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Rain, Canning Jar Disaster, Gross Stuff, and How Green is My Valley

June 9th, 2015

Filed under Community, Crawford, Featured, Marla's Moments

Smith Fork Canyon 1_01

Rain, Canning Jar Disaster, Gross Stuff, and How Green is My Valley

All by Marla Bear Bishop – Fruitland Mesa, Crawford and beyond correspondent.

That was one wet spring. Green is the dominant color even here at my home in the high desert.  Though it is not true according to the calendar, I tend to think of June first as the start of summer. Maybe this is to extend the season by a few weeks.

There was some unexplainable excitement recently. In the middle of the night a major crash of glass woke me from a sound sleep. The noise was epic.  Alarmed and down the stairs as if magically transported in a heartbeat, adrenaline pumped through me as I scanned the room for the offender. Nothing. No broken windows or mirrors. Dogs shuffled about but no one seemed particularly out of sorts. They gave me a collective disapproving look as I turned on the lights.  Not a thing out of place, no glass broken. Obviously, I had dreamt the whole thing. A non-event but as I was now adrenaline rich this gave me an opportunity to see what movies were playing at 3:30 a.m. on AMC.  At about 5:30 a.m. I got a whiff of pickles. Lot’s of vinegar scent. I hadn’t thought to look in my little canning storage area. Apparently a poltergeist had come to visit my pantry shelves. It took me a second to realize two shelves were missing.

Not only did I lose my pickles, applesauce, peach sauce and random jars of this and that, I lost some beautiful ancestral china. What a moment to gather my heart and soul. Time to go watch the news and remember what real problems are in the world.

Visiting friends who were luckily strong and able helped with the cleanup, complicated due to having to move the washer, dryer and also the freezer. I’m now on the hunt for some shelving that sits on the ground. I will not be able to trust a wall-hung unit again. Yet another trust issue to deal with! Sometimes I catch the dogs licking the floor or the wall or the appliances. This poltergeist could haunt surfaces for a while!

I’ve been gathering plants to put around my yard as all the gardener’s have been out thinning out their beds. A perfect time to re-plant in a new space.

I visited Zephyros Farm and Gardens to see what I might like to plant in the days ahead and this is where I found Don Lareau in a state of certain disgust. At the moment of my arrival Don had come upon a mouse community in his car, complete with burial grounds. I showed great compassion for him as this had happened to me the week before…every week before, come to think of it. My mice have taken full advantage of my four-wheeler seat and dog blankets in my doghouses, they have partied all night in the back seat of my vehicle and swam and expired in the plastic dog pool on the porch. The terriers have had a hayday with all of this, along with fox and birds of prey, abundant around the property. Now I have to thrill my editor and segue into a gross tale of how I stuck my hand in the irrigation box this morning to clear out debris and pulled out a mass of pinkies who got washed out of wherever and ended up trying to squeeze through the hole in the board where the water pushes onward to the field. Alone out there I soon realized that I was screaming like a lunatic. Extra gross and I would like to soon forget what that felt like on my bare hands.  However, I’ve got to say, it wasn’t as stinky as Don’s find! I’d be a terrible ditch rider, could NOT handle finding what they find in the ditches once the water flows.

On a more pleasant note, little horse Stormy is preparing for the Pioneer Day’s parade where he will be handled by the granddaughter of Bob and Joanie Heid.  Bob has hand-beaded an outfit for both the horse and his Grand! Stormy is trying hard to drop his fuzzy coat in time for the event but with the nights still getting cold it’s taking a while to cut loose. With all the beading dazzling the crowd I’m sure no one will notice the fuzz.  The festivities should be grand as always so come on out and enjoy Crawford Country with us!

In this time of constant moisture I’m putting good thoughts out to all of us who suffer the affects of this in our bones, those bones previously broken or well used in sports and/or a lifetime of physical work.  Our animals who raced around barrels and the bones of our elder dogs and cats all need some TLC and warmth from the sun. Come on summertime!

Congratulations to all graduates and a bit of patience, love and safety to all who travel to graduations near and far in this season of new beginnings and adventure.

Thank-you to Jane M. for spending some time getting to know my equine family, they enjoyed the brushing and care. Thank-you to Pamela and Gabriel for yet another gathering of support and love for the dearly departed. Thank-you to all who’ve been keeping me busy with work and a social life when it would be so easy to just hibernate and gaze out on this magnificent North Fork Valley. Beautiful.  Let’s happily drink it all in. Yay happy start to summertime!

6.15 Creamery on-line WEB

 

6-15 Gambles Fathers Day.indd

 

 

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