the wheels go 'round

occasionally, when i am lucky, i get to live in a world where a four-wheeler is considered a valid form of transportation. the fisherman rides with a beer in the pocket of his jacket.  he calls it his "road soda".  i just hang on tight.

it's winter here, at camp, in the wilds of the adirondacks.  every time i'm here - and it's the seventh time i'm here - i learn a little more. 

especially now, when 25 degrees feels warm outside. 

there's Rules, and there's Things to Be Done. 

the main event is, as always, to keep the wood stove going.   there is no other higher calling at camp in winter than "Keep the Fire Burning".  

at a close second is "Keep the Water Running".  that's some serious sh*t, my friends, lemme tell you.  

mostly i let the fisherman do everything.  he's so good at it.  why mess with perfect?

but other than that here at camp, things don't really bother you too much at all. things like zombie flies, skittering mice in the walls, having to brush snow off the freezing toilet seat in the out-house before putting one's warm naked heiny on it...might ordinarily at least bum me out, but here:  c'est la vie.  

because you get all the other awesome things...

snow.  every day.  little bitty snow dots flurrying.  great big sticky wads of snow chunks plopping through the air.  snow that just falls clean and silent and dry.  

reading, writing, watching movies, eating from time to time, and mostly trying hard to stay awake 'cause napping here is just...so...niczzzz. 

there's great folks to visit on the road.  the wacky sisters up top the hill who like to cook.  hilarious "gramma" and "pop"  who own goats and bring their own boxed wine to dinner.  the jolly couple who always come up with champagne and have a stellar record collection.  

hell, even the postmistress, a fiesty red head who's married to the owner of the only bar in town,  and the general store owner down the road a bit who likes a good  gossip, are fun folks to drop in on.  

country music plays here all the time.  all. the. time.  it's gotten so i can sing along to loretta lynn. uh-mazing.  

you get to pee outside in the middle of the night, with the frozen glittering snow all around, under a full blue moon.  

anyway.  i could go on and on.  camp is probably blushing right now for all the sweet things i'm saying about it.

but tonight what's making me laugh, is the fact that truly "hopping on a four-wheeler to drive up the road for dinner" is just a casual form of transportation around here.  

imagine that in l.a.  

oh, what a lovely turn my life has taken these past three years.  the wheel of life goes 'round and 'round. 

thanks, fisherman.  

Comments

[Mike the Knife]

Well, all right! Idyllic in the chill. Lovely musings, Do. Meanwhile, it's warm-ish in L.A. I know 'cause I'm there. See you soon, for better or worse. ;-)

[stove pipe]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed. Really a nice post here!