Routine Maintenance

I let the stove go out so I could dump ashes, then quickly started a roaring fire as it never got much above twenty degrees. Split a little kindling, settled in for another day reading. Another quiet afternoon on the ridge. Some dappled sunlight and the snow is sublimating away. Several flocks of birds come in, to feed on the sumac; they leave it until last and don't seem to like it very much. Melted snow dripping off the roof, because of the intensity of the sunlight, which forms icicles, which are a great harvest for wash water. It's a one-to-one ratio, which is hell of a lot better than the ten-to-one ratio of snow into water. I broke into the backup coffee and whiskey today, so I need to get to town soon. I can see the larder needs to be much deeper next year, and I need more books, so I need to keep track of the library book sales. For the rest of this season, I can stash stuff down at B's, ferry it in whenever I can. Last year is the last time I want to carry heavy packs up the hill. Fuck, cut me some slack, my feet hurt and I'm stooped over, like Basho, heading for his hut. A little piece of fish, some rice. I clean the skillet with some salt and a paper towel. I use the paper towel, with a butter wrapper, to start a fire. Might be able to get to town tomorrow (it will have been a week) so I started a list and it got long fairly quickly. Decide to make a lamb and black bean chili, pick up sausage and another acorn squash, eggs, butter, five pounds of flour for biscuits, a couple of cans of evaporated milk for cornbread. I have a large steak and a pork tenderloin in the freezer. I'll need two bottles of whiskey, more tobacco and papers, and a backup Bic lighter; a couple of gallons of drinking water, and library books. I need to get all this on Thursday or Friday, and spend a day on firewood, before the next round of weather. I save money if I'm snowed-in because I can't spend anything. I guess the Vineyard got hammered with wind and snow from this last storm. When we were there we got 18 inches one day (1980?) but it was gone in a few days, all that somewhat warmer ocean. We only got out once a week there too. I add salt-pork to the list, so I can cook some mustard greens; and I can fry some, so I can chew the rind. Keep it simple.