Aw.... Son of a BITCH!!

"Big Red" may be dead. Who is "Big Red" you ask? My beloved 2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab pickup truck. The top photo is from the day I brought it home from the dealer on Monday August 2, 2010. My wife named it Big Red since it was the biggest, baddest pickup truck I ever owned.

This photo is from Wednesday October 20, 2010 just after having the brand new ARE Mid-Rise cap installed. I bought the cap from Killam's in East Windsor. They matched the factory paint perfectly. I took the photo on the back ramp of the firehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bought the truck from Charles Toyota in Norwich on July 31, 2010. It had 33K on the odometer and was listed for $23,506.00 as a 3-year lease turn in. It had the 4.7L V-8 engine and TRD Off Road package with factory towing. Of course as a fireman, my new truck HAD TO BE RED! But I wasn't sure what body style I wanted; Double Cab or Crew Max. It turns out Charles Toyota had one of each in Radiant Red. I returned to the dealer with my wife and had them bring both trucks up front side by side so we could go through them and decide which configuration was best. The Crew Max only comes with a 5.5' bed and a huge back seat, but a poor in cab cargo area because of the way the seat folded down (they have since made it better). The Double Cab had a 6.5' bed (they are available in 8' too) and a slightly smaller back seat, but the seat folds up completely out of the way allowing a huge cargo area behind the front bucket seats. We felt that for traveling, especially with the dogs, that would be best so they could be in the climate controlled cab with us. Funny story; I paid their full listed price and here's why. When I went to pick it up, I tried to pull a last minute negotiation and asked for $1000 off, figuring they would counter and I could save a few hundred. They told me they were selling it for what they paid at auction. I told them to produce the invoice that backs up that claim and they've got a deal. They did and the invoice read $23,501. Because I brought my own financing, they made a whopping $5 on that truck. They needed to get rid of it when they did, because it was on the lot for 4 months and they were about to start paying property taxes on it as inventory.

And travel we did! Cape Cod, Maine, and trips to Massanutten Resort area in Virginia with her parents and brother's family. I made multiple trips over the years to Emmitsburg, Maryland to the National Fire Academy and the annual Fallen Firefighter's Memorial Weekend with a few guys from the department. My last trip down there was in 2015. 

In this photo it's parked on the side of The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia on June 23, 2014 the first time we went down there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our trip back there in 2015, we brought our kayaks and bicycles but never the dogs because they were not allowed in the vacation condos. The kayaks rode on top of the cap, the bicycles in a hitch receiver mounted bike rack, and all our luggage and food in the bed under the cap. A small cooler and snacks were in the back seat cargo area. Below is a photo from when I was test fitting the kayaks in the driveway using the saddle racks on the integrated Yakima roof rack system. Because they sit up so high, I bought and installed cockpit covers so if we got caught in heavy rain, the kayaks would not fill with water. Two kayaks filled with water up that high could mean a rollover disaster. It takes two people to load and unload them; one on the tailgate and the other on a 6 foot stepladder. The ladder got stowed in the bed for travel. We only used this configuration for the long trips, never for day trips around home. For that the kayaks just slide into the truck bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2016 we rented a trailer for cheap from a guy on the fire department after I spent the better part of a month rehabbing it in lieu of rental money. We went all the way to Glacier National Park in western Montana and back with lots of stops in between. This photo is from when we arrived at Badlands National Park in South Dakota on August 24, 2016. The trailer weighed in at 7600 pounds, and the towing capacity of my truck was 7800 pounds. But Big Red pulled that trailer effortlessly, especially since I used non-ethanol gas whenever it was available, which was almost everywhere from Indiana west. We had all three dogs with us for the 3 week trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was Devil's Tower in Wyoming on our way to the western entrance to Yellowstone. After being at Yellowstone for three days it was north to Glacier. We headed home three days later by way of North Dakota and then headed south to Indiana where my wife wanted to visit a wolf sanctuary. From there was one more night in Pennsylvania and then home. It was the trip of a lifetime for sure.

We have used the hell out of that truck for hauling stuff, helping friends move, towing my utility trailer, commuting, and just all around use. With the big back seat we always took the truck if we were going to carry passengers. My wife's RAV-4 and her previous 4Runner always had the back seat down and set up to transport the dogs, making it a lot of work if we were going to use it that way, and then put it back.

In 2018, Toyota put a brand new frame under Big Red. That made it worthwhile for me to remove the rusted bed and repair all the mounts two summers ago. While the bed was off, I fixed a bunch of other stuff too. The plan was to keep the truck at least 3 more years from now. But that plan has been totally derailed.

On Sunday morning May 31st, I was on my way home from the firehouse at 6:05 AM. Less than half a mile down the road, the truck lost all power and I pulled off the road. There was no check engine or other warning lights and the gauges were normal. When I tried to restart it, it would start and run perfectly for 1 1/2 seconds then shut off. I tried repeatedly with the same results. Having a small tool bag in the back seat cargo area, I disconnected the battery and shorted the battery cables together for 30 seconds to completely reset the truck. I connected everything back up and tried to start it. Same results as before. It was acting like the engine immobilizer was preventing it from starting, as if you were trying to use a cut metal key without a chip. I gave up screwing with it and called AAA to get towed the 1 1/2 miles home. They showed up within the hour and got my truck and me home. Being a Sunday all service centers/dealers were closed, and I had to be back at work Monday morning at 0600. I would ride my motorcycle to work and spend standby time burning up the phone lines to deal with it Tuesday. Luckily we were in store for a stretch of decent weather with only showers on a couple of overnights, so using the bike has been OK.

I first called the garage we normally deal with that specializes in Toyota. But since they are not a dealership, they, like myself do NOT have access to Toyota's proprietary diagnostic software and OBD cable. So it was going to have to go to the dealership. I called them and they said they could not set something up until I had the truck towed there. I replied I would see them Tuesday the 2nd.

Tuesday morning I called AAA to arrange a tow. They said sorry, you get one tow per disablement and I would have to pay. They would arrange it for me but could not give me a cost, it would be up to the towing service. I said thanks but no thanks, I would rather give my money to a local guy I know. I called my local guy and he said he could tow it for $207.65 He towed my truck to the dealership and I went on ahead of him on my bike. When I got there I spoke to the service advisor and told her my truck was coming and why. A few minutes later my truck arrived on the flatbed and they checked it in. There were phone calls back and forth over the last week and finally a diagnosis.... mice have chewed up my wiring harness under the fuse box in the engine bay. Good news is auto insurance covers this under Comprehensive Coverage. Yesterday I called Progressive to file a claim and secure a rental car. I get the car for up to 30 days and will hitch a ride with my wife on her way to work tomorrow morning to get it.

Today I get the bad news. The wiring harness is no longer available new from Toyota or  anywhere else used or salvaged. I thought I found one in Florida, and had a discussion with the parts manager about it. It turns out they are specific to the model and options, and the one I found in Florida was not correct for my truck and would not work, even though the website's fitment chart said it did. He also stated that any wiring harness needs to have the factory tag on it with the proper part number before they will use it. Shit! I am now staring at the possibility of Progressive totaling my truck. Time to gather up the receipts for all the work I put into it recently. 😒

My original plan was to replace my truck in about 3 more years with a 25+ year old, low mileage, Grandpa's creampuff from down south where they don't use winter salt. No emissions, cheap property taxes, cheap insurance, easy to work on myself. I would drive it into the ground like always over the period of about 10 years, then find another. It looks like I might get close to 10 grand if they total my truck, so I'm not sure what I am going to do. I really need a truck, but they are unaffordable these days. There will be no getting a good deal like I got on Big Red. That truck these days are going for $45K plus.

Patriot Guard Mission - By The Numbers

I did a Patriot Guard mission today at the CT Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. The weather was spectacular... bright sun, cool temperatures, and a light breeze. I rode down on "The Beast" and most of the others rode bikes as well except for a couple of much older guys. I composed this blog post in my head while standing the flag line as the family and mourners arrived.

12 CT Patriot Guard Riders stood in honor of the deceased, US Navy Chaplain Rev. Charles Clark who served in Vietnam.

1 of those twelve was the 12 year old granddaughter of a PGR member that performed her first mission. She did well and received her customary PGR "Mission Accomplished" pin when you do your first one. You can get them for milestones 10-20-30-40-50, etc. The "Mission Accomplished" pin is the only one I wear on my leather vest.

2 US Naval Officers in brilliant dress whites rendered honors with the folding of the flag.

5' x 9' Is the standard size of a casket flag, which is never meant to be flown, only draped over a casket.

13 The number of folds required to put the flag into the triangle for presentation. The flag is folded from the striped end towards the stars. The presented flag when folded is all blue with white stars. Each one of the folds has a meaning which can be found here.

3 The number of riflemen in today's rifle salute detail 

3 The number of volleys fired

24 The number of notes in a standard blowing of Taps. Double that when there are two buglers and one follows the other in a haunting echo from a distance away out of sight.

9 was the number of fired shells from the rifle volleys.

3 was the number of shells recovered and placed in a small velvet bag for presentation to the same family member that receives the flag, AFTER the flag is presented. 

ONE -- the number of military personnel that makes the flag presentation to the spouse, eldest child, or surviving relative of the deceased. I received my father's folded flag since my mother predeceased him and I am the oldest. Sometimes I am within earshot. I could not hear the naval officer today, but this is what he said:

"On behalf of The President of The United States, The United States Navy, and a grateful Nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

 

After the service, I mounted up and headed homeward. The weather called for possible showers early this afternoon so I did not want to get caught in one. I wanted to stop at BJ's in Manchester for gas and I could grab lunch at Baja Fresh Grill in the same shopping center. This also took me right near wifey's work place, so I stopped in to see if she would meet me there for lunch. Alas, she had a noon time class she was leading so I went solo. I made it home dry and sure enough while at home a heavy shower lasting a full two minutes came by. Later this afternoon I will do some yard work.

It's Summer FFS!!

And in the summer.... IT GETS HOT. No shit. It has been fact since 12,000 years before I was a little kid when the last ice age ended. And as a kid, we did not have air conditioning. Not in the house, not in the cars. Open windows, window fans (no one had ceiling fans), and spending the day in the pool but then sweltering in a pool of sweat in bed at night.

 

But the legacy media MUST keep hyping that this is abnormal and due to man caused climate disruption. First they must tell us how many MILLIONS of people will be affected. Then they have to use the "feels like" temperature, which, depending on the humidity can be 10-15 degrees higher than the actual air temperature. FEAR! FEAR! FEAR! OMG...WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!

I don't know what year this was from, but is is a photo of malfunctioning temperature sensors, or the weather computers, or video display from Fox 10 Phoenix in Arizona. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No. No we're not. 100 -150 years ago we burned wood and coal and oil to power the nation's factories. We burned our trash in backyard burn barrels. We burned our leaves in the yard. The air was always thick with smoke and ash and was way worse during summer months. The streets were full of horse manure. Just about every body of water was an open sewer, and included the dumping of toxic chemicals. Do we do any of that any more? No we do not. Some countries still do, but the United States does not. Since the early 1970's our cars have become more and more bogged down by emissions controls. Yet how else can they push the Eviro-Nazi agenda of confiscating your income, wealth, property, and freedom in the name of saving a planet that does not need saving? Or making their dupes (Rush's uninformed voter) be more than willing to give it up on their own?

 

I am a subscriber to Newsmax and watch it most of the time, but will watch the DNC propaganda legacy media with a jaded eye knowing that most of what they "report" is bullshit.

A Man's Stay-cation

Last week, I was supposed to join my wife, adult daughter, and several of my daughter's friends on  her 40th birthday celebration in Florida at the house of the mouse. The two main reasons I chose NOT to go are; #1) I am on a self-imposed commercial "NO FLY LIST" meaning I refuse to fly commercial anywhere. This way I avoid having to be disarmed, the TSA Kabuki theater bullshit, and any of the "wild animals" acting out in airports or on airplanes. I have seen Europe twice and don't care to go back, and anywhere I desire to go here in the states I will drive to. The single exception is if my father-in-law passes and I need to go to Florida with my wife and her family. #2) I refuse to give one red cent to that woke mess called Disney. I made all this abundantly clear to my wife and daughter months before they went and they felt it was my loss. Oh how wrong they were. Until that corporation returns to its non-woke, family oriented content and environment I will never return. I cashed in two 24 hour PTO days from last year to pay for my time off and still have 12 hours left over. My last shift ended at 06:00 AM on April 11th, and today is my first day back. Nine glorious days off, including not attending two training sessions which I will probably hear about, but TPTB are not going to like my response to. It's called a fucking vacation and that means you don't see me until I come back to work!

On the 11th I helped my wife get ready and did stuff around the house. My daughter stayed over at our place so we could leave early. We left at 06:15 AM to drive to Logan Airport Saturday morning the 12th. What an absolute shitshow ride that was. Cold temperatures, heavy snow, and no roads treated or plowed. We thought the MA Turnpike would be better, but oh no, it was far worse. And the heavy wet snow was accumulating on the asphalt and freezing. Not until we got to about Framingham did conditions improve, and luckily any of the accidents we passed were minor spin outs. By the time we got to Boston it was as if the bad weather behind us was nonexistent. I got them to the airport on time and quickly got the hell out of there. The ride home was easy-peasy, because by that time roads were clear and wet and the snow was gone. Time to start my stay-cation! I had to take care of my normal weekend chores except laundry which got done the day before.

The next few days were me doing some of my favorite things and eating meals I like. Sunday I went to the range. I usually only go during the week when I have the place to myself. A couple of guys came over after Trap to each fire a few handgun rounds and then left. I was now by myself for testing some subsonic .22LR ammo I bought from an estate sale. I tried some in a semi-auto rifle and pistol. It would not cycle in either one so I ran it manually. Accuracy was fine so it should be good for pesky chipmunks out of my bolt action .22 rifle. I then put a few cylinders through my 1935 vintage S&W K-22 Outdoorsman. Of course it functioned just fine and I repeatedly dinged the hanging steel plates at 25 yards. Next up, my US Patriot 1775 home built sniper rifle. Originally a 1939 Soviet Mosin-Nagant 91/30 from the Izhevsk Armory, this reformed Commie now serves to support and defend The United States and The Constitution against ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC. Targets of opportunity from a far away hidey hole, don'cha know.

This rifle fires my precision measured and loaded ammunition with PPU 7.62x45r fire formed brass to this rifle's chamber that is neck sized only. The bullet is a 174 gr Sierra Matchking BTHP in .311" diameter. Some rifles are .308" but most of the Russian ones are .311" I slugged mine to find out. Accuracy with .308 factory ammo is less then satisfactory for obvious reasons. The powder is 45 grains of Hogdgon Varget. The primer is Winchester Large Rifle. I measured the chamber length and have the bullet seated 0.005" off the lands. Chronographed muzzle velocity is 2580 fps. Accuracy is better than I can make it shoot. More practice would definitely help for sure. That and a trip to the eye doctor for some new glasses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking downrange to 200 yards

 

200 yard backstop circled in yellow

17" spatter target with added 2" bullseye

 

A closer view. I'll try again after a visit to the eye doctor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started by verifying zero at 100 yards and it was dead on. Next out to the range maximum of 200 yards. After some windage adjustment, controlling my breathing, and waiting for my heart rate to slow so I could time my shot between beats, shot #5 was as close as I was probably gonna get. Definitely close enough for my purposes. I then proceeded to hit the 12" gong and then the smaller 6" gong I had stood up on its side on some timbers on the ground. It makes a really loud "THOK!" sound when hit. After 3 shots at the smaller gong it fell over. I decided to see if I could hit it lying on the side.

On its side with 3 fresh shiny shot marks

 

 

Exactly where I was aiming. Perfect!

 

I went down range to pickup my targets and then back to the firing line to pack up for home. I headed home to secure all my firearms and ammo, and have some lunch. The plan was to go fishing early evening to dark so I got my fishing gear in shape. Later, I headed to my club pond a little before 6 PM and was met by my neighbor and his 9 year old grandson. The grandson was pretty rambunctious splashing a stick in the water and then hooking my rod when he tried to cast. No biggie, I caught a nice largemouth bass anyway and then I moved to the left of them near the pond outlet and deeper water where I promptly caught another smaller largemouth. Every evening except Wednesday (too cold and windy) I returned to the club pond and had great success with both bass and trout, landing a decent 14" Rainbow Trout on Thursday. Since all my tackle has the barbs crimped, catch and release is easy and not hard on the fish. They all swam away quickly. I went home at dark to feed the dogs and watch a streaming movie (I don't remember what I watched) but it was definitely something my wife would not care for.

Monday was supposed to be the warmest day of the week with highs in the 70's, so late morning I headed out on The Beast for the Kommiecticut shoreline, specifically Niantic and Skipper's Seafood on RT. 156. It was more crowded than usual since the kids were out of school for spring break. But since I had nothing but time I had no problem waiting to order, then waiting for my food. $22.54 for a fish sandwich with onion rings and a bottle of soda was a little expensive, but man was it good and screaming hot. Their onion rings are lightly battered and sliced very thin like shoestring french fries. I thought I might stop for ice cream on the way home but I was too full. I got home and decided to play some guitar before heading out for an evening of fishing. The 1946 vintage case is in pretty good shape, but the old leather handle was falling apart and I really didn't want it to break making me drop it. I found a Gibson style excellent replacement handle on eBay and ordered it for $29 plus tax. The new handle arrived on Thursday and fit my old case perfectly.

What's left of the original handle. It went in the trash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new handle installed on the original hardware. Nicely made

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than fishing on Tuesday evening, I don't recall what I did all of Tuesday and Wednesday during the day. I do know Tuesday afternoon I took my little poodle girl for a walk around the town park and then along the river on the linear trail. We had the place to ourselves and she got to have some quality alone time with Daddy. 

 

Wednesday was in the 40's and very windy. I am surprised I didn't lose power. Thursday I rotated out my snow removal equipment for my lawn upkeep equipment. The lawnmower and weed whacker got fueled up and started on the first couple of pulls as usual. The snowblower got a fresh oil change and then the fuel tank drained after I drove it down to the barn. I pulled all of my wicker porch furniture from the back of the barn. The snowblower then went to the back of the barn with the snow shovels. I had backed my truck and trailer down to the barn to load all the furniture to bring up to the front porch in one shot. I was outside all day and then back out in the evening for fishing until dark. The fishing action every night has been great. Friday morning after breakfast I took a trip to BJ's for a restock in anticipation of my wife's return. I am also in the process of rotating out all of my generator gas storage from last spring, so I picked up 25 gallons in my Jerry cans and then topped off my truck. That leaves five more Jerry cans to dump in our vehicles to burn up and then refill. This gives me a total of 70 gallons of gas on hand which this time of year could have my generator run about 10 days at full power. 20 days if I was to run conservatively and even longer if I siphon some out of my vehicles. I would only do this if I was unable to buy gas because of a regional outage due to large scale system damage. Luckily that has never happened. After going to BJ's I came home and put everything away and made some lunch. After lunch it was out for another cruise on The Beast. I only went about 50 miles, but 50 miles of wind therapy will do anyone some good. I went home, had some supper, and then out fishing for the evening until dark.

Saturday evening I was to return to Logan to get the wife, so I wanted to make sure I managed my time during the day properly. A week earlier we went to Boston in snow. Saturday the 19th it was predicted to be 85. My club had our big spring cleanup work party in anticipation for our two big fishing events and our big summertime fundraiser event. I worked from 08:00 to about 11:00 on the pond detail. I figured since I have been doing so much fishing I would concentrate my efforts there. After that the weekly trip to the dump, home for lunch, and then some guitar time sitting out on my front porch entertaining the birds and squirrels. My wife and I had dinner plans for on the way home, so I needed to shower and put on some clean duds. Her flight was due to land at 6:06 PM, so I left at 4:00 PM in case of unexpected traffic to Boston.

I decided that since I would have to sit in a cell phone lot for an unknown amount of time and then have to hit a rest area on the way home, I would have to play my game of "Felon-Not A Felon" by carrying my EDC into the Republik of Massachusetts without their "permission slip." As I cross the imaginary line at the state border where I magically transform into a felon and then back again, I call out "Felon-Not A Felon!" Because of the warm weather I was wearing cargo shorts and carrying my S&W 45 Shield in a DeSantis pocket holster in my right thigh pocket, a spare mag in my left thigh pocket, and as usual my SOG Instinct blade horizontally at 11 o'clock. Traffic was non existent and I arrived at the cell phone lot at Logan Airport at 5:15 PM. There is a sign in the lot with all the "rules"... no unattended vehicles, no idling over 5 minutes, 30 minute maximum wait time. Wait, WHAT? It's over 80 miles to Logan from my house, how the fuck am I supposed to know what traffic will be or if her flight is on time? Well, I decided to see just how that gets enforced. If necessary I would just circle the airport and then return to the lot if I got kicked out. Certainly don't want any trouble with "authorities" while carrying. It turns out, no one enforced anything, so I sat and waited listening to streaming music. The flight was on time and my wife called me saying that she and my daughter would be waiting curbside for pickup. Aw man... my daughter was supposed to have a friend pick her up. There goes a nice dinner with my wife because going out to dinner with my daughter (the vegan freak) is beyond tedious, so I normally avoid it. I got to their location in just a few minutes, loaded their luggage, and headed for the airport exit and the Mass Pike. After drinking a bottle of water and sitting for so long in the cell lot, I needed to hit the first rest area in Framingham heading westbound. We arrived at the rest area and all went in because my wife and daughter wanted drinks, I went straight to the Men's room. While at the urinal doing my part to recycle, in walks a MA State Trooper and goes to the urinal more than the appropriate anti-gay distance away. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, but he pays me no mind as he has probably been on the road for a couple of hours and just wants to relieve himself. I finished first and walked behind him to get to the sink to wash my hands. He heads for the sink as I am exiting the restroom. As I am walking across the main concourse of the rest area I see him come out and then head into the convenience store. Never saw him again, but man if he only knew. The advantage of concealed carry. The girls got their drinks and we got back on the road.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful. We hit a heavy rainstorm west of Worcester and down I -84 which was good because it washed most of the salt off my wife's car from the previous ride to Boston. When we hit the Kommiecticut state line I said quietly "Felon-Not A Felon" and my wife asked "what did you just say?" to which I replied nothing, just mumbling to myself. When we got closer to home we came out of the rain and as we came down the home stretch on the main road everything was completely dry.

My wife and daughter and her friends had a great time. Not the kind of fun I would care for. And they got to see The Old Man (my wife's father) while they were there. He will be up for the summer next month and we hang out on my days off.

Hee Hee!

 

 

Yes, I engage in it muchly now ever since the whole Chi-Com Flu plandemic.

First; for the past couple of weeks, all we've heard about on the local news here in Kommiecticut is the Thanksgiving Day Manchester Road Race. Today, it is absolutely miserable outside, cold in the 40's and rainy. Of course, the hard core running morons think this is perfect weather to run in. I call bullshit. Only the insane think this is perfect weather to do anything outside. Plus the fact that I have ALWAYS hated distance running, including every second of the daily two mile run while in the Army. Twelve thousand fools signed up to race today, I wonder how many may have looked out the window and said, "Yeah, fuck this!"

Second; I love a good parade and have participated in many. Marching bands, military units, fire departments, civic organizations, sports teams, etc make for an excellent parade. Passing by a reviewing stand to be judged for trophies is always fun too.

That said, that piece of shit being shown on NBC right now IS NOT A PARADE. It is a line up on 5th Avenue of musical, Broadway, Hollywood acts, and apparently Globo-Homo displays. In place of a reviewing stand, it is the main stage. I refuse to watch any of it. My wife on the other hand loves it, so it is on in the living room right now. As I walked through a few minutes ago to get some batteries out of the basement, there was some kind of drag act going on which as soon as I saw it turned away from such garbage. Tell me again how pretending to be a woman surrounded by dancing flamers all dressed in purple is some kind of valued talent?

If I have to go down again I will cut through the dining room instead. I have had NewsMax on my phone with a pair of noise cancelling headphones all morning so I don't have to hear any of it either.

Waz Happenin'

The stretch of unseasonably warm and unusually dry weather since September 1st is finally over with a rainstorm that dropped 2 3/8" on my area ending yesterday. The wild fire danger is back to normal levels and there is more rain with the possibility of snow showers later this week. I am on a 24 hour shift today and have a wheel bearing replacement job for my Tundra on the schedule for tomorrow. I have all the parts and equipment ready to go and hopefully the fight to get everything apart won't take all frickin' day. Reassembly should be relatively easy. I have had my bullet press set up to do a run of 9mm for several days, but haven't had the uninterrupted dedicated time to load at least 200 maybe more. I had to change the die turret and the shell plate carrier disc. Taking it all apart to do that makes it easy to lube everything, but I have to readjust the timing for the shell plate rotation. I definitely need more range time with my new G17, and practicing mag swaps and reloads on the PCC-9. The reloading press will stay set up for 9mm. I have had my battle rattle all set up and handy since before the election not knowing how things would turn out and the possible resulting psychosis making people stupid. Thankfully it just hangs in the gun closet not needed.

Although blog posting has been light, I am constantly on X shit poasting and trolling LIBTURDS and anti-gun hoplophobes. It's easy to do from my phone while watching TV or other mindless activities. Blog posting requires me to be at a PC which makes it easier to add photos and videos. Since Elon Musk fired all the snowflakes that would scrutinize and flag posts for arbitrary rule violations, I haven't even gotten a warning for some of the brutal crap I have posted. Feel free to peruse my profile and timeline to read my ramblings.

A Kayak & Beach Outing

My wife and I were both available for some fun on Sunday and she really wanted to go to the beach. Kommiecticut beaches SUCK because they are in Long Island Sound which is the sewer outlet for every Kommiecticut city along the shore, and especially NYC. I only go to ocean side beaches of RI or MA. RI is closer so that is where we usually go. Normally we would go the Charlestown, RI and put our kayaks in at Lake Quonochontaug at the boat launch by the breachway. A 1 1/2 mile paddle to an area where you can go ashore and then a quick hike over the dunes puts you on beautiful West Beach. Because that area is reached only by boat, there are very few beachgoers there. Last year we discovered the the state of RI eliminated more then half of the parking there, making a weekend trip out of the question, but we decided to go anyway and see how bad it was. We got there at 08:30 and it was worse than imagined. People were dumping their vehicles wherever they felt like, blocking access to the one small parking lot and blocking in other vehicles. A perfect setup for a road rage incident. We left the area and pulled into the parking lot of the bakery on the corner of US RT. 1 to lookup some place else to go. While there were several, only one nearby put us at an ocean side beach... Ninigret Landing Marina on Ninigret Lake. It was a short drive further north on RT. 1 to the marina access road. It is a small marina with a decent parking lot and a concrete boat launch. $10 just to park and $20 to park and launch a boat. I went inside the office and found a gorgeous young brunette with a laptop sipping her coffee running the place. She took my $20 and said we were all set for the day. She said friends of hers take their boat across the lake to the dunes to get to the beach, but she did not know where they land. I told her since it was our first time there we would be exploring the right shoreline to look at all the big beautiful homes, and circle around to the dunes to find beach access.

We left the truck parked about 40 feet from the boat launch and carried our kayaks to the ramp. We set the kayaks side-by-side, load and stow everything in the boats, and then she grabs both front carrying handles and I grab the rears and we walk the boats to the waters edge. She gets in first so I can shove her off, then I get in. At my age, my knees don't work like they used to. I cannot enter the cockpit without the kayak floating in knee deep water so I can step up and in. With that we were under way. The sky was overcast with a slight sea breeze, and temps were not quite 80.

Our excursion plotted on Google Earth manually by me

We stopped at the East Beach Landing twice. The first time was to check it out and we spoke to the young man that was the park ranger. We then walked out to look at the beach and it was more crowded than we were used to, but nothing like the mad house crowd at Misquamicut State Beach to the west. We decided to explore the shoreline along the dunes to the east, and come back if nothing panned out. As you can see on the plot above that is what we did. We stopped to check out a couple more landing spots, but the path dead-ended into woods, or on the road with no visible way to get to the ocean. It was only when I viewed this satellite image on Google Earth did I see where we should have gone which we will know for next time. We paddled back to the East Beach Landing.

I learned from someone else's bad experience to tie up your kayak in tidal areas, not to simply beach them. You will find your kayak far from shore after the tide takes it away. I carry a length of 1/4" nylon rope and an auger style anchor like you'd use to tie up a dog. The anchor gets screwed deep into the sand and the kayaks are securely tied up. We haven't lost them yet. We take EVERYTHING of value with us, and stow anything else out of sight in the trunks. I insist on taking our nice carbon fiber Aqua-Bound Sting Ray Hybrid light weight paddles for two reasons. First, leaving the paddle is like leaving the car keys in the ignition. It lessens the temptation and ability to "borrow" our kayaks. Second, it prevents some asshole from getting a free paddle upgrade and leaving us junky heavy paddles. We have never had a problem.... yet.

We walked through the parking lot and over the dunes to find a nice spot on the beach. It was now lunch time so that was the first order of business after setting up the beach blanket. Then it was time to succumb to the food coma and nap. With the sea breeze stronger on the ocean side of the dunes, my wife was all covered up with another blanket at towels because she was cold. I thought it felt refreshing and zonked off uncovered. We slept about 45 minutes and then got up to use the bathroom and go for a walk. While the water temperature was nice, with the breeze and no sun neither of us went for a swim, but I did go in up to my knees. There were not many other people in the water either. We hung out for another hour and then decided to pack up and paddle back, going in a straight line across the lake to the marina. Upon arrival, my wife went to change clothes while I got loaded up. We headed out and actually beat all the beach traffic headed for Kommiecticut. Getting caught in the mass exodus on the bypass road RT. 78 is a nightmare we are familiar with from years ago. We stopped for ice cream closer to home. At home, I got everything unloaded and rinsed our kayaks off in the yard. I only do this if we go somewhere muddy or swampy, or in salt water. Because the sun was out at home, the kayaks dried off and I was able to hang them up in the garage where I store them.

Been A Couple of Wild Weeks

I started composing this post on December 23rd, but have had so many interruptions between emergency calls, other things that have drawn my attention, and then the hustle and bustle of Christmas it is FINALLY finished.

 

I'm going to try to do this in chronological order of the photos. I know it has been a few weeks since I've put up a blog post, but don't worry... I have been trolling and shit-posting the hell out of #Libturds of all kinds on X (Twitter). Amazingly, I have not been suspended. Elon Musk has really reigned in the SJW censors they had on staff.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I found out my cousin Christopher was here in New England visiting his mom, family, and friends. He served in the Navy on the west coast and left with full retirement, only to be immediately hired by the DoD because of his expertise. He still works for DoD but lives in South Carolina. I text poked him when I came across this photo at my brother's house. I am just a little older than he is. This photo is from Easter 1965 and was taken at my Memere's house. He and I are in the foreground, me on the left and him on the right. From left to right was my Memere, his mother, my mother, my aunt Terese, my maternal grandmother (Nana) with my sister on her lap, and in the back my uncle Donald. I have no idea who was in the high chair. My cousin and I tried to get together over Thanksgiving weekend, but it never happened because I had to work. I broke his balls for sneaking up here without telling me. We'll try again over the summer.

 

 

 

On November 28th, snow bands off of Lake Erie made their way across PA and NY/NJ to my neck of the woods. They call it "mood snow." This didn't amount to much more than what's in the video.

Next, this is yet another fine example of shitty Duracell batteries as documented by me a year ago with this post. I thought I had purged them from everything I own.... guess not. On December 2nd I went to put away my brush fire gear for the season and this EverReady headlamp wasn't working. This is what I found when I opened it up. The batteries are dated 2027. Into the garbage it all went. The other day, I discovered yet another device with Duracell batteries that was just starting to leak, my Midland clock radio that is our severe weather alert. What tipped me off that there was an issue was the battery indicator was not at full as it was supposed to be. I dumped the batteries and was able to clean the battery compartment and terminals to save the device.

The headlamp battery compartment

 

I was in WalMart the other day to buy some spare EverReady Energizer batteries for stock. As I approached the battery display, a woman ahead of me grabbed a package of Duracell AA's and accidentally knocked several to the floor. As I helped her pick them up, I told her of my problems with Duracell and how we at the fire department have swapped them all out. Plus the Energizer's were a couple of dollars cheaper. She put the Duracell's back, grabbed the Energizer's, and thanked me.

On December 4th, my chicken flock got one of their favorite seasonal treats, the large pumpkin we buy to set out with the mums for fall decorating. Using a large knife, I score the skin in several places and smash it open on a large rock in the chicken yard. They attack it immediately and get a few days enjoyment out of it. All that's left are paper thin pieces of the skin.

On December 7th, my shift partner and I did a transport to Hartford Hospital just before lunch time. The decision was made to save our lunches back at the firehouse for the following day and stop at one of our favorite places. I always get their "Burnt Ends" with two sides, cornbread, and a drink. We were so hungry we ate most of it driving back from Hartford. I was in a food coma later that afternoon.

We had a couple of heavy wind and rain storms. The first one was while I was on duty Sunday the 10th and Monday the 11th. The western part of the state got the worst of it but we were double staffed at the FD just in case. We made sure all the apparatus was fueled, and all the saws were running good. I found three saws with skunky old gas in them and replaced with fresh 2-stroke mix. We got several inches of rain and the local river was near the top of its banks. Only one call for tree/wires down.

 

For the past 40 years we have had a live tree, cutting our own at a tree farm. $85 again this year, but it is full, lush and green. My wife finished up with the it and did a fantastic job as usual. She weaves the lights in and out from the trunk so the entire tree is lit, not just the outside. 1500-1700 lights on the tree this year, she lost count. She also decorates an artificial tree in the corner of the dining room. That tree belonged to my parents and is pretty good for a fake. It is a themed tree, decorated with only Santa ornaments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly a week later Sunday the 17th into Monday the 18th we got another wind and rain storm, which hit the eastern part of the state worse this time. I was not scheduled to work and decided I wanted the time off right before Christmas. If it wasn't right before Christmas, I would have grabbed at least one extra shift. We lost power at the house just before 9 AM and with the storm howling there was no chance a power crew was coming out to fix it. I reported it to Eversource and went outside to set up my generator. I got fucking soaked but at least we had electricity again. Because of the wind and rain still occurring, I set up the collapsible shelter I fabricated to protect the generator from the elements. I listened to my scanner as my department and all the surrounding ones got hammered with calls. EMS calls, flooded basements, trees and wires down, etc. Once the storm went by, things calmed down big time. Just after sundown, power crews were on my road. Normally we don't get power back until all the main feeds are repaired, but this time the main feeds sustained no damage. I looked at my meter around 7 PM and the display was lit. I called my neighbor to let him know power was back on because after I shut mine down I heard his still running. I brought everything into the garage to cool down so I could re-fuel and stow the equipment. The rain gauge showed 5 5/8" total. I dumped it at 5 inches and we got another 5/8" as the storm wound down. The flooding was way worse this time with the local river in the parking lot of the firehouse only about 30' away from the building.

3 1/2" at 07:00, this was at 09:00

 

Below is my latest mortgage statement. I could not imagine trying to buy a house right now thanks mostly to the economic disaster we live in now. We pay less per month than what people are paying for a 1-bedroom apartment in a nice complex. My daughter is now living in a 3-bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor in a multifamily house in the city of New Britain with a roommate and is paying $1500 per month. We have anywhere from $200K to $230K of equity depending on which market analysis you look at. Our house was built for us, moving in April 2005, and we paid about $277K. As you can see, the biggest chunk of my monthly payment (and unfortunately the one that fluctuates) is the escrow for taxes and insurance. For whatever reason, the monthly payment dropped $40 per month with the latest escrow analysis. We re-financed in early 2021 to get the 3.125% rate because every month Chase was inviting us to refinance. Of course, they wanted us to cash out a ton of equity but we just re-financed the balance, leaving the equity alone.

Redacted (OF COURSE) mortgage statement

 

Finally, our Christmas celebration was nice and quiet at home with my wife's brother who lives in a group home and stayed with us for a few days and my daughter. My wife's other brother and his family went to Florida to spend Christmas with The Old Man so we got together with them before they left. My brother and his gang went to Vegas for Christmas. It was nice to be home since the FD schedule is different now meaning I do not work all 5 days M-F. I was off for Thanksgiving and will be off for New Years.

PGR Mission 11-3-23

The Mission: Friday November 3, 2023, The Dignified Transfer and rendering of military honors for burial of six CT Veterans whose cremains have gone unclaimed for years and even decades.

The six U.S. Veterans to be honored are (in alphabetical order):

• TEC-5 Wilfred A. Carpentier, U.S. Army serving 1941-45. December 6, 1917-April 27, 1976, died in Derby;
• CPL Robert L. Coston, Sr., U.S. Army serving 1951-53. October 27, 1938-November 12, 2014, died in East Hartford;
• FA Michael Joseph Gruttadauria, Jr., U.S. Navy serving 1967-68. September 25, 1948-November 28, 2021, died in Hartford;
• A1C Joseph Henry O'Brien, II, U.S. Air Force serving 1951-61. January 25, 1937-August 13, 2021, died in Southbury;
• *SGT Bernice Greenstreet Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. November 1, 1923-September 9, 2007, died in Cheshire; and
• *PVT Roland H. Record, U.S. Army Air Forces serving 1945-46. December 19, 1927- November 10, 1998, died in Waterbury.
  *A married couple

Here is a link to the story with video from WTNH TV-8 in New Haven

Here is a link to the story with video from NBC CT in Hartford

Here is a link to the story with video from FOX 61 in Hartford

There were also assorted radio, print, and online news services there as well.

 

I had been looking forward to this event for weeks, ever since I got the notice and was hoping conditions would allow me to ride "The Beast." I did the last one in 2021 and it was so awesome I wanted to be part of it again. Riding the bike means I will definitely be in the escort ride from the VA to the cemetery in Middletown. First thing was to be off work for the day which I was without having to swap shifts. I got up at 5:30 AM to take care of animals, shower, and get appropriately dressed. When I headed out at 7 AM it was only 25 degrees. I stopped for coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and hash browns at the local convenience store. It's a good 45 minute ride to the VA in Rocky Hill so I had plenty of time to eat and got under way at 07:30. I arrived a little early which was good. We hung out in the lot for a bit and got our assignments. At the VA Home and Hospital, the Patriot Guard Riders do the dignified transfer of the cremains. They all arrive in one hearse, and need to be separated and moved to additional hearses.

Because I had done this before, I was to handle an urn. Each urn was accompanied by a pre-folded US flag carried behind by another PGR member. Here is how it worked:

1) The first PGR member approaches the back of the main hearse

2) A salute is rendered and the urn is handed to the member by the funeral director.

3) An "about face" is done and several slow and purposeful steps are taken away from the hearse

4) A "column left, march" is done and the slow purposeful walk continues a few steps, where the lead member pauses briefly so that the flag bearer can execute their maneuvers and fall in behind the urn.

5) Both members slowly and purposely walk in formation to the rear of the assigned hearse and stop.

6) A left face, a few steps, and another left face and the member is in position to place the urn in the hearse as directed by another funeral director. The urn is set down and then turned 180 degrees so the name is facing outward. The member steps back and once again salutes the urn. The member then clears the area behind the hearse to make room for the flag bearer.

7) The flag bearer executes the same maneuvers and places the folded flag next to the urn in the hearse. He then renders a salute to the flag and clears the back of the hearse.

Because there were six urns and six flags, I got called up again to handle a second urn. It is an unbelievable honor to handle these cremains.

Once the Dignified Transfer was completed, law enforcement began showing up. There were two motorcycle cops from Middletown and several state troopers in Ford Explorer Police Interceptors. We got ourselves lined up for the procession to Middletown so we could head out smoothly. We hit the restroom as needed and milled around for a few minutes until it was time to saddle up. The motorcycle cops lead, followed by a state trooper, our PGR bikes and flagged vehicles, the hearses, and more state troopers bringing up the rear. The Rocky Hill, Cromwell, and Middletown police had all the intersections blocked off down RT. 99 up to the entrance ramp to CT RT. 9. As we entered RT. 9, CT State Police had the highway closed southbound so we could enter unimpeded, and the Middletown police had the entrances to RT. 9 south closed so we could get by. We got off RT. 9 at the Silver Street exit and Middletown PD had the intersections closed the rest of the way to the cemetery. We pulled in to the cemetery and were greeted by more PGR personnel standing a flag line, Middletown FD had their giant flag suspended from their ladder truck, media, veterans groups, citizen attendees, and of course.... the politicians.

The posting of the colors was a flop in my opinion. A dopey female Army E-4 at the rear of the formation did not know the proper way to carry an M-14 on "Right shoulder...ARMS!"... it was upside down. She at least had the butt in her right hand and the muzzle up in the air, but the rifle rested on her shoulder with the trigger facing up! She also did not render the proper presentation of the rifle at "Present Arms!" She stood there with the rifle lying trigger up on her shoulder the whole time. I am sure all my fellow veterans in attendance cringed as I did at this poor display of Drill and Ceremony. She had no business being front and center in such a position. The lead Sargent carrying his M-14 did it properly, and did the proper movements for present arms and order arms.

The politicians in attendance was Gov. "Jolly Ned" Lamont, LT. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Senator "DaNang Dickie" Blumenthal, and Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim. The head of the CT VA Brigadier General, (Ret.), Ronald P. “Ron” Welch and CT Funeral Directors Association President Lionel Lessard were there and spoke as well. Also in attendance was Major General Francis J. Evon, the Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard. He actually came down the PGR flag line after our arrival and assembly to meet, shake hands, and thank every PGR member. He was formally introduced but did not speak. I have met him before at other events. A down to Earth guy for sure that remembers where he came from.

First off, as much of a douchebag Commie liar/stolen valor Blumenthal is, he does keep his speeches short and on topic at these events. That said, several PGR members said that if they weren't there representing the PGR, they would have definitely turned their backs when he got up to the podium, as would I. The only speech that seemed to go off the rails was Susan Bysiewicz, who takes every opportunity to play the woman card as her speech went off on a diversity tangent while referring to SGT. Bernice Greenstreet Record and her military service. Too bad the female E-4 rifle honor guard went and ruined the optic of female competence in the military, huh?

After the speeches, a single 21 gun salute was fired in honor of all six veterans, and a single ceremonial flag was unfolded, held outstretched briefly, then refolded in the traditional manner. The flag was presented to General Welch to represent the six families. The ceremony concluded shortly after and although we could stay for the actual internment of the urns, I was getting hungry and had other plans.

 

Trip to Hoffman's Gun Center

Because of this post from Pawpaw's House back on October 23rd, I decided to explore using a couple of my old "mouse guns" for backup duty possibly in an ankle holster. The older gun is a Raven Arms MP-25 in .25 ACP, and the other is a Beretta Tomcat in .32ACP. First I needed to find some appropriate defensive ammo for both. It turns out Hornady makes Critical Defense ammo in both calibers so I would have to get some. I just figured I would have to order it online. Because I was in Middletown not too far from Hoffman's in Berlin, that would be my next stop. I had no specific purchase plans, it was just that I hadn't been there in a long time and was going for a look-see. I browsed all the firearm showcases and found there to be a good supply of just about everything. As far as guns go, I believe my next gun is going to be the Ruger PCC with the M-Lock handguard, AR stock, threaded barrel, and the optional Glock mag well probably sometime before spring. When I went over to the ammo shelves.... lo and behold! the Hornady Critical Defense .25 ACP and .32 ACP in stock. Both were $24.99 for a box of 25 so I grabbed one of each. I then went over to the wall of holsters and found a DeSantis universal ankle holster made for small autos. Perfect and out the door for $101 plus change. Because of having to work all weekend, I haven't yet tried to put everything together. Once I do I will do a review post here.

A quick lunch at the Newington Burger King and I headed home. Between the frigid temperatures in the morning and being on my feet so long all day, I was wiped when I got home at 2:30 PM. I plopped on the couch with the doggos, turned on the TV, and zonked off for a bit before wifey came home.

Conditions Improved

In this post the other day I highlighted the high fire danger conditions around my home and the region. I am pleased to report that thanks to the over 3 1/2" of rain we received (with higher rain amounts in the CT river valley) in the last 24 hours, the spring wild fire season may be completely over. The leaf canopy and green ground cover is going to explode when the sun comes up. Also, the water levels in the rivers, streams, ponds, and swamps are way up. This means plenty of water supply for rural firefighting operations. Fishing will improve in the next few days too.

Happenings at The Homestead

The fire danger in Kommiecticut (actually most of southern New England) has been anywhere from "High" to "Extreme" with RED FLAG WARNINGS for the past few weeks. I receive the daily fire danger alert from the state via email. If there is a day of rain, the danger may go to low for one day, but on the next day it goes back to "HIGH" and continues up until the next rain. There have been many fires in the region and several I have personally worked. There was a 700 acre fire in Rhode Island that looked like a fire from out west that required help from CT & MA. Our fires never get into the trees like that requiring air drops, but that one did. The next couple of photos are from one my department fought along a town hiking trail. When we got the call it was reported as 10' x 10'. I was on duty that day and got there first with our brush truck, finding an area that was now 100' x 100' with a roaring fire spreading fast. We put it out with a total of six guys and 2,000 gallons of water from two of our engines. When all was said and done it was more than an acre. Normally a dirt strip will stop it, but as you can see it went right across the hiking trail burning both sides. In the last photo, the fire was on a hilltop a few hundred feet in off the road. Smelly, dirty, and soaking wet when you are done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My house is surrounded by woods and for the most part has a wide WUI (wildland-urban interface) barrier except for the west side facing the road. That is a thin strip of grass and in the summer also has a thick lush green area of ferns and ground cover. However, everything is just starting to grow so the ground is still covered with dry cured fuels that burn ferociously.

Our front porch which sees lots of use in warm weather

Looking down the steep hill from the porch towards the road.

The front of the house from the driveway

 

As you can see, the woods are pretty close to the front of the house. All it would take is some fucktard driving by to flick a cigarette butt out the window to light off my front woods. Under normal conditions that is not an issue. Once the tree canopy shades the forest floor, the ground cover holds the moisture and prevents fire spread. Right now, the sun is shining right through and baking everything on the ground making it super flammable. Therefore, once in the morning and once in the evening, the entire area 20-30 feet from the grass line out is wet down with what we in the fire service call "The Green Line" meaning a garden hose. Doing it twice a day will allow the water to soak through enough to slow if not halt fire spread. This coming Sunday we are supposed to get significant rain, so with this area pre-wetted down, the rain should really soak through and not just run off down the hill. Luckily we have not suffered through the decades of drought like Kommiefornia and are allowed to clear and mange our forests. I have a pile of stuff to burn out back once the fire danger lessens.

In yesterday's post about my Rhodesian Ridgeback Eli's birthday, I mentioned he won a dog show. The official photo came in the mail. I cropped it out for SafeSECS to eliminate the judge and my wife's faces, but there is my Handsome Boy in a show stance.

We normally keep our dogs lean, so you can just make out their ribs. But my wife was told that judges don't care for that look, so we have upped his meal portions to bulk him up and it seemed to work this time.