While catching up on some recordkeeping this morning I was reminded that we’ve had our SilverSilverado for almost four months. We pressed it into service early, hauling household goods from Second Chance Ranch to storage, then drove it behind Ernie to its permanent home in The Ozarks.
Now it’s our almost-daily driver. It’s hard to imagine being without it.
The odometer reads 95,400 miles, 4,100 of which are ours. Fuel economy for the 5.3-liter V8 has settled at 18.5mpg overall. So far the Chevy has been — knock wood — trouble-free, and I’m pleased with the way it handles and performs.
We’ll be driving it back to Ohio for the wedding next month. I’m sure it’ll see serious hauling duty down here when construction of our house takes off this fall and winter, even more as a home becomes a homestead.
Six months before the Silverado joined the family, last December we bought our Ranger from a soon-to-be-neighbor. Call it a UTV, a side-by-side or whatever, it’s the ideal combination of work and play.
The thing has been invaluable in helping us explore The Mountain. It’s unlocked more of our 20 acres than would’ve been easily accessible without it — a compact, go-anywhere buggy we can load up with woods tools, hiking gear or a well-stocked cooler. It’s made a huge difference.
Like that new-to-us Chevy, the Polaris has performed flawlessly. I love the way it tackles terrain without complaint (and without burning a lot of fuel, either). And, of course, we’ll be giving it much tougher assignments in the coming months and years.
Both the Ranger and the Silverado are, in the end, trucks — they’re tools. No different than a wrench or a chain saw or a revolver, they’re either useful or they’re not. Sure, they may prompt pleasure, even joy, but only if they perform.
I’d say we chose the right tools for the job.
That whitetail buck hasn’t reappeared on our trailcams since Friday, but his (presumed) harem has shown up every day. Most of the does look pretty healthy, with the exception of one skinny we’ve see down below.
None of this year’s fawns have triggered our cameras, though we’ve eyeballed a number of them while driving up and down the road.
We did get a surprise this morning on the camera near our homesite — an adult gray fox.
I’ve read that gray foxes are the only canids in the Americas that can climb trees. I’d like to see that.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB