Ready for winter at Wren's Nest.

Well. After a break that lasted longer than I anticipated–it got really hot outside, and didn’t cool down below 75 degrees for several nights–this morning I finished stacking the firewood for the winter.

It feels good to have this big, strenuous chore done. I’m paying for my steady three hours of work this morning, though. My hands, wrists and hips are all sore and achy. Still, I’m not immobilized, and I’m grateful. This pain is moderate, made more bearable with a combo dose of Tylenol and tramadol.

Our Indian-summer heat wave is on it’s way out, finally. I’ve enjoyed working outdoors early in the morning, so I’m planning to get busy on some garden clean-up, now the wood is done. We have wild blackberry canes growing over the walk along the north side of the house, and all the walks and patios–and the driveway–need swept and neatened. Flowering plants need dead-headed, too. It’s a little too early in the fall here for pruning just yet, so I’ll leave that for later in the year. But there’s plenty to do. I’m going to take advantage of this gentle respite from intense, disabling rheuma pain.

I believe the plaquenil-Arava-sulfasalazine combination is working. My rheumy is going to be pleased when I see him again in November.