Two Weekends Too Cold To Photograph

So the last couple of weekends have been blog busts for two reasons. Thanksgiving is almost on us, and with 6 guests, I wanted my place to be shipshape and pristine. And the weather has been horrendous. The first weekend, although lovely through Meadow House windows as I stood sipping tea and enjoying the sun, was bitterly cold and windy. I had hoped to go out and grab a few shots of the last autumnal foliage that was valiantly hanging onto its branches but once I stepped outside I knew I wouldn't be hiking or straying too far from the car at all.

The two photos above were the only photos I took, a local park and my favorite tree, the White Sycamore. The rest of the weekend was spent polishing wood floors and washing kitchen shelves and all crockery that hadn't been used for a while that I'd want for Thanksgiving Day.
This last weekend was rush, rush, rush. The winds were hurricane strength as they bombarded the house, causing the cats to look up at the strange noises and then look at me as though I could explain it. They would both dash out, wanting some fresh air, when I opened the patio door, but then after a quick roll and sniff round the log stack, would come hurtling back inside.
I also had a dilemma to solve. My tiny house has never had so many folks to dinner before and I was very concerned about seating. For years I have hated my small, boring pine table but hadn't seen one to replace that I could afford. I had popped into a Restore shop during the week but seen none I liked yet I had spotted a cute small arm chair that I was now wishing I'd got. So I drove back down there Saturday morning to snap it up. But oh, calamity, it was gone! I walked up and down the aisles, not believing it wasn't there, but then I did spot the sweetest little striped armchair in greens and blues, so I snaffled that instead. And then to my immense joy, I came across a solid oak dining table that extended, but closed up would fit in the space where my tiny pine table sat. I had resolved earlier to just use a folding table that I had in the shed and cover it with a tablecloth, but this one was beautiful, and in my cheap budget. There were 5 chairs, but I didn't need or want those, since I don't like sets of anything, so I just grabbed one and then donated back the other 4. So it was with a very happy heart that half an hour later I was driving down the road, Stuart stuffed full with a dining room chair, an armchair and a table perched on the roof, held down with my kayak straps. I took the back roads home slowly, munching on an egg sandwich and rocking as the winds buffeted the car from side to side. There were broken boughs on the road that I had to dodge and even a snake shimmied across the road in front of me, zigzagging quickly to reach the other side. The only birds flying were the vultures, sweeping low so I could see their claws tucked up under them. Not even the crows were out today.
I had to get Matt, my neighbor, to help me get the table inside once I got home, and the wind pinched my face as we unloaded the car. But it did look marvelous once it was placed under the window. Photos will be in the next blog entry. All photos below were taken with my iPhone so quality isn't great...

I had dragged in branches from outside and decorated those with lights which made the room cozy, and even managed to quickly paint a couple of my favorite birds that we see at Meadow House, the black vulture and the crow. These were on bits of wood that I'd pulled off a pallet they didn't offer much room for painting but they fit nicely under my cuckoo clock.
So while I bustled about the house, prepping for my Thanksgiving dinner, Kota and Rosie Lee snuggled up on chairs and in their beds, ignoring my pandemonium and the howling winds outside.

The fire crackled and cast a warm glow on the room as daylight dimmed and I finally managed to get to the end of my long list of chores. Everything had been washed, dusted, polished and vacuumed. The house sparkled with cleanliness and even the front door had been given a new lick of paint with shiny new numbers on it. I was ready!