My preference for getting underway early was tripped up briefly yesterday morning. As I washed the coffeemaker carafe at the kitchen sink, the water suddenly went from hot to cold. I glanced up at the water heater’s display and saw an error code — “E1.”
According to the manual, that’s an “ignition system failure”:
“The gas valve is not opened or fully opened. Water shutoff valve is not open. Junction port is loose.”
None of those sounded right, or even possible. Rather than fretting, I went outside, closed the valve on the propane tank, closed the gas shutoff valve at the heater, and unplugged the heater from the 120VAC outlet. I waited about 30 seconds, then reversed the steps and went back into the kitchen to check function.
I got hot water immediately — no error code, and no issues the rest of the day.
I decided to look at yesterday’s moving exercise as a sort of treasure hunt. The whole process, especially post-Grab, has been full of surprises — I run across the unexpected, the long-forgotten, the strange and the truly bizarre.
My first target was the soft shed. That’s where I deposited the boxes and totes from the storage unit in Gassville. I hadn’t looked at them since.
From there, I plowed through the cabinets at the south end of the camper’s living space. That area held stuff that wasn’t mine, per se, items that I rarely (if ever) touched, so I was curious.
To make a long story short, in both places I found a bunch of things I can use. I’ll mention two, along with a third prompted by the first.
That’s an ESEE Candiru, a pocketable (as in small) fixed-blade knife I’d forgotten I loaned away some years ago. Now it’s back in my hands.
Seeing the Candiru reminded me that one kitchen knife was grabbed from the block in the galley. All of my trusted Henckels blades remained, but a Bark River Bird & Trout, handled in red linen Micarta, was gone.
I still have a Bird & Trout of my own, though. I pulled it out of its sheath and introduced it to the cabin kitchen.
As a bonus, the black canvas Micarta matches the Henckels knives.
The other noteworthy item produced by yesterday’s digging is a piece of wall art. It was made by the woman who lives next door to me on The Mountain, presented as a gift a few years ago.
I wanted to put it up in the cabin, but I don’t really have walls yet. Best I could do was hang it on the header over the north door.
Now the piece may or may not be my taste. But it’ll stay as a nod to a neighbor who was thoughtful enough to give what her hands created.
I spent much of the rest of my Friday sorting through, wiping down, washing, and putting away what I’d gathered, which was quite the pile.
Well, that and icing my knees. They’re killin’ me.
I’m glad I got another moving episode behind me yesterday. The weekend looks to be a total washout — flood watch through Monday evening, excessive rainfall, four to six inches predicted.
Speaking of predictions, just two days ago I warned you that you’d see the musk thistle again. It’s back today, this time with a guest.
That’s an American painted lady (Vanessa virginiensis) butterfly, sipping nectar yesterday at the big thistle.
And yes, there’s an entire genus of butterflies named “Vanessa.”
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable