Cabin Fever, Outrageous Power Bills and Hopeful Signs of Spring
Even as this crazy, historic winter still reigns with more storms, stress and strain there are sure signs of the coming Spring that we greet with happy anticipation.
STILL MOUNTAIN CHRONICLES # 4 Friday March 24, 2023
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
It is another morning of low temperatures and swirling rain clouds outside.
I am in my tiny study aboard our tiny house, warmed by the steady hum of the furnace, sipping espresso from a stainless steel travel mug as I wake up to this new day.
We are both ragged with “cabin fever” from all these endless days of storm and rain that have kept us indoors, warm and snug, but feeling so ready to have spring actually come.
I saw a report that some places in California have received over 101 inches of rain so far during this truly historic winter.
In the 2021 winter, an average of just 11.87 inches of rain and snow fell on California, down from about 23.58 inches in 2020 during those long years of drought.
A ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains reported getting over 654 inches of snow since last December. They have so much snow that they expect to have their slopes open for skiers “until at least July this summer.”
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
We are still having stress and strain in our lives from the record number of freezing nights and very cold days.
We have had to use electric heaters far more than ever to insure Ani was protected from the very real threat of hypothermia.
After paying nearly $400 to Pacific Gas and Electric for last month’s bill, they just notified us that we still owe them over $1000.00 more dollars.
Ani has been on the phone with them for hours and days to try to get information and work something out with them.
Now they want a nearly $300 deposit, and then they’ll put us on a monthly payment of $65 on the balance until the full $1000 is paid off, on top of each new months bill.
This is far more than we have ever paid by almost 4 times.
Fortunately, a ‘benefit” of this endless winter weather is that folks are still ordering our firewood, which does generate some income.
All our customers say this has been the longest, hardest winter in memory.
Not just the back to back atmospheric rivers, but also having almost every night come with a “Severe Freeze Warning.”
Our customers all say they are shocked at how many cords of fire wood they have already burned through just to keep the home fires burning.
They come to us because all the firewood providers are out of firewood, and can’t keep up with the demand.
We are our customer’s last resort. We do have firewood in small quantities because we have harvest sites in the mountains with plenty of dead trees for us to pull from.
We run a very small operation on purpose…just the two of us working on making wood the old fashioned way whenever the weather is good enough and we have the energy.
We will be harvesting wood in the mountains today, working through the greyness and showers to gather and bring back whatever we can for the customers who still need it.
We are eager to get to work, and be together out in nature in our beautiful alpine forest…taking our time in useful work, enjoying ourselves and very grateful to be applying a sure cure for cabin fever.
Photo Credit: Chinmayan
But, when we walk around Still Mountain there are unmistakable signs of the coming spring, even as winter still has us in its frozen grip.
We notice that bright winged birds are checking out the many nesting boxes we have hung up around our gardens, getting ready to lay their eggs and raise the next generation.
We notice our Camilla bushes are all covered in buds about to burst forth in large white and pink blossoms, as well as our heritage roses too…which are sure signs that winter will soon end and Spring will be here again.
Even though the weather man still predicts more storms and rain, we believe that the day will come soon when winter disappears under sunny skies and warm days that will be a welcome and glorious cause for celebration.
Image Credit: Still Mountain Meditation Center
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