Monday, March 28, 2022

There's A Redbird At The Feeder And A Squirrel Fussing In A Tree

 I had something I had to do in town this morning at nine o'clock which is about the time I'm generally having my second cup of coffee. Or, okay. Maybe first. 
As I was bumbling about the house trying to get ready to leave I kept saying, "Whoo-boy." 
Which was silly but that's what came out of my mouth. 
As hard as it was to wake up and then actually get up on a deliciously chilly morning when the bed felt so cozy and warm and where Maurice was sleeping so peacefully cuddled up to my side, I found it strangely not unpleasant when I did. Oh, I did bumble, as I said, and fumble too, but I managed to get myself dressed and fed and sufficiently coffeed-up before I hit the road. 
And after I did what I needed to do I did my shopping and got home before two o'clock instead of around four which is when I usually get home from town so there wasn't that frantic hurry-hurry pressure to get the car unloaded and everything put away and me changed out of my going-to-town clothes and into my real clothes and then to scurry about and get the small things that I feel I must do every day done before I sit down here to write, before I start our supper. 
It all felt so luxurious. And on top of all of that, Mr. Moon and a friend of ours went out to Dog Island today to truly start making a list of what needs to be done and what materials will be needed and maybe a few measurements and so forth. 
As many of you know, there is no bridge to Dog Island and the only access is by boat and then you have to dock at the "marina" and hopefully the beater car you have parked there will start and you can haul all the things you need for your visit to your house and then haul them up the steps (the house is on stilts) and through the door. This is hard enough if the things you need are "just" water and food and booze and ice and books and clothes and fishing stuff and blah, blah, blah. But if you need a new washer and dryer (we do) or a new toilet or sink or stove or hot water heater or lumber for repairs or flooring or furniture, all of that is a major hassle. I mean- just think about what a pain it is to get a new couch from the truck to the living room and multiply that by about fifty. 
I am exhausted just talking about it. 
And we do need a new couch and a new bed and a new toilet and lumber and flooring and of course all of the tools you need to install and repair and so forth also have to be brought over and have you ever once seen a repair job happen where there wasn't at least one part that someone had to go to the hardware store to pick up? 
No. You have not. So. Back in the funky car (and ours is not running right now which is another project) and back into the boat and across the bay you go and you hope that the Ace hardware in the little town there has what you need and, and, and...

ANYWAY, as you can imagine, many, many lists need to be made and revised and studied and shopped with and I'm thinking that the place may be ready for occupation in about 2035. 

At which time, I will be dead. 

But that's where Mr. Moon is today, happy as an old coon dog, knowing that he's going off for yet another hunt, ready to show the pups how it's done. 

And it's been nice (and I admit it) to have a quiet house to roam around in. I expect the men to roll up anytime and I have a pot of chicken and rice soup for them. I expect they'll be so very tired. 

When I went out to the garden to pick some kale and collards and mustards and carrots to go into the soup, I discovered that the cucumbers and some of the squashes are coming up. 

Cucumber.


Squash. 

Those pudgy little leaves are swoon-worthy to me. I have been buying canning jar lids a box at a time lately, hoping for a bounty of lovely things to pickle and preserve. I am absolutely NOT counting my chickens before they hatch but I am prudently setting aside what I may need if we get a good amount of vegetables this year. I have ordered my favorite rattlesnake beans to plant from an heirloom seed company and they should be arriving any day now. Oh, if only this beautiful weather would continue all summer which would make gardening such a joy instead of the sweaty, hellish act it will eventually become. 
It won't.
Face it, buttercup. You live in Florida where anything worth doing is going to require vats of sunscreen, gallons of Deet, and the constitution of either a mad dog or an Englishman. 

Sigh. 

Love...Ms. Moon



29 comments:

  1. That project sounds as if you might want to considering renting a flying boat. I've seen houses on stilts in the Outer Bank's and wondered about the practicality of setting them up with appliances, furniture and so on. Not to mention the people having to personally navigate a pretty steep set of entryway steps. I guess if you love it enough it's worth it.

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    1. To be honest, I've done a lot of wondering lately if it is worth it. In the past, we've had many, many beautiful visits that truly were. But is that enough to justify the money and time it will take to make it habitable? I do not know. I love thinking about the grandchildren there, being able to experience a Florida that is almost entirely extinct. So there is that too.

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  2. That house sounds like a lot of work, which I'm guessing Mr. Moon loves:)

    The cat and I have come to a detente. I have moved the tomato seedlings to a counter which would be almost impossible for her to get onto because the seedlings and the grow light take up all the room. She may be a pain in the ass but she she's not stupid and I can't see her jumping up on the counter with nowhere to land.

    I'm feeling better today but happy to be at home now. A slow day at work which was strange. We're short of doctors so less patients. It's been snowing here all day but most of it has melted as it lands but as it cools this evening, I imagine it will accumulate.

    There must be electricity at Dog Island, or do you guys have a generator? How does it work with water and a washing machine? Just curious. Have a lovely evening.

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    1. Mr. Moon adores a lot of work as long as it's something he wants to work at!
      I'm glad you've figured out a way to keep your cat out of your tomatoes. Cats are indeed very smart. At least in their own cat ways.
      There is indeed electricity on the island we have a well and a pump. Unfortunately, the water table is so high and the water is really not potable. It works for flushing toilets, washing dishes, taking showers, etc. But we do not drink it.

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  3. Dog Island sounds fabulous, work and all- rather would sound fabulous if i were about thirty years younger- but If Mr. Moon is willing to carry on, bless him. You do not need to worry about it. Make the most of your cool weather! It is getting weird up here- cold cold cold wet wet wet and then the sun gets ornery and full of itself and suddenly we are in an instant oven. When the summer sun hits full blast it is not a kind sun- it feels different than it has in the past- a rather angry sun.

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    1. I know what you mean about that sun. I have absolutely felt that here. Instead of a life-giving, nurturing thing, it becomes a murdering thing.

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  4. Perhaps you should start over on the island and build a tiny house.

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    1. There are some things about this house that are still very sturdy and even attractive in a cabin-y way. The bones are good. And it's not very big. It's only two bedrooms and they are quite small.

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  5. Good luck with the house. Your supper of soup sounds wonderful.

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  6. Mad dogs and Englishmen, indeed.

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    1. A long time ago, some hippies got together and formed a construction company. They called themselves Mad Dog. They are still in business and are one of the most respected companies in Tallahassee. I just love that name.

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  7. I'm so not a DIYer that whenever you talk about the things Mr. Moon does -- and YOU -- I am in awe!

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    1. He really can do almost anything. It's a blessing and a curse. As for me? I'm not good at most DIY's. I just blunder on.

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  8. You've lived there a long time so clearly your constitution is stronger than you think. I know I wouldn't cope half so well with the humidity. I hope you get enough produce to make the canning worthwhile.
    So you almost have to rebuild the cabin from the ground up? That's a huge challenge.

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    1. Well, not quite from the ground up. New flooring needs to be laid and some of the deck area needs replacing. A bathroom needs plumbing. The kitchen needs new everything.
      Okay, okay. You're right.

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  9. I can't imagine having to manage repairs out on Dog Island. I can barely manage repairs on our own house -- and we rent, so it's often just a matter of making a phone call!

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    1. Yeah. You can't just make a phone call on the island. When the power goes out the crew has to come over via boat so that can take awhile. It's a unique situation.

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  10. Dog Island restoration sounds like a hobby for Mr. Moon. Something to keep him busy for many years to come.
    I was thinking about dying before 2035 just yesterday! My son said I will have to get used to having an electric car and my mind just can't take it all in. The changes that have to be made so our cars can all be charged up when we need them. I thought that maybe I will die (or quit driving) before I have to have an electric car or a car that drives itself! "Whoo-boy."

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    1. "Whoo-boy" indeed. It cracks me up that the car situation is what really worries you. I hadn't really thought about THAT!

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    2. 2035 is only 13 years away. I'll be 82 by then.

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  11. Lots of work! The men will appreciate that soup after a long hard day. It's June before I can plant, you will be harvesting by then.

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    1. The men loved that soup. I was glad they did.

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  12. Your description of getting your house on Dog Island ready for habitation is the description of our life here except we have to make our own electricity and collect rain water. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

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    1. We need to do a rain collection system there. It's just a sin that we don't. And hell, if any place could run on solar, that's it.
      You're a better woman than I, Ms. Wilma!

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    2. Hardly a better woman, but I know what you mean. Maybe a more stubborn woman and a woman who loves solitude.

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  13. Have you ever thought of Amazon - and a REALLY GOOD TIP! Nah, just kidding, but that would sure be a nightmare. I sometimes think things like that when I'm in the mountains and see a chalet way, way further up and think what the heck would they do if they forgot to buy milk? I guess they only forget once right?

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    1. Haha!
      Yep. If you run out of milk you just don't use any milk. The most important things like water and booze you always make sure to bring enough of. Ha!

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  14. Ah Florida. How different our lives are. Yet how simpatico. Lovelovelove

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