Last December I wrote that I was happy to be finishing up my shed rebuilding project. In April I wrote “Farewell to the Winter of Covid”. Well, the shed project took longer and turned out to be more challenging than expected. So has covid.
I suspect we are all feeling the same about the problems in our world. Like my shed, it’s more of a mess than we realized. The solution, of course, is to dig in and work together for the good of all. I LOVE my “new” shed and campfire spot. The deer and ‘possum have visited, and I’ve warmed my body and soul by the fire. The story is told below in pictures. Do you see any similarities with what we’ve been going through?
2021 meant letting go of things and wants and negativities that no longer felt important to me. I slowed down, thought about personal and global issues, wrote, and studied scenes I captured with my camera. With the blessing of vaccination, I loved getting back to enjoying outdoor concerts and other safe activities with friends.
But my daily swims were what kept me happy in the unprecedented heat. When the ice went out and Greenie showed up for a sixth wonderful summer with me, I had to buy an underwater camera to observe all I could about him. Especially exciting was recording the sounds he made, and his ichthyologist Peter’s conclusion that they were courting sounds! I plan to use this winter to learn more, isolate pictures from the videos, and use them to write a children’s book about Greenie and his friends. It warms my heart to be one of them! So this year my holiday picture is of Greenie and me. It was not easy to take, but so rewarding to have, especially with that magical ray of sun lighting the daisy. It follows the shed pictures, along with my wish for you.
The shed was an old pigeon coop I turned into a garden shed 25 years ago, now in desperate need of a new floor and roof.First task – emptying. Thanks to Nancy for helping! Where did all that come from and where should it go? It felt good to give, donate, and recycle a lot.Thanks to Ann for picking up a million crumbled shingles as I dropped them. Which was ickier, prying off three layers of sticky shingles or . . .prying off old dusty drywall? Both!When a monster machine wouldn’t work in my yard full of trees, hills, and rocks, my awesome neighbors came to the rescue, cutting the shed apart and carrying the walls up to the new shed site by the garage. It felt a little like an old-fashioned barn-raising, but backwards. Thanks Ronda, Jeff, Rio, Jeff, and Dan for being safety conscious in many ways. Temporary supports – don’t walk here, deer! It was exciting to see the view opening up!It took me two tries (plenty of exercise!) to get the foundation level so Dane and Noah could rebuild the floor. I was so lucky to find them – guys after my own heart who preferred the challenge of reusing the beautifully weathered wood to buying a plastic shed that would never return to nature.They worked long hours to get the new roof on . . .and the brand-new doors I had found on the curb a few years earlier. Ready for winter!I knew it would be even more beautiful in May with the honeysuckle blooming.Cleaning up and leveling the old shed site revealed things long hidden.It took a lot of digging, heavy lifting, seeding and watering, but here it is – my campfire spot with the beautiful new view I’d been dreaming of. I think the shed must be happy to be spiffed up, strong, and tucked up by the garage. The holidays are a time to focus on peace, love, and joy. May you stay safe and have an abundance of all three. The world is a beautiful place, when we pause to look and listen, even to those unlike ourselves, with a caring heart.Holly
