Deb, as she always does, read yesterday’s Ubi Libertas Blog post right after I published it. She’s my faithful proofreader, and she never fails to give me her honest opinion about what I say and how I say it.
Last night she pointed out something I didn’t say.
In collecting and presenting the YouTube channels we watch and enjoy, I inadvertently left out the one she’s been following the longest — for four years, in fact, since right after we got the Bumper Bunker. I’ll remedy that omission now.
Back then, Runaway Matt + Cass were traveling North America in a shuttle bus they’d transformed into an RV. We actually crossed paths while we were on our own odyssey, sharing relaxed conversation with the young couple on the shore of Kintla Lake in September of 2021.
They went on to swap the schoolie for a conversion van and travel extensively in Mexico. We, of course, left the road and began creating a new American Life on 20 undeveloped acres in Ozarkansas.
Then, in August of last year, they surprised us all with the announcement that they, too, were abandoning nomadic life — they’d bought 32 acres of raw land in Tennessee. Their new dream was to create an off-grid homestead.
We have “The Mountain.” Matt and Cass have “Runaway Ranch.”
They brought in a portable building, meaning to convert it into a house, but a tangle of regulations stymied that plan. Undeterred, they bought a tired old fifth-wheel travel trailer to serve as temporary quarters.
Sound a little familiar?
It’s safe to say that we have different visions for our respective properties. They’re ahead of us in some ways. We’ve accomplished things that they haven’t.
Still, we feel a certain natural kinship with the pair. I think that’s true of several of the channels we follow. But with Matt and Cass, there’s a personal connection and a shared experience.
And so we watch, cheering them on.
Generally speaking, there are two big benefits of being present, living in the here and now — not dwelling on a past that can’t be changed, and not thinking ahead to a moment that hasn’t yet arrived. Related to the latter, it seems to me, are cravings.
I don’t have cravings. Deb does.
We were sitting outside together (sort of) early this morning, enjoying the breeze and the birds, when Deb confessed aloud that she was craving bacon and eggs. I was on my third cup of coffee, at that very moment eating a bowl of cereal and fresh yogurt.
First of all, we had no bacon and we had no eggs. And second, it’s not always easy to find a restaurant that’s open on a Sunday morning in The Bible Belt.
But Deb was determined, and she’s resourceful, and some quick Googling uncovered a place serving ’til 2pm. So we made ourselves presentable and set out for Cotter, just across the White River.
White Sands Café is the humblest of humble diners. It’s a tiny establishment catering to the breakfast and lunch crowds, in particular trout anglers coming off the water. The place was busy and buzzin’ when we got there, and we seated ourselves at one of a couple of open booths.
We basked in the friendly atmosphere. The service, as you’d expect, was cheerful and attentive. And the grub was great — I ordered biscuits and gravy, and Deb got her bacon-and-eggs fix with an omelet.
Hashbrowns and absolutely perfect coffee rounded out the meal. I believe we’ve found another go-to restaurant, just 15 minutes from The Mountain.
When we got back to the camper, I fell into a food coma. I’d earned that, by god.
I think both Deb and I wanted to knock out the woodstove chimney today, at least installing the thimble and the tee. With storms forecast all afternoon, however, I wasn’t inclined to open up a hole in the exterior wall that I wasn’t confident I could close and seal before the rains came.
So we didn’t do that.
And all the storms missed us. Barely a drop of rain.
We got laundry done yesterday, anyway.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB