Just enough snow to brighten the outside while giving an added measure of warmth to the inside. A little freezing rain plus occasional snow totaling 3-5″ is what we’re getting … not such a big problem, but sufficient to keep me from heading south to the prison tomorrow.
Walking in the snow for a few miles got the day off to a great start. Memories of backpacking in Idaho and Colorado were summoned forth as I put on my mountain parka and boots.
We have a half-hearted slope to our backyard, and the neighbor kids are enjoying their school snow day by assaulting the hill with snow boards and saucers. They are always welcome, especially the one who will bring us our Girl Scout Cookie order in a few weeks.
The basement wine rack is staying where I mounted it. Anchoring 2 to 3 hundred pounds to a concrete wall is not my strong suit, and I’ve only filled a third of the cavaties with wine bottles. Not to worry, though. My wife pointed out that the floor drain is only a few feet away. What is she implying?
This is turning out to be a weekend of great diversity. Last evening we attended a concert by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Today was time spent in the basement working on a wall cabinet for a 72-bottle wine rack. Tonight bridge with friends we’ve known for44 years. Tomorrow, a internet broadcast of the Minnesota at Northwestern basketball game plus the Eagles at the Cardinals NFC Championship game on TV.
Oh, and getting a load of sweetgum balls off the front yard while we have a break in the weather. It’s really qute a lot of fun.
Our local repertory theater has the privilege of being the first theater outside of New York to present the play Frost/Nixon. A dramatization of the interviews of President Nixon by David Frost in 1977, the work is very well done. I did come away a little disturbed at the apparent need for the American people to hear contrition from an already broken and disgraced man. And, of course, David Frost rocketed to ever-higher stardom following those interviews. Nevertheless, the play is good and I recommend it if it should come to a theater near you.
This morning I caught a little of Meet the Press and Brokaw’s interview of Senator Joe Biden. The other parties in the post-convention race have been invited as well. And so it goes.
Time to reflect in an environment constantly reminding me of its dominance, its unpredictability, and that I am really just a guest in nature, is a gift. Actually, I’m just a guest anywhere on this planet, but in modern cities there is an illusion of being insulated from the overwhelming power of natural forces.
Being on the shore of a large lake in the north woods brings an exposure to nature from several aspects. Power is easily interrupted on a day of severe winds when power lines run for miles through the woods. No electricity quickly means no water for a waterwell-supported dwelling. Temperature in the main cabin begins to drop as the electric baseboard heaters cool.
We had never seen a steady 30-40 mph wind straight off of the lake before. Waves were crashing over the entire dock. Some nearby docks were dismantled and floated by in sections. A large panel of wood decking would not be good jammed up against any object, and we cheered each panel as it went under and between the legs and structure of our dock.
Everything gathered further down the shore, and a couple of days later, on a calm and sunny day, a young man was seen towing the dock pieces back to where they came from.
The power was off from 2:30 in the afternoon until midnight. Going to bed early under four blankets was a good idea. I awoke briefly after midnight to see a table lamp on. We called the power company the next morning to voice our appreciation for the line crews. The rest of the morning was spent picking up twigs, limbs and leaves from the driveway and the yard. Leaf fragments were plastered everywhere and needed to be brushed away before they were glued to whatever surface they landed on.
A whole day with no wind was a relief and very, very restful.
Reprogramming the body, mind, and spirit doesn’t seem to take very long. A significant emotional event such as our family’s heart episode two weeks ago will usually do it.
This morning in church, a woman two pews in front of me began having difficulty of some kind. I couldn’t tell if she was dizzy, short of breath, having chest or abdominal pains. A few parishioners began tending to her. I assumed they were doctors and/or nurses.
Before long she was stretched out on the pew; sirens could be heard outside; a police woman followed by two EMTs came down the aisle. Our pastor came to anoint her.
By the time she was taken away, my entire upper body was drenched in perspiration. All I did was observe, but the impact on me physically and emotionally was pretty intense. I do hope she is OK, and that she found the help she needed.
In a dim light... 
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