February. The shortest month of the year, that seems to just go on and on and on.  It’s also what I felt was the snowiest month of the year.  When the old proverb “As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens” rings true. The time of year that everyone starts becoming antsy, with cabin fever and ready for Spring, in hopes that the sun will actually shine warm beams of light.

When the girls were younger, we would spend most of February school vacation at the Schoolhouse. Cabin fever took us deeper into the woods. We’d pack up the truck, grab the dogs and head for camp. At that time we rarely kept the driveway plowed. We’d park in the road and climb over 8 ft snow banks. Behind us, we dragged sleds, with our canvas totes of clothes, food and water.  Trudging through thigh high snow, and I’m all legs, I’d blaze a trail for the girls.

We would entertain ourselves with Flinch, not the hitting game, the card game. My grandmother and I played it every Wednesday when I was a teenager. I taught the girls and we would spend hours sitting at the table. It’s still a game we enjoy playing together and one we guard with our lives. And I’m not joking. When the game is out, all liquids are off the table. It’s a family heirloom at this point. Another past time was crafts. Stored under the bed, we kept a tote filled to the brim with crayons, construction paper, glue sticks and coloring books galore. Plus, they’d bring things from home. If the weather permitted, which was not often, they’d bundle up and romp around outside. Warming up with hot cocoa when they came back inside.

At night, I would allow the girls one movie on the portable DVD player. They’d snuggle into bed and usually before the movie was over, they were sound asleep. They seldom fought or argued while we were at camp. They were too busy, keeping busy. Some nights I would be woken up by a voice. Then I’d hear another voice. I’d lay in my bed listening. The girls would save their arguing for the middle of the night. While ASLEEP! Back and forth, they’d banter from their separate beds, and then nothing. Just the crackling of the fire and the dogs light snoring.

Now, February is the month I tackle the organizing and tedious tasks indoors. Keep myself busy and productive.  Since we’ve been here a year now, I can use the “if you haven’t used it, touched it, needed it in a year, you don’t need it” rule. I spent 5 hours going through, organizing and washing the cupboards and pantry, in our tiny galley kitchen, the other day. The following day I spent another 4 hours just cleaning the outhouse. I literally had to defrost it first. Literally!

This week we had, what I thought to be, a disappointment of a snow storm. Here on the hill, it was so windy, most of it blew off into the fields. We plowed and the following day I shoveled out the propane tanks, which were drifted in and in front of the solar shed. There was a measurable amount half a mile down the road at the spring. So, I cleaned that out when I went to get water.

The rest of the time, when I’m not in the midst of a project, I write and read. Sometimes color in my “Adult” coloring books (That sounds…not right to me.) I’ve also taught myself how to knit. After a few scarves, I am now almost finished my first afghan with another blanket half finished. I needed more yarn and after being out of stock for over a month, it’s being shipped. On the nicer days when the wind isn’t blowing and it’s not below zero, I take Willa on a long walk or off leash in the yard to move her (and mine) old bones around. Praying she doesn’t slip on the ice. Or myself for that matter.

I’m hoping for an early spring. I need my fresh air. February and March are the two hardest months for my mind, spirit and soul, as I know it is for a lot of people. I just need to keep remembering that winter is for resting and resetting. Resting and Resetting.

This past weekend was a clear reminder of how cold winter can be up on “The Hill”, in Kingsbury. Despite the weather on my phone, claiming it was 15° out, Real feel 7° and winds were supposedly 35mph, I had to disagree. Our thermometer stated 7° and the winds were much stronger. Factoring in the wind, it was roughly 20° BELOW.  The house creaked and the roof moaned with every gust. The windows shook and the shed door rattled.  Old Man Winter finally made his full appearance and had an unwelcomed stay for a few days.

It was the type of weather that, just looking out the window,  made your bones ache and sent a chill down your back. No matter how cozy it was inside. When it was time to take the dogs out, Willa did her business and hurried back to the door. Which never happens and poor little Charlie!! I was afraid he was going to freeze into a little troll statue, with his short chihuahua/ rat terrier fur. Back inside he’d run, straight into his fleece lined pod. I was envious. If I had a pod, I would have curled up in it myself.

The whole weekend I kept the house warm. Not only did I have the propane heater on, with the blower going, I started a fire in the cookstove.  Wood heat is the best for cold raw days.  The curtains and shades remained drawn, until day light, even then, I only partially opened them to keep the heat in, but to allow some natural light in.

The dogs were not the only ones hesitant to go the bathroom. I was myself. Granted, the outhouse is attached and we don’t have to step foot outside, but it was still COLD! If you can see frost on interior wooden walls, you know it’s cold. When you spray cleaners and they freeze instantaneously, you know it’s cold. When you sit down and feel that burning and frozen sensation, all at the same time, on your bum, you know it’s cold.  That was the weather report for this weekend IN the outhouse. COLD! Chance of frost bitten booty!

It could be worse, I suppose. On the upside, we don’t have to bundle up, trudge through deep blowing snow and then have to fidget with buttons and zippers with frozen appendages. Especially, in the middle of the night, half asleep. We open a door, walk 8 feet, open another door. Arrival. It’s really not that bad…most of the time. It does take getting use to.

I remember the first time we stayed here. Kenz was almost 3. Fully Potty trained. When I took her out to go the bathroom,  she wasn’t having it. When I lifted the wooden lid, I tried to hurry her, as I didn’t want her getting a glimpse down the hole. I wasn’t fast enough. It took some coaxing,  a bit of cheering on and explaining she had no other option. I’m sure she was waiting for some creature to pop out at any given moment.  I won’t lie, the thought crosses my adult mind (And it has happened…see my blog about Intruders) Finally, I told her I had to potty too. Being double seated, I lifted the lid next to her and sat down. She thought that was pretty funny. I can tell you, she’s not the only one, quite a few people think it’s pretty comical. Maybe this is when women started going the bathroom together?!
Just this Christmas, our 2 year old grandson, Gio, had his first experience with the outhouse. All we could hear was him saying “No, No..” but in the end, after a brief chat with his Daddy, he managed. He’ll get use to it.

We now only use the outhouse 6 months out of the year. Just during the cold periods.  Last May we decided to rent a porta potty for the warmer months. If I’d known then, what I know now, we would have done it a few months sooner. The company supplied not only the toilet paper, but the hand sanitizer too. That would have been ideal during the toilet paper shortage! They also come and clean it weekly!

I wish someone came weekly to clean the outhouse for me.  Of ALL the things we do and have to do…it’s my least favorite chore. During the cold weather, the outhouse still has to be maintained.  The problem….it’s cold. “THINGS” don’t breakdown and decompose in cold weather. The most you can do is move it. Yes. Move it.  So I do what I call “slinging shit”. Since the storage side also has a toilet, I put on my gloves and mask and grab the camp shovel and literally sling it over to the other side and add in more lime. If it’s really cold…it’ll roll. It’s a joyous time.

Come spring and the arrival of the porta potty, I start spring cleaning. When I empty out the storage area, aka the other side of the outhouse, I dump peat moss in the toilet and do the same on the side we’ve used all winter. Then we let it REST until November. The peat moss will absorb any moisture and then over time it creates a top layer of crust. Once the crust is made, the materials underneath will start decomposing.
In the winter, I do periodically add soft wood shavings, although it doesn’t do much of anything at the time, it does help in the absorption of any liquid. Who knew there was a science to outhouses. Many people think lime helps in the decomposing part. All lime does is help control the pH and the stench. For the most part. I have, I will and I do buy the large Yankee Candles strictly for the outhouse.  Any scent that is woodsy. Balsam, cedar and Fir are the best. No flower, or even worse, food scents. Those do NOT belong in an outhouse.

As of now, we still have 3 months before I can order the porta potty. In the mean time, I need to decide where it will set. Last year we had it set it out by the storage shed. Close to the front door, but still far enough away. It worked great there….except….except for one thing. The ground is not completely level. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue. And it wasn’t.  Until one day.
I pulled into the yard and noticed Jesse’s work van and that he was home. I went into the house. I saw the dogs. Cats. No Jesse. It’s one room, 400sq feet. Where is he? I go back outside and he’s coming out of the porta potty, backwards on his hands and knees. He stands up and I noticed the cleaning spray and paper towels in hand. I asked him what he was doing.
Well…..long story short. We had a Nor’Easter come through this past fall. The wind was continuously pounding and blowing on the backside of the porta potty. Unfortunately, or fortunately, (I’m not really sure) depends how you look at it, the company had cleaned the porta potty out the previous day. With no weight left in it, the wind blew the porta potty over…door side down. Covered top to bottom on the inside. Contents across the lawn. Jesse said he pulled in and was like NO WAY?!? I told him, if it had been me, I would have backed out and drove off. Nope. It’s not like we have a hose to spray it down with. Gahhh…
I’ll stick to slinging shit.

I try to get a sense of what someone is thinking when I tell them we live off-grid.  Do they see Little House on the Prairie or The Adventures of Grizzly Adams? Are they picturing us cooking dinner over a fire by candle light and trudging through deep snow to go to the outhouse? What is reeling through their head? I often wonder.  In some ways, yes, much like both. Other ways? We are in the 21st century.

My love for the outdoors has been a constant in my life. I started camping as a baby and haven’t stopped. If we didn’t go camping, I was still camping out in the back yard. Spring would roll around, Dad and I would take our annual trip to Sears, so I could buy my new tent. Yes. A new tent EVERY year. Tents are not made to stay up and weather for months on end. By the end of the season, the tent would be all dry rot. I woke up many mornings wet. I eventually gave up on tents. As a teenager, I started just throwing a sleeping bag on the ground and calling it good. I have been known to still do that. My bestfriend, who was from Georgia, was a trooper. As she agreed with no hesitation. They didn’t sleep under the stars in the city of Savannah. I tell her husband he can Thank me for preparing her for camping. My outdoor adventures continued into adulthood, even starting my babies off early. Come May, rain, sunshine or snow, we were camping.

With all the camping background and history in our family (along with my father working  for a large outdoor company, after he retired), we have found some of the handiest gadgets. Whether you’re an avid outdoors person, living off-grid or someone who never leaves their house, but constantly losing power, these things are great to have around. One can never be overly prepared.

Here’s my list of handy dandy gadgets I think everyone should have on hand.

To me, the most important gear, THE COFFEE MAKER!! I NEED my coffee.  Obviously, a heat source is needed to make coffee. For a few years we had an electric range at the old house. If we lost power then, we used our Coleman propane stove or outside grill that had a side burner. For one of our Anniversaries, moons ago, my parents got us the Coleman coffeepot. Game changer for me. Percolated coffee does the job..but this is as close to Mr. Coffee drip as you’re going to get. Or Keurig…whatever your fancy. Still takes 20 minutes to brew, but it’s good coffee. At camp we had the old faithful percolator.  Once we no longer had the camper, Mr. Coleman moved to camp. We still use it every day…15 years later. Electric coffee makers don’t last that long. I would have to buy a new one every 6-12 months.

Then there’s the Air pot. Once you turn the burner off, your pot of coffee is going to get cold. Who wants cold coffee? Yuck! While camping, we would always have a full Air pot.

Next in line would be a compact solar generator. I got Jesse one for Christmas one year, initially to run the fan on the propane heater at the Schoolhouse. I’d charge it, by plugging it in at the house, and bring it with us when we came to stay.  We’ve never used the solar panels, because it held a charge all weekend.  Our daughter has charged hers with the panel, no problem.  I’m still impressed with the little generator. If I’m running the large generator to charge up the solar, I charge the compact up at the same time. Phones starts running low, I can charge them without using the stored solar power. If I need to use a small hand mixer, the compact generator will run one (I just recently realized this fun fact). It will even boost a vehicle battery. Our side by side had a dead battery in the late fall from sitting to long in the cold. I took the handy little booster cables (that were included) and jumpstarted the Ranger.

When we moved, I needed to figure out a shower. And fast. A quick “horse bath” was only going to work for so long. Over the years, I had used a bag shower, but it was now November. Bag showers were not only a pain to get the height, but out of the question. Period. During my search online I found the rechargeable battery operated showerhead. The pump sits in the water, you push the button and wah la! You have a shower. I was pretty stoked with this find.

The heat generated fan was another great find. As the top of the woodstove, cookstove or propane monitor heats a piece of metal on the fan base expands. As it gets hotter and the more it expands,  the faster the fan starts to spin. Pushing the hot air away from the stove, into the room. How something so small can make such a difference in heat.

Gas lights are not very bright. For ambiance they’re fine. Reading. No. Cooking. No. Dishes. No. I remember years of playing cards at night, in the main living area, with all three gas lights on. We still had to hang the North Star Coleman lantern to see. The galley kitchen.. just as bad, even for a small space. We solved the kitchen issue with overhead LED battery operated lights. Now we can see in the fridge, be sure the dishes are clean and the chicken is fully cooked, all with the click of a remote.

At the house I rarely used ceiling lights. We had lamps in every room. Here, we have two. Not to long ago our neighbor was telling us about their new rechargeable lightbulbs. Of course, we ordered some. We also ordered them for gifts and recieved some as gifts! The bulbs charge during regular use. When the power is cut off, they turn back on for 3-4 hours. They can also be removed from the light fixtures and used as hanging lights. I love ours. To read at night, I can just snap off the lamp. No more reading with a headlamp when my solar reading light gets dim or having to climb out of a warm bed to shut the solar system down.

Our old faithful crank radio. I honestly can not say when I put batteries in this last. Or even cranked it to charge the battery for that matter. Even though we’ve had this one for years, I’d bought other small radios since, and they are long gone. This guy’s still singing away to us. Country Gold Saturday Night!

One of the other cool things I came across was a small washing machine. It’s hand crank, and a good arm work out, if you need to do just a small load. It even has a rinse and spin cycle. All manual of course. I’ve only needed to use it a few times, as Jesse goes to the laundromat every Saturday. Yeah, he’s a keeper.

Blueys. Everyone should have Blueys. The big 5 gallon blue water totes. No matter where we were, home, camp or camping, we always had those filled and ready.

Needless to say, we still have our gizmos, gadgets and whatsitsgalore up here in the woods. I’m sure I’ll learn about some more over time.

Again, no matter your lifestyle, you can never be overly prepared. Just be certain you have a manual can opener. If not, you CAN use a spoon!! No joke!

What are some of your favorite gadgets?

Being built in the early 1800’s the Old Schoolhouse has its fair share of charm and character. Not only does it have timeless details and solid workmanship, it has history. Being a historical landmark of Kingsbury Plantation, the Campbell Schoolhouse has also been and continues to be a part of our family history.

To sit here, looking around, you see the marks in the wood floor where the desks were once bolted down. Perfectly spaced in rows. The chalkboards still on the walls, and the maps that showcase countries that no longer exist. Doors on the back wall leading to the attached double seated outhouses. One door for Girls. One door for Boys. A coat room, that at one time, had hooks every few inches down the wall. Many hooks at that. Then you look out the window to see nothing but blueberry fields and woods. Nothing. Not a house insight. To think that once upon a time, children attended school here.

Despite Kingsbury only having 20+ full time residents now, it was once a bustling town. Settlers began arriving in the early 1830’s. In 1836 Kingsbury was incorporated as a Town. We believe, by looking at maps, the Schoolhouse was built in or around 1837-38.

Jesse’s grandfather would have attended school here in the 1920’s. To think he was a scholar in a building, that 30+ years later, would be his and his family’s warmer weather getaway. 

I’ve come to the realization,  that most people who know where Kingsbury is, know the Old Schoolhouse. “The one that sits up in the Blueberry fields”, they say.  It has either been a meeting point for snowmobilers, they picked the fields as a teenager or they’ve seen it out on wheelers or moose looking. Or like us, had family that attended school here  or a relative that was the teacher. People we’ve never met have stopped, given us their familiarity of the place and we’ve given many a tour. We love seeing the expressions on their faces. The awe. It’s like stepping back in time. An era I’m pretty sure I once lived.

When entering the small enclosed porch, you feel almost claustrophobic. The low beadboard ceiling and beadboard walls feel like they’re encasing you. The porch is very small and tight. Enough room for….maybe two people at once. Shoulder to shoulder…or single file.  The door to enter the main part also swings out, so that makes it even more awkward, as the door you just came through swings in.  But once you step inside…..it’s something you rarely see and expect to see in the middle of nowhere. Ten foot tall tin ceilings, tin walls with wainscoting. A wall of windows. Large 6×4 windows that fill the room with natural light (and some natural fresh air too). For a building that has little to no insulation, the heat holds very well when you live in a tin can.

Then there’s the old coat room, turned galley kitchen. Another small awkward space. My favorite part, the cast iron farmers sink. I’m assuming Jesse’s grandfather installed it. It’s a pain in the arse to clean and keep clean. Just as cast iron does, it rusts. So I have to scrub it, scrape it and reoil. Which I did this morning. The only difference from a pan, it doesn’t get heated to season.  The kitchen didn’t have any actual cupboards either, seeing as it was a coat room.  When we tore out a kitchen wall in our old house we repurposed the cabinets here. Storage was limited. There was a pantry, which was at one time a closet. However, before we sealed all the nook and crannies, the mice frequented it and it was “things we didn’t use” storage. Now it’s a clean, useable space. Jesse’s grandmother had the bottom part of a Hoosier. Great, solid piece. Large work top. The drawers though…not your normal shaped drawers. So draw space was STILL an issue. When we moved, we brought our kitchen island, a repurposed child armour. Six drawers and one big storage cupboard for the garbage can. We HAVE to hide our garbage can. Apparently ALL of our animals are part raccoon.

The absolute best part…to us anyway. The chalkboards. Almost every single person who has ever stepped foot in the Schoolhouse, since 1956,has their name on the board. Whether it was family, friends, acquaintances, random stranger who we gave a tour. Their name is on THE BOARD. Even the delivery driver for our storage shed signed it. There are names of many I know, many I knew. Some still here. Some have past. It’s a piece of history.
Before we lived here, we would come up during the winter. When we walked in, the board looked as though it had been completely erased. Jesse was NOT happy. Once we got the fire going and the room started heating up, the moisture came out of the board and the writing reappeared. Big sigh of relief. Some of the names have been there for well over 30 years. Eventually, the chalk does fade, but in the right light, the right angle, you can still read it. Trying to find room to write is a chore. Trying to FIND a specific name is a quest. My granddaughter and I stared at the board for 20 minutes, searching for her name, a few weeks ago.
The other board, for the most part, is fair game. The kids are allowed to write and draw in a large area. They are forewarned NOT to get to close to a silly poem my mother in law wrote years ago. She loved her Diddy’s. There are also a few names on that board, as well, to be careful not to erase.

Between being a school and all the “visitors” for many moons, this place has seen a lot of people. A lot of characters and witnessed some fun times.

I’m sure it will see many more and welcome more people. Timber built framing, square nails, half log floor supports and still has a straight roof line, after nearly 200 years. Not to mention the weather this old house… on a hill…. surrounded by wide open fields… has seen. Pretty sure she’s not going anywhere. With upkeep and love, she’ll see another 200 years.

2020 came and went. On to a new year. I know most were hopeful with the end of 2020 insight. As though with the arrival of 2021, all the bad will cease. Life will resume to normal. Whatever that actually is. It’s not as easy as that. You can’t just remove the calendar from the wall and toss in the trash with the past 365 days. Or as they say “wipe the slate clean”. We are in weird times. To say the least.

We were fortunate that 2020 offered us only a few obstacles. Nothing, that together, we couldn’t handle. 

We ended 2019 and began 2020 the same way. House and land searching.  During the search, we found one we both liked. A 3 car garage with an unfinished living space above. It had potential. And land! We met with a contractor and drafted up plans for a new small home. Which on paper, still seemed too large for me. We were still hesitant. We decided to back off. Keep looking. It had to feel right to both of us. January continued to be mild, icy and uneventful. My excitement was chopping wood during my down time and continue the home/ lot search.

February was much the same. Uneventful. And still looking for “just the right” property. Still nothing. We probably would have done more in the outside world if we known what was coming around the bend. Nahh…probably not. Who would have predicted a pandemic, this day and age, was going to turn the entire world upside down in just a few weeks.

March rolled in being snowy. The first week in, Jesse had the first of 3 surgeries he would end up having in 2020. None related to the other. This surgery was to fix a failed hernia operation he had 3 years prior. No work for 6 weeks. 2 weeks later, I came down sick. All the symptoms of  Covid. I called the doctors office and was told to stay home. As the week went on, symptoms progressed. An entire week later the doctor’s office had me come in to be tested for Influenza and Covid. Both came back negative. I was miserable. During this time, Maine began their Stay At Home order. I was home for 3 weeks.

April came around with promising blue skies. Day’s were getting longer, the temperature was rising. I was getting antsy to be outside. The house hunt continued. I found one I was really interested in. Originally it was a camp. Small. Just what we were looking for. April 21st rolled around and we got snow. The road to the camp was impassable. Next thing I know, the property is off market. As many properties were, due to Out of Staters buying to get out of the Covid infested cities. I was frustrated and stopped searching.

Spring was all but a glimpse away. The weather looked promising.  I bought my favorite sherbet pansies and planted the window boxes. May 9th…it snowed. A fair amount. A few days later, it all melted. We had crazy weather that went from the 30’s to the high 80’s within days. It was time for spring cleaning. Scrapping the old Schoolhouse began, we changed out the rotted house sill and door. All the old rotted window screen panels were rebuilt for the windows. We moved the enormous rock firepit from the front lawn and repurposed the rocks to build a rockwall. We now have an area on the side lawn with a smaller fire pit and benches to gather with friends and family.  The last spring project was installing a flower bed in front of the house. I love my flowers! May 22nd, we welcomed our newest family member, our grandaughter, Marchesa aka Markie. Grandbaby #5 ❤

June was a busy month. Jesse was scheduled for shoulder surgery in July. Time to get things done. We got the house and trim painted, put the floor in the woodshed and got ALMOST all of the winter wood done. All by July 3rd.

July came, Jesse had his surgery and was out of work the remainder of the summer. What we could do was limited. Very limited. No 4-wheeling. Needless to say, we had a lot of fires.

August was other small projects and celebrations. Painted the kitchen floor and built not one, but two outdoor showers. The first one didn’t appeal to me. Not what I wanted. Nope. Shower #2…exactly what I wanted. August 15th, we celebrated our youngest turning 21 and the same day our solar power was installed. Two reasons to celebrate!! August was also a turning point for me. I fell back in love with photography.  I was asked to do senior pictures. I had done them for years and at some point, didn’t feel it anymore. I think in a world with photo editing, where I did all mine with actual film and a manual camera, I felt the artistry of photography was gone. I’m back behind the camera again. Even though it’s a digital, I run it on manual.

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. In Kingsbury, it starts early. I spent a good portion of my time running around with my camera in September. Trying to soak it all in. The turning leaves make me giddy. Just the thought of fall makes me ecstatic. I changed out the window boxes for fall, added Mums to the garden and was in heaven. I wish everyday could be September weather. This was also the month of Jesse’s last surgery. Removing precancerous cells from his nose, which was a two day procedure. Day 2 they rebuilt his nose. He’s just as handsome as ever.

October had wonky weather. All month. We celebrated a wedding and a milestone Birthday. We gained a son-in-law and our oldest turned 40. And just like any other year, Amanda wanted to celebrate at the Old School house. The whole month, the weather fluctuated. Fairly warm, cold, colder and then Antarctica.  October 17th, we had the chimney fire with a new older stove installed the next day. I’m still questioning the newer old stove. Chimney fires will make you gun shy. In between rainy blustery day’s, we got the house buttoned up for the winter. I finished splitting and piling wood. We were good to go. October 28th, our 20th wedding anniversary, we got our first snow of the season.

November 3rd, Kingsbury saw a measurable amount of snow. Just enough to coat the landscape in white. I’m always excited for the first snow. Then I’m over it by…let’s say…January. The next day I started this Blog!! It was also our 1 year Anniversary as Kingsbury residents. The 16th, I left for Florida. A well overdue, long awaited trip. At this point, it had been 2 YEARS since I’d seen our daughter and grandson. He’s only 3. Between work and Covid, it kept getting pushed. I was done waiting. And that wasn’t happening again. I hated to leave. I returned a few days after Thanksgiving and did my duty to quarantine. Gladly. This country bumpkin was in the center of Orlando for 2 weeks. I’m still quieting my ears.

The Holiday season arrived. I Decked the halls, found my creative side, played with power tools! Every girls dream. The month of December flew by. So fast, it’s kind of fuzzy. We were able to celebrate the Holidays with our girls and quietly brought in the New Year. So quietly, I was asleep by 9 and started 2021 off at 5am! Boy times have changed.

That sums up our year in the woods. We’ve made productive accomplishments, celebrated not only our daughters wedding, but also our close friends. Our family grew. We’ve made new friends and were able to celebrate other special occasions and holidays. The individuals that we socialize with, besides our daughters, all live the same lifestyle we do. We’ve kept our circle small and in the woods Basically, I don’t leave our road. Then again, why would I?

I know there are people struggling in today’s craziness emotionally, mentally, spiritually and financially. My heart goes out to them. I hope 2021 brings better days for everyone.

Winter. One of my favorite seasons here at the Schoolhouse. Comfortably cozy insulated by snow. Usually. The Almanac, depending on which you read (as I do both versions), were conflicting. I was hoping for the snowy forecast. I’m assuming my wish is not going to be granted at this point. I’m still able to see the red hues of the blueberry fields and it’s the end of December.

The beginning of December brought snow. An accumulation of 15-18 inches, it’s hard to tell exactly up here. With the strong constant winds, how much we get is questionable. We had snowdrifts up to my waist, the last snow, and it was a plowable amount. Unfortunately, day’s before the snow, it was rainy and warm. Creating a late mud season at a really inconvenient time. Large pieces of the lawn are now in a pile and ruts fill the driveway. Good thing I know a good landscaper come spring.

Christmas day we were gifted a whopping 3 inches of rain with 50° weather. Unheard of this time of year. The rutted driveway turned into a river as the water poured out of the back fields, over running the trench that diverts the water. The front lawn quickly became waterfront property. Ground frost thawed, snow melt and rain all added up to a ridiculous mess. Worse then our typical mud season.

Not 24 hours later, a cold front came in. Our river of a driveway turned into an ice rink. Top to bottom. Some sections having a good 6 inches of solid ice. I’m afraid this is how it’ll be for the remainder of the season. I’ve never needed crampons for my boots, that might change this winter. I’ve already taken my graceful slip for the year. Zamboni anyone?

With all the rain and warm temps, we lost the snow that banked the house. We rely on the snow for extra foundation insulation. The plastic banking alone just isn’t enough, although it does help. Mild winters just feel so much colder to me and my bones.

To me, winter is the time of year to get to inside projects. Settle in and read a little extra by a warm fire. Return to hobbies that take the back burner during the warmer months. Take up something new. I’ve taken up knitting as my something new. At this very moment I have totes of photos that I have been wanting to get in to albums, sitting on the table. Remember how back in the day we had photos developed and had to wait a few days to see our pictures? As an avid photographer, I have thousands. Literally….thousands. (That’s not including what’s on my countless pen drives and SD cards.) Photos can’t be enjoy if they are tucked away in totes or on storage devices for that matter. Unfortunately, I have far more pictures than albums. I have to start somewhere, the two I have will be suffice. It will be fun reminiscing as I go through them all. So many memories. Being OCD, I do, well did, have each envelope dated and titled and in order. The girls have been through them since, so hard saying how organized they will be.

I read a lot. At times, I’ll have 3 books going at once. (Which for some reason surprises people. Surprise..I write too.) All depends what I’m in the mood for. Our first winter here I read 17 books in 4 months. The warmer weather came around and reading was done solely at night. IF I wasn’t too exhausted. This summer I had my “light reading “. When we packed up the house I found my Little House on the Prairie series. I honestly enjoyed it more now then when I read it in 3rd grade. Then again, I can relate to it now too. The simple life. Just thankful we don’t have to survive the winter on potato alone and burn twisted straw to stay warm. I wouldn’t mind a horse and wagon though.

As a person who loves the outdoors, winter can be a little trying for me. If it’s windy, forget it. I’m not going out. I’m like a new born baby. The wind takes my breath away. The beautiful days we do have, I will be outside for hours, just soaking up the sun. Hell, I’ll even stand out in the rain, as long as it’s warm enough. Snowshoeing is one of our favorite winter pastimes. We’re able to get into areas, that any other time of year are impassable. Traipsing through the woods, following the tracks of wildlife, listening to the stillness and the sounds of the woods is an amazing feeling. The smell of the evergreens. The fresh, cool air filling your lungs. Invigorating. One day of getting out and your recharged. Other days, we’ll start a fire to sit around and stay warm while we enjoy the afternoon. After all the rain we had, I mentioned putting pool noodles on my snowshoes. Pontoonshoes!!

Willa and I go for a walk every morning. If it snowed the night before, even better. She likes sniffing and I like to identify the tracks that came along in the dark. At this moment we have no snow, so for me, it’s just a plain old walk. We have a very curious fox that comes in very close to the house and a coyote that circles the entire field around us almost every night/ early morning. Then we have the usual rodent tracks and once in awhile a small rabbit that comes out by the wood shed. It’s cheap entertainment.

There’s a saying that just like nature, we are meant to rest in winter. We’re not meant to grow during this time, but to reflect. I’m pretty fond of that idea myself. Come spring, there’s going to be a whole lot of yard work to be done. I’ll need my rest.

As we leave this crazy year of 2020 behind, I wish good health, happiness and love. Take time to be in the moment. It’s all those small moments that add up to the big picture. Happy New Year !!!

Christmas is just days away. This will be our second here at the Old Schoolhouse. Many special occasions have been celebrated here, from Birthdays, bachelor/ bachelorette parties, graduations, New Year’s Eve and even a wedding.  Grammy and Grampy use to hold Thanksgiving dinner here for the family, many years ago. We did as well, before all the animals called the Schoolhouse home. I can see it now. Charlie, our 11lb dog, on the table. Cat hair in the side dishes, no matter how much I vacuum and clean. They believe every surface is theirs. Then there is our St.Bernard/ Newfoundland, Willa, who very easily can skim the table and over the years has lost her manners (along with her listening skills). No Thanks. Just like everybody else on this planet, some things will be a little different this year. Some things will stay the same.

Decorating for the holidays is my favorite part. I start outside in early November, to get ahead of the cold weather. The inside is done after Thanksgiving. This year I was in Florida for Thanksgiving and started off my quarantine making everything cheery and bright. Lighted window boxes of fir and pine, hanging lights and evergreen garland inside and out.Holiday decor of reds, silvers and whites. Adding pieces of Nature to my old cottage style scheme, evergreen boughs, pine cones, Birch, moss and angel wings. It just makes everything feel so cozy during the dark, gray, gloomy days. We have our vintage light up Santa to put on the steps. Last year he was wired to the house and the wind was so strong, he sailed back and forth across the lawn, bouncing off the packed snow. I’m pretty sure if he had detached from the extension cord, he’d been across the fields and into the woods. Needless to say, by the time he was done bouncing around, the lightbulb was shattered. We spared him the agony this year. Poor guy. The month of December, we do go through more gas then normal. We have to run the generator for the holiday lights. For the short amount of time, it’s worth it.

At the house we always had a live tree. Most years two. At the Schoolhouse, we have a fake pencil tree. Between the woodstove and propane heater, a real tree would dry out far to quickly. As it is, my house plants struggle in here in the winter months and constantly need watering, which I tend to forget. The 7ft skinny tree only takes up a small corner of the house. When you have a small space, every inch counts. Decked out with white glistening lights, red bulbs and black and white buffalo check ribbon, the tree flows perfectly with our everyday home decor. When the girls were younger, we cut down a small tree and they made construction paper garland and ornaments. I made a star out of twigs for the topper and that was our very first Christmas tree in the Schoolhouse.

Holiday shopping is my absolute least favorite part. It’s a dreaded chore. I detest shopping of any kind. 99.99% of my shopping is done online and delivered to our daughters house, where I’ll pick it up. Christmas shopping, no different. Done online. If I do HAVE to go shopping, it’s done first thing in the morning. I don’t do well in crowds and even when it’s not busy and chaotic, I’m still driving home with a pounding headache. It physically drains me. Believe me, it’s a long 45 minute drive back to the quiet hill. Let’s just say I’m extremely appreciative of UPS and FEDEX. The less I shop, the better.

With some of our adult children being elsewhere on Christmas Day, we celebrate early. Christmas started extra early this year, when I went to Florida, to see our daughter and grandson, Kenzie and Noah. Being mid November, I hung the felt wall hanging Christmas tree we bought Noah last year and set his presents next to it. Any other year, their gifts are shipped and we don’t get to see his excitement. This year was the first time I was able to see him open his Christmas gifts. I recorded it so Grampy could watch when I returned. During my visit, I hung lights, we did some Thanksgiving and Christmas crafts and watched holiday movies. Doing my best to get him excited about Christmas. When we watched the live version of the Grinch, Noah wasn’t impressed. “Too Scary” he said.

Christmas was continued, this past weekend, with our other four daughters, their other halves and our other 4 grandchildren. We had a full house as we had a Sunday brunch Christmas. With lots of yummy food, sweets, drinks, chatter and laughs. It’s always fun getting everyone together. Watching our 2 year old grandson, Giovanni, open his gifts was enjoyable. He’s at fun age too. He’s just starting to understand the excitement and wonder of Christmas.

The holiday will continue Christmas morning. Our youngest and oldest daughters, Reaghan and Amanda will return Christmas morning, with their “other halfs”. We’ll open gifts, have coffee and breakfast, as we have done for years.

Normally, life is crazy this time of year and I’m scurrying, hustle and bustling. This year, not so much. I’ve actually had time to be creative. Which I feel I lost down the road at some point on this journey of life. We had leftover lumber from a project and don’t like wasting lumber. I’m kind of a lumber hoarder. A good piece eventually has a use. We had numerous chunks of 6×6 post remnants. Perfect for faux Christmas present decorations. I painted them, put some beautiful ribbon with a bow, a few decorative details and voila’, decor that will last many years. I gave these to our daughters, as these are a piece of the Schoolhouse. I also made birch candleholders as gifts. After cutting up a birch tree in different length sections, I drilled holes in the end of each piece, where I would place a votive candle. I then used twine to tie them together in bunches of three. Finally adding, moss and pine cones for the finishing touch. After all the cutting was done, my husband bought me a chop saw for my Birthday. That would have been helpful a week or so prior, to get an even cut. Oh well…it’ll be there for the next project. Whatever that shall be.

Just like so many other people, we will not get to see my parents, my brothers and their families, to celebrate. We do realize though, how very blessed we are to have been able to see our girls and grandchildren. Spacing things out, quarantining and making the decision to distance ourselves from others has made the Holiday doable for us during this crazy time.

Soon it’ll all be over. A New Year begins. Lights and decorations will be taken down, packed up and ready for the following year. Harsher, colder winter weather will arrive and it’ll be time to settle in for that long winters nap…..Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday’s, Blessed Yule and Good Health Everyone……from our house to yours ❄

Temperatures have been oddly mild, most days, for this time of year. October came in really cold after a scorching summer. November and December….so far bearable, even the wind has let up. That trend seems to be coming to an end this week.  With negative numbers in the forecast. I was abruptly woken up at 3:50am by the sound of the roaring wind. At that time the temperature was still in the 20’s. Since sunrise, it has only dropped steadily. The wind is howling across the fields, creating mini snow tornados. Time to stay warm and cozy.

Our main source of heat is a vented propane Empire heater. With settings “night time”, then settings 1 through 9, this time of year it stays mostly at 1, occasionally set at 2 if we’d been outside and chilled to the bone. If the generator happens to be running, we plug in the blower, to help push the air across the room. Another handy gadget we have come across is a heat powered fan. It sets on top of a heat source and as it gets hotter is blows the warm air. No electricity required.

Over night, if the temperature doesn’t drop below 40° we set the heater on “night time”. Cool air and a nice quilt or duvet keeps us plenty warm. Perfect combination for a good nights sleep. Tonight, we’ll be set at 1 and I’m planning on both, quilt and duvet, on the bed as they are calling for below zero temps and windchill. Just to be safe.

Our second source of heat is a wood cookstove.  The original stove we had, an old enameled one, I loved. However, it needs some refurbishing done. The rivets on the back, where the firebox is located, started rusting out. One was completely gone and had been for awhile. Having old, oiled wood floors and the idea of stray embers made me nervous. These floors burn quick. In the mean time, we have a smaller antique cookstove. This one has a warming oven, as the other one didn’t.

The newer, old cookstove,  took some elbow grease and tweaking. I scrubbed all the rust off with a wire brush (not that there was much), vacuumed the fine dust, cleaned the oven and blackened the exterior of the stove with blacking paste. I then seasoned the cooking surface with cooking oil. Once both jobs were done, I started a fire, to cure the stove. If you ever plan on or need to season a cookstove, do it on a day when you can open ALL the windows. Jesse says it smells like French fries. I disagree. I love fries and they don’t smell like that.

The next thing I need to do, which I still haven’t gotten to, is build a small hearth for the stove to set on.  A friend helped me gather some 2 inch thick slate to raise it up (people were short back in the day), but mostly to protect the floor.  One of the first fires we had, I noticed embers falling out of the clean out door. When cast iron gets really hot, it will expand and warp. The door no longer fit snug. So back to the hardware store I went. I bought stove cording and cement. Old cast iron cookstoves don’t have cording typically,  this one now does, so the door closes completely with no gaps and no more worries.

The next predicament with the old, new stove was our wood. We had wood left over from last year and more delivered early fall. Cut 16 inches in length. The new stove has a much smaller box. Maximum length…13 inches. For the first few fires I dug through the stacked pile for shorter pieces. Then we ended up having to cut every single piece with a  battery operated skill saw. That battery tires pretty quick. Talk about tedious work.

I just recently celebrated my Birthday.  My 30th, for the 15th time. My wonderful husband who knows my taste and style got me a chopsaw. Yes, it’s exactly what I wanted. I had been working on projects the last few weeks. Skill saws, chainsaws, jigsaw and sawzalls just weren’t cutting it. (No pun intended) The chopsaw was a game changer when it came to the firewood issue. Not only did it make the job quicker and easier, but much safer. So the other day, knowing the cold spell was coming, I filled the rack and cut extra ahead of time. Last thing I want to do is stand out in the unheated woodshed chopping wood in subzero weather.

To be honest, I was hesitant on starting a fire today. I waited and waited and put it off. I’m by nature a pyro. I can start a fire in the rain, without using accelerants (that just pisses me off). I have a great respect for the element. Years ago, the girls and I were here for the weekend in the winter. At the time we had a wood stove, not the propane heater. Late that night the wind picked up, trees bending sideways. I was laying in bed reading, they were fast asleep. I heard this noise. It got louder and louder. It sounded like a train. I got out of bed and the stove pipe coming out of the stove was red. Crimson red. I shut down all the dampers, closed the flue and let the fire smolder out. As I waited for the fire to die down, I lined up boots, coats and knew exactly where my keys were. Just in case. I was scared, but prepared.

This past October, I had another scare. It was a rainy, cold, miserable day. And again….windy. I had started a fire in the other cookstove we had and was carrying on with my daily routine. I thought about running down to our friends camp, who were working on their place, to give them a hand. I tooled around for a few more minutes. Lollygagged really, cause who wants to go out in that nasty weather? Then I heard THE NOISE. The sound you never forget. I walked over to the propane heater, listened. I stepped in front of the cookstove, listened. I stepped behind the cookstove. Thump, thump, thump. I look above my head and the stove pipe is red hot. Almost see though. RIGHT next to the wall.

First thing I did, closed all the dampers and flue. I have never in my life called the Fire Department, but I did that day, right after I texted my neighbors, Mark and Lori, to get to our house “NOW!!”.

The interior walls of the Schoolhouse are tin. As well as the ceiling. Being nearly 200 years old, we had no clue on the condition of the wall behind the tin or even what is behind it. Mark and Lori hurried right up. When I told them what was going on Mark listened, felt the stove pipe, the walls and even went up in the attic (we don’t go up there). I had moved the shelf in front of the cleanout door to the chimney (which holds it shut, so critters can’t come in) so he could check that out. I intentionally didn’t open that beforehand, for the fact I didn’t want to feed oxygen to an existing fire, if there was one in the chimney itself. Chimney was clear. Walls in the attic were cool, as well as the chimney and then eventually the stovepipe cooled.

Living in a very rural area it took 45 minutes for the Fire Department to get to our house. Before Mark and Lori even showed up, I had Willa in the breezeway that went out to the woodshed, so if need be, I could get her from the outside. I figured with our little dog, Charlie, I’d grab him and leave the doors open for the cats. Willa had to be put else where anyways, to let the firefighters in. She’s not always so receptive to people.

Mark was confident I got the fire under control, the firefighters said the same, “You did everything right”. I just wanted to be certain there wasn’t a fire smoldering in the walls.

That situation had me so scared. My adrenaline was full force and my brain in over drive. Once all was said and done, I was having the worst anxiety pains. I felt like I was going to have a stroke, full blown anxiety attack and puke. All at the same time. But in the end…it was a good day. The Schoolhouse didn’t burn flat.

That would be the last fire we had in the old cookstove. When the second stove arrived, we had brand new stove pipe. Even so, I was still hesitant on having a fire. Knowing how fast that happened, once I get a fire going, I’m home to stay.

Then there is MY heat source #3. Not only will I have a quilt and duvet tonight. I guarantee I will have a cat next to my head, one lying by my right shoulder, one on my back and one between my ankles. I will also have an 11 lb rat terrier/ chihuahua to my left and most likely a 140lb St. Bernard/Newfoundland to my right. And of course Jesse in there somewhere amongst the menagerie. The fury ones don’t understand personal space. But then again, there’s no such thing in 400sqft.

STAY WARM…and follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

If by any chance we hadn’t been able to make it to camp for awhile, which wasn’t often, we liked to pop in, check it out and see how things were. Pretty much, just to step foot in and breath in the familiar smell of the Schoolhouse. We’d walk around, inside and out. Open cupboards in the kitchen, check the fridge,  in hopes it was still running. Make sure everything was in its place and how we left it.  There would almost always be random mouse droppings here and there, but no other signs of life.  Well…on a normal day….

At some point in 2013, we did just that. Popped in. I opened the door, coming in off the porch and stopped.  My first thought was we had an earthquake.  The only thing that made sense to me. Every shelf was cleared off. Things everywhere. As I walked through and into the galley kitchen, my mouth dropped.  What in the hell?? Our white cabinets had black smeared on them, as well as the door casing. I turn and look at the enamel topped Hoosier and see little footprints.  Then I noticed the poop left behind in the castiron farmers sink. Nice! Gahh..In all of the confusion and trying to figure out what and how, we noticed the cleanout door to the chimney was cracked open. A raccoon had made its way down the chimney and into the house, making a sooty mess! Next thought, as we’re looking at each other…is it still in here?? Trying to decide whether we wanted to find out or not, we left the front doors open. All parties had an escape route. We continued into our investigation only to find the critter had already evacuated. It did leave us another parting gift. Poop!! On the bed!!

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That wouldn’t be our only visit by a raccoon. I had never seen or heard one here in all the years we’ve stayed. Porcupine, we’ll periodically hear chewing on wood outside. Which, by the way, is crazy loud in the middle of the night. It’ll wake you out of a dead sleep. We’d hear mice and ermine running in the walls and overhead in the attic (I refuse to go up there).  We’d hear the mice rustling in a chip or cookie bag in the kitchen. With the house buttoned up, gaps sealed and 4 cats…mice don’t have a chance inside, if they manage to make it in. Unless we save them.  Pftt…

During the late summer 2012 or 13, we had as porcupine that kept showing up. I was more concerned about the dogs then anything. I spotted a porcupine one afternoon coming from the alcove, which heads to the breezeway. The breezeway isn’t on a foundation, just posts, and underneath isn’t enclosed. Most likely,  that’s where he’d been. The shed, being attached to the breezeway, didn’t have a solid floor and sat on blocks. Any critter looking for a cozy place could easily get in. Being exactly what we didn’t want.  I told Jesse about the porcupine and he ran out and grabbed a broom and an axe. Long story short…the porcupine turned around and looked Jesse square in the eyes.  The axe dropped to the ground and the visitor was shooed off with the broom. Apparently, he looked a lot like our pet guinea pig, Ozzy. Jesse couldn’t cause him any harm. Not that I wanted him to. Later that afternoon, Willa, our St. Bernard/Newfoundland walked up to me. That’s when I noticed a single quill sticking out the tip of her nose. She never even saw the porcupine. She had sniffed the broom that was used to shoo the bugger off.

A few weeks later I kept hearing noises coming from the outhouse. Mostly up in the ceiling. The overhead storage in the shed is directly over the outhouses. It had just been cleaned out. Everything and anything that had been stored up there, was covered and coated in animal feces and urine. It was disgusting. It all went. As the noises continued, I borrowed a live trap from as friend. After a few failed attempts, we finally caught our guest. It wasn’t the porcupine I was expecting.  It was a raccoon. A very disgruntal one too. The raccoon was relocated a few miles away, with the chance it may return. Shortly after, that same day, I heard scratching and thumping again. This time in the wall of the outhouse. Our son-in-law climbed up in the overhead storage and listened.  The noise was definitely coming from the wall, between the studs. He reached down and up came flying a baby raccoon.  It literally ran up his arm to his shoulder and jumped down from the storage area into the main part of the woodshed. Hissing, growling, spitting. Cute, but scary! Four more, not so aggressive, siblings followed. I felt terrible. The mother was gone, the babies were running up into trees, into the fields. We’d unknowingly split up a family. The thought still bothers me, seeing these pictures.

The last to come out of hiding was calm and docile. Our daughter wanted to keep it. Obviously, it’s adorable. Who doesn’t dream of having a pet raccoon? But, that wasn’t an option. With a little nudging and coaxing, the littlest ran off with it’s siblings. My guilty conscience often wonders if they made it in the big scary woods or if their mother came looking for them.

March 2015 I made another “check in” trip. I did our routine walk through. Nothing askew, everything was where it should be and working. I hung out for a bit and enjoyed the beautiful day. I was getting ready to leave and was closing the Schoolhouse back up. I stepped into the breezeway to use the outhouse before I headed back out.

When I opened the door to the outhouse, I automatically thought someone broke in and trashed the bathroom. I could not process the mess I was seeing. It took a few. I was flabbergasted by what I was looking at……

All I saw was mud. Mud everywhere. Then it dawned on me. It wasn’t Mud. Not. At. All.

Once my brain settled, I noticed little paw prints, chewing, scratching and a few stray quills.

A porcupine had pushed itself through the closed toilet seat and lid. Apparently,  the lid fell back down and trapped it in the outhouse. During this adventure, he just so happened to be covered in the contents of the toilet. With every move, he smeared. And smeared some more. Eventually,  he escaped, by chewing the wooden center piece out of the window, which loosened the glass and dug through the screen. What a mess! All I could think….thankfully it was March and still cool out!! This could have been much nastier!

The outhouse was scrubbed clean. It took us 5 years to find an old window to replace the destroyed one. After searching junk places and antique crap places, we found one for $5 a few towns over! In the mean time, I cut insulation board to fit, used as piece of plywood and plastic. Wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

The only other animal we’ve unexpectedly had inside was a bird. With a nest of babies. There had been a broken pane of glass in the breezeway at one time. Well, mother bird thought it would be a safe place to build her home. We left them and they eventually left on their own. Birds nest are really gross. Not just from all the droppings, but the bugs that emerge from the nest. The bugs that initially emerged from the living birds. Lice and mites. You can bet I fumigated the breezeway….itching and scratching the remainder of the day. I seriously have the heebie geebies thinking about it. And that window also got fixed.

We’ve seen, heard, even smelled numerous wild animals here in Kingsbury. Some even coming uncomfortably close. Sitting by the fire one night it was so dark you couldn’t see beyond the light of the flames. I heard huffing, heavy breathing and the slap of large pads on the gravel. A black bear was running down the road. Not bothered by us sitting by a fire. He just kept on his merry way. I on the other hand, flew off the bench and ran for the house. Another evening by the fire, we had a gorgeous fox go sprinting by. I yelled, “hello foxy, foxy”. To my surprise, it turned around and started walking towards us. Head tilted off to the side. It was quite curious itself. “No foxy, foxy. Carry on” and it did.

I usually catch a glimpse of the wildlife as I’m gawking out the windows. Moose crossing the bog down below us (where I saw mother bear and 3 babies this summer), trudging across the snowy field in the winter. Sometimes nonchalantly down the middle of the road. On a snowy afternoon I watched a fairly large moose for quite sometime. He was struggling getting across the field through the heavy snow. I ran outside, climbed up on the 7ft snowbank and watched him. I thought to myself, he’s only got 2 ways to go once he hits the road. Not 2 minutes later, he was trotting right towards me. I ran back to our side, up onto the snowbank. Then I thought it would be my best interest to get closer to the house. So I was heading for the front stairs. I just about crapped myself! The moose decided to come trotting down our driveway, that was plowed, with nowhere for this big guy to go. With his crappy sight, he was running straight at me. I spun around, got myself tangled and caught up in the dog lead, trying to get inside the door. My heart was racing, the moose retreated and I was having a mini anxiety attack on the enclosed porch. All was good. I got my pictures.

Over the years, the sightings of wildlife have slimmed down tremendously. From seeing moose weekly, hearing the coyotes regularly, identifying tracks and scat for enjoyment….I now see a moose yearly, hear the coyotes periodically and hardly any sign of physical life. Regardless, I’ll keep scanning fields, watching our hawks skim across the ground and hope to see some more beautiful wildlife. Hopefully with camera in hand.