Spring Rains

Weather in this part of the country can be uncertain. Not long ago we had snow; last night into this morning we had a good soaking rain. A check of the Como weather (nearest town to The Lot) shows night-time temps in the high country to be above freezing on a consistent basis. This means it is time to prepare The Box (our RV trailer) for summer use.

While there are few repairs that need to be done, unlike last year when several maintenance items were needed, preparing The Box still takes some work. Bedding and clothing needs to be put in place, cleaning after the winter, including washing all surfaces, and checking all lights and mechanical systems. Each little bit takes time. I have one propane cylinder to get filled and have yet to flush the RV antifreeze out of the water lines; the preparations will continue for a while yet.

Still it is progress to see the bed made and clothing in the closets, as anticipation builds to get the summer season underway. Pam has a list of groceries to restock what food items we need; over the years we have cut back on the quantity of food stored, instead we bring more with us on weekend visits.

More flowers are beginning to bloom; we have peony, flax, and iris right now but the lilacs are not doing much. I think this may be due to a late freeze. There are some buds on the white lilac so we will have to see if we get some flowers or not.

Tree peony has more blossoms than usual

Honey Locus tree (center) greening out for 2017

I worked on another annual spring project, getting the evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) ready for the season. A new water valve had to be purchases and installed; the old valve would no longer shut off completely and was leaking around the valve stem. Water to the house was shut off during this repair but not for more than about 10 minutes. We have already had a few mid-80 degree days, well above average for this time of year, so it was time to get ready for more hot days.

It’s spring at the feral cat feeder, too. Pam is trying to trap a cat that may be preggers; while not eager to take on another feral mom cat and litter, it’s hard not to take some action to try to save newborn kittens in this neighborhood. However, this particular petite black cat –whom Pam has named Rambler — seems to be very aware of the attempts to trap her and so far has not been caught. The game goes on.

Sometimes small events just happen. The city has re-opened a dump site for organic materials, such as cut grass and tree limbs, so I no longer have to make trips to an old gravel pit to get rid of the grass clippings. Our old screen door (I had replaced it with a new one a couple weeks ago) is gone. Placed on our corner with a “Free” sign on it, a neighbor picked it up a few hours later. Saves me the cost of a trip to the dump and maybe the door will see some additional use. Or maybe it will show up in a yard sale; who knows?

I put a link to our 2017 Easter card on my E-cards page. The card is just a reminder that the “treasure at the end of the rainbow” is most often our friends. We hope everyone had a good Easter celebration.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Spring explodes around here, and with it comes yard work and cleaning projects. And kittens, yes, always kittens.

Happy Trails.