Planetary Verbosity

We’ve had our homestead for going on three years now, yet we still don’t live there permanently. This is extremely frustrating, but at the same time, we want to make sure everything is done right. And the only way to make sure it’s done right, as the saying goes, is to do it yourself. For us, that’s not as easy as it sounds. We both work full-time jobs, and the weather doesn’t always cooperate on our days off. Seems that whenever we have time to work on the place, it’s often either unbearably hot or (as happened this winter) too snowy to make the half-hour trip safely. Add to that the fact that there really wasn’t anywhere comfortable to take a break or relax up there – particularly if it was very hot – and we really found it hard to get much done.

We started pondering ways to be able to stay up there during our time off. We’d tried the tent method before, but it always seemed to either be stiflingly hot, or it rained. Figures. Our next option was one we weren’t sure we could swing financially, but after researching, we realized the benefits outweighed the added expense. So…we went for it…and bought…

…a travel trailer! The photo above was taken while it was still sitting on the lot where we first saw it, across the road from a local campground. It’s a 2003 Forest River Cherokee, 27′ long with a slide out (sofa and dinette).

We had to do some “yard modification” to make a nice spot for it, which required doing something we’ve been meaning to do anyway – tearing out some of the seemingly endless forsythia.

Before:

After:

Since we don’t have a tow vehicle, it took a couple of weeks to get it to the homestead, but one of Dave’s co-workers knew someone who was skilled at towing, had a very capable tow vehicle, and was willing to do it for a fee we considered reasonable.

Here’s the whole setup. (The tent is our “guest house.”)

Once we got it there, there was lots to do…got it leveled, ran an extension cord down to get power, etc. We found that the antenna on top of the trailer would actually pick up the digital signals of several of the local stations, so we got a TV…then added a DVD player. There were some modifications made, too. Since the trailer is only hooked up to the 15 amp house line (for now) instead of a 30 amp service, the air conditioning kept tripping the breaker. Oddly enough, this problem was remedied by simply replacing the stock thermostat with a digital one! Dave also switched out a few of the lights for LED replacements – very nice, highly recommended mod.

Of course, if we’ll be staying in it for days at a time, we should probably have dedicated hookups, both for electric and water. This required renting a trencher and digging long trenches from the house to the trailer (and to the shed)…on some of the hottest, most humid days of the summer. The lines are now buried, but getting the hookups finished has been hampered, once again, by the unusually hot and humid weather.

The trailer, though it’s quite an added expense, will make it much easier to work on the house. We’ve been spending weekends there, though the heat and humidity hasn’t been cutting us much of a break. Still debating, too, what exactly we should do with the house. More on that later.

We have some other big news (again, those on Facebook already know), but I want to wait until our precious cargo finally arrives before posting it here!

Well, it’s obvious I’ve been away from the blog for quite a while. I just hadn’t felt much like blogging, with working during the day (including getting up at 4 am Monday – Friday…ack!), taking care of Snoopy in the evenings, and spending the weekends with Dave on the homestead or shopping. I’ve kept my Facebook account updated, but those who aren’t on there will probably be hearing this news for the first time.

Our beloved Snoopy, the best dog ever, went to the bridge on June 14.

I can’t even begin to describe the emptiness of losing a dog we loved so much and who had been a part of our lives for 11 years. We did everything we could to help him in his fight against chronic renal failure, but by the time he’d been diagnosed, it was so far advanced that the treatments only served to make him comfortable for as long as possible. He even got so anemic at one point that he needed a blood transfusion. That helped for a few days, and he actually seemed to be improving, but he then started back on another downhill slide. During his last few days, we stopped all treatments, as we didn’t want to stress him out and make his remaining time uncomfortable.

We got Snoopy in June of 1999, when he was just a fluffy white puppy. He’d gone through so many things with us in his 11 years, including a move, the death of my brother, getting custody of Dave’s sons, the loss of our first cat, the “adoption” of Lucy, seeing the boys move out/get married/start their own families, job changes, vacations, buying the homestead, etc.

Through it all, he was an amazing companion. We could not have asked for a better dog. We returned the favor, loving and caring for him even when it meant giving him daily subcutaneous fluids, pills, several vet visits, and hospitalization. He even had another family who loved him – his “grandparents” (my parents), who took care of him while we were at work. After my brother died, we started letting Snoopy spend more time with them to keep them company. (It was easy, as they live right next door.) He was still steadfast in his loyalty, though…he got restless in the evenings and knew when it was time to come home to us.

It’s been almost a month, and if you visited us without knowing what happened, you would still think a dog lives here. His lounging bed is here between our recliners, with his favorite toy bear laying in his place. There are still dishes (now empty) in the laundry room, dog food in the pantry, toys in various places, and a crate in our bedroom. There’s even a leash and harness hanging by the door.

We had him privately cremated, and his ashes came back to us in a beautiful wooden box engraved with his name, birth and death dates, and the terms we used to refer to him most often – “big dog” for Dave and “best dog ever” for me. They even clipped some of his hair and included it in a card inscribed with the Rainbow Bridge story.

I don’t know when we’ll get another dog, but it will most likely be another Bichon. When the time is right, Snoopy will bring another dog to us.

Rest in peace, Snoopy – you truly are the “best dog ever,” at least to us. We still love and miss you so much and think of you every day. Thank you for being a part of our lives for eleven wonderful years and for giving us your unconditional love and devotion. I wish we could have had many more years with you, but I’m so thankful for the time we did have together. Thank you, too, for the life lessons you taught me – lessons in love, patience, loyalty, kindness, and so much more. You will always be loved, and never forgotten. I look forward to seeing you again someday…

Snoopy of Walnut Grove – April 8, 1999 – June 14, 2010

Wow – the last couple of weeks have been hectic, to say the least! Between a grueling reset at work and a sudden medical emergency with our adorable pupster, I haven’t felt much like doing anything else. I’ll hopefully be back to more regular blog entries soon, especially as spring has been bringing lots of new life on the homestead. (If only we were living there full-time!)

I did want to post an update and explanation for those who are wondering what happened with Snoopy. Those who are on my Facebook list have been seeing bits and pieces, but here’s the whole story.

A few weeks back, Snoopy started getting sick – more than the usual “Bichon sensitive stomach.” He was also lethargic, didn’t have an appetite, and had really bad breath. Lucy was due for her second round of vaccinations, and we were able to get Snoopy in to see the vet at the same time. After a blood test, he was diagnosed as having severe chronic kidney failure! Really?!

I researched and found out that dogs (and cats) can still be fine as their kidneys start to fail, and they usually don’t start showing any recognizable symptoms until at least 70% of their kidney function has already been lost. Yikes! Snoopy’s test results were so bad that the vet was surprised he wasn’t in worse condition. His creatinine level was 6 mg (normal is about 1.5), and his BUN level was 141 mg (normal is anywhere from 6-24)! He also had iron deficiency related to the kidney failure.

We had to put him on a low protein, low phosphorus diet immediately, as well as having to give him daily subcutaneous fluids (Ringer’s lactate). I have become comfortable giving him the fluids myself at home, which keeps him from having the stress of going to the vet several times a week. It does bother me a bit, though, that he’s associating me with the discomfort of the needle. I can only hope that he’s realizing it’s helping him to feel better.

Of course, he wouldn’t eat the dry or canned version of the prescription kidney diet food, even when it was mixed with other foods. We had to start researching low protein/low phosphorus foods and have been making all sorts of things. (His grandparents have mainly been doing this part, as they’re home all day.) He was still having a hard time keeping food down, though, and was lethargic. We were also having a hard time getting the “horse pill”-sized vitamins down his throat.

We took him back to the vet this past Wednesday for the tech to do his fluids that day; I wanted to check to make sure it was normal for him to occasionally bleed during fluid administration (he hadn’t been doing that). While there, we were able to get him some vitamins in paste form and some liquid Tagamet. When we told the tech about the food problems, she also recommended something that has really helped – baby food! Baby food is low in protein so as not to damage a baby’s developing kidneys, and it’s also phosphorus-free.

It was admittedly odd for someone who is childfree to be buying baby food, but it has definitely helped! He loves the taste, and it’s easy for him to digest. (The Tagamet has also helped with the stomach issues.) Grandma has still been making him homemade foods, especially things like pasta with butter, which is easy on the kidneys and helps give him calories and energy.

Now that he’s starting to keep down some food, he’s regaining some of his old vitality. He isn’t out of the woods yet, though, and he goes back to the vet this Monday for follow-up tests. Hopefully the fluids and changed diet will help his kidney function. We still expect to have to do some fluid administration here at home, but we’re hoping he won’t have to go through it every day anymore. We’ll see…

Here are a couple of photos. The first two were taken with my cheapy cell phone, but there was some nice natural lighting, so they’re not too bad. On the last day of winter, we actually had some very mild temps, and Snoopy spent a little time doing one of his favorite things – sunbathing on the picnic table! He wasn’t feeling very well on this particular day and didn’t have much energy, but the sun seemed to help comfort him.

At one point, he lifted his head and seemed to be basking in the sunshine…cuteness!

A couple of days later, he was feeling better and had more energy, so I took some pics. This was still before starting on the baby food; he has even more energy now, although he’s still not back to normal.

I’ll keep posting updates on Facebook and here. In the meantime, here’s a preview of the spring arrivals on the homestead. This is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring and has become a favorite of mine – it’s Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica taurica)!

Spring is still a couple of weeks away, but we’re finally beginning to thaw out here. Much of the snow has disappeared from the neighborhood lawns, turning them into a somewhat soggy mess instead.

The same can be said for the homestead, where we arrived yesterday to find that we could see grass again! There is still some snow left, but what is there is melting and is the consistency of a snow cone. The weather during yesterday’s visit was great, sunny and warmer than it has been in months, so we had to get out and enjoy it!

Here’s a shot of the woods in general. During the summer, this is so overgrown that you probably wouldn’t be able to see much of the hillside. There are still some thorns here (lower right and left corners), but it’s not nearly as bad as before. I’m hoping this will be able to give me a good headstart toward thinning them out!

Here’s the obligatory creek photo from the standard location. It was looking really blue-green, and I’m not quite sure why. It’s a little fuller than usual, thanks to the run-off, but it’s still well within its banks.

There were some of the usual signs of spring emerging from below the leaves left over from fall. I wasn’t surprised to see plenty of Eastern Skunk Cabbage, as these are usually some of the first living things to emerge during the yearly thaw.

The daffodils are also adding some green to the landscape in the woods:

Shortly before we left, we also saw at least three robins singing in the tree across the road…the proverbial harbinger of spring.

All in all, this was a great homestead visit. While Dave worked on the inside of the house (still in the teardown stage), I cleaned up some more of the junk dumped at the bottom of the hill. We took a small wagon down there so I’d have an easier time lugging the stuff around…worked really well.

Speaking of working well, I also used my new camera strap this weekend – it rocks! I got it from Etsy seller rhembein, and it looks like the one at this link. I think it looks even more awesome in person than in the photos, and it’s much more comfortable than the strap that came with my camera. If you’re looking for a camera strap to replace the one that came with your camera, but you don’t want one of those bulky neoprene ones, go for something like this…it’s handmade, too! (It’s even machine washable, which is also nice.)

That’s the thing. We don’t know where to put it all. What am I talking about? You mean you haven’t been watching the news lately?

Snow.

Yeah, we have a lot of it…a lot more than we’re used to having, that’s for sure! We got around 20″ of the white stuff on February 5-6 and followed it up with another 12″ on February 9-10. That’s close to three feet of snow, folks…and strong winds during the second storm meant lots of problems with drifting.

So what in the world are we going to do with all of this? Can we ship it to Vancouver for the Olympics since they seem to have a problem producing snow right about now?

With our snowblowers, we really didn’t have much of a problem getting dug out here. I called off work on Wednesday and Thursday (they closed early both days anyway), and we went up to dig out the homestead on Thursday – after also having dug out the previous Sunday.

As if that’s not enough, there is more snow forecast for tomorrow! Really, they’re calling for another 6 inches or so. Um. Has anyone seen spring?

I was at least able to get a few photos of the aftermath of these two storms. I would have more from the homestead, but it’s nearly impossible to trudge through snow that is up to my thighs. Trust me, I tried. Made it halfway between the house and the barn before turning around and retracing the same footprints/holes back to the house.

Anyway, here are a few photos. Some of these may look familiar to you if you saw me post them on Facebook.

First, a few from after the first storm…

This is what the Jeep looks like when it’s partially buried in nearly two feet of snow. Dave drove it right out of there with little problem.

Parked down at the end of our street:

Up at the homestead, we had the benefit of having the Gravely with the 48″ snowblower. Now this is the way to do it!

Making a path from the shed to the road. There was “only” about 18″ of snow by the time we got up there to clear it out. (This is still just after the first storm.)

The barn and mountains on February 7, after the first storm:

After the second storm, we found ourselves with lots more snow, no place to put it, and killer icicles. (“Those icicles have been known to kill people!” – Ralphie Parker’s mom.) This group of icicles stretched from our second floor roof to our porch roof…really. These developed like stalactites over the course of the day until they finally connected with the porch roof.

They don’t look quite so menacing from the middle of the street:

But they looked a bit more vicious up close and personal:

Yikes!

Here’s the sidewalk on February 11 – sort of…

Several people had been keeping up with the snow on the sidewalk this time, so it doesn’t look like there’s much there…but check out the piles on either side.

There was one creature that got to stay all warm and cozy inside while we were trying to find somewhere to put all of the snow. Lucy didn’t seem to mind all of the white stuff at all…here she is on February 10.

So, how much more will we get tomorrow? Anyone want to buy some snow?

I really want to get back into blogging.

There, I’ve said it. For some reason, I’ve had a hard time keeping up with it lately. It seems like I’m tired quite often, and when I’m tired, I just don’t feel like blogging. That said, I still want to start posting more than I have been lately.

A lot has happened in my life since the last time I posted an entry. I did get baptized on January 10. After that, though, things started to go downhill with the person I thought was my spiritual mentor. I started to see a very different side of him. I’m not going to sit here and bash him, which would be like stooping to his level, in a way. I’ll simply say that a few things became very apparent.

First, it became apparent that we are in completely different social classes with different views. Second, I started to realize that he was mainly in this for the thrill of the “conversion” (spiritual rebirth) itself and didn’t want to do the follow-up that he’d promised. Third, he started revealing things about Christianity that he’d kept hidden from me because he knew I’d have a “hard time” accepting them. Lastly, I am now pretty certain he really just wanted a disciple to follow him, not to follow God. He had apotheosized himself and apparently assumed I’d done the same.

I came to a realization that I do not need him to find my way as a Christian. I also realized that there are still a lot of Christians in this world who have a complimentarian worldview. In my lack of experience, I’d assumed this was an outdated practice and that most Christians were a lot more advanced by now. Silly me!

Turns out there are lots of “complimentarians” out there – those Christians who think women are not allowed to teach or lead men or mixed (male and female) groups. The men are supposed to lead, while the women take a submissive role and can only lead if they are among other women.

What?! Yeah, really. Again, I thought this was an outdated, archaic practice. Little did I know that it’s alive and well. Thankfully, there are also plenty of “egalitarians” out there – those who think women should be allowed to be pastors, as well as to lead groups and teach in general. I fall into that group, as does Dave.

Basically, the complimentarian view is based on a twisted interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:12. I won’t go into it in-depth right now, but what was written as a reference to a particular group of domineering Ephesian women has been taken out of context and has been applied to all women in general. Thankfully, my research gene has turned up all sorts of material to support the fact that this verse doesn’t apply to all women…and there are lots of other verses that support equality of the sexes in general.

In spite of what my former spiritual mentor thinks, I am not going to “lose my way” without him. I am still studying, watching the pastor’s messages online, and researching the egalitarian churches in the area. Thankfully, we will have easy access to them in the valley…even in that sparsely populated area, we’ve found at least two churches that support Biblical equality!

Anyway…what else? I promised this wouldn’t turn into a blog that’s strictly about spiritual things, so I’ll move on.

I’m going to save the homestead photos for the next entry, as this one is already getting lengthy. The last time we were up, the woods looked amazing…like the aftermath of a flood. The creek had overflowed its banks earlier in the week, washing out a lot of the brush in the woods. It looked eerie, like a wasteland of sorts. There is a benefit, though, in that some of what was washed away was the thorny bushes I’d been planning on clearing anyway. They’re not all gone, but it did help, and I’m going to try to get rid of a bunch more this spring.

I’ll also have to write an entry about some of my favorite Etsy sellers and finds. So much great stuff there!

Right now, we’re in the middle of a major snowstorm. It’s been snowing since shortly after 12 noon yesterday, and it’s still coming down! I haven’t gone out to measure yet, but some of the cars parked along the street are completely covered. Just kind of chillin’ out – literally – for now.