Tuesday 15 March 2011

Cahoooos!

stunning, sunny day, temps freezing

Started this morning extremely and surprisingly cold! Had to scrape the ice off the car - both outside the car and inside! Sometimes, if there's any moisture trapped in the car (from breathing for instance), it can freeze to the windows.

So, while Michael scraped outside outside, I got in the car and shaved off the frost inside. And then it looked as though there'd been a blizzard inside the car.

But then the day warmed up and it is now glorious. A beautiful late winter day, snow melting, some muddy patches. And a smell of spring. A promise.

Cahooos.

My assistant lise, on leaving yesterday, said, 'The cahoos were terrible driving up here.' Cahoos is the old townshippers word I couldn't remember to describe not so much the potholes (the use other old words for that), but the heaving of the ground that form sort of ski jumps.

doesn't that sound like the experience. We ca-hoooo over them. Then clunck to the ground.

Our geo-thermal guy is late...called to say he'd hit such a huge pothole this morning it crippled his car. Had a blow out and it ripped off his front fender. Car is in the garage and now he's using his wife's.

Ran around doing errands today...a day away from writing, but not from thinking about it.

Banking, some airline tickets to arrange, post office, town hall to pay taxes... chatted with Teresa, my agent. got caught up on some emails.

Trudy coming home today...any moment. We miss her so much and keep thinking we hear her, when of course we don't. Ghosts of puppies past. But Pat's dropping her off any moment. If they don't get launched into outer space by one of the...cahoooos.

Even more fun to say.

Hope you're enjoying the day. continued prayers for Japan. Such amazing people - not waiting for someone to help them, but co-ordinating themselves...helping themselves clean up. Sharing resources. Humbling and inspiring to watch. But heartbreaking.

7 comments:

martha said...

All this is getting to me. I am by nature very emotional, but watching the videos of the tsunami was too much, now that I am not well and very fragile, physically and emotionally. It is like going through many, too many cahooooos.

I am sure you'll understand, and I always appreciate your comments! For some reason, they make me feel that I am closer to a special woman, one who has strong feelings. Thanks!

Linda Gray said...

Wow, you live in a part of the world where Mother Nature is fierce! Such great attitudes, though, and great words! We used to love going over the big road bumps in rural Idaho when I was a kid. We'd screech and get down on the floorboards in the back of the car so we could really feel out stomachs fly up as we soared over them (it felt like soaring, anyway). Your post brought that back to me vividly. Ca-hoooo is the perfect word. Thank you.

Yes, prayers to Japan, and survival supplies. Much needed.

JeffB said...

One of the window in our car is stuck partially down (out of the four windows, three are broken and the one is permamnently open a small bit) so each downward change in the temp means ice inside the car - I'm not sure which is worse - inside or outside window ice!

Love the term 'cahoos' - in Cleveland, we certainly have those.

Anonymous said...

Louise,

I am putting your blog down as a nomination suggestion on my Anthony Award Ballot because I so appreciate how you let us all into your day to day life (both writing and personal). I encourage all others who are able to make nominations to do the same.

Kris

Louise Penny Author said...

Hi all,

What a time - of transition. Yes - too many ca-hooos in the world right now.

And Kris - thank you. What a lovely thing to say and do.

Barbara said...

When I lived in Maine, we called them frost heaves, but cahooos are so much more fun.

Nancy said...

We are just back from a week of skiing in Sutton and I LOVE the term Cahoo, every one we hit as we drove back and forth to the hill or into town the kids would yell, Cahoo!! Thanks for enlightening me.