I know it gets colder than this where you live. It’s been colder here, too, in years past, and I’m sure we haven’t yet seen this winter’s bitterest.
But this is The South.
Officially, by NWS numbers, the temperature fell 57°F in 17 hours. That’s significant no matter where you are.
At sunrise here Sunday, it was (and felt like) 68°F. Just 24 hours later, a gusting northwest wind made it feel like 9°F — a -59°F difference.
So yeah, it’s a big deal.
The cabin was colder at wakeup yesterday than it’s ever been. I could’ve prevented that, or at least mitigated it, if I’d gotten up in the middle of the night and fed the woodstove, but I didn’t.
I mean, I knew it was cold. The urge simply to pull the covers up over my head and go back to sleep was too strong to resist.
I must do better.
We got along fine, though. It took 90 minutes for tolerable to become comfortable. Nobody died and nothing froze.
It bugged me to dump (and not stack) the wood I harvested Sunday while trailbuilding. I need stuff like that to be tidy — in a rustic sort of way, of course — and besides, it seasons much faster when it’s stacked.
To me, it made a certain kind of sense to take care of that yesterday as soon as the sun warmed things up. Around 11am, I headed down to the wood yard — the long way.
There’s a whole lot of unfinished business at the end of the trail I just cleared, so I drove the buggy down there first.
I employed the cargo sled to make the work easier and go faster. Pulling three loads uphill with the sled — using leg power, not winch power — beat the hell outta making dozens of trips carrying that wood in my arms.
When I’d filled (or over-filled) the bed of the Ranger, I paused, drank some coffee and enjoyed the view from the east slope of The Mountain.
Great spot. I love it there.
Back at the wood yard, I did my stacking. The fourth pallet seasoning for next winter is over half-full now.
I’ll return to the east slope soon to fetch whatever else I can. This was a good start.
I made a passing reference a week ago to doing routine maintenance on my everyday-carry knives. I’ve been asked now what that entails, exactly.
As I’ve said here before, I don’t often sharpen my knives. Honestly, I never let them get deadly dull. Maintaining them regularly is the key.
This particular round of maintenance on my folding knives required:
- A ceramic rod (aka, a “crock stick”)
- An old leather belt
- A pants leg
- A sheet of paper
- Paper towels
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Benchmade BlueLube
- A silicone “gun cloth”
First, using alcohol and a paper towel, I thoroughly wipe down the knife, inside and out. That’s especially important for knives used to cut food or dress game, of course.
Next, I dress the edge of each blade on the crock stick. I’d like to tell you how, but it’s a matter of “feel,” and that comes only with experience. I take roughly the same number of strokes in each direction (unless “feel” tells me otherwise).
I check progress by attempting to slice fine curls from the piece of paper. (No, I don’t test it by shaving my arm hair.)
Once I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved with the crock stick, I strop the blade (pulling backward, away from the edge) on the flesh side of the leather belt. Again, same number of strokes in each direction, checking sharpness with the paper.
As a finishing touch — or maybe it’s just a nervous tick — I strop it back and forth a few times on my pants leg. I swear, it makes a difference.
I’ve had great results with Benchmade BlueLube, but any light gun oil works for lubricating pivots. I use it sparingly — too much will attract dirt — and I work the pivot to spread it around the joint. On slipjoints, I also add a drop or two along the backsprings and liners.
I wipe up any excess lubricant with the paper towel.
And that’s it — unless, that is, I intend to store the knife (rather than carry it). Before I put a knife away for any length of time, I wipe it down with a gun cloth, which basically is a piece of flannel impregnated with silicone. It’s the best way I’ve found to prevent oxidation and corrosion.
This isn’t how to do it, by the way — it’s simply how I do it.
One last wood yard photo today.
Yes, it’s an empty pallet.
Monday morning, I removed the last of the “bought firewood” from that pallet and brought it up to the cabin. From now on, every stick of wood that heats my home comes from my labor.
Less than a year ago, my hard work was called “lumberjack stuff.” Now it’s paying off.
Say it with me: “validation.”
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable