Tomato Mystery
Strawbale House Update: Kitchen cabs are installed and awaiting 
hardware and counter-tops. The hole in the wall (in the kitchen) now makes sense, I hope, and can be seen in picture #1 as a flush pantry cabinet. Snow stops have been secured to the roof and today (in the rain) drainage trenching was done. Dusty and the mini-excavator also dug the greywater catch basin. This will keep me outside laying drainage pipe on nicer days and I can continue interior work, like painting, when the weather is bad. Most of the hard painting has been done... inside closets, under the stairs etc. Progress on the house is slowing slightly as I've taken on a new (part time) employment venture. I'm leaning how to install, service and repair dental equipment.... last week I helped set up a digital x-ray machine. Seems pretty basic so far, and everything comes with instructions. (I just have to learn how to follow instructions).
I'm loving horse ownership! But it sure takes up a lot of time. Lindero is settling in nicely and we're working on getting to really know each other. He is still young in horse years and has some maturing to do, but he's really intelligent, curious and willing to learn. (I just have to try to keep up) The two geldings are still trying to figure out where they stand with each other. Mikki is quite dominant and Lindero is willing to let that happen as long as it's respectful. However, he will not back down from a direct challenge, this creates some political imbalances in the horse realm. They can now share time in the same paddock for several hours amicably, but we're not sure if they can be trusted without supervision. Kari and I went on a more challenging trail ride during the week and Lindero did great. He also showed me a whole new over-drive gear that I didn't know he had. Wow! (Still has not broken gait, but maybe this was a sobreandando) During our ride, there was a Fire Dept. call-out for a horse rescue. A horse had fallen down a steep embankment, (sans rider). All ended well, as a path was cut the rest of the way down the bank to the beach and the horse was led down.
Over the last couple of weeks, tomatoes left in our fruit bowl, (on the kitchen counter) have been gnawed by an unknown assailant... at first we suspected Ashley... then perhaps a voracious mouse. The mystery was finally solved when we offered a slice of tomato to each of our cats. Boo Radley readily accepted. The tomatoes have a new secret storage location.
