I did not think out the prospect of staying in Old Harbor until Sunday. Originally, Pam was to leave on the Thursday afternoon flight and overnight in Kodiak. And I was to leave on the Friday morning flight and meet up with her at the Island Air airport on Friday afternoon.

I decided a few days ago that it would be best to leave on Sunday instead. This way I’d be here for the Friday afternoon events, which then seemed to me that they’d be going on for a while. And on Saturday I’d meet with Summer, and we’d figure out the next phase of the Old Harbor School Library Revitalization Project.

In retrospect, we could have left on Saturday, today, but I figured we’d have everything wrapped up by Sunday. Plus, I thought, well, staying here an extra few days was a way of taking advantage of much-needed vacation time.

So today, early on, Pam and I had time to kill. I found this out after Summer said we’d meet in the late afternoon.

I spent the early morning writing. It was like someone had pulled the cork off a bottle of champagne that had just been shook up. Fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzztzzzzzzzz. I began work on the end chapter of “Shelf Life,” and the first part of another, earlier chapter, the one in which I return to the former banquet room of the historic Eagle Hotel and discover that the place is a mess. I also wrote bits and pieces of other chapters.

I might write the final chapter as an essay, referring to the book by Lulu Miller, Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life. She writes about the concepts of order and chaos, relying on the context of taxidermy, and in particular, one taxidermist, to make her point.

This is what I’m attempting to do in keeping the Bright Lights Book Project going. I harken back to Beryl Markham’s West with the Night, which begins with the line, “How do I make order out of memory? I begin, patiently, like a weaver at her loom. . .”

In places, Why Fish Don’t Exist is extremely dark. Lulu, in doing research discovers that the taxidermist she is writing about, David Star Jordan, is a proponent of eugenics. She then goes into great detail about this movement, and even visits an asylum. She further theorizes that Jordan’s belief system, which as a taxidermist is hierarchical, lends itself to his subsequent actions. And she theorizes that Darwin’s belief system, which as a taxidermist is non-hierarchical, contradicts it. Again, I see how some of the ideas here complement my ideas and will come in use when I resume working on Shelf Life.

After writing, I went for a lengthy walk behind the house I was staying in – my destination was the town water tower, which was perched on a distant hill. The footing was good, it was a black gravel road – I made good time and kept going. I walked five miles, deep in thought about nothing of significance.

Could I live in Old Harbor? This was a question I did consider. Yep. The best place of all would be this very house, with its six bedrooms, umpteen bathrooms, two kitchens, and multiple views. Best, I decided, to first get Pete here and do a sea kayak trip. This will sell him on moving to the area.

The horses would love it here. I could let them run free and never fence them. Most likely I’d never see Raudi again, except through a spotting scope.

Next: 320. 11/24/24: One Flight Down, One to Go