Jinx
-
On The Feast of Stephen
The dogs allowed us to sleep late today –0700 — and after they had eaten and while the good Texas pecan coffee was brewing, I took Jinx for a walk. Not even a hundred yards into the ramble and I was wishing I’d worn sunglasses. The fresh-risen sun was slashing across the diamond-studded smooth white surface laying on the fields, and it hurt my eyes. All about me, though, was beauty of the pure shocking kind that only wintertime can produce. The snow lay all around, deep and crisp and even, and Jinx chased a cow that had somehow escaped her fenced pasture. My heart lifted as the sun lifted,…
-
Merry Christmas
Several inches of snow, amongst which the Spotted Menace has streaked and slid all day long….a warm home, a beautiful and loving wife, friend and family who have written, texted, and called to wish us a Merry Christmas…the presence of birds outside at the feeders…the glow of the tree and the lights…the aroma of roasting turkey and pumpkin pie and dressing and green bean casserole and potatoes and all the other side dishes…wine in the glass and cheese on the plate….a beautiful and peaceful and blessed day. I wish the same for all of you, my readers,who mean so much to me. Thank you for visiting here regularly, and for…
-
Between Solstice And Celebration
I didn’t plan to stay away from this blog for so long, but life sort of ganged up on me there… We’ve been preparing for the grandkids’ visit. Once again, I am amazed at the number of things that need cleaning, stowing away, and rearranging. And in the midst of all the preparations, we’ve had repairmen and contractors and electricians here to do some much-needed work. For the past few years, my wife and I have been torn about whether to stay here in the mountains or to return to Texas. We’ve back-and-forthed ourselves to the point of exhaustion, covering all the pros and cons, exploring as many options and…
-
Nearer
So often in life, we have moments of awareness of the present moment, an awareness in which we think, “If only…if only this could go on and on, this feeling of peace, of contentment, of quietude.” Such is the present moment for me. The morning’s chores are done, and I have a soft stretch of minutes before I have to travel from my home and enter again the environment that abrades my soul every hour that I am there. But for now, Jinx is sleeping in his bed near me, his spotted paws twitching as he dreams of chasing or being chased. The (brand spanking new) heat pump is blowing…
-
Second Sunday Of Advent
We’ve looked everywhere in this region and still can’t find old-fashioned icicles for our Christmas tree. Is there some connection between the CO-vid and thin strips of shiny mylar? If we manage to find any icicles, we’re going to buy many, many packs of them. Our tree always has icicles. It’s just the way things are done. We drape them, toss them, hang them, throw them…we need them. When I stepped outside this morning, I could smell the coffee in the pot, and I wanted a gallon of it, but duty and companionship called, so I walked with care on the deck boards and felt the grit of Jack’s sugar…
-
And Suddenly It Was December
The new heat pump is working splendidly, which is a very good thing, given the teeth-chattering temperatures we’ve had this week. I’m grateful it wasn’t this cold and windy while the fellows were here installing everything. I think I neglected to mention that the gentleman who owns the HVAC company brought his father along for the second half of the festivities. He inherited the business from his dad. While they worked, I chatted with the father, an amiable man with a quick smile and penetrating blue eyes. Turns out that he actually installed the original furnace in our basement. He described doing the work all those years ago, and spoke…
-
Wild Kingdom
Go ahead. It’ll be okay. Those little birds do it for crocodiles all the time… ~ S.K. Orr
-
Out With The Old, China Excavations, & In With The New
The HVAC team told me they would be here at 0900 this morning. At precisely 0855, they were rolling up to the house. They unloaded the new units, indoor and outdoor, and set to work. Several complications ensured, with trips back to the shop to fabricate a metal box to facilitate easier joining to the ductwork, and quite a bit of excavation in order to securely set in the new indoor unit. They’re digging as I type this, in fact. I’ve already claimed dibs on any arrowheads, musket balls, or casks of Amontillado they might uncover. I feel awash in technology today. Here I am, tapping on a device that…
-
Comfortable And Peaceful
It just came to me. Two days ago, our heat pump, aging and creaking thing that it was, died on us. I discovered the problem on a morning when it was 26F outside. By that evening, it wasn’t much warmer inside. To say that Christmas will be lean this year is to undersell the truth. Almost six grand to replace everything that needs replacing. Tomorrow morning, the HVAC fellows will return and install the new unit. Or as my wife and I have begun calling it, our joint Christmas gift to each other. Some people take Caribbean cruises. The Orrs get big, heavy objects that heat and cool their…
-
Turning Away But Not Away
The dogs let us sleep in a bit this morning, so by the time Jinx and I were out for our walk, dawn was just about to break. We stopped long enough for me to take a photo just before the sun peeked over the mountains. When the big star appeared, I took one more photo and then we turned to continue our walk. When I turned around, I saw the sunlight touch the far ridge to the west, above the cemetery. As I watched, the light traveled across the earth towards us, like a curtain of gold being drawn down. I could almost taste the air at that moment,…