2-21-08

Great eclipse last night!  I snuck out of the circle early and came home to hang at my firepit alone, had a great view of the eclipse, lost it about 10:15 but saw it emerge again about midnight. There was cloud cover but I have no city lights near me so I get a good view of the night sky.  I could see her a clear deep rust all but the sliver, it was very cool.  I just put on my flannel shirt here at my office chair and it smells like campfire smoke!  My hair must also.  

I love my solo firepit time, I love being able to keep my tent pitched out there by it so I can camp out whenever I want to.  I have the tent facing the west, so I can’t see anything but nature around me, no houses (well ok power lines).  I can sleep out there and hear the opossum and armadillo and raccoons crashing around and I hear the snakes slithering by (harmless black snakes).  And then in the morning make a small campfire to boil the water for my tea and drink it as I sit and watch the land wake up.  It helps me having this space here since I haven’t been travelling much lately.  it keeps me from feeling in a rut with where I live.

I am getting ready to move my tent into the east woods, I have a small 6×8 platform that I may put it on.  The tent measures wider than that when the two side wings are in proper place, but I don’t need the extra room of them and could easily modify.  Plus I could suspend the rainfly from the trees above, giving more view of night sky while still overhead to catch rain and dew.  But I would be under the canopy of palms and pines in there, safe from dewfall itself, however not from the morning dewdrip from the leaves as it filters down 🙂

I would bring my chimenea over from the firepit area, and would have to figure some place to put it so it doesn’t draw attention or burn the branches above me.  That area at night would be somewhat visible from the street to cars and people passing by.  If I had the chimenea facing the street, passersby would see the flames and might be concerned even if they see me sitting right there by it.  If I face the chimenea away from the street, then they won’t see the flames, however they will see me sitting there being illuminated by a flickering something.  I need to check that out further.  I tend to think I am more visible than I actually am (or that it even matters.)