4:30 am -- jump out of bed, run outside with shotgun in hand, wearing nothing but underwear and muck boots, because dog is totally freaking out. Scan and patrol perimeter in the meager dawn light, see/hear/smell nothing. Pet and praise dog for being a good protector (while secretly cursing her). Go back to bed and hope there really wasn't a bear out there hiding in the trees.
7:30 am -- roll out of bed because it's just too damned bright in the tent to sleep anymore. Spend 30 minutes trying to get stove burning since the wood is damp from recent rains.
8:00 am -- finally get the coffee started, open a can of bacon (yes -- a CAN), mix up some powdered eggs, dump in last night's left over potatoes and make a skillet scramble for breakfast while the coffee is perking.
8:30 am -- attempt to check email, go outside and realign satellite dish.
9:00 am -- eat your now lukewarm breakfast while checking mail and forums. Attempt to get properly caffeinated on crunchy coffee (yum, the grounds are so tasty - NOT).
9:30 am -- clean, oil and sharpen chainsaw while arguing online with Dell Customer Support... who keep wanting you to call even though you've told them there are no phones in the forest; and no streets either so, no, they can't use FedEx for shipping; and NO, I'm not spending the same amount of money in gas as it would cost me to just buy a whole new laptop (and 16+ wasted hours) driving to and from Fairbanks a few times just so they can use FedEx to service the warranty instead of USPS.
10:00 am -- give up in frustration, decide to deal with it later when your blood pressure comes down. Load up the ATV with chainsaws, gas/oil/tools, and snacks/bevs. Head out for yet another day of trail clearing.
12:00 pm -- run out the first tank of gas, scan the clearing with disappointment... only 20 feet cleared. Damned willow thickets! Decide to come back to tent for lunch and a liberal coating DEET.
1 comment:
And yet it all sounds MUCH better than be startled by the evil alarm clock after a fitful sleep only to dress up and drive to work, to slave over a computer/paperwork/whatever, to listen to other people treat you like a sub-human because you work 'here', to earn a paycheck that might barely keep the 2-legged wolves off your back while making someone else rich, then drive home knowing that tomorrow, you have to do it all over again.
I know that unless you have no debt and can live COMPLETELY off the land, you will have to do some sort of work for others but I'd rather be ruled by the work of keeping myself afloat rather than the work of keeping someone else living the high life on the yaught while I doggy paddle frantically....
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