This title is a no brainer. As the story goes, the darkness closed in and engulfed us for a long, long time. We did as bears do and hibernated. We have now come out of the den and are again moving about.

A good analogy, to bears. Bears should be respected more than they are. If we saw how much we are like them, we would not leave bait out for them and shoot them. We fear them and deal with our fear by killing them.

We think that we have evolved, but we are not. Our DNA is always going to be our DNA – killing is in our genes.

Pete and Raudi and Hrimmi overlooking Happy Jack area

It was a good day. I did as planned and called villages and talked to two school principals who said they’d like to have books. Now I must find funding so I can send the books to them. I wrote a letter to the Palmer Lions Club and will submit this letter to the board.

I also got Raudi out, saddled her up and took her down the road. She was not at all up for a ride and had a lot of excuses. The footing, melting snow, was crappy. Her feet were tender. She preferred to hang out in the sun and doze. Perhaps legitimate, the hay was dusty and at the conclusion of the ride made her cough.

I did not push her. I instead made it an enjoyable outing for us both. All the mares are now back on supplements so they all may soon be a bit more chipper.

The word from Pete is that we are going to take off in June – he’s found a trail in the Yukon he’d like to check out. I can’t imagine how we are going to extricate ourselves from the book project – but this is what we are going to have to do. We are not, and the horses are not, getting any younger.

I hope in the next few years to do a very long trek, one that takes a year to complete. The project is by then going to have to have gotten to a point in which this can be a reality. Even going for a month at this point in time is going to be pushing it.

If we can’t find enough workers, we won’t go. I won’t let the house of cards fall down. Maybe we will do a week on and a week off.

I went in late this afternoon to the hotel. I’d worked hard all weekend and figured that I needed a few hours’ break. I did not work long, but I did work. Pam was there. And we did have a few visitors. Pete came and took the packed books to the post office. He also took two boxes of books to Job Corp. And he categorized the nonfiction.

Tomorrow is going to be a really long day. Long is okay if there is sunshine and lengthy days.

Next: 98. 4/9/24: Once in a Lifetime