I hate ticks!!

So I was having a fantastic day....it's 65F outside and sunny, light breeze. I spent the a couple hours before lunch walking around a beautiful cottage site on Spofford Lake.

 

After Lunch I went to an old, abandoned gravel bank to look at a site for a house for a guy and to help inform him on what areas NOT to disturb (wetlands) so that he doesn't get in trouble. There are lots of briars and honeysuckle and hemlocks and other low shrubs. Some cattails and tall grasses. The black flies are starting to come out, so I had the creepy-crawlies when I got back to the office.

I sat down to review a boundary line adjustment plan and had the worst crawlies...then...aaagghhh. Ticks!  I pulled one off my shirt and killed it...a tiny one. I kept finding more. and destroying the little bloodsucking , Lyme disease ridden, vermin.  Me odio tan mucho las garrapatas!!

If there is one downside to being a surveyor and being able to spend time outside...its ticks! I've had Lyme disease twice...the first time many years ago and my legs were just about crippled one summer. Had it again last summer, but I got antibiotics. I'm going to feel icky now until I get home and take a shower.

Back from vacation...

Physically exhausted, mentally refreshed!!  I knocked off so many items off my list of to do's for the yard.  The front is looking soooooooooo nice!  I'll have some pic's later this week of the work we did.

Now it's back to SVE.  I could stay on work-cation for a whole summer and still have more fun projects to do.

Tonight:

Last Conversational Spanish class....Bummer! It's been so fun, something to look forward to every Monday.

 

Oh yeah, Tracy got her head shaved skin-bald for the cancer charity benefit on Saturday. Everyone one is like...Oh, can you stand it?  It's funny, but she can pull off any look and make it look good. She actually looked really pretty with her skirt, big hoop earrings and bald head, Sinead-esque.

Vacation...

So, next week I'm taking a vacation. I'm pretty excited; I haven't had a vacation that I didn't have to do something for quite a long time. I was trying to tell people what I'm doing on vacation and I get the strangest looks. No, the family isn't traveling anywhere; we are not going to Disneyland etc.  :) I just want to work on some projects around the house that have been nagging in the back of mind for a while.

What I want to do

I find that for me, work outside is kind of a meditation in motion. Yes, my body gets exhausted and sore, and I push myself by will-power, usually well beyond what my arms, legs and back are ready to handle. That's the meditation....the focus on the tasks or the daydream of what my project is...and following through, no matter how tired or sore or weak feeling that I have become during the day. In the end, I am rewarded by completing another step in creating my own little Garden of Eden.

I've come up with a pretty expansive list of what I want to accomplish this week.

HLR Septic Designs

• Finish Mom & Dads design
• Finish Pond Road design
• Finish Wilkes design

Yard Cleanup

• pick up charcoal from brush pile and spread in garden
• Clean up branches off lawn
• Cut up and clean up big pine in the back yard
• Rake yard

Garden projects

• Turn compost bin
• Finish planning garden
• Roto-till garden

Landscaping projects

• Dig little frog pond for tadpoles
• Build stone retaining wall at garage bank wall
• Get 2-4 blueberry bushes from Mom & Dads house
• Re-grade washed out portion of driveway
• Build next section of split rail fence along driveway
• Build gate to back yard
• Build gate/arbor to garden
• Cut down big dead maple and 2 dead cherries
• Transplant perennial flowers to herb garden

Post & Beam shed

• Cut down big hemlock for front roof beam
• Split more shingles from pine
• Saw 4-10’ 2’-inch planks for shed floor

I’m pretty sure I wont get all of this done, but if I get a chunk done, at least the septic designs and the yard cleanup, my mind will be clear and my body exhausted, and I’ll be very happy.

Estoy muy enfermo hoy!!!

Blaaaagh!!!!!

We are going BALD!!!

Hey all....I've attached an e-mial from my wife, Tracy. She's had dreads for a while and is sick of them. Coincidently there is a fundraiser coming which requires some head-shaving, so...she's going to do it!!

I think I'll shave mine too...just for fun... so we can be the bald bubbies together. W'ell post the before and after pics.

If you want to sponser her....let us know.via e-mail and we'll get you the info.

From Tracy ~
Good Morning Loved Ones and Dearest Friends!

As most of you know, I have had Dreadlocks in my hair for about a year now. I have not missed the hair products or the styling appliances - but I have grown tired of the constant care needed to maintain a decent appearance. Who knew dreads were so time consuming!
As a result - I have decided it is time to move on! Yes mom, I am cutting them off!

Now here is the kicker!
I am going BALD!
Yes - you read that right! The Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene is holding a fundraiser event "Bald is Beautiful" to raise funds for their Cancer Patient Relief Fund on April 25th. This program provides financial support for day-to-day expenses when individuals living with cancer experience financial crisis. Such things as groceries, heating fuel, rent, gas, etc. This program is very near to my heart since most of you know someone whom I love and think the world of is trudging through this very prevalent problem right now!
SO!!!! I am attaching a brochure and asking that you consider making a donation. If you would like to do so - I am leaving a pledge form on the office kitchen table with an envelope for the donations. Checks should be made out to Cheshire Health Foundation for KPRF (Kingsbury Patient Relief Fund).
OR if you are even more ambitious - you can print the form, fill out the top with my information and gather pledges FOR ME! The event is APRIL 25th so I would need to get everything by then!

Thanks to all of you for letting me take up some of your time and wish me a warm head!!

Here is my info:
Person getting Shaved:
Tracy Huntley
rtjhuntley@msn.com