Inside Out

Saturated, steaming slightly, the understory is greening. The shadbush, the few remaining dogwoods; flowers littering Mackletree the last couple of miles to the house, it's so lovely and romantic I have to laugh. Mary Shelley was only nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein. Thunder storms moving in and out, sheets of rain. It's pleasant, the drumming, the trees sweeping in the wind. Mid-day I french-fry some sweet potatoes, and dip them in a pesto mayonnaise. Big winds, and sure enough, the power goes out; a full gale, Force 8, when small twigs (but not branches) are blown off trees. In open water, with a goodly fetch, this would be 37 knot winds with 18 foot waves. On the ridge it's like being battered by an invisible giant. Power flickers on and off and finally goes out for good. Routine. Headlamp, light a candle at the end of the island. Hole up, in my nest, and read. I think I might need a laptop and an extra battery next winter. Samara called and wants me to think about moving to Oregon, they'd give me a piece of land, I could build a cabin for myself, design and oversee the building of a small, self-contained, house for them. All of which is intellectually interesting, something to think about. Hot running water and electricity in the same place? I can only imagine. I barely scratch a living at the margin, but I'm good with that. Power seems to be restored, and as this is truly 'the country', the power company calls me, to make sure everything is ok. Having my computer off for a couple days provided hours for studying the trim-work in volumes of pictures of old houses, which leads to a study of kitchens, especially as they related to the placement and use of wood cook-stoves. My cook-stove, an Irish Stanley Waterford, allowed for safe installation close to a wall, but that was not the case for some of the monsters in these old houses. I lost track of time, imagining kitchens. Then started sketching a 900 sq. ft. house, full hip roof with a sleeping loft, that would lend itself to the materials and techniques I favor.