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["Sage Austin | Eureka! Design" <eureka AT hctc.net>]

Although I'm way behind on reading, I've been able to read more than 
comment. I do hope you sell your place Rob and that the new places work 
out for both you and for Don. I'm glad Lynda is settled in to hers. Wish 
Gene would post more often! Bev have you changed your email?

With fall rains our well finally recovered after 4 months of no running 
water during the summer. This will go down as one of the most stressful 
times in my life. But you should see my muscles from hauling 40 lbs 
buckets of water! It took nine months before we could run the dishwasher 
and washing machine. The river is finally running again (we even had a 
little flood recently); we had our first swim last weekend and went 
kayaking for Mother's Day. It felt so good! The winter rains came like 
they once could be counted on doing and almost every square inch of the 
homestead is covered in flowers. The garden, with over 100 tomato 
plants, is looking good. Now I remember why I live here!

After the water came back all our 70 year old galvanized household pipes 
collapsed. They were either rusted or corroded so badly it was taking 9 
hours to run a load of laundry! We found two local guys that call each 
other Bubba to replace it for a small fortune. The one certified as a 
plumber learned his trade at the school for the blind, having been 
blinded in the Viet Nam war, only he got some vision back in one eye 
later. His wife came to pray on our front porch that the job would go 
well. Needing to get God involved didn't instill confidence in us. So, 
it took some time (months, they drove me nuts!) to get it right and it 
still looks like it was plumbed by a blind man, but around here you take 
what you can get. We would have done it ourselves, but our house being 
solid brick block and plaster makes even the smallest of tasks nearly 
impossible. I need dynamite just to hang a calendar nail...but this 
house will still be standing long after we are gone.

In December our old, blind rescue sheep died and 10 days later her son 
Finley stomped my favorite rooster to death, the one that had lived with 
them for almost four years. It was heartbreaking. We really thought 2010 
would be a better year, but in February Rick was diagnosed with prostate 
cancer. He underwent surgery in April and the prognosis is good, the 
pathology showing the cancer was contained and entirely removed. Even 
though we have insurance, our cost is going to set any plans for 
retirement back a year or two. Sigh. In this economy my largely 
non-profit advertising clients' budgets have dried up and I am having to 
substitute teach to make ends meet. I've enjoyed working with the kids, 
but being away from the homestead all day messes up the routines. I have 
a handful of private guitar students and it looks like I will pick up 
many more this summer. Over all I'm happy and needing a career change 
anyway.

Summer will be spent gardening, finishing the breeding pens of chicken 
coop two with our stack of recycled lumber, and staying affordably close 
to home with short trips to festivals or river running, etc. Our first 
grandchild will be born in November, so that will probably be our big 
trip of the year. Otherwise the two of us, the dogs, cats, sheep and 
chickens doing well!