Author Archives: Joel

I think he suspects…

I’ve never particularly enjoyed barbecuing. The only way I know to get a unique taste is to use charcoal which is a time-wasting pain in the ass just to broil some meat, then there’s the mess, the space it all … Continue reading →

Yellowstone is called a “park,” which misleads some visitors into believing they’re in a park. The buffalo and moose and wolves and whatnot do not share that illusion, a fact which occasionally gets people hurt. Wild country is wild, whether … Continue reading →

When I got back from being away in June it looked as if Monsoon was upon us. But then it dried up again and got hot for a couple of weeks. In the past few evenings we’ve had wandering storm … Continue reading →

Picture this: Two old guys are filling water bottles in the hot July sun at a remote vending station… …and just for something to talk about, the two get to discussing Donald Trump’s apparent habit of tweeting random passing inflammatory … Continue reading →

I was going to title this “gelsock information bleg,” but in rooting around in my supply I answered my own question and also reassured myself that my gelsock stash is doing fine, so never mind about the bleg. Two years … Continue reading →

I took the Jeep to the shop in the little town nearest where we live this morning because on Monday mornings D&L always go to town for water and groceries. I asked them to follow me in their truck, because … Continue reading →

A couple of weeks ago I learned that the Jeep’s fuel pressure was less than half of specification. Since the engine was actually running pretty well, that meant the ECM had cranked the fuel injector pulse width to eleven to … Continue reading →

I’m getting old. Also I was a dealership mechanic many years ago, HATED it, and willfully forgot all about it when I finally had a chance to move on. It was years before I’d so much as open an engine … Continue reading →

I was misled by some clumsy writing in my Haynes manual and initial appearances to fear that the ignition lock cylinder of a 2001 Jeep was some peculiarly unserviceable example of proprietary black box. But it turned out in the … Continue reading →

I have this lengthy list of things I want the shop in town to fix or at least check while it’s up on a hoist but I keep on procrastinating about driving it to town… Right now driving anywhere is … Continue reading →

It not only cleaned out the trap, it apparently cleaned up after itself as well. All my rat traps are worn to pieces; I’ll try again after I can score a new one.

A pile of fresh rat droppings on my brand-new porch floor.

Eight o’clock this evening I let Torso Boy out so he could give the juniper a squirt before bed. It’s about the only time he’s allowed out without a leash, first thing and last thing in the day, and we … Continue reading →

…is a good $50 water distiller. And I’ve come to the conclusion that it doesn’t have one. We’ve talked about water purification numerous times on the blog, since drinking water is a constant concern here at the Lair. I’m not … Continue reading →

Wanted to get on the Jeep’s rear shocks before it got hot(ter), so I hit it first thing in the morning. Yesterday afternoon there was nothing to do but sit in the shade, which fortunately I can now do… …and … Continue reading →

I never ordered away for fancy aftermarket shock absorbers. I’ve gone through three sets of stock rear shocks in less than two years – granted the third set is still working but it’s only a matter of time because they’re … Continue reading →

Just came in from fastening down those porch floorboards I took up yesterday, and found that it finally got into three figures. I wasn’t here for most of June but I’m told it was unusually cool for what’s usually the … Continue reading →

It’s pre-monsoon summer, and kind of hot. Walk into the Big Chickenhouse in the afternoon and you’ll see a whole bunch of chickens with their beaks open and their wings held away from their bodies, praying for the evening cool. … Continue reading →