April 23, 2026. I'm always aware of this date. Several people I care about have this birthday, and it's the day Shakespeare was both born and died.
We had a morning coffee fire to send off Ladybug. It's been a lovely stay with her as my neighbor.
I have a few more days here. Two big piles of firewood left, a great camp spot, cliff view, protected from the wind, perfect trees for lights. In about four days I'll be ready for a resupply run. That'll probably be when I move.
I've wanted to go into the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for years. The past two years I was always too far north by the time that part of the park opens. From here I'm in perfect striking distance. They open May 15th, which means lingering in this area another three weeks. I don't mind that idea at all.
I do have hesitations. It's 20-plus miles into the backcountry on high-clearance 4x4 trails. I don't carry a full-size spare. No chainsaw, no winch. Things could go wrong in ways that would be hard to solve alone. I'd prefer a buddy with 4x4 capability, but most of the nomads I know couldn't go back there. One friend has expressed interest but I think it's unlikely. I may go anyway with a solid contingency plan, or I may kick it down the road another year. Still deciding.
Yesterday I made a video of my friend Jed helping me remove a splinter. I love it. It came together effortlessly and I laugh every time I watch it. I want to make more videos like this, but something about it scares me. Not the content, we're just removing a splinter, but the other information the video communicates about who I am. There's something about that kind of video that is simultaneously the easiest thing in the world to make and, from another angle, a surprisingly difficult fruit to obtain.
I'm looking forward to prioritizing music. The setup has been a long time coming and I think it's finally ready for a real season of work.
Yesterday felt like the most natural shooting day I've had. Maybe a rhythm is starting to emerge. I'm going to let it rather than force a system on it.
Yesterday was my nephew Tennessee's 16th birthday. He's driving now. What an experience, watching that kid grow up.