Life "As It Is"

I did get to go to my Shambhala weekend and it was well worth the trip.Clark's back got better and his nine yr old grandson came up for the weekend. As soon as I got home John called to say he thought he could do the last windows tomorrow which meant jumping right in to empty the bedroom. Then my cousins and Aunt from Ohio called from Albuquerque so I invited them up.
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Then we got plastered with a wet, spring snow...

Then the refrigerator went warm so now I have food in coolers on the deck. I guess I'm just lucky we had the snow.

The window project was finished before the storm. All that I need to do now is seal the inside frames with polyurethane.


Another big difference with the new, bigger windows is all the light in the bedrooms. I can look outside from the bed now without coming out of the covers. After some persuasion Clark took the back boards off of his Ironworker's bed frame creation . Oh, the light!!!


I did get ready for the company (it really helps if you just don't get stressed out)
but after they called and were north of Denver we saw on the news that I-25 was closed from Wellington to Cheyenne. They stopped at Stan's in Ft Collins but decided to get out in front of the storm before it really set in..

So when big waves come up - learn to surf.

Text and pictures © 2008 Mona E. Dunn

Raising a Stink

All of the snow uphill from the corral finally melted. Of course it had to go somewhere downhill.

Most of the base in the corral after several months is manure. That knee deep muck has to be hauled out before any further use.

Mmmm... future compost and vegetables!

Text and pictures © 2009 Mona E. Dunn

Gone Postal

I could never understand the connection between the Postal Service and the mayhem that has been engendered in association with it. But this week I experienced the kind of frustration that makes your ears burn.

Three weeks ago I mailed a package to Serena in California. I opted for parcel post for half the price of Priority even though they said it could take 6-12 days. When Serena told me it had not arrived yet I called the Post office to see what happened. It had come back undeliverable because I missed one number in the address which is bad enough because to resend it I would have to pay that other half I'de saved the first time. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Since parcel post is so "cheap" I would have to pay the return postage before they would give up the package. I interpret this as a hostage situation for my package. This also means that to re-send it will end up with a total cost of three times the original!

I called 1-800-USPS (twice) just to find out if this could be the case. Both times they reassured me that if the package was unopened I need not pay the return fare. The online site was impossible to navigate on the topic.

So I go to the Post office to tell them of their error and suggest that they call and find out for themselves. I waited 10 minutes to speak to the superintendent then When she made the call I waited another 15 minutes. With "my" package sitting there right in front of me I felt sure that it would be mine again without a penalty fee. As the attending clerk finally left the room I liberated my package and headed out to resend it UPS, which by the way was less than parcel post, 2-3 day delivery including twice the insurance.

I kept looking over my shoulder as I ran errands that afternoon. When I arrived home there was a message on the phone. They had indeed verified their stand and would be holding my mail at the post office until the postage was recouped. Yet another hostage situation!

Text and pictures © 2008 Mona E. Dunn

Things Change

One of the key tenets of the Buddhist philosophy is that of impermanence. We become fixated on the way we want things to be, attached to the hope of our expectations being met and fear that they will not. Accepting whatever the moment presents creates a space where you can find equanimity. Dropping judgment of and attachment to the objects of desire can result in happiness.

Clark's back went out last Friday and I have had to give up that option of not going out the door for a couple days at a time. This time his pain has been constant standing, sitting or laying down. He managed to get the five cows we wanted to cull out to the sale barn before the big storm but the responsibilities of feeding and watering the remaining ten cows, fourteen feeder calves and trying to keep the seven newborns dry come down to me.

Just my luck this storm turned out to be the blizzard we had been expecting for over a week but had missed us before.

We are always jealous when we hear about everyone else getting the snow that we expect, even North Dakota! I had already decided animal husbandry is not for me and when you wish for snow, watch what you wish for.
I forgot that with the blessing of moisture comes the hardships of deep snow when you have duties to perform. Before I could dig out the feed bunks, I had to dig three trails in the two foot drifts just to get there.

My hope is that I will still be able to go to the Shambhala Training weekend on Friday but I am ready to let go of that option until I see what needs to be done in the present moment. Things can change!

A flock of mountain bluebirds were looking for shelter just after sunset.


Text and pictures © 2008 Mona E. Dunn