Increasingly I find myself thinking about dark the evenings are soon to be. And how cold it will be. Not more then other winters, but I’ve enjoyed the past five or so months of light in the evening after work, going down to the park, reading and exploring. But that’s soon to be gone. Moreover with the time change coming in six weeks, I won’t be able to ride home from work – I guess I could ride downtown after dark like last year – and take the local home. But it sucks.
This winter isn’t going to be any colder or darker then most winters. I don’t have to stay in my drafty, old rundown apartment nor do I have to keep the heat at 50 degrees. I don’t have to snuggle down in bed quickly after dinner, under the warmth of the electric blanket, in darkness. But I probably will choose to do that. I really should have more hope, beyond knowing winter will come to an end eventually, still in many ways it seems like we are descending into some kind of icy hell.
After all this, it seems like Sunday won’t be particularly wet but we need the rain. I am packing the propane heater and extra water in case I want a fire, but still I’ll keep it small and skip the pallets and used motor oil, lol.
Dark, dark morning as I get packed and mid-September rolls around. 🌄 Sunrise these days is literally after 6:30 AM, a fact that seems hard to remember when not all that long ago you could get up as early as 4:30 AM and there be the first light of dawn. Tomorrow will be a real dark morning when I awake but I’m hoping a good night in the woods will help restore my sleep. 🛏️ I don’t know why I’ve been so troubled in my mind lately, maybe it’s the Tiny House 🏠 book I’ve been reading 📖.
Not a lot ot packing for a weekend camping, but I wanted to get an early start regardless and try to get back on the five-o’clock rise and shine to cook before the sun rises, 🧑🍳 as usually I have best mental clarity first thing in the morning and it’s going to be dark by the time I get home and have dinner by as soon as next week or the week after. Two weeks from now is the big snip, 👀 the LASIK surgery and not dealing with irrated eyes and contacts will be so nice. Obviously that weekend I’ll have to stay in town, but maybe I’ll go apple 🍎 picking with dad on that Sunday if I’m feeling up to it. I plan to drive in that Monday as my follow up appointment is after work.
So yes, I’m driving in today. 🛻 Go to Walmart to get some beer 🍻 and a few other supplies – maybe some blueberries, maple syrup, and lighters – then to work and Vermont. Quiet day tomorrow and then head home. Double checked the oil filter and plug and oil and other fluid levels, should be good for the weekend no issues noted but I’m always so paranoid and seems like there is still a lot of oil I splashed around changing it last weekend with the wind blowing around. I just wanted to make sure the oil filter and plug where tight with no leaks. I can be so paranoid at times. 🛠️ But I’d rather avoid blowing the engine on my old truck and getting it through the winter for a few more adventures. Just as a sanity measure, I confirmed there are twice a day busses between Albany and Bennington for under $20. 🚍
Yesterday went to Five Rivers and finished up John Graves Hard Scrabble, and a few more chapters of Edward Abbey’s Dessert Solitaire which I plan to finish up tomorrow along with the book I have about Building Tiny Houses. 📚 I also finished listening to Michael McGarity’s Back Lands audio book on ride out there about the travails of ranch living at the turn of the 20th century through World War II. Been doing a lot of reading about ranch life, probably it’s because those days spent in he Finger Lakes 🐄 with all the cows. Plus I have dreams of out west. Took some flower pictures. 🌸 With the dry weather and mid-September underway, the leaves are really starting to turn a bit, at least a dry, brown and yellow kind of way 🍂 even at Five Rivers.
weeks
