We were treated to another cool night in the RV — “good sleepin’ weather,” as they say, upper 50s in here and mid-40s outside. Just chilly enough to make that first cup of hot coffee taste even better.
Last we heard, our mobile RV tech will be out here tomorrow to address the furnace.
With fall comes festivals, celebrations of harvest and heritage all across America. Deb and I love (and seek out) these small fairs. Two years ago yesterday, for example, we dropped in on the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival in Winterset, Iowa.
Our adopted Ozarkansas hometown has its own amnual shindig, the famous (and infamous) “Turkey Trot” held on the courthouse square the second weekend in October. That’s this Friday and Saturday.
We’ve been planning to go, probably Saturday, but I’m not sure that Deb and her bum foot will be up to it. It’s a relatively small festival, though, and with her on crutches and me carrying folding chairs, we might be able to put in an appearance. We’ll have to wait and see.
Saturday the 14th happens to be our 17th wedding anniversary. It’s also the occasion of an annular solar eclipse (not to be confused with next April’s total eclipse), which spawned the theme of this year’s Turkey Trot — “Ring of Fire.”
Unlike the April eclipse, when we’ll be in the enviable “path of totality,” this weekend we expect to see something like 60% to 70% annularity. The weather should cooperate — partly cloudy, with temps around 54°F at the start of the show and 61°F by the time it’s over.
Even if we have to stay up on The Mountain, we’ll have a good view of the entire solar event, from mid-morning until early afternoon.
Our favorite Redneck Malinois, the irrepressible Miss Smudge, turns one year old today.
Oh, and what a year she’s had. Nine short months ago, she quickly became part of this crazy Life and thrown-together family of ours. She took to her adopted siblings, Scout and Dipstick, and they to her. She entertains us and she tests us.
As I’ve said before, Smudge doesn’t play well with others. She’s devoted solely to her family, her tribe, displaying loyalty with a ferocity I’ve never seen before.
Around us she’s a clown and an athlete, a lover and a lap dog, a hard-headed hard case. No one else will see the Smudge that we see.
We’re okay with that. Smudge is one helluva Heeler and a genuine keeper.
So happy birthday, Smudge Puppy. Welcome to doghood.
Deb saw a bit of improvement in her injured foot over the last 24 hours — experiencing less pain, able to put a little weight on it — but not enough to keep her from doing The Smart Thing. Late this morning we drove to an urgent-care clinic on the far side of Mountain Home, where she had the injury evaluated professionally.
Broken. The 5th metatarsal snapped. From the x-rays it doesn’t appear to be a displaced fracture. The clinic prescribed a walking boot, and she’ll see an orthopod Thursday morning.
A mile away was the prosthetics-and-orthotics place where we were sent to buy Deb’s boot. There we had a pleasantly surprising experience — the woman who came out to help Deb, on learning that she didn’t have insurance, said something absolutely remarkable.
“Oh, hon’, you don’t wanna buy that here. We’d have to charge you, like, $200. If you go to a medical-supply house, it’ll be more like $85. There’s one right around the corner — if y’all want, I can call and make sure they have it in your size.”
We were floored at her kindness. Who does that these days?
The woman made the call, only to learn that the boot was out of stock. She placed another call, with the same result. Meanwhile, Deb got on Amazon and found what she thought was the right thing. She showed her phone to the woman.
“Yes, ma’am, that’s it. When you get it, you can bring it in to us and we’ll help make certain you know the right way to wear it.”
Stunning. Absolutely stunning.
The price? Thirty-nine bucks. It’ll be here tomorrow.
Deb will sport a fetching post-op sandal until her boot arrives.
Naturally, I’ll be carrying a bigger load during Deb’s convalescence. Our recreation on and about The Mountain will be cut back, too — no hiking for her, probably not until mid-winter or perhaps even spring.
The rocky terrain ’round here will wrench and twist feet that aren’t broken. It’ll be best for her healing process if she doesn’t take the risk.
We’re also getting ready to attack the build-out of the cabin. Frankly, Deb won’t be of much help for a while. I’m sure she’ll do what she can, but I won’t let her push it.
Fortunately, I love to work.
This morning, in fact, after I finished a cup of coffee at the picnic table, I knocked out a small task — making the guy wire supporting our meter pole more visible. Since I put it up, it’s been marked by strips of yellow flagging tape, making it look like something one might see on approach to Everest.
Today I replaced the prayer flags with half-inch yellow wire loom — on the cable, the turnbuckle and the stake — secured with yellow zip-ties. It did the job for less than one-third the cost of a purpose-made guy-wire cover.
And I still have 200 yellow zip-ties and almost 90 feet of wire loom left.
Such a simple thing, but it had an immediate effect and, most important, it lets me say that I did at least one productive thing today.
Tomorrow, with any luck, the RV’s furnace will get fixed. We expect the trench in the driveway to be filled in any day now. Graceland will be here late this week or early next to repair damage our cabin suffered in transit. Framing interior walls, installing the woodstove, wiring and plumbing the cabin, running drain lines… all that and more still to do.
What a time to be alive.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB