Holy Camping Gear, Batman!

Ol’ Jack Frost came and bit our gardens Tuesday night. We awoke yesterday before dawn to 30 degrees. I didn’t get a picture of the elephant ears. They were the most obviously damaged of all the plants. What were great big beautiful leaves turned into limp dishrags hanging from the tall stems. I’ll try to get photos today.

I finally sat down to sort through all the camping gear yesterday. Our living room looks like a tornado hit it, but I made considerable progress. I threw away a lot of things that I knew we’d never use that weren’t in good enough condition to keep. I also threw out a ton of just trash. Living in a big camper for three years allowed me to accumulate a boat load of “stuff”. For example, I somehow ended up with three cans of slide lubricant…a dry silicone spray that you use on the slide outs in big campers. I don’t have a camper with slide outs now, but the cans are full and I can use them on other things. But…three? This is what happens when things are in such disarray that you cannot find what you need so it’s easier to just buy more. The first law in downsizing is to stay organized. The second law in downsizing is to stop buying crap that makes you disorganized. Did I tell you I’m a work in progress?

I helped Mr. FixIt a little bit today. He was finally at the point where he was ready to “bleed the brakes”. I learned a lot about how brakes work and what’s involved in changing them by watching him. I had to sit in the truck and pump the brakes and hold pressure. We repeated this several times as he tightened the brake lines to stop small leaks. Then, I had to pump them, hold the pressure, then press hard as he let out the air in the lines. 

When I was sitting in the truck, waiting for Mr. FixIt to make the adjustments on the brakes, I was feeling a moment of impatience…like if I had my phone, I could play a game, or check the news. Then I laughed out loud at the absurdity of the notion that I needed anything more than feeling the warm sun on my face and seeing how bright my silver hair is in the sunshine and being out here helping my husband. I looked up and it took my breath away. Thin, wispy clouds were swirled across the brilliant blue of the November sky like a watercolor painting. Oh, it was so pretty! Love the simple things, y’all. Just love every minute of it because it’s gone so, so soon.

I’ve always enjoyed mechanical things. When I was really little, my dad would put a towel on the truck fender and lay me across it so I could watch him work. When I was a teenager, I had to know how to check all the fluids, add oil, antifreeze, and windshield washer fluid, and change a tire before I could get my license. Mr. FixIt taught me how to change the oil in my truck. I’ve only done it a couple of times because my wrists are losing strength. I’d love to be able to do something like change my brake pads, but I think this time…at the very least…I’m going to need to have my rotors turned because my brakes vibrate when I push them down. That happens when they get too hot, which can easily happen when towing a camper. It’ll be time to get mine done soon.

The pool has been winterized, as have both campers, and the farm. We still have lots to do before the snow flies, but we’re making progress! Unfortunately…we are fast approaching those potential snows. I’m dumbfounded that it’s the first week of November already! Where DOES the time go???

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“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

2 Peter 3:8 ESV