Sunny, clear, and warm today in the Mad River Valley - close to sixty degrees.

And Maul Man is pleased.

Despite Michael "Waterboarding is probably OK with me" Mukasey's inevitable confirmation as the Empire's new Attorney General, oil trading at over $90 a barrel, gold at a 28 year high of close to $800 an ounce, the U.S. Empire on the verge of another major war in greater Persia, and the petro-dollar busting at a three-decades-low when valued against major currencies (Jeezum! The loonie is on par with the Washington!)...

Maul Man is pleased.

Why, you ask?

The firewood is all split and stacked, as of this afternoon - ready to burn for warmth and light this winter.

The apple press, squeezing out close to 20 gallons of honey-brown sweetness these past few weeks, is cleaned and ready for more apples...given the raspberries stll growing on the vine (Isn't it November, fer cryin' out loud?) - we may be pressing for several more weeks...

And the chickens, God bless 'em, have finally started laying.

Homestead Security.

Maul Man is not all that ambitious.

He'd like to see an independent Vermont republic in his lifetime, and hopes his fellow Vermonters, all 630,000 of 'em, might see far enough ahead to get on board...

In the meantime, he hopes that everyone might stop by for some eggs and apple cider.

We can't get there from here - or can we?