During the past weekend, we faced some chilly temperatures and spent our time in the cabin. There were laundry piles to fold, floors to sweep, composting buckets to empty, and dishes to wash.
As Monday rolled in, we turned our attention to the trees surrounding the cabin. Thankfully, our food forest emerged unscathed from the ice storm, which was a huge relief. We certainly didn’t nurture those plants in pots for years only to have them wiped out by a storm!
We were eager to tackle the trees on the roof, but the ice made it challenging. Instead, we focused on the trees near the herb gardens. One tree had fallen over them, while three others were leaning precariously in the back. For safety reasons, those needed to come down. While Rick took a nap, Cat continued stacking the wood. She had a bit of a mishap while carrying a long log—she tripped over another one! Thankfully, she avoided a face-first encounter with the log. However, her body ached for a few days afterward. Strangely enough, her neck feels better than it has in months. Despite all the chiropractic care and deep tissue massages, she hadn’t regained full range of motion, and she was left with vertigo. Now, her neck is moving freely, and the vertigo has mostly subsided.
Rick had his first appointment with his new cardiologist, and we were really pleased with him. He fully supported Rick's medication regimen but expressed concern about his cholesterol and smoking habits. He recommended an injection similar to an EpiPen, which Rick will take every two weeks.
Cat received a call regarding my mammogram, and they are requesting additional screening. With her dense tissue, this has become her new normal. She hasn't received a new appointment yet, but she's not worried.
We also helped some friends install their wood stove. We brought tools along, and Rick served as a consultant while Cat handed items up and caught up with the ladies.
One of the highlights recently was standing up with our friends at their wedding. It was a small, informal gathering with just six people, held outdoors near a local waterfall that we didn’t even know existed. Despite the chilly weather, it was a beautiful day. We celebrated at the Junkyard Dog Steakhouse, with the couple treating us to dinner. Congratulation Ty and Shan.
Our next concern was the ice falling off the roof and potentially causing damage. We moved the easy-up and the generator, and placed boards over the diesel heater. Rick climbed up multiple times to carefully remove the ice in small chunks.
We finally managed to clear the trees off the house, but unfortunately, the solar panels were shattered and the rack was damaged. There’s a small puncture hole in the roof, which we covered with a screw. We also have a couple of small dents in the roof, but we’ll replace those in due time since we have extra materials on hand.
The past two days have been gorgeous, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees—perfect t-shirt weather! We can now focus on our driveway, which will take some time. Cat did some winter sowing while Rick operated the chainsaw and she also ran the wood chipper. We’re using the chips to help remedy the muddy areas. Yes, we’ve cleared away all the snow and ice, but now we find ourselves in a mud pit!
Tomorrow is a town day for us. We need to do laundry, pick up a package at the post office, drop off trash at the transfer station, top off our fuel cans, refill our water cans, and grab a few groceries. Sounds fun, right? Lol!
Looking ahead, we plan to finish the driveway area and create some special flower beds. After that, we need to clear more of our woods to ensure that we won’t have to worry in case of another ice storm. Next week, Rick has appointments in Nashville to get a more in-depth echocardiogram and to establish care with a new monitoring clinic for his pacemaker/ICD. The echocardiogram will help set a baseline for his new cardiologist.
This ice storm set us back, but we remain undeterred!
Remember Small Steps Get You Miles
Rick & Cat
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