December 28, 2014
Location: Adirondacks, undisclosed location near Boonville, NY
Weather: Cloudy, scattered snow, 34 degrees. 30% chance of snow 11pm-12am
So I have returned to my sanctuary at last, on this much needed holiday. It's always strange and a bit of an uneasy feeling to come back and see Grandma's house so cold and empty; a place which was always filled with warmth, light and friendly faces each year around Christmas. Every time my family pulls in to that final rest stop before we get on Route 12, I have to suppress the urge to call the house and tell Grandma we are almost there. Some quiet nights at home I want to just dial the number on the phone, so I can hear it ring... as if I half expect to hear her voice pick up on the other end of the line and somehow speak to her from beyond. But alas, it just rings... As we crawl up the driveway I wait for the light to come on and see the screen door open, and Grandma step on to the porch to give us a warm hug, but the house sits dark and silent. On the flip side, it reminds me of my absolute favorite thing about leaving a place for several months at a time: coming back and finding everything exactly as you forgot you left it.
It always hurts a little bit to see the house inside, now that everything is different. Her old armchair is gone, along with 80% of the original items in the house. We are slowly building it back up and redecorating, trying to breathe new life into this home while at the same time respecting the age in which it was built. We do most of our furniture shopping at antique stores and thrift stores, looking for things which are dated and well-used or new pieces which have a traditional charm to them.
So far, the only room which has remained relatively untouched is the radio room upstairs, which was my Grandfather's exclusive domain. There are still some of his things on the shelves, mostly undisturbed since the 1990's. Dad has hooked up the old Ten-Tec radio to the antenna mast, and his mobile rig still sits there in working condition. Of course, we aren't allowed to transmit, only listen. My Dad's ham license expired fifteen years ago. I still remember sitting on his lap, and 'helping' him tune around on the airwaves. The old Fire/Police/911 scanner is still here; we dusted it off and plugged it in. Leaving it on in the daytime and hearing its familiar beeps and tones makes the house feel a bit more alive. Mom also likes it because we can hear what is going on locally, and sometimes when we hear a siren go past us we hear the radio chatter and know where the vehicle is going. That tends to relieve Mom's anxiety somewhat, just the comfort of knowing help is on the way and somebody is going to be alright.
As I sit here at Grandma's old desk writing this journal, we are watching a light sprinkle of snow outside. Just a few fluffy flakes spiraling to the ground.
I want to write more, but I promised myself only an hour or two of computer time each night. Chiefly to update this journal.
So, without much further ado...here are my objectives.
1. To see my cousins who I haven't seen since Grandma's funeral, and maybe pay a visit to my Aunt and Uncle on their farm. I really do miss everyone so much. My family seems disparate and scattered since the loss of the Matriarch, but the last two years have been a turbulent time of many changes.
2. To stop procrastinating on my art projects and get some stuff done. I have a wonderful short story for Stephanie that I have barely touched all year, despite being off to such a good start. I have illustration work to do for my book trilogy, now published for 2 years with a whopping two dedicated readers. Maybe if I start doing some related art for it, it will get people interested who are into the whole fantasy genre. I think this work is so monumental that none of my art skills can do it any real justice, but maybe I should start small. Maybe do some concept sketches or drawings of specific people, creatures or things from my fiction universe. What the archangels' armor or swords look like, and maybe start some concept work on the dragons, which I intend to make as ugly, horrible and frightening as possible. (No Pokemon-style cuddly creatures in this saga!) I have a few DVD's, some art books and all the movie soundtracks I can find which inspire me. This will be an odyssey into the mind. I am keeping a sketchbook, all the supplies and books I need right next to me in bed, so I can start drawing the moment it strikes me. I will be sure to scan and post any promising results.
3. Photography. I have a brand new Canon EOS Rebel T5i, and I plan to use it. I will go out for a walk near sunrise and sunset every day, and see what I can find. My hope is that the sun will come out and I may get to observe some furry or feathery things, or maybe some tiny plants poking their heads out of the dead ground. I invested in some tools to help me accomplish this: a new set of RealTree camouflage, some improvised animal blinds from old bedsheets, and this wonderful toy which I just bought with one of my gift cards: an Infra-red motion activated scout camera from Wild Game Innovations. It's the entry-level model, it takes SD cards and links via USB like any webcam. I bungee-corded it to one of the deck posts for tonight. It's aimed at the backyard where we see the most deer come peeping out, and who will maybe it will catch something bigger. The flash is invisible and it's fully capable of night photos. I plan to check it each morning. Maybe later I will move it further from the house or back on the trail, tonight we are just testing it.
That's all for tonight. I plan to get up and see the sun rise tomorrow. We have a great majestic view out the kitchen window and it faces directly East.
The adventure starts tomorrow. Thanks for reading and goodnight!
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