It's the Little Things!

Remember back in April when I was plaining down a bunch of boards to work on the Cabin? See the large pile of Saw Dust at my feet? We did a little experiment just for Fun.

We kept the Saw Dust piled up to see how long we could make the snow last.

It is now June 30th and there is still snow / ice under the saw dust. This is a real testament to the insulation value of saw dust. We had 2 days over 80 degrees and many days near seventy. We have had rain and wind and rain and rain and rain. We still have snow on the ground in our back yard.

It is the Little things that can keep me entertained.

You know that you have been in the bush a while when: I was setting on the toilet the other night thinking about getting ready for bed when I realized "I still have my revolver and chest holster strapped on" then I thought about the fact that I was setting on a Honey Bucket, not a toilet.

You know that you have been in the bush a while when: I chased a porcupine out of the shop the other day, then I shot it just before it ran under the cabin AND, it did not even cause the dogs to stir!

You know you have been in the bush a while when: I get around other people and I have to consciously think about NOT going pee whenever I feel wherever I feel.

It is the little things that are letting me laugh about myself and this life.

This is a picture of the view out the front of our cabin shortly after we moved in.
This is a view after I had done some clearing work late last summer. You have seen Many pictures of Mountains Sunsets and Scenery thru this clearing as it was left last year.
This is one view of the clearing as I am almost finished with it. I needed some more wood for building the Wood Shed so I decided to take the wood from the front of the property and make this clearing over twice as big.
I still have to clean up 2 birch trees and 1 spruce tree. I will get the spruce today but the birch will wait until next spring for next years wood pile. no sense in doing much with them this year, they need to season for a year anyhow. I will use the spruce for building materials.

This is my "Log Hauler" that I made. This same little "Trailer Frame" converts to a "Barrel Hauler" and a "Flat Bed Trailer". I built one frame and axle with multiple attachments. This Log is 18" x 12'6" and weights probably 500#s.
You can see the beginning of the Wood Shed I am building. No more digging out the Wood Pile just so We can carry wood into the cabin. I will still have to dig steps down into the shed as winter progresses but that's OK.

I have been truly blessed with Good Health and the ability to do the projects around this property. I some times forget that it is a gift from God, just to have the aptitude to be able to do these things.

When my twisted ankle from last year flares up and burns and is very weak when it gets tired, or, I have trouble sleeping due to muscle cramps I do wonder what the heck I am doing here. Then I stop and listen to all of the sounds and feel the wind and appreciate the freedom that I have been able to experience, Or I just go pee right where I am standing and then I know what I am doing here.

To know and appreciate the gift I have received, and continue to receive on a daily bases is still another gift. I see people that I guide or fish around that only get little glimpses of this world and then they dread going back to "Reality". This is my reality, at least for today. A gift and a blessing.

Some day I may return to the other world but I will never be the same person. I miss my family and my good friends but not much else. I have developed a relationship with God here, that I never understood in the concrete world. I have developed an appreciation for The Little Things that I never understood before. The Little Things are not Tap Water and Flush Toilets nor are they Just turning on the Lights or Taking a Shower, Though those little things are nice. Those things are not what makes getting out of bed fun and exciting.

The pursuit of Happiness is a statement I had heard all of my life. What an In-Justice that statement has done to Mankind. To pursue happiness is to chase your shadow, you will never catch it. Stop for a minute and breath. Look around,,, all around yourself,,,, then look down at your shadow. Your shadow is right there, touching you where it originates. You do not have to chase your shadow, it is with you. You do not have to Pursue Happiness, it is with you. God has given it to you if you chose to see it.

I said something to Myra not long ago; I told her I found something here, that I am not sure I can ever leave. I found peace and contentment, I found acceptance and I found happiness. As I type this I am beginning to realize that I would not have to leave that, anymore than I would have to leave my shadow. It can be with me, just as my shadow is, so long as I don't forget to look at it. I have to remember to see The Little Things all around me, no matter where I am.

The "Pursuit of Happiness" can end today for anyone by simply stopping the pursuit and just be happy with today. I woke up, the dirt is still under me not over me, I have conscious thought and the ability to sense gifts of life all around me. The gifts I sense are the things that I choose to sense. If I don't choose to see gifts I will have none. If I choose to see gifts I will have more than I had ever imagined before. (The best Things in Life are Not Things)

Thank You for letting me Share my Gifts with you today.

May you have a Gift filled day! (See your Shadow)

Roger