Squirrels and Snow

As I have told in many stories here that my husband is a country boy. I am his city girl. Our jobs never allowed for living in the country, at least not country enough for him. We have always compromised by being in the suburbs.
It was a real compromise since I wanted to live in the city core and he wanted to live on a mountain top.
Over the years we have both migrated to the others side just a wee bit.
Not enough that he had the same love of New York City as I do. 
But after my time in Vermont, I am wondering if I can really slow down my life to that point.

The vistas were perfection. 
The little villages were so storybook. But no Costco?
I laugh at myself just typing that but it's honestly a thought that went through my head. It seemed like everything was so far away. No grocery store just down the street. No liquor store to be seen where I was. (Poultney, Wells, Arlington and Manchester)

I say I want to slow down and while sitting on the deck with my morning coffee I was thinking I could really like this. My shoulders weren't up at my ears from stress. I found it instantly relaxing and less stressful. Just like I want my retirement to be. No traffic. God the lack of traffic alone would be a blessing.
I went through 6 states and I had no traffic until I got to the beltway. 
Then it was hurry up and wait. I sat and sat and that portion of my trip was the longest. But what about medical in those areas? Since I have medical issues as does Rick would that even be smart? Hmm.....

Rick would be a happy camper because of all the animals he'd see and have. 
I never grew up with any animals.
I didn't dislike them but was never exposed to any. 
When my father married my stepmom she came with a wonderful new sister and this little fuzzy toy poodle. 
This poodle was carried around like a purse. It wasn't an affectionate dog either. It yipped and snipped and was such a barker. It was my new sister's little dog and that is the only person he loved. The feeling was mutual. 

Looking back I am sure this poor dog was overwhelmed moving to a new home, more people and who could blame him. But this dog did not win me over and I was non-plussed with this dog.
My parents were not animal people so there just was no exposure to them. Even my extended family didn't have animals. 

Now I have always been scared to death of cats so there was that issue. 
But overall I was never exposed to animals until I met Rick. 
This man loves animals, all animals. Well, thankfully his least favorite animal is a cat so I don't have to worry about him bringing home a cat. 

If animals die or get hurt on tv or in a movie he is crying. (I will deny ever telling you this folks! ) If animals are hurt in any way he is a hot mess. 
Kids and dogs are his kryptonite. 
Slowly but surely he has brought animals into my life.
Especially dogs. He loves big dogs. I know every dog he has had. 
Every bird he has had. I don't wish to have a bird. 
A goat yes, a bird, not so much.

When we used to go to the beach in Erie PA there was a bird sanctuary. He loved to show me this bird or that bird. To me, he was this critter boy and that is what I began calling him. When we lived in the Pacific Northwest we got to see animals up close that I hadn't seen before in what I call real life.  Moose, coyotes, and eagles come to mind. To make you laugh at me a bit more, I thought the coyote under my window in our new apartment was a dog. So I yelled for Rick to come to see this big dog. He laughed and said that sure wasn't a dog and don't start calling them or petting them you goofball. I still had a lot to learn I realized. Oh, how I have been teased about that one.

Once there was a critter category on Jeopardy. Alright so it wasn't officially called Critter Category but in my mind, that is what it should have been called. 
He knew every answer before anyone and I would laugh at his answers. 
A Two-Toed Sloth? That is a real thing? Sure enough, that was the answer. 
Then I got a dissertation on the 2 and 3 toed sloth. I didn't much care but I heard it all and laughed. But you know what? They are cute little suckers. I mean, c'mon, have you seen a baby 2 toed sloth, yes you'll melt.

Once he took me to the county fair. To me, the county fair was for the rides and funnel cake. For Rick, it was to see all the animals. 
See how different we are?
Off to the fair we went, a sheep came over to him at the fence. Over the years I have seen all kinds of animals come directly to him like he's Dr. Doolittle.
Rick rubbed this sheep's head from the top of his head down to his nose and the sheep fell asleep standing up. The little boy next to him thought this was pretty cool and wanted to try, but his mother wouldn't let him put his hands through the fence to touch him. Silly mom.
Rick just has a way with animals that I never had.

If he had his way we would live on that mountaintop, have a slew of animals and it wouldn't snow much. 
That is his dream.
My dream is that I would love to have a couple of dogs and live near water.  What is this couple going to do?

I have followed him around the country until this move. This move was for me and my career and then looked what happened. So where we end up in the next couple of years will be interesting. It's too expensive to stay here unless I win the 900 million+ mega millions. Then we'd probably stay around these parts but in the country with a few acres. Not quite a mountain top but a nice compromise.

Critter Boy says every year that you can tell the winter by the squirrels. In 31 years he has never wavered or been wrong. This year he is perplexed. There are a ton of acorns but the squirrels are burying the nuts so to him that means a less snowy winter. We will have snow but not a ton. It will be very cold but less snow. I don't like either so doesn't help me much.

The other day he read the farmers almanac and of course, they are telling him just the opposite. He was actually doubting himself. Then last evening he got back with the dog and said that he and Izzy watched the squirrels and they are burying the nuts so the farmer's almanac is wrong for us here in the mid-Atlantic.
That's my Critter Boy!!