There is nearly nothing to talk about that is greater and more important than Covid-19, and the effects it is having on us, our region, nation, and world. But talking about it brings up a lot of feelings that I really don’t wish to have so close to the surface, and gets into political discussion that I really don’t wish to share.
Suffice it to say, we are hunkered down on our little farmland, and feel very fortunate to be able to do so.
The kids are officially out of school now. They are happy to be so, and are enjoying free time to play games together, and to learn the things that interest them. They color and draw, and they watch videos on YouTube to learn how to make cakes or crafting projects. They are also sharing looking after a couple of new kittens out in the back yard with the momma barn cats.
Missus and I are involved in cleaning up the excess around here, getting us each set up with a workshop space out in the outbuildings. She will eventually sell things from hers in the garage out front, and I will be building a new workshop out in the large shed out back. It is an old shed, made of wood, and rustic. I think it will be perfect for the type of woodworking I want to do, and it will probably be inspiring. What could beat an hundred year old woodworking shop to inspire traditional making?
My coming projects will include putting electricity out to the outbuildings, and putting up the shelves in the living room. I have a bit of work to finish in the main bathroom, then some interesting work installing a tub into the craft room bathroom. The house has been an overwhelming mess, and it has been too much to try to get into some places knowing I would just be making more mess that would be impossible to clean up when it mixes with the existing mess. We sorted a lot of it out today, and have made the living room into a space I will be able to work in. I just need to get the last of the parts to get started.
I have been setting up a system of short range radios so we can communicate on the property, and when we are away and get separated. Our eldest child at home is getting to the age now where she is going to want to shop in stores by herself, and we may come apart when we go out for drives to explore places. It will be nice to be able to call ourselves back together when it is time to leave, or whatnot. The system will also help put us in touch with neighbors when things go wrong, like the power goes out. The radios can also scan police and emergency frequencies and the like, so we can keep aware of what is going on ahead. For example, the other day we went to Logan to pick up groceries, and were given warning of traffic lights out and a structural fire, both on our route home. The radios seem to provide a reliable means of situational awareness. I am still looking into the hobby aspects of the system, and what else can be done with it, but we already have enough to justify it. In addition to all this, I feel a little more comfortable wandering around the farm to do work, without having to alert others where I am at, and how long I think I might be. I know I can be reached in the event of necessity.
I planted in the garden a few days ago, and last night the snow fell almost to the treetops. It was only the corn that I had put in, so it should have been fairly safe even to a degree of cold. It hit 34 for the low, so we kept safe. I will be planting more in a week or so, but the vegetables to go in will be more sensitive to the cold. We had a strong cold spell last June, so this year it is a little nerve wracking. As I write this, my weather station is reporting 45 degree, and I am listening to the National Weather Service radio broadcast, and it is talking about temperatures reaching as high as 90 in the next week. Who knows what to expect?!
The record high for this date was 88 in 1967 in Pocatello, according to the radio service. The low was 23 in 1966.
My radio weather report comes from NWS-KZZ72, 162.425 MHz, broadcast off Sedgwick Peak, in Southeast Idaho, originating in the Pocatello office.
I am still staying off Facebook these days. I went in to look through the feed the other day. It took me less than a minute to find some post that some old friend had put up that amounted to an expression of stupid irresponsibility and public endangerment that utterly pissed me off. I shut it down rather than respond. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that includes me to mine. Probably best keep it to myself though. I think I hate Facebook. It is best to love people from a distance rather than get into their pockets and hate them completely.
I have not written much lately, still. This journal gets ignored too much. Hard to believe my first post to my online journal dates back to the 16th of February, 2006! It is crazy to look back at memories of life in England, and the boys growing up and so on. I know I lived there. I know it was for eight years. But now it seems so distant. This year will mark our tenth year living in the US. So many memories! So much time since I put my butt in the seat of that plane over to the UK to live.