"All paths lie together in the hand of god like a web endlessly woven, and yours and mine are no greater or less than the beetle's or the squirrel's or the sparrow's. All are held together." ~ Daniel Quinn (Photo of coyote tracks taken on the Bean Brook on 12.7.25)

Somebody posted this. How do you find this out? With a paid subscription perhaps? #asknostr

Good morning 🔥 It's - 1 out there at sunrise. The sky was clear with stars when I was out earlier. I took a walk on the Bean Brook yesterday afternoon. It wasn't long. Enough to get some photos of coyote tracks and Jack pine trees. While I was down on my knees I heard the water flowing under the ice. Everything still and frozen above while water and whatever else keeps moving underneath. A few days prior, before the nightly below zero temperatures hit, the Bean Brook caused me to pause again. I was dumping compost buckets. Looked down at the moving water to see ice chunks floating down the middle of it. The edges were already frozen creating ice shelves. The Bean has been causing me to pause a bit more lately. I'll be going along on the mail route, and while crossing over it see beauty. So I stop, turn around, and take a photo. There's so much that goes on around it. Years back I remember watching otters play in it. It was winter. And I would come across their slides on the bank. I never seen them do it. But I can imagine they were having a blast doing it. It's Monday. My day off from the mail trail. It's back to it tomorrow. I look forward to it. It's a job and it gives me purpose. It's not terribly hard work and I like the people I work with. Would I rather be doing something else with my time at times? Of course. I've mentioned that a time or two.Working half the hours for the same amount of pay might be nice. But that's fantasy land stuff. Before tomorrow, though, I am looking forward to working outside putting up firewood for the morning fires and helping out Hayden with his Christmas projects. What did Mark Manson say? Here, I wrote down in my notebook: "The only way to feel better about yourself is to do things worth feeling good about." I hope you have a great day! Morning Fire 58 12.8.25

Do I help my community and country by running a Bitcoin node? #asknostr

Good morning. It's 7:30 AM. I'm in front of Morning Fire 57. My first day off of two from the mail trail. It was a long 5 days of delivery. Dark to dark every day. If it wasn't snowing it was frigidly cold. The tips of my fingers are starting to crack from it. It happens every year. I think it's the mixture of cold and road salt splashed up on the mailboxes. I got out of bed at 5 AM and stepped outside. It was 5 below zero. I was only wearing boxers. I didn't want to waste the time putting on a jacket, hat, and such. Plus I take cold showers, so I have a different relationship with the cold now. The snow sparkled. There were some stars in the sky. And a newly waning moon was high in the southwestern sky. Still. Crisp. Cold. We're two weeks away from the Solstice today. I brought up how we lie to ourselves yesterday. While working out I heard a great quote on a podcast I was listening to. "We let go of our lies one finger at a time " It's a process, an ongoing one. That's what I've noticed. Well, anyway. I am looking forward to spending time in the house today. I hope you have a great Sunday! 12.7.25

Bitcoin won't be adopted like the iPhone because it's cool. It will be adopted like gunpowder: if you don't own it, you'll be its victim. —Saifedean Ammous

From the mail trail: Snow still sticks to trees in Springbrook, WI. 12.6.26

Your Zaps keep me coming back! Thank you for them. 🙏

Good morning. I type this at 6:15 AM. It's 20 degrees out there. The sky gray when I looked out the window. I think the moon is still up. I have to be headed down the road by 6:40 to make it to work on time. My last day of delivery, then 2 days off. I am looking forward to it. The days of delivery are dark to dark as the days get darker. Two weeks from now will be our shortest day of the year. I remember feeling this way last year. Gotta get through it. Just get through it. This is no way to live of course. But that's a conversation for another time. I was just reading "Time and The Soul." He was talking about how time escapes us faster the more we lie to ourselves. I work with a woman. She's well into her 60's. I don't know how she does the job sometimes. Sometimes we will look at each surrounded by Amazon packages with no space, laugh, and say, "it's all lies." I gotta go to work. I hope you have a great day. Morning Fire 56 12.6.25

From the mail trail: The Namekagon at 10 AM. Icy. 15 below a few nights before. Two blocks away cars continuously move through Springbrook. The sound of rubber on road a blip in time to this timeless flow. Springbrook, WI 12.5.25

Dear Son, The world will work on your heroic ego every minute of every day. Let it in. All of it. Stay true to the grief and joy it has to offer.