My truck hadn’t budged from where I parked it on Saturday, between cabin and camper. The Jeep was where Deb left it when she got Home from work on Friday. Both had to move this morning, the Silverado to make way for the Wrangler to leave.
I dealt with that task before the sun came up.
Neither vehicle was thrilled about turning over, given a temp of 0°F, but they started and ran without issue. I let each one warm up a good while, afterward backing the truck to its spot near the south end of the cabin and staging the Jeep pointed down the driveway.
As usual, Deb and I talked on the phone during her commute. (She was reassigned to Yellville for the day.) The road report: her cousin did a great job plowing out The Mountain; both the subdivision road and the county road had been plowed, but the surface was snow-packed, treacherous in spots; and the state highway was clear.
She made it to work just fine, the first employee to arrive.
It was a crystal-clear morning in Ozarkansas, USA. Even better than that, Deb and I had a blessedly uneventful night — the furnace ran without needing encouragement indoors or tank-swapping outdoors, and we awakened to running water.
We saw a high in the low 20s this afternoon. It felt almost balmy.
I came into today figuring that I’ll have to change-out a propane cylinder soon. Other than that, it looks like we’re in good shape. We have one more single-digits night to get through. After that, we can breathe easy (or easier) for a couple of days.
It’s tempting right now, after yesterday’s success and a peaceful night, to strike a status quo pose and put our life on autopilot. I resist the urge, lest what’s out of sight slip out of mind. I stay on top of things because, honestly, there’s no reason not to.
Shortly before noon today, I made the rounds. I tested functions. I checked our preps. And I found not a single problem.
I’m not a mechanic, an electrician, a plumber, a carpenter, or a handyman. What I may lack in expertise I try to make up in curiosity, willingness to learn and, most important, discipline.
It’s a mindset more than a skillset.
Part of the payoff this time was being outdoors. Like yesterday, conditions were less than hospitable, but the snow-wrapped landscape was spectacular.
When I came back inside, it took quite some time for my eyes to adjust. I think we’ve all experienced that. A case of snow blindness suffered almost 50 years ago, however, now exacerbated by age, makes it much worse.
The pleasure of walking through that idyllic scene overwhelmed my common sense today. My sunglasses were right there in the console of the truck, but I failed to wear them and now I’m paying the price. I need to be more careful about that.
Deb had a short day at work — corporate decided to close branches an hour early, allowing employees to navigate sketchy, snow-covered roads and get home before dark.
That’s not only personally and professionally thoughtful, it also reflects the particular culture in which we find ourselves. It’s an environment that values a strong, old-school work ethic, but it places family, home and life on a pedestal.
That’s my observation.
I closed my Tuesday with a visit to the propane bay to check on our supply. The good news is that we seem to have more on-hand than I thought we had, meaning that we’ve been consuming it at a slower rate than we suspected.
The bad news is that I learned that when I lifted out a tank I thought was nearly empty, but its weight in my hands dispelled that notion.
The in-line analog gauges I added are lying to me. That may be due to the bitter cold. It could be that they’re freezing up entirely.
Or all of the above.
I pulled the gauges out of the circuit, reconnected the two tanks I’d just removed, primed the system and fired the furnace. We’re back to measuring LP use the old-fashioned way.
Maybe simpler is better anyway.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB