Tuesday Twitterdeeapplesauce

We've got rain.  This scheduled rain is welcome for several reasons.  

The pastures really need it.  Since we haven't had any significant grass-killing freezes yet, grass can still grow.  

And, a day or two of wet stuff should give the pastures the boost they need to provide enough grazing for the horses through the remainder of October. 

To which I say, "Yay."  

The longer I can hold off on starting the daily barn routine for the winter, the better. 

Rain also means good apple-peeling potential today.  I have a couple of boxes of apples waiting to turn into more applesauce.  

Homemade applesauce---cold from the frig---is the best treat during the winter months.  My friends and family think so too.  So, I've been handing over the majority of my first batch. 

Today's wet weather will allow me to get ahead on the Lovestead supply.

Bill had planned to go cut some firewood today.  Don't know if he'll follow through, but in the past, a little light rain hasn't stopped him.

He went to the office on his first Monday of retirement yesterday and came home about three hours later.  

"Are ya done?" I yelled to him while holding Lefty during a horse-shoeing session.

"No," he said, even though he took some boxes from his pickup to the storage shed.  Bill told me earlier that he had started the end game of clearing out and finalizing his office stuff a month ago but constant distractions have kept him from getting much accomplished.

Maybe today he'll finish up for real.  But then, there was a phone call last night from another individual who's interested in Bill doing some part-time forestry work for him.

I think it will be a while before he gets into a full-fledged retirement mode.  Let's see, I've been loose for nine years, and I haven't seen that elusive goal yet. 

Yesterday, after leaving the office, Bill---ever symbolic---drove to Smith Creek up by the Canadian Border. 

"That was where I spent my first day of work in Idaho," he told me, "so I decided to return and look over the area during my first day of retirement."  

Bill began his forestry career at Smith Creek for the U.S. Forest Service in January, 1974, after rain on heavy snow had caused severe flooding throughout the area, washing out many bridges.  He also spent the following summer,  camping there while employed by the Forest Service.

He told me last night that yesterday's visit was a good trip but the fishing wasn't that great.

I spent part of my Monday in the continuous search for that Social Security card.  Fortunately, about three days into the hunt, I called the SSA in Coeur d'Alene and learned that I can apply for a replacement card.

Still, it is a total mystery to me what has happened to that leather overnight bag, the wallet, the card and some treasured photos of the kids.  

I noted to Bill last night that the one good thing about losing something is finding a whole lot of other stuff.

Last night I handed him a bag filled with brand-new socks and gloves.  I think it's been hiding in the closet since about three Christmases ago.  

I also discovered yesterday where a lot of my own sock mates have been hanging out, literally.  When you pull out drawers from cabinets, take a moment look behind them.  

Things have a way of working themselves out of their storage place, and in this case, at least two dozen socks and a couple of pair of underwear had formed a mass behind the cabinet drawers.  

No wonder the drawers had been so hard to shove shut. 

I had completely forgotten about my third pair of Western boots.  Found them in a plastic storage container, along with Bill's in one of the garage cabinets.  I left them out in full view cuz, if retirement allows him time, I'm encouraging Bill to get back on a horse.

Maybe we'll be able to pull off a couple of trail rides this fall, now that all the horses have been reshod. 

In the meantime, the search goes on for the Social Security Card.  I just wish that geocaching had been on my mind at the time when I put the bag, the wallet and the card in a safe place.

I could have used Bill's GPS, established coordinates for the bag and turned the search into a recreational adventure.  

Maybe some brilliant techie mind can invent little unique chips to put in all our valuable items.  Once we purchase them, we can install the chip, and, when they're lost like our minds, we use some state-of-the art technology to find them.

Maybe that can be the next BIG invention, after the computer,  to get our sad economy back in synch.  

After all, there are a LOT of Babyboomers, and chances are they're gonna lose their important documents just like I have.

It's a thought!  If somebody pounces on my idea, please include me in the royalties.  Then, I can quit searching for that damn card.

Have a nice Tuesday.