Author Archives: Joel

Tobie’s had a longtime relationship with his Kong since the day he came home from the shelter. It didn’t always go super well. These days he mostly ignores it, not being as toy-obsessed as when he was a puppy. But … Continue reading →

It’s raining cats and dogs. The weekly water run has been postponed till Monday. It was only sprinkling when Tobie and I went out for the morning walkie. Started seriously raining when we were pretty far from the cabin. No … Continue reading →

Finally, a chance to get rid of that old washer. And with it, a whole bunch of other stuff. Happy I was forced to clean out the powershed Sunday. Excellent timing. So I loaded the Jeep trailer,… …then transferred it … Continue reading →

Got my annual Paratus Day package from Commander Zero… The Ian thing has become a running joke between CZ and me: The only cool thing about me is that I know Gun Jesus. CZ never contents himself with an annual … Continue reading →

I had two little chores I wanted to knock out this morning. Tobie and I would be out anyway because I had to go to S&L’s to feed their chickens and cat so I threw some things in the back … Continue reading →

The kitchen stove I got back in early ’21 forced me to re-think how I use the oven because the oven igniter is such an amazing electricity hog. But the other side of that coin is that the lack of … Continue reading →

When you put a jacket over the hoodie you slept in to take Tobie for the morning walkie, and by the time you get back you’re down to a t-shirt on your back and carrying a bunch of textiles. To … Continue reading →

We almost never get morning storms. And this year’s monsoon has been an almost total bust but things have gotten a little more dramatic lately. This morning I woke just in time for a big flash just outside my bedroom … Continue reading →

A few weeks ago Neighbor L (of S&L, not D&L) mentioned that one of her old hens, a Leghorn that no longer lays eggs but is still around because L is too softhearted to off chickens that don’t do their … Continue reading →

Neighbor L talked all last winter about replacing her pellet stove with propane – and then she really did it! Normally this would be none of my business but she bought pellets by the ton, and they all had to … Continue reading →

Yesterday I spent half the day at the big town about 50 miles away, most of that time spent hanging around a Lowe’s waiting for my ride to return. As mentioned yesterday I brought back a dorm fridge but the … Continue reading →

It is hoped that the electrical system improvements of the past year will make this thing practical. Once the newly-expanded battery bank is in place, which it isn’t yet. Right now we have the worst of all possible worlds, with … Continue reading →

When Tobie was a pup fresh from the shelter he had a terrible fear of Jeep rides. He got over it quick but for the first while he wouldn’t stay inside without coercion or bondage. Landlady gave me this cool … Continue reading →

That’s all I wanted to say about that.

I have three old shirts that get the most wear in the hottest part of the desert summer. They’re all old green Dickie workshirts, worn thin, with the sleeves cut off – they got a little too small in the … Continue reading →

A neighbor texted me, asked me to come over, and when I did he handed me a pistol case and asked if I could evaluate it and tell him what’s wrong. He’d only put a few rounds through it and … Continue reading →

This is right up there with ‘I don’t have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you.”

It’s what the Jeep’s tailgate latch connects to. It’s been broken for years but recently gave up the ghost to the point where the gate is tied shut with 550 cord. I don’t know what it’s called and I’m having … Continue reading →

I live near a town where “the internet is down” is an actual phrase. One that hasn’t been used for a few years but it does happen and when it does it demonstrates the danger of excessive reliance on a … Continue reading →

That’s all I wanted to say.