A Rare Night

This is a rare night indeed. I am all alone in the retreat house tonight. It is eerily quiet with only an occasional unrecognizable noise. Tornadoes are in the forecast - another rarity for New England. The ocean skies to the east are bright with breaks of blue skies while the western clouds are foreboding.

I called it an early night for the lawn-work. It was a good day because the lawn mower and wood chipper have been serviced and were made ready for us. I was excited for the chance to get to use them, but I had to put my desires on hold so I could go to my spiritual direction meeting this afternoon. In some respects, I felt foolish for wanting so badly to get outside to do some exhausting lawn work.

I first mowed the high grasses in an area once lined with apple trees. The grass was growing so high I was afraid the lawn mower would not cut much of anything, but to my delight the blades breezed through the rugged field. I was taken aback when I uncovered a ground nest of large eggs. They were so neatly laid that it looked like an artist arranged them for a photo shoot. I think I'll take a photo of them in the morning. I'm wondering if they are eggs for a large bird like a duck or turkey. Strangely, nothing was around to protect them. I thought that they could even be turtle eggs. I quickly covered them up so predators won't find them to easily.

The wood chipper is quite a machine with an 8.5 horsepower motor. It is loud and takes some time to use well. I never dreamed that the chipper would be the total answer to the massive woodpiles that I've created, but it will make a decent dent. Tomorrow I will use it with some wood that has been seasoned. It might go quicker than the vines I tried to shred today.

There's a lot of work to do and the work has tired me out.

So, I'm spending the night alone inside the house. The place will be dark and I will enjoy sitting in the chapel with only the vigil light as the bright spot. I'll respect the quiet of the house meaning that I will not turn on a television or radio. I'll treat myself to a juicy orange and sip a cup of tea and then I'll retire early.

This is a very pleasant night.