Jan 8, 2014 Choosing This Life

Short wave antenna affixed to our deck.

Dinga upon her look-out rock on the north ridge.

Monday 1/6.  We snaked out the vent pipe today, but it doesn't seem to have made any difference.  We'll try re-snaking the sewer pipe on Wednesday.  Don't think we got far enough last time, and we have to do a load of laundry tomorrow.

I finished Cold Days by Jim Butcher.  What a ride!

I received a very interesting email from a reader who has been following my blog for about 1-1/2 years.  He is in southern California and has purchased property in northern Idaho, to which he will be moving this year.  My brain went on overload last night with all the things I wanted to tell him.  My whole blog reduced down to one list of things to be sure to do and not do.  I couldn't sleep all night.  The fact is that when you trade your frustration of urban life for life in the country, the remote country with all it's freedom and independence, you also take on the responsibility of all the amenities that community life affords you.  It will change you, your priorities, and your attitude toward life, government, Mother Nature, yourself, friends and family.  However, if you choose this life, then your attitude was probably ripe for such change.  This is a way of life that you really have to want.  To yearn for.  And that is great in general, the devil is in the details.

After almost six years, I still have not perfected my list of necessary food and supplies.  I still forget to put things on my list.  I have too much of this and not enough of that.  On the other hand, I have learned to stack wood so that (most of the time) it will not fall down.  I am learning the basics of mechanics, construction, gardening, and just plain necessity of doing-it-yourself and improvising.  I have learned to can.  I am comfortable carrying a gun.  I have learned to enjoy the forest while being vigilant for danger.  I am learning to be patient.  The more I learn to rely on myself, the more I am learning to rely on the Universe, and am being rewarded for it.

We thought we were prepared for living Up Here.  Ha!  What helped us through it all was wanting it so badly, and having great neighbors and a brother to rely on and teach us some of the details.  I guess that is all I can tell anyone considering such a change.

Tuesday 1/7.  It was 17 and overcast this morning with snow in the forecast for the next five days.  That being said, we had an awful lot of blue sky today.  However, as I write this in the late afternoon, the mountains have disappeared under a mantle of heavy overcast.  It looks like it is snowing on Mission Ridge, and we can only hope that it will begin soon at Rose Camp.

Did laundry today and ended up with a bathtub half full of nasty looking and smelling water.  Although discouragement is threatening to set in, it looks like we must have roiled things up with our snaking of the pipe the other day.  We'll give the water a chance to drain and snake it again tomorrow.

JB ordered our short-wave, single-sideband radio today.  We should have it by the end of the month.

Forced myself to get out again today and hike a bit.  Our high temperature was 20, which wasn't so bad when the sun was out, but our afternoon walk was quite chilly.

We had received 1/4" of snow by the 9:00 pm.  It had quite falling, but all was white again.

Wednesday 1/8.  No more snow this morning, but it looks like more is on the way.  It is 15 and overcast.  At least we will be inside the shop while snaking the pipe.

Thought for the day: Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.  Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.  Pamela Vaull Starr