Where did the time go?

This morning's snowfall brought me up sharp with the thought that its WINTERY...not the summer of the SO recent thoughts and the Oh SO too busy life.

On the slippery commute, interupted by those who cannot seem to drive with a slip of snow and slickness (its NOT dry pavement folks), punctuated by red and blue flashing lights, I had some time to reflect on the whirlwind that the last 8 months have been.

Off time, firewood permits and woodcutting, stacking the little blue S-10 to its capacity with firewood, cut off the slash piles, unloaded and stacked for splitting down to stove size later.

Turkey hunting on a friend's ground and very successfully to boot! Some time in the hills with a rifle, around trips to the Land of the Rising Sun, but no deer to fill the freezer with.

 The occasional peek into the woods that soothe my soul and refresh my mind.  Even ONE trip out on the water...very short trip...mostly spent playing tug boat captain with my old boat for another boaters broken boat.

All of those things rammed into and around an incredibly heavy, every expanding workload...hiring 5 folks wasn't enough, 15 more followed and STILL the workload climbs past capacity.  As it turns out...various minor models are NOT Red, Blue and Green Legos...and do NOT fit together that way.  Integration is the watchword, the curse and the muttered password, said with rolling eyes.

My boys and I spent the last few evenings checking out the trucks and preparing them for the forecast foul weather...shovels, tire chains, flashlights, gloves (axes, chainsaws, ropes, logging chains, peavy and safety gear in mine) sandbags and raingear.  Its seldom that we cannot get where we need to go, in spite of the conditions of the roads and other drivers.

Ah well... such is life, today will pass, safely one hopes and tomorrow will come.

SLOG, Splut and splash...

Splash, slip and slide.

THAT is what happens when the Rain Gods decide that the Deluge needs to be repeated 10 times over 15 days.

Took the Brown Dinosaur (my 1981 Chevy 4x4) and new-to-me car trailer up to Longtime College Friend's place so he could move some heavy duty warehouse racks. In order that I not need a ride back home, I strapped my trusty S-10 to the trailer and ventured off into the miasma.

Evidently, even with a constant supply of rain, SOME folks cannot remember how to DRIVE in it. You know its bad when the evasive maneuvers move the S-10 around on the trailer such that it requires shuffling and repositioning prior to chaining it back down even MORE snugly. A yahoo cut me off in traffic, braked heavily, flew me the #1 sign and changed lanes again and departed into Warp Drive. Once my heart rate assumed something less than a vibration and more resembled beating, I slowed to the widest shoulder i could find and repositioned the S-10 on the trailer and continued on my way.

Once at LCF's place I discovered that continuous rain also makes his back 40 more closely resemble a swamp than a driveway. Time for four wheel drive and GENTLE applications of the Loud Pedal - instead of my more normal use - to coax the truck and trailer back to solid, if not dry, ground.

The Brown Dinosaur and trailer are awaiting his venturing out. The drive HOME was not nearly as exciting.

I want to go shooting on a not-raining day. It appears I'll be waiting a bit more...

Life in the PNW.