War Against the Ants

In the seemingly ongoing saga on "Us" verses "The Ants", I believe we have hit another stalemate. At least the ants are hiding this morning.

I returned from the weekend to notice ants teeming by the back door mat. We have a few ant traps in that area and the strategy behind the ant traps is not to kill the ants, as they are supposedly taking the bait home to the Queen Ant and this is how the colony is destroyed.

It is extremely hard to watch an ant and let it go on its merry way but I had faith that being out of the house a few days would give the ant traps an opportunity to do their work without having to watch the ants in motion.

I have no idea if I was wrong, but all reasoning went out the window when the ants kept marching on. On the kitchen counters. On the fridge. Wandering through the kitchen. A few even found their way to the bathroom.

I killed every ant I saw. I washed down the surfaces. I sprayed a heavy concentrate of vinegar and water to erase the scent of ant trails. All to no avail.

RAID to the rescue! No more messing around. "Kills on Contact"; "Defense system - Attack Control"; "Insect Killer". It may sound extreme but I am desperate.

I sprayed as much as I dared to spray in the hope of killing off the ants without doing in our cats. Thankfully our felines show no interest in hunting down, killing and eating the invasive species (I have a feeling they may enjoy a pet mouse as a toy, so have little faith our house is safe from rodents should they find a way in). It is my hope this will do the trick.

I haven't spotted an ant yet this morning. We may have a temporary ceasefire.

Nature has taken over the exterior of our little home-away-from home. Weeds are growing where the grass should be. Bugs have made their home in the nooks and crannies of the house siding and decks. Everywhere I look, I am reminded that nature will step in where humans leave an opportunity. 

It's one thing when nature takes its course outside. It's quite another when they set up residence inside the foundation of one's home.

A solid foundation, free of infestation of any kind is a good basis to build a life and home. Everything starts from there.

Weeds

Have you ever had so many weeds, you decide to pick them according to species? My guess is when most people have that many weeds, they simply spray them with a broad spectrum weed killer and annihilate ALL the weeds. That is most likely what I should have done but instead, my day began by telling myself "I'll just pick the thistles".

As I was picking thistles, I noticed a yellow flowered invasive species dominating the front yard. My research tells me these are "goat's beard". I knew they weren't dandelions but they certainly looked like a weed. So I picked thistles and goat's beard, deciding to leave the dandelions, clover, portulaca, yet another yellow-flowered weed, fox tail, a silver leafed variety of weed and more weeds than I can name for another day. 

I have no idea how many fir trees there are in this lot. What I can say, is there are so many that they have created a privacy hedge between the house and road. There are fir trees in the front yard, the back yard, the side yard and the yard that goes beyond the driveway. Add a drought to a lawn that is fighting for survival due to the root system of all the trees and the only sprigs of grass that have survived are quack grass. 

Mowing the "lawn" does little more than kick up a dust storm and spread the weed seeds around. There is really little, to no grass to mow. Thus, I set out on my mission to pick weeds by the type I most wanted to be rid of.

It is an endless task. I am no where near complete. The lot is huge. Where the lot ends there is a street-side section of "grass" (more weeds). Then there are what I think are tree saplings sprouting up in a few different areas. 

I concentrated on the front, side and back yard and started picking weeds that are growing on the driveway. It was only when I was walking home from the store when I noticed the excess of yard that has gone wild. I filled a large black garbage bag with weeds and I have not made a dent in the task at hand.

As I questioned my sanity and explained myself to the neighbors who dropped by, I was convinced I had taken on a job that one good spray would have handled.

Then ... I discovered this:  

"Bluebells!!", my inner child screamed inside my thoughts. I have no idea what these are officially called, but I remember walking through the natural terrain on our farm as a child and I have called them bluebells ever since. I was immediately transported to a time where I was young and without a care in the world. 

The next day, I noticed this:

A wild rose. We have a front yard full of wild roses that have been mowed down regularly. This brave little flower revealed itself to me as if to say "Save us! We are here just waiting to be nurtured".

Then behind a few fir trees I found what may or may not be a daisy, on its way out of its flowering season.

If we had sprayed the yard, we would have lost all that Mother Nature was offering.

It was like I had gone for a walk in a field. All this nature was in our very own front yard.

Feeling Like Home

Since we got possession of our little oasis, I have spent five out of six weekends there. The weekends have been seasoned generously with family, work-around-the-house-and-yard, regular meals and a little rest & relaxation.

This time felt different. 

I arrived Friday night at around 8:15. I wandered around the house and yard, then started picking a few weeds. I picked weeds and then transferred my ambition to the peeling paint on the back door frame. I picked and scraped and puttered for quite a while. It didn't feel like work. It felt good.

Time passed easily. The next thing I knew, the sun was setting and I took Mother Nature's cue and called it a day.

I awoke at 5:00 a.m. the next morning and went through my morning routine. I made my breakfast smoothie and had a cup of coffee. I altered my routine by doing ONE thing differently. I changed out of my pj's and wore yoga pants and a comfy top instead. That way, I could sit outside and feel dressed. 

This also provided one unexpected bonus. Instead of sitting still, I started sanding the door frame I had scraped the previous night.

One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, the day was done and I was ready to call it a day. I showered, walked over to the grocery store and soaked up all the cool, air conditioned air I possibly could, picked up a few vegetable courses for my meal and came home.

I sat down at the end of the day and felt good. So good. So good, that I had a repeat performance of productivity levels the next day.

I spent the bulk of my weekend in the yard. Puttering. One task led to another, then another and then some more. I ran out of weekend before I ran out of work.

"Before"

(actually after the deck was cleaned up enough to stain)

After

Three neighbors came over and introduced themselves. I'm so glad we moved in the summer. Being outside makes it so much easier to be neighborly. Plus, I was busy working and sweating so there was no expectation of looking "good". I am who I am, crazy hair, frizzled with humidity, old clothes and adorned simply by the glow of a sense of "happy" that feels better than any makeup I've ever worn.

This is the first weekend I didn't see a family member but neighbors stepped up and stepped in to fill the void. It felt like the world was telling me "Family is good. Friendly neighbors are all around. Just look up." One of my new neighbors even told me of all the connections I already have within this community. 

I feel full to the brim. I feel like I am exactly where I am meant to be and heading in a direction I was destined to find.

I feel like I'm home. 

I Wanted to Stay

The temptation to spend Sunday night at my little home-away-from-home was strong. I could have stayed. An early morning commute this morning could have put me where I needed to be in time for my work day. But I came home. Time to catch my breath and transition back to my regularly scheduled life won.

Sunday morning coffee on the back deck at my home-away-from-home

Monday morning coffee at home

 When I realized I could not head out to this little oasis this upcoming Friday due to a social commitment (I miss COVID restrictions already), I literally sighed aloud in a room by myself, "Oh NO!!" 

I don't want to go home! Don't get me wrong. I still love being home. But to love how I feel in this new home-away-from home? What a wonderful feeling!

Cat Tails

We have two cats. Cats who normally make their presence known by patting us for positive attention or scratching furniture to get any kind of attention. When I sit down at the end of my day, it is not unusual to find both cats hanging around or on top of me. But if they aren't around, I am pretty certain they are hanging around in their Other Favorite Person's bedroom. 

Normally, I don't seek out to find our cats but I should be triggered to remember to look if one cat is grabbing all the attention and there is no other cat around. Especially when both of "their people" are in the same room.

On two recent occasions, I didn't notice one cat was missing for an undetermined amount of time. I do know the cat who normally sleeps at the foot of my bed had been AWOL two nights in a row. I had no vivid recollection of the last time I had seen him. I just knew I had opened the door to our den a day or so prior. So when his absence was finally noticed, I simply opened that door. Voila! One black cat, looking none the worse for wear nor stressed about the entire ordeal. He simply ambled out of the room, looking for a scratch on the neck or some form of attention. No big deal.

The second time the same cat was missing in action, we did catch on within the same day. Once again, the door was opened and he calmly walked out ready to join us in the living room and reap the rewards of two humans being available to love on him. I knew for a fact I had double checked that room before I closed the door and left the house. I checked everywhere in sight but I did not check under the couch.

This morning, I walked by the den and noticed this:

Aha!! They DO hide under the couch sometimes!! I knew it had to be true but I was hesitant to believe it until I had proof.

Then our Master Hider appeared in the hallway. It was his partner in cathood who did not know he had to tuck his tail under the couch to hide effectively. 

Our little black cats provide us with endless entertainment, joy, cat hair and Cat Tales. 

Wisps of Hope

Something has shifted in my list of priorities. Gazing out our living room watching, waiting and hoping to spot one of our neighbor rabbits hop by has fallen by the wayside.

I open the blinds and sometimes forget to scour the streets to see if I can spot a rabbit hiding in plain sight. I miss the snow and evidence of their presence when I'm not looking, by finding rabbit tracks in the snow.

I wonder about the fate of our neighborhood rabbits. Are they still around? Has something killed them off or scared them away? Why haven't I spotted a rabbit for so long? 

I walked to the mailbox to mail a letter this morning, when what to my wondering eyes should appear? But a rabbit!!

This little rabbit did not run off and hide. Instead, it kept about one house ahead of me until it finally veered off in the opposite direction.

My faith was restored. I smiled a little smile and my heart was happy.

Then I came home and look what I spotted in our front yard. 

Five "white patches" (just the size of a rabbit perhaps?)

Could it be?? Could rabbits be hanging out and shedding the last of their winter white fur coat? 

Or ... are these spider webs? 

I choose to believe it is rabbits, leaving evidence of their presence in the only way they can without snow.

Wisps of hope are all around. 

Stop and hope and wonder.

Wish for impossible things.

Take time to appreciate the small stuff.

It's worth it. 

The Domino Effect

One decision. One action. One move in a forward direction has the power to change so much.

I write this sentence and my life flashes before my eyes. All the times one move in a forward direction after making a hard choice has changed my world forever.

Today's story is just one example of the power of choice. It all started with the words, "Random idea for you to think about ..." 

It was as if I walked into a chess game with all the game pieces already in play and all I had to do was make ONE move and the game played out as well as we could have ever hoped for (as far as we know so far).

So many variables came into play. Each and every game player was in a time and space to make a move. Each of us made calculated decisions based on exactly where we were at that place and time. In no time flat, an offer was on the table for a small house in small town Saskatchewan. The rest is history-in-the-making.

The seller of the property was in a place where they accepted our offer. That is a story I will most likely never know. I just hope their decision to sell at this particular time has been a choice that has had a positive effect in their life.

In the short term, this investment has opened up a whole realm of possibilities for my co-owner. This move changed their possible range of trajectories in a direction which feels nothing short of amazing.

In the long term, this could become my future home in retirement. I am asked on a regular basis to question the wisdom of this decision. I fully believe and my constant answer is "There are about a billion little things that must fall into place between 'now' and 'then', but I have faith that all will work out exactly how it is meant to be."

My date of retirement is contingent on how long my present job lasts. It could be long term. It could be a short time span. I honestly don't know. 

I am completely content not knowing. IF I knew what was coming I would be consumed with all that must take place and worry about my financial state of affairs far too much. The state of not knowing has given me a grace period to simply take one step at a time and do the next-right-thing.

My youngest must become fully independent and step into their own life before I can sell our present day home. Again, there are many variables at play which make estimating their date of departure from our safe little haven we call home. I trust all will work out in its own way. I have no need nor desire to know exactly how or when this will occur.

The house itself has a laundry list of repairs and maintenance which at some point may make us question the wisdom of our decision. But in this moment, today, for the exact purpose we made an offer on and purchased this home, it is in move-in-condition and it has felt like home from the moment we adopted it as our own.

In the short term, there are things I can do with materials I already have on hand. It is costing nothing more than my time and effort. My thoughts are healthier when I am consumed with a project and the rewards are priceless. 

I have not felt this content and focused on a future "aspiration" since I completed my dad's family's book of memories in the fall of 2014. This alone is worth its weight in gold. 

One decision. So many potential outcomes. The domino effect of living life is ongoing. This can go many ways. I am beyond grateful our dominos seem to be heading us in a positive direction.

Next project - free of charge - scrape and paint the exterior door casings