Winter

Today it turned from fall into winter. True, we had a snowfall in October, but that was just a fluke, followed by many warm days. Tonight it is supposed to go down into the teens and remain cold for the rest of the week. There were a few things we planned to do before cold weather arrived, and most of it got done today. Last week Doug and I installed the new outside door which does a much better job of insulating the house, but it still needs some weather stripping, not to mention a better paint job. I got one coat of dark green on it before it started raining and caused the paint to run down the door. It looks lovely.

Our faucet outside the basement has steadily dripped since we moved in. I temporarily fixed the problem by putting a two-headed faucet extension on it, but that would freeze, so Daddy and I have planned all along to repair the faucet itself. Lastly, I’ve wanted to put a warm blanket of mulch on my newly created flower bed for several days, but Daddy’s pick-up truck had to be worked on first. He got it back yesterday, and today he took me over to Down to Earth, a fantastic nearby nursery, where I got a load of decorative black mulch. Before we left, Daddy and I deconstructed the faucet to find the piece that needed replacing and took it with us to the Hiawassee Hardware Store. That has to be one of the best hardware stores in existence, as you can pretty much find anything you need there. Well, at least the people who work there can find it! The ninety-something-year-old-man who has owned it for over fifty years still comes to work every day. All the workers are helpful and friendly, and one of them looked all over to find the right size washer for our faucet.

When we returned home, I had to shovel all the mulch out of the back of the truck. The day was cold, raw, and windy, but I was working so hard the wind actually felt good. After I finished getting the mulch piled next to the flower bed, I swept out the truck and then started putting it around the flowers while Daddy hosed out the truck bed. He had taken the tailgate loose to lower it when I swept it out. Then he reattached the cables holding up the tailgate, but the tailgate wouldn’t shut. It also wouldn’t go all the way down. I turned around to see him struggling with it and looked to see a rock wedged in the hinge of the tailgate. It was jammed in tight, and both of us worked for some time with a hammer and chisel to get it out. Finally, I knocked it loose, but the tailgate still wouldn’t close. Daddy was flustered. Then I looked at it and saw the problem. Daddy had hooked the cables to the wrong bolt, a higher one that was what the tailgate fastened onto to when you shut it. I pointed it out and the problem was solved. I could tell it kind of got away with Daddy. Normally, I would be the one making a mistake like that, not him. Daddy never would have made a mistake like that in his earlier years. I never said another word about it!

I got the mulch spread while Daddy drained and rolled up all the hoses. Then we replaced the broken faucet and checked that it wouldn’t leak. Afterwards, I wrapped the faucets.

Daddy then backed the tractor up into our carport next to the house. He has a generator on the back of it which can be hooked up to our electric box in the event of a power failure.

The wind has blown the remaining leaves from the trees. Hiking up the hill to Mama’s is treacherous, as the thick layer of dead leaves hide large acorns that roll out from under our feet. The lovely colors of fall are all gone. Golden mountains are now a dull gray, and all the trees are bare, accept for that one type of oak that just keeps its shriveled up brown leaves all winter. I told Daddy that I always thought winter in the mountains looked quite bleak, but I was hoping I would come to appreciate its unique beauty. He said he used to think it was bleak, too, but now he always finds the mountains to be lovely.

A Week later:

Indeed it is beautiful. Last night I took pictures of the black tree branches silhouetted by a golden sunset. The other day, it snowed in the tops of the highest mountains. They glittered in the bright morning sun. Yes, it is cold. We have already had several nights in the teens, and it is usually at least ten degrees colder than it is back in Athens. But the great thing about being retired is, I can stay home in front of the fireplace and drink all the hot chocolate I want! The house is warm and toasty. I may not get out too much for the next two or three months!