Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder. I’m thinking roughing it is a bit like that. For example, Prince Harry recently had a wee adventure of the Antarctic trekking kind. Now, given his normal lifestyle, I expect that the cold — indeed, the frozen, isolated conditions — felt pretty rough to him. On the other (frost bitten) hand, a fur trapper from the Yukon Territory might think young Harry’s circumstances were pretty damned plush. The planning, catering, safety equipment, high tech clothes and tents, not to mention the minions traveling with him…. Well, you get my drift.

Anyway, the subject of “roughing it” is on my mind because that is essentially what I’m doing at the moment. And I’m wondering how long I will be happy continuing to do so.  Now you might think I’m being unnecessarily pessimistic — the house is being renovated, after all. I just need to be patient. Okay, I get that. But my concern is that if things don’t move along at a cracking pace, reno-wise, it will become wintertime. That’s when Prince Harry and I begin to have more than a porta-potty in common

I’m not saying I’ll need sled dogs to get around, but I’m thinking a hi-tech tent might be warmer. I do have a faux fur onesie that I reckon will keep me snug most of the time, and some new Ugg boots, but the house itself may still be cold. And breezy. There are a number of …open areas, you might say, in the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. This, of course, is why the possums, and the occasional devil, enjoy coming here.

The possums are very friendly. Why wouldn’t they be? I hear you mutter. Well, as a matter of fact it isn’t as hospitable for them as it once was. A woman’s touch (that would be mine) has meant that there is no more food to go in search of. I’ve reorganized the kitchen just a bit, and the results are heart-warming.

Adam (my son) laughed when I said I was writing on the subject of “roughing it.”  He commented that he hoped I would mention the fact that I was sitting comfortably in his recliner, drinking a glass of wine while blogging on my iPad.  Okay. All true. But I still say there is an element of … roughness about the place. Take the fine layer of red dust that coats everything. Please. Ba-boom. It’s true. The silky-fine powder is impossible to get rid of. The driveway needs to be sealed but there are other priorities. Like plumbing.

We do have electricity, but in a sort of Rube Goldberg way. These things will all be addressed in good time. Right now we are progresing toward a new roof. Then the walls. I especially look forward to having new walls. The goats have mostly given up joining us inside, and the possums are less of a bother now, but the rotten wind keeps blowing in that darn red dust.               MM