22 days without water... What's important?

Hey all,  again... sorry for the delay.  The timing of the holidays, the 'end of the year'... and the institutionalized 'New Year' leaves many to sit back and take an account of their lives. I don't think many are immune to this perennial period of introspection...  I know I wasn't.  I too, have been in my head these past couple of weeks, and many of the challenges I'm dealing with in the immediate present... can't be put into pictures, and since this is a public post... can't be put into words either. Plus... how many times can I impose on you to look at the same old sequence of events... putting the snow chains on, getting water, getting firewood, bedding down the barn, taking the chains off, going to the store, etc, etc... hence the delay in my posting.  And so again, my apologies to those who enjoy looking at the pictures, for not being more available... I will do better this year ;-)

So, as it's written in the title of this post, we are on the 22nd day without water... It's like living in the 'old west'. You gotta fetch the water, boil the water, decide when you're going to wash your hair, when to shave, when to do the dishes... It is an experience to say the least. I wouldn't mind it so much if I were homesteading my own piece of land... Because then I would've known what I was getting into and it would've been my decision as to where I was going to make my concessions or sacrifices... And I also would be in a situation where I could direct my energies toward a set goal... where all my efforts were constructive, and going to be of value. Where you survived on you own, and by your own merits, and the only recognition of appreciation is the one you give yourself.  And yes... you've just caught the beginnings of a 'vent'  ;-)  So I'll nip it here...  because I need to start telling a new story, and stop feeding the negative s__t   ;-)

The weather has been really good lately with the temps are around 35-45... little flurries here & there to remind you it's winter... and the sun pops out once in a while to remind you it's still there. Hopefully the change from that unprecedented cold spell of weeks ago will help thaw out the pipes and we can get our water back. But until then... the trips to the pond continue. 

 
Since the Fam was out for the day... one of the little chores I had yesterday was bringing hay down to the cows... It involves pulling the 'bail' down on a 'sled' and then flipping the roll into the feed bin. Here you can see the roll sitting on the snow covered sled with the wrapping cut away. Now you just slowly drive forward while lifting the skiff to flip it in. It's actually kinda fun to do...

And after 2 flips, you finish by just pushing the roll all the way in. Abe, Andy & Anna were already waiting... or I should say, jockeying for position as I unfurled the roll a bit so that they could get at it better... But believe me, they don't need the help... they just dig in.

And I figured while I was at it, I might as well freshen up their bedding too. No sense in them sleeping in s__t when they don't have to. So I brought down a couple of the 'old' hay bails to 'fluff up' the old stuff. Once they got a 'whiff' of what I was doing, Abe & Andy came right over to check it out... and of course they started to eat it too. Andy was actually so excited that he sort of jumped and kicked his hind legs up into the air... It was pretty wild to see something that big & strong,  frolic... 

After getting some firewood, I found Irish camped out on the porch. His water bowl was empty of course, so I filled that... and since the Fam was going to be away all day, I took him for a walk to stretch his legs. We took our usual route to the pond... and then cut up the hill towards the state run, water 'thingy'.  And although it is no substitute for walking with my Bailey... it is in its own way, reminiscent. And because all dogs, always do what they do best... show unending gratitude and unconditional love... it's time well spent. 

Here's a shot of the water 'thingy'.  But trust me, the 'ambiance', or the mystery of this structure, is far more interesting to contemplate then it is actually to visit... But I think it still makes for a cool picture. 

  

The Alpha dog... nose in the air and his eye on something... who knows what he senses... but I'm sure it's out there. 

And again... at the end of my post, and at a loss for words... But if I keep writing, it has to come to me. The past couple of months have been a sort of whirlwind of learning experiences... with a little bit of everything in the mix. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm rereading Castaneda's book, 'Journey To Ixtlan' ... And a recurring theme is on losing ones 'self importance'... something I very much want to do, but finding quite challenging. It seems that Carlos, under the tutelage of don Juan, was a lot like me... prideful, self righteous, petty, whining, never taking responsibility for his actions, living the life of a timid man...  Don Juan tells the young Carlos that life is short... that in fact... Death is stalking us and could take us at any moment... And that the life of a Warrior, a hunter of knowledge... knows this and acts accordingly. That his every action is done with purpose, truth, power... because it might be his last act on earth... 

My personal, preliminary interpretation of  'losing ones self importance'  is that... it is one of the keys to being free... to not have the pettiness of the world cling to you, and obscure what's important. Or more to the point maybe ... choose to act,  act decisively...  with conviction and purpose so that you leave nothing to question. Make your stand and accept the responsibilities of your actions. And if one could live life not caring what others think... all that extra energy, not wasted on other peoples 'opinions' ... I can only imagine what kind of a life I would have. But this is my lesson... 

The world is filled with millions upon millions of ordinary people doing extra-ordinary acts, everyday...