To say that I appreciate Stuart's help our first week in Boise would be an understatement. The list of what we accomplished is phenomenal. I've gotten used to this being the case where he is concerned. He shows up and goes to work. I'm the same way when I do things. Just not used to being on the receiving end!Besides the numerous great photos which I'll be posting in this entry, we also: built dog yard, fully wired/repaired fence for horses, installed water trough and de-icer (thank you, Jen's family), unloaded van and trailer, built ramps for dogs, installed light for back yard, set up fence charger, made numerous trips to Low's (I now own stock) and D& B, hung many things in the house, put up pot-rack in kitchen, and reinforced the wind block in the barn.
I know there are many other things, small and large, that were done... Oh, hanging the hose, testing the water system to find out how to get water to the lower pasture, and figuring out the outlets, switches, and plugs in this house.
Yes, I could have made the transition, and I could have done these things on my own, but it would have taken me a very long time, and I probably would have felt rather defeated along the way. Now, as Stuart prepares to head off to his own tasks and journeys, I sit here ready to tackle my life here in Boise, feeling like things are set up, and the rest is stuff that just I need to do, anyway. So, thank you, Stuart. You made all the difference, and I hope someday I'll be able to give you the same investment of my time and energy. I still would have liked to have made my "ORCHID" play in Scrabble, but that's okay. I'll take good care of "your" horse, Giovanna.
Someday, the girls will use their ramps, someday the horses will run free in the far pasture, and someday, the snow and ice will all melt. Berhwood will keep making weird faces, Giovanna will look elegant covered in mud, Georgia will be especially cute in any form of blanket, and Arcy will look put out if you take her picture
Meanwhile, while we were busy working, the weather went on around us. The horses, dogs, and I arrived in the middle of a cold snap that lasted three days. Then, there was a tremendous wind storm in which it seemed like the roof was going to blow off. In the morning, the ground was covered with snow. about 6 inches of snow. The dogs played in it until I made them come inside (just like kids...) and the horses thought it was quite fascinating. The snow offered opportunity for great photos. But it hindered the outside work a bit. We had a few ventures out in the snow in the van, with chains on. The horses figured out very quickly, once the snow stopped falling and they were allowed out in the middle pasture, that their noses were perfect for scooping away the snow and getting to the grass below.
After two days of snowing, it stopped. Then the great melt began. Talk about mud. I had no idea the mud that snow could create. I'm used to rain-generated mud. Thick, sticky, substance. Snow mud is like liquid dirt. It's sloppy, squooshy, icksy. It's like someone poured chocolate pudding everywhere, with sand. I hope it dries up.
There are fat birds that live in the trees around the house, and chirp. The sky is huge here, and ever changing. I find myself stopping to look at the sky all the time. It changes every day, and I can't imagine I'll get tired of it. The sunrises and sunsets are drop dead gorgeous. Photo ops every time, though I haven't taken any, yet. And the mountains. There are mountains to the east, and mountains to the south. Both are quite beautiful, but different from each other. And each is a focal point for clouds and weather. At night, there is a train tracks to the south of the house. Can set my clock by the trains. Right now the 7:24 is going by...
Yesterday, Stuart and I walked along the Boise River trail, which is a place where I will take you, if you want to go for a walk and you visit here. There are 14 miles of trails along the rivers in Boise. One of the drawing points of this place, for me. Especially since the river walk goes right past the education department at the university... Speaking of the university, I began working for my graduate assistantship this week, doing data collection for some grants.
That brings us to today, January 8th. Future posts will be more regular and full of more interesting details. Really.
Enjoy the pictures. I will find out how to make captions next time. Oh, and if you want to see movies, here's a link to movies of horses and dogs and such... http://www.sgibson.com/idaho/
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