Rainy Days and Mondays

The Carpenters' song goes: Rainy days and Mondays always get me down. Not me. I love rainy days, even when they happen every single day. I don't even mind the cold that comes with the rain. That's why I have a jacket and sweaters to wear. I usually take them off when dancing in the rain.

I didn't get down to Divide today but I did gas up the car and discovered a new hamburger stand. The food was okay, not stellar, just okay, and it took forever to get. That is probably because there were 2 women working, one taking money and delivering food orders to people eating in the restaurant, and the other cooking the food. It was not a speedy operation, but the ladies were pleasant, amiable, and chatty. It's the main reason I didn't get to Divide today, but I did get home in time to work. Hooray -- sort of.

I finally unsnarled the chaos that comes with a move and dealing with the US Postal Service. I provided (finally) a document that showed my name and current address to their satisfaction. Now all I need to do is go back in 2 days and get the key to open the cluster mailbox that is about 5 miles down the road from my house. The carrier has 4000 people to deliver mail to and doesn't want to have to go to all the houses, so we must go to the mailbox, park, and get our mail from a locked box. At least now my mail won't be sent back to the place of origin and I will have to let everyone know (again) that I have moved and the address I gave them is actually valid. Yippee - sort of. I like the rain better.

As I ate my hamburger and cold sweet potato fries, which I didn't finish (too cold and too gross, but, yes, I could have used the microwave but it was too close to time to work), I heard a cacophony of cawing outside the windows. Once again (yes, this has happened before) a large murder of crows had descended upon my house (no, it had nothing to do with evil or witches) to stalk worms coming up out of the ground because of the rain and a little caramel colored bunny rabbit nibbling the greenery around the base of the steps to the laundry room. The bunny got away and the crows hopped and cawed all over the yard hunting earthworms for lunch. I've eaten earthworms (dried of course and ground up for chocolate chip cookies) and they're not half bad. They are also full of protein. I hesitate to eat them in any form since they break up the earth and aerate the soil, enriching it with their castings. They do the earth a good turn.

It has rained all but 1 days since I moved up here. I don't know what the other residents think about it, but I consider the rain good luck -- and good for the earth and trees in keeping the burn danger down. It's hard to catch a forest on fire if it is wet, and the trees around here are extremely wet. I am amazed how cold it is up here, but rain and wind have a tendency to do that. I'm tempted to close the window, but then I wouldn't get to smell wet pine trees and fresh air and rain-washed everything else. I rather enjoy those smells.

One thing I have noticed is that I will no longer be able to go 6 or 8 months without gassing up my car. Two weeks and I've already gassed up twice. Granted, I moved from Colorado Springs and that took quite a bit of gas, not to mention running around to get the right front tire valve stem fixed, but still. I did the unexpected and filled the car all the way up. I thought it best. Never know when I might have to trek down the mountain to get the mail.

Tomorrow I will try again for Divide to do the grocery shopping since there is nowhere closer to get it done. I might even try the BBQ place across the road from the market on my way home and then it's back to work and meet Kirk, the UPS guy. I haven't seen his eyes yet since he always wears sunglasses. He could possibly be bald, which I wouldn't mind, but can't tell since he always wears his hat. He dodged the question about his wife and I couldn't check his ring finger since he wears gloves all the time. I'll bet his hands are soft though and he has the cutest dimple.

Sorry, folks. No licentious behavior on the horizon. I'm just curious and I deserve to look at a handsome, rugged, tanned, and fit fella no matter his marital status because I like to look at good looking men. I guess I'll have to either ask him the color of his eyes and hair and be direct about asking about his marital status tomorrow if I'm to get any information. Or I could keep flirting and hope it pops up during the conversation after a few months. Anything is possible.

I think I'll leave the window open and put on my jacket and maybe get a cup of hot tea while I type hospital reports and occasionally gaze out at the barely discernible tumbled rocks of the peak next door where a weather vane on a pole perches atop some very rounded and overdosed looking rock formations that just beg to be explored and climbed. After all, my neighbor's horses feel free to meander over to my place, avoiding the fence and coming in through the front gate, to crop my grass. I should be allowed a trip to look closer at his mountain peak. It's only neighborly after all.

That is all. Disperse.