Chop Wood, Carry Water

2 April 2012
10:45 PM

Sunrise at	7:01 AM	in direction	76°	East-northeast
Sunset at	8:49 PM	in direction	285°	West-northwest

Duration of day: 13 hours, 47 minutes (6 minutes, 46 seconds longer than yesterday

My daughter and son-in-law skied from Cripple Creek, about 15 miles outside of town to Nenana (58 miles from Fairbanks) along the Tanana River.  It took them 7 hours.  At first they skied with a tail wind and then rounded a bend to find that each time they faced south, the wind from the Alaska Range hit them straight on.

Here's a link to a photo of them once they arrived.

My son is no doubt biking to work and still skiing as photos of his cabin show lots of snow remaining in Talkeetna.

Here's a link to one of them.

My life, however, is not one of a young Alaskan out enjoying the wilds and proving again and again how truly hardy, fit, brave, and well, Alaskan I am.  Today was a quiet day at home.  I practiced meditation in the morning. Gary hauled in some birch from Northland Woods on Saturday, enough to get us by until May.  Once the load had thawed enough for him to stack, he did, but it is wet.  He brought up a few pieces and I watched its progress over the day to determine how quickly it would dry .. not quickly.

I swept the floor, let dogs in and out, had tea, watched an old British drama/comedy series, Doc Martin, for a few hours, and ate.  I slept for nearly four hours letting my body recover from the virus that has been circulating among family and co-workers.

Unless I can appreciate the most simple aspects of living, I won't be happy because my life is comprised of the most simple events strung together day after day.