I spent a week out in the country. I think it was a very good use of my time. It's what I needed to feel hopeful again. Hopeful that there's anything I can do to make things better. I spent the weekend helping people and connecting people together. It helped give me hope, where it's been hard to hold onto for a while. Names are abbreviated for anonymity. Privacy is important for where I'm moving.

Last wednesday, I set out for Colville, and spent the day talking with a good friend, J, about plans for the winter.

On Thursday, I called up one of the friends I've made up there, C, and asked if they had time to socialize. They were glad to have me over, and appreciated me reaching out. I shared some of the difficulties that I've been having, and helped him out by helping him set up a new router to fix some internet problems.

In turn, I asked C to help me with installing an antenna on my house for amateur radio. We made a plan for installing the antenna, and have the install partially underway.

On friday, I drove down to spokane and back up to colville for errands, and on saturday, I helped move firewood for J, so that they could stay warm through the winter. On Sunday, I talked with C some more, and they shared that they need a heavy trailer to help move a tractor to get upgraded. I also asked for C's help to level the driveway of the house I'm going to be moving into, because it hasn't been maintained in a while, and C was very kind in agreeing to help with that, which I'm excited about. Living in the country can be a bit of a fun adventure sometimes, but I'd like the driveway of my house to be a bit less adventurous.

On Sunday, I moved firewood some more, and asked J about C borrowing their heavy-duty utility trailer for moving their tractor, and also introducing them to each other as neighbors. They were glad to extend the help to their neighbors, and to have the opportunity to get to know their neighbor some more.

I also made a plan with C for him to help me retrieve one of my own utility trailers which isn't currently in good towing condition, help me fix it, and then build it up from a flatbed to a basket trailer, so that I can help him by helping haul trash from his place, and I'll also haul trash for other neighbors. I've been showing my flashlights to C and demonstrating the uses and different qualities of the flashlights and batteries, which is very helpful for lighting up the darkness so far out in the country.

I've been helping J with learning about good flashlights too, and they showed me a flashlight that they said they like that's operated with a kind of pistol grip. I thought it was a good and practical design, and it's silly that the only way you can have a flashlight with that kind of ergonomic design is if you get a cheap flashlight from the hardware store, and none of those are really any good. 

So I reached out to one of the people that I know online who's good at 3D modeling and 3D printing and asked them to design a pistol grip for an actually good flashlight. In return, I ordered the flashlight and remote trigger assembly for them to prototype with, they get to write a review of the flashlight, which is one that they haven't had the chance to try out for themselves yet, and they're going to send me the finished design along with the flashlight when they're done with it, and I'm going to give the flashlight over to my friend and neighbor J (after first playing with it a bit, myself)

On Monday, I made further plans with C. He has some extra coaxial cable that he's agreed to give to me for the antenna install, however the antenna I have that I'm going to have installed on the house has an odd connector that he doesn't have spare, so I've ordered some connectors, one for myself to install on the coaxial cable that's going to go to the antenna, and a few spares for C to have in case he runs into a situation in the future where he needs a spare.

Over the weekend I also shared an idea between Tessa, one of my good friends, C, and J, for a kind of modular battery system that could be used to power houses, cars, small vehicles, or small workshops alike. They have expressed some interest in the basic idea of the project, and I'm working on figuring out ways to get Tessa up to Colville from where they're at in Coastal Oregon so that they can help locally where I'm at, and contribute to projects that I'm working on. 

For the past week, I've also been helping my partner with watching their kids, and trying to help keep them from getting too overwhelmed by all the ways that things aren't so good. Even if it's hard to see a better future, I hope that I've at least helped them see that things today aren't so bad.

The current plan is to find a way to get Tessa up here to Colville to meet J, and my partner, and possibly C, and if plans work out, they'll go back and retrieve a lot of their tools and supplies and find whatever ways they can to help build useful things and make things better up here. Tessa also greatly wants to help in whatever way they can in my partner and their kids, and having that help will be incredibly powerful.

Currently, funds are going towards mutual aid supplies and projects, helping support me in going between Spokane and Colville. 

Finding the funds to get Tessa and their tools and supplies up here is a significant goal. If Tessa is going to come up, it's vitally important for them to get their tools and supplies up here before severe snow reaches the area, as once the snow sets in, it's going to become significantly more difficult to move their things into place.

Daniel returned. I've been worried about him, and his health still isn't great, but he managed to make his way back. He's got a plan for getting his vehicle fixed, and I'm hoping that once it's fixed, he'll be able to find a place within the community up north in Colville. He's someone who wants to help, and has lots of skills and the heart to help. The neighbors have left us alone, which either means they've cooled off, or they're just going to call in nuisance complaints without talking to me. 

Thank you to everyone who has helped support my efforts. Every bit of help is a step towards a better future.