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The Good Life

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I asked ChatGPT for a little story to go with this photo:

The fireplace crackles with warmth, casting a soft glow across the room. A Christmas tree, adorned with colorful lights and ornaments, stands proudly in the background—suggesting the holiday season is in full swing.

In the center of it all sits a man with a gentle smile, nestled by the fire with two golden retrievers at his side. One dog lies comfortably on the rug, a red toy resting near its paws, while the other sits upright, leaning into the man’s touch. They seem calm and content, reflecting the quiet companionship shared between them.

It feels like a moment of peaceful reflection—perhaps after a long day of holiday preparations or simply a quiet evening at home. The setting invites a sense of gratitude and the joy of simple pleasures—good company, a warm fire, and the unconditional love of loyal dogs.

Safety chain for the propane man

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UPDATE: November 5, 2024

Our propane tank sits at the bottom of a small –but steep– hill near our driveway. In hopes of reducing erosion, back in 2015 I covered the hill with rocks.

When the propane company comes to fill our tank, the driver has to drag his hose down this hill which is usually covered with weeds and brush. A perfect place to twist a knee or break an ankle. To make this task a little safer I’m running a safety chain from the tank up to the driveway. Something to hold on to while going down and coming back up.

I needed something at the upper end heavy enough to support the driver’s weight. I was stymied until I spotted some concrete blocks at a nearby cement company. Two feet square and eight inches high, with a handy rebar attachment. I bought two so I can stack them and get the chain off the ground a bit.

A guy driving a front-loader dropped them (gently) into the bed of my pickup truck but getting them out proved something of a challenge. Too heavy for me to budge so I used a winch to get them off the bed of the truck and lowered to my rock sled. I’ll use the Jeep to tow them into place.

UPDATE: Getting the blocks out of the truck was almost as difficult as getting them in. Used the come-along to ease it down the ramps.

The final step would have been nearly impossible without my friend Andrew and his skid loader. Yes, he put that monster on a trailer and hauled it up our hill for this silly little project.

The propane truck driver will weep with joy this winter as he safely (?) tugs his hose (sorry) down this ice-covered slope.

One less possum. One less groundhog. One less armadillo.

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Trapped or killed to date: (1) armadillo, (1) possum, (1) groundhog. Forget that cuddly woodchuck in the Bill Murray movie. This thing was nasty.

Update 9/10/24: Riley got antsy last night so Barb took her out on a leash where they flushed a BFA (big fucking armadillo). She called me and I grabbed the .12 gauge. Boom.

One less armadillo

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If you live near the woods you’re gonna have critters. Deer, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels. But for the last few months armadillos and possums have been roaming around in the wee hours. I think I hit an armadillo last week based on the dead animal smell that lingered for a  few days. The armadillos can do a lot of damage to a yard, flower bed… even the foundation of your house. And they can give you leprosy. Kelly Wildlife Control trapped one a couple of nights ago (photo above).

And we have a big groundhog terrorizing the neighborhood (Groundhog burrows can undermine building foundations). He’s got a burrow under the deck of the Annex but has so far avoided the traps.