Materializing a Hope

(Here's a post from last March by S. She hoped that we'd be living at Woodman's Lee in March of 2014...and we are definitely on track to do that!)

March 28, 2013: Last Snow of the Season?

I was surprised by a blanket of snow when I gazed out the window first thing this morning! The last few days it has warmed--melting the ice on the stream and making our road a mushy mess in places. Last night we parked the truck only half way up the road rather than to continue and damage the road bed. As this day has worn on most of the snow has melted and F has been out thinning trees. W and I wandered around some and I noticed more variety in the bird song chorus as well as one lone duck or goose (didn't have binoculars) flying slowly in circles--quacking. It sounded to me like a mournful call, perhaps seeking its mate?

Nearly a week has passed since my last writing which is part of my natural pattern. I get here and want to write it all down, then I get wrapped up in events and the blog gets pushed to the back burner. We will soon be returning to South Carolina and for me, leaving here is akin to leaving a dear friend. I so look forward to the day we will return knowing we can remain as long as we choose or God declares.

The man who was going to drill our well lost his brother to cancer last week, so we focused upon another job--replacing the old Franklin stove. F had researched wood stoves and knew what he wanted, so we found a dealer and purchased it (a Jøtul) two days ago.

The installation went quite well. The hardest part (aside from wrestling the Jøtul inside and onto the hearth) was constructing a pedestal to raise it 6" so we could run the pipe from the back of the stove to the chimney, rather than out the top of the stove. We were able to find brick and some thick stones which matched our hearth so it turned out well. The old Franklin was dismantled so it was handily removed. The new stove is much smaller--giving the hearth area a more spacious look. It will be nice to no longer have to use the Kerosun to support the Franklin's deficiencies.

Compared to others, this has been a fairly relaxing vacation. We mostly hung around the cabin except for a trip last week to Lake Placid and our visits to the stove dealer in Plattsburgh.

We went to Lake Placid for groceries and laundry. They have a "deluxe" laundromat right next to the Hannaford so we could shop while the clothes wash and dry. We had stopped at the Starbucks beforehand and was going to stroll along the store fronts for a while but F reminded me that I had failed to purchase a parking pass and W and the Tundra could be towed or, (at least) ticketed, as I window shopped. I picked up the pace, but we did manage to catch a glimpse of a pack of dogs pulling a sled around Mirror Lake. It reminded me of a Currier and Ives print.

While at the laundromat it began to snow steadily. It was truly beautiful, yet, I heard a cashier at Hannaford lamenting that she thought it was all over with and "now look at it"! Maybe when I live here throughout the year I will understand how she feels, but raised a Floridian, I am always enchanted by snowflakes. I have yet to get my fill of the Adirondacks!

When we returned from Lake Placid, F made a delicious tomato basil soup and salad. He has cooked some wonderful meals during our stay. That evening close to dusk the coyotes started yipping and they were at it a good minute or two. W, who was resting on the futon, raised her head, a curious look on her face.

We have enjoyed some evenings filled with bright moonlight! One night I was awakened. I got up and went to the window and it was so bright out I could have easily walked from here to the beaver pond and back without the aid of a flashlight. At the time, the moon appeared about 2/3's full. When I returned to my bed there was moonlight on my pillow. I wonder if that is what awakened me in the first place. I crawled back under the covers and watched through the front window as it slowly set behind the mountains.

The only other sign of civilization from Woodman's Lee is a light from a dwelling on a ridge miles away. For many, many years this light has been on nightly--we always notice it as we check the latch on the front door.  I have not seen it illuminated once during this visit. At first, I thought I couldn't see it because of the weather--we had a few nights of snow but the last few have been quite clear---still, there is no light to be seen. Just sayin', not complainin'.

As I sit at the table on the sun porch, the sky is greying. While W and I were out earlier, I was certain the snow we got last night would be the last of the season; now I am not so certain. What I do know is I heard more birds this morning and as I walked with W I could smell that wonderful earthy scent that so reminds me of spring.  Maybe as early as tomorrow she will entice the trees to put on their bright green leaves and a cloud will rise from the mountains as their snow melts. Sadly, I will miss another spring here in the high peaks...maybe next year.