Can You Actually Love a House?

I do. It's in the country and surrounded by trees. We can walk to the lake. We can swim, fish (I have to bait the hooks), and gaze at the stars at night without the haze of city lights.

Sometimes the difference between the Bay Area and where I live now, astounds me. We don't have sidewalks, or crosswalks, and there is only ONE stoplight in town and that's where the freeway crosses. We don't have a Safeway, a Food 4 Less, or even a franchise restaurant.

To buy groceries (at a decent price) we have to drive 30 minutes in either direction. We've learned not to run out of things in the middle of the night. To be careful when you go outside or a skunk might surprise you. (Poor Chelsea.) We have bobcat, deer, mountain lions, and bears. Last year a mama and her cub decided to join our little community and we stayed away until it was time for her to move on.

Since the first of May we've only had two weekends to ourselves. Summer is when the kids come up to visit, friends stay the night, and we hunker in air conditioning until the boat calls to us and we head out on the lake.

Fall is tiptoeing its way in this year. Temperatures remain in the upper 80s, but the nights are cool. Maples are the first to change their gowns, some fire red and others a brilliant orange. Driving to work is a lesson in beauty.

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This is Dark Eyes. She lives in the backyard along with several others of her kind. She'd brought her new fawn for a visit, but wouldn't allow me to take a picture. She'd stamp her feet and make her run away as soon as I got close. Stamping feet is how deer show their anger and frustration and when the bucks do it, you'd better back off. Especially during the rut.

I've tried planting a garden, both flowers and food. Turns out the deer love it. The flowers lasted about 20 minutes and as soon as my little crop of tomatoes, etc. came up, my herd took them down. Each and every one. Not a single vegetable put up a fight.

My neighbor built a fence to keep her garden secure. Unfortunately, a buck jumped inside and became so freaked out he broke his neck trying to escape. My husband tried everything to save him but it was no use. We have decided to leave the backyard to the animals. After all, they were here first.

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As soon as the fall weather arrives, we'll bring in the wood and enjoy a fire in the wood stove. The darn thing will heat the entire upstairs. Of course, when visitors come they stay downstairs and as much as they love the fire, it won't reach the apartment. So we bought a space heater and it works pretty damn well. At least the guests seem pleased, though maybe they just don't complain.

I guess I'm looking forward to the rain and snow. The trees sure need a little water, but for us, getting cooped up in the house for days on end is rather punishing.

We have four complete seasons which is another thing we didn't have in the Bay Area. There it's wet and dry, here it's, cool, snowy, cool and thundering, then heat. Each season brings its own uniqueness. Still, I love summer best.

We are alone this weekend. Well, somewhat. It's our son's birthday and we did promise to take the kids Saturday night if he and his wife want to celebrate. But now he has shingles, a nasty case, so they might stay in. We'll have to see.

Tomorrow, my husband has to work and I plan to stay in all day writing and reviewing books I've read. I plan on eating what I want and to hell with Crohns. OK maybe not, but it's a dream. Perhaps I'll take a nap. A well deserved one, I think.

See you on Monday and happy reading!

*hugs*

Louann

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