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I returned to the rat race and as I landed at the airport I nearly bought a ticket to leave. Literally. My wife reminded me I have surgery scheduled to quickly stop my impulsiveness.
It wasn't good on the abs but hauling water, cutting and chopping wood, snowshoeing in 3 1/2 feet of snow was a serious workout for the rest of the body.
I brought my SoCal wife into -22 the first two days. What a trooper. I boasted my wife is tuffer than a $5 steak. By day three she was outside in her long underwear taking pictures of the sunrise. It had warmed up..... to -19. The weather turned nice and we had a blast snowshoeing our property and taking in all the wildlife and the beauty of the snow. Nights were clear and gorgeous. My wife was absolutely fascinated to see the night sky away from city lights. She saw 10 times the normal stars and galaxies she had ever seen. Unfortunately the cold didn't bring any northern lights for her.
I got to take her ice fishing and the bluegills cooperated nicely and we had a couple meals of fresh fish. I learned to cook on the wood stove and made a great venison roast with all the trimming and invited my sister and her husband for supper. I even made homemade bread in a sheetmetal oven placed on the camp stove and it turned out great. I have cornbread nailed in it. Local meats, no water injections, no additives or colorings, my sister gave us a bunch of her home canned vegetables, applesauce from the tree on our old farm place and some canned beef too. We ate like kings. I came back the same weight but my middle was thicker. That type of labor is good for wiry strength but not BBing.
As I close in on retirement I am looking forward to the challenge of homesteading and starting from scratch. I have the benefit of saying screw it and buying a nice house if I can't hack it but think of the old timers having to do it just to survive. Much respect. I picked an awesome partner. She washed up in a bucket heated on the stove and only went to my sister's for a shower twice. She melted snow and did mini baths. She had a great attitude the whole time. The trip was very healing for her too. She fell in love with the North even in mid winter. She had seen it only in the beautiful summers and fall. I am glad to have found a mutual destiny. I am feeling blessed.
Good to be back at the boards though. One of the few things I missed!!
It wasn't good on the abs but hauling water, cutting and chopping wood, snowshoeing in 3 1/2 feet of snow was a serious workout for the rest of the body.
I brought my SoCal wife into -22 the first two days. What a trooper. I boasted my wife is tuffer than a $5 steak. By day three she was outside in her long underwear taking pictures of the sunrise. It had warmed up..... to -19. The weather turned nice and we had a blast snowshoeing our property and taking in all the wildlife and the beauty of the snow. Nights were clear and gorgeous. My wife was absolutely fascinated to see the night sky away from city lights. She saw 10 times the normal stars and galaxies she had ever seen. Unfortunately the cold didn't bring any northern lights for her.
I got to take her ice fishing and the bluegills cooperated nicely and we had a couple meals of fresh fish. I learned to cook on the wood stove and made a great venison roast with all the trimming and invited my sister and her husband for supper. I even made homemade bread in a sheetmetal oven placed on the camp stove and it turned out great. I have cornbread nailed in it. Local meats, no water injections, no additives or colorings, my sister gave us a bunch of her home canned vegetables, applesauce from the tree on our old farm place and some canned beef too. We ate like kings. I came back the same weight but my middle was thicker. That type of labor is good for wiry strength but not BBing.
As I close in on retirement I am looking forward to the challenge of homesteading and starting from scratch. I have the benefit of saying screw it and buying a nice house if I can't hack it but think of the old timers having to do it just to survive. Much respect. I picked an awesome partner. She washed up in a bucket heated on the stove and only went to my sister's for a shower twice. She melted snow and did mini baths. She had a great attitude the whole time. The trip was very healing for her too. She fell in love with the North even in mid winter. She had seen it only in the beautiful summers and fall. I am glad to have found a mutual destiny. I am feeling blessed.
Good to be back at the boards though. One of the few things I missed!!
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