First Gathering

Last Friday saw the first time we entertained on our property.  Les has artfully carved the "circle" into a magical place to be.  He's been diligent in keeping the scrub oak from taking a foothold by digging out the roots.  He hung some pure white LED's through the trees surround the sitting areas.

Our friends Jim, Joelle, Ken and Angela got together for dinner with us.  Then we all drove up to the property to watch the sun set.  Then we started a fire in the virgin fire pit that Les built with rocks he gathered from around the property.  Between the warm glow of the fire and the cool glow of the lights, the place was bewitching.

Les was so proud... this was exactly what he envisioned.  He has a right to be proud.  He's worked very hard for this.  And it's also a small step closer to our final goal... living in our straw bale house on our property.  The property has become home.  There's a big difference between a house and a home.  We have lived in houses that never felt like home, and now we have a home on our property... sans house.

It will come.

Jim and Joelle are part-time parents to a young boy by the name of Steven.  He's 3 years old and very cute.  Jim and Joelle love him as though he was their own.  They watch him while his mother and grandmother are busy.  But he has become a big part of their lives.  Steven came with them last Friday.  He and Mindy played and played.  He would chase her, then she would chase him.  It was hysterical to watch them.  It was like they were best friends.  Then that night they both slept like rocks.  Innocent slumber... that's the way to do it.

Progress

Electricians setting up their job materials.

We have taken another step toward our goal within the last several days.  Our electrician came last week with 2 of his guys.  With Les, we had 4 people working on the electrical hookup to the garage.  Now we no longer have extension cords running all over the place and we have light with the flip of a switch.  Oooh, the technology!!

Les giving direction to the electrical contractor

I joke, but its' really nice to have a "modern" convenience up there.  The next thing we need is an outhouse.  Since there is no running water there yet, I think an outhouse would do the trick for now.  Not everyone can boast that they're the proud owners of an outhouse.

Yesterday, Les spent the day clipping LED light strands to a small cable.  Then he ran the cable through the trees in the circle.  We went up last night at dark and it was so beautiful.  The lights from the little town of Trinidad twinkling in the night.  The clear cool white lights in the trees.  Simply magical.

He only did 100' so far... we have another 150' to go.  The circle will be such a comforting place to sit and talk or just sit and think.  I need to do much more of that... just sit and think.  I still feel like I'm pulled in every direction.  I just need time to decompress.

Life without Schultz has been a bit emptier.  I miss the times when he would slowly walk down the hall and into my office.  He'd put his head on my knee and stare at me with his tail gently wagging.  I miss how he'd run to my rescue whenever Les would grab my foot to tickle it.  I miss the soft fur behind his ears.  I miss his beautiful brown eyes.  I miss his gentleness.

Schultz on the day before he died.  His eyes tell it all.

Schultz -- 5/2000 - 5/2011

Sleeping at the foot of the bed.

His favorite thing was to pull the stuffing out of toys.

 My beloved Schultz is gone.

I am so incredibly sad that he had to leave me.  But it was time for him to go.  Cancer... that insidious thief of our loved ones.

The boy with the bad knees and the painful back developed a respiratory problem and he finally gave me that look that said he was ready.  He had so many problems within the last year.  His happiness had waned.  On Tuesday, I knelt beside him and tried to comfort him as he moaned.  So I made the appointment for the following morning.

Thankfully, Les finally returned home from California Tuesday night.

Schultz and Cubby -- on Cubby's last day

Early Wednesday morning we arrived at the vet's office.  It was decided to keep Schultz in the Jeep as I wanted to have his body cremated and we had to take him to Pueblo for that.  I crawled into the Jeep and Schultz was so scared.  The vet gave him a shot to calm him and I held his beautiful head in my lap until he went to sleep.  Then, the vet gave him the final shot.  Within moments he took his last gasp for air and then he was gone.  I felt like I betrayed him.

After several minutes I climbed out of the back of the Jeep and sat in the passenger seat.  Just as we were pulling out of the parking spot I physically felt a thump on my heart and I heard in my head, "I'm OK."  I swear that this is the truth.  My boy passed through my heart on his way to his next life.  There, I know I will see him again and he will again be my companion and my friend.  And saying goodbye to me in that manner was the greatest gift he could have ever given me.

What a goof!

Meditating on one of our walks.

Schultz playing with Oso a few years ago.  What a smile!

On one of his last walks.

Uncle Leonard

Yesterday saw the passing of another precious family member. 

Leonard Brook is the brother of Les's mom... Ilene.  Leonard lived his life in Wisconsin.  He and his wife, Donna, raised 3 beautiful, smart, caring and wonderful daughters.  Donna, sadly, passed away several years ago.  So Leonard was left rattling around in his big house -- maybe traveling a little.

I wish I had known him better.  To me, he seemed like a man of few words.  But I always saw him watching intently, with a little grin on his face.  What was going on behind those clear blue eyes?  I know he cared deeply about his family and that he was a great help to Ilene.  He was a very good man.

Donna -- sadly I barely knew her either.  She died many years ago as a result of cancer -- Multiple Myeloma.  When I first met her she kind-of intimidated me.  When I mentioned that to Les later that evening and he asked me why, I told him it was because she kept asking me questions.  Les explained that was just because she wanted to know me better.  Wow... really, I believed that no one ever wanted to know about me like that.  It was completely foreign to me.  But from that realization came acceptance.  What a great feeling that was.

And that's the kind of family I married into.  They are all very close and really care about each other. 

Leonard's girls Janet, Ellen and Nancy were with him until the end.  They kept vigil for him.  They let him go knowing that he was loved and will be missed.  Then, cancer took him away, too.

But today, comfort can be taken in what I know is a fact.  Leonard and Donna are together again... pain free...care free... loving each other.

What a beautiful morning it has been.  We awoke to 2-3" of new snow.  It's a heavy, wet snow and it's something this part of the country has needed desperately.  It's been so dry, but today... gorgeous.  Mindy made her usual 7:30 wake up call.  It's not that she's particularly hungry -- and it's not that she has to go outside -- I think it's just because she's bored of being quiet during the night.

Last night I went out to Black Jack's Saloon for dinner with Jim and Joelle.  Our table was right next to our other friends -- Ken, Trish, Laurie and Eric.  Eric is a dog whisperer.  He has a grooming shop here in town, but has also studied dog psychology and dog training.  He's come here to the house 3 times so far to help me work with Mindy.  He's amazing.  And she will also be amazing when her training is done.  She's a really good dog... just hyper.

So we drove up to the property this morning.  The snow was already a bit slushy on the road.  We walked slowly and carefully.  Mindy, of course, can't walk anywhere.  She runs.  Then when she's done, flops down in the snow for a few seconds and then she runs some more.  While she's running, she opens her mouth to scoop snow with her lower jaw.  She's quite a character.

Les is on his way home -- via Boise.  Andrew has asked if he can come to spend a few months with us here in Trinidad.  Of course we said yes.  He just could not find a job in Boise.  I'm not so sure he'll be able to find one here, either.  But at least he'll have a roof over his head and a full belly.  I know that he's gone without food recently because he just had no money.  I give him some money when I know that he needs it, but he's too proud to ask unless he's desperate.  He really wanted to make it on his own... and I think he did to some degree.  He's only 20.  He's at that "technically an adult but still a kid" stage.  We just want him happy and safe.

I had 3 paintings in a local art show in April.  That was fun to see them at the gallery.  I didn't win anything, nor did I sell anything, but it was fun none-the-less.  I put a slightly higher price tag on them than I probably should have... because I don't really care if I sell them or not.  It's basically, "What would it cost to get me to part with them."

That's catching up on the week.  My brain is not flowing that well today.  Not sure why.  So until then...