Random pix

I'm a little brain-dead this morning because I just finished a big fat hairy article for Backwoods Home Magazine on NAIS (National Animal Identification System), or at least its current incarnation. I emailed it to the editor last night at 10:15 pm which was technically still within deadline (the article was due yesterday). Phew, what a hard piece to write.

Anyway, since I'm incapable of coherent thought at the moment but need to immediately tackle another overdue project, here are some random pix from the last couple of weeks.

Here's an interesting bumper sticker I caught from a moving vehicle (hence the lack of focus): Republicans for Voldemort.

 

More bumper stickers.

We've owned a harp for a few years. Older Daughter's elderly piano teacher is also a harp teacher, and Don has done a number of repair jobs for her over the years in exchange for lessons. Anyway he repaired a harp which had been badly damaged after a student accidentally knocked it over, and as a thank-you she let him keep the harp. Wow.

We've been storing it upstairs for some time, but that's an inconvenient location for spontaneous playing, so recently we dusted it off and moved it to a better spot for plucking. Here Older Daughter is making some music.

A brief but torrential hailstorm.

Our pasture fence.

Some interestingly-shaped evening clouds.

In a recent excursion into Coeur d'Alene, we stopped at one of our favorite stores -- All Things Irish -- where I photographed a few signs and bumper stickers.

Out on the street, we also saw a sign for this amazing service. Well, why not?

In an antique store, I saw this sign which, of course, is a subject near and dear to my heart. I just wasn't about to fork over $20 for it, figuring it was simpler not to.

Some unusual instructions.

An interesting announcement on the side of a restaurant.

Music tableaux. It's amazing how musical instruments can collect. Right now we have a piano, harp, violin, cello, and flute (two flutes, actually -- Don's battered old bar flute, and my higher-quality open-hole Gemeinhardt)

Driving in Coeur d'Alene, I caught this cloud formation which looked like a mountain looming over the city.

The hospital in Cd'A had this beautiful blaze of tulips...

...with a moose statue as well. Hey, this is north Idaho.

Curious hens.

Thirsty birds.

Just hangin' around...

Every night before bed, I get my tea ready for the next morning. I also put a cover over my tea cup because one time, many years ago, I poured boiling water into my cup, then instantly heard an alarmed "Squeak!" and a mouse jumped out. So now I cover my tea cup at night.

Evidently with good reason. The other morning I came downstairs and saw this. I think it's time to set a mouse trap.

Just a pretty shot of some pine branches.

Staggering gift

Almost three years ago, Younger Daughter started taking fiddle lessons from a remarkable teacher named Andrew Wilson. He and his wife met as traveling musicians and they now have four (homeschooled) kids who are nearly as talented as their parents. During the summers, they often hit the road as a family and make music around the country. Last summer, Andrew won eighth place in a national fiddle competition. It has, to put it lightly, been a privilege to have him teach Younger Daughter.

So imagine our dismay a couple weeks ago when Andrew told us he would be touring with his family again this upcoming summer... and not coming back. Yes, the entire family is hitting the road for a whole year, touring musically. Sadly, at the end of that year they'll be looking to settle permanently elsewhere, possibly Texas, where fiddle music enjoys a more popular footing and he can draw from a larger base of students. He plans to keep about one-third of his "favorite" students (his word, not mine) and teach via Skype. Younger Daughter is among that group.

Meanwhile, Younger Daughter has been enjoying a new instrument: the cello. If you remember, Andrew loaned her his own personal instrument to try out. “I wouldn’t give it to anyone,” he told her, “but I know you’ll take good care of it.” She has treated that cello like the finest china, knowing the trust that is placed with her. She has also fallen absolutely in love with it. Her progress has been nothing short of astounding.

So imagine my shock last week when Younger Daughter's lesson was over and he asked to speak to me privately for a moment. He told me since his family had to pare down their possessions in order to fit all six people into the RV when they hit the road, he won't be taking the cello. "I want to give it to Younger Daughter," he told me.

My jaw hit the floor. And I mean, hit the floor. Gifting her with his own personal instrument? "But your wife gave you that cello for Christmas," I sputtered.

"We talked it over. She's in total agreement," he told me.

I sputtered some more, but he said if Younger Daughter doesn't take the cello, it will either go into storage (which doesn't do stringed instruments any good) or will go into the loaner program. Neither option is a fate he wishes on this instrument. He'd rather it go to someone who will get enjoyment from it.

I went home in a state of shock and discussed the matter with Don. Together we decided to accept the gift with the graciousness with which it was offered. Then it was Younger Daughter's turn for her jaw to hit the floor.

After a day or two of almost shying away from the cello -- purely because she couldn't believe her good luck -- Younger Daughter has been playing it five or six times a day. She's not practicing classical cello pieces; rather, she's exploring Celtic music (her favorite genre) and using the cello for alternate purposes. Andrew couldn't be happier that his gift is being so well used.

He told me today that he's been on the lookout for a student he felt was worthy of gifting his cello. Younger Daughter is humbled and honored to be the one so chosen.

We are going to miss Andrew and his delightful wife terribly, and can only wish them the very best on their year of adventure and wherever they chose to settle in the future.

Random pix

I haven't been taking as many "random pix" as I normally do because my camera has so much dust behind the lens that there are black blotches over all the resulting photos. I took it into a camera repair shop and was quoted $99 for cleaning (since essentially the entire camera would have to be disassembled and re-assembled), so I may as well get a new camera. However that's not on our immediate horizon, so please forgive the blotches, since at least the camera can still record our daily lives.

Anyway, here are some random pix from the last few weeks.

This is what our barn looked like last August, stacked full with hay.

This is what it looked like a couple weeks ago. It looks severely depleted, doesn't it? (At least from a let's-hope-we-have-enough-hay-to-last-us-all-winter perspective.)

Fortunately from a front view, there's more hay than it seems. Still, I don't know if we'll have enough to last through spring. We'll probably end up having to buy two or three tons.

One evening after the sun went down, we had an odd little kickback of color on a single bit of mist.

The house, lit with candles and oil lamps, a few minutes before our neighbors arrived for our weekly potluck (we alternate houses -- it was our turn to host).

Here's Younger Daughter's fiddle teacher, jamming with one of his sons and two of his students. Music constantly fills this house.

An interesting bumper sticker.

One of our Aracauna hens, perched on Polly's pen door.

A pretty sunrise.

My mother, who sews beautifully, made a cloak for Younger Daughter. It arrived in the mail last week. It's so so warm! And she loves it!

Deer.

For her 16th birthday, some friends gave Older Daughter a Kindle. Don also had a Kindle, but he dropped it and the screen broke. (An advantage of books over electronic media, right?) Anyway one day Older Daughter was reading in front of the woodstove and Major, our old lab/hound mix, was lying next to her. Don had the idea to put the broken Kindle in front of Major.

Making sugar cookies...

...with the help of my faithful companion.

Speaking of faithful companions...

Bringing in some leftover lasagna from our "outdoor refrigerator."

Local gas prices as of Feb 23. I'm going to start documenting them again because every indication is they're going up, up, up. I know some parts of the country already have $5 gas.

A chilly misty morning.

Lydia says, let's play!