I've been out at the farm for a few days, running cable to control the Pelton wheel. Quite a process setting that up. "The farm" is 180 acres in very rural NW Oregon, 20 miles away from the nearest incorporated town, which itself has a population of less than 2,000.

The gate to the driveway is about 1/2 mile down a gravel road from the "highway". That road then "T"s and enters a tree farm which goes for another 10 miles, but it's closed by a gate except during hunting season. The other side of the "T" comes here, and it's another 1/4 mile to the "shack", which is a rustic appearing (looks like a dump) 3 story place which is very, very nice inside. The outside was built with material taken from a huge cedar barn which had collapsed and was left as it was, the inside is the same material, only fir and resurfaced.

We aren't on the power grid, and the solar system is slow in coming. For power there is the 11KW propane generator, a 6KW portable generator and two 1KW affairs. We aren't hurting for power. We were able to put in our own phone line so we do have internet access. The power company wanted about 3 times the cost of a solar system just to run power into the place.

Well, some bastard left a couple of kittens out on the gravel road. I'd guess they are 8 to 10 weeks old. I caught one of them and am feeding it outside, but I have to keep the dog locked inside for that process to occur. I couldn't catch the other one, so it will freeze and starve to death, or be killed by some predator or another. And no one is around here on any predictable basis to take care of the first one until it can take care of itself. I'm not sure what to do. I may have to take it to the big city with me.

So while I'm feeding the one, have made a bed for it under the deck, it's in competition with squirrels, raccoons, and coyotes right now. I truly, truly wish I had the existential wherewithal to allow each creature to face it's own fate, knowing these bodies are simply means of communication, transitory and ultimately irrelevant. Until then I'd like to get my hands on whoever did that and help them to understand how one can communicate through a body and how transitory one's occupation of that vessel may be.

Pricks.

There. I've vented. I feel a little better.

Arf