The advantage to being unemployed

Ah yes, the sleeping in each morning, the books I have the time to read, the being available to do what ever I want to do when ever I want, the advantages to being unemployed. I decided to take a few days this week and go up to my parent’s cabin up in the mountains. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and left early Saturday morning. I think it is interesting how much easier it is to want to be active when I am completely alone than when I know eventually some one else will come along and put that dirty dish in the dishwasher for me. (Sorry mom. ;) But there is something to this.



There is something about being in the mountains in the autumn that makes everything seem sharper, clearer, better. The light is warmer, mellower, and it softens as it hits the yellowing leaves shaking in the breeze. On Thursday I decided to walk down to the little stream running at the foot of the property. Getting down there and just sitting by the water was so calming and relaxing. I found mint growing by the side and was able to make mint tea.



Not that everything was perfect. The first day I arrived I noticed that the homemade pinecone bird feeders my nephews had made were completely picked clean from all of the birdseed. I decided it would be nice to have some birds to look at while I was there so I set to work to make my own birdfeeders. Then came the first problem, I could not find a pinecone within a five mile radius. I searched and searched, went to visit ALL of the pine trees in the area and not one of them had a single pine cone resting on the ground or beneath its boughs. I settled and decided to just use a stick with a 90° angle on it. Then came problem number two, I couldn’t find any string. My resolve to make these birdfeeders was wavering at this point. I did find something I could make do with and finally got the birdfeeders constructed. Then came problem number this, there weren’t any birds. I kept checking every time I passed by the window to see if some lucky bird had found the cache. Then I started searching the sky and the tree tops to see if I could even find a bird. There wasn’t a single one. It was like they had already migrated south. I was so discouraged. Friday morning I woke up unusually early, (in one of the “S” hours!) and heard the sweetest sound, birds chirping. They had found the birdfeeders!




Friday afternoon I decided to go for a walk. I walked down the road quite a ways and then made my way down to the stream. My plan was to follow the stream up to the cabin. I made it about ten feet before I looked up and not twenty feet away from me, I saw this beauty!

They looked calm enough, but I decided they might not take kindly to someone walking through the stream they were drinking from. So I quickly and quietly made my retreat. But I can say this was definitely my closest encounter with a moose.

Ah yes, it is the simple pleasures of life.