Deep into November now. We have weathered a few storms so we are sharpened up on the drill. Gone but remembered are the lazy days of summer which always appear never ending. Ahh. But we remember we have tough genes handed down to us by our ancestors, people who got the rough winter on turnips and prayer living their stone hut that they where thankful for.

We somehow have to mine our new territory for inspiration or humor or whatever will keep us afloat. I hear the fire in the woodstove crackling in the next room. Yes, warmth is one of our allies.

Last month Wiley, James and I were sleeping out under the stars in eastern Washington. The experience reconnected me to something very basic. I was reconnected to the fact that nights are cold and a challenge in themselves. We with our insulated dwellings with modern heat lose track of this. A cold night is sort of an abstraction. But sleeping out and waiting for dawn for the sun to finally creep across the landscape to finally finally warm my bones was not an abstraction. This daily “winter” that we have largely bypassed is a real thing and would be helpful to be reminded of. Somehow there are lessons there that we have forgotten.

Well, I am out of time for now, for this day. There is always tomorrow for the blog, my ever present companion. Yup, stay warm and stay inspired wherever you find that. Love you from afar, Felipe.