May 2011

May 21, 2011

The Beginning of Judgement Day  (according to an OLD, slightly cracked, fellow.

Charlie and David heading up.  Still four foot snow drifts on the road so we get to hike a mile over patchy snow.  The ground is flat and brown.  The green is Oregon grape.  We packed in more heavy copper wire—90’ of 6 gauge—for the 12 volt supply below the collar, nails, conduit elbows, garden hose, and a bottle of brandy.  More buckets too, to replace unsafe worn and broken ones.

     Before we could put the 6 gauge wire down the conduit, we had to pull the too short 12 gauge wire (that we had previously put in) out with a line attached to it so that we could use it to pull the 6 gauge back down the conduit.  Four pulls threaded the wire into and down the upper culvert and around the gate.  This left the last 40’ hanging down through the collar to the bottom of the dig.  An elbow and three 10’ pieces were then threaded on from the bottom.  Boy, is it ever wet down there!! 

     To top the day off, while Charlie and I were having lunch, he was sitting in the lawn chair in the sun between the snow drifts when a fresh butterfly came and lit on his hand.  Stayed for 10 minutes while he was chording away on the guitar.  Then it came over to my hand tickling with her tongue, and showing her beautiful, rusty serrated wings.  I passed her back to Charlie. She grazed her fill and then fluttered down, and drank of melting snow water.  So when you’ve overwhelmed, just figure out the next thing to do and do it.