When I lived for a summer in West Glacier, Montana and worked at the Chevron just outside the entrance to Glacier Park, pumping gas consumed most of my waking hours. (At the time there was such a thing as “full service.”) I also repaired and changed hundreds of tires, and I got pretty good at that.
I haven’t done it much since. Years later I learned how to fix a flat on a motorcycle, and though I never had to do that roadside, the knowledge helped me make short work of lawn-tractor tires and such.
Given my preparedness mindset, I figured I ought to brush up on it. I invested in a set of cheap 12-inch spoons (tire irons), along with a two-pack of 4.80/4.00-8 tubes that fit both the wheelbarrow and the Ranger cart.
This morning I pulled the shredded cart tire off of its dented wheel and set that stuff aside. Then I levered the tire from one of the wheelbarrow rims, removed the leaking tube and installed a new one. (It was abraded, not worth fixing.) When I finished I had a nine-inch rim I’ll repair, two dead tubes I’ll cannibalize into “Ranger bands” and firestarters, and a good-as-new wheel-and-tire assembly. And one more new tube.
I removed the cart wheel I’d put on the wheelbarrow temporarily and installed the rim with the fresh tube (and the proper size axle bearing). The cart wheel becomes a spare.
The task was satisfying, and the result was what I’d hoped for. And it felt just right to reacquaint myself with an old skill.
I know I’ve talked a lot about wildfire danger in Arkansas. It’s a big deal, and conditions can turn on a dime. This animated GIF shows the changes over just the last six days.
Still no burn ban here in Marion County.
While browsing one of my prepper groups on social media over the weekend, I saw a conversation that originated with a question about gas generators. It came from a grandma who’s waiting for grid power to come back in southern Appalachia.
The community commiserated with her and answered her questions. One woman, though, did what I’ve been urging you to do — she asked for advice from the experience.
Encouraging as it was to see that, one line in the grandma’s reply was even more telling.
“Honestly, I’m going to miss living like this,” she said.
Not everyone in the disaster zone feels that way. There’s no shortage of difficulty, heartache and pain amid ruins left behind by water and wind.
But for this woman, and I’m sure for many others, life suddenly got simpler and, as a result, richer. She found joy hiding in hardship. She sees what she’s gained through loss.
I get it. If you’ve simplified your life, you get it, too — less isn’t always more, but it can be.
In another social-media group, this one on knives, I was surprised to see a member’s question answered with something (pictured) that looked familiar to me.
It’s a screen-grab from the website of the online knife retailer I used to work for. I wrote that Q&A (and hundreds of others) ten years ago.
Nice to see it’s still there and useful.
Plumbing and wiring the cabin, in that order, are next on our build-out list. Before we run water, we want to make a few relatively substantial purchases. To be perfectly honest, and given our limited budget, we’re holding out for sales and discounts.
We took a step in the right direction today. An on-demand water heater we’ve had our eye on popped up on Amazon for a killer price — what had been $600 went on deal for $380.
It’ll be here Sunday-ish.
The woodstove still needs a box (for kindling), a bucket (for ashes), and an outdoor firewood rack. I got a wild hair this afternoon and drove up to Miller’s Trading Post in Flippin to see if I could pick up the first two.
I found no buckets, but I grabbed two old wooden crates for ten bucks each. The one we’ll put to use indoors needs some repairs.
Had a long conversation with the proprietor. The usual. It was great.
Deb had mentioned a thrift shop on the square in Yellville, so I swung by in search of an ash bucket. Nothin’ — but a dollar-fifty got me four pieces of not-so-flat stainless flatware.
Hey, it’s a charity shop. They caught my eye. Cheap thrill. Just because.
(I have more excuses, but I’ll stop there.)
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB