Dupont:

I never encountered iffy water in rural PA; a limestone area but our water came from the spring house on the property. It nicely served the old house (1820) and the one we built. I recently "friended" the woman whose family bought the new house (circa 1962); Her Dad still lives there but had a well dug. The people who bought the old house let the spring house fall in! I must ask her if the water is different!

The water at the mill and that area is orange (iron), as is the well water at Beaver. Turns bathtub orange, as did the well at the cabin we rented for a couple years. One hot bath and the tub had to be scrubbed. Hence, distilled water or rain water in the studio! I kept thinking I had made a mistake in mixing a glaze but "clayart discussion forum" assured me orange water was the problem!

Yes, SRS, I realize some people have music or something going all the time. I once had a wonderful flatmate who kept radio tuned to CBC-FM. It was quite tolerable. But silence/nature is generally my preference. My family had a cabin in the woods in central PA. There was a Victrola! I ;put on a record one day (age 17) and quickly realized I could no longer hear the trees moving. That was that.

Big shock! Last week a friend came by and the woman next door came over - on her yard. Rita talked with her (French) and told me they are thinking of selling the lot between our houses. She has wonderful gardens and the chickens! There is a little house that could be a studio. SO, I prevailed upon R to go talk to her this am.

I consider her yard the best part of living here! To be able to look out and see the chickens! "We can't afford it!" She is asking the amount we paid for this house! And told him she has people interested but is in no hurry. I am ready to go to bed and pull the covers over my head. The wonderful cedar hedge along our drive is on their property and the wonderful trees I see from the BR window. Last year the cross-the-road neighbours took out their beautiful cedar hedge; now I look across at a boring house and sheds, and numerous vehicles, sometimes a trailer or an RV.

Well, I still have Beaver. If Ontario ever gets safe enough that I can go back and forth again! At present, I can go there, as a resident, but cannot come back to Quebec because I am not a resident.

I brought in a good bunch of firewood yesterday and have a fire in the stove. The next two weeks are to be cool - highs around 60. I am going to turn the heat up a bit and wallow in TV, and the computer. Make a thermos of herb tea. That's a plan.