Toting; Stacking

Well, I’ve learned something valuable. By not doing much wood toting at all on Tuesday (only 5 barrow loads and my back hurt toting every one of them), I felt strong yesterday. We went for out walk with our friends and then I came home to do 5 loads, after which, I took a break to water the front gardens and to have lunch. My back gave me absolutely no pain at all doing those first 5 loads. 

The birds that have nested in the boxes I put up on the trellis are pure. Joy for me. All morning yesterday, as I stacked inside the shed, they sang like mad, filling the yard with their sweet sound. I may bet more boxes because I love having tenants in my yard. And they have water in my fountain and bird baths, and food in my feeders. My little feathered friends have a good life in Pinecone Park. 

After lunch, I did 5 more loads and then had another short break before doing 5 more. By then my daily total was 15 loads and my back was telling me to take a long break before tackling the last 5 loads for the day. I’ve learned my lessons and this year, even with such a big load of wood, my Zen-like approach to life is working well. I’m very content with the work, especially as I am working in such wonderful weather. 

After a good long break that included a spa, I addressed the last 5 loads. I rejoiced in knowing that at 5:00, I was having an early dinner with Kris at Woodfire. It was a splendid way to inspire myself to do the last five. But after doing 3 loads, I took another break before doing the final 2, but all in all, I’m doing just fine. Thirty loads on Monday, only 5 on Tuesday, and 20 yesterday brings me to a total of 55 loads done. I’d guess that I’m over half-way through the woodpile. 

I finished the last two at 3:30. It was perfect timing. I had an hour and a half to enjoy a spa, walk Her Highness and get to Woodfire to meet Kris for dinner on a beautiful, wonderful night. 

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Dwight’s daughter, Natalia, has just completed her third year of university, at UBC. She’s in the Honors English Program and this year, she finished her year with a 91% grade point average. I can’t imagine how happy Dwight and Laura must be about their daughter. She will have a remarkable life, I suspect. 

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Today, I hope to do 20 loads. I’ll work slowly to achieve my goal, and to give my back a rest, I’ll be watering the beds and praying for rain.

Sierra

After our morning walk, I took Sheba to her groomers, and then picked her up. Between trips, I watered all the backyard beds, and when I came back home with her, we had lunch and then I had my Zoom session with Dr. Shoja. It was a good but trying session. I get so exhausted from all the physical symptoms and from forcing out all my words.

We finished at 2:00, so I went out to get to work on the wood, but after a mere 5 loads, I felt too pooped to go on. I. have so much more energy in the morning, I decided to wait until this morning to make a concerted effort. After doing the 5 barrows full, I took a break to go to Ron and Nancy’s to meet their new puppy, Sierra. 

And what a nice time I had. I mean, come on … a puppy. He’s 9 weeks old and very calm. We were friends immediately. Nancy, Ron and I sat outside on their lawn, on the ground, and chatted, and we played with her. Their gardens are booming. I am so jealous. They get more sunlight than I do, and there’s two of them doing all the work.

Nancy and Ron are good souls. Ron often walks Sheba, and Nancy is the warmest of souls born. She lends things to everyone in the neighbourhood. She has bright blue eyes, and very long hair that is always thoughtfully worn. I have nice warm and comfortable relationships with almost everyone on my street. Imagine!

When I got home from their place, I watered the edible garden. And that was it for my day.

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Today starts with a dog walk with our friends, then stacking wood until it is time to go to dinner with Kris and Nancy at Woodfire. I love it when there is a reward at the end of a day of hard work.

Schlepping & Stacking

Monday morning, being slightly overcast, was a refreshing temperature, so I was very busy all morning. I did dishes, vacuumed, weed wacked the courtyard, leaf blew the courtyard and deck, and I laid out the tarpaulin so that the driver can dump the wood on it. The supplier, although always well stocked with wood, often has dirty loads, so the tarp keeps my driveway clear of all the shite.

He arrived with the first load at 8:30, so I began the endless schlepping that will be a big part of this week. And I began my annual ritual of counting the wheelbarrow loads. The driver said that he’d be back in an hour and a half with the second load, so I got busy to make space on the tarp for the second load.

By the time he arrived with load number two only an hour later, I’d stacked 10 wheelbarrow loads. That rather astounded me because I’d normally take all morning or all afternoon to do 10 loads. I was chuffed to have done so much, so quickly. But after load #2 was dumped, I took a. break to give my back a rest.

Sidebar: Early in the schlepping and stacking, a large piece of wood rolled off the pile and banged into my ankle. Immediately, I had a huge blood blister, so I came into the house to pop it. I decided to use my xacto knife to make a tiny slit, and somehow, in the process of getting ready to do it, I shoved my xacto knife deep into my thumb and I hit bone. It bled like Niagara; I had trouble stopping it, but I did manage to effectively drain the blister.

When I stopped for my first break and took off my glove, it was dense with blood, but the wound was stopped. Yesterday was not a dull day at Pinecone Park.

I confess that I did not return to work after my break with boundless enthusiasm. It’s enough that I went back for more. I did 10 more loads before lunch, thereby setting a personal record for the most wood schlepped in a morning during my tenure here on Gabriola. Twenty heavy loads stacked.

I enjoyed my lunch break, and I was grateful for the lightly overcast skies. I was able to work without sweat drenching me. Regardless, I had a good wash and changed my dressings after lunch, and then I went into the village to grocery shop. I have no stacking deadline, so it seemed like a good idea to extend my mid-day break with some shopping time. 

In the car going and coming home, and for the entire time I was in the stores, I could not stop yawning. By the time I came back into the house, my face was wet with tears from all the yawning, so I decided to take a nap before doing any more work. I slept until 3:00, and then I lit a fire before going back to work on the wood. The fatigue and feeling cold is likely due to Mr. Old-as-Hell doing so much work.

My finger, where I stabbed it with the xacto, is throbbing and very sore. What a stupid thing to do when you need both hands to lift and tote. I did another 5 loads and then took another break for my back before doing another 5 loads and then calling it quits to get into the spa and glory in the heat.

Oh, such sweet fatigue! I was able to thoroughly enjoy my dinner and television in the evening after so busy and tiring a day. Good on me!

Today I must take Her Highness for her grooming, and then return to pick her up, so my morning will be spent watering between trips. And at 1:00, right after lunch, I have a Zoom session with Dr. Shoja, so I be able to start with the wood until 2:00.  That’s fine with me!

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Andrew is done. The house has its floor, interior walls and built-in features, and the roof. Now Dave will begin working with a series of sub-contractors. He’ll begin with the plumbing and wiring. It’s quieter, but I’m excited about seeing it progress through the remaining work.

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I like this work with the wood. I like that I have only a half-day to work today. The weather forecast is all sunshine, so I won’t be hurrying. And then Bronwyn comes, and I’ll be working with her, plus watering. But when she’s finished, the essential annual yard re-fresh will be done, and only watering and maintenance will be up to me.

I love doing all this work, wood and all. I love being active and outdoors. Kris and Nancy want to come for tea. I plan to invite them and together we will celebrate the seasonal opening of Pinecone Park. This is what I live for, this weather, gardening, guests.

By 8:30, I was ready for bed. I love going to bed. I love sleeping and I look forward to today.

The natural carpet is lush and, as you can see, the Daisies are thriving.
Click on the photos to enlarge them.

This garden is the one everyone sees, so I've been working on it a lot.

Yesterdays stacking.

The wood on the right of the vertical beam is 2 years seasoned.
The wood on the left, stacked slightly forward to allow air to circulate
behind it, is new wood.

This enormous pile is what I have left to stack. 

I sort out the little pieces in the loads of wood I receive to use
it as kindling. It's tedious schlepping all the little pieces to this
pile but it is worth the work in the end.

It's hard to see, but my Laburnum is about to bloom. There
are lot of strings of pendulous yellow blossoms all over it.

This is the new wood lining around a bed that is closes to the back gate.

And this bare earth is where I removed the dying Salal, Blackberry vines
and all the detritus on the ground. Slowly it will naturalise. 

Welcome Grosbeaks!

Sunday was glorious. When I got up at 5:00 am, it was a magnificent 19°. But I had no power. I puttered about doing chores, and then took Her Highness walking. When we got to North Road, we found it closed, going north. A tree was down across the road, and it had taken out our phone and internet wires.

We walked and then returned home, Her Highness to rest and me to address the work to be done in the shed. I had to move about half a cord of wood, and move some other things around to create clear access to the space where all int wood coming tomorrow would go. I must keep similarly aged wood together. Come Wintertime, I’ll want to burn the driest wood first.

By noon my back was aching, and I was pooped. I took a break from shed work to have a short rest in the sunshine before returning to work and finishing the shed. As I was fetching my recliner chair, I was stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of two beautiful birds of a kind I have never seen before. They were feeding at my feeder; I’m pretty certain they were Evening Grosbeaks. 

Mid-afternoon, Her Highness and I went for a long slow walk. We didn’t see a soul. It was a beautiful way to pass out time together, walking through the forest on a perfect day. I loved our walk. And then I came home to shower and shave before going to Kris and Steve’s for dinner with Kris and Nancy (Steve’s away on their boat with their son, Connor).

We three had a lovely evening. We ate dinner early and I was home early and went to bed early. The work of the lovely Summer-like days exhausts me, so I’m out like a light at night and quickly to sleep.

Today, the wood arrives. It’s slightly overcast and I’m glad because I won’t be a sweaty mess when I am schlepping the wood.

Mexican Dogwood