Author Archives: Joel

I just thought of something. You see that trash can in the front of the Jeep trailer? When I took that picture I was just back from the county dump, then the feed store. The last dump run – I … Continue reading →

…that parts of California are saying they’re pretty much done crying drought… No, problem, though. You need any more of my share, you just holler. I’m kind of digging this dry winter.

…or some such hippie chemistry. If you let your chicken yard ‘deep compost’ get too far out of hand, Al Gore sends a SWAT team or an air strike with napalm or some damn thing, I forget. One thing’s for … Continue reading →

For the first time in two years I’m up to my ass in eggs. I’ve just been taking the ones the pullets crack, because they won’t keep, and I’ve still got more than I can use. Landlady is going to … Continue reading →

Morning turned busier than intended; just as I got back from morning walkie and was about to start with bread baking, the phone rang. Neighbor D wanted to go to the dump, and move the Saturday trip to town to … Continue reading →

Thus infamously spake Rudy Giuliani, who yesterday finally found a teat far down on the underbelly of the new Trump administration. Giuliani, it is said, “will be sharing his expertise and insight as a trusted friend concerning private sector cybersecurity … Continue reading →

Arizona trooper shot in ambush attack; Good Samaritan kills gunman TONOPAH, Ariz. (KABC) — An Arizona trooper trying to help a motorist in a rollover crash was shot in an ambush-style attack by a random suspect, who was then fatally … Continue reading →

In February 2012, only a few months after we moved in, I had a stovepipe fire here in the Lair. It didn’t last long, did no damage, was caused by circumstances that no longer exist, and scared the living crap … Continue reading →

Ever since I buggered up my shoulder sometime in October I’ve carried the Makarov as my EDC pistol, just because it’s the shortest gun I own*. I stopped carrying the Tracker because my shoulder simply would not perform the action … Continue reading →

Almost two weeks late on Battery Day. Just got back from chicken chores and it’s a far finer day than yesterday – or maybe I’m just getting a little mojo back – and so LB and I are going to … Continue reading →

High temp 58o, “Clouds breaking for some sun, wind gradually subsiding.” So says the forecast. We didn’t get the dangerously cold stormy weather that so typically welcomes the new year in the high desert, in fact the nights have been … Continue reading →

If so, how many? Because I’m getting tired of this clown going on and on about how great he is. (Warning: Auto-play vid) Seriously, if the DNC had selected any random SNL alum and made it into a president, equipped … Continue reading →

Because I’d like to nominate this one. A Discomfiting Question: Was The Chicago Torture Case Racism? Where to even start? A) Duh. Yes. If I kidnap you and torture you for hours while loudly going on about how much I … Continue reading →

I really do. But I’m a writer, and also an editor, so of course I am. A person mistaking the difference between loose and lose can cause me to loose my shit in public. If they also don’t know the … Continue reading →

Okay, the stick flashlight is in a handy drawer, but the headlight has earned a more honorable place on the wall. Came down the ladder at quarter after six this morning, tried to put some water on for coffee and … Continue reading →

I always wanted a Carhartt coat, even when I didn’t live in the boonies where it would pay to…well, pay the extra and actually get one. I’ve worn through two canvas coats since I got here – granted one came … Continue reading →

And found them not merely annoyingly condescending, but badly done. And I would have expected ‘badly done’ to be a rare description of a hollywood-produced short video. That’s where all the professional talent is, right? I mean, I used to … Continue reading →

…and this morning the bedroom in Landlady’s Meadow House had the floor and walls finished to an officially sufficient degree that we could bring the boxes down from the barn and assemble the permanent bed! And that’s all the packaging, … Continue reading →

I wonder, if Trump is president long enough, whether we’ll finally learn what he believes (other than “trump for prez”) and what he plans to actually do. For a guy who’s not a politician, he has made promises on both … Continue reading →

He was cheerful and friendly with Dharma, didn’t whine even when he was uncomfortable at sleeping in a strange place, went along with the program without being a drama queen, but when he got back to the Lair… He ran … Continue reading →