Christmas Note

Christmas Spirit races magically across the land. Colleen, Tiffany, and Patrick have been making things happen in their lives all year. Woodstock, the Peanuts character, would say, "Mixing it up in town." This makes me very proud of them all.

At the Outpost, we have a fresh supply of wood, still retain propane, and are chipping away, at a modest rate everyday, the ice that remains on the roof.

Merry Christmas!

Free Reading

Today, I finished Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" and I just loved it. There is even more in that book than I remember from 10th grade. I looked in a used book store today to find a hard copy that I might highlight, but no luck. My library book had to be returned without any marks.

Fire & Wood

Wednesday was a gift! A snow day, and the world changes for the time being. I celebrated by washing Casey's truck and taking a load of garbage to the dump. First, I couldn't get the truck out of the driveway, and then I couldn't get it back. Hope says, "Anybody can drive a new truck!" Fully satisfying trip, nothing left out.

Confirmed again that, "We are in charge of celebrations."

Now, I'm waiting for a load of firewood. It is one cold bugger out side! The woodcutter was a bit late, as his truck caught on fire. He brought his son, who is taking over the business, and they both seemed in pretty good spirits, considering how the morning went and the afternoon followed.

"On The Road to Find Out"

Creature comforts...great and small

I was talking with my sister Erin tonight. In Ireland, alcohol is called "The Creature." When a person has had to much to drink they say, "Aye, too much Creature taken."

Ante Lucem

Week 32
Bats: 0 Outpost: 2
Before daybreak, the bat population suffered another expulsion from the Outpost which makes them 0-2 this week. I have accidently stumbled on a better end game. Old technique - upon hearing one flying in the living room, I would wake up, open the door to the outside, close doors to other rooms, get my broom, stand on the balcony and attempt to shepard them to the open door, and escape. They love to fly in circles which works in their favor. The contest is getting them outside before they disappear. New technique varies in the last phase of the contest. Now I don't stand on the balcony, but rather on the living room floor, work on bringing the bat to the floor, and then sweeping it outside. If the homeowner wins, it is called a clean sweep, and the series is over. After daybreak, I again look for their entry points, but only in the daylight, and without much success.

Riots and Curfews

This day, in 1967 Colleen was born. Time of riots and burning, both in Pontiac and Detroit. A curfew was in effect over the whole area. We had to break the curfew even to get to St. Joseph Hospital. After Carol came out of the delivery room, it appeared that she had been in drug rehab for an extended stay. I have never seen a happier person in my entire life. What a glorious day!

To the sixth

"De profundis clamo ad te Domine."

"Do all your soldiers speak Latin, Cole?"

"Only this one."

And when the cobbler awoke...