Fat Lady sings and I haven't even met her yet. But Miss Ingu has signed her name to documents which imply she is buying her first home! It is a tiny but solid yellow house in a neighborhood with tree-lined streets, a church across the street, and a Portland grocery store just a skip away. There's a very nice grade school two blocks from it in case SIE would like to attend. And where the streets come together there are rose gardens that fill the round-abouts. I think it will be the quintessential grandma's house. And I intend to keep it very proper so that guests will feel welcome and enjoy their visits. We'll have tea and apple pie always on hand.

Blue and I went for a walk today to discuss this with Mr. Beachy. I was very worried that he'd take this with some hurt feelings. But he and his daughter were delighted to hear the news! His poor house under the blackberry hedge has been almost smushed from the heavy rains and the ice has made it quite uncomfortable. Straight away he made plans to accompany us on our move. I am sure he will find a wonderful spot. The yellow house has a very nice backyard and a garage that I plan on turning into an art studio/garden house. I am sure Mr. Beachy and Peachy will find a wonderful spot to build their new place. If only we can talk a few of the birds out here into joining us and maybe take a garter snake or two, it's possible we won't be too homesick.

Each walk we've taken for the last few days has been filled with soaking in God's awesome creation. I'm going to move a bed up against the front window to compensate Blue for the loss of her fields. She's never been able to look outside and watch the sounds and smells go past. Kaleidoscope girl thinks that as long as Blue and I are together that she'll be a happy dog. Maybe she'll finally learn to walk on a leash!

Well, I'm off now to find that fat lady.

Snow and Rain and Freezing Fog

Sorry I have been out of commission these past 10 days. It seems like every day is running together. The amazing thing is that no matter how quickly time passes, there are always extraordinary changes everytime we go out for a walk. The weather here has been harsh this winter. A lot of wet, heavy snow, plus cold wind, and now a new weather term: freezing fog. It's different from sleet. It's very fine crystals just wisping around like you're standing in a snow globe.

A lot of tree branches have broken off and fallen in heaps along our paths. Bruce, the farmer next door, tries to keep up with them so sometimes they are trimmed and cut for firewood not too long after falling. But up on this end the big fir trees have lost enough limbs to make a huge pile of evergreen bowers at their bases. And often the wet snow is weighing down the lower limbs so you have to duck under and go into a perfect little fort. The raspberry hedges have gotten so scrunched that I can see over them and Blue and I even made a new path over some flattened branches. Poor Blue's paws must be really tough to walk over all those little thorns ("jaggers" as SIE calls them). There are 2 woodland alcoves that are quite open now after loosing the blackberry walls.

The pine siskin have moved on. But one day a small flock of evening grosbeaks filled the big feeder. They're the first I ever saw and so pretty. They are about the size of robins and the females are gently colored gray and pale yellow(like the evening sky at sunset). The male have a more contrasting black, yellow, and white pattern. Pictures in my books do not so them justice. It was truly a delight to watch their little flock feeding - no nipping and fighting like the pine siskins and jays.

In Which Miss Ingu Gives a Tour of Her Office

I had to laugh the other morning when I woke up and thought about the sight of my office space. My little home here is really only one and a half rooms. Ever since before Christmas I've had all my projects stacked around on every available surface. There's a "day bed" in the kitchen, and two desks in the main room. At some point I took out a folding table left by my landlords and filled that up. And recently I pulled out my ironing board and put it at the right height to work while sitting on the couch. Handily, the ironing board and everything on top of it can slide under the folding table when I'm not working on things. And what am I working on? I am still trying to write out Xmas cards!!! Is it time to give up? Maybe so. I think Lent starts soon. I also have 4 mouse houses underway and a painting or two. That's just the stuff that's taking up space. Soon it will all be finished and the sufaces in my house will be bare.