Daffodils by William Wordsworth - 1804

"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Wedensday March 19 2008

Daffodils in Nancy's Yard, Coos Bay Oregon

Today's picture is a break from photos of Bondurant and Snow. Nancy sent it yesterday. It's becoming spring in other places. Nancy says they have been getting a lot of rain lately. Usually when the northwest gets rain, we get more moisture too, but we're only getting small skiffs of snow, just enough this morning that we know it snowed a little in the night. That skiff of snow melted off the roofs and dripped off the eaves when the sun first hit it. Although our prediction for today is 70% chance of snow and wind, the sky is brilliant blue and its warm and sunny this morning. That may change. And I wanted to note that several days ago the lows were still below 0, this morning it was almost 30 when I looked at the thermometer.

I'm sorry to hear of all the flooding right now, especially in Texas. I hope all of you down there are doing alright and not having any damage.

Betty and I talked yesterday, and her flowers are also blooming there in Mesquite. She has quite a wildflower mountain meadow in the big rock planters in her front yard. It all entails huge amounts of effort with watering, keeping the sprinkling system in repair, and planting, weeding and trimming. But it is beautiful during certain times of the year, including part of their mild winter there.

Remembering my mom this morning. This would have been her birthday. Today she would have been 100. She passed away about 1980 from complications of diabetes and the same kind of cancer that I have. I've written quite a bit about her in The Book.

Lately I am enjoying just being very quiet and relaxing. It seems like I'm getting lots closer to an inner peace by letting go of everything else. It's not a bad trade-off.

Tuesday March 18 2008

Got Cookies?

Joe went to town again this morning, this time to get his radio fixed. Neither of us could believe he waited nearly 2-1/2 hours at the dealer repair, and all that was wrong was it needed a new fuse, something he could have done himself if he had known the problem. It cost $115. He got back home about noon. While he was gone Bill with the big co plow called to see how our road was and I told him we were fine right now. He said to let them know if we needed them to come in. The wind blew again yesterday and there are little tongues of snowdrifts licking out into the lane, but nothing we can't drive through easily at the moment.

While Joe was gone I got a little housecleaning and vacuuming done, actually very little. But everything seems to be staying pretty straight. Joe is still helping with some of the chores, and just a few things I don't have to do seems to make a big difference. I wrote more on the book this afternoon. Boy those high school years were difficult, weren't they?

The small painting group was thinking of coming out today, but it didn't work out this time. They might come later this week when everyone's not so busy.

The very nicest thing that happened today is that Zane wrote and offered to scan all of my slides into digital format, he says they will be on DVDs or a large external hard drive. He and his cousin are going to buy a good machine to do it. Well, not just mine, but their slides too. I'm just flabbergasted about this. Like ask and you shall receive, except I hadn't gotten past just thinking it was something that should be done. The slides themselves have been offered as a collection to the Museum of the Mountain Man and they have accepted. It will be a big job, as you who know are aware I'm a photo junkie. I estimate I have about 70,000 slides.

Tonight I just couldn't stand it any longer and have to have a snack. I can only go so long without something sweet and chocolaty. So I made some chocolate chip cookies. Sparky and Raven said "Yum". So good. Yes, they got small bites.

Remember I asked why I didn't think to record the Ansel Adams program last night? Well here is the answer from my friend Judy in CO, also an artist. And as soon as I began to read, this hadn't occurred to me but I knew she was so right!!..... "I can tell you why you didn't think to record the program until it was nearly over ... When you started to see the beautiful photographs, your eyes got big. When your eyes get big it causes your right brain to engage. Once the right brain has been turned on everything else is turned off, and tunnel vision becomes enhanced. When in tunnel vision mode, there are no locator sensors available to you rendering you unable to find the remote for recording. Even if you have the remote in your hand already, your vision would be unable to look past the sides of the tunnel, and finding the right button to push would be impossible.That is why you didn't think to record it until it was nearly over."

Monday March 17 2008

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Scenery from Afton,

About the greenest thing I could find in the file.

This was July a couple of years ago.

Hard to write when nothing happens! So will just check in and see if anything inspires me to keep writing. The wind did blow and moved a little snow again. Did a few more pages on The Book. I got my nails done today - I do it in stages anymore. Doc's cows got here. I watched out the back window where I can look far down the road without going outside. Never saw them coming, then there they were in the field. I wanted to maybe go out for the mail and take a couple of pictures of the cattle as they arrived. It's quite a sight to see 300 cows trailing along Richie Road. It's always a change when the cows arrive, and gives us signs of life where it has been so barren of any for so many months.

They cleared a road across the fields up against the hills to Norm's far haystack with the snow blower. It took quite a while to get there and was something to see the big plume of snow shooting out downwind from the tractor. That's about it for excitement here.

Guess Joe will go in to Pinedale tomorrow to get the radio in his truck repaired at Wolf's. I've made him a grocery list with a couple things on it. The small Tuesday painting group may come here if all looks good for it in the morning. Lois isn't feeling so well, Melita has taken off for her 6 week trip to Switzerland. So it will only be a few of them. If they decide to make the trip, I'll just put something into the oven for lunch and make a salad. I made some homemade strawberry frozen dessert the other day and that will be good.

Tonight I watched a program about Ansell Adams on PBS. It was wonderful and why didn't I think to record it until it was nearly over.

Sunday March 16 2008

Berm on Lane - Still As High as My Head

Butte in the background.

Front Gate

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY JACKIE

HOPE YOUR DAY WAS GREAT!!

Another quiet day. I slept a little later and am feeling better today, the usual time for getting over the effects of the chemo. It snowed tiny flakes most of the morning, then started trying to clear up. No more than another skiff fell.

For several days I've been writing on The Book. And am working on the high school years. This is the main part - including up through being at the lodge - that isn't done. Everything except editing before and after this is finished. After I get started I get into it, but this part seems more like work than the other parts have. And its pretty slow. My memory isn't as good as it was just a few years ago either.

Jerry came in with his dump truck and plow and cleaned the small drifts out of our road again yesterday afternoon. How nice is that??!! This morning I saw them bring some feed over with the tractor. They usually spread that out for the cows the day before they come. So I'd guess that the time for the cattle being driven over is imminent. Maybe they will come tomorrow.

The dogs and I took another walk yesterday. I was outside for an hour or more. I took some photos of the snow in the corrals. It's still plenty deep. It was a little muddier walking to the gate than the last time. But warm and pleasant .... in my down coat and knit cap. I wish you could see how much the dogs enjoy running and leaping through the snow. Raven found a soft fluffy spot and just wallowed and buried herself in the whiteness.

Saturday March 15 2008

Mud

Sitting down to write with a hot cup of tea with honey. Today is the infamous Ides of March. I never knew the exact meaning so today I finally looked it up. Always thought it was something complicated, interesting or exciting, but .... no...... it's really boring. In the Roman calendar, the term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July and October, and the 13th day of the other 8 months. The term has come to be used as a metaphor for impending doom - i.e Beware the Ides of March (as in the quote from Bill Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar). Two thousand fifty-two years ago on this day, in 44 BC, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by senators who called themselves the Liberatores (Liberators) and claimed they were preserving the integrity of the Roman system. And I found out that Brutus was the son of one of Caesar's lovers.

SCAG is scheduled for today over in Big Piney, the writer's group, but although Charm has offered to drive and encouraged me to go see everyone, it just doesn't seem like something I want to do. More effort than reward or something. This is the first morning I've felt pretty good since the last treatment, so think I'll just stay home and take it easy. Bet you get tired of hearing the news of what I DON'T do. ......O.K. Today I did the laundry!!

Joe took the dogs and went out to get Friday's mail. We had such a wind yesterday afternoon he didn't go out for it. He said the lane is drifted in some, but the rest of the way to the mailbox is o.k. Big Kahuna is over the top of the corral now and the front two corrals seem level full of snow maybe 5' or 6' deep. We haven't tried to get in the barn all winter. The kitties sure have an obstacle course getting back and forth to their dinner. (Oh -I saw Tigger today sitting in the sun.) The field is all leveled and rearranged with ripples like sand on a beach. This morning is calm, warm(er) and sunny, even though a chance of snow is predicted again.

Nancy called me from Wickenburg this morning. She sounds great. We had such a nice visit about all that philosophical stuff, and how we dispose of our stuff and get our stuff in order. We decided we really don't have the answers except just to have fun doing something we like. And she is nuts4rocks!

Wow! Sheral sent me a passionate pink "ooooo feel how soft" sweatshirt. It just came in the mail. Also some souvenirs of Zane and Kerri's wedding, which was another thing I was sorry to have missed. The menus just made me drool. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, you guys. Have a good time in Arizona.

Zane and Kerri in New Zealand on their honeymoon.

http://www.komando.com/videos/3-1.asp

Friday March 14 2008

Clothespins

10 degrees

Icicles that caused drips in the kitchen


Frosted Tree

Yesterday it was almost raining and was about 40 degrees. Snowing today with that silvery misty look across the hills. Getting the moisture is good. It snowed small flakes for most of the morning even when the sun tried to come out. We had wind moving the snow all afternoon today, but I think the road is still o.k. Big Kahuna is over the top of the corral now and the front two corrals seem full of snow. I suppose 5 or 6' deep.

Joe spent some time out in the garage this morning cleaning up his truck and finding more damage or missing items. The big tow chain is gone, also the tire iron. The radio doesn't work. There is something else he told me too. So all that will need to be reported to the insurance.

I've been getting nice phone calls and emails lately. Its great hearing from everyone It's been in my heart to thank everyone again for all the prayers and good thoughts sent our way. It is just beyond belief how caring and wonderful everyone has been to help and send acts of compassion, emotional support, or sympathy - which means to suffer together. I'm thankful for such friendship. So many people are showing special kindness and we're very appreciative. It is now I really understand how precious friendship can be. Also I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father, for my Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who are such a treasured part of my being. They give me strength and joy in life.