Me and Dr. Minor

tuesday

Fog, drizzle and relatively warm air greeted me Tuesday morning when I rose and went out to chop wood. It’s not so bitterly cold in the mornings anymore, but it still feels good to light the fire knowing I will enjoy a cozy day indoors with their highnesses.

We got off to a late start. We didn’t go for our walk until 10:30, and then we went into the village to get cash with which to pay Grayson. He’s now very busy splitting and stacking wood, and he’s built a branch brace so that he can efficiently saw the many, many branches he’s harvested into firewood, and I will have it for future use when branches fall.

By noon the fog had lifted. It remained warm and there was no rain, but it was still a dull day except for the presence of Grayson. Mid-afternoon, Her Highness and I went. back to Regina’s to deliver more boxes. This time, we had a nice big load of them, and once unpacked, we went to Drumbeg for our afternoon walk.

Walking in Drumbeg was spectacular. I could smell the sea; it smelled sweet and fresh. All my life, I have lived close to the ocean, and I was a sailor and had my own boat. It takes engaging with the sea to develop a love of its fragrance. Later, I was buoyed by the scent of fresh clover growing where the Scotch Broom once grew. GALTT, our trail guardians, have successfully removed the invasive Broom and clover is thriving. My nose is a constant source of pleasure. I have always enjoyed a vivid sense of smell.

I may wind up stacking wood in the studio. I’d put down a protective layer to protect the tiles and to keep things clean and stack any wood in there that won’t fit in the two large sheds and one small one. I’m going to have an awful lot of wood. I likely won’t have to buy any wood until 2028. I’m truly set.

Bruce is in Iceland by now, I reckon. He’s been travelling through Italy and sending emails about his adventures. I’ve also been hearing a lot about travel from Ali and Pete, who spent several months in Panama, Kevin and Shelly, who’ve been travelling through Thailand and Vietnam, and Nancy and Ron who are in Mexico. I really enjoy reading about all they do, but it’s very clear to me that I will never travel anywhere beyond my tiny little corner of the world. 

I’d be a wreck were I to try travelling. I’d be exposed to too much risk of change, far, far too many strangers, noise, and chaos. I’m sure I’d be plagued with seizures and muteness. Those days are over. Besides, the premium I’d have to pay for travel insurance could buy me a house.

One of the best books I’ve ever read is The Professor and The Madman by Simon Winchester. It’s one of two incredibly fascinating books by Mr. Winchester telling the origin story of the Oxford Dictionary. The professor referred to in the title is Sir James Murray, the chief editor of the dictionary. The madman is William Chester Minor, a former American army general who became the first person found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity, creating a precedent in British jurisprudence. Dr. Minor became one of the most prolific contributors to the development of the dictionary.

It's an incredible read, but the reason I have brought it up is because Dr. Minor was sent toa lunatic asylum, where he was treated to a grand cell, and which he filled with books that were the source material for his search for words and their provenance.

He was a brilliant man who fell apart due to exposure to the atrocities of war. His focus on the development of the dictionary seems to have brought focus and peace to his troubled mind and bringing his consciousness to the present from the past.

I think of him often because I feel imprisoned by my mind just like him. My cell is Pinecone Park. I occasionally get day passes to go to Nanaimo or Victoria, but the here is where I always want to be. My cell is my paradise, I have plants instead of books. I’m impatient waiting for the warm and nicer weather. I want to be outside, cleaning up the yard. But I’m a pussy. I don’t like cold; I do cool, but not cold, especially when its saturated.

wedesday

Wednesday without Grayson gave me a day to myself. He is not coming today, either, so today will be another gentle quiet day. We walked the Ricki Ave. trail yesterday. We were a big group of people and dogs. Then we made a quick stop in the village before coming home for lunch.

We had an afternoon walk on our favourite short trail, hoping to get our walk in before the rains came. Just as we were finishing, I felt the first drops of rain, so we came home, and I stoked the fire, and we had a very calm and relaxing happy hour. Then it was time for a movie, and last night I watched Délicieux, a lovely French film imagining the founding of the ‘first’ restaurant. It’s entirely fictitious, but beautiful to watch, and the reverence for food is a joy to see. I saw it via Prime and paid a modest premium.

As we were watching the film, the apocalypse arrived. We had torrential rain, lightning and thunder last night and it continued all night. It was still coming down when I arose this morning, but by 7:00 the sky cleared and it is a brilliant bright blue, promising us at least a lovely morning.

Today may bring the opportunity to do some outdoor work. I’ll see how things go. Tomorrow Grayson may be back so lots more will be done. However, there are things I can do and I may do some of them today.