Sunday in northern paradise

I woke at 1 am to pee then went back to sleep till 7 am,  Nice positive dreams and deep healing sleep. It was raining when I went to bed about 10 am.  No leakage so Murray did a good job with the sealant. He fixed the leak and I did my bit to prevent further leaks by improving the top seals.  I confess I touch the ceiling several times through the night and was happy no wet,  I kick myself a bit as I could have dealt with the problem immediately the first day on the Oregon coast rather than waiting days to tarp it when I got home.  I must be on top of these things immediately.  My tendency is to procrastinate.  

I feel overwhelmed a lot.  Working full time each day.  It’s half time compared to a decade ago but it’s full time by normal standards. Now I’ve been asked for reports and for me to work on the weekend.

I’m camping here, I went out to look for bear yesterday but the Ainsley Road avalanche area was worse than it was a decade ago when I was last here. I think it helpedmy back  to lift rocks and move boulders aside but still I feared getting wedged in  and wondered about returning. It’s one things to clear a path going up a hill but it’s a different thing coming down the same path.  I don’t have the strength, agility or stamina of a few years ago so worried I was taking unnecessary risks.  

Now I’m here in heaven. I spent yesterday reading and hanging out.

 I finished the amazing Kokoda Track book about the Australian militia in Papa New Guinea  holding back the overland attack by the Japanese aimed at taking Port Moresby’s.  Waves after waves of bonsai.  6 to 1 odds again the Aussies.  They went in with 500 and came out with 150.  So many dead.  The jungle killed with diseases typhus, malaria and infections,  Wounded had to be carried out days on stretches over the worst trail possible.  Unbelievably devastating terrain for the Aussies and the Japs.  Always problems of resupply of food and ammunition,  General Blamey and General MacArthur didn’t look good while other leaders were more respected by the men,  Extraordinary story,  7 Bonazai attacks, 100 at a time, culminating in bayonet and hand to hand combat days and nights on end .  Truly grueling,  Months of this.  Truly extraordinary combat at the grimmest.  Remarkable .

I’m up and considering moving to a different site. I don’t have Starlink here due to the trees.  I have nowhere now I can head out on my quad.  I am always happy heading back. I can’t put my camper away till tomorrow so today could be another read day or a travel day.  I feel lazy.  I have to be back at work Monday and start my course this week as well as have several calls to make and a report to do.  

This camper is a mess right now. Hunting does that. I’ve got gear unpacked and spread out.  If I was just travelling without pulling the trailer and quad I’d have an easier time packing and unpacking. I’ve not taken the camper off the truck so that’s an easy transition. It’s the tarp on the quad that’s a bit of a nuisance but I don’t really need that till I get it back to storage. I can cut corners.  I just do the next thing. Right now that’s another cup of coffee.  Madigan is sleeping after coming out with me to look around this morning and smell.  There was a little drizzle off the trees but otherwise quite lovely.  Spring morning.  

The god kids and Kevin and Anna and Vader made a visit yesterday.  That was great . The kids are growing.  Billy and Bobby are little people while Alleck and Izak are big little people, Kendra was the most obviously taller.  She’s almost lanky.  It was fun to sit at the picnic table and chat about rifles and dogs.  Vader a bigger german shepherd type was bullying Madigan so I had to come to my little dog’s rescues.  They are both unneutered and Vader was growling so i put Madigan in the camper to protect him.  Poor little guy.  Vader then took off and ranged about the RV park with the kids.  Anna and Kevin and I talked . I wish I’d taken pictures of the kids and dogs. I wasn’t thinking. I’d been reading when they arrived and a bit dozy.  Kevin’s 308 is amazingly light.  „Like carrying a 22, „ he said.  Some kind of polymer stock. I showed him the weight of my 300 win mag Coyote by comparison,  I pretty well neeeded to have a gun carryeir for it and perhaps and elephant to ride on,.  He’d done a 15 km hike that morning with Kendra and Izek.  My 3006 Ruger isn’t light but I’m still able to hike with that but the 300 win mag is heavy. Kevin’s light weight rife was certainly what I would need if I wasn’t always on the quad these days. I really need to do more hiking but aches and pains have their own way of talking,  I rather like that I’ve got out and done all the callistentics needed to just get the gear loaded and the camper andd trailer and Rancher out here,  

I’m still active. I think of the feminine as more passive and this fixing, repair, hauling, hunting thing as more masculine and painful.  Reading about the men on Kokoda Trail was humbling. By contrast the”comfort women” the Japanese used service 30 men a day.  I like to read history to put the whining and complaining of today in perspective.  I noticed more women are aware that the feminists didn’t want to do what men needed to do but they want the power and rewards but not so much the work.  These are difficult political times and there’s fear and concern for the future.  Trudeau’s carbon tax and other corruption and weak man mismanagement of the country is unsettling. He calls himself a ‚feminist’ but collectively women are strugling as much as men with the housing costs and lack of jobs and general deterioration of the economy.  What gets me is that Mao and Lenin were such chauvinists like Trudeau but so many women prefer them,

Personally I am blessed. I’m here with my incredible dog companion, a wonderful camper and truck and cadillac problems.  Should I stay or head south so I can get out somewhere with my quad and get an evening hunt.