Spring Cleaning at the Ranch

Yesterday was a typical Easter for us in the High Country.  I woke early to let the dogs out, start the coffee and brush the demanding cat.  She won't shut up til I give in give her a good brushing.  It was, as usual, still dark outside.  I stoked the fire, glad to see the 20 yr old daughter that refuses to work had loaded wood into the fire before retiring, which is usually sometime right before I get up.  Then I sat down on the computer to pull up my e-mail and check my daily horoscope.  Typical daily routine for me.

As the darkness lifted over the earth, I noticed it was lighter than usual along the ground lines....yes, it was snowing!  April 12th.  Easter.  Now, this isn't an unusual occurance for us living at 8500' along the Central Rockies.  In fact, its normal.  Many an Easter I have spent hiding eggs inside the house for the kids to hunt.  We have even hidden the eggs more than once just to enhance the experience!  It's always been kinda fun.  On the rare occasion when we actually COULD hide eggs outside, we have to do it quickly, as the dogs were not far behind rooting out our treasure.  An egg head count was necessary, although we could never come together on the actual amount of eggs we hid, empty cartons besides the point, some got used for salad before the event and some just plain got et by the adult egg hunters.

But now that the kids are grown, the hubby has expired and I am here with the one child that seems to have planted herself permanently in the World of Warcraft, my Easters are different.  I spent some time updating my numerous online accounts and sites that I post stuff to like Facebook, Postlets etc and yearning for email.  The daughter spent plenty of time World of Warcrafting.  Then we got moving.

As the snow swirled and the wind blew, we got out the ladders.  Not just your usual ladders.   I pulled in the big 12 footer.  Set it up under those darned upside down light fixtures that manage to catch the dead bugs.  Pulled them down and washed them up and lo!  Light! 

It's amazing how much light a pile of dead bugs block! 

Then we hit all the high spots...the mounts, the dusty antlers and the boar pig with the captains hat, the commemerative knife collection....all things nailed 'way up high that collect dust.  Dusted! The tops of the bookshelf!  Vacuumed and Dusted!  I even rearranged some furniture!  Open space! Or, as the dogs see it, more space for them to lay around.  Pulled off many of those stupid knicky knacky things that collect during the course of a lifetime!  Counterspace!

Of course, we were covered with dust and the schmutz that comes off the tops of things that haven't been dusted in years, but felt great! Its that feeling that knowing the cobwebs are gone, the dust has been cleared away in places visitors can't see.  To think of it, I may even invite someone over to see the house cause those dust bunnies have been sucked away!  It's been awhile since I had a party....

But first I have to clean out the room that I piled all that knickyknacky junk and spare furniture in. 

Thats for another snow day.  It's April, ther'll be another one soon......