Settling

There’s something living under my deck.  It is unsettling.  You’d think I’d have given up that kind of thing when I left the woods of Virginia, but no they are all around me living in the city of Pittsburgh.  I have had a momma deer and a very baby fawn in my back yard (well back alley – someone else’s yard) and that fawn was so little it was drinking milk from it’s momma.  I mean it’s not every day you see something like that…in the city.   A week or so ago I was sitting on my deck, face in the sun, which doesn’t happen that often here, and well with eyes shut something jumped, slithered, left the deck.  I felt it.  But jumping up with glasses off and looking around I didn’t see it.  Today, another sunny beautiful beautiful day I thought I’d take my book out and read on my beautiful sunny deck.  But as it is, it is way too hot.  The sun beats down (I’m going to get that umbrella) so I just sat there soaking up some sun when a squirrel jumped onto the deck and I figured – ah ha!  That’s it…Little sucker…and he quickly jumped back off when I said “I see you!” and off he went.  So mystery of the creature solved, so I thought. And then when I went over to the right side to check on a flower pot I heard it again. A slither, a thump, a rustling of some kind right there on the side of the deck. And inside I came. I think that’s enough sun for today.

I’ve met two neighbors – three if you count the one who is moving out this weekend.  Rich who lives right next to me, and I mean right next to me, is very nice and helpful.  He cuts the hillside (I don’t really have a yard) although this week he needs to cut it..lol..and he says he traps raccoons and possums and things of that sort over in his yard.  But he’s away for the weekend or I’d be yelling RICH – when I heard the rustling.  I don’t know if I should be communing with the nature or getting rid of it.  I suppose it depends on what it is.

Another neighbor’s name is Lynn – she is just lovely – she lives a couple doors down and lives in the house her grandfather built.  Her flowers are gorgeous – perfectly landscaped yard AND she has a pool – an above ground pool – very clean.  We’d have to be REALLY good friends though for two of us to float and by the number of people I see on her porch always visiting I would guess I would be low man on the invite list.

However, there is a community pool not too far from me.  I’m gonna try it one of these weekends.  My nephew Kai (4 years old) wants to spend a day with me and he loves swimming so I think that’s when we’ll try it.

So far I love living up here on this hill.  And I mean hill.  I walk to the bus or incline every morning to start my morning commute – it is a very good walk – nice hills for exercise.  Some days I walk, incline, bus and the subway to get to my work.  All of that only takes ½ hour. Isn’t that something?  Other days I take a bus that comes to the end of my street and that bus takes me into the city and then I walk some more in the city to get to work.  I love walking and feeling healthy and all but lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in the chiropractor’s office.  I must have pulled something, I’m assuming during the move, so I’m limping and taking Advil in great quantity after these walks. But that’s going to be all fixed soon and then Sandy said we will walk all over this hill.  I mean it’s so great living up here.  There’s typically always a breeze (except this morning) and a really good breeze too, my street is very quiet as it’s not a thoroughfare – it’s a dead end ish – so nobody really comes on this street.  However, I understand all bets are off on the 4^th of July.

My neighbor Rich says to me the other night “this is your first year isn’t it” – and I’m thinking what the eff is he talking about…well he’s talking about my first 4^th of July on Mt. Washington.  So yes it is true, it is my first year.  And since then my other neighbor Lynn has also given me a heads up about the 4^th.  The city of Pittsburgh does this fireworks display every 4^th of July and it is fabulously fabulous.  But unless you live here or are crazy and want to fight the crowds you only see it on TV.  I think I came in one year with some child and although worth it – heaven forbid you have to pee OR get home.  It’s the getting home that’s the worst.  That’s what my neighbors were sharing with me. They said after the fireworks the traffic backs up for at least an hour as everyone attempts to go home.  That’s when our street gets busy because people don’t know that our street doesn’t go through or off the hill so it’ll be a busy night.  And I need to be sure not to move my car or I will never get my spot back.  Kinda reminds me of when I lived on Treasure Island for that summer and if I moved my car over certain weekends I wouldn’t get it back either.  I’ll just be prepared for my “first” year.  I was going to have my kids or my niece or invite anyone but since it is a work day for me I don’t want people in my house until midnight so maybe next year after I get the lay of the land.  I also found out that the best view – or where they set them off is at the end of my street – I mean I think it’s going to be pretty awesome.

I have much more unpacking to do – I was almost done when we decided to close out and clear out my mom’s storage so now I have her boxes of stuff that I have to figure out what to do with – I have NO room here for storage.  Which makes me think about what I’m learning are the most important things in life.  I think about that Florida adventure of mine – that 5 years away from home that also included the Virginia adventure.  Those memories seem like a book I read – someone else’s book – and I only remember pieces of it now.  And one of the life lessons that I have kept since that time is

1. closet space is important.

It’s really not about having too much stuff – it’s about the necessity of closet space.  I know I can live without these scrapbooks and my mother’s record albums, but when I sit down and go through a box and smile at the memories…well it’s all worth it for that moment that I’m looking.  And how better to remember this life we’ve led – right?  I mean I’m already saying I hardly remember my Finally Florida days – which is not exactly true, but those memories will be going by the wayside sooner than later, especially at this age, and how happy will I be if I have photos to remind me?  Stuff to remind me.  I still keep stuff around that those Baker kids gave me over the years. And I think of them everytime I see one of my trinkets.  Or my glass wares from Katy’s house (at Treasure Island) – or this shell jar and coffee mug from Sandee.  It’s all stuff that I can live without – but I don’t want to. I want to remember. So, therefore, closets are important.

I keep saying I’m going to buy a house next year after I decide if I like living up here. After one month I’m thinking I’ll be staying and trying to find the best street that gives me the best vantage point for sunsets.  Meanwhile, both boys are talking Cali 2020 (moving to California) – it’s a joke right now – but in my life jokes can become reality.  I told them I only had a year’s lease so I can move at any time, but maybe I’ll just let them have their adventure and I’ll stay up here, on this mountain, and wait for them to come home again. IF they even go.

In the meantime, I’ll look at photo albums and get a shovel to protect myself against the creature living under my deck.

xoxox

Some house pics…still getting settled keep in mind!

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