“Geez, we look like we’re heading back to the rez.”

So said L as we strapped a big horse-feeding tub on top of a pickup-load of plywood, roofing, wood pellets and long tools. I said, “Well, we sort of are.”

I saw the greatest thing this morning, just as the sun broke across the desert while we headed out toward the county road. There was a big bull elk not fifty feet away, turned like he was posing for the cover of a Cabela’s catalog. And just behind him was another, with an even bigger rack. I doubt either was in Boone & Crockett territory, but either one would have looked good on a trophy-hunter’s wall. Gad, they were beautiful things. Though they weren’t happy with our decision to stop and look, neither ran away. They both just struck another pose. I had a camera right there in my bag, but it never occurred to me to take a picture.

I yielded to temptation today and bought two tools that were not in the budget, both aimed at specific repeat chores I really wasn’t well-equipped for.
I’ve been tearing pallets apart for my firewood using a Wonderbar and a framing hammer and hating every not-very-productive minute. I finally decided it was better to buy a single crowbar than to curse the pallet – or something like that. Also, every Friday for months I’ve loaded and unloaded a trailer-load of horse manure without a proper fork. You ever try doing that with a shovel? It will make you dread an otherwise simple job. It seems kind of ironic to be buying tools for a job I’m doing for free in the first place, but that’s just the nature of irony: If I’m gonna keep doing it, I’m by golly going to own the only tool designed for just that job.

Farmer Joel, signing off.