Soon there will come a time, I suspect, that we’ll be grateful for this kind of weather — just warm enough overnight to keep the precipitation liquid, low 40s in the afternoon, a mix of clouds and sun with winds under 15mph. During an eight-week stretch between, say, mid-December and mid-February, conditions like that would be pleasant, if not necessarily balmy.
Not this morning. It felt cold and damp and raw. The happy Heeler had the same reaction — when we came in after our 6am business trip, she wanted only to be held, hugged, warmed.
On days like this, chilly but not bone-chilling, two pieces of simple gear come in handy. I picked up both during our motorhome travels, and within a span of ten days.
The late-summer Sunday we visited Devils Tower was brutally, oppressively hot. We stopped at the adjacent trading post on our way out of the park and I, seeking an unusual souvenir, bought a thin fleece stocking hat — a beanie, actually. I’ve found it perfect for cool conditions.
While exploring Polson, Montana in early September, we dropped by a strange little odd-lots shop. The only item we deemed worth a damn was an Orvis-branded insulated vest, but we left without buying. Later we reconsidered, returning for two (one for Deb, one for me). We’ve gotten more use out of those lightweight vests than perhaps any other single piece of clothing we own.
Occasionally on this blog I offer recommendations, specific ones. While I can’t urge you to travel to Wyoming for a souvenir beanie or scour the wwWeb for a vest long ago consumed by closeout sales, I do encourage you to look for simple gear that works for the way you live.
And you may find the best stuff in the most unexpected of places.
As advertised, Deb and I took today off. Nothing had to be done, so we purposely did nothing of importance. Each of us spent the downtime nursing our respective aches and relaxing away accumulated fatigue.
It was good to be still.
Because it’s my nature to accomplish at least one thing every day, though, I decided to clean up the tool cart we got free from our neighbor yesterday. There wasn’t much to that — I wiped it down, sprayed lubricant on the drawer slides, repaired one of the drawer pulls and got the locking mechanism working (not that I’m likely to use that).
The main compartment and all of the drawers already had liners. The whole thing’s in really great shape. I’m totally thrilled with it.
With the hardwoods now bare, the high ridge to the south of us is more apparent, more imposing. I’m struck by that every time I walk down to the shed. It’s something I’ve come to rely on, if that makes sense.
And maybe it doesn’t.
The presence of that mountain is hard for me to describe to you. It’s a connection and a comfort. The sheer scale of it brings perspective. It has the quality of a spirit — and if you’re not sure if I mean that in the divine sense, or more akin to the lingering essence of some departed soul, consider that it could be either.
Or both.
It’s a constant — I can count on it being there. Honestly, I can’t remember ever having anything like that in my Life.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB