Second Chance Ranch is, without a doubt, a world-class Charlie Foxtrot right now. It’s a necessary casualty of The Three Piles Process — pitch, sell, move. We realize that it’ll get a lot worse before it gets any better.
But we’re also making progress. We loaded the truck with boxes we’ve packed. stuff that eventually will end up on The Mountain, and hauled it five miles up the road to a small storage unit we rented.
It’s actually right across the aisle from our regular storage unit, but in this game of 3D Tetris we simply needed to get it out of our way.
I also want to say that it’s great to have a full-size truck under us. The Tacomas were great, but the Chevy’s six-and-a-half-foot bed (without the limitations of a tonneau) made hauling a breeze.
I know I’ve shared a bunch of minutia about that new-to-us Silverado lately, both because it interests me and because it’s a welcome diversion from the grunt work we’re involved in. And by the way, this morning’s service appointment didn’t fix the air conditioning — the shop ordered the wrong part, delaying a functioning chiller ’til Friday morning.
Yes, we bought a used Chevy truck from a Honda dealership. As part of a “We Owe” agreement that was part of the sale, our Silverado is being serviced by an Acura dealer that’s part of the same “automotive group.” I hope they’re better at performing service than they are at ordering parts.
Deb ordered us a new cabin air filter for the Silverado, a reusable K&N, and I tackled the (relatively simple) replacement task myself. By the looks of the element I removed, I don’t think it had been replaced since the truck was new — not only was it filthy, but the supply plenum was full of leaves and litter. I cleared it out the best I could, slid the K&N into its slot, buttoned up the assembly and turned on the fan.
Air flow was greatly improved (no surprise there), but there was a new low-frequency noise that rose and fell with fan speed. I pulled off the cover again, removed the element, reached down into the squirrel cage and pulled out one leaf. That didn’t cure it.
I’m hoping that it’s nothing more serious than seeds and stems, and that it’ll work itself out eventually without damaging anything.
“I don’t want to hear any more of these lies about ‘reckless spending’! We’re changing people’s lives!”
the current occupant of the Oval Office, yesterday in Philadephia #TaxationIsTheft
The refrigerator fire in Ernie last Memorial Day confirmed what we’d believed all along — that there’s no substitute for having a fire extinguisher close by. And we do, at home, in our RVs and in our passenger vehicles.
I searched the wwWeb for ideas on where to put a fire extinguisher in the truck, discovering that most owners choose a spot ahead of the front passenger seat. The most popular mount seemed to be “The Bracketeer,” so I decided to give that a whirl.
I had two options — remove the seat bolts and install the bracket between the tracks and the floor, or employ a clever clamp-on scheme. I chose the latter, and installation was straightforward. The steel mount was nicely powder-coated, all hardware was supplied (plus spares) and the holes were tapped (no backing nuts to fumble with). Hell, even the tools required (two Allen wrenches) were included.
I think it’s an elegant setup, simple and functional. The only downside is that the mount limits the passenger seat’s forward travel some, reducing rear-seat legroom. We don’t see that as an issue.
One year ago today we awoke under beautiful Hill Country skies, had an authentic lunch at Busbees Bar-B-Que in Bandera, then trekked to Fredericksburg for a healthy dose of charm.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB