I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Phantom Orchestra
I’ve had a strange, unique, and interesting experience for several years. I didn’t tell anyone–not even EJ–until a month or so ago because it just sounded too weird. After I told EJ, he couldn’t figure out why it was happening any more than I could. Then a few days ago, EJ happened to see people commenting at FB that they had experienced the same sort of phenomenon. It never occurred to me until then that other people had the same sort of experience. I grew curious so I researched it last night and found that thousands of people also experience the phenomenon. Researchers don’t know the exact number because most people never tell a soul about it because it sounds crazy. And, no, I’m not crazy.
Are you intrigued?
This is what I experience: Occasionally, when I lay in bed, I hear music that only I can hear. It sounds like an orchestra playing beautiful classical music. Occasionally the orchestra is accompanied by what almost sounds like an angelic choir singing.
Weird, huh?
I’ve tried to figure out the source. I have considered many theories–like maybe sound vibrations from a fan or something hit my ear in such a way that it sounds like music. Or maybe I only imagine that it sounds like an orchestra. However, it sounds so real. And I’ve heard it whether a fan is on or off, when everything about my environment is the same or when it has changed, and I’ve heard it at our old house and at our new house. I hear it even if I put a pillow over my head. I can hear it if I turn my head, change my position, and a few times even when I sat up in bed. Sometimes I hear it for several nights in a row. Other times I don’t hear it for several weeks or months. Sometimes the music is rather faint, but sometimes it’s loud enough that I look around for a radio that might have been left on.
I discovered that the phenomenon is called “Musical Ear Syndrome.” It’s an audio hallucination. I read several articles about it including this one, this one, and this one. I read that
“When you get a musical hallucination it feels as if it’s real, it feels as if there’s a record player playing it or the artist is in the room or in the next-door room. As far as you’re concerned probably everyone else ought to be able to hear it as well so it’s very, very real.”
I also read:
“According to Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, hallucinations are the apparent, often strong,subjective perception of an object or event when no such stimulus or situation is present.” More simply put, hallucinations are where your brain perceives that something is happening even though your five senses have not received any direct stimulus.
Hallucinations may be visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smelling), gustatory (tasting) or tactile (feeling). Therefore, hallucinations are simply seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or feeling sights, sounds, odors, tastes, or sensations that no one else around you perceives.
Although hallucinations may occur with any of the five senses, auditory hallucinations are by far the most common kind of hallucination. A person is hearing auditory hallucinations when he or she hear noises, music, sounds or voices that no one else hears because these phantom sounds are generated in the person’s brain, not externally.
…Audio hallucinations comprise a wide range of sounds, ranging from simple to complex. Simple sounds are single, unmodulated sounds such as the various tinnitus sounds (ringing, roaring, buzzing, hissing, rumbling, etc.) millions of people hear. In fact, tinnitus is the most common kind of auditory hallucination.
In contrast, complex sounds include multiple, modulated sounds such as tunes, singing, music and voices. These are the kinds of sounds that people have traditionally considered auditory hallucinations. Many people have mistakenly called these sounds “musical tinnitus.”
Depending on their clarity, phantom sounds may be either “unformed” or “formed.” Unformed auditory hallucinations consist of hearing distorted music, sounds, or voices. These sounds are vague, “fuzzy” and indistinct. For example, Jane described her unformed auditory hallucinations as “like the wind blowing, but with a musical quality, as if someone off in the distance was singing without words.” Rachel explains, “The words are never distinct—it’s like they are several rooms away.” Sarah relates, “I sometimes hear phantom “radio broadcasts” that I can’t quite make out.”
In contrast, formed auditory hallucinations are where speech, music or singing is so clear and recognizable that people hearing it can identify the various voices and musical instruments. For example, James explains, “For the past 3 to 4 months I have had the most calming and repetitive choruses and wind ensembles, usually led by a bass sax and a baritone playing and singing in a low octave, the older Christian hymns and a few oldies from the forties such as, Near the Cross, Amazing Grace, His Eye Is on the Sparrow and The Star Spangled Banner.”
The article said that “As a matter of interest, quite often MES sounds have a seasonal quality—thus people “hear” Christmas carols during the winter season and The Star Spangled Banner around the 4th of July. Incidentally, while Americans often hear The Star Spangled Banner, Canadians typically hear God Save the Queen or Oh Canada, and Australians often hear Waltzing Matilda!”
I never hear music that I recognize. I usually hear an orchestra, but a few days ago I heard a harpsicord. Occasionally the orchestra is accompanied by a choir, but it’s more like vocalizing–there are no distinct words.
Musical Ear Syndrome is not a new phenomenon. Composer Robert Schumann heard auditory hallucinations towards the end of his life. At night, he heard musical notes and believed that he heard an angelic choir singing to him. He also heard the music of Beethoven and Schubert. He jotted down the music in February, 1854 and called it the Theme (WoO, 1854) or Theme from Ghost Variations. He said he was taking dictation from Schubert’s ghost. You can find versions at Youtube, including this one.
I have no musical talent so I can’t recreate the music I hear, but I searched for similar sounding music at Youtube and the best I could find was that when the music is accompanied by a choir, it sounds sort of, kind of, a little bit like this:
I think all this is fascinating. I told JJ about it last night for the first time and I played him the video above to demonstrate what it sort of sounded like. He thought it was really weird. “Can you have it treated?” he asked. I told him that I didn’t think it was treatable but “Are you kidding? I hear beautiful music! It’s not intrusive. Why would I want to get rid of it? It’s like a super power!” In fact, one night I couldn’t sleep and then I heard the music. I focused on it and it lulled me peacefully to sleep.
By the way, some people can feel, taste, and or hear color. There is a 20-year-old junior at the University of Maine who has synesthesia, a rare neurological condition in which two or more of the senses entwine. Numbers and letters, sensations and emotions, days and months are all associated with colors for Carey. She can also taste them, and hear them.
I think the brain is very powerful and very interesting.
Rebuilding
I’m feeling better…the attacks of anxiety seem to be finally lessening somewhat. I think the loving support of so many friends helped.
One reason I share my struggles with abuse and anxiety is that so many struggle alone as I did for so many years. Although I sought counsel from pastors and mentors, the advice I received kept me in the abuse. It’s only in the last couple of years that I have found Christian sites that actually understand abuse and help victims. One extremely good site is called A Cry for Justice. Their goal is to awaken the church to domestic violence and abuse in its midst. They help victims of abuse as well as try to educate the church about how to help them–although few churches listen. I am not anti-Christian (I am a Christian), but I do think that false and dangerous teaching ought to be exposed and turned away from.
Sadly, many families and churches tend to condemn and reject those who try to set healthy boundaries or who speak up about the abuse, typically labeling victims as unloving, unforgiving, and unChristlike. Victims are often told that they need to do more to please and submit to the abuser. This is a total ignorance of the dynamics of abuse: Such advice empowers the abuser and increases the abuse making it even more dangerous for the victims. Some victims have been told that, well, if their abuser kills them they will just go to Heaven and see Jesus. This is heinous. Because my heart is touched by the plight of victims, and as part of my process of recovery, I am becoming more passionate about sharing and informing about abuse and anxiety, and supporting victims.
Although I feel more severe anxiety now than I have ever experienced before, I–and EJ and JJ–are in a much better place than we were before. It seems to me that our previous experiences is much like a experiencing a natural disaster–such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or flood. While it’s happening, you merely try to survive. Afterwards, you have to pick up the pieces and begin to rebuild. Where we were before, we were merely trying to survive. Now we are rebuilding our lives. It’s sometimes very difficult and overwhelming, and there are times in the middle of a panic attack when I really wonder if I’m going to survive. But then I do, and I know that I have fought and won another battle, and it’s a very positive thing.
Getting away from abusive people and speaking up about abuse are two steps to recovery. Another part of my recovery–especially when I’m having an anxiety attack–involves “taking captive every thought” and refocusing my minds on lovely, beautiful, good things, which is very Biblical. So we breathe in the quiet beauty of our surroundings and take delight in simple pleasures and accomplishments. I thought I’d share with you some of the other things that have been happening–the delightful and enjoyable and happy things.
Our house downstate was a cute house, but we bought it because it was a fixer-upper that didn’t cost an exorbitant amount of money. This enabled me to be a stay-at-home Mom. I always felt bad because EJ had to work an insane amount of overtime at his company and he had to spend his few days off repairing or renovating the house–even though he usually was exhausted and suffering from a lot of chronic back pain. I felt powerless to be much help because while I could care for the house and lawn, stack wood, and paint rooms and such, I don’t know how to re-roof the house, or do wiring, or fix plumbing, or hang drywall. When we looked for our new house, I was determined to get one that it was didn’t need fixing up so our lives would consist of more than working on the house. No house is completely without home improvements, repairs, or maintenance needing to be done, but I am able to do several of the minor improvements myself, which gives me an immense amount of satisfaction.
For example, I so very much enjoyed putting up the fencing for the chicken’s enlarged pen. I loved figuring out how to divide the pen to keep the chickens on one side and the ducks on the other. And last week I installed a new knob on the pantry door all by myself. Although it still needs more bookshelves, I organized the library and got rid of a lot of boxes. I also bought a bookcase from Amazon and put it together. It fits perfectly in our library closet, which holds our printer, my shipping supplies, and my craft supplies/items for my Etsy store. The new shelves now keep my supply of yarn neatly organized. I also re-organized our very large pantry/storage room, and I occasionally help EJ organize his garage.
I love our chickens. They follow me around with their expressive clucking noises. One hen–whom I have named “Henny Penny”–seems especially tame and she runs up to me whenever she sees me. I find her tasty grasses which I hand feed her. The two older roosters also follow me around. I’m not sure if they enjoy my presence or are keeping an eye on me. They sort of give me a baleful glare. However, they aren’t aggressive and I think they are beautiful and interesting. I love their crowing.
The ducks….well…they are adorable, but they are greedy little buggers. They will leave the treat I give them to try to get at the chickens’ treat on the other side of the fence. I also have learned that male ducks need about 3-5 females to satisfy them sexually. They aren’t very choosy and will go after the female chickens. We have read that they can seriously hurt or even kill them with their unwanted attentions. Cuddles is such a sex maniac that he even tries to reach through the fence to grab the hens and he’s constantly on Peeper, our female duck. We don’t have space for more female ducks so Cuddles may end up on the dinner table. That sort of makes me feel bad, but we can’t have him hurting the chickens. I remember reading something a while back that basically you have to understand that farm animals are livestock and not pets.
Peeper and Cuddles gave me a scare the other day. Danny asked to go outside and while I waited for him to “do his business,” I walked over to check on the poultry. When I saw the ducks, I gasped in horror because their necks looked as if they were red with blood. I wondered if they had been attacked or if they had hurt themselves trying to reach through the fence. Then I realized that the “blood” on their necks was just the juice from the watermelon I had given them.
I had a beautiful large garden at our old house which had a winding path through it. However, the property was very shady and I couldn’t grow flowers that needed sunshine. Even though our new home is surrounded by forest, the trees are not close to the house so we have sunshine streaming into our large windows. The previous owner of our new house planted a small garden with beautiful sun-loving flowers. We also have a lot of ferns at the edges of our forest and other wildflowers–and even some interesting mushrooms popping up on the lawn.
We haven’t seen many deer this summer. I suspect it’s because the summer has been so dry that our grasses withered. The deer have probably been browsing in watery areas where the grass is more green and tasty. We have received more rain this last week than we have all summer and the grasses are finally getting enough moisture to turn them from withered to green. EJ and I did see a few deer–with fawns–yesterday on our way home from the store. We now have two turkey “families” bringing their babies up to the house to eat the grasshoppers. Both families, which consist of two adult females, have five babies, but one flock of babies is older and bigger than the other.
With EJ working first shift, he has to get to bed earlier during the week so we aren’t out enjoying the night sky as often as we were last year. However, on the weekends EJ is able to stay up later and we have been enjoying several campfires. I love being outside and enjoying the millions of stars in the dark sky.
A couple of days ago EJ’s long-time friend came to visit. They have been friends since high school, so he’s actually an “adopted” family member. JJ grew up calling him “Uncle.” He spent the night with us a few days ago and then drove downstate to visit his daughter’s family the next morning. After he left, he texted EJ to “tell your wife thank you for making you put your resume on-line last year.” That was the first step in us relocating. Despite our struggles with anxiety, our friends can see how much better and happier our lives are now. Our friend said that even Danny looks happier.
It’s hard to describe how we can be so much happier and yet at the same time struggle with so much anxiety. But, as I said earlier, it’s like a rebuilding after a natural disaster. It’s not always easy, but it’s positive steps.
An Angry Sea
I haven’t written in a couple of weeks because I have been struggling with severe anxiety attacks. It’s really awful. I feel as if anxiety is rushing through my veins. I can’t breathe, my stomach is in knots, I feel nauseous. Everything feels overwhelming. During the day I can somewhat distract myself, but at night the thoughts rush in unhindered. I can’t sleep so I stay up until I’m too tired to stay awake. Of course, then during the day I feel really tired. I think anxiety attacks feel as if I’m caught in a tornado, or a hurricane, or an angry sea:
Once anxiety overcomes me, it takes a huge battle to fight it off and any additional problem knocks me off my feet. My anxiety was triggered a couple of weeks ago by several things and I’ve been battling it ever since.
Most of the time I hate talking about it–which is why I haven’t written. EJ helps me a lot, but he and JJ also struggle with anxiety and I don’t want my anxiety to trigger theirs. We try to help each other out when we can. But I feel as if my friends either have enough problems of their own and I don’t want to add to their burden or I’m afraid that they won’t understand. I know many people assume that anxiety is caused by a lack of faith. In fact, many Christians assume that anything other than JOY! is a sin. While sin and a lack of faith can cause anxiety, I also believe that many times it is caused by a physical problem or traumatic experience. People who experience a life-threatening illness such as cancer and their caretakers often suffer from PTSD, as do abuse victims. PTSD is described as “a normal response to an abnormal situation.” Chronic stress can wreak havoc on a person’s mind and body. Chronic stress is defined as “the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has no control.” Weightlifters are the strongest men in the world, but even they can’t lift heavy weights forever–and neither can a person lift heavy burdens forever.
The Mayo Clinic website describes chronic stress this way:
The body’s stress-response system is usually self-limiting. Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal. As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels, and other systems resume their regular activities.
But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.
The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Heart disease
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain
- Memory and concentration impairment
Also, I read somewhere that chronic stress can cause a person to not handle stress well…so the problems just gets compounded.
EJ, JJ, and I went through years of struggling with a variety of difficulties. We did ok until after JJ finished his cancer treatments. The cancer battle used up all our strength and so exhausted us that we couldn’t be strong anymore. It’s not that we were weak or lacked faith, but that we had to be strong for too long. Now we are all struggling. We got away from a lot of the stressors in our lives when we moved to our new home and we are happier than we have ever been. However, we are still triggered by stressful situations. And it’s as if now that we are away from all the major stressors, we are processing everything, which can get overwhelming. Because a major part of the stress in our lives was caused by abusive/toxic people, we determined that we would not allow any toxic people to remain in our lives. EJ and I were both taught to “trust people until they give us a reason not to” and to “be nice” and “never offend.” But we have been learning that it is essential to set healthy boundaries, and that we don’t have to accept abuse (which includes insults, belittling, disrespecting our boundaries, etc.) and that it’s good to be selective about who is–or isn’t–in our lives. The abuse and medical experts that we have talked to have all said that we are doing well to have no contact with toxic people.
Anyway, so often people label any emotion other than JOY! as a sin. I hate it when people say “Just trust God” or “Don’t worry” or “just pray.” Like, duh. I wish it was as easy as your words. And “anxiety is a sin” is completely unhelpful. Anyway, I don’t think we are always supposed to feel JOY! When my son was scared, I never commanded him to STOP BEING SCARED. Instead, I comforted him. If I would do that, I would think God would also–and it seems to me that the verses that say “Do not be afraid” are comforting words rather than commanding ones. I mean, God praised messy, emotional, depressed Job and condemned his friends who had all the “right” answers. Anyway, just this morning an article appeared on my FB page entitled, “What is Biblical bitterness? Most of the time, it’s agony and grief.” The article starts out by saying:
Far and away the most common use for the Biblical words translated “bitterness” is related to agony and grief. Depending on the context, it can mean “causing agony and grief” or “experiencing/expressing agony and grief.”
The whole article is worth reading, but I want to draw your attention to these paragraphs:
How did God make us?
He made us so that when a tragic or traumatizing thing happens, we feel it. If for some reason people can’t feel it or refuse to feel it, they can become physically ill. They can become divided in soul. The refusal to feel the grief can cause even the “good” feelings such as joy and contentment to be shut down. And tragically, the ability to feel empathy for another person can be lost.
In recent times a large segment of the Christian church has adopted the Stoic attitude that our feelings aren’t important, that we should squelch our feelings, that feelings should simply be subjected to reason. But no matter what we may think about how “Christian” it is to refuse to express any emotion that others deem negative, the fact of the matter is that the effects of bitter experiences will still come out from within us in one way or another, because that’s the way God made us.
I also found a couple other articles about the value of lamenting:
The Value of Lament
The Lost Art of Lament
One of my favorite passages of Scripture when I am suffering is Psalms 107:23-31 because it describes people who are beyond their strength and courage and skill. Yet, it says that these people are the ones who saw the works and wonders of Adonai. I especially like to read these verses after seeing the video I shared above because it helps me experience the storm-wind and towering waves.
Those who go down to the sea in ships,
plying their trade on the great ocean,
saw the works of Adonai,
his wonders in the deep.
For at his word the storm-wind arose,
lifting up towering waves.
The sailors were raised up to the sky,
then plunged into the depths.
At the danger, their courage failed them,
they reeled and staggered like drunk men,
and all their skill was swallowed up.
In their trouble they cried to Adonai,
and he rescued them from their distress.
He silenced the storm and stilled its waves,
and they rejoiced as the sea grew calm.
Then he brought them safely
to their desired port.
Let them give thanks to Adonai for his grace,
for his wonders bestowed on humanity!
Anxiety can become debilitating but we are trying various ways to fight it. We live in a beautiful area which refreshes our spirits. We focus on quiet pleasures and delights. I try to get my mind off anxiety. We absolutely refuse to allow toxic people to remain in our lives. I have begun taking supplements that help with stress (Again. I tend to forget to take them when I’m doing better.) I’ve begun listening to quiet music. Of course, I talk to God and read the Bible, focusing on passages that talk about God’s provision and protection and love. I reach out to abuse and anxiety sites for help in dealing with it. I’ve also been keeping away from the news as much as I can and I watch funny videos of cute animals to make me laugh.
Still…it’s very difficult in the midst of the storm and sometimes I feel like this:
New Ground
Yesterday I put up the fence posts for the chickens’ enlarged enclosure. Today I put up the fencing. I had never put up a fence before but, duh, I can hammer large staples into the wooden posts and twist wires to hold the fence to the metal t-posts. We were going to put up all wooden posts but we didn’t have enough so we just used the wooden posts for the corners and the rest are t-posts. I actually thought the t-posts were easier because I can twist wire better than I can hammer. I ran out of the taller fencing so I used the shorter fencing from the old dog pen. EJ said we can always put another layer above the fence to make it taller.
It was really hot and humid today. It was so hot that the chickens were panting. Poor things. I worked 4-5 hours–with a few short breaks in the air conditioned house–until the job was finished. I wanted the chickens to be able to enjoy their new pen. They will get more of a breeze and will be able to move where there is shade.
When I finished putting up the fence, I cut open the fence dividing their old pen and the new area. Chickens are funny. They are actually very curious and they watch me and talk to me whenever I work nearby. When I cut away the dividing fence, the Roosters walked through first and then many of the hens came. I thought they’d immediately run to explore the new area, but it took them quite a while to move past the first few steps. They saw the tall grass that I hadn’t mowed since we decided to enlarge their pen–so they would have lots to eat–and they immediately “cooed” with delight and started eating. Eventually they moved into the rest of the enclosure. We can see part of the pen from our bedroom window. I stood watching them for awhile. The chickens look so happy eating the grass and scratching for insects.
I felt sort of sorry for the ducks in their smaller pen, although they have their pool and a sprinkler to help them keep cool. I’m seriously thinking of letting them free-range. Maybe with the chickens in their larger pen, the ducks will venture further into the back yard to be near them and will be able to enjoy the grass and insects.
When EJ got home from work, he said I did a really good job on the fence. I never really feel tired while I’m working, but when I stop fatigue and sore muscles hit. I AM TIRED. But it’s a good sort of tired. I am proud of my accomplishment in putting up the fence all by m’self.
We now have FIVE eggs. It’s so cool. It’s like an everyday opportunity to go treasure hunting. Today I looked at the egg that a hen laid with new eyes as I carried it in the house. I thought what an absolute miracle and wonder an egg is.
After EJ ate supper, we threw the Suburban’s flat tire into the HHR to get repaired. Only we got to the place too late. EJ’s new work hours make it difficult to get to businesses. He is going to try to drop off the tire right after work.
I was doing a few chores early this evening when I glanced out the window and saw the turkey family. They came right up to the house! The little ones are so adorable. I tried to get a photo of them, but I couldn’t get close to the windows without spooking the adults so I gave up.
Fencing
Yesterday afternoon, after EJ got home and ate supper, we went out to work on the chicken/duck pen. We divided the outside pen with a section of cattle fence , which had once been part of Danny’s pen at our old house, and then we fastened put smaller flimsier fencing along the bottom so the birds couldn’t get through the gaps in the cattle fence. Once that was up, I herded ten chickens into their side of the pen. Have you ever tried to herd chickens? Not easy. I won’t try to describe it. I will let you imagine me chasing the chickens all up and down the pen trying to herd them through a small gap to the other side.
We needed to fashion the fencing so the ducks and chickens were divided both inside and outside the garage. We couldn’t just put a long fence in because the garage door had to be able to close and I needed to be able to get from one side to the other. EJ made a gate inside the garage–using the gate from the dog pen that the previous owner had set up–that we can swing shut to keep the ducks in their side and the chickens on theirs and swing out of the way in the morning. However, we still needed to make a section that we could somehow connect when the garage door is open and disconnect so the garage door can close.
While EJ worked on the swinging gate inside the garage gate, I herded the ducks, who had been free all day, inside their section of the outside pen. I got the ducks into their outside pen but then two chickens escaped past the flimsy roll of fencing I had used to block the small opening. I chased the chickens up and down the duck side and finally yelled for Eric to swing the gate open for the chickens to get through and then closed so they couldn’t get back out. Later, we got all of them on their designated side of the garage and closed the garage door.
We went into the house, but after I fed Danny and cleaned the kitty litter, I went out to check on everyone. Suddenly, a rooster flew to the top of the coop and then jumped down to the duck pen. Are you SERIOUS?!!!! The ducks were upset and the rooster was upset, but I finally got him back on his side. Then I took the roll of flimsy fencing and unwound it and temporarily ran it on top of the coop so hopefully everyone would stay on their own side.
This morning I got up at 6 a.m. with EJ. As soon as it was light enough outside, I opened the garage door so the ducks and chickens could go outside, each on their own side. Then I began to work on the fence system while being careful to keep the open space blocked so no bird could escape their area. I connected a section of cattle panel to the one we had set up last night, extending it up to the garage door. Then I hooked up another section to reach to the coop inside the garage, but which I can swing out of the way when the garage door is closed. When the garage door is closed, EJ’s swinging gate will be closed to keep everyone where they belong.
When I got the cattle panel gates done, I fastened the smaller flimsy fencing along the bottom so the birds can’t get through the gaps. Then I fastened the remaining flimsy fencing along the top of the coop so no chicken can get over it. I also fastened hooks so the gates can be fastened open or closed, as needed.
This is a video showing what I did:
It was really hot today so I wanted to give the chickens a frozen treat to help them cool off. The ducks have their swimming pool–and later I turned on the sprinkler for them. I didn’t want the ducks to feel left out of the treats, but I don’t think they are thrilled with the frozen treats so I pulled some clover and threw it over the fence to them. The next thing I knew, there was a chicken in their pen. Grrrr. I don’t know how it got there, but after I caught the chicken and put him in his designated area, I took the leftover short section of cattle panel and wired it into the dividing fence so that it raised the height of the fence. I have a feeling that keeping the chickens and ducks separate is going to be an ongoing endeaver and I can image reaching the point of letting them all out to free-range. At least that way the hens would have more space to keep away from Cuddles.
This afternoon I drove metal fence posts into the ground using our manual post driver we had bought at TSC a couple months ago. For those of you who–like me–didn’t know what a post driver was, I will tell you that it’s a quite heavy tube with handles. A person puts it over the metal post and then grasps the two handles, lifts it, and bangs down on the post, over and over again until the post is driven into the ground. Of course there are more fancy-spansy ones but we just have a manual one that uses muscle power. It works like in this video–although ours is a round tube, not squarish:
I had to take a lot of breaks because it’s been really hot and humid outside. I got all the fence posts in and I hope to begin putting up the wire fencing soon. Maybe tomorrow.
It makes me feel like a pioneer sort of wife to be fixin’ the fence. EJ felt bad that I was working on the fence, but it’s something that I can do. It doesn’t have to be perfect, after all. It just needs to contain the chickens and I can certainly put in posts and fasten fencing to them. If I can do what I can do then it frees EJ to do projects that I can’t do. For example, tonight he took the flat tire off the Suburban and put the spare on. Tomorrow we will go get the tire fixed.
Duck Drama
You know, many times a person develops this beautiful sentimental image in his (or her) mind about how things are going to go.
Like raising chickens and ducks, for example.
You just think it’s going to be this beautiful thing. A rooster waking you up in the early morning with his beautiful crowing. Going on a treasure hunt every day gathering chicken and duck eggs. Looking out at your chickens and ducks free-roaming over your property eating grass and bugs. Everything peaceful and soothing and beautiful.
Then reality shatters our beautiful imaginings.
We discovered that the adorable, beguiling ducking we named “Cuddles” has become a perverted sex maniac who rapes chickens…potentially to death.
EJ had read that in addition to mating with the female duck(s), a male duck will also go after the hens and can end up hurting or killing them. “We have to watch for this,” EJ warned. “Ok,” I agreed solemnly. But when it first began to happen, I was usually giving the chickens some clover I had picked, and the greedy ducks crowded in and there was a conflict. I thought it was just squabbles and boundary setting incidents. Then yesterday evening it escalated. Cuddles jumped on a little hen and the Rooster rushed to defend her. He leaped on the duck who turned and attacked him. It happened several times.
Dag-nabbit! My peaceful soothing coop was becoming a dog-gone soap opera.
This was unacceptable. We thought about leaving the ducks in the outside pen all night, but we couldn’t bear to make them vulnerable to predator attacks. But something had to be done. I figured they’d all probably be safe in the garage because they’d be sleeping but I hardly slept all night trying to figure out how to protect the ducks and chickens from both predators and each other.
Last night I read that if a duck goes for the hens, they have to be separated or the duck must go. I got up just before EJ left for work. I went outside and opened the garage door to release the ducks and chickens into their outside pens. And, dang it, Cuddles immediately chased after the hens!!! The chickens were all upset. I used the rubber-footed cane I call my “rooster whacker” (which I use to herd my flock or to gently “poke” any rooster who tries to get sassy with me) to steer Cuddles away from them and I got him shut up by himself in the coop while Peeper stood forlornly outside. Then I turned the coop so it divided the garage pen in two, with the chickens getting the bigger half because there are more of them. I made it so the chickens had access to the coop but not the ducks. Then I dragged in the large dog house that was in the outside pen and added it as a wall divider, turning it so the ducks could access it at night as their coop. In this way, I can keep the ducks and chickens both shut up safely in the garage at night, and divided from each other.
But I had to still figure out how to divide the ducks and chickens during the day. We are planning to enlarge the pen, so I thought that I could divide the outside pen, making it so that the ducks go one way and the chickens the other. I drove in metal posts. I have fencing, but I don’t know where EJ keeps his wire cutters so I had to postpone setting it up.
We had originally intended to let our chickens and ducks free-range but then we thought we couldn’t bear it if they got killed by the many predators in our area. A neighbor told us that the previous owner of our house had guinea hens, but they refused to return to their coop at night and the coyotes picked them off one by one. And one of JJ’s co-workers told him that her flock of chickens were all killed by raccoons. So we changed our minds about free-ranging. However, since I have to separate the ducks and chickens, I figured this day was a good one for the ducks to begin their free-range adventure.
I let Cuddles out of his coop-prison. He immediately went after the hens. I used my rooster whacker to guide him and Peeper out into the main part of the garage, intending to guide them to freedom outside. Another image shattered: You’d think that the ducks would be overjoyed to get out into the beautiful world where they are free to wander and eat grass and bugs to their heart’s content. Nope. Cuddles and Peeper wanted back in the pen. I nudged them with the Rooster Whacker and they went and hid under a table. I tried to guide them out, but they refused. Finally, I grabbed one duck (I can’t remember which one) and carried it outside, setting it on the grass next to the pool that I had carried out and filled with water. Then I went into the garage, grabbed the second duck and carried it out and put it next to its mate. They were not happy.
They ended up waddling over to the outside pen and huddling there and forlornly looking in the pen. I sighed, emptied their pool, carried it over near them, and refilled it. A couple of times they went swimming in their pool, and then they returned to their spot outside the pen. “It’s your own fault,” I told Cuddles. “We had a good thing going and you ruined it with your sexual proclivities. You just had to be a Don Juan!” Outwardly I was very unsympathetic but inwardly I felt sorry for them. Unlike humans, Cuddles is not behaving with evil intent. He is only behaving as a duck behaves. Still, we can’t have him harming the chickens.
I haven’t decided whether to free-range the ducks permanently or not. If I can get the outside pen divided so I can keep them separated, I may pen them back up. Although, given time, they will probably adjust to free-ranging and enjoy it.
To add to the stress of the morning, I didn’t shut the door of the house well enough and Luke and Little Bear got outside. Luke was easy to catch, but I had to bribe Little Bear with canned cat food that I put next to the Suburban that he was hiding under. When he went to eat it, I grabbed him. I was concerned that Danny would chase the ducks when he went outside, but I told him to leave them alone, and he did. He is such a good dog.
Anyway, so much for peaceful, beautiful, sentimental images of how things will be. I think I’m so not cut out for being a farmer/homesteader type of person. I have too much empathy. Sigh.
Egg-citing!
This weekend our county had their yearly get rid of old tires for free day so we loaded up the Suburban and drove to the recycling center. First, we looked up the location on Google Maps because we had never been there before. On the way to the recycling center, we found the police complex and an airport that we didn’t know was there. So it really was a journey of discovery.
We knew we had found the recycling center when we saw a mile-long line of pickups, vans, and cars with trailers all loaded with tires. We got in line. The line moved slowly, but EJ and I agreed that Northern Michigan is so beautiful that we really don’t mind being caught in traffic. We rolled down our window and inhaled the fragrance of the pine forest that we were slowly passing. Finally, we dumped our tires off and drove away.
EJ always takes us on roads less traveled. He meandered down a road we had never been on before. It became practically a two-track path through forests. If we had met a car going the opposite way, we wouldn’t have been able to pass each other. “Do you know where we are?” “No,” he replied. But that never worries me because he always is able to find his way, unlike me, who can get lost finding the bathroom in a theater.
EJ did eventually get us back on familiar roads and we ate at our favorite restaurant overlooking the Bay, and then we went to Goodwill. We love thrift shops because we never know what we will find. It’s like treasure hunting. And we pay very little for the treasure.
This trip, we found a beautiful new-looking couch, which was awesome because we really needed a new couch. We never buy NEW furniture because we have so many pets that we’d freak out every time they sat, scratched, or barfed on it. Buying used furniture keeps us calm. If we wear out one and we merely buy another. Anyway, we were looking for a new used couch because our old couch and loveseat were shabby and they had become tortuously uncomfortable after we moved last year. We kind of wonder if they got damaged during the move but we weren’t sure where to find a furniture thrift shop in our new area. So it was serendipitous to walk into Goodwill and find a beautiful couch–for only $50!–that is extremely comfortable and matches the colors in our living room better than the old couch and loveseat did. Although the old ones matched our curtains better. Now the curtains don’t match anything except our rocking chair.
When we got home, we dragged out the old couch and loveseat and pushed them in the Suburban to be taken to the recycling center. Too bad that the recycling center closes each day before EJ gets out of work. He will have to drive around all week with the couch and love seat in the Suburban until we can drop them off at the center next weekend. With the old couch and loveseat out of the house, we carried in the new couch and then had to rearrange all the living room furniture, which was fun. EJ now has his lazy-boy positioned so that he has a much better view out the windows. My view from the couch, where I usually sit, is slightly less good than it was, but still good enough–and much better than EJ’s view had been in his old spot. I’m glad he can enjoy a good view now!
EJ also found a cool picture/shelf/hooks for our kitchen. We were looking for some sort of artwork for the wall. We didn’t know exactly what we wanted but we knew we would know when we found it. It really looks good on the kitchen wall and it has hooks where we can hang our keys. The rooster is appropriate as well!
Today I was out in the coop taking care of the chickens and ducks. Every day morning I refill their food dispenser and drinking water. I also dump out the water in the ducks kiddie pool and refill it with fresh water. I also shovel out any poop from the garage floor. I was late doing my chores today because I ended up falling back to sleep after I ate breakfast. Anyway, I was filling the duck pool, lost in my thoughts, listening to the chickens cooing and clucking. Their sounds are very interesting because they are so varied. I heard a slightly different sound and thought about what I recently read–that they make 24-26 different sounds. I wondered what the new sound meant. I finished filling the pool and then turned around and there, in the middle of the garage floor, I saw it!
It was so EGG-CITING! If I could, I would frame it. But I can’t, of course.
So now I have to learn more about eggs. I have already read that they aren’t exactly like eggs you buy in the store. I mean, we have roosters, so the eggs could develop into babies. Yuck. So I have to learn how not to let that happen. I have to make sure I check the coop/pen for eggs every day. And I have to learn how to store eggs. I learned that it’s normal to sometimes see things in the eggs, like little bits of blood. It’s to be expected. I have to get used to that. There is a lot more to raising chickens and ducks than I realized, but it’s sort of fun learning.
UPDATE
Oh! I just went out to the coop and found another egg! This is like treasuring hunting! This egg was actually laid in a nesting box instead of in the middle of the garage floor like the first one.
El Galeon
Fifteen tall ships of different nationalities are crossing five Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior and Michigan) this summer as part of the Great Lakes Tall Ship Adventure Challenge 2016. They are docking at various USA and Canadian ports.
I love tall ships and I was hoping we’d be able to see some of them. We really wanted to see the Norwegian viking ship, the Draken Harald Harfagre, but that ship sailed past during the week without stopping in Traverse City so we missed it. However, we found out today that El Galeon was docked in Traverse City this weekend, so we went to tour it. I learned that the El Galeon is a 164′ Spanish galleon homeported in Seville, Spain. It is the replica of the 16th century Spanish merchant ship sailed by Pedro Menendez. It has covered more than 35,000 nautical miles between 2010 to 2013 along the world’s largest seas and oceans, visiting ports in four continents and participating in many cultural projects. El Galeon has sailed across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Southern China Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Bosporus Strait and the Caribbean Sea. So far, visitors have been able to step on her decks in almost fifty ports all over the world. And now it has sailed on the Great Lakes!
I was amazed at how absolutely gorgeous it is and how big it is. I was so thrilled to be able to tour it! I love tall ships! Here is a short video I took of the ship as we walked toward it.
Here are some photos I took of the El Galeon:
Have I told you how much I LOVE living in Northern Michigan? There is so many unique experiences to enjoy!
Lake Michigan Rock Hunting
Today EJ, JJ, and I went hunting for Petoskey Stones along Lake Michigan, which is a very Michiganian thing to do. The Petoskey stone is Michigan’s state stone. They are very beautiful. They can be found on various beaches and inland locations in Michigan, with many of the most popular being those surrounding Petoskey and Charlevoix. It is said that the Petoskey Stone–and the city–was named for the Ottawa Chief Pe-to-se-ga (Rising Sun) because the stones pattern looks like the rays of the sun. When the stone is dry, it resembles ordinary limestone but when it is wet or polished the beautiful pattern of the six-sided coral fossils emerges.
We went to a beautiful beach between Petoskey and Charlevoix. We found a couple of rocks that are probably Petoskey stones, but not as beautiful as some. We also found a variety of pretty rocks, including many that almost resembled a Petoskey stone. We found out later that they are called Charlevoix stones. These rocks are “cousins” to Petoskey stones and were also formed from a once living coral. They can be found in many of the same places that Petoskey stones can be.
We had decided that rather than carry food along with us, we would stop at a grocery store when we were hungry and buy picnic “fixings.” So after spending a few happy hours at the beach, we drove into the city of Petoskey. After we shopped for our picnic, EJ and I went into a nearby Goodwill. EJ wanted to buy swimming trunks and shoes, and I also wanted to buy water shoes because the rocks on the beach hurt my feet. These days I really don’t like wearing shorts, but I bought some capris to wear in the future because even though I rolled up my jeans, they still got wet.
After lunch, we drove to another roadside park between Charlevoix and Petoskey and spent another couple of hours hunting for rocks. I also found some crayfish, which I pointed out to the guys–after I gave a startled scream. We had tons of fun. (You can click on a photo to make it bigger.)
Last year we drove through Charlevoix on a day they were having an old car show. I thought it was funny that today we drove through Charlevoix during their old car show. It wasn’t planned. They had a very unique car, which had two levels. EJ said that it could be driven from inside or on the top level. I thought it looked like a submarine. I took a video as we drove by the old cars.
Critter Encounters
It’s been so hot and humid for several days. When I try to work outside, I immediately feel like I’m melting. There are times I suspect that I might have some snowman DNA in me! I really do not know how people in hotter climates can endure the heat.
I learned from the blogger, Fresh Eggs Daily, how to make frozen treats for my chickens to help them cool off in hot weather. I put a variety of foods that they like–berries, greens, and so forth–into a bowl of water and then freeze it. Apparently the chickens enjoy pecking the treats out of the ice and it helps them cool off at the same time. I’m not sure the ducks enjoy it all that much–but they have their swimming pool to cool off in. And, besides, usually the ducks gobble everything up so quickly that the chickens don’t get much more than a taste, so I’m glad they have more of a chance to enjoy the iced treats.
We’ve had some interesting encounters with wild critters.
Last weekend EJ and I were organizing the garage when a butterfly fluttered in and landed on the wall. EJ paused to admire it and then he waved me over, telling me that he could see its “tongue.” I looked closely and finally saw the butterfly’s tongue. It was curled up, like when a ribbon is curled up with scissors–you know? It was very fascinating.
I hadn’t seen any wild turkeys for several weeks and I wondered where they all were. Then EJ said that he saw a couple adult turkeys with a flock of babies at the bottom of our driveway. He said the babies were the size of Peeper and Cuddles when we first brought them home. Then JJ said he saw them when coming home from work one day. I was a tiny bit envious because I’m usually the last to see critters–if I see them at all. I mean, both EJ and JJ are sure that they saw glimpses of the cougar(s) that were reported to be in the area where we used to live, but I never, ever saw any! For a long time the Michigan Department of Resources denied that there were any cougars in our state, but I think they finally acknowledged their presence. We’ve had several friends who said they saw a cougar. But I never did. I was so disappointed!
So a few days ago I was throwing potato rocks (so-called because they are the size of potatoes) in the wheelbarrow, pushing the wheelbarrow down the hill, and building up my rock dams alongside the driveway in preparation for the storms that were forecast. The heavy rain pushes sand down the sides of the driveway and the sand builds up behind my dams so I have to keep building up the rocks. Grasses and wildflowers are beginning to grow up between the dams and they will eventually help hold the soil in place. Yesterday I dug up some of the many wild ferns that grows on our property and transplanted them to the sides of the driveway. They withered, but I’m hoping they will still take root and spread. The few lilies I transplanted along the driveway earlier this summer are doing well. We also hope to plant lavender plants, wildflower seeds, and other plants.
So the other day I was halfway down the driveway with my wheelbarrow of rocks, building up the rock dams when our cat, Annie, came trotting out of the grass and up the driveway. I didn’t think much of it but then I saw movement at the bottom of our driveway. It was two adult geese guarding a flock of babies. I froze and then hunkered down behind the wheelbarrow, hoping the adults didn’t see me. Of course, they are very alert so the babies quickly went into the long grass to hide. Because I held still, the adults looked around for a long time, indecisive, before they also moved into the grass–but at least I had a glimpse of the babies!
I’ve also been seeing a group of three adult male turkeys hanging around our Enchanted Forest. I’m hoping they stick around and gobble up the thousands of grasshoppers that are here. Whenever I walk through our yard, the grasshoppers pop up like popcorn. Late yesterday afternoon Danny wanted outside so I took him out and I sat in a chair on our small deck while he wandered down to his “pooping place” on the hill on the other side of the driveway. While he was hunched over “doing his business” the three bachelor turkeys crossed the driveway from my side to the side Danny was on. They were about halfway between us. The turkeys were yelling “put-put-put” very loudly. Usually they say it very softly–almost a croon. It’s my guess that the louder they are, the more alarmed they are. Two of the turkeys went over the hill into the forest. The third stood at the edge of the forest in a challenging way, guarding the retreat of the others. I was concerned that Danny would charge after them, which is what he did the first time he saw a turkey soon after we moved here last year. He had neared a nest and the Mama had come rushing out to defend it, and Danny began chasing her, and I yelled at Danny to STOP! Since then, I’ve been careful to either keep Danny inside when I see turkeys in our yard or to call him to come inside before he notices them. This is his first really close encounter since last year so I wasn’t sure what he would do. He just looked at the turkeys, finished his business, and then meandered up the driveway toward me keeping well away from the guard turkey. He’s such a smart dog.
This summer we have noticed that a little chipmunk often comes out to sit on our little deck. I’m not sure why. He just sits there. I don’t think it’s particularly wise of him because Annie likes to stalk the chipmunks. Maybe he’s taunting her? Or proving his bravery to the other chipmunks? Or maybe he just likes to sit there and think about life.
Last night EJ and I were returning from the auto shop where the Buggy is having work done. We didn’t get a whole lot of extra money from the sale of the old house, but we are using it for necessary stuff like maintenance/repairs on the vehicles. We were driving down our road a few miles from home when a long slinky animal galloped across the road! EJ thinks that maybe it was a mink or a weasel! The first time I ever saw one in the wild! Really cool! I’m glad that we shut our ducks and chickens up safely in the garage at night, though.
It’s been so hot and dry here this summer that we have been careful about having fires. JJ bought a bunch of fireworks for Independence Day, but we made him wait to set them off until after we had had some rain. We didn’t want him to set fire to the forest. That would be bad. It finally rained last Friday so he set the fireworks off that evening. It was fun. Then last Saturday night, EJ and I had our first campfire in our back yard. It was so enjoyable! I am fascinated by fire and light and I had fun experimenting with taking photos using different settings. I particularly liked capturing the sparks. I thought they made interesting photos.
We hope to have many more campfires in our Enchanted Forest.
The cats sort of dislike the last food we bought for them, so I wanted to get them some different food from one of the farm stores we go to. We have about three different farm stores that we shop at. JJ needed to get some shorts and he wanted to buy some shirts too so we enjoyed a shopping trip together today. We first stopped at the TSC Farm store to get chicken food and some canned cat food for Tesla, who is getting very old and feeble and having trouble eating the dry stuff. While we were waiting in line to pay for the stuff, the customer ahead of us said he was buying another bird feeder because his last one was destroyed–he thinks maybe by a bear. He mentioned where he lived, which is not far from us. The cashier said that a bear has been spotted at a nearby town in the opposite direction. Yikes! We are surrounded by bears! I hope they are not attracted to the many, many berry bushes growing at the edge of our forest.
After TSC, we stopped at Meijer for JJ’s clothes, and then we stopped at the other family-owned farm store for the dry cat food that the inside cats like. I also bought some Michigan Roadside Mix grass seed. I’m determined to stop the erosion along our driveway. When I asked about the seed, a customer standing nearby said that this seed is really good and grows fast.
On the way home, we stopped at the grocery store JJ works at and we both bought a few things. I bought groceries and JJ bought snacks. Whenever he goes with me to the store, he bags my groceries for me and he jokes and laughs with his co-workers. It’s good to see him fitting so well.
We had a lot of fun together.
The Weekend
After a fun Saturday watching the Blue Angels perform and seeing Piper, the airport dog, we spent the next two days working around home.
On Sunday I mowed our lawn. We mow only the areas around our house and let the rest of our property grow wild so that we can enjoy the wildflowers that grow and also to provide habitat for the wildlife. Even when the little bit that I mow, it still takes me about 2 1/2 hours with our push mower. I was very hot and tired when I finished. But the lawn looked nice!
EJ and I had considered going to watch the fireworks but with all the tourists up for the holidays, we decided against it. EJ and I sat outside watching the stuff EJ was burning in the burning barrel. We could hear the BOOM BOOM BOOM of the fireworks but we couldn’t see anything because the trees blocked our view. Our neighbors were having some sort of party and setting off fireworks and playing loud music and I thought that the holidays aren’t very enjoyable to me anymore. I prefer quiet. Besides, JJ worked late over the holiday weekend and he came home each night with stories about crazy crowds acting stupid. There were a lot of drunks and he said one person drove away with the gas nozzle still in his car…and stuff like that.
People selling fireworks set up their tent in the store parking lot and JJ came home with a lot of fireworks, but it’s so dry up here that we told him that it would be better not to set them off until we get more rain so that he doesn’t set the forest on fire. He did set off a couple–and they really are cool–but he agreed to postpone most of them.
EJ and I spent all day Sunday working in his garage, trying to get things organized. We made a lot of progress. For the most part, EJ will now just need to put things away in the cabinets, toolboxes, and drawers. I laughed because we moved a file cabinet next to the chicken cage in the garage and a little later I saw Peeper, Cuddles, and a few of the chickens examining it and discussing what on earth it could be.
EJ and I both were really tired today. I was able to take it a little easy today, sort of, but poor EJ had to go back to work.
Every now and then a meme will start appearing on my Facebook timeline. Well, there are always memes appearing on my timeline–some I think are true, some are cute, and some are funny. But now and then there are ones that I hate because their messages are so clueless or guilty or ignorant. Usually the first dozen times or so that such a meme appears, I just hide it. But if it keeps popping up, I find myself reaching a point where I end up writing about it. There is such a meme that’s been popping up that has caused me to reach that point. Here it is:
The reason I dislike this meme is that it assumes that every family conflict is due to “bruised adult ego” and “imaginary conflicts.” While that might be true in some cases, it’s not true in many cases, which this meme doesn’t mention.
The truth is that there are many, many people who go “No Contact” with family not because of “bruised egos” and “imaginary conflicts” but because of damaging abuse. It is not easy to decide to have no contact with a relative and victims do not make the decision lightly. It usually happens only after a victim has spent years forgiving intentionally “offensive” behavior and trying to fix the relationship and it often involves a lot of guilt, pain, heartbreak, and anguish.
So let me tell you that while “it’s sad when members of the same family do not talk to each other,” what is even more sad is when a person remains in an abusive situation and/or is pressured to have contact with a relative who is physically, sexually, verbally, or emotionally abusive. Abuse is not imaginary and remaining in contact with an abusive relative does more harm to the victims–including the children–than leaving does. Maybe “cousins would miss the wonderful opportunity to be together” but it’s more important that victims are protected from abusive relatives. Abuse escalates over time and a victim needs to “not wait until it’s too late” to escape.
Whenever a victim is brutally beaten or murdered, people often ask, “Well, why did she stay? Why didn’t she leave?” I often wonder how many victims wanted to leave, tried to leave, but people told them how sad it is when family members don’t talk to each other because of “bruised egos” and “imaginary conflicts.” Not every family is good and not every relative is worth “re-uniting with.” Please stop sharing such guilt-dripping memes that make clueless–and often dangerous–assumptions.
Piper and the Blue Angels
This weekend, besides being the USA’s Independence Day (on July 4th) was also the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. There are a lot of activities going on, but the one that interested us the most was the air show. EJ works right next to the airport and while he was on his lunch breaks this week, he watched the Blue Angels arrive and then practice every day.
EJ’s description of the Blue Angel’s awesome flying skills make me really want to go see them. However, neither EJ nor I were crazy about fighting the huge crowds. I had read that a million people were in town for the National Cherry Festival. We debated whether to watch the Blue or avoid the crowds and we finally decided to drive to EJ’s company and watch them there and hopefully there wouldn’t be too many people with the same idea. It was a good decision. There was only a small group of people there. We were at “ground zero” of the performance, but we were able to watch the planes take off and land and we got to see quite a bit of the performance. It was awesome.
JJ couldn’t be with us so he asked that I take pictures and videos. Like, duh, he couldn’t have stopped me! I would have taken them away. It was very difficult to see the planes in the small viewfinder of my camera and I sometimes missed the planes. I actually did better at getting them on video than I expected. I’m currently in the process of uploading a longer video, which is taking a long time because it’s 30 minutes long. You can see it on my You Tube page when it’s finished uploading. Here is a short five minute video that I took. The maroon van at the beginning of the video is the K-9 van that Piper rides in.
I was also really thrilled that I got to see Piper, the cool dog who works at the Cherry Capital Airport chasing away wild birds and animals so planes can take off and land safely. He is very stylish and has become an internet star. I always look for him whenever we drive near the airport, but this is the first time I’ve actually been able to see him. EJ laughed that sometimes I ignored the multi-million dollar planes to watch the dog. I told him that, hey, that’s how I am–and now I can cross “seeing Piper” off my bucket list.
We ended our day by stopping in at the grocery store where JJ works. He was working in the deli. With the holiday weekend, it’s been crazy busy and he’s worked a lot of overtime. Usually we wave to him, but when we saw how busy he was, we just continued on our way. We bought Moomer’s Ice Cream, which is the BEST ice cream EVER.
Oh, this even EJ told me that one of his co-workers knows where we live and he says that a bear is known to be only about 3 miles from us. Yikes! Fortunately–or so I’ve read–bears are really shy and will avoid humans unless they find a food source.
The Day After
Sunday night I didn’t sleep well. I ended up driving downstate to finish loading our possessions and then closing on the house, and driving back, and helping to unload the uhaul trailer on only about 3 hours of sleep.
This morning when EJ woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready for work, I got up with him because I had to return the uhaul trailer at 7:30 a.m. As EJ drove up the hill to our house last night, the “Low Fuel” alarm went off and I was concerned that I didn’t have enough gas to make it to the gas station. So I ended up following EJ to a local gas station at 6 a.m. because EJ wanted to make sure I made it there ok and wasn’t stranded along the road. He pumped my gas for me, paid for it, and then he continued on to work while I went home until the uhaul rental place opened.
Last time I had to return the uhaul trailer, EJ positioned the sub/trailer so that I just had to drive down the driveway. I do not know how to back up with a trailer. But it occurred to me just before EJ and I parted ways this morning that he wouldn’t be there this time to position the sub/trailer. I would have to make it up the driveway and somehow turn the sub around so I could make it back down again. In a panic, I asked EJ how I was going to manage it. He told me to just drive in a circle at the top of the driveway and to remember that if I had to back up, I needed to turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction that I wanted the trailer to go. Easey Peasey. Yeah, right. All the way home I tried to think of how on earth I would get the Sub pointed the right way and back down the driveway.
I couldn’t drive the Sub around in a circle at the top of our driveway because the HHR is parked outside and there wasn’t enough room. But I pulled in next to the HHR and backed straight back and then turned so that I was pointing down the hill. Success! Whew! I did try to back up so that I was parked on level ground instead of down an incline, but the trailer went wonky so I said, “Screw it!“ and just left it there, hoping that it would stay and not start rolling down the driveway to crash in a tree at the bottom. It didn’t.
At 7:30 a.m., I got in the Sub and successfully returned the uhaul trailer. We are totally done with uhaul rentals. Yay!
At 9 a.m., I had to drive to our bank to deposit the check from the sale of our house. Yay! All the way to the bank and back, I admired the beautiful scenery. My route takes me along the coast of a beautiful lake and our bank is located on its shore.
When I got back home, I sat down and called the various downstate utility companies connected with our old house to cancel our accounts with them. We had continued to pay the water/sewer, natural gas, and electricity for the old house so that the pipes wouldn’t freeze in the winter and so the realtor could show the house. The realty company had paid off our loan for us with the money from the sale of the house, and I had already canceled our lawn care service. Paying bills down there in addition to up here at the new house really made finances tight this last year. As I called the companies, I found that the new buyer had already switched the accounts to himself, which made it easier for me–I basically just verified that service was stopped for us. It was really enjoyable crossing these companies off my list.
With my tasks finished, I was so tired that I lay down and took a nap.
When I woke up, JJ was up and I fixed us lunch. On the way home from the bank this morning, I had stopped at the grocery store for a couple of items, including a watermelon. Later I served JJ and me watermelon for lunch dessert, but I cut it so there was still watermelon on the rind and JJ and I went out and threw it to the ducks and chickens. I had read that they liked melon. This was the first time they had ever had melon and they didn’t seem to know what to do with it, but later I went out to the pen and saw that the rinds were picked clean so they must have figured it out.
I asked JJ what the grocery store he works at does with melons and stuff that doesn’t sell. I’m thinking about asking them if I can have or buy (at a reduced price) the unsaleable too-ripe melons for the chickens and ducks.
After we fed the ducks, I was tired again so I took another nap. Several minutes after I woke up, while I was preparing supper for EJ, I looked out the window and saw Danny. He had gone outside with us when JJ and I went out to feed melon to the ducks and chickens, and I had forgotten to bring him back in with us. He always likes to be with me, and I left him wandering outside for who-knows-how-long. Poor dog! He was glad to rejoin us in the house!
Because EJ had taken yesterday off from work, he is supposed to work 10 hours each day for the remainder of this week. However, he lasted only an extra hour today because he, also, is exhausted. In fact, he was so exhausted that he said he fell asleep driving home. I fed him a good supper and then encouraged him to go right to bed. It’s taken longer and longer to recover from our trips downstate each week, and yesterday’s trip totally exhausted us. I think we are going to be extra tired for a while until we get rested.
I’m so glad there will be no more long trips and hard work downstate. I’m looking forward to being able to focus entirely on our life up here in the north.
So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye
We got up early this morning and began our drive to the old house downstate at 7 a.m.
We stopped at the Cops & Donuts bakery in Clare to replenish our coffee and, of course, we had to buy donuts. We bought a dozen Bismarks and a Long John for our second breakfast. We ate two each and saved the rest of them to bring home.
At the old house, we loaded up the last of our possessions in the uhaul trailer we had rented. The buyers didn’t want the wood stove so we loaded up that and a few remaining things from the basement and garage.
JJ had planned to go with us on this trip as a last look and goodbye at our old home, but he didn’t feel well so he stayed behind–I kind of wonder if he gets stressed at the thought of going down to the old house. He was never very happy there. We reassured him that it was fine if he didn’t go because he was able to take care of the animals. I had been particularly concerned about Danny not being able to “go” outside all day.
Since JJ didn’t go with us, I took pictures and videos of the old empty house for him to see if he ever wants to. He has never seen the house empty because he hasn’t been back since we moved to our new house last year. Our first week in our new house we had “camped” with just a few necessities. The next weekend, JJ stayed at the new house while his Dad and I went downstate to supervised the Big Move.
When we had gotten the uhaul trailer loaded today, we prayed that the new owner would be happy in the house, and then we changed into the clean clothes that we had brought with us. We get really dirty hauling stuff out of the basement and we didn’t want to show up to the closing covered in dirt. Plus, it was almost 90 degrees today and we were soaked by the time we were finished so it was good to get out of our work clothes and into clean ones. We headed to the realtor’s office in the next town for the closing. It took us only a half hour to sign the papers. I was so relieved to hand over the keys to the new owners. With the transfer of ownership, our last ties to the area were broken.
Then we got into the sub and began our journey home. All along the way, we said goodbyes: “Goodbye old house…Goodbye village…Goodbye nearby towns….Goodbye town where I grew up…Goodbye schools I attended…Goodbye churches we attended, Goodbye stores we shopped at…Goodbye parks we went to…Goodbye abusive family…Goodbye terrible company EJ worked at…Goodbye place where JJ battled cancer…Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye!”
There’s a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too.
And up in the nursery, an absurd little bird
Is popping up to say, “Cuckoo cuckoo!”
Regretfully they tell us but firmly they compel us
To say goodbye to you.
So long, farewell auf wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu…
…So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye
I’m glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly
The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…
(from The Sound of Music)
As we said our goodbyes, we reminisced about our lives downstate. There were so many difficult things we had lived through that we are sometimes surprised we survived. We are, however, thankful for the valuable things we learned along the way. We did have some happy times mixed in and there will be a few people that we miss but we aren’t sorry to be leaving it all behind. We really don’t plan to ever go back. .
Once we reached the northern part of the state, we began to say hellos: “Hello beautiful forests! Hello beautiful lakes! Hello cute towns we live near! Hello beautiful valley that we live in! Hello beautiful home! Hello, Hello, Hello!”
As we drove north, the temperature dropped from near 90 downstate to 61 degrees at home. “Ahhhh!” we sighed in relief as we put on sweatshirts. We love it here.
When we got home, JJ helped us unload the trailer so that I can return it tomorrow morning. We are home!
Cops & Donuts
We have been driving downstate every weekend to finish emptying the old house before we sell it. On the days we drive down, we usually get up at 5 a.m. drive for hours, work really hard at the old house, and then drive hours back, empty the vehicle so EJ can drive it to work the next day, and then we fall exhausted into bed and struggle with aches and pains for several days afterward. It takes us longer and longer to recover after each trip.
One week (or was it two?) we drove downstate in the suburban. The next week EJ drove the sub while I drove the Xterra. This last week we drove down in the suburban, picked up a rented uhaul trailer in a nearby city, filled it, and drove back.
On the way down, we were really groggy even after drinking the coffee we had made at home. So we decided to stop at a bakery called Cops and Donuts in Clare, Michigan. (There is an excellent video about the bakery at the Cops and Donuts site.) EJ and JJ had stopped there a few times last year when they were living in the motel and I was still at the old house but this was my first time there. It has a unique history. The original bakery/donut shop had been in constant operation since 1896. It was within weeks of closing when the members of the Clare Police Department came to the rescue. All nine members of the local police department banded together to save the historic business. Cops and Donuts really took off and they now have a total of seven locations. It’s an awesome place and I love that the employee “uniforms” are t-shirts with “Inmate” written on them. We ordered delicious coffee and donuts, took a couple of pictures, and then continued on our way.
I told EJ as we continued on our way that Clare is the furtherest south that I ever want to go. I think that Clare is where “Up North” begins–or ends–depending on which direction a person is heading. Clare is where the scenery changes from mostly fields (to the south) to mostly forest (to the north). Many people agree with me: Clare calls itself “The Gateway to the North.”
We had a lot of very heavy items to load from the basement of the old house, including a heavy, heavy lathe. EJ pulled it up the basement steps while I steadied it. When we were almost finished, our elderly neighbor came home and we ended up talking with her. She just recently lost her husband of 68 years. She brought us pop (which is what we call “soda” here in Michigan) and insisted on helping us load the uhaul. I worried about her carrying things but she stubbornly insisted. I tried to give her lighter items and, fortunately, we were almost finished by the time she decided to help. She also made us sandwiches so we didn’t have to stop anywhere to eat on the way home. Another neighbor also stopped by and he helped load some of EJ’s weights. Then we were off for home.
We got home at about 9:30 p.m. EJ’s back was “on fire” and he had to get up early the next day to go to work, so I insisted that he shower and go to bed. I shut the chickens and ducks up in the garage; it was late enough that they had already settled into their coop inside the garage and I just had to close the big door. It makes me laugh that they put themselves to bed at night when I’m late getting to them. After I had cared for the birdies, I unloaded most of the Suburban so EJ could unhook the uhaul and drive the sub to work the next day. Early the next morning, though, we changed our plans and decided that I would drive EJ to work in the Xterra, then later drop off JJ at work and pick up EJ. That way we didn’t have to unhook the uhaul. I only got slightly lost twice–once after dropping EJ off at work and once when picking him up–but I quickly realized I had gone the wrong way and I was able to turn around and get where I needed to be. During the day I unloaded the uhaul except for the lathe, which I couldn’t even budge.
One of EJ’s previous co-workers from downstate was vacationing in our area with his family, so they stopped to visit on Monday afternoon shortly after EJ got home from work. They have three adorable little girls who were very gentle with Danny and our cats. After they left, EJ got the lathe out of the uhaul and then we tried to return it to the uhaul rental place up here (which was at a lumber yard), but it was already closed for the night. Since we had to return it on Tuesday morning or pay late fees, I had to return the trailer the next morning. I was nervous because I have never pulled a trailer, and I wasn’t sure if it would be easy or hard, and I didn’t know how to unhook the trailer, and I knew that I certainly would be unable to back up while pulling a trailer. But early the next morning I called the lumber yard to let them know I was returning the trailer and asked if there would be someone there to help me. They said yes, so I drove there and a guy unhooked the trailer for me, and it all was easy. Whew!
We close on the house next week. The realtor called with questions from the buyer, such as were we going to remove the old freezer, did it work, etc. I don’t think they really want the freezer, but they are willing to let us leave it there, which is great because it’s heavy, and I don’t know how EJ and I would have been able to get it out of the basement by ourselves, and it wouldn’t fit in the suburban, and we are running out of time, and we really can’t afford to rent another uhaul. The buyer doesn’t want the wood stove so we are going to stop and get it and the bags of trash we filled before we head to the closing.
I will be so, so, so glad when we close on the house because we are so exhausted. I feel as if it is taking more and more sisu to keep going downstate. Yesterday I was so tired that I took a nap when I got back from dropping off the u-haul trailer and then took another nap after lunch, and then went to bed extra early. Just one more trip downstate and we are DONE! Then we are going to REST and just putter around home and enjoy our beautiful Northern Michigan. I can’t wait!
