Our version of retirement: Living a childhood dream

Ronni said:
He mostly won't wear gloves, except when he's working outside in the coldest of winter temperatures. Then he's forced to, because otherwise he can't feel his hands!

Doesn't look like you wear gloves all the time either Gary!
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Him and I are brothers on this

I never wear 'em in spring, summer, fall

Gloves just flat out get in the way

But, yes, the cold requires them

As far as blood, I clot up rather quickly, so no sheet issues.

I have dripped here and there, so my lady shoos me outside til I clot

She used to get all horrified when she'd see blood dripping off my arm

Now, it's all just a bother
 

Gary O' said:
As far as blood, I clot up rather quickly, so no sheet issues.

I have dripped here and there, so my lady shoos me outside til I clot

She used to get all horrified when she'd see blood dripping off my arm

Now, it's all just a bother
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Yeah, I get this. I've learned to not freak out when I see some giant gash in his arm, or a chunk off his poor head...another place that gets knocked around a lot. He's very tall and somehow manages to always bang his head. Not quite as bad in the summer because as soon as it gets even slightly sunny he wears a hat which protects his head from the worst of the bangs and bumps.

I guess he must scratch at the abrasions or cuts when he's sleeping because he also clots fast and heals well. Still there's blood on the sheets. Thank God for hydrogen peroxide!!!
 
Ronni said:
Yeah, I get this. I've learned to not freak out when I see some giant gash in his arm, or a chunk off his poor head...another place that gets knocked around a lot. He's very tall and somehow manages to always bang his head. Not quite as bad in the summer because as soon as it gets even slightly sunny he wears a hat which protects his head from the worst of the bangs and bumps.

I guess he must scratch at the abrasions or cuts when he's sleeping because he also clots fast and heals well. Still there's blood on the sheets. Thank God for hydrogen peroxide!!!
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Heh, got this gash on the saw a few summers ago


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It happens

Pour a bit of single malt on there, good to go
 

While building screen houses to keep the chippies out, I’m also feeding them

Can’t be helped

One chippie in particular has stolen this gnarled heart

If the feeding station is depleted of cracked corn, he’ll venture over to the shop door, and peer in at me, with a look of… ‘Well?’

He’s the only aggressive one, however
All other chippies scurry in my close presence

Actually, ‘chippie’ is a misnomer
It’s listed as a squirrel
A Golden Mantled
But the darn things have similar markings of the smaller, actual chippies

Anyway, my little new buddy has little fear of me, and eats outa my hand whenever my hand holds a peanut.

His brothers, not so much.



I had to do a vid



 
May 26, twenty nineteen….it snowed

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not a bunch

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but enough

Even though covered, the freshly planted tomato plants froze
Pulled the pathetically limp things outa the soil
They are now compost




It’s my busy season

But, this is my diary, so

I best post some, here and there

In late spring, one forgets the harrowing winter
And the winds that come with it
Cold wind is….colder
Blowing down trees wherever it wishes
Trees that never were considered would snap, snap like dry twigs

One learns

Prepares

Hopes

Breathes sighs of relief


Or

Begins repairs

Dawns seem to keep coming

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weather can be predicted just by going outside

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Things are settled at present

back to 'normal'

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The chippies are basking in the rays

Seem very deep in thought

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when in reality

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Anyway

We get the birds
Never knew how much I enjoyed them
They are truly a pleasantry

Some comedic, some gloriously regal, some quite tiny

Have yet to have the large shadows float over me this spring

But they’ll come

Hawks of all kinds

Coopers

Redtails

A baldy here and there

Turkey vultures are fun

Took a moment to make a sound vid of a little guy with a pretty voice
He had some things to say in his charming tune

Here’s some lyrics

 
This should prolly be posted in the health, or weight loss and fitness section

But

Hey

It’s my diary

For y’all, sure
But, for me too
(you’ll just have to put up with this if you keep reading)

I looked down at my arm today
A small bug was on it
But noticed I’m getting quite wrinkly in the arms
Never really noticed that so much
Not likin’ it

Guess I’m as vain as anyone
Grabbed the phone and took some selfies
I dared not to flex in order to not repulse myself any more than I just had
I’d lost over 50 lbs a few short years ago
But those wrinkles still weren’t there

Here they are...in all their gory

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After this summer of all the physical stuff, I’m gonna hit the weights
Thought about it last winter
Don’t really care to bulk up
Weight, at my age, is weight
Just smooth things out
If I can

Maybe I’ll just resign myself to old age
My woman hasn’t run from me….yet

Still won’t wear a shirt in summer, no matter how wrinkly or gnarly
Nobody really to impress out here

I used to compete with the thirty somethings that came around

Guess I’ll be the scary ol’ grizzled hoary guy down the path, now


Sorry about the pics, but I need to record this crap


Dear diary,

….sorry
 
This is my busy season
No writing, no fractured taproom scenes
Just getting things together mostly to survive winter
It’s getting in my way

Heh, winter, I’m busy getting thru it

Been thinking of selling

Grabbing an apartment in town
Get thru the winter there
Sit on some money
…and shopping for a house…maybe out a ways

This has been a good stint
A challenge
We’ve met the challenges
…and won

We're on our fifth season
it's getting redundant

I’ve been strongly thinking about this for a month or so

My lady has had this in her mind for a while longer

She doesn’t cotton to the mean folk out here
I liked that challenge

They picked up on that
…and don’t come around much anymore

And there’s more folks moving out this way
Getting a bit crowded

It may be time

go back into the population

weary of this renegade stuff

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it can wear on ya





I'd clean up a bit




get more presentable

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play some golf



write

I've got a book in me

300...400 pages
sitting in my head


yeah

it may be time

.....while I've still got a marble or two
 
I’m not gonna sell the cabin place…just yet

Found a little bungalow in town
Easy peasy
It even has a garage
Not a whole lota yard…enough for a barbecue and laying out
Back in a ways from the street at the dead end

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Ain’t much
Don’t need much
A venue for writing

Gonna keep this place a year or two, and come out to the cabin to escape that…shake things up when we get stale

Yeah

That’s what I’m gonna do
 
Gary!! It shocked the hell outta me that you're thinking of becoming a townie!!!

Your choice of course, and I don't even know why it impacted me as much as it did. I guess because in the short time I've known you here, you've always been the Mountain Man in my head, and I don't know you any other way.

Are you still thinking seriously about it? Will this winter just past be your last where you are?
 
Ronni said:
Gary!! It shocked the hell outta me that you're thinking of becoming a townie!!!

Your choice of course, and I don't even know why it impacted me as much as it did. I guess because in the short time I've known you here, you've always been the Mountain Man in my head, and I don't know you any other way.

Are you still thinking seriously about it? Will this winter just past be your last where you are?
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Well, I’m keeping my options open

Not purchasing a place, just leasing

Not selling our place
Just a change in venue


This damn book just sits here….in pieces
Too much work around here to complete it


Yeah, I do love it up here
…and will probably return…maybe
Or….buy further out…build another cabin…

Town will be a pleasant distraction

At least for the winter
 
Squirrely time

I missed most the drama, but got to record a bit
Google says the male wags or flutters his tail when courting
I tend to think the opposite
I think the lady flutters her tail to attract, you know, with her ‘perfume’


Anyway here’s the vid of just a bit of the end of the drama

 
I love to watch the squirrels..I've got one that has stripes on his/her tail like a raccoon. I been tryin to get a pic of.

Saw him/her this mornin' but I hadn't had enough coffee in me to git the camera.

Good video.
 
Seeker said:
Saw him/her this mornin' but I hadn't had enough coffee in me to git the camera.
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Sometimes it's best to just watch

The goldens and chippies here all hibernate in winter

But these guys are up and at ‘em all year
Ever morn, we hear at least one, on a route to carry pinecone bits from the south end of the property to the north end, using our metal roof as a leg of their route
Starts around 7:30 am

I’ll miss that
Surely will

However, I’ll be changing my observations to the two legged animals
Mostly old folks
And write about it all

It’s an incurable fascination
Critters and people

A certain old gal just came to mind

We were heading somewhere down the hill on 7th street in upper Oregon City
Saw this ancient gal with a little pull cart
Tattered dress
Saggy white nylons
Baseball cap holding her scarf in place
Well-worn black wool coat (it was 90° F)
High top Converse All Stars

On the back of her pull cart was a sign
RIDE NEEDED

We turned around
Picked her up
Took a bit to get her cart in the back seat with her
She asked to be dropped off just off Mcloughlin Blvd

Saw her again a few days later
Same situation
Drop her off on Mcloughlin

Then

One day,
we persuaded her to come home with us

Older folks don’t move vertically all that well
And they’re dead weight
Almost lost her on the little rise at the front door


Extremely interesting lady

From the Appalachians


While storytelling, she mentioned her favorite song

I Wonder as I Wander

We had a light meal and took her to….her home
A bit of a hoarder
Tiny shack
A bed was in there somewhere
Another outbuilding
Jammed full of ‘mathematical figurings’

I ordered the song on cassette as we had a player
Visited her not many days after we got the tape

As we played the song, her old eyes welled, tears streaming down that face of hers

I watched them travel over hill and dale down their craggy paths
…into her hands

She expressed so much joy over hearing her song….once again

Asked us to come back to play it again

We left the tape and player


Not a whole many days later…she was gone



Elizabeth McBroom


here's the song

 
Gary, your story of Elizabeth McBroom was fascinating. You and your wife were so kind to her!

I know that song; it was on a Joan Baez album I had.


Now, you and Mrs. O' moving to town? That's a surprise, but it's true, you'll have more time to write with less work in your face. It might be a nice change for you too.

Neighbors dropping by and stuff like that.... LOL! :playful:
 
Gettin’ close to move date

We shopped for some furniture

Bought a couple new La-Z-boys
Kitchen table/chairs
And wunna those huge TVs

A TV stand became something to look for, as I can’t see me installing a wall mount rack (55” TVs are heavy…no matter how slim)

Not too much out there

So

I built one

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It looks pretty much like dawg manure

But, form, fit, function


and who’s gonna look at it?

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And, my lady is getting excited about using her sewing machine again (been over 4 yrs)
It does most everything

Shopped for a sewing table

Nuthn’ in the thrift stores worth having
....and nuthin' in the stores, period

So

I built one

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She’s happy


I’m happy
 


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