Getting back into a routine

After many months away now is the hard part - trying to get back into a routine. Everything seems different and unfamiliar at the same time. Because I was gone over the winter not as much changed around town as could have. Or at least at what I've seen.

The vibe and people are what I remembered. On the go. None of the laid back Scandinavian attitude found in North Dakota. The people here look different and act different. Fortunately I can handle either attitude, though right now I prefer the forward leaning do-something attitude found here.

I found my well and water pipes were fine. No frozen pipes. I had left a light bulb on in my well shed and a heater as backup. The light bulb was burnt out when I arrived. The heater worked.

My mailbox was crooked as the snowplow was unable to knock it off my new post over winter. On my to-do list is to reattach it correctly.

I've unpacked much of my luggage. I'm still struggling to get into a routine.

I stopped by the County election office, and after speaking with Karen (another North Dakota transplant as she was originally born in Grand Forks, ND), I found she had filled all the election judge positions for the primary election. Darn! I was looking forward being an election judge again this year. I learned that the chief election judge with whom I worked last time, Carmen, got married and moved to the Hamilton area in SW Montana. Many of the women remembered me and told me to check back for the general election is November as they will try to find me a position.

I spoke with Dan this morning. He is still putting a herd together as one of his sources fell through. He may not get a full herd together so I may end of cutting the hayfield this year. I'll see what happens.

This morning I walked part of the pasture and checked the boundary fences and river. The fences look good. The river is muddy and high and moving right along. It doesn't appear that any trees blew down over winter. But then they seldom do. It is during summer rain/wind storms that they can get blown over.

While uptown yesterday it rained. I waited until it quit and rode my bicycle back home last evening on wet roads. Three miles from home it began to rain. Hard. I was soaked by the time I got home. After supper I fell asleep early listening to my favorite radio station.

This morning I got up early. 8 am! Can you imagine me getting up that early if I didn't have to?

I am at the library again today and thunder has started to rumble. Outside the open library window the street now sounds wet . Another wet ride home I guess. *sigh*