A whole week of bitter cold...at least the sun's out, now.
Wave after wave of Arctic air, including 3 days of ice and sleet.
I know it's much worse...and even Normal...in other places...
But there's a reason that I don't live there...
So I rattle around the house.
Nothing really unusual about that,
But it's so hard to heat this old pile of sticks...
I really miss that third woodstove.
I haven't been to the Former Library (now known as “The Cave”), since Thursday.
All those Books were excellent insulation, it turns out.
Mia Tana e Fredda.
Ma non si sono Serpente...
So I'm plotting and planning...
Figured out the gravity fed drip system, for the back...(I hate algebra)
Head Pressure.
Friction Loss.
Identified a top ten of Olive Varieties that appear to be more or less cold-hardy...and available domestically(South Central Texas.)
I hit upon the idea of Olives, here in Mason, some 16 years ago.
At the time, only 4 varieties were to be had in the US...all from California...and none tolerant of the cold.
To get the cold hardy varieties, I would have had to import them...and deal with APHIS and Quarantines, and a mess of Regulations.
Now, they're everywhere, it seems.
I want about 2 acres of those...perhaps 30 trees..depending on the variety.
We've decided to just leave the POS Trailerhouse where it is..make it into my Library/Monastery/Hermitage...and attempt to build a house at the very back.
I think it suits me....
Perhaps the Kitchen off to the side...
The other 2 acres in the back are for Grapes.
I lean towards Syrah...
But Mom wants something Sweet...Muscat, or something.
I'll test Pomegranates near the House/Tower.
I know they grow here...there's quite a few around town.
I think Pistachios would do well here, as well; but they take their time in reaching maturity.
We're 2 years away from a House...but we're getting Mom's Workers started on the Monastery Environs, just after Winter Solstice.
Rotten porch needs to come down, as well as the Giant Reeds that have taken over the back yard.(Arundo Donax)
I planted them for shade and windbreak...and possibly for paper making, in the event of Doom(And y'all thought I was just funnin' with all the talk of Monastery,lol)...
But this batch must needs be moved over to the gulley, to separate me from the dirt county road.
I intend to go Nekkid with impunity, and the folks at the end of the road have rubber necks.
I felt like a zoo animal, when we were out there, before.
…...I also require a bridge...or a bunch of dirt...in a part of the gulley, for another drive. As it stands, there's just one long straight, narrow driveway onto that part of the place, making it all but impossible to get a trailer in there.
I need a trailer right up close to the trailerhouse, for to snow shovel the remnants of our 16 year occupation...trash and old clothes, and cast off and broken toys, and just a bunch of junk that we left in situ, when we left so hurriedly.(see:http://amfortasthehippie.blogspot.com/2009/07/ephemeral-nature-of-life.html0
So much work to do!
...and here I am, in town...it's almost 50 degrees, for the first time in a week.
Mountain of laundry(W/D is on the back porch), and exhaustion from arising at 2 or 3 in the morning to tend the fire, all this last week.
I've kept the fire going, in spite of the relatively balmy weather.
Winter takes so much out of me, these days.
Aside from the intractable Pain in all my joints that cold brings...being forced to wear socks(and clothes,dammit), aggravates the neuropathy in my feet and lower legs.
Feet on fire...burning without heat.
So I'll get the laundry done, and the dishes, and otherwise lay about.
Tomorrow, I have work to do.
..........................
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