An Early January Thaw At Peaceful Forest Homestead

First light.........

This morning is a surprise for this early in January. We usually have cold, snowy weather this early in January. Later in the month is when we normally have what is called the "January thaw." Some years we didn't have it at all. So this morning I could see the green grass of the ground all over, I was drawn out to the forest. I hadn't been out there in a while. Just walking out there taking in all the sights of nature, winter, wind blown branches on the ground.............was refreshing for my state of mind. There is something about the forest I need.

Not fog, wood smoke!

My husband has a saying, "That's the rule." He uses it when he's not happy about something. Like if you go to pull out of the drive way and not one car has driven by all day. Just as you go to pull out you have to wait for someone. Then most people who drive by drive real fast because there is no speed limit on our road. Not this one that you have to wait for, he drives  v e r y   s l o w l y ! ! Happens every time! 

I have it happen a lot when I am driving. You have to go over some little bridge or where the road is very narrow, and someone is either fishing on the bridge or stopped there for some reason, or a mail carrier is delivering mail. And I have to go over a little in the other lane......know what I am talking about? Then of course, another car will come the other way, so I have to stop and wait. "It's the rule!" 

There are a lot of instances in other areas of life where that happens too. Like if you are home all day, then you leave and someone calls you and leaves a message. Couldn't call while you were there, now could they? Or you go to the store to buy something and find out it was on sale yesterday. I hate that one!

The forest in winter

When we first moved here we wanted so bad to give up driving a motor vehicle. My husband hates working on them and he doesn't anymore. We have a good mechanic nearby. But our truck has been so good that it has never been broken down since we bought it in 2006. 

Our hope was to drive horses to town. Well we have given up that dream. We had too many obstacles to accomplish that feat. Our home is centrally located to a handful of small towns. We could have easily done this if we didn't have family that needed us in some way. So we moved that goal off our list. Our hope is to have an electric vehicle in in the near future that we can power with our own energy system. Of course, our system will need to be built bigger to do that. 

Sometimes a goal you have on your list may need to be change or deleted. It takes serious thought and having the wisdom to know when something cannot be done. Just get rid of it from your list and your head. Be realistic. If it is not something you want to do or have the power to ever do it..........then don't! It is that simple. 

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole