Well folks, I just have to admit I have a weakness. My arthritic ole body just does not like this heat.  So, like any normal busy person, I may be out there at 4am doing some chores. I used to do this a lot in my younger days. Heck, even in school I delivered the morning paper about the Rangeley area. The car from Lewiston would drop them off about four and Mother would holler to me to get up.  And then while working in the woods, one had to leave that early just to get to work. It was best one worked as fast as he could in those early morning hours. When that sun got high in the sky, it began to cook you and your cuttings. There was no shade and at times very little wind. You really got roasted. But I have to tell ya, I got one nice summer tan.  Like that really meant a lot to the trees I was about to cut down.
Today, I knew it was going to be hot and humid, so I did a bunch of stuff in those early morning hours. This is one great advantage of me living away from city folks. At times, I must admit folks probably would complain if I was out mowing the lawn at 5am.  It’s so nice and cool at that time of day. I had to stick around the house anyway awaiting arrival of a new pellet stove. When it did finally arrive, I wrestled it into the house and set it where I wanted it for the winter. It weighs only 200 pounds, so it was an easy job. Now I am all set and waiting for the three ton of pellets. Those I will have to manhandle to store safe from the coming snows.  But, come on folks, it’s only three ton.  A piece of cake.

Well, it did get hot, and the drops of sweat were just dripping off my poor old frame. Time to relax a bit and get a drink of moxie. When I opened the frig, I saw the moxie and that quarter of a watermelon. Now I tell ya folks, it did not take long for those to disappear.  You see, this is another one of my few faults. My body does not actually tell me when to fill the fuel tank again. Many times, I did not even know I was hungry until I got a sandwich and poof it was gone. This is just what happened to the moxie and watermelon.

It was nigh on to noon, so all was fine. I convinced myself to just and sit and relax a moment or two. Unfortunately, at about 4am this morning, I had been rearranging my collection of flowers awaiting arrival of the new stove. When I sat down, I noticed some of the plants just did not fit a pattern that is so necessary for me to maintain my sanity. This is so important because some folks think I have lost some already. I stared at the collection for a moment or two and noticed I had not gone from tall to short, or fat plant pots to skinny plant pots. This had to be rectified. So, I did that until it pleased my OCD eyes. Now, if I felt like it, I could relax for a moment or two.
Per doctor’s orders, one thing I enjoyed as a relaxing moment is to play cribbage against the computer. I always did enjoy that card game. One winter back in about ’65 I had the pleasure of playing cribbage against my Dad.  We both worked for the same company and bunked in the same trailer. He was the crane operator, and I was the skidder operator. I was also the cook and he the dish washer. This began my life of pleasure working in the woods. We played three games of cribbage every night. He suggested we played a penny a point and I was to keep score. After a long cold hard winter on top of Elephant Mountain, I owed him $1.35.  Playing cribbage against the computer brings back some of those memories. For a while, I used to play in local competitions. I never won real big, but one elderly couple seemed to win too often. So, a few of us kept watch of their hands, feet, eyes and words they said for their signals. We did find a couple of patterns of certain words or motions for cards they kept.  The stakes were not high and we agreed, let the old folks be. We thought if that gives them a bit of pleasure and they had to cheat, then so be it.
Now, as I played against the computer, I began to win on a regular basis. You see, I would take a chance on cards that just may show up. Many times, I would hit it just right and surge ahead on the cribbage board. The computer however, had to play by the-law-of- average rules.  I was soon leaving him behind on the win, win ratio. And then, I caught him cheating. He would not let me shuffle or deal the cards. If I got a great hand of spades or hearts, he would get the same cards, but in a different suit. Folks, you all know how often that happens. I stopped playing against him. And now, my computer has lost its sound. Which is not that bad. Some movies, I watch as a sleeping pill. I practically know the whole dialogue anyway. It is about the only thing at the end of the day to shut down the thoughts. Even after I come home at the end of the day, I am still doing something on a project or two. This is not a complaint by any means, just another part of my wandering mind.
You know folks, there are some days I wish I could be like a 40-watt light bulb. Not too bright, but still functioning. I just have to be careful just who or what turns me on.
One thing I want you folks to think about here though. We have had a lot of rain this year. What happens when the sky above us is cold enough for snow?  Those tiny little rainstorms are not going to be tiny snowstorms.  Best ya all prepare to hunker down once in a while after September.   Ken White   mountainman  COB