Settling In

After just over three weeks in our new home, we are beginning to see some signs of settling in, although there is still a long way to go. Most of the furniture has found a permanent home. However, despite large garage sales, ‘pre-estate’ sales, and giving things away, we still arrived with what seemed like far more ‘stuff’ than we remember packing. That is the curse of packing for four months and unloading in three weeks, I suppose. Eventually, it will all fit, but a place for everything will not happen immediately.

Despite one hot spell (high of 91), most days the weather has been delightful. The heat wave did get us to install our window AC units, but we’ve used them very little other than that one time. Most days have been in the low 70’s, with night temps down into the 50’s and occasionally in the 40’s. The fronts come through more frequently here than in BR. I suppose it is because we are further north. We are getting rain, or at least clouds, every second or third day.

Other than hardware and home improvement stores, we have done little exploring of the local area. We have discovered nearly ALL the casual dining places in St. Johnsbury (about six). Fortunately, most of them are reasonably good, but there is not a lot of variety. We have a McDonalds, but have to drive about 15 miles to find chain restaurants that are common in BR. Fortunately, they are across the street from Home Depot, so we have lots of opportunities.

Our dogs made the trip fine and survived a week in the kennel with about 10 hunting dogs. They are adjusting to being unfenced and having deep woods at their back door. Lucy went adventuring yesterday for about four or five hours, giving us fears of a worst case scenario. (Fortunately it was the next day when our next-door neighbor related how her boxer had chased a BEAR away that morning) But when we returned from an errand, she was waiting no the back porch as if it was a perfectly normal event. I don’t worry about Shadow getting lost. He is too old to wander far. His biggest issue is getting up and down stairs. It is a struggle for his arthritic legs, and he fell down the steps several times before getting adept. He is much better since we put some carpet pads on the steps.

I finally bought a lawn tractor to keep up with mowing the acre of yard we have. The neighbors are probably happier about it than me, as our yard has begun to resemble a pasture rather than a well kept estate. Weather permitting, it will be lawn-like by the end of the weekend. This winter the tractor will be a snow thrower, so it really is a year round machine. There is apparently a competition as to has the biggest most macho tractor in the neighborhood (I lost!), but I do wear my John Deere hat with pride…ta da!!!