I have been in an awful funk and unwilling to write or share. I take the pictures and like those silly commercials, they remain on my disk in the camera. Shameless.
Last Friday I had the first of my surgeries on my veins. I have been so worried about the pain and the end results, and if it were really necessary, etc, etc, etc. I know it was, but I was doing my best to convince myself that it was not.
There was really no pain involved. I am surprised.
So, in other news we had a band of lightning and high winds come through early Friday morning. We are OK, but some folks on the east side the Athens area sustained wind damage from an F-O class tornado. I didn’t think such a thing existed, but it does. And apparently it can tear things up pretty good. No one was hurt and that is a blessing!
Then, later when we got home from my leg surgery we got a call from one of the neighbors up on the Mountain. Guess some of the big “bendy winds”, as my friend Celi, from The Kitchen’s Garden, likes to call them, came through and took out quite a few large trees. We talked to another neighbor by phone and he said it appeared that the house and the outbuildings held up.
We don’t know which trees, or the size of the trees, but the ones he said came down on his place are all LARGE TREES.
We thought we were going to be taking advantage of the much cooler weather to begin work on the inside of the farmhouse… guess it will be all chainsaw work now.
In the meantime, here are a few pictures from my last visit before the big bendy wind came. 😀
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- An Elven sweet pea.
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- Vine tricks
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- Deer have been here… and do you see the large millipede?
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- Raccoons too!
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- The lady in the water was likely gone after the next rain, but the shade here is gone now too.
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- In the swale by the pond uncut, unkempt to some, but lovely to my eye.
I will post pictures of what we found late Sunday evening. I go in for my second leg surgery on Monday morning (the left this time). This will be better because now I know what I’ll face.
Oh yes, and did I tell you I am awake for this?
Life on the Farmlet 
beautiful!
I wouldn’t want to be awake for a surgery. Ick! And double ick on that millipede. We had centipedes in Minnesota – big, fat, juicy, run-like-hell centipedes. I used to say they were the size of small mice.
Nancy
Nancy, under normal circumstances I would say the same, but this really wasn’t so bad. Millipedes are harmless and tickle your palm when you hold them… Centipedes BITE!
I am not sure I could NOT stay awake for the vein surgery, but I love to be awake for the bendy tree days.. is WINTER coming? I hope NOT! Your legs are going to look amazing very soon, well done you for being brave enough. .. and watch out for the bendy tree days, they are coming here too!
Celi, your bendy tree days are perhaps more tame than ours were? New pictures are finally posted, BTW. 😉
You must say, that bravery was not an issue, I was in pain from the circulation issues. Surgeries are done, and the legs are feeling better, thank you! 😀
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been in a funk. I sent you an email this week as I was concerned that you had not posted. I’m glad your first surgery went well and I hope the second leg goes just as easy. Chainsawing trees is no small feat. We lost several this spring and summer. They just fell over or snapped off in the wind. We really don’t do a lot of cleanup in the woods until fall and winter when it’s cooler and we get a few rains to keep fire from spreading (it was a hot, dry summer). Don’t overdo it, either one of you! How are the critters doing?
Lori, we are so swamped with the inconveniences of everything at the moment… The mower broke, we need a bigger chainsaw, and Bob has lost his job (read newest post). I got your email and I need to write back. I will.
Glad the ops turned out to be painless. We’ve experienced a hurricane once and hope never to do so again but tornados of any strength just don’t happen in these parts. Thank goodness it ‘was only’ trees but hope it hasn’t completely changed the way the mountain farmlet inhabits its land.
Annie, we are very fortunate to find that it is mostly trees down. One of the trees did change our view of things by the pond… I haven’t yet decided if I miss the shade or enjoy the more open view of the pond. 😉
Congratulations on being halfway to painlessness!
Kate, I am well on the road to recovery! Thank you!
Hell – you are having a rotten time – so sorry to hear this and so sorry to have lost touch a bit – thinking of you right now and lots of hugs (I think I am in your debt!) Love Julie
Julie, I hate to say it, but it is getting worse, and your hugs and good thoughts are so very much appreciated! Love to you as well, my friend.
Best wishes for successful surgery and a quick painless recovery. And try to see those fallen trees as free firewood. 🙂
Thank you, Bill! Most of it is pine and can’t be burnt. However, the maple and the black walnut are useful! I am trying to devise a plan for the black walnut that involves a much needed (albeit rustic) bed frame. We shall see!
First of all, millipedes creep me out. I do ok with spiders and snakes and other such, but the really big millipedes give me shivers.
OK – now that I’ve gotten past that, I’m so glad to see a post from you, and to know that the surgeries will be over, as of tomorrow. Isn’t it wonderful when something’s not as bad as we imagine? I hope when you get up the mountain, you find that the damage from the storm isn’t so bad, either. We must have gotten just the tail end of that system. When I heard that Alabama had storms, I wondered if they would affect you.
A friend from Calgary just returned home to find the city full of broken and bent trees from an early snow. The trees hadn’t lost their leaves yet, so the weight of that wet snow just did them in. Always something.
I’ll be waiting for the report. Gosh, I really hope you don’t have a mess to clean up.
Linda, the mess is not so big, but it is difficult to get to and hard to get done without the proper tools. We are pecking away at the mess. The report is done and has been posted.
Cheer up my friend…all is good! And…I did not see the lady in the water the first time, but today when I opened it I saw it right away. Nice photographs! Hope you are having some nice fall weather as well.
I’m so glad you saw her! You are possibly the only one. 😉 We got some much needed rain, and now the weather is cool and dry. With so much to be done it will be perfect weather for outside work!
I hope you have continued good results with your leg surgery tomorrow.
Lillian
Goodness, what adventures. I hope the second surgery is as successful as the first and that the tree damage isn’t too labour intensive.
Tom, the surgery went well, thank you! As for the trees, well, there wasn’t much damage (all things considered) but it certainly is labor intensive! We will most likely be working on it for some time. 😛
I am glad about the surgery but sorry about the additional labour.
Surgeries all went well! 😀 😀 😀 Thank you, Tom!
Brilliant.
Lynda, I’m so sorry for the funk you’ve been in, but was so glad to see your new post.
The photos are lovely! Good luck on the second surgery!!
Thank you, Laurie!
Wishing you an easy recovery with the next procedure. I’ve been in a serious writing funk lately, just can’t shake it off.
Are we in the same boat? Do you have a paddle I can borrow? 😉 I have been avoiding blogging, both mine and my friends on the net. We will get over it sooner or later! 😀
So glad you had nothing to be concerned with re surgery! Delighted it went so well for you. We had a tornado in that category earlier this year, and straight-line winds, too. They can do some damage. Thankfully, it wasn’t on the ground long, a block or two .
Thank you, Patti! I’m glad to hear that your damage wasn’t too awful there!
Oh my…YES…I immediately saw the lady in the waster. What a pensive face! Doesn’t look happy or sad. Just floating under the leaves, emotionless. As if she has gone beyond feeling, and fallen into “numb.”
And oh by the way, I love the term “bendy wind.” That’s exactly what a tornado is!
Mary, you are the second person to see my Lady in the water! I love how you have described her too. I have liked that expression since the first time Celi penned it!
was wondering if all was okay with you both. Glad things are a little better and that the dreaded surgery turned out not so bad. Looking forward to seeing more pictures of the farm. Be careful with the chainsaw.
Margaret, we are OK, but our troubles aren’t done with us yet…
The latest news and pictures were posted this afternoon. As for the work, well, we need a bigger chainsaw! 😉
Thanks for sharing some of your “lows” I know it can be rough to face them personally, but to share them with the community can be tough. Go you for being awake for the surgery! I’m guessing that you don’t look at the procedure while it is happening? Unlike me who wakes as the tech’s put iv’s in her arm in wonder (and out of a strange way of confronting my fears) haha. -Jazz.
Hahaha! No, I don’t like to watch. 😉 As for sharing, well this community is my only outlet and I am glad for every one of them. 🙂
you have had so much on your plate, and i am so sorry that i’ve been totally mute. one day we will discuss all of this in person, and its my loss that almost each day in the states i was being swept away in a different direction while the wedding details kept pulling me back to the delta. my pulse doubled from 50 something to over 100….
i am traveling in the andes, and though the internet is much faster, i only have late night/early morning to catch up… will be heading out in an hour so i’d best shower and dress and try to get the timeout post written!
will be sending you lots and lots of strength…. you two have had a lot of challenges, and your shoulders must be weary… tie a knot and hang on, surely the skies will clear soon and new doors and windows will open.
your neighbor sounds like a very special person, btw..
z
Lisa, thank you! I was sad that we couldn’t meet this time, but understand your time constraints. Someday it will happen. 🙂 And yes, the new neighbor is very helpful and kind!