Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Home At Last

It sure was good to get back to the ol' homestead yesterday afternoon! We managed to pick up some milk and get the mail from the post office before they closed. Of course, there was no room in the car for the mail bucket or the milk, so it rode on my lap for the last part of the trip.

What rain they must have had in the last two months! The pond is FULL of water, up to the top of the overflow drain. When I left in November, I could see the bottom of the drain, at least 5 feet tall, with no water near it. And the floating dock is now actually floating again!

We couldn't get the car up the driveway because it was covered in wet leaves, surely the slipperiest substance known to man. After extricating myself from under the gargantuan mail bucket, Echo and I walked up to open up the house, and Bill stayed behind to remove the leaves. While he did that, I turned on all the water systems (tanks, UV and softener) and pumps, opened the valve on the propane tank, fired up the gas water heater, and turned on the furnace to heat up the house. I then bled all the faucets (spurt, sputter, splash), and started to get to know my house again. Bill heroically emptied the car of its over-stuffed burdens. Our life in the car is now all over my living room floor.

Echo found her way immediately to the futon and has been there ever since. That is one tired traveling dog.

I cooked a quick dinner and then we collapsed on the couch to sort two months worth of mail. A belated thanks for all the Christmas cards and letters. It sure is nice to hear from friends and family!

I got a letter from a friend, thanking me for the hat and blanket I sent [see here] for her upcoming baby. Surprise! The little girl arrived a month early, on December 22! As I was reading the note out loud to Bill, I suddenly had a catch in my throat, and started to cry when I read this: "She's beautiful, and you were right! Something happened when I met her. Suddenly everything else doesn't matter; it's like she came out with "The Meaning of Life" stamped on her cute little hind end."

After having spent the last two months in full press mode getting my own "Meaning of Life" married off, I know exactly what she means. Plus, I love being told I'm right about anything.

It's good to be home.

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I have put up new pix under the appropriate posts of the past, to "catch up" from the last few weeks when I couldn't upload photos.

1 comment:

THIS, THAT AND EVERYTHING said...

Welcome home friend!!! It was good to hear your voice Monday and know you were so close - big difference than when you were WAY OUT THERE!!!! Glad your pond is full - I kept telling you it was raining cats and dogs, didn't I? Anyway, get settled, go to FL and then we'll meet up. Hi to Bill & Echo.

L, M ;-)