{"id":20478,"date":"2021-12-25T11:42:34","date_gmt":"2021-12-25T18:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/?p=20478"},"modified":"2022-02-13T10:28:34","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T17:28:34","slug":"christmas-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rodbinder.com\/journal\/2021\/12\/25\/christmas-day-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Day 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nWe all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jeremy Irons<\/strong><\/p>\n

-42 they say. I went out and filled the big stainless bowls with fresh snow to melt, scraped off the solar panels with the machete I brought outside to fend off a bobcat attack.<\/p>\n

After that was inside and melting on the woodstove, I decided to chop a bit of wood. No pics because my phone was charging. Not a smart move, no way to call if I was attacked.<\/p>\n

I grabbed the sled and added the wood I had chopped, brought it all inside. I knew it wasn’t enough for the cold night ahead, the coldest of the latest extreme event. -48 tonight.<\/p>\n

I had to stop, even with my warmest gloves, my fingers started to freeze. My lungs were burning.<\/p>\n

I would have to go out again later. I am glad I cut extra logs in the days before. I didn’t want to fire up the chainsaw today. Even to scare off the big cat that was stalking me a few days ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I went back chopped more got more snow for melt, froze my fingers and my lungs. I hurt my spine, I brought everything inside, I would have enough firewood to get me through Christmas Day to Boxing Day.<\/p>\n

The day I had spinal surgery 7 years ago.<\/p>\n