We’ve been here a month now. Much longer than that — going back to before we left here in March, probably — Deb and I have been saying that we have a lot of work to do around the bus. We just never did it.
With the best of intentions, we said we’d knock out our to-do list when we got back to Ohio. Then we vowed to catch up while we were parked for a week at Buckeye Lake. And when we got back to Arkansas… well, you know.
We’ve been kinda busy, ok?
Today, finally, was Chores Day. Up in the living quarters, Deb cleaned and de-cluttered. The latter was especially challenging, since we left Second Chance Ranch with a lot of, um, baggage that didn’t come along on last year’s journey.
I dove into routine maintenance first — bus, toad and truck, checking fluids and pressures and such, replacing burned-out bulbs, making adjustments and putting shots of lube where they needed to go. After that I faced the daunting task of cleaning and reorganizing Ernie’s basement storage bays.
Our rolling cellar is well-stocked with supplies, spares and tools. Thing is, we’ve been living out of that space while on the move much of the time. My original system worked, but over 18 months it had become something of a mess. It was well after noon when I was satisfied with the result.
Next on my list was sprucing up our outdoor living space — wiping down tables, sweeping stairs and mats, putting out pieces of décor that had been stowed since spring. I reinstalled the solar light on the flag that flies from the rear of the bus.
Last, on purpose, I addressed our water tanks. I drained the black, hooked up a hose to its flush fitting and let the water run for a good half-hour. I dumped the gray, followed by draining and re-filling the fresh-water tank.
The work finished, I made my way around to the other side of the bus, flopped onto one of our zero-gravity recliners, pulled the shade over my head and took an Old Man Nap. It was the perfect day for that — 70s, light breeze, tolerable humidity — and for getting shit done.
One other long-deferred task I accomplished today (after my nap, thank you) was configuring a couple of trail cameras we’ll use on The Mountain. Chosen based on a friend’s recommendation, they’re Stealth Cam Fusions, equipped with cellular communication. (Ours are Verizon.)
There’s an app for that, of course.
Setup was pretty simple, really — attach antenna, install SD card and batteries, scan QR code, create account and bam, I had both units working in no time.
Deb and I are still discussing exactly where we’ll place our trailcams. It’s a safe bet, though, that you’ll see images from both right here in the very near future.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB