Northern Virginia Countryside

This is a house that is across the street from me. I really love this picture. I can't wait to retake it during the different seasons.
This is what I pictured Virginia to be like. I'm really enjoying all the old houses.
The other house across the street is a house from the mid-1700's - has some great stories of civil war, and underground railroad. It will be next.

The sky is NOT falling...

It's been cloudy (rain off and on) for 3 days now, between 65-75 degrees - it's wonderful - no sun!

However everyone here is now way past sick of the rain. They were sick of it yesterday.
The ground is cracked, all towns have water restrictions because of a drought, and after an inch or two of rain

they are all complaining about the fact that they haven't seen the sun in 3 days!

Try from Nov 15th to May 12th!

Spenser and I are happy -- it's only rained about an hour a day, and some at night.
It's perfect!

Our 1st Tree!

We've purchased our first tree (we have plans for many).It's an Apple Tree!

I'd forgotten how FUN it is to dig into clay in August!

Why is my dog green?

Ripley loves to be near the horse manure!
Take a close look at the thick green line around his neck

The dog days of summer...

Heat index has been up around 110 lately.

We don't go outside until the sun is about down...

I go out to water the yard, and Ripley to get some exercise - even at 8 pm at night - he's hot!

Move on.... already

I've FINALLY decided to stay where I am.
I'm giving up a great opportunity ....
However I'm hopefully gaining security, less commute, and an opportunity to start up a business (out of science).

I'm not sure why this was so painful - but it was. Maybe in a few months it will be more clear for me.

Purcellville in the Seattle Times!

Meet the Yaddle....

"The yaks live on Jim Dumbrell's Purcellville, Va., farm. The yattle are kept on neighboring farms. "We laughingly call it Frankensteer," he said of the cow-yak mix."

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=yattle12&date=20070812&query=purcellville

When plant life attacks...

Imagine my surprise to find this thing in my yard!

At least this one LOOKS like trouble - unlike that damn poison ivy.

Becareful what you wish for...

Well... there is just no making me happy!
Of course my mother, husband, or even my sister probably already knew this.
I got my offer from place #2, and now I have mixed feelings.

HEY -The water is on the wrong side!?!

We don't currently have any TV. It's kinda nice to live w/o all the crap on the news, though I totally feel disconnected.

I do look at the weather --- instead of

"Its going to Rain", I hear "It's going to be hot".

HEY - THE WATER IS ON THE WRONG SIDE!?!

How long will it take me to get used to looking at the "other" side?

Something happens when you cross the Mighty Mississippi.... to your food!

Anyone who has ever lived on the other side (this is the "other" side) of the Mississippi can probably remember how some foods are different.

The butter is long and skinny, and what is up with this gallon of milk?

Best Foods = Hellmann's (they claim anything east of the Rockies)

Dreyer's Ice Cream = Edy's (who the hell is Edy anyway?)

It's amazing the packing looks exactly the same, but with a different name on it!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Spenser was really bummed when he got to DC only to realize that Tillamook is in OREGON, and not available here! He's already recieved his first installment of Tim's "Cascade Style" chips from Seattle (Thanks Aunt Frankie, and Uncle Mikey!)

Surprise Surprise

Turns out the job I picked may not have been the right one.
I've called back the other company and asked for another offer .... They said they would still be happy to have me on board.
Doesn't really fix things -- but it will be interesting to see if they low ball me (thinking I am desperate) or if they see this as a second chance to have me, and give me a better offer.

If it's the same.... I'm screwed.

The J.O.B

I started work on Monday, and it's not looking like the best move I've ever made. I'm not thrilled.

My poison Ivy is finally starting to clear up - but only after 5 days of hives to follow.

What makes Roger come home early?

I wasn't sure there was such a thing.... but it appears that a lawn tractor just might.
Is it ironic that the first day he's EVER come home early (right at 5pm) is the same day he got his new Cub Cadet garden tractor?

A perk to the heat - TOMATOES!

Most of you know that one of my favorite foods is a tomato.

I love tomatoes. It's very rare that you can get real tomatoes (not hot house tomatoes) in the Seattle area. They just don't taste the same! Arden has kept me supplied with real tomatoes for a few weeks out of the last year.



But look - it's July, and look at my snack today! A by-product of the heat...

Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac.

Who knew there were 3?
Seems after only two weeks of being here I found one...

I was quick to blame the chiggers. My neighbor told me a few days ago it looked like chiggers, but now it appears to be Poison Oak. Could be any of the three - but I know where I got it, and no one can find Poison ivy - so I'm off to see if figure out what I have.

I think it was because I was feeding the goat - he dropped some food in the bushes, and I went in to get it! Foolish!

I'll spare you with the nasty pictures.

A job decision

I've decided to take the closer/less money job.

I'm not sure it is the right job for me -- to be honest I don't feel great about it. I'm hoping that I figure out why people are there for so long.

The warm summer nights - lets play!

The warm summer nights are new for us.

Come about 8pm we get to see a beautiful sunset from our front porch, the temp drops to 70-75 degrees and then it's time to play.

Spenser and I have always thrown the ball, but we've never really had enough room to played Frisbee. So every night for about an hour we let the dog run, and we play....

We bought this big ass orange Frisbee. It's like a parashoot material, and has foam edges, so it doesn't hurt or break nails. It's about 2 FEET wide, and can be seen well after dark. Great fun for 10 bucks. Even Roger enjoyed it!

To drive, or to drive more.

Most of you know that I currently have 3 job offers - actually let me correct that. I have one accepted job, and two more offers.
One offer I have already turned down. Mainly because it is as long a drive as job #2, and job #2 would be better for me.

Job #1, already accepted, 1 hour commute, secure, low pay, not great benefits, okay for my career, could maybe have 4 10 hour days, no big money gain in the future - but science that is good for mankind.

Job #2, good offer, great money, 1.5 hour commute - that could turn into 2 hours with weather bad, must take small car ferry, great opportunity for my career, chance to earn much more money in the future, and a normal unstable place for science.

How do you decide?
Could you live with a 3 hour commute everyday?
What's it all worth?

I've been sitting on this for a week, and am not any closer.

Getting unpacked...

We are starting to unpacked, and be able to function.

Our washer and dryer arrived, and finally on a special Sunday delivery - our new furniture arrived. We did not bring any family/living room furniture with us - so when it came to resting after all of our work - it was the hard kitchen chairs.

Spenser has already been to DC, and he loved it.

Wall drug in South Dakota

Who's heard of Wall Drug? It's in the middle of SD...
http://www.walldrug.com/

Spenser and Mikey flurted with the ladies on the bench...









and Spenser is going to hell for these!

A quick drive through Eaton

When Spenser found out that we were going to be just 5 miles from the house that Frankie, Shawn and I grew up in - he decided he wanted to take a look.

So, while Mikey and Roger drove ahead in Big Bird, Spenser and I headed for a quick drive through Eaton.

Look at how big the trees are!

Eaton is certainly not the same town that I grew up in 20 years ago, nor is it as flat and brown as I remember. Here is Spenser by one the few remaining covered bridges still in use. This bridge is close to our old house. He was concerned of the sounds it made as we drove across - the creaking was just as I remember.

It's a great day in a bird dog's life when you wake up to chickens in your yard!

I'm not sure Ripley is a great neighbor.

On day 1 he found a creature living under our house - it appears to have been a skunk.

After Ripley peed all over his holes, and tried to dig him out - the skunk left us a nice smelling front yard - we think he might have found another home.

On day 3 - Ripley found one of the neighbors Rooster's outside of the pen - and proceeded to grab it's tail feathers, chase it into the hen house - and stir up a the whole house. Everyone lived...

Then this morning, when I left Ripley out - there were 3 of the neighbors chickens in our yard. Again they were able to out maneuver him - but it is only a matter of time. It's a good morning in a bird dogs life when you wake up to chickens in your yard!

The neighbor told me that it wouldn't be the end of the world if he killed some of them- because she wants to get "pretty" ones. I explained to her that if we let Ripley start snacking on them that he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the ugly ones, and the pretty ones. Her husband responded with "Neither can I"

Oh Where, Oh Where has my internet gone?

Internet has not arrived as we had hoped. Roger gave Verizon 5 weeks notice - yet they failed to show up. Roadstar came out - the Internet worked for 1 hour, and now it doesn't work either!
So we are still without Internet service! We are literally in the Roger's boss's driveway "borrowing" his Internet. Roger and I both have laptops sitting in the Z, we look like spy's.

I have quite a few pictures, and fun things to tell - but without access yet, not much is happening.

More to come soon....

We made it

We made it to Purcellville.
4 and 1/2 days. We drove 500-850 miles/day.

Currently our Internet service is limited to Roger's cell phone, and it doesn't want to upload pictures - so the pictures from our trip are still a few days out.

We are frantically trying to unpack stuff as the next truck comes tomorrow.
Stay tuned - I have some great pictures!