Anchor Struck

First off, welcome back to the blog, fellow ex-pats Judith and Peter. Yes, I’m well and healing steadily from a lung that collapsed on me a third time. I had a X-ray last week that showed the hole in it is just half the size it was after the most recent blowout. I am taking it easy, watching numerous sporting events and reruns of Cheers, all while under a nurse’s care.

The doctor cleared me to lift up to 20 pounds, so I can help Jude split firewood. We just bought an electric splitter that works like a dream. I can put the split pieces in a wheelbarrow which Jude pushes to the laundry room under our house, where I load a tray that rolls out to the woodstove in our den/Jude’s office. I can then safely push the empty wheelbarrow back to the splitter.

I’m avoiding the U.S. news because I want the most positive attitude possible for my convalescence. I’m concentrating on our preparation for winter. Autumn is definitely here. We finally got the big rain that unofficially marks its return: 63 mm (@2.5 inches) last weekend. We can now open up the micro-hydro to full blast if needed.

The rain also lets our island breath a collective sigh of relief because it signals the end of forest fire season. There is a sign in Quathiaski Cove, the busiest spot on the island, that shows the chances of a fire from low to medium to high to extreme. When the movable indicator is taken off the sign, everyone knows we’re in the clear until next summer.

Now all I have to worry about is the Blue Jays game tonight.