That trip to the storage unit paid off big overnight. One more (freshly laundered) blanket on the bed kept Deb and me snug and warm. And a small electric space heater, placed strategically on the landing outside the bathroom, took the edge off this morning’s chill throughout the RV.
So yeah, it was a whole lot easier to get these old bones movin’ today. I’m not inclined to give in to a little discomfort (I’m damned stoic, if you want to know the truth), but the added warmth kicked off my Sunday better than my Saturday began.
I’ll note one exception — pulling on my hoodie, infused with the intoxicating smell of woodsmoke from yesterday’s campfire.
Brisk fall mornings are right in my wheelhouse. Living largely outdoors this time of year is, for me, livin’ large. I have no complaints.
Our cabin has been here a month now. We’re still fiddling with the floor plan — as we’ve been in and out, living with the layout that Deb marked in blue tape, something about the kitchen hasn’t felt quite right. We’re giving ourselves time to get it the way we want it before we frame the interior walls, so the delay (if you want to call it that) really isn’t a problem for us.
It’s the difference between being anxious and being in a rush.
I think I’ve mentioned before that I totally suck at carpentry. That doesn’t bode well for building out our cabin, I know, but I like to think that with age has come patience and a measure of humility that I didn’t have in my clumsy, hurried youth. We should be fine.
I’ve decided that before I tackle building the three walls that’ll define our bathroom (one of which will be shared with the bedroom, another with the kitchen), I want to take on a less consequential project — that is, making something that doesn’t matter (as much) if I fuck it up.
The task I’ve chosen is putting up a second loft in the shed. That’ll give me the opportunity to run my tools, choose and work with dimensional lumber and sheet goods, and basically do a little of things that eventually I’ll do a lot.
From that low-risk project, I should come away with lessons and, perhaps, confidence. That’s my intent, anyway.
Today I sketched out a rough plan and took measurements. Next time we run to Mountain Home, we’ll pick up the materials. When it’s done, I’ll gain 40 square feet of out-of-the-way space in the shed.
I have more in mind, but it’ll be a good start.
Relatively early this morning, I opened the door to the shed and saw the deer blocks we picked up at the feed mill yesterday, sitting in the bed of the Ranger. No time like the present — Deb came along for the buggy ride, first down to the base of the road (just because) and then up the cut toward the summit.
We dropped the first block in front of Mountain Two, same as last year, then rolled up to the top of the trail and parked. There we got out and wandered the woods in the cool morning air.
I don’t know that we’d ever been up there at that hour. It was wonderful — a bright and ascending sun finding its way through the canopy, hardwoods still hanging onto their leaves, only the slightest hint of fall color.
Not long ago, Deb saw a couple of homesteading YouTubers using extended hedge clippers to help them clear trails on their Tennessee property. Immediately she was a fan of the tool, and eventually she ordered one for us.
I threw it into the Ranger today, hoping to give it a trial run on the walking trail to the summit. Yes, it’s a DeWalt 20v — considering what else we have, the compatibility only made sense — with a nifty articulating head.
That feature makes it possible not only to prune and trim overhead, but also to sweep it across the ground like a weed-whacker. Deb, seeing it in action this morning, summed up her reaction in two words — game changer — and I don’t disagree.
Ridding the summit trail of what had encroached and popped up over the summer — branches, briars, seedlings — was a piece of cake.
When we came back down to the homesite, we turned onto the lower level and set the other deer block at the far south end. The reason? We can see whatever it attracts from the living room of the RV.
Later, fried-egg sandwiches made with eggs from free-range chickens. Big bowls of Blue Bell ice cream in the evening.
But the best part of our little tour — in fact, the best part of our Sunday — was time spent in the woods, meandering, with no care beyond the moment. Do that.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
