When I post about ravens and seals, people comment. Almost always in a complementary way. People love ravens and seals.

When I write about local people, I don’t usually get written comments but I always get a ‘local’ saying, “I read what you wrote about Jerry. Pretty funny! True, too.” Local people like reading about local people as long as it isn’t them.

When I write about me and my screw-ups, accidents, misadventures and various embarrassments, I get the most comments. People love to read about me screwing up. And it doesn’t seem to matter how much screwing up is being written about. It is all good.

“Hey, Dave! Chainsawed off a limb lately? Ha ha ha!”

And when I write about the Amazing Sal, women write back and tell me that I am undeservedly lucky and that I should appreciate her even more than I do and boy, oh boy, they sound like they just want to slap my silly face for some reason. The more I heap praise on the Ol’ Puddin’, the more likely I am to be reminded that I don’t deserve any of it.

I am not stupid. I will never write a critical word about Sal. Ever! They’d hunt me down and skin me alive.

It’s politics and philosophy that gets the least in the way of comments. I know that. I feel the same way when I read some other nut’s point of view on things. What a drag! So, I try to curb the tendency. Honest. As I said before, “Forgive me, please. I can’t help myself most of the time.”

But I can right now. I am going to be good. I promise.

Let me start with a brief summary of possible topics. There is the Read Island Development plan. Mind you, it is mostly just in my head but it’s a plan. Of sorts. It includes some woodworking, maybe some boat-building. It includes some housing construction. Maybe. Maybe a ‘clutch’ of units somewhere for those of us too old to keep up the ol’ homestead but not wishing to retire to the city. There are the potential ‘income stream’ ideas. And there is the ongoingness of just ‘keeping it all together’ on a day to day basis. Lots of material there.

There is the winter retreat. We try to get away three winters out of four. Two out of three, anyway. And we try to make it interesting. A cruise ship or an all-inclusive resort is not our style nor within our budget. So we usually try to ‘get local’ and travel like the footloose youth we once were. That aspect is wearing a bit thin but we still think that way even if it is getting harder to do. I suspect that we will have to get really creative soon. Mind you, we are planning on Argentina next year. Fly there and chicken-bus around. So the spirit isn’t dead.

There is always good ol’ China-watching. And not-so-good US-watching. I confess to not having much interest in Canada-watching but every once in awhile…………

And then there are the obits. That’s something, eh? I never passed a minute reading obituaries until about five years ago. I still don’t do it on a regular basis but, I must confess again, I do read them when I can. I keep expecting to know someone. Sometimes I do. Weird.

I’ve got spiritual stuff to write about but that seems to elicit much the same response as politics and philosophy. So, I may censor myself on that. Maybe not.

We’ve got great kids. I’d love to write about them but they prefer to remain relatively anonymous so I’ll respect that. But Em is going to China in January. That should be good for a few columns.

There are the dogs but as much as some love to hear about dogs, I am not one of them. The dogs wag their tails, chase sticks, smell each others butts and like their dinner at or just before 5:00. ‘Nuff said.

‘Course there are the W’fers. But they are seasonal and it isn’t the season.

And there is ‘living-off-the-grid’ teachings. How to do stuff. But I am currently disinclined that way for some reason. I’ll get back to batteries and solar panels someday. But not now. Just for the record: Sal and I ‘serviced’ the battery system yesterday. Water, cleaning, charging…….that sort of thing.

So, that’s the ‘index’. Any preferences?