ITTOG.....shoe fetish ? I don't see it. I'm more in line with tgil & my oldest son.....their comments were quite similar. I just feel so strongly that real adventure on land only is gained through hard work.....I guess I'll never get the whole going on an expedition in a vehicle thing. My adventures have generally begun once my feet hit the earth. That's what works for me & I don't much care what others think.....and that somewhat explains my love for my boots.....
Regarding boots.....well, REI disappointed me this year and didn't have La Sportiva boots on sale Memorial Day weekend so I'll only have 2 pair for the winter season. I just started on a new pair & I have one pair still in the box. My groin injury never healed so I hope to reduce my mileage on this trip & for all of 2021. 2019 & 2020 were 5,000 mile plus years.....2021 will not be.....
tgil.....yea, I kinda enjoy passing by those old boots hanging in there and they do indeed bring back fond memories. Now that I'm well into the winter of my life, fond memories seem to become even more important to me. My expedition backpack & my first backpack ever that I used to hitchhike thru South America decades ago also hang in the barn and they too have the same effect on me.....my little museum.....I love that little barn.....once filled with horsesh*t.....now filled with my memories.....
Base Camp will be predominantly heated by a propane stove located in the "great room". I had initially planned to do the install myself but once the stove arrived and I gleamed through the instruction manual I almost immediately had second thoughts (fire & explosion came to mind). Finding a professional installer at this time of year in this town I knew would be nearly impossible, but I succeeded in getting someone to come here......
That stove was delivered damaged & without all the parts required for the install.....additional parts have since been shipped and hopefully the install will be completed today. I sure do like the look of the stove.....there are currently no plans to use the stove in 2021.....
I've been unpacking boxes and have pretty much completed decorating Base Camp.....
I built some shelves in the kitchen using the same old wood that I found in the barn & that I had used to construct the bookcases.....
The brackets were ordered online & were handmade by a blacksmith in upstate New York.....they are the ********.....
The granite countertop is simple.....I didn't want it to be a big part of the room.....the hickory kitchen cabinets.....well, I just wanted a change from all the grey.....
I'd say with Base Camp at 98 % complete that I now spend much more of my days thinking about & preparing for life on the road again. Now the weather forecast has changed again.....highs next week in the upper 30's and snow showers for 3 straight days.....so the dogs got their last baths of the summer (?) season.....Trapper is pretty good about getting me the water hose (seriously).....
Hmmmm.....an after bath picture.....something obviously went wrong here.....
Do dogs understand what's going on around them ? I really have to wonder as Tanner spends more & more of his day laying in the front seat of the Jeep.....he seems so ready to hit the road.....eleven days to go.....