Home again, home again, jiggety-jig

So here I am again at home that doesn’t completely feel like home, but even familiarity is nice these days…and I am familiar with this town and the good thing is the longer I am here, the more familiar it will seem. (Yes, this positive outlook is a stretch, but I am presently buying it.)

View coming into Butt, I mean Butte and our neighbors Italian Greyhounds: Deniro & Pacino.

I have been home for 2 ½ weeks and the snow is melting, days are getting longer, the semester is half over. It has been warm here, upper 40s, nearly 50. I keep hoping for more snow so I can ski, but alas, I guess I’d have to move to North Carolina for that. Instead, I maneuver around mud holes and slush piles while walking. The thing about thaws is they bring the great uncovering of what has been covered for so long. Sure the snow is drizzling down the downspouts, exposing the roof, the grass is peeking out of the icy clumps, and with all the undressing of winter comes a clear picture of just how much dog poop has accumulated on my lawn.

I counted 5 piles just on my short walk to the mailbox this afternoon. This isn’t from dear Lucy, who prefers to hide in the back to do her business. Have I mentioned the dogs in Butte? You know about the cows in India right? The dogs here seem to have a heightened status. They roam freely through our potholed streets and lawns. The upside to unrestrained dogs is slower traffic on the busy street in front of my house, the downside is the poop. So not only do I swerve through the mud and muck, I must watch for piles as well. I’d take a picture, but that would be vulgar (and aren’t I already borderline in discussing this???).

Old kitchen being disassembled.

                                 New kitchen.

So the kitchen is nearly finished. I have promised pictures to many of you so here they are. Just some tile work left to finish the backsplash and the shelves for the bookcase need to be assembled as well. We are in the process of trying to figure out a way to dye the seafoam vertical blinds in the living room, wood stain, maybe? Who knew something so ugly would cost so much to replace. Any ideas from anyone?

Finally, I wanted to share my friend’s new website he just put together. I met Jim on my plane when I flew back from Italy a few years ago. He is a talented wood turner and if you are interested check out his site. http://www.jsannerud.com/