There’s a certain seasonal reality that comes with living at this latitude, and in these woods. Approaching one year since we took up residence on The Mountain, it’s become clear that when work gets done is upside-down compared to the last place we called Home.
At Second Chance Ranch, summertime was for projects and maintenance and all manner of outdoor stuff, while winter was for hunkering down. It’s the reverse here — Ozarkansas winters are milder, overall, than the ones we left, perfect for serious work outside. Late autumn and early spring widen that window.
Summer, however, challenges us. Any work that needs doing had better be done at the crack of dawn, before the sun gets high and the heat chases us indoors.
Unrelated to day-to-day weather, but having everything to do with the seasons, are ticks and chiggers. At a time of year when it’s blessedly cooler deep in the woods, those eight-legged spawns of Satan make it just plain unpleasant to be there. Things like clearing and trail-building are better left ’til wintertime.
Yes, it’s possible to limit our exposure to the heat, and sure, we can douse ourselves in DEET to reduce the number of bites from hundreds to dozens. I mean, I have a couple of downed trees to process before fall. I want to re-set the soft shed this summer, too.
We’ll manage.
On the bright side — and I may be on an island with this — yesterday was the Summer Solstice. The year’s longest day is behind us, and we’re on a glide path toward cooler weather (albeit with lots of oppressive heat between now and then).
I opened up our just-refreshed IBC tote this morning to let it dry some more. When I peered inside, I saw stubborn spots that weren’t evident yesterday when it was wet. Though I really hadn’t planned to work on it again today, I hooked up the pressure washer and pulled out a secret weapon.
Last night I’d suggested to Deb that Dawn Powerwash spray, which we have a lot of, might be just the thing for removing residue from the tank. She liked the idea. I dumped a bottle of it into the tank, sloshed it around and let it work for an hour or so.
I was impressed. It didn’t get everything up, but it seemed to loosen what was there and made it easier for the pressure washer to sweep it away.
The interior of the tank (pictured, above) is now satisfactorily clean. Smells better, too. Those spots you see don’t bother me in the least.
Sanitizing will begin tomorrow.
There is, by the way, another way to fill this tank with a ready reserve of fresh water (besides drawing from our well or fetching water from an outside source) — rain catchment. That’s definitely in our plans. All we need are gutters, downspouts, and PVC pipe to divert rainwater into storage.
The most recent 30-year average reveals that The Mountain sees 44.8 inches of rainfall annually. Based on the size of our cabin, the roof catches a staggering 18,000 gallons a year. We’re talkin’ 400 gallons for every inch of rain.
Our rainiest months are May and November. We’d better get crackin’.
Deb requested Carolyn’s Razorback Ribs for dinner tonight. I fed the dogs early, hopped in the truck and met her there when she got off work. The burgers tonight — we ordered our usual — were amazing.
Afterward, I followed her Home — well, it was more of a chase.
She admitted later to driving faster than usual. I think she wanted to see if I can still keep up with her.
As it turns out, I can. And I did.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB