Author: viewfromtheporch2017

As the sun makes it’s daily arc across the sky, the comfort of a porch changes from cool and shady to being in the direct sun.   Therefore, I built a porch on each of three sides of the house, east, north and west, leaving the south for the sun room that receives the sun in the winter for passive solar heating.  With comfortable rockers and hammock swings, each porch is ready for pleasant sitting at any time of day.

The east porch has the early morning sun, but is perfect later in the day for watching birds at the feeders and supervising a dog in the fenced yard.  It is a good place to read and to share conversation with a friend.

The west porch is where I am most mornings with coffee.  Hummingbirds feed there and perch in the young maple trees between flights.  I can observe the comings and goings of my community of friends on the driveway, hear the crow of the young rooster who has just found his voice, watch the wind bend the bamboo tops and oversee my stand of hazelnut bushes. After the sun dips behind the trees, this porch is again my favorite for reading until the light fades entirely and bats have taken over the flight paths from the birds who have settled down for the night.

The porch on the north side is the entryway from the car.  Here packages and coolers tend to collect.  But a rocking chair also gives a relaxing spot when the heat of the day is too much elsewhere.  The woods are close here and the sounds of wind and birds are loudest.  A pair of Pileated woodpeckers shares the woods along with a variety of owls.  Turkey vultures nest in an abandoned building and launch their young every spring.

A small house and large porches makes for very pleasant living, cozy and spacious at the same time.  This week I reclaimed the porch railings from the morning glory vines in preparation for staining them.  Pressured washed and dry they will receive a semi-opaque stain for protection and to improve the appearance.  I read that new wood needs time to age before being treated, but perhaps 10 years was a bit long to wait.

Marianne

Age 70 was just the right age for me, but many people retire earlier and some never seem to get around to it at all. Yes, I planned it.  I gave my workplace one year’s notice. and when I left, I left.  Sure I was invited to come back and visit, but I never did that. I had seen others do that and noticed that they were disappointed when they were not recognized by all the current staff, nor accorded any special status commensurate with that they had previously enjoyed.

So plan to retire and plan the big trip “of a lifetime”. Mine was to Alaska, a cruise of course.  I  traveled on large ocean liners when I was young (Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth in 1950 and 1951).  That was not what I wanted for this trip. Research led me to a locally owned and operated cruise company from Sitka, Alaska, Alaskan Dream Cruises. Small ship cruising was just what I was looking for. I signed up 11 months ahead for 11 days on-board in Southeast Alaska.  It was all that I wanted; 48 passengers, seafood caught by the staff for our meals, excursions by Zodiac and kayak, a plunge into the sea to join the Humpback whale club (Yes, I did that!) and great native culture and natural history guides.  We also witnessed humpback whales mating right beside our ship, bears salmon fishing with their cubs in the trees watching, and sea otters relaxing in kelp beds. Oh, and glaciers calving, too.

I thought I might do a few more such trips, but I have not so far. Still, I do think I have learned that it is nice to have something to look forward to, so I plan 3-7 day adventures every couple of months with my friend and travel companion, Barbara. Researching, deciding where to go, when to go and what to do once there are all skills to keep the mind sharp and focused. It also means that I need to keep the car in shape and passport updated.  Who knows what or where may call to me next?