Better late than never

Written a while ago, now being posted

9/15

It is Wednesday evening, it is raining it is beautiful. I just spent an hour in the sauna, and am clean, warm, rested and refreshed. I am sitting here looking at the rain, enjoying a delightful beverage. Life is good.

Here is a little bit of what I have been up to.

The last few days I have been replumbing two of our wood-fired boilers, so they can heat more buildings this winter, reducing our need for diesel boilers, and allowing our limited winter electricity to be used for other things. My training period is over. The two guys who had been the utilities department for the last year left today, so it is left to me, and two other guys to run the villages water, power, sewer, and heat. I am looking forward to the challenge. I am missing my students, but I love the work I am doing.

I have been taking full advantage of the sauna that is 20 meters from our door. There is a dunk tank in the sauna building, which allows for invigorating dunks after sweating for 20 minutes. I am also planning on swimming in lake Chelan every month while I am here. I am a quarter of the way there with July, August, and September taken care of. I am looking forward to January!

I haven’t done as much hiking or climbing as I have wanted to, partly due to weather, but I am ok with it. I’ll do what I can, when I can, while I can. Then I’ll break out my skis. It is just amazing to watch the weather and the mountains out here.

Tara and I picked about 10 pounds of Hops on Sunday for this fall and winters brewing activities. The people here know how to make good beer!