Friday, December 16, 2016

Proverbial Happy Pig

Phew, as you can imagine the flurry of joking surrounding this topic of the day! We have lived here for 13 years and never had the septic tank pumped... we were not sure where it was, although we had a general idea. It seemed to be one of those tasks that weighed on the mind, yet the seasons and years slipped away. Last year we knew people who's system failed in January - no fun!

I finally called (about as late in the year as possible for NH) and the owner of this company came a week ago. Super nice guy and extremely helpful. He answered all our questions and was kind enough to change his schedule to work us in. We tried the search the ground with a rod method, which would have worked fine if we had more time; but since time was an issue ( Friday afternoon before a significant predicted snowstorm ) we resorted to using a locator gizmo! it was really neat, a little tracking device that flushes down the toilet, it send out a signal that can be picked up by a receiver. Kind of like a radio collar used to monitor wild animals, although less exciting. The man pointed to a spot where we needed to dig, and left to get his truck. Good deal, I trimmed back the pricker bushes growing rampant in that area and my DH dug the hole. It wasn't too bad as the clever person who installed it had covered it over with sandy soil (MUCH) easier digging than the rest of our property!
the lid of the septic tank
the guy told us we could something else there to mark the spot and
have less to dig next time - we put a metal barrel there & covered it up




we were all happy that even though
it had never been pumped, it was in
working order, and there were no problems
we were lucky!  
It was recommended that he return every 3-4
years to keep things in good working order for the
size of our tank & number of people in our home

I was elated all day, it felt wonderful to get this off our minds and the "to do" list! Haha, I was happier than the proverbial pig! Like many things we put off, it also wasn't as difficult as anticipated, nor as expensive as anticipated. It was a great step in my quest to get control and order back in my life. Thankfully we got the job done just before the onset of winter, this morning it is a balmy 8 below zero at my house and we got 8" of snow on Monday!

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Come Set A Spell

 A porch, simple, yet timeless. Once common, now becoming extinct in a more streamlined and hurried era. Perhaps I'm idealistic, but I believe life would be better if more people took advantage of the gifts a porch has to offer. Shall I go on, rolling out the reasons I feel the common porch should be held in such high esteem? Or maybe I should ask you to reflect on times you spent on a glorious porch, simply because the more I think about it, I believe I could fill the pages of a book with mine.
 This particular sweetheart of a porch can be found at the Southern Vermont Dairy Goat Association clubhouse in Marlboro Vermont. The holiday dinner was a lovely gathering of club members, the last event before winter sets in. Always so much fun to chat and feast upon a variety of dishes folks bring to share. With so many demands pulling people in a multitude of directions, clubs, committees and many volunteer organizations find themselves with fewer people than in the past. "Back in the day" if people wanted to have some fun and be social they had to participate. Today we are flooded with opportunities and instead, usually have to choose between the many things that pique our interest. Thankfully the SVDGA members are committed to keeping the club going as intended; a place to promote the dairy goat, share information, continue educating ourselves, make connections and enjoy the company of others  that are also passionate about dairy goats.

Speaking of getting out and about, finding yourself in a social situation... here is my 95 year old Grandmother after we returned home from voting in the election, still exercising her civic duty! (isn't she adorable?) Voting day in our small town is a pleasant affair, you know nearly everyone you see. The Town Hall is also the main fire station. Part of the building is a meeting place and also holds the Friendly Meals each Tuesday and Thursday. The other part houses emergency vehicles, but for voting day they move out some trucks to make room for a huge bake sale that helps fund the Friendly Meals.

Out and about cruising back roads and main roads, always something to catch your eye as well as your imagination.
Alstead Center
There are fantastic sculptures all over town.

Morning sun on a frosted soccer field, shimmering gold.
Home of the NH Dlll State Champion Girls Team


This fella is fairly predictable, I enjoy seeing him/her on a regular basis - although I'm a bit surprised it hadn't yet left for winter. This one is quite brave and tolerates a fairly busy area with vehicles and people passing rather close by. Other individuals are timid, and take flight quickly. They seem to stick to their own territory, making it easier to identify individuals. With the pond nearly dry, this small rock has become a favorite resting spot. I watched it catch breakfast, then hop up to the far shore for a walk around to stretch out.

Overall it has been an enjoyable November thus far. Always fun to explore while trying to improve photographic skills.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Gold



Good morning


My favorite son, can't believe he is 18
(don't worry, I won't hurt any feelings, it is my only son)

Lily

Jake

The pinkest horse competition at the Vermont Ride for the Cure








Harvey
A part of our family for over 13 years, difficult to let him go this fall - so very thankful he was able to enjoy this glorious hike, it was a wonderful day, he was a great dog...

grown from seed sent from my cousin Lori
herself a lovely garden sprite


4 generations picking over blueberries
summer joy

back of fountain

Norwich Vermont
I keep having ideas to blog about, and then I don't sit down and do it! Each of these photos, like all photos, have a story behind them and perhaps more photos to add detail. If you have taken the time to scroll this far, you might find yourself curious about a few. I am thankful I live in a beautiful area, but then there is beauty every where.

The days seem to be flying by, seasons as well. My Dad used to tell me the older you get, the faster time goes. I remember hearing this when I was a teenager gearing up for college. Know what? Caught myself saying the same thing...

Enjoy your day, I hope you find many things to warm your heart and make you smile.