Busy times

If I can keep track of what I've done and what I'm supposed to do this week, it will be impressive. With each new day offering another gift pak of glorious autumn sunshine, along with striking fall scenes accented by brilliant reds and golds, one doesn't want to waste a minute. The "to-do" list this week doesn't allow for wasted time. If all goes as well as yesterday, however, I'll be satisfied.

My check list of "things to do before the snow flies" is diminishing. New Irises, purchased from Gary and Carol Pietsch's Goose Crossing Iris, are in the ground and surrounded by mulch. I noticed one variety called Argus Pheasant, so, of course, it's planted just a few feet away from Bill's pheasant roost. I asked Gary to surprise me with his selection of bulbs, and, though the invoice gives me a pretty good clue to the colors, I know it will be exhilarating to see these bulbs pop open for the first time in my yard next year.

During my morning and evening walks with Kiwi and Annie Dog, I've been studying all angles of our barn, thinking of ways to make it look even better. There are still a few broken windows along both sides, which have been in that state since we first moved here almost 29 years ago. Bill has repaired a few of them, but with every one of the originals destroyed by rock-throwing contests among the little boys who inhabited the place before we did, a lot of fixing was needed--and with that, time and money.

This summer my brother Kevin constructed two new window frames for the barn. Then, I went to Aspen Windows and Doors and had them attach a plexiglass sheet for each frame. They were finally installed in their respective slots on the east side of the barn a few days ago. We have just three windows needing to be replaced now.

The barn had also lost some of its white trim along the corners over the years, so that's been this last week's project. One by one, I've found the right-sized boards, painted them, and nailed them to those open spots. Just one remains on the northeast corner. Next year, I'm hoping to have the dollars to get the south double doors repaired since our two "starving" horses like to eat the boards off from them. If that repair happens, it will occur during the barn's 60th birthday year, so I'm hoping we can celebrate the fact that it looks almost as good as new.

Yesterday, I also rototilled my big garden for the last time this fall. It's ready for spring---almost. With any available time before the snow flies, I'll be putzing around with the wheel barrow scooping up horse apples from the pastures and dumping them in the garden. I've even been known to do that with a sled in the winter time. When the snow melts the apples sink into the dirt, so it's a good stroke for fertility any time of the year.

Can ya tell I love living on a farm? Well, I'll get plenty more farm stuff this week because my sister Barbara is heading off with her youth judges to compete in Albuquerque at the National Arabian Show. That means Laurie would be left with 13 stalls to clean before heading off to school each morning. So, I'm taking Barbara's share and will be out in Colburn every morning scoopin' the poop.

I think I'm also going to be accompanying Mother to some of the business appointments she has this week. I function as her "ears" when she has these meetings. Along with the two of us will go pad and pen, so that she has all the information written down.

In the midst of all that, Miss Annie Love is coming home for two days. Her birthday present was an airline ticket from Seattle to Spokane. So, when I pick her up Wednesday, we'll meet Willie and Debbie at the family's favorite restaurant/watering hole, O'Doherty's. I haven't seen Willie and Debbie for two months, so it will be fun to catch up with them.

On Thursday evening, we'll dine at Ivanos with the Sandpoint contingent--Mother, Laurie, Bill, Annie and me. I promised Annie the flight home and steak, so we're hoping Ivanos provide a nice dinner setting for her to dig in to a good piece of meat, smothered with A1 Sauce. Chocolate cake comes afterward.

On Friday morning, Laura, Sefo and the triplets will be up from Plummer for their first visit in several weeks. The plan includes an outing at Round Lake with Annie before she heads back for Seattle that afternoon.

With any time in between, I'm working on a story assignment and the endless revision process with my manuscript. And, just as I punched the period for the last sentence, I glanced out the front windows at that yard full of leaves, waiting to be raked, scooped up and hauled off.

I'm tired.