That's no way to treat your wife

 

As part of our tick avoidance scheme we decided to have designated outdoor clothing, mine are tick repellent. These were hung on hooks outside the cabin. After a very cold night Helen went to put her sweater on and found a tiny field mice looking up at her. They are now stored inside. 

We have had Baltimore Orioles around the cabin for many years one nest is to the side of the porch. We never had much luck with an Oriole feeder, it was expensive, ignored except by a determined hummingbird and now it leaks. When I saw them trying to use our nice sturdy hummingbird feeder I put out navel oranges. The other day this became a bone of contention. But I am sure like most marital squabbles they will work it out. None of the other birds have shown any interest in the orange which is just as well. Sunflower seed are a lot cheaper.

“Neighborhood What do I care that they’re tearing down the nice old houses and putting up brutal ones? Before very long, I’ll be just a breeze blowing around town, trying to avoid all the wind chimes.”

Billy Collins, Music Tables:Poems

   We got to the cabin Monday. About five trees were down on the lane, so we had to get my brother-in-law to come by with his chainsaw. Had mice in the cabin for the first time. So lots of laundry to do, they picked my sock/underwear drawer for their nest. It looks like they all suicided in the bucket under the bathroom sink. About 4 or 5 but it was a pretty disgusting mess so I did not look too close. 

   A squirrel also started a nest inside by the kitchen door but he moved out when we got here, I don't think he was there long but we need a new pest proof door. My wife is duking it out with another squirrel in the outhouse, I may sprinkle some black pepper to drive it out of there, that normally works. 

   Another first, we have tent caterpillars in large numbers. Not close to the cabin yet but the trees around the slough are grey. We do have some nice orioles around the cabin, also coyotes yipping at night but I can no longer hear them. I can hear the grouse that are really drumming in the evening. 

   The beaver cannot chatter at me from the trees like the displaced Red Squirrels, but in the evening they circle in the slough below the cabin and slap their tails on the water to mock me.

(Week 1)

Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back, no more, no more..,

"He took then to waiting

till the night smoke rose from the boil of the sunset

But the moon carved unknown totems

out of the lakeshore

owls in the beardusky woods derided him

moosehorned cedars circled his swamps and tossed

their antlers up to the stars

Then he knew though the mountain slept, the winds

were shaping its peak to an arrowhead

poised

But by now he could only

bar himself in and wait

for the great flint to come singing into his heart"

from Bushed

by Earle Birney