Yes, as predicted (and with the meteorologists all it ever is, is a prediction), the temperatures rose and are now in the 40s. It’s been raining, not hard, but some. Buffalo Mine Road now has a glare ice coating. It’s not hard, walking down the driveway – yet – not if, but when the temperatures drop, we’ll again be having to deal with icy conditions.

This, so far, has been a wretched winter in these parts. I’ve not heard people in our area complain, I guess we are resigned to this. As we all know, the alternative would be to move to an area with a more hospitable climate. The downsize of this is that we’d have to deal with a greater population density.

Today, when we got to the Meeting House, I got out of the truck and my ears were assailed by the sound of a chainsaw. And right then I realized that I could not live in a heavily populated area, or a neighborhood with neighbors close by. Those days are over

Moving books at the U-Haul

This being a Saturday, we first did project work, then went to dog agility. Project work – Pete and Bill salvaged books at the recycling center, and I sorted books at the U-Haul storage unit. We got the first month of U-Haul storage for free. I had hoped to have all the books out of there by the 26th, but I now realize that this was an unrealistic expectation. There is only one of me, and I can only work so fast.

I sorted several boxes of books, focusing on the young adult boxes. I boxed up several boxes of multiple copies of young adult and fiction books, and I put them on a cart, which went back into the unit. These books are going to villages. And I boxed up several boxes of unalike books, which we took to the Meeting House. Pete had told me that there was no room for additional boxes of books at the Meeting House, but of course I proved him wrong.

Pete showed me the boiler – it was much like the one on the cover of the boiler book that I found in a Gaylord some time ago. It looked like a copper pipe skeleton. Pete pointed out where the copper pipes had burst – this happened because a window blew open and the pipes froze.

The boiler is going to have to be replaced. This is the conclusion that the guys, handymen all, have come to. And this is going to take some time. And so, in the meantime, I have space at my disposal.

The prospect of our getting a bigger space remains a distinct possibility.

Something tells me this will come about when the cloud cover lifts and the sun again shines brightly. This is why we call this the Bright Lights Book Project.

Next: 23. 1/22/22: A Conversation with Hrimfara