I reported a couple of days ago that Ozarkansas might see a considerable temperature swing from Sunday into Monday. So did it come to pass?
Boy howdy, it sure did — and then some.
The reading at 4pm Sunday was 96°F. From there, the forecast called for a drop of 47°F.
By first light Monday, roughly 15 hours later, it was a refreshing 44°F in Yellville, Arkansas USA.
That’s quite the skid. I don’t recall ever experiencing anything like it, losing 52°F overnight. Just the damnedest thing.
Monday was dedicated to picking up small cleanup tasks. I figured that was the best way to shorten my list without devoting a whole lot of time to any one thing.
As little affection as I have for the camper anymore, I did want to clear-out the basement storage bay — and I mean empty it completely. What remained in the space was trash and scrap, mostly.
I flung open the doors and pulled it all out.
Then I swept it with the leaf blower. Done.
The cabin has a basement, too, sort of. Over time I’d managed to clutter the perimeter of the space underneath the structure with all kinds of stuff. I took time yesterday to drag everything out and better organize what I decided to leave there. Done.
Forestry has tagged the entire northern third of the state at “high” risk of wildfire. New county burn bans are added hourly, and I expect Marion County to follow suit soon.
Yesterday morning, after making sure that I was still in the clear, I stuffed my barrel full of combustibles — much of which came from the camper’s basement and under the cabin — and did a big burn.
There was enough wood (scraps) on that fire that it required careful monitoring. I babysat it for an hour. It burned efficiently and, eventually, completely. Done.
The rest of the day, I kinda puttered. I trimmed more branches. I moved more rocks. Every time I went outside with Smudge, I saw something else to do.
No, it never ends. But today, my list is shorter.
As you know, I’m a knife knut. I’ve owned dozens of brands over the years, developing a fondness for certain knifemakers — Benchmade, W.R. Case, Victorinox and, for fixed blades, Bark River Knives.
My “Barkies” all have treated me well, beginning with the Bravo 1 I bought in 2006. I still have a few, though not as many as I once did. I’m not wired to be a collector, nor do I pledge loyalty to any particular ‘maker.
Rumors began flying around social media on Saturday that Bark River Knives was in big trouble. The rumors were wild, unbelievable, even unthinkable, and I reserved judgment until I heard something official.
That came yesterday afternoon from Mike Stewart, BRK’s founder and owner. He confirmed that the company ceased operations and closed for good on Friday, March 20th.
Established in 2001, Bark River has been in financial trouble for the last couple of years. It’s struggled to even make payroll. (Last Friday, it couldn’t.) In an effort to cut materials costs and boost cash flow, Stewart made the shocking decision to import knife blanks from China and pass them off as American-made steel.
The willful deception reportedly affects eight knife models. It wasn’t disclosed until after the company was forced to close its doors.
I once worked in the knife business, and my employer was Bark River’s largest dealer and distributor. I don’t know Mike Stewart well, but my interactions with him always were pleasant, straightforward and professional.
That said, his actions are reprehensible and inexcusable. He perpetrated a fraud on loyal customers to whom “Made in America” means something. Maybe everything.
Many of those customers are enraged. Rightfully so. The subsequent tidal wave of shitposting, however, has been disturbing — from character assassination to outright threats, it’s exposed the worst of people.
Having been on the receiving end of that sort of vitriol myself over the last year, I’d advise Mike Stewart to ignore it and reckon with himself. It’s the only way.
If somehow Bark River Knives manages to return to business, I wouldn’t be inclined to buy its products. Trust is broken. Confidence is gone.
Question is, will I now get rid of the Barkies I currently own? Absolutely not.
Let me put it another way — to keep my head warm yesterday morning, I put on a stocking hat that my ex-wife knitted for me.
It’s an object. An article of clothing. Either it works or it doesn’t.
Knives are tools. Either they work or they don’t. My Bark River Knives work for me. Unloading them as a symbolic gesture or a signal of my virtue would make me a world-class dumbass.
In closing, I’ll confess to you that I didn’t see any of this coming, not from the company and not from the person. I am, in a word, disappointed.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable