Where did the time go?

This morning's snowfall brought me up sharp with the thought that its WINTERY...not the summer of the SO recent thoughts and the Oh SO too busy life.

On the slippery commute, interupted by those who cannot seem to drive with a slip of snow and slickness (its NOT dry pavement folks), punctuated by red and blue flashing lights, I had some time to reflect on the whirlwind that the last 8 months have been.

Off time, firewood permits and woodcutting, stacking the little blue S-10 to its capacity with firewood, cut off the slash piles, unloaded and stacked for splitting down to stove size later.

Turkey hunting on a friend's ground and very successfully to boot! Some time in the hills with a rifle, around trips to the Land of the Rising Sun, but no deer to fill the freezer with.

 The occasional peek into the woods that soothe my soul and refresh my mind.  Even ONE trip out on the water...very short trip...mostly spent playing tug boat captain with my old boat for another boaters broken boat.

All of those things rammed into and around an incredibly heavy, every expanding workload...hiring 5 folks wasn't enough, 15 more followed and STILL the workload climbs past capacity.  As it turns out...various minor models are NOT Red, Blue and Green Legos...and do NOT fit together that way.  Integration is the watchword, the curse and the muttered password, said with rolling eyes.

My boys and I spent the last few evenings checking out the trucks and preparing them for the forecast foul weather...shovels, tire chains, flashlights, gloves (axes, chainsaws, ropes, logging chains, peavy and safety gear in mine) sandbags and raingear.  Its seldom that we cannot get where we need to go, in spite of the conditions of the roads and other drivers.

Ah well... such is life, today will pass, safely one hopes and tomorrow will come.

NOT 24 anymore.

Dang I'm SORE...you wouldn't think that a single trailer of rack would be too much to unload. Heck it even looks like a spot of work, but nothing too strenuous.

HAAH...just unloading this one load, mostly the STANDARDS, which are heavier than they look, ...left me sore and feeling way closer to my age. They will support 3000 pounds per shelf...and 10,000 total per pair of standards which PROBABLY exceeds the floor's capacity.

Next is getting Long-term College Friend's shop ready to receive those pumpkin beauties, bolt them to the floor and start filling them and clearing the floor space.

That of course means moving the ammo cans again. My back is already cringing. Full of nuts and bolts, screws, washers and clips...they are heavy. A few even have ammo in them.

Jobs, work and steady employment!

Having been at the same Salt Mine for just shy of two decades, I sometimes regard management, managers and the whole idea of direction a bit askance. ( Lots of !WHAT! were they THINKING????)

After the last 6 years of extreme stress and unending toil, dismaying new discoveries, incessant globe trotting and not nearly enough sleep, I've suddenly found myself doing something I hadn't chosen to do. Apparently several of the management types decided that they needed an experienced Sr Manufacturing Engineer to attempt to side-step some of the hassles that have befallen the previous program.

I was shanghaied.

Much to my surprise things are much better, while not by any means laid back, I have some control of the trajectory short of turning in my badge and I get to choose the folks who will be working on my assigned work-package.

Per the last visit with the Doc, the BP is down 20 points or so...I'm sleeping again (well sorta) and I see daylight NOT through a window but actually walking about in it producing Vitamin D the old fashioned way. At least I will as soon as the Deluge ends.

It appears that there MIGHT be something TO this gig after all!

While the financial strictures of the program tell me that we will be doing anything and everything with very little resources, I'm confident that we DO know how to make THIS project work and be a moneymaker in spite of a very Scotch bid to get the work.

I'm working on the initial estimates to get the workload, to spec out and hire a crew and get down to doing what we are known the world over for... making flying machines. This time for the USAF, a very demanding customer.

I've even been told that a smile has crossed my visage in the last few weeks.

What next, Sunshine?

SLOG, Splut and splash...

Splash, slip and slide.

THAT is what happens when the Rain Gods decide that the Deluge needs to be repeated 10 times over 15 days.

Took the Brown Dinosaur (my 1981 Chevy 4x4) and new-to-me car trailer up to Longtime College Friend's place so he could move some heavy duty warehouse racks. In order that I not need a ride back home, I strapped my trusty S-10 to the trailer and ventured off into the miasma.

Evidently, even with a constant supply of rain, SOME folks cannot remember how to DRIVE in it. You know its bad when the evasive maneuvers move the S-10 around on the trailer such that it requires shuffling and repositioning prior to chaining it back down even MORE snugly. A yahoo cut me off in traffic, braked heavily, flew me the #1 sign and changed lanes again and departed into Warp Drive. Once my heart rate assumed something less than a vibration and more resembled beating, I slowed to the widest shoulder i could find and repositioned the S-10 on the trailer and continued on my way.

Once at LCF's place I discovered that continuous rain also makes his back 40 more closely resemble a swamp than a driveway. Time for four wheel drive and GENTLE applications of the Loud Pedal - instead of my more normal use - to coax the truck and trailer back to solid, if not dry, ground.

The Brown Dinosaur and trailer are awaiting his venturing out. The drive HOME was not nearly as exciting.

I want to go shooting on a not-raining day. It appears I'll be waiting a bit more...

Life in the PNW.

Stretch...

Cracking knuckles.

Back, on a new project, hopefully a bit more time...as the saying goes...Miles to go before I sleep.

Have a few waiting in the wings, some good days, some funny things.

More to follow SOON.

Life and busy-ness

There are some times that there are just NOT enough hours in the day... It will be that I'll be back. Just might take a bit. sleep(a bit), work, drive between the two. That about covers the daily activities.

I'll be back (as a semi-famous actor/governator once said).

Sunday was NOT such a bad day...SLEPT until I woke naturally...what a change...then SSS and get ready for the day. I got myself out of the house around 11ish..headed to the model train show after checking on a friend, at the train show until they kicked me out. I miss my train, the time to putter with it and the space to work with it.

Then went to the hills and shot the 7mm-08 a bit, it hits well and it's FLAT shooting. I found 2 bx of ammo in town...one Federal premium for a SILLY-STUPID price as it was loaded with 140gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and a box of Winchester for slightly less stupid for 139 gr PowerPoints. I got dies with the rifle...it's a GOOD thing. Think some more brass is in order....was thinking Winchester or Remington. I'll load some Hornady's for whacking and some Barnes TSX for critter-gittin'. While kiddo and I waited for a slot in the BUSY gravel pit I decided to go for a wander.

Hiked in the newly logged out areas in the Basin, whacked Wile E Coyote with a Nosler, as he was running a deer...185 yard shot. I whistled him to a stop, Pow. MANGY critter with lots of missing hair, bugs in the bare spots and stinking wounds with maggots in them...might have done him a favor.

Hiked to the top of a new cut and found the equipment tracks and followed them to the point of entry...where i thought it was. Note to self: WEAR BOOTS for climbing clear cuts, tenny-runners just don't cut it. I was constantly stopping to take off a shoe and dig the rocks/twigs/dirt out of them...my socks were muddy when i got back to the truck.

About that time I was notified that the pit was clearing, so back I went. While shooting Nature took control..or something I ate was not compatible with me...eventually I headed down to the house and the restful climes of a dark and cool room the house.

What I REALLY wanted to do was to sit in the woods until dark listening and watching the water running over the wier...Oh Well back to the Salt Mines.

Bugs.

Bleah.
Viruses are nasty critters, with consequences no less.

After four hours in the RAW weather leading up to First Flight I thought that I had a small cold. NOT SO. I had/have a BIG cold that has transmogrified itself into a sinus infection. YUCK. This has NOT been my year for staying well, I have used up about 3 years worth of nasty-sickness time in one shuffle of 3 serious illnesses. Stress must have something to do with weakened immune systems.

This to shall pass, though being restricted to my bed bores me to tears and even sick I see all the stuff I think I should be doing. the 9.3x57 loading program languishes as does the 300 Win Mag load development and the 30-06 load development. Since I managed to get through the season with out seeing the critters that were legal THEN AND THERE... AND were in range there is an emptiness in my freezer and a hollow in my soul. Illness stole elk season as well, hence my well-and-truly-sick-and-tired-of-being-sick rant.

Not near enough time in the woods, too much at work and not enough to quell the need in my soul for peace and greenery. A few ducks so far, but not the elk roasts or venison chops nor the sausage I so crave.

Think I need to re-think some priorities. Maybe now with things finally underway in a noticeable manner, work will ease its insatiable demands just a touch. Give us veterans of the salt mines a minute to breath before being flung back into the pit.

A lootery (lottery) would be really nice to win just about now. Of course one has to play to win. Aahhh you say..that is a key component. What would i do? Sleep until I was done sleeping, get up and start a pot of coffee and take a LONG, hot shower, then consider all the "stuff" that fills my waking dreams, pick one and start on it. Pretty simple really. A few things in the Buy-It-Now column just to set the stage. Nothing much more beyond living life.

Time for more coffee today.

Daylight

Its a cold, wet, raw morning with the coffee brewing. Both cats wanted OUT into the heavy leaden grey sogginess that has been the woods of late. The rivers are up and have swept out the bits from the corners...the rest of the rotting salmon carcasses, odd trees, stumps and the dietrus of humanity's use (OK, Abuse) of the world. This too shall all wash out to the bay, to be deposited on the shores.

Tasks for the day: Find where the deer are hiding, get the space around the stove cleared so I can burn a fire, list the "stuff" to sell on Evilbay - cleaning out the closets and my life, find some food that does not involve turkey, start loading for the 1937 Husqvarna sporting rifle in 9.3X57 and see if the gear from yesterday is DRY yet.

Checked the work cell phone...no Hair-on-Fire-Screaming-Emergency-of-the-Day (tm) to deal with, so for now the time is mine.

More later...