Author: Elaine

Check engine light

Last week, I was driving my Suburu when the check engine light came on. Since the auto shop we use is close to Jack’s work, he took it in for me on Monday. I kept my fingers crossed that the repair wouldn’t be too expensive.
The result? I didn’t fasten the gas cap securely the last time I filled the tank, causing a sensor to detect that the vacuum that should have been there wasn’t. The shop charged us $0 for this information. So, if your check engine light comes on in your Suburu, check your gas cap. It can’t hurt.

Fox Run Park

Fox Run Park
For years I’ve been driving by the entrances to Fox Run Park, which is about five miles due east of where I live, thinking that I ought to check it out one day. I stopped this afternoon, and found a little gem of a park. In this photo, Pikes Peak is framed by trees across an expanse of ornamental water. Along the trail I walked, the trees have been thinned so that the woods seem spacious with very little understory. Since the main species is Ponderosa pine, there is a very faint smell of vanilla, unlike the strong pine scents of the forests I remember from the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Cottonwood Creek

Cottonwood Creek
Sunday, while my mother was at Mass, I took a walk along Cottonwood Creek. This shot points to where I imagine Pikes Peak would be if it weren’t for the clouds.

Miscellaneous updates

Our wood stove sold today at my friend’s yard sale. Early on, a woman stopped while taking her kids to school and bought a lead rope. Evidently she had a discussion with her husband and came back and bought the stove about noon. Her husband came by after work to pick it up with his truck. I saw the look of dismay on his face when he tested lifting it, and volunteered to haul it in my trailer (which it was in at the time) since I knew approximately where they live. This was my only real goal for the sale, so I am quite happy.

Lily and Rags haven’t quite reached the little hearts and rainbows floating over their heads stage yet, but I expect to see it soon. They were eating from the same hay feeder when I looked out at them this morning. Smoke is just happy to have Rags back: he was slightly depressed while Rags was gone.

Lily and Rags

With considerable trepidation, I brought home Rags yesterday to join Smoke and Lily. I put Lily in a stall so she could meet Rags over the gate, and flinched when Lily squealed, struck and half reared to impress Rags. Rags seemed more intrigued than offended. Later, when I let Lily and Rags out of their stalls after their evening meal, heels flew in all directions, and I was only slightly relieved when I noticed that the two horses seemed to maintain at least one horse length between them when they kicked. Although the night was chilly, I left the bedroom window open so I could listen for sounds of fighting in the horse field.

This morning, they were still displaying enough snarkiness that I carried a whip as I handled the horses, to discourage them if they got carried away while they were next to me. A careful inspection showed no signs of impact injuries or injury caused lameness, so I decided they were adjusting. I saw almost no signs of aggression when I fed this evening. Jack let them out of their stalls when they were done eating their concentrate. I watched from the window and they all acted as if they had known each other for years.

It is probably too soon to be sure, but Lily may end up as the dominant horse. Without making a big deal of it, Rags drifted around her to get to a pile of hay, rather than driving her off from the one she was eating. I’ve never cared much how herd hierarchies work themselves out, as long as they are reasonably stable so the horses aren’t continually stressed. However Rags has run this field for quite a few years now, and I will feel slightly sorry if he is displaced by a redhead with an attitude.

Postal Confirmation

I may have been the last to learn this, but I just found out that the confirmation site for the United States Postal Service allows you to request status email to three names when you put in your confirmation number. I sent something priority mail to Nevada on Monday, and I just received the notice that it was delivered this morning.