Author Archives: Joel

What size trap for elephant?

So every night for quite some time, I’ve finished my day by putting a rat trap on top of the Jeep’s engine. I caught a bird, I actually attracted a mouse, but I never caught a rat or even saw … Continue reading →

H/T to Weer’d.

He has decided that the new comfy chair is his alone. I disagree. So in an attempt to reestablish comity, I cover the chair’s seat with a blanket at night – then move the blanket to the general dog bed … Continue reading →

Since declaring jihad on the local packrat population for chewing up the Jeep’s wiring, I’ve offed about half a dozen and now the count has dropped to nothing. There has been some of what the government so delicately calls “collateral … Continue reading →

A few days ago Obama made news by landing in Phoenix and not going to that infamous VA hospital. Today he’s all over the news for not going to Paris. I only want to say, “Mr. Obama, you can stay … Continue reading →

More rain overnight. I had to meet D&L this morning early. Everything was fine until I left the ridge…The nearer your destination, the more you’re slip-sliding away. Fortunately, though, the one time the Jeep actually left the road there was … Continue reading →

Doesn’t matter since you’re gonna get both anyway. Last week we got between 12 and 16 inches of snow, depending on who was doing the estimating. And then we got a warm spell and some of it melted, turning the … Continue reading →

…Because unlike a lot of Moslem-bashers I have actually known and worked with a large number of Moslems, many of whom I rather liked and none of whom tried to behead me… …though I must say I’ve grown tired of … Continue reading →

…at the trigger of a very cool (because Browning) but altogether rather odd old shotgun. Can’t say I noticed at the time, but in slow-mo it’s clear the gun doesn’t start to recoil until the barrel is all the way … Continue reading →

Got a single new kill overnight, right in the same spot where I already nailed two, in the narrow space between the Lair and the woodshed. Funny: Last summer I could never catch anything there. Now they’re lining up for … Continue reading →

I got a very kind mention today in one of Claire’s posts concerning people who want to live without social security numbers. Unfortunately I must disagree with something she said… Ask Joel how he does it. Offer him some payment. … Continue reading →

…and time to get out into it. It’s supposed to cool down again tomorrow but just seasonal, not all so-you-think-you’re-a-survivalist frickin’ cold. In the meantime I need to catch up with the laundry. This new Wonder Wash works pretty well, … Continue reading →

Or was I mistaken, and a vote for the opposition was supposed to be a vote for more of the same, only harder? It got turned down. Mr. Scalise and Mr. McCarthy talked against it so it would cripple our … Continue reading →

When the Jeep broke down – Okay, Zelda, when a packrat wounded the Jeep – the horseshit started to pile up. What with one thing or another, including a foot of snow and a big cold snap, I haven’t yet … Continue reading →

A couple of days ago through the auspices of some friends I received a review copy of Vin’s new novel, and I confess I approached it with some trepidation. I’m on record as finding his first foray into fiction a … Continue reading →

Backwoods Home, in a classy move, sent me a free copy of the issue in which my one and only BHM article resides. As an insecure, egotistical bastard, I must admit the article as published is one of the main … Continue reading →

Two palpable kills overnight. No mice or birds this time. Unfortunately neither of these traps is the one I’ve set under the Jeep’s hood, so I don’t know if either of these critters is my nemesis. But I DO know … Continue reading →

So this morning dawned bright and cloud-free. Haven’t yet looked at the forecast, but I think the worst is over around here. For now. Woke up to a nippy five degrees. Came over to Ian’s to borrow a cup of … Continue reading →