Grateful

I’ve been meaning to write for a while now but life has been so full in mostly good ways, I haven’t taken the time to organize my thoughts. I looked back to see how long it’s been and was surprised two months had passed since my last post… if I wait much longer, much will be forgotten or you’ll get a novel in your inbox and ain’t nobody got time for that!

We’ve got home-school lessons and elective classes five days a week along with jujitsu and Neighborhood Club twice a week for Mark. Brian has been doing a ‘polar plunge’ once a week (I’ve joined him twice!!) as well as the infrared sauna which we enjoy together once a week. Also, I’m finally taking advantage of the gym membership I purchased back in September and then there’s my job, visits to the library, the grocery store, and walking the dog.

Life is full, but the pace is so much gentler than our life was in VA and for that I am incredibly grateful.

The only stressful thing we’re contending with at the moment is our first insurance claim as landlords. We had tenants move into our VA home at the beginning of October and before the end of the month, there was a leak in our utility closet, so while our first check for our new insurance was in the mail, we were calling them to file a claim. Thankfully, the policy went into effect on the day of our signing, not the day they received our payment so much of the work needed to repair this has been covered. There’s just been multiple contractors involved and multiple payments to make and multiple miscommunications between us and our property management company, but I think we’re nearly finished.

On Veteran’s Day, Mark and I ventured out to explore the trail around Upper Hadlock Pond. Despite staying on what we thought was the trail, we didn’t make it around Lower Hadlock Pond and wound up on the Carriage Roads multiple times. Confusion aside, it was still an extremely enjoyable hike and we’ll likely go back again frequently. This is a pond we pass each time we drive out of town and it still captures my attention.

Right here in Northeast Harbor, there’s a labyrinth of trails to discover. I had avoided them over the summer assuming they’d be crowded with people and dogs. Chauncey loves people and dogs but can be particularly LOUD and ENTHUSIASTIC in his greeting of other dogs which is often interpreted as aggression. Now that it’s November and town is essentially shut down, I decided the time had come to check them out. We all LOVED it. The trail we followed (I think Schoolhouse Ledge) wound uphill through tall trees over mossy and rooted ground. Chauncey’s nose was on the ground the whole time as he eagerly pulled me on a bit quicker than felt safe given the uneven terrain but we made it unscathed to the end of the trail. Given his age and various lumps that could have been punctured or scraped, this won’t be a repeat route for Chaunce, but Mark and I have already gone out on warm afternoons to get lost in the woods again.

November has been surprisingly mild temperature wise. We’ve been able to leave our windows open for a handful of days. There have been a few particularly cold mornings and I wasn’t sure how Chauncey would deal with chill. At home in VA, he was always barking to come in within a minute… hurtling in before I had even fully opened the door, often banging his head, shoulder, or hip in the rush. Here in Maine, we don’t have a yard and our morning walk is anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. One morning, where the windchill felt like 17, I bundled up for what I assumed was going to be a lap around town, but Chauncey had other plans. We walked across the street. He did his business and then he pulled me back home and ran up the stairs to get back to his warm spot on the couch. I think we’ll survive January in this manner.

Leaving you with a harbinger of what’s to come… with Hope and Dread.

(these apparently just wait in this person’s driveway at the edge of town until needed)