By way of explanation, it’s been both a busy and a painful week plus. Busy, both at work (*sigh*, life in a terminally short-staffed IT shop) and at home, because someone at Weather Control screwed up the seasonal programming and we’ve went from summer to late fall in a few brief days. Painful, because I’m dealing with another outbreak of migraine attacks. The new treatment regimen was working pretty well for almost two months, and then, well, something happened. For slightly over a week now, I’ve had one every other day. It kind of cuts into your spare time, to say the least. Doesn’t help me out at work, either. It’s a little surprising they put up with me at this point.
At any rate, there are some things going on. Unfortunately, there is no gunny goodness at all to talk about. Haven’t been to a gun show, haven’t been to the range. I am trying to carry around the house and anywhere that isn’t work (which is a partially gun-free zone) as much as I can. The main thing is so I stay used to the feel of a carried gun on my body, and I don’t fall back into the new concealed carrier thing of constantly checking the gun. It’s amazing how short a period of time it takes to forget what having a gun on you feels like.
Having earlier mentioned the coming of an early fall, there are tasks around the Freehold itself to be accomplished. Temperatures took a nosedive last night to below freezing, which led to a hurried bringing in of the outdoor plants, and a quick placement of a heater in the travel trailer affectionately known as Plan B. We still have plans for at least one more outing in Plan B this year and depending on weather might try one more after that. I’d kind of like to try the coast again, time permitting. But eventually, Plan B will need to have it’s plumbing drained and things that shouldn’t be frozen brought in for the winter.
It’s also time to do my chimney sweep imitation. That’s scheduled for this afternoon. Always an awkward task, due to the construction and placement of the chimney stack. Awkward as it is, I’d rather do that than have the chimney catch on fire one night.
We will also need to carry in some firewood. For now, we won’t carry much, since the temperature will not stay down long. But the time for dragging it in by the yard trailer load will come soon enough. We’re going to be burning a lot of pine, so we go through a lot of wood. But the pine is free–as long as all the work that goes into cutting, bucking, splitting and carrying it aren’t counted.
I’m also working on upgrading the communications around here. With some help, I am approaching having a dual band ham rig installed in our tow vehicle, and I have one ready to install in my daily driver. I’m also looking to score a couple of the newer hand held CB radios as well. I still have my old base and mobile from back in the 70s (Oh yes, I had one and used it), and they do still have a certain utility, especially on the road.
I have not gotten my ham shack set up at home, however. If I can just get the basement cleaned out, I’ll have room to do it. I probably ought to have a construction dumpster dropped off in the driveway and just start throwing things in it until it’s full. I bet I’ll find room for a ham shack. Instead I’m working my way through, consolidating, donating and throwing away a bit at a time.
Together with Mrs. Freeholder and Daughter, we are rebuilding the pantry. We had pulled it way down so that we could change the makeup of the stock in it. That is in progress as sales permit.
And one tab I need to clear. You need to trot over to SurvialBlog and read “The Harsh Truth About Bugging Out of Cities” by Patrice Lewis. There are also several well-written responses to that article scattered in the posts after it was published as well. I have never subscribed to the notion that there will be a “Golden Horde” rummaging about the countryside after a serious Fall Event, and Ms. Lewis has taken the time and effort to debunk the notion. Frankly, I’m a little surprised it got published on Rawles’ web site.
And all that said, it’s time to start moving. The plants need to be hung in their winter homes, and by the time that’s done, it’s chimney time. No rest for the wicked.