What you now do on a given day is dictated by the weather. If the sun’s shining, you stay put and spend time with the dogs and ponies. If it’s overcast, as it was today, you either work inside or head over to the recycling center and sort books.

Today it was overcast, which was why you opted to head on over to VCRS. Once there, you put the three boxes of books you had on hand onto your Dolly Llama, took a deep breath and entered the warehouse area. Eep eep eep, the sound of the front end loader assailed your ears. You made your way quickly to the book storage area, and through the two double doors that open into the bookstore area.

Bill diving for books

There, you momentarily enjoyed the quietude before heading back out onto what is known as the floor.

You shook your head in disbelief in seeing what was before you. The sorting area was filled with boxes of books. It was hard to believe that last spring you actually had this area in order. Now it was in a state of disorder. No matter, and in fact you were secretly relieved because your prioritizing was now out of the question, meaning there was so much to do that you could pretty much begin wherever you wanted.

Bill, who has assisted you in the past, and Robert, who has of late stepped in to give a hand, showed up shortly after you. You thought you might re-box the sorted books on the tables, but instead agreed with Bill, that sorting the unpacked books would be way more fun.

You climbed into a chest high cardboard box full of hardback books and began handing them to Bill, who put the true discards into a shopping cart, and piled the semi-categorized books on the edge of the baler. Working together was, as always, fun. Your commentary and his mainly centered around what you both were finding. You had vowed not to bring any books home but soon broke this vow. This was because you found a slew of animal behavior/communication books.

Robert worked over in the textile area for a while, then, like a moth attracted to a flame, returned and assisted with the sorting. He’s currently the head of the new re-use committee. The plan is to put in three re-use shops, one of which will be for books.

Your knowing this has caused you to strategize. Rather than contact purchasers for the books on hand, you are instead packing them neatly in boxes and storing them in the bookstore. You reckon that there they won’t get covered with dust. And they also won’t be moved a half-dozen more times. You have more bookstore sorting to do, but this will come after the best books are safely ensconced in a safe place.

You got a ride home from Bill. He put the three boxes of books you made off with on your cabin porch. Tonight you’ll sort through them, and again be relieved for these treasurers won’t be shredded or sent to the mill.

Next: 234. 8/24/20: Playing with Fire