I had to laugh at myself when I stepped outside with Smudge yesterday afternoon. In the wake of several nights in the teens and single digits, as well as a Saturday that didn’t get above freezing, I was enjoying our balmy Sunday high of 42°F.
The reason I chuckled was that not ten days before, I woke up to what felt like positively arctic conditions in the bedroom. The indoor temperature was… yup, 42°F.
Despite striving to be objective, it comes down to what we expect, doesn’t it?
At last, I think I’ve taken a photo that captures the dominating presence of Hall Mountain. This one:
An hour after sunrise, low-angle light was falling on Hall’s north face. It’s still blanketed in snow, and it really stands out in that image.
I get this same sense of it every day this time of year. I’m just glad for a pic that better conveys what I see.
For what it’s worth, here’s a wider shot taken a couple of hours later:
I sauntered a lot yesterday, just around the cabin, taking in my surroundings.
For example, I caught the sun rising over The Citadel and thought it might look striking in black-and-white:
And every time I look toward the south end of the driveway, I realize that no other tool shed on Earth has a cooler setting:
Regardless of season or weather, I love where that shed sits.
I don’t plan menus or obsess about food prep, but sometimes I do think ahead, even if it’s only to consume perishable foodstuffs before they spoil.
This week, I know I’ll be cooking a particular dish, probably on Tuesday, and I needed to do a little advance work.
The list of ingredients includes sun-dried tomatoes. The only ones I can find locally are packed in oil, and I don’t much like the flavor the oil imparts — all I want is the concentrated sweetness of the dried tomatoes.
Food dehydrator to the rescue.
I picked up three Roma tomatoes at Harps the other day. Yesterday morning I sliced them and began the drying process, setting the dehydrator’s temperature to 135°F and the timer for nine hours.
Seven hours in, I checked on them.
Obviously, they wouldn’t be done ’til sometime Monday. I expected that.
Also on yesterday’s to-do list was cleaning out the woodstove and depositing the ashes (and coals) in the can outside. That can was full, however, so it had to be dumped first.
My regular dumping spot this winter has been across the driveway from the cabin. That keeps ashes handy to scoop and scatter on the stoops for traction.
With the can empty, I could shovel out the firebox.
Yeah, it was a hot one.
A quiet Sunday. The life is rustic, the tasks simple, the pleasures beyond compare. It’s great to be here.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable