they're feasting on the berries of the huge mountain ash scratching against a bright pewter sky, in the front yard at Miramichi House.
i'm imagining how lovely it will be to build a fire in the big brick fireplace
this evening when a friend comes to play violin duets with me
i had hoped to do some yard work this weekend, but it's october, and there's snow on the ground. it's early for snow, even in northern alberta, and this snowfall may melt away before it finally comes to stay awhile, but this time of year, temperatures near the freezing mark feel very cold, and i'm not inclined to be stoic. even the enclosed front porch feels too cold to enjoy today.
in several months, the same temperatures will feel mild, and it will be a treat to sit in the sunny porch with a cup of tea and the dog curled at my feet, but today it's a comfort to be inside, quiet and still, enjoying the gracious beauty of my future home for a few quiet minutes before i transform into a white tornado and clean the place for my renters.
next year at this time, i'll have spent the summer developing a garden plot here, cleaning out the overgrown flower borders, pruning and finalizing the final plans for landscape improvements. i'll have made jams and jellies, canned and frozen food grown right here, and perhaps painted the exterior of the house. i'll have found a permanent spot in the house for my loom, bundled, stored and idle now for a couple of years. perhaps i'll begin then to make plans for improvements, preparatory to operating the house as a Bed and Breakfast.
but for now, at least for a few more minutes
i will rest
8 comments:
gearing up here for a winter busy looking after ponies... summer is the easy time. well Abbey is not stabled this time so its a once a day visit not twice a day, I feel like I should be doing more than I am.
your house is beautiful.
Your pictures both visual and prose are very lovely. I'm glad you were enjoying a little relaxation with time to muse about the wonderful changes in store for Miramichi House in the coming years. I know you're bound to be content in such surroundings and I'm very happy for you.
I don't think I've ever seen a cedar waxwing. Wow.
Claire - Abbey looks well cared for and happy... seems to me you do enough. The house IS beautiful. I still pinch myself occasionally for fear that I'm dreaming. If you come again to Canada, you're very welcome to visit.
Susan - no, there hasn't been much relaxation in my schedule for some time... I'm making a point of building it into my habits at MH. Long-term planning, y'know. Aren't the cedar waxwings gorgeous. They're a bit shy, and particular about their homes and diet, so not seen about towns as much as some others. They swarm fruit bearing trees in the fall, on their way south for the winter.
I think the bed and breakfast idea is aluring. Hope all other things are well with you.
Isn't it funny how we become acclimatized to the cold?! We too had an early snow that all but disappeared but we got another covering this morning again. I hope there is another break in the offing as I want to get a little more yard work in.
Oh, a B&B. What an interesting prospect. I'm sure you'd make a lovely hostess. We often thought of it but were too serendipitous in that we wanted to do what we wanted to do on any given day.
In some ways the winter is nice ... time for projects. I found the summer especially busy this year ... catching up on yardwork that was neglected that first year or so after D died.
Happy cocoon-ing! (though you sound almost too busy for that).
Zee- good to hear from you. The B & B will be on hold for a time, but i'm renting the rooms just now. it feels so good to let someone else pay the mortgage :0) Yes, things are well.... i'm studying the fine art of slowing down.
Cicero - the forecast for tonight is -21C. cold enough for me! and we've had more than a foot of snow since it started. Halloween won't be much fun for the kiddies this year. yes, winter is a good time for projects. I'm so looking forward to the day when i can live at Miramichi House, and concentrate on domestic things.... food and quilts, guests and neighbors and such. life has got much too complicated of late.
this is what i am referring to above. you need this and didn't even realize how much until you found the time!! hurray!! and it all sounds so lovely, i wish you weren't a million miles away....you and susan both...sadly i doubt i will ever make that trip but reading this certainly brings your homelife HOME! :)
much lovexxx
Linda - yes, let's hope i manage to retain the lesson learned. life is too short and precious to spend stressed out and exhausted.
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