Letting Go of the Bay Leaf: Holland Falls

Showing posts with label Holland Falls. Show all posts

Sunday, March 13, 2022

Mosaic Monday #169: Two Anniversaries!

March 2, 2017 was my first ever blog post, and March 3 marked 5 years since my retirement. My goodness, where did that time go? I took the opportunity to review the nine posts I have made about retirement, prompting several observations and some resolutions.

In my first retirement post on March 13, 2017, I wrote: "I have paid my dues with hours worked over the last 28 years. Let's do a quick calculation: assuming an average of 45 weeks of work a year and 66 hours a week, that is 32,670 hours more than a 40-hour week. So, even though I have retired young by normal standards, I actually already worked the hours that equates to another 18.2 years." In other words, I still have another 13.2 years to go before I recoup that overtime!!!

That post has been read 88 times and had no comments. By the time I penned my next retirement instalment on March 27, 2017, I had picked up a few more readers (116) and two of them were commenting! One was Tammy at T's Daily Treasures (tsdailytreasures.blogspot.com). Tammy was instrumental in leading me to many of the other bloggers that are an essential part of my blogging community today! The other was a former neighbor in Cleveland - you know who you are!

Cooking and food have been consistent themes in my posts, and April 7, 2017 is a good example. In perusing these posts, I have realized that there are several recipes that we enjoyed that have since gathered dust. We will have to remedy that situation!

My fourth retirement entry, on May 27, 2017 was a popular post - 205 readers and 23 comments. In re-reading the comments, I was delighted to realize that I "go way back" with so many of my fellow bloggers - Sallie of A Full Time Life, Miyako of Orchid's Daily Voice, Wren of Little Wandering Wren, Sylvia of SMD Paper Arts, Mary of Red-Shouldered Hawks of Tingsgrove and Beyond and LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color. It also made me wonder about some bloggers I "knew well" and have not heard from for quite a while - I want to reach out and see if we can reconnect. By May of 2017, I had discovered Mosaic Monday and had begun linking to it - in that period, it was hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life - she has since changed her blog to turning the page (hazelbarn.blogspot.com) and does not post as frequently.

Faithful readers of my blog have become accustomed to my nicknames for the people in my life - #1 Daughter, #1 Son, Spousal Unit, Dear Neighbor Friend. When I first began blogging, it was intended to protect our privacy. In addition to avoiding the use of names, initially I didn't even include photos with our faces .... I am over that now, but these pseudonyms have taken on a life of their own, and I can't change it NOW! This is especially true of Man with Hat, who was introduced in my fifth retirement post on July 14, 2017. Some of my fellow bloggers, such as Phil of Another Bird Blog, join in the game. Phil recently referred to my husband as Man in a Plane! By summer 2017, Lorrie of Fabric Paper Thread and Kit of A Montana Life were regular commenters, and my posts were typically garnering more than 210 readers.

With my December 15, 2017 post, I paused to reflect on retirement thus far, utilizing recommendations from my work colleagues at my going-away party. "Don't forget to start a new hobby, enjoy reading a book, stay active, laugh every day and eat, drink and be merry," they said. I must have taken their advice to heart, because my next retirement post was March 3, 2019, a full 14 months later! Along the way, I met Tom of Tom the Backroads Traveller, Margy of Margy Meanders, Carol of Comfort Spring Station, Eileen of Viewing Nature with Eileen, Ellen of The Happy Wonderer, and Lady Fi.

Yes, life was pleasantly busy in those 14 months - we moved into our dream log home, we were hired as Ambassadors at Whitefish Mountain Resort for the winter seasons, and several volunteer activities had landed on my plate. I was also well on the way to becoming best friends with my dear neighbor. So many blessings!

I can't explain why that March 3, 2019 post had 409 readers, but I won't dig too deep! Perhaps it was the fact that I included the speeches my kids made at the time of my retirement. Or my reflections on the fortune cookie fortunes I have collected over the years. Or that I had begun hosting Mosaic Monday by this time, which drew more readers. Who knows? I had made some new blogging friends, such as the delightful furbabies at Brian's Home, Jenn of Cottage Country Reflections, Pat of Mille Fiori Favoriti, Heidrun of Soul and Mind, Riitta of Floral Passions, Jill of Life Images by Jill, Su-sieemac of Barefoot Susie, Melbourne Daily, My Desktop Daily, Jan of Low Carb Diabetic, William of Ottawa Daily Photos, Linda of The View from Squirrel Ridge, David of Travels with Birds, Bob of Birds and Nature in the Forest of Dean, Debbie of Its All About Purple and Bill of Somewhere in Ireland.

A year later, in the March 8, 2020 post, I reported that I had become over-involved. "Looking in the mirror ... I have not succeeded in letting go of perfection and structure, and, despite my desire to enjoy more time crafting, these activities continue to get deferred because I have jumped head-first into volunteering, working and many other activities, which I give priority." Sadly, in the two years since that post, this has not changed. If anything, I have even more on my plate now. This time, I AM resolved to make changes/room for craft projects, jigsaw puzzles, and flying my drone!

My last retirement-themed post was March 21, 2021. Montana was starting to emerge from the pandemic, but not to the point of throwing a party! Serving as my own DJ, I spun up 5 songs/videos that represented freedom, "rocking through the wilderness", good friends, "lighting a fire for the silent and broken-hearted" and the desire for new experiences. I reflected that "if I want to have freedom, I have to choose carefully where I invest my time." As much as I prefer to know my schedule, I also regret the times when I have turned down an invitation to hike (or some other event) because I am committed. So, my friends, as I enter the sixth year of my retirement, most activities are candidates for the chopping block. I may give up volunteering at the Museum. I am actively recruiting a replacement for my role on the Carnival Board. I have even thought about how much time I should be devoting to blogging!!!

I am resolved to honor our family motto:

Watch this space!

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All of the pictures above were from the last 12 months.

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In the last two years, a few more bloggers joined my cherished circle: Sally of Crafts, Cavies and Cooking, Sue of Kiwikids Page, Diane of Lavender Dreams, Maria of Love the Planet Productions, Alan of Yogis Den, Sharon of Sharon's Souvenirs, Monica of Nature Footstep, Gillena of Verses, Jocelyn of Canadian Needle Nana, Judy of Life in Kentucky, Yoko of Stardust Talk, Raewyn at Stitching Farm Girl, Traude of Rostrose, Daniela of My Little Old World and Kim of Sarah Lizzies. I apologize if I have inadvertently left anyone out! Thanks to all in blogland that have made my blogging journey so fascinating and inspiring!

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time).

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us.

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Mosaic Monday #127: A retreat

"There is more to life than increasing its speed." Mahatma Gandhi

Even people who already live in the woods need a break now and then. Despite our relatively remote location, we are still bombarded with the noise of the world, and demands on our time. Phones, computers, livestreaming programs, Zoom meetings. Of course, our own choices led to this.

Just as easily, we can make different choices. And so it was that, at the end of March, Spousal Unit and I went to Owl Creek Cabin for some isolation. Recreation.gov offers relaxation at over 3,600 facilities and 103,000 individual sites across the country. Browse the website -- you might be surprised what is available near you!

We checked in at 2 p.m. (read: opened the door with a combination) and were impressed with the condition of the cabin. As I would learn later by reading the guest book, the cabin was renovated during 2019. We nibbled snacks while playing Scrabble. The deep concentration of Spousal Unit paid off with a win!

"A cabin with plenty of food is better than a hungry castle." Irish Saying

As we went for a walk, it was snowing steadily, adding to the romanticism. We strolled down a road that leads to a number of homes, which are occupied only in the summer. It was easy to imagine the shouts of children at play, and envision parents sitting in deck chairs, hand-in-hand while watching the sun set over the lake. This day, the silence was absolute and we saw not a soul. Most of the homes appear to have been here for decades, with varying levels of maintenance. I loved the classic mountain cabin construction of this residence.

We spent the evening reading. I don't read nearly as much as I would like; when I am at home I am pulled to my 'task list', and reading rarely rises to the top of that list. What a pleasure to read without thinking about what I "should" or "could" be doing!

The next day, fortified by breakfast courtesy of Head Chef, we set off for Holland Falls. (He was impressed and pleased with the cookware available in the cabin.) We made this hike before, with my younger brother and his wife (some photos are in this post from October 27, 2017). Quite different in the snow, but no less stunning.

"The world's big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark." John Muir

The 3.3 miles, round trip, was miniscule by our standards, and we found ourselves at a loose end with hours of daylight ahead. We meandered south on Highway 83, seeking out possible snowshoeing routes or intriguing side roads. You might find it hard to believe, but even then, at the end of March, many of the roads were impassable. We took a back road around Seeley Lake, another popular summer destination. If you're looking for a cheap fixer-upper, this might be for you!

Back at the cabin, the fire pit beckoned. We had brought some firewood with us, but we were also grateful for a stack of firewood nearby. The guest book noted that, in the "good old days", the cabin had a wood-burning fireplace. It was replaced with a propane fire because it is safer, but also because the Forest Service no longer gets the summer staff it needs to replenish the wood piles. Sad.

"I had daydreams and fantasies when I was growing up. I always wanted to live in a log cabin at the foot of a mountain. I would ride my horse to town and pick up provisions. Then return to the cabin, with a big open fire, a record player and peace." Linda McCartney

The guest book also mentioned barred owls calling the distinctive "who, who, who cooks for you", but none were about that day. Plenty of Oregon Juncos, picking at the dirt road for seeds. In the brush, chickadees darted about in their typical fashion. I am quite accustomed to the Black-capped Chickadee and the Mountain Chickadee that frequent my birdfeeders. But this little bird was different - it had a distinctive dark brown back and sides. When I returned to a cell phone signal, I would identify it as a Chestnut-Backed Chickadee. You learn something new every day!!!

That evening, we played Kings in the Corner, and once again, I was defeated. But nothing could deflate my bonhomie.

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit." Edward Abbey

All too soon, our mini-retreat came to an end. In an attempt to delay our return to reality, we popped in to Echo Lake Café for brunch. Not too busy. Socially distanced. And oh, so tasty!