Grump Central Archive: Week of 8 December 2019
Saturday, 14 December 2019
There's been slight progress on the septic inspection issue, with soil testing tentatively scheduled for next week. However, the engineers did not provide a contract yesterday, and that has me on pins and needles—I've no idea just how awful the final bill will be; and it's even more unsettling to be on their testing schedule before signing the contract. Wait, what day was it yesterday? Friday? Oh, what a surprise! And now for something completely different: today's visual is a four-year study of my bed. Originally framed in August 2016 (top left), it remained totally unchanged through August 2017 (top right) and August 2018 (bottom left) until it was finally finished August 2019 (bottom right).
Friday, 13 December 2019
What does my property look like at night in the winter during a full moon? It's been a challenge for me to capture any image, much less a decent one, and while today's photo is hardly ideal, it's about as good as I've been able to get with my current camera (which in all likelihood will remain my only camera for quite a while). Grousing aside, the landscape's stark beauty is quite striking, and much more brilliant and clear than the image suggests. Ah, how I miss the days of film, at least with respect to this sort of photographic challenge: it would have been so easy to nail this image 40 years ago...
Thursday, 12 December 2019
I've just realized that I began these Grump Posts two years ago. And oh my, how far things have come since then... the ups, the downs, the way downs, and the seemingly bottomless downs... I was genuinely fearful at times that I wouldn't make it. Well, I did—barely. And it's not over yet: the County Health Department issue is once again at a complete standstill. I strongly suspect nothing will happen until 2020. But still, wouldn't it be nice to be pleasantly surprised, for once?
Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Finally starting to feel a little more normal after that violent viral infection, although I'm not 100% yet by any means. Meanwhile, wacky weather continues: yesterday's high of nearly 60 is being followed by tonight's predicted low of nearly 20. I'm thankful my firewood was delivered yesterday.
Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Yesterday I ordered several cases of commercial firewood. Why would I do such a thing when I live in the woods? Because the only burnable wood on the property consists of solid logs sitting in a ravine, and I don't have a splitter, much less the strength to drag the logs out of the ravine. With a cold snap on the way this week, there wasn't time to organize a "log splitting party," so as much as it bothers me, commercial firewood was my only practical alternative for the time being.
Monday, 9 December 2019
Progress is halted while I do battle with a stomach virus the likes of which I've not experienced since I was 10 years old.
Sunday, 8 December 2019
Three days of precipitation are supposedly on the way (Monday through Wednesday), not that it makes much difference to me; I'm much more concerned about temperature. I need to find someone with a log splitter and a strong back to drag three large cut up trees out of the woods and convert them into firewood. Then I need to get my tree guy out to drop several more trees that have died since moving here—regrettably. This whole Global Warming thing is wreaking havoc on my property. Meanwhile, I've been trying to prioritize work on the house, the consequence being that nothing is getting done.