Saturday, August 27, 2011

Ready Or Not

I woke up a little earlier than usual this morning, so I took my mug of morning tea out onto the deck to enjoy the coolness of the air and the quality of light that is only seen at that time of day. More than that, I wanted to enjoy the few mornings I have left before I leave. Soon the time to sit and sip hot tea or maybe even sleep at little later will be gone. No morning walks with Chigger or to feed the chickens or putter in the garden. I have to admit, this last year of life has spoiled me something awful. Of course, we have worked hard here and we have accomplished much but the work here can in no way be compared to what I am about to do. It is truly different when you are working hard for yourself. And yes, the money I make will go directly to finishing the house but oh, how I will miss my sweet little house and mornings in my valley; the dragonflies awakening and darting carelessly in the crystal air. Of course I will miss Jack and Chigger and Grendal, my sweet kitty. I know I will be home on the weekends also, but when you are pressed for time it's sometimes hard to relax much.
But, such is the life of a construction worker; I have said it before. I joked tonight that maybe after Daddy Rabbit retires, I can really retire also. I do enjoy working with the guys and it is always interesting to go to a new town and see new things. I'm proud of what we build too. None of those crappy shopping malls for us! Since we are building for a university I thought I might even be able to audit a course or some other evening activity. We'll see. Out of town work can be incredibly boring. Well, unless you are into carousing or such and I'm not much into that. Anymore. Heh.
I just know this is going to be quite a shock to my system in many ways. I won't have as much of my home grown food or home cooking. Trying to entertain myself in the evenings is a challenge because I hate TV and I can't afford to do much that costs money. But I think the biggest thing is going to be leaving the peace and quiet of this valley to live in a city in a hotel. Yeck!! I just keep telling myself that I can finish the house, I can finish the house....I will adapt rather quickly to the new waking and working hours though. It has always surprised me how quickly I can get back into the routine of getting up at 4:30 a.m., but I do. I fall out of it just as quickly too! Daddy Rabbit told me they are starting at 6:00 a.m. now but that will change as the seasons do. I just hope I can still handle the heat and the work load. I ain't no spring chicken you know. Speaking of chickens; here's Jack with the main herd of poultry.

We have finally got most of them sleeping on roosts. Some of them took to it naturally and some had to be prompted. They all are getting the hang of it pretty good now. We do have one rooster that developed a leg problem when he was younger and he has a little trouble. His leg bends out the wrong way, you see. I guess some people would say we should have culled him long ago but I felt we should give him a chance and he gets around fine really and doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. I would definitely do something if I thought he was in pain but he seems to enjoy himself. Anyway, he has trouble getting up on the roost. He can sit there fine, once he's there, but can't make the hop up, so whoever puts the chickens up just sets him up on the lower roost and he takes it from there.
It's also a bit of a concern to me to leave my house in the care of someone else. I know that probably sounds stupid but this ain't no ordinary house and I'm no ordinary paranoid woman. I've put so much into this place and to have to leave it's safety to someone else is troubling to me. I know, I know; it's just a house, I'm wacko, the cat's not going to blow the place to smithereens. But, I still fret. At least Jack has learned ALL about the water system since we did the spring box. He ought to know that thing backwards and forwards.
Well, time for bed. I still have one more day to enjoy before I load up and head out early Monday morning. It will be an adventure at any rate, I'm sure. It always is.

6 comments:

ErinFromIowa said...

Off goes our adventuring Annie! Are your living arrangements still a concern? Is it possible there might be a bed and breakfast nearby where the fellas are staying? I think that would be fun! A nice, not too chatty elderly lady who keeps her house neat as a pin. Keeps her trim figure from healthy fruit and vegetable eating yet finds room for choice cuts of meat and fresh baked goods on her table.
I think I went off to lala land there.

Caddie said...

"Herd" is so correct! How those chickens have grown and such precise organization on their "shelves". Great picture.

Can't say I'd have your stamina to hit the world again with work britches on. Remain safe, girl. Get plenty of rest each night.

Being able to return home weekends will keep it all tied together and....think of all that money! Looks to me like you've got life fairly well organized, unlike some of us ;)

Stay centered and happy! Enjoy each moment as it comes, for they pass by so fast.

Ron said...

I wish you well, Annie. It's always feast or famine, it seems. It will be good to sock away the money, though.

When I worked on a turkey farm, we used to see quite a few turkeys lame like that (bound to happen with 5,000 chicks at a time). Most of them did ok, though.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Good luck, Annie. Hope you do find time to keep us all updated on how things are going from time to time. But, we understand you will be working your butt off most days and may be too tired to do anything but get some rest. As for what to do in the eves, there's always reading. We're not TV watchers either with no cable/dish service; our TVs are for movie watching. But we do also like to read and I stock up on thrift store bargains and go the the library. I understand how you feel about your home too as we have similar feelings about the Frog & PenguINN. Stay safe.

R.Powers said...

Best of luck on this adventure Annie. Looking forward to your insights about city life and paid work again.

MamaHen said...

Thanks Everybody! I'm settled into a place and getting set up for the long haul. It's not too bad so far. Other than being VERY hot. I miss home already but this will probably work out okay. Some of the guys are nearby and they are trying to help me settle in. I probably will be reading a lot and sleeping! Which i am going to do right now; this first day wore me out!!