Wednesday, February 14, 2024

February 14 - The Campfire Trail - Meaning And Purpose At 4am

February 14, 2024

Day 866 of the Adventure

I'm not sure if it's age or just boredom that causes me to be awake, wondering what to do at 4 or 5 am every day. Should I try to go back to sleep or just get up and try to find something to do? It's an easier question to answer this time of year. We are caught between the cold of winter and the mild hint of approaching spring. At the cabin, this presents us with a challenge. One that may bring some meaning and purpose to waking at this early time of the morning. During cold weather, the need to feed the woodstove occurs every two to three hours, and I don't mind that. There's always enough embers and coals to just toss a piece of firewood in and go back to bed. Springtime brings with it the ability to fire it up at night and forget it. The heat holds through the night whether the fire completely dies or not. 

Between those two times is when regulating the fire is more of a challenge. Adding wood when the coals are still alive enough to keep the fire going, also results in temperatures that can easily reach 80 degrees in the cabin. Avoiding that, usually ends up with a cold stove by the time the inside temperature falls into the upper 60's. By then, it means not only getting out of a warm bed, but having to take the time to start the fire from scratch again. By the time that's done, may as well start the coffee and get the day going. 

I have but one take-away from all this. Since age, or metabolism, or boredom or whatever else wakes me up this time of day, a quiet purpose follows this time of year. This morning it was 5am. There was left over coffee from last night still in a cold coffee pot. I poured up a cup and to avoid the noise of the instant heating with the microwave, I set it on the stove as I went to work stacking up a small pile of kindling. As the warmth of the cabin grew, the warmth of the coffee did as well. It's a slow, peaceful ritual befitting a life in the backwoods. By a little after 6am, I can see the sky beginning to lighten out the east facing window of the cabin. The day is nearly upon us and the cabin is now a toasty 72 degrees. Time to brew up a fresh pot of coffee and get thing started right!

Carry On

Adventure Quote:  “Life’s most precious moments are not all loud or uproarious. Silence and stillness has its own virtues.” ― Kilroy J. Oldster

Base Camp Coffee of the Day: Lost in the Dark (Colombia Dark French Roast)

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