winter part 2

Winter is not my favorite season.

I struggle with depression and it deepens in winter. When I mentioned this to my doctor, she said that we might want to up the dosage on my anti depressant this winter. That might be a good idea.

Years ago, before Texas, we took up cross country skiing just so there would be something to look forward to each winter. Since Texas the skis sit an taunt.

When I was working I hated winter. Mud, cold houses, freezing supplies. Years ago PolySeamSeal first came out and it was in a tube. We used to carry a tube of it in our coat pocket, so it would not freeze in the tool box.

While we are healthy now (Miriam is fine except for her memory), but how long can I do all of this? No one knows, of course, but this year I can and I fully expect to keep it going next year.

This year I got behind on my garden and the weeds overshadowed some of my plants. I apologized to my neighbor who has the finest looking lawn in town. He laughed: “That show you were doing things that were more important.”

I liked his take.

Mom said that if I kept the garden in good shape until the hot part of summer, then let it go, that I might have trouble finding the produce but it would be there. I know that is not the best way to do it, but sometimes that is how it works.

This year I plated two hills of Pumpkins on the edge of the corn. It was too close and the corn was spaced too close and the pumpkin did not do well, I thought. But as we were digging potatoes we found a very fine 10” pumpkin. The only one for the year!

But as I look over my acre I can see an endless list of things that need to be done, or things that would make it nicer some way. But there are budget limitations and there are time limitations. I think I like both of those.

Miriam was good help this week. She can work with me, but she cannot do a task alone.

One thing she is good at is telling me what needs to be done. Our mail box post was driven into a few years ago and it is way off of straight now.

We hardly ever go by that she does not remind me that it needs to be fixed.

“When it falls I will fix it.”

She is not amused.

winter preparation

Grandma would be proud

Yesterday we dug potatoes, enough for the winter. Reds, yellows and whites. Good spuds.

Last week I harvested the flour corn. My neighbor, a vp in a corn seed company, took my corn, still on the cob, in burlap bags to their drying sheds to get it properly dried. I do have good neighbors.

This is supposed to be a very old strain of Indian corn (Anasazi, Flour Corn from Seeds of Change in Santa Fe). The kernels have lots of wild wonderful colors, I suppose the flour will be a shade or grey! I will save seed from the nicest and most colorful for next year.

Today we get started putting firewood into the shed. We have enough there now to get by if we were very careful, but I like to go into winter with the wood shed full (about 4 cords). That is a bit over a two year supply. I collect firewood all year and my wood lot is bulging.

Yesterday we picked up a big trailer load of oversized pallets made with good thick lumber, that will heat us for a few months.

Then I will blow out the water lines on the garden side of our property, coil the hoses and put them away with the sprinklers and get ready for winter. There is no end of things to do.

With all of this activity, I only put in a few studio hours this week. I guess that is how it works, there will be lots more time this winter.

Garrison Keillor once said that if you want to enjoy a Minnesota summer, you have to put in a Minnesota winter. In a nutty way I agree with Garrison.

I know a lot of life is being content with what you have, but I am one who thinks summer is sweeter because of winter, and that putting food and firewood up for winter is a good thing.

a "wedding"

We went to a wedding Sunday.

There was a bride and groom, attendants and bridesmaids, two or three flower girls, a little boy doing something, candles, an in your face photographer or two and a sit down dinner at the end of it all.

Not unusual I guess.

Except that the attendants were the sons and sons in law of the bride and groom, and the girls were daughters and sons wives, plus the bride’s sister.

The whole thing had all of the trappings of a wedding, but it was actually a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, along with a repeating of the marriage vows. The family are hispanic, and old friends of ours. Our kids grew up together.

The preacher spoke in spanish and another translated into english. The groom sang to his bride, the sons sang a duet to their parents (all did very well with it too).

Our kids grew up and went to school together. The groom told me that he and I were very good friends (we are) but that we do not see each other too often, (true).

I think some of the best friendships fit into that category.

As a photographer I went to more weddings than I care to think about, but this is the first like this.

I told granddaughter Emily about the ceremony. She thought I should do something like that with “grandma”. I said: “No.” She said: “even for grandma?” “No, even for grandma.”

Her suggestion was cute and not offensive at all, but I promise you I can and will love Miriam without going through a wedding again.

We are throughly married, and I like it.

male friends

We once were photographers In a smallish town with a largish small college. I photographed every one on campus several times a year, student, faculty and staff.

We were on a first name basis with hundreds of people, but during that 20 odd year period we developed very few real friendships.

We guys have trouble with close friends, male friends in particular. We just don’t make many. In fact I have read that if a guy has two real close male friends in a lifetime, he was doing well, and anything above 2 puts you in a high realm. (Jesus had 12 friends, but only three were really close).

When we went to Texas I met Carl. He was a dairy farmer (and a closet millionaire). We started spending time together going and doing. Before long we were very close friends. We could finish each others sentences, and often did.

We went to Belize and to Mexico on church mission projects with high school and college kids. We slept on floors and in king beds in fancy hotels. (Carl was the chairman of his local school board and there was a school board chairman convention each year. I would go along and sleep in the extra bed!)

I really missed Carl when I came back to Idaho. He promised he would come see us, but Idaho is a LONG way from texas. We went back a couple times, but now that is off budget both time and money wise.

I met David here in Idaho. I went to see him. “I am looking for a friend.” I began. I do not know if that is the proper way to start a friendship but that is how that one began.

That was a dozen years ago. We have hiked, we have camped, we have shot the bull, we have spent countless hours together doing all sorts of things, and that friendship has deepened.

He did not move away to get away from me (at least that is what he says), but his wife’s parents needed care and since David and wife had just retired, it seemed obvious, to every one but the Davids, I fear.

I am not sure, at this age, that I have the patience to develop another real close male friendship.

But I will read, and I will remember.

Thank you Carl

Thank you David

Bless you each.