The holidays are now behind us. No mo ho ho. Har har for the rest of the year. Christmas and New Years are like the fireworks grand finale. Sometimes exciting, sometimes hardly worth a first glance.

2024 went with a whimper. Sure we had fireworks and Northern Lights. But there was no celebrating here. I finished David Remnick’s book on Mohammed Ali. December was a mild month, weather-wise, but January, thus far has been cold and blowsy. We do seem to have enough birch wood on hand, so today, although the wind was howling, the cabin was warm.

The dogs, always the dogs, they wait impatiently for their morning toast crust. Ryder, when inside spends considerable time sleeping on the upstairs bed. Shadow, when inside hangs out with Pete in the kitchen. She’s never distant from him.

The veterinarian says that perhaps Tyra has parasites. I am dubious because the other two are fine, and also, she has not lost any weight. His suggestion is that we put her on what’s known as a Panacur Power Pack – an antiemetic. I hope this works. If so, well then Tyra has had parasites for some time. We may get the drugs tomorrow.

The other two are just fine. I can’t help but wonder if Tyra has an ulcer – Raudi is the culprit. Living with her in a somewhat confined space is no fun at all.

This morning, at 10:00 a.m., I gave a prerecorded interview on Big Cabbage Radio aka Radio Free Palmer. The station is generally called Big Cabbage Radio – I often think that if war broke out in Southcentral Alaska that it would again become Radio Free Palmer.

The interview went well, I think. Various nonprofits are being interviewed for Pick, Click, and Give; this is a deal in which Permanent Check Fund recipients are encouraged to donate a portion of their oil money earnings to listed nonprofit causes. Pete says that because our organization’s name begins with the letter B that we will be near the top of the list, which will be advantageous in attracting donor’s attention. I decided to ride on Pete’s coat tails and go with his high degree of optimism.

Am I optimistic about this upcoming New Year? It’s more realistic, given the fact that the president elect of the country has no respect for women, the environment, or the judicial system, to be pessimistic. The odd thing is, because right now, the cabin is warm, I am feeling more optimistic. If the temperature drops and the wind blows harder, it will be colder and I will of course be more pessimistic.

The problem with being optimistic is that it can be like wearing rose colored glasses. One (and I am including myself in this number) can become complacent. Pessimism, fear, and anxiety, they are all inextricably linked. And they manifest themselves in the form of insomnia. I am hoping, if hope exists, one of these nights to sleep soundly.

Next: 4. 1/4/25: In the Throes of Winter