Still More Close to Home

PHOTO: A selfie with my mother in the woods! We go for early morning walks in the woods between our house and my parents’. We are spending more time together and discovering new things.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

My father took the plow off the truck. He said that would guarantee another snowstorm before Memorial Day. It did snow last week but that inch melted very quickly once the sun came out.
The snow sure made the grass greener–snow is “Poorman’s fertilizer.” Nitrogen in the air is collected by snow as it falls and then it is released as the snow melts and plants soak it up. So there is an up side to spring snow.
Sometimes I am productive around the house and sometimes I am not. I haven’t rearranged my sock drawer yet but I did give the bathroom and the bedroom a deep cleaning.
Charlie and I are still pruning blueberry bushes. Though I am switching things up and have started to rake and clean up the stonewalls near the house. I made myself good and sore raking the wet Oak and Maple leaves that have collected over the years. I borrowed my father’s tractor and stuffed all the leaves in the bucket and dumped them in the woods.
Yah, things are getting done that are usually ignored.
My mother and I continue to go for a walk together in the early morning. We stick to going through the woods and making a loop by connecting back to the gravel road. We cross under a big “Widow Maker.” The Widow Maker is a broken treetop that is hung up high on another tree. We’ve had some big winds that haven’t knocked it down yet so I am not worried about it. Mom points it out each time we cross beneath it. I hope I am not pushing my luck.

I am not much of a TV fan. I am not able to binge watch anything ever. We still haven’t finished Mrs. Maisel or Lillehammer and I didn’t get past the first episode of Ozark. I am reading a few books. My mother just gave me The Pine Tree Riot by Connie Evans about the true story of NH Colonists who defied the British Rule in the Spring of 1772–it is better than TV.
The Scrabble board has made a re-appearance in Charlie’s and my marriage. We didn’t own a TV when we were first married and we often played Scrabble and Backgammon to pass the time. I call Charlie Mr. Scrabble, I am no match for him. We don’t keep score either but we celebrate each big word score.

If you think I am always happy and cheery right now I assure you that I am not. I confess I do get fragile and upset.
I don’t like this. I want to be out hiking or skiing in Utah or at Mammoth right now. Thanks to cancelled trips I have credit with Delta Airlines and look forward to better days ahead.
I continue to count my blessings and to accept the things I cannot change. I am forever thankful that I live in New Hampshire.
Get outside and let’s make yard work fun!

Amy Patenaude is an avid skier/outdoor enthusiast from Henniker, N.H. Readers are welcome to send comments or suggestions to her at: amy@weirs.com.