My right shoulder and both knees asked for a day off yesterday. I didn’t need further convincing — I’d already promised myself that I wouldn’t sling anything but groceries on Friday.
Smudge and I did the curbside pickup thing at 9am, our usual time. What was unusual, or at least a break from our previous pattern, is that for the third straight time I stretched groceries three weeks instead of two.
I’m cutting corners wherever I can. Pantry staples held out fine.
On our return trip from Flippin, the Heeler and I were treated to a whitetail sighting along the subdivision road.
With provisions put away, we enjoyed a gorgeous day of weather — sunny and warm but not hot, somewhere between a treat and a tease ahead of a wet weekend.
I seized the springlike opportunity to give the Ranger some much-needed attention. It’s a real workhorse, especially from fall through spring, and I’ve been flogging it (and myself) pretty hard lately.
No, I didn’t wash it. I did sweep out the bed and the cab, and I wiped the dust off the windows. Fluids got checked and tires were set to 10psi.
I tightened loose stuff (like a mirror mount) and lubed sticky stuff (shift linkage).
The prepper in me took over at that point. I replenished the supply of bottled water and CLIF Bars that I keep in the buggy. I charged the handheld GMRS radio.
Something else I always have with me is a complement of woods tools. Hatchet. Splitting ax. Hookaroon. Machete. Bow saw. Loppers. Shovel. Engineer’s hammer. A hundred feet of 3/8-inch rope. If that sounds excessive, consider that the only one of those items I didn’t use this week was the rope.
For a few years now, that gear has lived on the left side of the bed, laying there in a heap. It’s not been the most convenient setup, particularly when I’ve needed the tool on the bottom of the pile, and it takes up valuable real estate on the floor of the bed.
The proverbial light bulb came on over my head the other day — wouldn’t it all fit in a five-gallon Homer bucket? While I had everything unloaded yesterday, I gave that a try. Damned if it didn’t work like a charm.
In the bargain, I also reclaimed about two square feet of floor space. Cool.
I secured the bucket with a tarp strap. Soon I’ll drill holes in the bottom to allow water to drain. (I do occasionally work in rain and snow.) Probably a few holes in the sides, too, for air circulation. The last thing I want is for a good idea to lead to rusty tools.
Now, my happy Heeler and I are settled in for what’s supposed to be a soggy Saturday. We’re looking forward to it, actually. We could use the rain.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable