What's this... what's this...?

I think it was snowflakes. Not the kind the T-pets call us, but the kind that fall in normal winters in the hills of West Virginia. We haven't seen much of that this year. That may sound like a complaint, but I'm sure there's another word for it. Concern, maybe. I'd like the earth to maintain it's sanity even if the inhabitants are losing theirs.

I hung a seed bell for the cardinals. They alternate eating and keeping watch. There are feral cats around and while one bird eats, the other keeps watch and then they switch places.

I made chicken liver spread today. I wouldn't call it good, but I'm concerned about iron right now. I think I drink too much tea, so I'm cutting down on that, too. My fingernails are telling on my health. They are starting to dish and flare. I'm quite healthy and have no serious problems, but if iron is the problem, then it's kale and chicken livers for me. I found someone who raises chickens the old way, without antibiotics and without cages and all that nastiness.

I've got my computer in the guest room. This place is an disheveled library and I suppose I should be getting rid of some of these books. I do have them divided out -- some to go south and trade -- some for the little lending libraries and some that I simply won't part with.

We are living in a good place right now -- quiet and close to everything. I have been able to get involved. We've gone to plays and movies. I joined a book club and taught classes. None of that would have been possible in Rainelle.

We moved here after the flood in Rainelle. The flood waters came up to our yard and ran down the driveway. It didn't get us. We watched it rise out back in the golf course until it was a lake out there and we watched the muddy river running down what was the road. We were fortunate that it didn't come in our house.

We sold the house to a fellow who was flooded out and I hope they keep their payments up until it belongs to them. Sometimes, people don't have their priorities straight and that seems to be the case. They pay their rent-to-own for their tv and whatever first and are behind on payments. We didn't even charge interest -- just $300 a month -- (lower than they could rent an apartment).

We got the orchard place back. They quit paying and lost interest in the place. They let it go willingly, but we sure have a lot of clean-up to do. It's kind of trade-off because they also did some work there. I hope they get the life they want on the old family farm == which is where they went from there. We're not letting the orchard go again. We'll finish planting it, once we've got all the cleanup done.