We are entering our second winter in the mountains and I am happy knowing we are better prepared this year. We have completed our winter-proofing and we have a much better idea of what to expect, and how to deal with it. We had the pump house reworked to replace some worn parts while adding an electric outlet and a light fixture. This will help in case it gets cold enough that we need to place a small heater in there, plus the light will make it easier if there is emergency work that needs to be done. We have a good supply of fire wood stacked in the woodshed and this was done by summers end. Last year we were acquiring wood as fast as we were burning it. The wood this year is a nice mixture ranging from some softer logs which will ignite and burn fast, to harder logs that will have a slower burn, making them last longer while building a good base of embers. We had a lot of green wood last year but we have learned quickly who we could trust to deliver a good product, and who we could not. We are also better at starting and maintaining our wood stove. Better material plus a lot of practice equal a better outcome (M+P=O; now I can say I’ve used the algebra from my school years). So far this year we have only used the wood stove a little because of the dryness around us. With the leaves on the ground it’s like living on a pile of kindling.

Over the summer we worked to improve the woodshed. We planked three sides and a little of the front to help keep the wood dry. We expanded the capacity of the floor to hold more logs also. We had fun with the project and are happy with the results. I think it holds close to three cords of wood now. Again we seem better prepared, however, I am sure there will be some curveballs along the way, but that’s ok as it keeps the game interesting.

The last few weeks there have been many fires in the mountains close to us. These fires have not been limited to North Carolina, but have also affected the states to our west and in-state to the east. So far, arson seems to be the leading reason for many of them. Some of the others seem to be related to carelessness such as cigarettes out the car window or unattended campfires. I have not yet heard of any caused by natural sources, such as lightning. We have not been close enough to any of them to see the burn but we have had about ten days of smoke. As I would look from the deck I could see the smoke in the valley below. I have COPD and the smoke affected me to the point that one night if felt as if I could not get my breath. It was a scary feeling. The wind, in our area, has let up and the smoke is not blowing in so much. The firefighting crews have the burn mostly confined and have done a remarkable job.

There has been little to no rain in our area for weeks and we are in real need for a good steady downpour. The rivers and streams are running very low and everything is dry. The trees are mostly bare and the ground is covered with the dry leaves, which is a large part of the fire problem. We’ve also had a lot of wind with some days being very gusty. Under the leaves, on the drive, a fine coating of dust raises to fill the air each time we drive in or out. The other day I spent three hours blowing leaves to clear the drive and it seemed as if I was in the center of a dust storm.

The weather is turning cold, mostly at night, with the lowest temperatures coming in around six in the morning. This morning, according to the thermometer by the back door, we were in the low teens. It takes a while for the day to start warming as the sun has to top the ridge to the east behind our house and this happens around nine-thirty. If it is not cloudy the sun gradually warms the day and the temperature rises to long-sleeve or light jacket weather by afternoon. I spend a lot of time here by myself, well me and the two dogs and two cats. I get to appreciate the gradual transition of the day which is like a digital painting that morphs the colors and shadows over the landscape as the sun arcs across the sky. Life is simple in many ways here and I have a lot of time to think and reflect on my beliefs and values. The past year or so has given me plenty of material upon which to reflect.

Yesterday morning we were sitting in the living room and one of our dogs started barking. Now this in itself is not a big deal. We have a lot of windows and she barks at everything; squirrels, birds, leaves blowing by, invisible stuff, the heat pump turning off and on, and well almost everything real and imagined. Our other dog is very codependent and always barks with her while he mostly doesn’t know why she is barking. About nine o’clock she started barking up a storm. Her intensity level was about 5 times its usually pitch. He, of course, barked with her. They quickly ran across the room and went crazy at the door to the deck. Rarely does anyone one travel up the drive as there is no where to go, but I thought I would check out the barking. As I looked out the sliding glass doors I did a double take. Standing on the drive about 30 feet away were three young male elk. I yelled for Saskia, I guess because I either believed I was hallucinating or maybe I thought they would just disappear.

We went on the deck and spent the next twenty minutes watching, photographing and videoing them as they nibbled on the grass and brush along the drive. The are impressive animals, large and powerful, yet gentle in their actions. We have been told that they can be very aggressive but we have yet to see that behavior any of the times we have seen elk either in herds or alone. We did make sure the dogs did not get out. We have been told that the elk do not like dogs as they are too much like coyotes which are a natural enemy for them. Slowly they made their way to the northeast side of the house where they went down the hill into a wooded area severals acres in size. I hope they return for a visit but if they don’t I will always have that memory, and the video.

While I’m aware that this seems like a ramble, it represents my mental state for a while now. Life is complicated and constantly changing always leading me back to examining “Who I am, Who others are, and Why we are here”.

It also leads me back to one of my favorite authors, Pema Chödrön, and her wisdom on “Standing on Groundlessness.”  I find, for me, this is a very good spot for reflection.

“When something hurts in life, we don’t usually think of it as our path or as the source of wisdom. In fact, we think that the reason we’re on the path is to get rid of this painful feeling. (“When I get to L.A., I won’t feel this way anymore.”) At that level of wanting to get rid of our feeling, we naively cultivate a subtle aggression against ourselves. However, the fact is that anyone who has used the moments and days and years of his or her life to become wiser, kinder, and more at home in the world has learned from what has happened right now. We can aspire to be kind right in the moment, to relax and open our heart and mind to what is in front of us right in the moment. Now is the time. If there’s any possibility for enlightenment, it’s right now, not at some future time. Now is the time.”

Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart