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Showing posts from 2022

let there be light, solstice and dancing in the movies

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Think we were in the White Mountains of Arizona for this shot of Mesa on his throne. Yes, I know, not pretty. Light therapy lamps are most effective when used at eye level or above. Hence the jury rig with my stool for step-ups. Also meant to be used first thing in the morning while one is sipping a large mug of green tea and a smaller one of coffee. I go through periods of winter blues from time to time. Thankfully, never SAD. Good grief. Anyway, I purchased a Verilux HappyLight, 10,000 lux. Love it. Don’t know if it works on winter blues but that in-your-face bright light in the morning sure is a positive jolt for the day. It’s a keeper. As you know, the winter solstice is my favorite day of the year, the earth’s new year. It’s natural, simple, meaningful. Been celebrated for a long time. Here’s some historical text. “Humans may have observed the winter solstice as early as Neolithic period—the last part of the Stone Age, beginning about 10,200 BC. Neolithic monuments, su

new sticker

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Don’t think I’ve posted this particular shot of Mesa and Meadow on the cage. Don’t know where we were. And yes, they jump and climb up there on their own. Well, I’m not getting back to the state parks this winter, maybe next year. This will be the third winter I’m not making it to the parks, through no fault of my own. Guano. I had made reservations for this winter, but something came up and I had to cancel them. I’ll be staying in Alamogordo until some time in April. Might even look forward to moving back up to Timberon by then. From Timberon’s elevation of 7,100’, I generally drop down to around 3,570’ for the winter months. This winter I’m in a different valley and only down to 4,330’. A bit chillier. But I have daily access to wi-fi and cell phone coverage. It’s in a RV park, however. Thank the gods I only do this when I have too. In the NMSPs, sites are generally farther apart, with no frills or calendar of events. Simple, my thing. I have some deer photos that I have

the shiner

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I saw these two young gobblers early last month. Have not seen or heard any turkeys since then. Going to drop my last unopened 40 lb. bag of scratch grain with a friend to use. I was looking at some paintings by Normal Rockwell and came across The Shiner. When I read the story behind the painting, I ordered a 11x14 print and have it hanging in the Nash. For me, it’s the smile. Couldn’t get a photo of it without reflection, so this image is from ARTPublica Magazine. "The Young Lady with the Shiner" (1953) by Norman Rockwell “Out of the 321 covers that Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978) created during his 47-year career at the Saturday Evening Post, “The Young Lady with the Shiner” painted in 1953 was his 277th. It ran on the 23rd of May, and served as the third and final work by Rockwell The Post published that year. To create the impressively detailed scenes that the artist is known for, Rockwell relied on meticulously planned photographic studies. So, when he was ready

gold weed and do something once

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It’s been raining quite a bit. I moved this photo from last month’s page to here, to compare 2017 to now. (taken back in 2017 when I first dug a flat spot to park the Nash, looking south) This is the same shot as it looks now. I extended the flat area out 22’ from the side of the Nash. Used logs, thick limbs and dozens of wheelbarrow loads of rock and dirt. The dirt in front extends to the left anther 12-15 feet and is the spot where I park the Nash when I get back in March. The large back window faces east. Built up the same way. Golden crown beard (thanks, Lynn) has a hold here. Not pleased about this. It seems like another of this flowering plant’s name, gold weed, is more appropriate. The first four years I’ve been here there was no gold weed. Last year it took over the flat spot. From Wikipedia, “The species responds strongly to disturbances on suitable sites and retards the development of other local species.” Guano. I took this photo last month. Since then gold weed

stomp, mesa’s posture and parenting advice

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Turkeys and deer have started passing through again. They certainly add to the ambience of the place. I’m thankful for this. A week ago, I brought up the July page on my laptop. Damn. So many mistakes. My editing skills seemed to have quit without letting me know. Hopefully I corrected the errors and will be looking for a new set of editing skills. I do not usually go back and read an entry once it is uploaded. Wonder how many other pages are a mess. Guano. Rooster scooped out a bed under the wheelbarrow. I saw Mesa using this spot twice. Before this, he never snoozed under the wheelbarrow. When I get back from a town run, there are three weeks of supplies to unload. Some of the totes and the laundry go into the Nash so I leave the screen door open. Coming in with one load, there was Rooster standing on the threshold looking in. Sure was glad he chose to turn around and jump down. Could have been a messy fiasco. At times when Rooster is walking slowly, he stomps. One leg ki

rooster and scoop & scoot

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I took this photo in June. Have not seen any deer or turkeys this month. Guano. I’m digging down this slope so the Ford does not have to work so hard pulling the Nash up. I only use this slope the day I get back to my property in March. The rig needs to straighten out so I can back onto my Spring spot. Early in the month, someone acquired a rooster. The bird was off in the distance to the east, on another road so his morning wake up call was kinda nice (and 45 minutes after I get up). I’m just guessing here, but if it is the couple I’m thinking of, we have a mutual dislike. The cawing had been coming from their direction and approximate distance. One morning Rooster was on my property. Cann’t see a rooster walking so far through the woods, and out of all compass bearings, straight to me? Midnight drop? The rooster hung around for most of the day. Next morning when we heard him, he was right under the galley window. Scared the SH*T out of us. M&M stood up, alert and Mesa s

doe ears, gettin’ hot, bozos and words from the past

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I have not seen a deer with ears like this. When she flaps her ears for the flys, they only move forward and back. Her small group includes a young buck. I’ve only seen her twice but she might come through in the dark. I’ve started putting out cracked corn just before I turn in. It’s always gone when I look outside in the morning. Deer, turkeys, both, or something else? I watched this girl the whole time she was here. Her ears never moved into a common position. Maybe this side shot shows why. This a new high for inside the Nash. Don’t quite wish for the 34º inside temp, though. Do any of you remember Firesign Theatre’s (might be firesign theatre), ‘ I Think We’re All Bozos on this Bus?’ How bout this part, ‘ Before the Beginning?’ But one really needs to listen to the audio presentation, just reading the words doesn’t cut it. It’s best to listen to this CD with some grass. “Before the beginning, there was this turtle. And the turtle was alone. And he looked around. And he

dragging logs, standing tall and closed forest

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The Montezuma quail pair are back but I’ve only seen them twice so far. As I’ve said before, they do not come in close. There were two fallen trees on the low end of my property. Not good if a wildfire came through. I cut them up and took the branches to the slash dump. Dragged the logs up to this spot. You might see the log-dragger that I used last summer. From here it was relatively easy to drag them up where I was going to use them, just before the pickup. Feels so good doing this type of work (as long as it is on my property). It is so dry here, no rain since I got back on March 25. Passed two of those towable road department digital warning signs, reading Forrest Closed. Had not seen that before. Driving along the 34 mile scenic byway between Cloudcroft and Timberon, there were warning notices at all of the trailheads and overlooks. The large wildfire near Ruidoso, NM was 100 miles to the north in the Sacramento Mountain. Same mountain range and forrest where I live. I j

new canopy and a greenhouse

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Remember when I wrote about inadvertently leaving the awning out in a hail storm? I could have sworn it was rolled in. Anyway, 4-5’ feet of the canopy at the top was trashed. Yes, it took quite a while but I finally ordered a new canopy. I asked Deb to shelp me with the replacement. Here’s Deb pulling out the roller from the old canopy. Here’s the new canopy nearing completion. I’m holding the most useful tool, well, other than our two ladders, a can of silicon lubricant. We lubed the full length of the three 11.5’ slots that the beads of the new canopy had to slide into. Priceless stuff. Might be able to see some of the T-posts we set in the background. Thanks, Deb, for helping me with this. Should be good until the next hail storm. Here’s a photo of how Deb’s greenhouse is coming along. Awesome. Soon she'll be constructing a cold frame garden similar to my friends’ in Moab. Another shot from the galley window. Still a tad nippy in the mornings, 30s and a couple in t

wringer, post driver, and back in Timberon

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Deb does all her laundry by hand. So while I was there, so did I. The Calliger hand wringer was awesome. The first time, I thought it was a lot of work. But while doing my second batch a few days later, I was enjoying it, really. Did a number of batches during the four weeks I was there. Although one morning, I had to wear warm gloves under some heavy rubber gloves. Deb says the only time she minds it is during the winter. The life of a homesteader. It’s open range so occasionally horses or cows come through. Sometimes causing damage. I helped Deb start on some fencing. We set 44 6.5’ T-posts. I picked up a 2nd “14 lb. post driver with handles,” so the work went quicker. The first day I was getting a headache, all that pounding of steel on steel close to my ears. IBU and earplugs were not enough. The next day I dug out my shooting muffs and all was well. Many spots proved to be a bear getting the posts in. A couple days we were totally maxed. But as I staggered back to the Nash,

one last warm day, the estate, a mishap and no more PO

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So, after driving 670 miles north to Utah, this is what I got for it. Heading north in February, kinda expected it. And yes, we were both up ladders sweeping off our solar panels. I set up out in the canyon rims area south of Moab for a day before continuing on the the Mason Martini Estate. A week later, I took the previous photo. Deb has 80 acres of range/grazing property, three miles from a boat launch on the Colorado. She has quite a setup. Hauls in water, power comes from solar panels, constructing a geothermal greenhouse, has a compost pile going, burns paper and cardboard, will soon be constructing a cold frame garden, takes care of her immediate acres and practices no harm. She is extremely handy and self-sufficient. Deb researches all aspects of her off-the-grid homestead before incorporating what she learns. Very smart lady. Ya done good, girl. I’m enjoying our day to day interactions, laughs, conversations. Looking forward to warmer temps so we can sit outside as we