A Living Magazine - Tap Root: Days 174 to 187 - Cabin Life Gets Lean

During this period I got more and more accustomed to cabin life. And although the superior comfort of the cabin is self evident, I have constantly had that "I've been slacking off on my homework!" feeling. 

I was still walking into town three or four times a week. I really needed to do it. It is not difficult to get out of shape quickly. I had been used to at least 50 miles a week of walking. Spending several days in the cabin and then walking into town was a physical burden I could really feel...

Sun through the powdered snow as seen through the cabin's eastern window.

On the way down the long private road from the cabin to Weeks Mills Road, I always see animal prints. There are a few deer paths that cross over the road, kept freshly trodden by a local herd. There are also very definite rabbit prints, often parallel with the deer. Squirrel, skunk, and raccoon prints appear all over the place after a snowfall. But this was something new...

Fairly large coyote tracks.

In the next couple of weeks I would spot the owner of the coyote tracks. I looked around to see what he might have been doing; where he came from and where he was off to. It appeared that he had walked from the snowmobile trail on the east side, crossed the private road, stopped when he got to the other side, and then turned around and made his way back to the snowmobile trail. His prints were not near the deer prints. 

While walking into town I noticed that, after a night of light snowfall, clouds were still shaking loose fine crystals into the air. I don't think I'd ever really noticed the difference between what rain looks like falling from a cloud a mile away (greyish) vs the way snow looks (whitish). I guess that shouldn't be a big surprise. Still, it was the first time I'd actually put it all together...

Foggy whisps under the clouds are actually snow.

On the way back from town I made my way back out to the land, tightening and consolidated my stuff...

I pulled the orange tent fly over everything. I was no longer worried about the snow collapsing that part of the canopy. My concern was the rain forecasted for the next day, followed by an anticipated refreezing. I tried to seal up parts of the blue canopy that had torn loose, but it was not easy in the fading daylight.

On my way back to the cabin, I foresaw what would happen. The rain would leak through the canopy and cover the relatively clear floor with water. It might even freeze as a solid floor of ice. 

None of this is what I wanted to be seeing or thinking about. I would have sacrificed living in the cabin for staying out on my land, if I'd known just how completely I would lose control of my ability to stay there if needed. Yet, if there is one thing that motivates me, it is the feeling that I need to fix a problem.

In this case the fix would simply have to include staying in the cabin while I excavated a new spot on my land. Now there was no choice. 

This might seem all well and good to people who aren't trying to build up a new life, but for me domestic cabin life felt more like a shirking of my responsibilities as a new landowner, then a blessing. In all honesty my land was not much of a "homestead" if I wasn't living on the property that I'm trying to develop! Just like I expected, my life in the cabin became more like the "ordinary" world, and my land - presently uninhabited - was becoming like a far-away place, sealed away from me by snow, ice and...my own negligence. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on myself. Again... It is what it is. Things can always be worse. (I hate that expression, because it assumes that a lowest common denominator is the standard that everything should be measured against.) Nevertheless, it was nice to have the cabin in which to contemplate all of this...

Cabin Kitchen.

North view.

Part of my "workstation."

A video tour of the cabin.

Things were pretty settled. We were entering the heart of winter. At least I still had land and, at least for that month, my mortgage, rent, and phone were paid up. 

For a solid week I enjoyed a "normal" domestic life. Whenever I am in a living situation favorable to storing food, I always take the opportunity to cook as often as I can...

Pork, onions, radishes and potatoes.

I don't want to be misunderstood. Like anyone, I enjoy relaxation, warm living spaces, reliable food, and a full bathroom. I love to make my own meals, keep my living space clean, work at any hour I choose (not being limited by solar batteries, etc.). But, there is a price for everything. Now that I am "living well" I have virtually no resources.  

As I write this post, I am extremely anxious about my situation. The most important thing of all is to pay my mortgage. But, this is the first month that I have not made enough to do that. At the same time, I need to establish a new doctor to prescribe meds, but I don't have enough for the visit.

A few great friends and loyal readers have made some generous contributions in the last few weeks, but I simply don't have enough to pay my bills yet this month. I have a few odd jobs lined up, including tutoring. I've also set up a Patreon account and will roll that out soon. But with donations at an all time low, it is hard to see how things are going to work out. I just applied for EBT (food stamps) but was denied, ironically due to not being able to prove enough income for this month (need to prove 20 hours a week, or be diagnosed as "disabled"). This dry patch is something that has happened in the past after the holidays. And, I understand it. This year though, I have a lot at stake.

So, I'd like to take the unusual step of asking specifically for contributions from anyone who has enjoyed this blog, but not made a donation for a long time, or any new reader who has the ability to make a first donation. Things should be better next month, as I will begin a new part time job.

Thank you for ANYTHING you can afford to send my way. Please also click like at Facebook, join our discussion group there and share these posts with friends and family!