“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” Pablo Picasso
POSTED IN MY BLOG IN SEPT 2009 ON LIVEHONESTLY.COM
My 4-yr old granddaughter took this of me
I don’t know if where I’m at in my life is some sort of phase or if it’s more permanent. I’ve been downsizing my life for the past decade. I’m not much of a consumer these days at all. I don’t have the want to buy ‘things’. I own a few pairs of shoes. They’re all comfortable. I’ve gotten very simple. My wardrobe is simple. I cut my own hair. (And color it myself.) I don’t have my nails done or get pedicures. (It’s very obvious too.) But that’s okay.
I drive a 13-year old car that just turned over 209,000 miles complete with dents, faded paint and seat covers that could use refurbishing, but it gets 40 – 43 miles per gallon on the highway. Imagine that! I LOVE that it gets such awesome mileage for an old beater!! I don’t ever want to own a vehicle that gets less mpg than that.
Tiny creek on my land (better than looking at my car)
More about what my car is not. It’s not a keyless entry. It’s not electric anything. The windows have to be manually rolled up and down. To adjust the seats they have to be scooted by physical force. It has no sunroof. No heated seats. But I love my junkard, nonetheless. Mostly, I love that it gets such great mileage. That’s hugely important to me. It’s the number one thing I would look for in a new purchase. I love that it cost only $2,200 five years ago. I love that I have no car payment. My insurance is less than $30 a month. I never worry about it getting scraped or dented. So when I get into my scruffy little car I don’t see its flaws. I see what it has given me (just multiply a monthly car payment for the last five years - 60 months - and see how much money you’d save), and I appreciate what it continues to give me: reliable, cheap andrelatively environmentally friendly transportation.
Took this yesterday
Granted… I have to accept not having a ‘better’ car because I don’t have the money to upgrade. But I have actually lost the need or better yet, the want – this is the important point -- to own a new or newer, gorgeous, tricked out, status symbol vehicle. I used to have an almost new Chevy Blazer with leather seats, compass/temperature gauge, and electric everything. I liked it a lot. (I wish it would've handled the road better though.) At the time, I had the money to buy it. And after buying it, I never envisioned myself in less. But things change. I changed. It’s interesting to ponder…. And, by the way, I’m fine with people who have the money to buy beautiful cars -- if they get good mileage. I get it. I do. I’m just not there anymore. And I like not being there. In fact, if I won the lottery, a new car would not be one of my first purchases, or even on my top ten list. I would probably buy a motorcycle and for sure start a non-profit organization.
forest floor
Here’s something rather ironic. I called the Mazda company the other day (that’s what my car is) and asked what cars they currently have on the market that get the same or better mileage than my little Protégé. (After all, it does have 209K + miles on it.) Get this! They don’t even make a car that gets the mileage this old 1996 gets! How can that be? How can they make cars after 1996 that would get LESS mileage?? It’s almost 14 years later. Come on! How can that be? Grrr! That thought frustrates me so much….. I better go “ommmmm” myself… meaning take some deep breaths and meditate away that stressful concept.
Onto some fun ....
Onto some fun ....
I woke up to frost again this morning. I was up by 6:30. It was below freezing even at 8 a.m. I went camera hunting a couple of hours later and was focused on this Gray Headed Junco grooming (photo on left). Out of the corner of my eye something caught my attention....
I looked up the road to my right and it was this Mule deer (I don't think I need a capital "M" do I?) grazing. It wasn't far from my cabin. He didn't notice me at first, but then my sound (perhaps the camera clicking away) startled him...
I've said it before... the animals are often curious about me. He not only looked at me he actually started walking toward me. I counted three steps.. ! The 3rd step startled me a little. I was wondering how far he'd go...
But he stopped and when his curiosity was satisfied he turned and hopped off...
Scaredy Cat went "walking" with me again this morning. She follows me the way a dog does. Sometimes she's hopping behind me, then other times she flies off and returns a bit later. She's getting to where she'll hop on my finger without the prompt of food. Yesterday I began to pet her a little. I find the whole experience fascinating. I don't take any of it for granted.
A before picture
In addition to cutting my own standing dead trees, I've had to buy chopped wood for the winter. I simply don't have the time or energy to cut it all by myself. Here's a pile of wood delivered last night. Should be two cords. I've split about 1/4 of it with my new wood splitter today. It's still a lot of work, but it beats chopping all of it by hand! How's this for a small world? The guy who delivered it (I found an ad in the newspaper) went to school with my son...
Here's Scaredy Cat after I split wood.... she's always watching what I'm up to....
Here's what Scaredy Cat had been watching me do. She was perched on top the log sitting on the splitter...
You can't see him, but Clark is on the railing and is heading for my window again! He knocks like he's a little whacko...
Clark was watching me with Scaredy Cat and for weeks now he just knocks on my windows. He often knocks on the second story windows. I coaxed him down with a nut but then he went right back up to knock some more.
I saw a Steller's Jay today in my yard. It was the most gorgeous blue. I used to have one that would also knock on windows for nuts, but then he would be fine once he got fed. He never did what Clark is doing. This summer, I've only seen a Stellar Jay 3 times. I went to grab my camera but he was gone before I returned. Darn! He was so beautiful. I hope I can capture him on film before too long.
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