cottage & bug poll

Jeff fixes a screen door at the cottage.


So Jeff and I are at the cottage right now. We had originally heard that there might be problems with the phone-line and that the power was off, but everything seems OK right now. Yay for the phone-line, because it means that I can still pick up my e-mail. Yay for the power, because it means that we don't have to live off canned food for the rest of our visit. Plus I can keep up my Buffy fixes on my laptop! I'm on episode 11 of the first season. Jeff also brought up some Sandbaggers episodes. Are any of you familiar with this British spy series?

Yesterday afternoon, I sat in one of the deck chairs in the sun, layered in fleece and blankets, and read a book that Jeff gave me for my birthday awhile back: Kingfisher Days by Susan Coyne. A good read despite the fact that it had no vampires or British spies. :-) I've just started on novel for young people that Ruth has loaned me: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, a Newbery Medal Award winner.



A young fern encountered on our nature hike today.


There is no running water yet, so we wash up in the sauna. Much more time consuming than a regular shower at home, but there is something immensely appealing about the smell of the cedar, the ritual of dipping the ladle into a pail of lake water to pour on hot stones for steam, having your partner pour hot water over your head as you soap up and then rinse. To save my arms, Jeff also washes my hair for me. I don't know about you, but I love having someone wash my hair; it's my favorite part of a hairdressing appointment (when I have them, which is rarely these days). Having your husband willingly volunteer to wash your hair is an extra bonus. :-)

Using ViaVoice at the cottage is a tad more tricky. For one thing, it needs to be pretty quiet when I use the program, so I've gotten into the habit of only using it up in our sleeping cabin when Jeff is elsewhere. This also solves the second drawback, which is the fact that I feel somewhat self-conscious about dictating out loud when Jeff is in the room.

It's a different experience being at the cottage, having to be so careful about how I use my arms. Jeff is being wonderful, doing all of the cooking and cleaning (and wash my hair!), of course, but I'm finding it a bit of an adjustment to have to be so dependent on someone else, and to have to limit my activities. On the other hand, I would much rather be here than not.



Jeff and I had lunch while floating in a boat beside
a rock cliff. This spider was perched on the wall beside me while
I ate my sandwich. I don't mind spiders as long as they
respect my space and don't make any sudden moves. :-)


Lots of wildlife or evidence of wildlife about. Loons calling to each other across the lake at night, otters swimming by the cottage, chipmunks, the squirrel living in the roof of the boathouse, forest birds, the moose droppings behind our cottage. And black flies and mosquitoes, who seem to know that I lack the arm strength to wave them away. :-)

POLL:

What is your attitude towards insects? Which ones do you dislike the most (if you dislike any)? If you need to squish a spider, do you squish it yourself or ask someone else?

(This entry was written with ViaVoice, a voice recognition program, which sometimes has its own sense of humor. Please forgive any spelling or grammar quirks which Debbie has missed while editing. Thank you. )

May/2003 comments: Read | Post | LJ