July 26, 2021 - Monday morning

51 degrees/hazy/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Ain't that the truth? Seems every summer is completely different than the ones before. That's what keeps us from getting bored.

Speaking of which, we didn't have time to be bored on Sunday. Back from my morning walk, I decided to look under the hood of the old Blazer. The high pressure side of the power steering hose had broken the day before, spraying fluid all over the place.

Having earned my mechanic's degree fromYoutube Tech, it appeared replacing the hose would be a simple task. Loosen this, change that, tighten something else, and presto, the job was finished and the power steering restored.

One glance under the hood told me I should let someone else replace the hose. My sight's not the best anyway and honestly, everything looked the same. I'll "arm strong" the steering on the old SUV until Mechanic Dave has time to fix it.

* Reminds me of my first car, an old, very used, '62 Nash Rambler. The thing looked like an upside down smiling bathtub, but BOTH front seats reclined to a flat position, something my guy friends envied, but made Mom and Dad somewhat nervous. My assurances that I wouldn't drive with the seats reclined did nothing to alleviate their fears. 

Okay, I digress. Where was I? 

Oh yeah, I about had to stand on the bushel basket sized steering wheel of the Nash Rambler to turn corners as power steering was still a thing of the future for most. That's where I am currently with the Blazer.

I'm at a dilemma about what to do concerning a four wheel drive vehicle. The Blazer is twenty three years old. It still has a decent body, engine, and tires, but many of the auxiliary pieces are about worn out, including the fuel injectors that, with labor, cost in the upper hundreds of dollars.  

I've estimated that it would cost several thousand dollars to make my old Alaska Blazer somewhat dependable again. 

Here in lies the problem. During normal times, I'd kiss it goodbye and purchase a newer used SUV, one to be used for towing the trailers and dealing with the deep snow on our wintry roads. As most know, now is NOT the time to purchase a vehicle of any kind. Most are going for what used to be new car prices if not more. As several people have pointed out, I'd be spending thousands for a different used SUV with the possibility of spending that much more to fix whatever might be wrong with it. Most people, at least those whom I hang around with, don't randomly trade in perfectly good cars and trucks.

So, do I spend a hefty amount of money and fix the antique Blazer? At least I'll know what I have and self admittedly, there's a sentimental attachment to Alaska. Andy and I drove it back ten years ago to begin my retirement.

I'm leaning towards fixing what's wrong with the old car and make it good enough to pull the trailers and see us up and down our wintry roads. 

Yep, unless I find a little old lady who has one to sell and is willing to let it go at a bargain price, we'll keep what we have.

Problem solved, I think. Thanks for listening.

Hambone was on the backhoe bright and early Sunday morning. Dig? That boy can dig. I was happy to sit in the shade, one foot on the machine to keep it from bouncing too much, and watch him dig a hole before filling it back in.

An added plus happened when he dug up a large rock. It doesn't get any better than scooping one up, curling the bucket around it, and depositing it elsewhere.

Hambone also soloed for the first time yesterday on the blue four wheeler. Purposely keeping it throttled down, he made the rounds of the front meadow.

The boy was quick to offer anyone in the area (Grandma Sargie and/or me) a ride. What he didn't count on was that Grandma would wrap her arms around him and give him a quick peck to begin the ride.

When he winced, she informed him that's what she does when she rides behind Pawpaw. Hambone smiled and took it like a man before zooming off with Grandma hanging on for dear life.

Oh no! We ran out of gas. Giving my last two gallons to a man whose tank ran dry just down the road far from a filling station, we made an emergency trip to town. Hambone took over and other than punch in my debit card pin, he did the rest.

We had a good visit with Alaska Curt who has a seasonal home a mile down the road. Curt was out for his daily stroll so we were able to share any neighborhood news. Curt said he'll be heading back home to Alaska in three weeks, but promised he'd be back this fall. I hope so. He's good people.

I'm still trying to talk Curt into hiking the AT with me next year. You know, two old bare knuckled, crusty, Alaskans, conquering the eastern part of the lower forty-eight, but so far, it's like running into a brick wall. A former Alaska Warden, the boy insists his days of sleeping on the ground are over. 

Meanwhile, back home:

Hambone's been fascinated with the powers of a magnifying glass. I furthered his interest by telling him that while taking an advanced survival course years ago, I learned that a person could start a fire using the power of the sun. A magnifying glass would work, but even a pair of glasses or the bottom of a glass jar could suffice. Now that got his interest.

With the usual warnings and cautions, a piece of toilet paper was set ablaze.

With Hambone convinced that he and Pawpaw should be on the survival show, Alone, and win $500,000 while surviving in the arctic, I thought that would be a good survival skill to teach him. Of course, it only works for a few short summer months in the arctic. Solar power's not worth a darn during the long dark days of winter.

Oops, that magnifying stand he was building turned out to be a bench. Don't ask me. I don't live in the mind of a seven year old boy, but am happy he has such an active imagination. Assembled with small nails, he was allowed to use the driver and screws to make it a bit more stable.

Finished with the assembly, Grandma Sargie thought his new bench should be painted. Choosing the right color from the shelves in the garage proved to be quite a challenge. 

In the end, camo gray with white was Hambone's choice. Fearing he'd spray more paint on his play clothes than the bench, Grandma had him strip down before beginning.

It was late in the afternoon and we were hot after the day's activities. What better way to cool off than going for a swim? We ended the day in the pond.

Though Bone was supposed to go home last night, he was given the choice from his daddy to stay another night if he wanted. 

He chose Grandma Sargie and Pawpaw's.

We'll go get another load of gravel and spread it later this morning. After that? 

Well, there're more holes to dig, a four wheeler to ride in circles in the front meadow, and a pond in which to swim. Duh.

After all, a man's work and that of Grandma Sargie and Hambone, is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...