By Tom Groewal

March 10, 1992, Tuesday

I feel an excess of energy, the sun is shining. It’s my birthday, I’m thirty-three. I go to Sequim to have my eyes examined and the report is that I could use bifocal lenses in my new glasses. Really, it’s true. However, the pressure in my eyes is low, which is good, apparently. The receptionist and I chat about how mold grows quickest on aluminum windows. I have found this to be true. I am wildly entertained.

March 13, 1992

We have had over 42” of rain this year. I am afraid to inquire about the mold and fungus spore counts, it’s probably one of those answers I don’t want to know. Mycelium grows on and in everything and produce spores. After a few days, the molecular water bonds break releasing zillions of spores onto and into me and everything I have. In my semi-unheated storage room, there are different communities of mold which dominate depending on moisture, light, and temperature. The black variety makes me nervous. I can scrape it off with a popsicle stick but I leave the rest undisturbed.

At noon today, I will be taking over for a teacher at Forks Middle School, a 6th-grade class. Sometimes middle school students will work, sometimes they won’t, depending on if my opening monolog goes well, their regular teacher’s level of control, or if it is Monday or Friday, or….. Middle school is a very strange place. They are like a puppy that tears apart the padding in a sofa. “What, I didn’t do anything.” Naughty puppy. I found telling middle schoolers they are naughty seems to work. They are kind of freaked out by it, makes them all squirrely and they don’t want to hear the word again so they try to be good puppies.

March 17, 1992

I have not fished for over a month. Just as well, save time and money. I have been eating a variety of fresh fish. Last week in La Push I purchased Red Rockfish which was a new species. I bought three 8 pound fish at 40 cents a pound. The next fish to try is Yelloweye, a big fish from the deep dark depths where big eyes are necessary to see in the low light. The local boats have been bringing in Halibut, some reaching 140 pounds. The under market sized fish can be had for bargain rates. Why should I fish, I’m a cook, not a fisherman.

March 18, 1992, Tuesday

Today, I awake a bit early, the sun is shining through the window. Another sunny day. I can’t help but get excited to plan where I will hike, whether the beach, the forests or maybe a day sitting on a rock along one of the rivers and watch the current. Sunny days are days to be spent outside in the light.