The Next "Worst Hard Times"

Home with a day off, this is nice. Nothing eventful at the cave this weekend. Big Labor Day crowds, all amped up with the feeling summer is over and they have to get their vacation wrapped up in this three days. I always thought three day weekends were best spent at home to avoid crowds. I realize not everyone is wired that way, nor have the possibility to take a break when they want. I just want to have fewer crowds on my respites. No one was out of line and the crowds were manageable; they just had a different vibe to them.

To contrast with the strange vibe, there was no animal issues this weekend. I didn't see any wildlife other than mosquitos and flies. I thought I might get to see my first cave dwellers, a troglobite, but I couldn't find them. A form of millipede showed up earlier in the week in a group, but must have vacated before I got to see them.

This being the last big weekend of the year, the staff is being reduced; some are returning to college. I have two more weekends and my tenure is finished and it has been a good time. I've met some great people, learned some geology, learned more about how to teach and worked with one of our sons. Thank you to those that made this possible.

I did have an epiphany walking down the trail to the cave. I admit feelings of guilt because I've been able to walk away from our house each week for a few days and not have to look at the hole in the backyard waiting for the sewer line to be fixed. Or worry about the roof leaks and the rain barrels and getting them finished before El Nino shows up. Or any of the other normal repairs needed. That also doesn't include the four legged, two legged and winged animal feeding that I normally do that gets added to Maureen's To Do list when I leave. My time is drawing to a close at the cave. I substitute teach during the week. Our life still hasn't totally become settled in our "retirement" post surgery era.

I then stumbled upon the thoughts about what is happening in our country and the world. The time that we were young marrieds and starting a career, beginning a family and the circumstances we dealt with are different now. The old paradigms don't always seem to work.

Or do they. I started thinking how blessed I was to have a partner, Maureen, that still likes the "old" ways as I do. I got to thinking that my skills around the yard are a complement to her skills. The garden we grow, she can preserve for eating at a later time. The desire to raise animals for food by both of us will provide for us. The choice to stay in a smaller house instead of upsizing sure looks good now with our children starting their lives. We don't have a large house to clean and repair, and we have more yard to plant.

The biggest comfort I gained was when I started thinking about how we will deal with the coming times. Many are predicting another Great Depression, or worse. There sure seems like it could happen. My comfort in these thoughts comes from a belief in a merciful God and a partner to go through the tough times with. I was calmed when I've been blessed with someone that has skills in cooking, canning and storing. She does research to become better at these things and more. I'm trying to catch up and gain more skills to help her. These thoughts gave me confidence as I walked.

Not confidence that we would have it all Twinkies and Cheetos in the coming times and skate through unharmed. But a feeling of assurance that the two of us working together will weather this storm on the horizon. It won't necessarily be always fun and pleasant, but we will make it somehow.