Notes from Maine - 2021/01/30
We had some snow yesterday. It’s that really fine, dry stuff that blows around and collects in big dusty piles. The power stayed on, which is awesome. Power is everything here. Heat, refrigerator/freezer, and well water all run via the grace of Central Maine Power. Without power, existence becomes unmanageable fairly quickly this time of year. For a long time, I’ve been considering taking a summer off from electricity. It would take a lot of planning. I need to pull about fifty gallons of water a day from the bottom of a well to take care of the dogs and horses. That would be a lot of hand-pumping.
Cars generate their own electricity, of course, so those would be out too. I guess I could ride a bicycle to get groceries, but then I’m just using the grocery store’s electricity. If I want to go all the way with this, I’ll have to plant a bunch of crops first. Maybe I could stockpile a ton of dry goods beforehand. Since I’m making up the rules as I go, it’s not out of the question to use stockpiled supplies.
On the other hand, my desire for comfort is beginning to exceed my curiosity. I’m sure I would learn interesting things by renouncing electricity for a summer, but perhaps it would be more trouble than it’s worth. Maybe I’ll do a week without power and see how that goes. I just have to figure out the water thing. I’ve talked about this before and it never happens. It’s just fun to think about.
Out in the barn, horse people are dissatisfied with the living arrangements. Earl (father horse) wants to be outside with his wife and daughter. At the moment, there appears to be no danger of the parents collaborating on another pregnancy, but there’s this expression that keeps going through my head—“Fool me once, shame on you…” I don’t want to be standing out in the barn awaiting another birth in eleven months, so they can stay separated for the moment. It just means more chores for me now.
Last year was a strange year for writing. In the past twelve months, I’ve written more and published less than ever before. The problem is that I can’t make sense of most of what I wrote. I’ve resolved to put those books away for now. It’s so flattering when people tell me that they’ve read all my books and tracked me through different genres and obsessions. But there’s a limit. I have to carefully curate what I’m putting into the world or I would betray the trust that I’ve developed with some readers.
I need perspective, and the only way to get it is to put those books away and then come back to them with fresh eyes later. Meanwhile, I have other books that I stashed in past years. Those deserve a second look. I’ve resolved to do that this year.
This weekend, my forty-second book is for sale. I’m creeping up on the halfway point of my goal. Before I put down the pen, so to speak, I want to have a hundred novels under the name Ike Hamill. I’m not striving for quantity over quality, but I’m a goal-oriented person so I like working towards a specific number. Unfortunately, this goal might be antithetical to “success” in writing. To reach a broader audience, I should be spending a good deal of time marketing the books that I have and engaging on different social media platforms.
Ugh.
It’s more fun to just keep writing.
I hope you’re staying warm and dry.
