Nothing came to mind

A friend messaged me a couple of days ago and reminded me what time it was.

“You’ve come a very long way in a year,” they said. “I’m proud of you as a friend. I admire you as a man.”

I guess it has been a year, hasn’t it?

My thanks to all of you, both readers and friends, who’ve stuck around through it all. It’s good knowing you’re there.

Monday was lost, mostly. I did a little work, but I lacked the zip-a-dee-doo-dah required to accomplish anything worth bragging about. I had nothing to say, so this blog was silent on Tuesday.

I got up yesterday committed to doing better than that. A pair of springtime-only tasks were on my agenda, beginning with pulling some of the winterizing measures from the water supply.

To start with, I unplugged everything from AC power. At the well, I removed the heat lamp. Up-top, I uninstalled two heated conductors and an extension cord.

I did, however, leave heating elements and insulation on the water-heater pipes, the hydrant and the supply line to the cabin. The extended forecast doesn’t include any overnights lower than 37°F, but I want to be ready in case that changes.

I expect to pull it all in a couple of weeks.

The other annual chore I tackled yesterday was replenishing my reserve of fresh water — that is, filling the IBC tote and barrels. The most time-consuming part of that was rinsing and sanitizing the containers.

Then I filled the 275-gallon tote…

…followed by both 55-gallon barrels. With the good water pressure we enjoy up here, it didn’t take long.

I added enough bleach to the water to bring it to 10ppm.

Having almost 400 gallons of fresh water on hand for emergencies comes with a certain peace-of-mind. It’s good to have it back again.

In other news, I got to watch Miss Smudge’s reaction to a snake yesterday (not pictured). It may have been the first she’s ever seen — she clearly was mesmerized by the shiny “stick” slithering past, just a few feet away, but she wasn’t curious enough to approach. Good girl.

For the record, it was a three-foot kingsnake.

Other scenes from spring in Ozarkansas…